Chapter 17 - Rafael
An electronic bell chimes as Rafael steps through the door of Terra’s Hyper Food.
The scent of synthetic meat washes over him while aircon blasts from speakers overhead, cutting out every few seconds for a robotic voice to announce orders.
Workers in neon uniforms move behind glass at kitchen consoles, and above them, holographic menus scroll through hundreds of options.
After the chaos he escaped in Shreveport, the familiar sensory overload is almost a welcome change. Everything here is exactly how he left, as if the past week was nothing more than a strange dream.
“Know what you want?” Lian’s voice in his ear cuts through Rafael’s thoughts.
With a nod, he places his usual order on the nearest vidscreen. Lian follows suit before sliding into a green and white synth-leather booth in the corner.
“So…“ she drawls, folding her hands on the table. “You gonna tell me how the Community Care Initiative went, or do I have to drag it out of you? Cause you’ve been pretty tight-lipped about it since you got assigned.”
Rafael forces a laugh. He’d hoped for more time to come up with a believable story, but that plan unraveled the moment Lian opened the door as he arrived home. She insisted on dinner to catch up, and he couldn’t find the heart to argue.
Now he has to spin a tale on the fly. Otherwise, Lian would go straight to Nova City Police—or maybe even VitaCorp. And while he can’t condone the violence Kane’s crew uses or how he ended up there, lying is the only way to save himself too.
“Well, uh—” His gaze flicks to the glowing menus as he scrambles to recall the story Kane fed him. “Like I said, HR approached me after my shift…offered a chance to pick up some extra—”
“Ugh, I don’t care about all that.” Lian rolls her eyes and leans in with a grin. “I mean, did you meet anyone interesting? A wealthy doctor, maybe? Some charming patient with a trust fund?”
This is why he needed more time. His best friend loves to gossip, especially about boys. Usually, Rafael doesn’t mind indulging her. But tonight, every word adds to his lie.
“I was too busy with all the patients.” Rafael shrugs. “They don’t get consistent medical support out there, so I was basically on call the whole time, trying to make the most of their trip.”
Lian crosses her arms. “Really?” He nods. “Boring…”
“Boring” is the last word Rafael would use to describe Shreveport. Eye-opening would be closer, also terrifying, frustrating, and strangely sobering. But he can’t exactly tell her that, and thankfully, he doesn’t need to.
A tube lowers from the vents overhead, delivering a tray of burgers and drinks to their table. As the conduit retracts, a cheerful voice plays from the booth’s speaker: “Thanks for visiting Terra’s! Feeding the nation since 2075!”
While Lian unwraps her food, Rafael stares at his. The meal looks perfect, almost out of V-link. But the smell pulls him back to the marketplace with real spice, oil hissing on a hot grill, Echo cackling at a joke with the vendor.
He takes a bite anyway. The texture’s identical, but the flavor’s completely flat.
“So,” Lian says between sips of her drink, “no one interesting?”
“Uh—well…” Green eyes and auburn hair flash in his mind. “There was one supervisor…”
“Oh? Who?” Her grin widens.
“Just someone I worked with,” Rafael says casually. But even saying that much makes his chest tighten. He shouldn’t be thinking about Kane—a gang leader from the Outer Districts, a man who ordered his kidnapping.
But the memories won’t let go. Kane’s low voice coaxing answers from him in the med bay. A steady arm at his waist as gunfire tore through the street. The way Kane snapped at Echo for leaving him alone, the edge in his tone.
A fry snaps between Lian’s fingers, yanking him back. “Tell me more, Raffy,” she drawls.
Rafael laughs, a little too quickly. “He wasn’t really that interesting, now that I think about it.”
Except the second he says it, Kane practically materializes in his mind—leaning over the fryer with that faint, teasing smile, joking about overcooking the oil. Rafeal’s pulse kicks up.
Then he’s standing with the man on his balcony with morning coffee, laughing with flour on their hands. Kane’s chrome hand is in his, cool metal against tan. Those same fingers are tight around his hips, Kane’s weight pressing him down—
“I’ll take your word for it,” Lian cuts in, and Rafael jolts in the booth.
His heart slams against his ribs as heat crawls up his neck.
“But you know who I—” Lian’s words fade to static, drowned out by the blood rushing in his ears.
Oh God.
This isn’t just attraction anymore…He has feelings for the Chrome Baron.
His hands shake around his drink. Rafael tries to trace when it changed, but the moments don’t line up neatly. Kane listening when he talks about cooking, like his dreams mattered and could someday be real. Asking questions, remembering details, trusting him—maybe more than he should.
No one in Midtown ever made Rafael feel seen like that.
Rafael’s gaze drops to the untouched fries. It’s ridiculous. Impossible, really. Kane was probably just being kind—or feeling guilty about the kidnapping. Maybe it was strategic, keeping the hostage cooperative.
And even if it wasn’t—if that moment after the explosion meant something—they’ll never see each other again.
The thought should be a relief after what happened.
Instead, his chest aches.
“Oh! I forgot to tell you!” Lian gasps, pushing her glasses up. “Guess who scored a date with that cyber Adonis from security?”
A chuckle escapes Rafael despite the pounding of his heart. Typical Lian, still chasing anyone new with a pretty face. “You?”
She flips her hair over her shoulder, the color shifting to a confident red.
“Of course.” Her tone softens to a pout.
“But here’s the thing…Day shift’s the only time he’s free this week—today, actually, in a few hours.
I know we talked about no guests while you’re sleeping last month, but any chance you could be the best podmate ever and chill in your room for a bit?
Maybe until ten? Trust me, cyber Adonis’ doesn’t begin to describe him. ”
Rafael’s grip tightens around his cup. He should agree as usual. Their apartment’s soundproof, and she usually keeps her visitors contained. But the thought of a stranger in his space twists his stomach. He opens his mouth, then hesitates.
Back in Shreveport, speaking up didn’t end in disaster. Kane listened. His crew listened. The same could be true here. After all, Lian’s a kind person. She might hear him out and understand.
“Lian—”
Before he can finish, a chime.
“Hold that thought, Raffy,” she says quickly, tapping her wristlink. A holovid of her friend Sam flickers to life, a prerecorded message about club access and Premiere Corp events that Rafael barely hears.
When the feed ends, Lian sighs and shuts off her wristlink.
“That could’ve waited….” she mutters. “I just thought they would’ve had some good news.
But that doesn’t seem to be the case. I mean—seriously, they promised they could get us into a club downtown, but apparently not.
Sam seemed so cool when we first met, too.
Well, might as well wipe ’em. I don’t need friends like that.
We can get into the ones in Midtown fine without them. ”
With a flick of her finger, she wipes Sam from her contact list and grins up at Rafael. “Anyway, Raffy, can my date swing by today?”
A weight settles in his stomach. Saying no could mean losing her, losing all of them. Divya, Gavin, every one of his friends here. People who, unlike Kane’s crew, care about who’s who and where they can go in Midtown.
Rafael musters a grin. “Sure, no problem!”
“Thank you, Rafey!” Lian shakes as her hair shifts to yellow. “You’re the best best friend ever.” Her hands cover his on the table. “I’ve really missed you these past few days. Divya and Gavin are great and all, but you’re who I trust the most. You know that, right?”
Affection stirs in Rafael, his smile turning genuine. “Thanks, Lian. I missed you, too,” he whispers.
As she launches into a new story about her upcoming date, his mind drifts to Kane leaning against that abandoned HOV.
The man gifted him a box of donuts made from his own recipe, no reason given except that he thought Rafael deserved something decent.
Then there’s Lian, his best friend, asking him for a favor the minute he’s home.
But that’s ridiculous. This is just Lian being Lian.
This is what he wanted. To be home again—in Midtown with his friends and family, where it’s safe. Here, he doesn’t need a guard to walk him home at night, doesn’t have to think about a man with chrome arms who could never walk down Main Street hand-in-hand.
This is where he belongs. Where things make sense. Right?
Forcing a smile, Rafael nods along while Lian debates outfits for her date, pushing down all thoughts about everything and everyone he left in the Outer Districts.