"…am I supposed to build a fence around the heart?" Denver retreated into the building before the two men could catch him standing around. If they asked him about the gates, he didn't know how to convince them that he didn't know. He was too horrified by the worm's appearance… especially when it fused with their building.
…
Denver was too confused to answer the neighbors. He quickly shoved himself inside the stairwell and headed to the basement parking floor. As expected, the vast, empty parking floor now had a big red heart hanging from the ceiling.
It was right beside the little man booth Denver stayed whenever he wanted to rest. The electronics were left unused, but the couch sure had seen better days with those permanent impressions and dimming upholstery. Denver figured it looked unclean, but even a cleaning service was only a luxury available to the megacities.
A dark aura embraced the heart like a faint, translucent film. It would ripple at every beat of the huge heart. Denver stood nearby and stared at the space he could work with. He was already rearranging the furniture in his mind.
"Are you planning to build a room around the heart?" Lulu settled on the couch. Her body didn't even sink because the cushions were spent.
"I have to. Everyone coming here to find me will have a heart attack if they see it." Denver felt uncomfortable seeing someone else sit on his couch. However, he could only lift his curious gaze back to the beating heart. He said, "I'll build a room around the booth, but that will require materials. Curtains should do it for now."
Lulu moved her head to follow Denver with her gaze. He quickly went to find his construction measuring tape. Her eyes narrowed at his actions. "You're going to get busy with the curtains just like that? Don't you have other things to do?"
Denver started measuring the dimensions of the bigger booth. "This is my 'other things to do'. Do I give off the impression of a busy person?"
The girl sank into the seat's back support. "All those people look at you in times of crisis. I thought you owned this building. Maintaining the place should be your priority."
"I'll see the fixed damages later when I look for spare curtains." Denver chuckled. His measuring tape slid back into its case with a shrill sound. He glanced at her. "Are you going to stay here? I'll walk around a lot to find materials to hide the heart from people."
"…I don't want to get stinky." She slid down the couch and walked with Denver to the stairs. However, the small laboratory in another corner caught her gaze. She hummed, scrutinizing it from a distance. "How about that place? Won't you cover it up?"
Denver followed her gaze. "It used to have curtains until I accidentally burned them. The curtains are more of a hazard. I should let it be bare for now. It also keeps the fumes from suffocating me."
The two rode the elevator to the third floor, where Denver's apartment was. It was next to his mother's, which she used to share with Jackie. The man kept knocking on things and walls as if testing the fixing the Engorged had done. He smiled as if happy that the building was back to its pristine state. He didn't have to fear its untimely collapse.
Lulu kept a close watch on his face. When she first saw this human, he didn't have that kind of glow. It seemed that he hadn't been happy for a while now. She sighed heavily.
"Is something wrong?" Denver just finished drilling the last hook to hold the curtain rod. He looked over to the girl sinking into his favorite couch.
"Your life is boring." Lulu closed her eyes and placed her hands on her abdomen. "I thought we'd be hunting things in a lot of places. You were looking for someone, weren't you? Why didn't they pick up on that need? Why did they have to send the Engorged and let you play house longer?"
Denver slowly descended the ladder. He disassembled the drill to put it back in its case. "Yeah, I want to find my brother, but… my mother's health is more important. I can't ignore our neighbors, either."
He paused for a second. "Didn't you say that those people look at me in times of crisis? It was only because I could provide supplies for the people. I'm not the building owner. That man had long left us to our own devices. We all share my allowance, which my father sends me every week. It's not enough for a comfortable life, but money is money to the desperate."
He laughed after glancing at her. "Besides, who can live comfortably in a small city like Abels Creek? Humans can only live peacefully inside a megacity."
"Then why don't you head to a megacity instead?" Lulu hummed. "You have the money to buy food here, so you also have the money to spend there. It's safer."
"…that night the mimics attacked… we got separated from my brother." Denver started joining lightweight steel rods for the curtains. The intrusive sound of pulled clear adhesive tape conquered the place at intervals. "He got caught up in a different exit. He promised to meet us in Abels Creek. We have been waiting for him for two years."
Lulu opened her eyes and sought Denver's gaze. "He could be dead, you know. The frequency of attacks and the body count of those packs and venators makes it hard for people to hope."
Denver pulled on his lips for a ridiculing smile. "And yet… I am alive. He has the same resources as I do. He even has more friends. If he found a shelter, he might just be preparing to leave."
"Two years is a long time. He might not even want to leave." Lulu closed her eyes for a single breath. She tore them open before quickly sitting up. She exclaimed, "I can help you look for him! All I need is your blood! If we go on a search to look for him, we will encounter things to kill!"
"…we don't have the same blood." Denver chuckled as he shook his head softly. He whispered, "Dad doesn't know Jackie had a different father… but I do. I'm sure you can't match our blood and see that we're siblings. That doesn't mean I'm not allowed to treat him like one, though. He's every bit of a brother to me than he is a son to Dad."
Lulu got to her feet and dusted her black skirt. "I don't know about your societal norms, but humans also engage in microchimerism. I can trace your DNA in your sibling as long as he came from your mother's womb after you."
Denver stared at the little girl. She looked determined to go on a quest. He laughed. "I can only play along so much, Lulu. I have to stay here to protect my mother."
[You have unlocked Lifetime Quests! These quests will give you massive points to exchange for various items in the Symbiosis System's shop function.]
[The Shop function is not yet available!]
[A Lifetime Quest has been triggered! Reunite with Jackie Turning!]