Spark stared forwards which also happened to be directly down at the floor the mammoth had gone splat on. He shivered a bit. Heights had never been his forte. “Well” He spoke to the girl who still hadn’t woken up. “I wouldn’t let you do this alone anyways so…” He used the machine to lower the cable Ky had attached to the mammoth.

Time to climb.

He certainly wasn’t going to attach the end to himself and jump. At first he had thought about it but… he couldn’t help but feel like it’d go disastrously wrong.

Once the cable reached the bottom Spark was completely ready to slide down. Definitely! He just needed some time to scope it out, figure out a solution! Don’t want to drop the kid, right? It also didn’t help that there was an audience. A large cable coming down from the ceiling was decently noticeable and the hall hadn’t been cleared out yet. In fact it was more busy than when Spark had left, people cataloguing the dead and looking for loved ones.

He didn’t envy the work. He glanced back at the cable.

He’d probably trade jobs though.

He grabbed the cable with his left hand while cradling the girl with his right. He had climbed down things like this before, his mom had loved to take him exploring. But this was slightly different, especially since the gravity was still pushing his face into the ground, he’d need to be prepared for the shift...

This situation - Blegh! Would be embarrassing to die now having an audience. Especially after the event. What the headline be? Synth somehow survives mass murderer, gravity corrects discrepancy! An odd footnote for the future Nuoris of the world to laugh at. Fun thoughts!

Spark, shimmied backwards while holding onto the rope for dear life, he did not want to be caught off guard when the gravity switched, as he felt his foot go off the edge he began to wrap his legs around the cable.

Ever so slowly he inched downwards, his lower body now under the effects.

Easy does it, easy-

As his upper half came under the influence, a slight shifting happened in his right arm. Whether by the shifting of the pull or just pure hateful chance, the girl awoke at the most inopportune moment.

Because of course she did.

The bleary eyed girl moved her head around, taking a second to gather her bearing. Spark could only imagine the thought process going through her head.

Here she was, suspended 20 meters above the ground, in the arms of a complete stranger.

Spark fully expected her to scream and wriggle causing both of them a lifetime of issues for approximately three seconds.

As she looked around her eyes widened, no sound came though and she did not struggle. Instead she wrapped both her arms tightly around Spark’s neck. Resting her head on his shoulder.

Spark thanked the universe that the girl was much more composed than most. Then himself honestly. If he were her age… well, he’d picked up quite a few injuries while exploring..

Spark half slid down the cable, squeezing his legs to slow the descent. When he reached the bottom he found many eyes upon him.

Everyone’s eyes.

Startled, he backed up a tiny bit and proceeded to trip over a stray chunk of Trunky.

“Oh shit!” He cried while tumbling over, attempting to orientate his body in a way that did not crush the girl still hanging from him in a vast overestimation of his abilities.

Well, this is embarrassing. The thought came to Spark as he lay on the ground, stunned. A hand tapped him on the face.

“Hey.” The girl said, concerned.

“Hey” Spark eloquently replied. The girl looked around, Spark followed her gaze.

People were still staring at them, none too happy. Memories of the events on the forefront of their minds.

Ah. Spark frowned, so easy for the events to slip from the mind but impossible to forget. He stood up and looked for someone, Dyrian was on the stage talking to Wyndra. He beckoned for Spark to come over.

Spark headed in the opposite direction, closer to the hallway. To the cleanup.

Terrick and Alliandra were both directing the operation and cataloguing the dead. Both had paid no attention to Spark’s mishaps as there was more important work to be done. Alliandra had her personal tablet out while Terrick dealt with those who wished to find family members.

As he neared Alliandra tilted her head up and saw Spark approaching, she slightly smiled then shook her head, giving Terrick a small nudge. He gave Spark a passing glance and nod but went back to consoling a grieving parent.

“Hello, kid. Saw you had a spot of bother.” Alliandra stated casually, like being abducted by a mass murderer was a mild inconvenience.

“Uhh… hi.” Spark timidly pointed at Terrick. “I need to talk to him after…”

“He’s done with them, gotcha.” She nodded, then tilted her head. “Did you know anyone here?”

“Why?” He asked, hesitant.

Alliandra pointed at her tablet “Vitals check, figuring out who needs to deal with the dead is my part of the job. If you have anyone that you’re concerned about, now’s the time to ask.”

A quiet voice came out of him. “Linaya?” He waited, dreading the answer.

“Hmm, a Linaya, how is a Linaya doing.” She hummed a bit while trying to find the name. “Oh.” She winced. “That’s not great.” Horror crept onto Spark’s face, she laughed a tiny bit and shook her head. “No, she’s not dead, just really injured. I wouldn’t have told you if she was dead, I’d have just grabbed Terrick and let him break the news.”

Relief flooded him but he had to ask. “Why? Isn’t that what you’re here for?”

“No.” She denied. “I’m here to catalogue the dead.” She gestured to Terrick. “He’s here to deal with the public.” Her voice turned rueful. “It’s for the best, I’ve always been a bad hand at consoling people. I’m alright at conversation but I always go into way too much detail. Topics like recyc are always best left with a gentler touch.”

“Umm…” Spark was a bit hesitant, but curiosity got the better of them. “Recyc?”

Alliandra shrugged. “You know how we’re a self contained environment, right?” Spark nodded. “Everything atomic matter needs to be used, and reused. No exceptions.” Spark’s eyes widened. She rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t be like that, everythings made out of the same basic components, it’s not like we’re eating ‘people’ we just rearrange the protons and newtons to create new products.”

She looked to the side and mumbled. “Some of that may be food, but-” She cut herself and started defending herself when she saw the people looking at her. “It’s all the same stuff anyway! Happened in a similar way in the old world all the time! Bodies made good fertilizer. We just hasten up the process a little bit. You’re all just being unreasonable!”

Spark really didn’t have much of a response to that. Behind Alliandra a parent had adopted a look of horror and Terrick was glaring daggers. Alliandra followed Spark’s eyes and turned around slowly.

“Ah shit.” She threw up her hands. “It’s natural! Science! It’s all chemically the same!” The parent spat in disgust.

“Where can I find my son?” The man asked Terrick. He glanced at Alliandra and she supplied an answer from her tablet.

“About fifty meters down the hallway, right hand side. ” She stated, quite helpfully. The parent stomped off. “He’ll also be very mushy. Will make a fine stew.” Alliandra called out behind him. Adding the quite unhelpful observations.

“Can you at least have a little compassion?” Terrick whispered fiercely

“He was being impolite. Not my fault.” Alliandra met his eyes, then nodded behind him. “One of your people is back.” He immediately turned and began talking.

Alliandra gave Spark a small smile. “At least you can see why I’m not the best fit, right?”

“...yeah.” He easily agreed.

She nodded sagely then noticed someone for the first time. “Who's that behind you kid?” Alliandra pointed at the girl.

“I helped her out of the stampede…” Spark glanced at the kid, she was staring with intensity at the tablet in Alliandra’s hands. “Can you uh…”

“Of course.”” Alliandra brought up the tablet. “Can you tell me your name, girl?”

“Tais.” A quiet voice.

“Tais… Tais… I’m not getting a Tais here.” She raised an eyebrow.

“Taistella.” The voice reaffirmed.

“Ah, a nickname then. Woah!” Alliandra’s head snapped back. “That’s a lot of Taistellas. Is it Finnish?” The girl nodded. “For what?

“To fight.”

“Parents are one of those lot then, well, I won't judge.” She kept scrolling through absently. “You’re not 140 years old, right?” Tais shook her head. “I thought not, so I’ll continue on… Here we are!” She smiled. “Taistella! Twelve years old, parents are…”

Alliandra made a beeline for Terrick, pushing him in the direction of the two kids. He started to walk over, a distraught look on his face. Tais’s eyes closed, and she was biting her lip. Spark knelt and gently clasped her hand not knowing what to say.

He glanced at Alliandra, who had taken over for Terrick.

What an asshole.

Terrick knelt down in front of them and gently laid a hand on Tais’ shoulder. “I don’t… have any words that can fix this.” He sighed, tired. “Do you... have anyone?” Her hand tightened on Spark’s and her head slowly shook in denial. “Ah.” Terrick was lost for words.

Decisions were made before Spark even had a chance to think.

“I’ll- we’ll take her. Me and my mom.” He spoke, complete determination in his voice. He shifted his head quickly to the girl. “If Tais wants to.” He added hastily.

A few tears went down Tais’s cheeks, the grip tightened more. She nodded. Just like that Spark had a child.

Responsibility.

A heavy feeling. Spark felt like he aged decades today.

Terrick just nodded, his eyes were kind but he still had a job to do. “Tais I need to ask. For your parents and the funeral-”

“Burn them.” She opened her tear filled eyes. “They would want to be burned.” Terrick nodded, taken aback by the hardness in Tais’s voice. He stood and began to drift away until Spark called to him.

“Terrick, take these.” Spark pulled out the speaker and removed a data chip from his head. “They’re recordings. Use them well.

“They’re of Ky?” Spark affirmed his suspicions. “I’ll use them well. Thank you for the trust.” The distraught man responded.

Terrick - Good? Was nice to Tais. Seemed to hate this whole situation. I want to like him.

But Spark had already been burned. Would Terrick be akin to Dyrian, a manipulative man using a face of kindness? Hopefully not. Spark had only one thing to say to him.

“Don’t disappoint me.” He walked away, hand still holding onto Tais’s.

They walked in silence, both lost in thought as they walked through the blood stained corridor, crowded by islands of grief. People going through they’re own tragedies. There were people everywhere, but most alone. Spark looked at the girl beside him. Tais. His new… sister maybe?

Her eyes distant, but she had stopped crying. Unresponsive to the world around she did not look around, only forward.

Spark really wanted to talk to her. Anyone really. Anything that could stop him from thinking about…

All of it.

“So, uhh… Tais. Do you like…” Come on Spark, think of something! “History?” No response. “It’s just, my mom really likes it, falls into rants all the time. If you’re going to be staying with-”

“Can you just stop talking?” Her eyes were closed again, jaw clenched. “Please.” She added.

Not the best start. Probably best to quit while he was still only extremely far behind.

The walk was long, quiet. Spark trying to avoid his thoughts. Tais, lost in hers. He felt relief when he reached their place. His mom could help sort Tais out. She’d always been good at helping him sort through his issues in the past.

He stopped in front of the door and turned to Tais. The Synth had been about to say something trite like ‘welcome home’ but looking at the girl's face he decided to just enter.

Spark’s problem required a Nuori solution it seemed.

Spark opened the door and found… his mom passed out, puke covering the floor.

Ah crap, not again.

She must have seen the broadcast, part of him had expected this. He glanced at Taisa “Don’t mind her, she’s just got... “ His eyes widened. There was an empty packet of pain nullifiers on the ground.

She had taken them all.

No no no no no, not this. Not after all that…

He ran up to her, felt for a pulse. Weak. So weak, he listened for a heartbeat. Practically nonexistent. What could he do! What could he-

Tais slid down beside him and started pumping at his mom’s chest. Trying to keep blood flowing. “Do you have anything to fix this!” She yelled at him.

Spark fumbled for a moment. “Uh, there’s this drink it makes you more awake, I think-”

“Try it! We need to do something!” Spark ran and poured out a cup. He raced back, spilling only a bit. He looked at his mom and Tais. “Do I just pour it in?” He demanded, frantic.

“Maybe? We might need to-” Spark was already pouring. Nuori started making a choking sound. Liquid bubbled in her mouth. “What’s happening?!?”

“She’s choking, we needed to sit her up!” Tais stopped pumping and tried to raise his mom's torso, Spark moved to help and Tais ceded the job to the stronger Synth.

“Wrap your arms around her stomach and pull.” She instructed the Synth, he did but too gently “Harder!” She yelled. Spark tried again, this time liquid came out of the unconscious woman.

Spark slumped down and sighed in relief. “Thank goodness I-” Tais punched his arm.

“She’s still overdosing! Sit her up again we need to-” She looked at the hot liquid. “This is fucking cup of Verifi! This won't do shit!” She threw it at him. “What were you thinking! We need actual medicine!

“I don’t know these things! I’m a sixteen year old Synth!” Spark couldn’t think he was in such a panic.

“And I’m twelve!” Tais yelled as she went back to pumping Nuori’s chest. “Do you not have anything here? No medicine at all?”

Spark stood up and ran towards the bar counter, opening every secret compartment. “Nothing that I know of, I’d been doing jobs for the bits of medicine we could get with the council…” Spark trailed off then felt at his person. He ran back.

“I stole these from Ky!” He pulled out the packet. “It’s a type of regenerative medicine.” Spark moved to pour all the pills into his mom’s mouth. A hand grabbed his.

“Do they work?” Tais asked seriously.

Spark met her eyes. “It worked on you.”

She nodded “One. Too many might cause problems. Sit her up so we can help her get it down.” Tais helped Spark prop his mom up and he placed a pill in her open mouth. He looked blankly for a second.

“How do we-”

“Fuck it.” Tais covered Nuori’s mouth and nose forcing her body to breathe in or inhale the pill. Spark eyes narrowed.

“What if it gets in her lungs?”

“I don’t know! We just needed to get it down! The medicine will probably work anyways.” Tais defended herself.

Spark didn’t know enough to argue, so they waited.

Minutes passed and nothing changed, Spark couldn’t believe that his mom had done this, that she decided- *Lie, I knew what she would do if I died. Just didn’t expect it today.

A part of him hated her at this moment. Why? Why stake her continued existence on his survival? How can he go about living his life normally with that hanging over him?

But he would. And he couldn’t actually hate her, just be angry.

He had decided to love her a long time ago. Faults and all. That would never change.

“Her breathing is getting better.” Tais let out a sigh. “She might be in the clear.”

“Thank goodness.” Spark put a hand to his face and started laughing weakly. “Welcome home Tais.”

Tails looked down, not in the mood to laugh. She glanced at Nuori. “Are we going to just leave her on the floor?”

“No, no uh… I’ll take the head you take the feet?” He suggested. Tais nodded and they began shuffling to Nuori’s room.

With minimal cursing and dropping they managed to make their way to Nuori’s bed when Spark began to put her down. Tais protested.

“The beds right there, seriously?”

“She’s covered in puke still, we need to clean her up.” Tais sighed but grudgingly lowered Nuori’s feet. Spark began to undress her. Tais immediately started to protest again.

“Alright, this is not okay! Please leave her clothes on.”

“They’re covered in puke.” Spark pointed out. “And she sleeps naked anyways.”

“...Incredibly weird that you know that, I’m still not quite comfortable with this.”

“You can leave the room if you want to.” Spark gave her the option.

Tais raised her eyebrows “I feel like that makes it even worse.”

Spark rolled his eyes. “I’m her son and a Synth, not exactly interested in what's on display.”

“Doesn’t make it better.” Tais sighed. “I’ll stay.” She reluctantly moved to help him.

“Thank you.”

After they undressed her Spark and Tais took her to the bathtub. Spark left Tais in charge of that section, he had other cleaning up to do.

Picking up her stained soiled clothes, Spark washed the floor beneath them then headed to do the same in the main room. He then placed the clothes in an automatic washing hole. Once they were clean and dried he picked up the other essentials and headed back to his mom’s room. He shook them out then threw them to the ground haphazardly each consecutive item closer to the bed.

Sweatshirt, socks, sweatpants, underwear.

He then attached a kivi dispenser to the wall, pouring out a half cup. He picked up his mom's shirt and dribbled some on the front, and did the same for her pants

“An odd way of cleaning up.” Tais said, standing in the entrance to the bathroom. Both a statement and a question.

Spark eyed her, deathly serious. “This didn’t happen. She found her own way to bed, and nothing else.”

“Why?”

“She’ll feel guilty, and hate that she made us clean up her mess. Probably break down if she knew what she did.”

Tais frowned but nodded.

“Let’s put her to bed.” Spark started walking towards the bath, drink still in hand. He knelt beside the tub and placed a finger in the drink, and started spreading the substance on the inside of his mom’s mouth.

“Are you sure you should be doing that?”

“Masks the puke taste, it will make her think she got to bed fine. When I didn’t do this she’d sometimes beat herself up.”

Tais’s voice was hesitant. “You seem… very experienced in this… does it happen often?”

Spark shook his head. “Not lately.” He set the bath to drain then got Tais to help him lift her out of the tub and layed Nuori on the floor. “All we need to do is dry her off and then we’re done.” He and Tais did so then carried her to bed. Spark tucked her in and gave her a kiss on the head. He turned to Tais.

“Time to get your bed set up.”

“You have an extra?”

“No, but I do have an idea.” Spark led her to the ‘Steve’s’ hallway. “If my mom drank to unconsciousness, odds are Steve is also out. Free bed, in my view.”

Tais looked uncertain. “Uhh… I’m not sharing, and he’s already in bed.” She pointed at the sleeping man.

Spark smiled despite all that had happened. “That's an easy fix!” He shoved Steve’s shoulder. No reaction, he was out cold. Spark then did the reasonable thing and flipped him onto the floor.

Tais recoiled. “Why does everyone sleep naked!”

Spark winced, and threw the blanket overtop of Steve. “Is that better?”

Tais nodded slightly. “I’m not using those sheets though.”

Understandable Spark thought, he wouldn’t trust them either. He peeled them off and threw them atop of Steve in a bundle and bowed towards Tais. “Problem solved! We have extras.”

Tais didn’t so much as smirk.

Tough crowd.

Spark and Tais lifted the bed, he began to direct it to his room, but when Tais noticed the other bed she immediately stopped. “Can I… get my own room please?” She said with a frown.

“Of course, we don’t have any rooms but I could move my own-”

“No need.” She interjected. “A hallway thing would be fine with me. I just want privacy.” She affirmed politely.

“No problem.” Spark said, a bit hurt that she didn’t seem to like or trust him at all.

If he was being honest he had always wanted a little sister or brother. Felt like it would add to his life, now that she practically was one, or would be, it hurt him that she didn’t seem to like him at all.

They placed down the bed, and Spark grabbed some covers. When he asked her if she needed anything else Tais declined.

“I’m fine.” Her voice stern, controlled. Her face held back some emotion. “Thank you but I’m fine.”

Spark said his goodbyes and made a quick escape. He sat in the bar and ruminated.

A hard kid. She had been so much more in control then him when his mom was down. He had nearly killed her and… Spark shivered uncontrollably.

My mom's life, almost gone. Just like that. Spark slammed a fist on the counter. How could she! Just… If she had died, choked or overdosed, I would have never been able to forgive myself. And Tais saved her. I was useless. All I’m good for is cleaning up and pretending it never happened. Did I ever even thank her? Thank her for the help?

No.

Spark stood up and walked back towards the hallway, he took a water cylinder with him. It’s the least he could-

Spark heard a quiet sound coming from the dark hallway. Silent sobs in the pitch black. Tears not meant for other’s eyes. He walked forward quietly and reached the side of the bed. Tais was sobbing and shivering uncontrollably. Spark knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder. She screamed.

“I’m sorry.” Spark said, voice quiet.

Tais rolled over to face him. Legs curled up to her chest. Face streaked with tears. “I’m supposed to be strong.” She whimpered. “My parents taught me to be strong- wanted me to be…” Her eyes closed. Her face went tight, she shook her head in denial. “I’m not crying, okay? I can’t be.”

Spark lifted her up into a tight hug. “It’s okay, you're not crying. You’re strong, so strong. You helped save my mom.”

Her arms wrapped around him. Tight. “Why did they all have to die?” she whispered, so quiet almost as if she never meant to say it.

Spark shivered. Remembering the desperate faces. The pain. The panic. He didn’t have anything he could say so he just held her. Hugged her tight and refused to let go.