Finn Lennoy - July 2120
I sit in the GeneX security room, watching the cameras as usual. Nothing's happening, as usual. Still, I stay alert just in case.
I lean back in my chair, sipping my coffee, letting the background chatter of the other guys drift over me. Then Jeremy's hand lands on my shoulder.
"You're not hungover today," he says with a grin.
I smile, pushing his hand off gently and playfully. "Ha, funny."
Simon and Alex walk over, laughing.
"Why drink so much if you're that bad at it?" Simon teases, nudging my chair.
"For someone like you Finn, I thought you'd manage," Jeremy adds, smirking.
I turn in my chair, keeping my tone light. "Well… unlike you guys, I never really saw the point in drinking."
"Oooooh," they respond, in that predictable way.
"So… something happened to make you drink?" Alex asks, curiosity laced in his voice.
I shrug, casual, letting the real answer stay tucked away. The argument with Noah flashes in my mind for a brief second, a small, almost bittersweet smile tugging at me. "Maybe I just wanted to see why you all act so high and mighty about going out drinking so much" I deflect.
"Oh, yeah, I get it now," Simon says, nudging Alex and Jeremy with raised eyebrows. "You just wanted to find a lady and get some action, eh?"
I keep my face calm, neutral, masking whatever I'm really thinking. "Yeah, sure. Let's go with that."
They each pat me on the shoulder, as if giving me some playful approval.
"Anyway, back to your desks," I say lightly, nudging them away. I laugh softly, pushing my chair back to the monitors, my mind wandering for a fleeting moment to Noah, to the argument, to the words I didn't say. Then I focus again, the cameras, the room, the quiet hum of routine.
Jeremy lingers a moment, eyes flicking toward the screen. "Hey… isn't that Noah?" he asks casually. "Looks like he's in the lift with Mr Carr."
My coffee freezes halfway to my lips. "What?" I murmur, trying to sound calm.
Simon glances up. "Yeah, see? Right there." he points to the screen on the top right "He's heading up to the board members' floor."
I get up, my chair rolls back lightly against the floor, and walk over to the screen. My heartbeat picks up just slightly, a rhythm I can't completely hide. Noah, perfectly calm as always, stands beside Mr Carr in the lift, polite and composed, but something about it feels off.
I lean closer to the monitor, scanning the feed. Why would he be going to the board members' office? What could require him to go up there now? My stomach twists slightly at the thought, and I find myself holding my breath, wishing I could just be there to make sure he's alright.
Jeremy shrugs. "Guess he's got a meeting or something. You know how it is."
I nod, though I'm not so sure. My mind races with possibilities, and for the first time that morning, I feel that familiar tug, the mixture of concern and something more, something I can't quite admit aloud.
I step back from the monitor, letting them continue their joking, but my eyes keep flicking to the screen. Noah moves with that easy, calm composure, but my chest tightens. Board members rarely call him up for anything trivial.
I swallow, forcing my expression back to neutral, casual. "Right," I mutter.
Even as I say it lightly, my mind is already running through every scenario, every reason, every little thing that could be happening up there and I can't shake the worry that something about this isn't just business.
My stomach tightens again. Last night's break-in, Noah hacking into their system… if they found out, what would they do? There's nothing I can do right now. All I can do is sit and wait.
But as the seconds tick by, my nerves keep building. And then, suddenly, the feed showing the lift flickers. The doors slide open, and Noah steps in, this time alone.
He looks fine at first glance, but I notice him rubbing the bridge of his nose before opening a small bottle of medicine and swallowing the pills. My eyes scan the room quickly, everyone else is absorbed in their own screens, oblivious.
I glance at the clock, it's too early for lunch, but I need to see him. I make the excuse of getting a snack and coffee and head out to the lab. No one complains about me leaving them to watch the screens. Honestly, they all know I'm Noah's personal guard first, GeneX security second.
I pick up a protein bar and a coffee from the food stall near the front of the building and make my way to Noah's lab. Knowing him, he's probably channeling his frustration into work. But when I step through the door, the lab is empty. I turn toward his office and at first I don't see him and then...
He's lying on the sofa, arm draped over his eyes, shielding the light.
I pause. He's asleep. His chest rises and falls slowly, lips slightly parted. Something in me tightens at the sight. He must have pushed himself too far. Between blaming himself last night over the increase of his dads test subjects and whatever else he's dealing with, maybe he didn't sleep at all.
Guilt rises in my chest. I should have stayed with him, made sure he was okay.
I set the protein bar and coffee down on the desk and settle into the chair across from him. I just watch. There's something grounding about the way he breathes, steady, calm. It quiets the chaos in my own mind, just for a moment, sitting there and watching him rest.
I barely notice the time passing, absorbed in the quiet rhythm of his breathing. Then, a faint stir, a small shift in the sofa. His arm drops slightly from over his eyes, and I catch a glimpse of his face. His brow is furrowed, and his lips press together as if he's trying to block something out.
I lean forward slightly, keeping my voice low and calm. "Hey… you okay?"
Noah's eyes flutter open slowly. For a moment, he doesn't focus, just blinks against the light. Then he sees me. There's a flicker of surprise, or maybe relief, before he gives a small, almost imperceptible smile.
"Finn, when did you get here" His voice is quiet, tired.
I don't move too close, just enough to be there. "Hey. You looked like you needed the rest." My tone is casual, but my eyes don't leave him. I can't stop noticing the tension in his shoulders, the faint lines around his eyes.
"I saw you go up to the top floor. What happened?" I ask, keeping my voice even, trying not to let my worry show.
Noah slowly sits up, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. His hair sticks up in every direction, a mess from the few hours he managed to rest.
"Mr Carr wanted to talk about the investors' summit" he says with a long sigh. "Long story short… the board wants me to create the nullifier within two months."
He gets up and walks over to his desk, picking up the now cold coffee. Without hesitation, he downs it in one go, then sinks into his office chair.
"You've been working on this for years," I say, trying to keep my tone calm, though anger is rising beneath the surface. "How can they expect it in two months?" He's already exhausted, pushed to his limits and now they want a miracle.
Noah doesn't answer immediately. He leans forward, burying his face in his hands, taking a deep breath.
""I think… something's off," he finally says, tilting his head slightly as if weighing the possibilities in his mind.
"What do you mean?" I ask, leaning forward, my concern sharper now.
He hesitates, chewing over something in his mind, eyes unfocused as he pieces it together.
"I'm not sure yet," he says slowly. "But if they're suddenly pushing for the nullifier now… it probably has something to do with the Lunex vials again."
I swallow, trying to keep my voice steady. "The Lunex vials…" I repeat, letting the words hang between us. My chest tightens. Something's gone wrong, or they think it will. And now Noah has to fix it, on their impossible timeline.
He leans back in his chair, fingers running through his messy hair. "I don't know the details yet," he says quietly, eyes distant. "But the board is treating it as urgent. They expect results immediately."
I feel a flash of anger, at them, at the pressure, at the way they treat him like he's some machine instead of… him. "Two months isn't enough," I say quietly, though the words carry more weight than I intend. "Not for what you've been working on."
Noah doesn't answer at first. He just looks at me, eyes tired, weighed down. There's a flicker of something unspoken there. I try not to read too much into it, but it tugs at me anyway.
"I… I'll figure it out," he says finally, voice low. "I always do."
I lean back in my chair, folding my arms across my chest. I try to act calm and casual for his sake. But inside, I'm on edge. I want to snap at the board. I want to make them see what they're asking, and I want to make sure Noah doesn't push himself past the edge.
"Don't let them break you," I say, softer this time, almost a warning. "You've already done more than anyone can expect. You don't have to do it alone, either."
He glances at me, and for a heartbeat, the exhaustion cracks just slightly. There's a small, faint smile, the kind that says he hears me, even if he can't fully relax yet. "Thanks, Finn," he murmurs.
I nod, letting the words settle. I can't fix the board, or the timeline, or any of the lab stuff, but I can be here. Watching, supporting, keeping him steady. That's enough for now.
"I need to focus on the project" Noah says, his tone regaining its usual professional edge, "but in the meantime, Finn… keep your ears open."
He intertwines his fingers in front of him, eyes narrowing slightly as he considers the possibilities. "See if you can uncover anything. Any anomalies with the Guardians. Any Lunex vials that might have gone missing. Anything that could indicate why the board is suddenly pushing for the nullifier."
I rise from my chair and nod. Of course. I'll do whatever I can to support him.