Jonah sits at the room's table going through the feed collected over the past three days. Nobody else is in the common room at this hour of night so he has his arms bare the metal showing. Half his real face shows too, his eyes glowing in the dim light.
His System is connected to the room's his favourite music playing. He watches images of all the gang members he had been following throughout the Zone till he finds Abu's. He watches a little Abu enter the Tavern with four biomes carrying heavy plasma rifles. A few minutes pass before Abu exits the bar but this time only with two of his biomes.
Jonah scoffs staring at the two biomes, holding their guns proudly as if they were born to carry weapons so willingly. It makes him so sick he almost retches. Abu seems to speak with someone over his System, one of the biomes who had been left comes out of the bar.
"Whoa!"
He turns his head directly to the source of the disturbance where a woman stands wide eyes locked onto him. It takes a minute for him to realize why and he rushes to cover his face.
"Sorry," Jonah says.
"It's alright Jonah. It's just that that's erm...new." She says.
Jonah racks both his System and what is left of his brain for her name. He would have hit himself if she wasn't standing there, for forgetting it again. It's amazing how names get away from when he doesn't actually save them into his system no matter how hard he tries. It makes him feel more of a machine than he would like.
"Jonah are you okay?" She asks.
"Yes I-I-I just forgot your name,"
She laughs. Jonah watches as she approaches him, his System failing to show him escapes routes, his mind failing him too. She sits right next to him smiling.
"How's that then?"
"I can't explain it exactly but I keep forgetting people's names no matter how hard I try," Jonah says.
"Are you having troubles with your System? I can help if that's the issue," She offers.
"No, no it's my brain. It's like I'm half dumb,"
Her reaction is just as Jonah expected. Not many people in their little group of detectives know that he still harbours some of his human body. She soon, however gets over the shock. He studies her face, the expressions turning to a genuine curiosity as her eyes narrow, studying him in turn. For the first time Jonah sees why the captain keeps staring at her whenever they're together.
"You know, I suffer that same sort of thing sometimes," She says.
"Really?"
That was too fast Jonah. Too rash.
"Yeah, but I've found a way to keep them in my mind."
She stands from the table that beautiful smile returning.
"Come on I'll show you," She says heading for the door.
He hesitates. Why would she want to share anything with him. Not even the captain who kept as he close as Jonah has ever been with anyone would. Of that he's sure.
"Come on we're just going for a walk. We'll be careful I promise,"
*
They walk in dark alleys avoiding any other light other than Jonah's. He watches in amazement as she talks about her life in the Gutters, her voice making him smile to himself. She has a sister apparently and a beautiful one at that. Of course he's already forgotten her name, but he can almost see her in his mind.
Jonah stops to study her walking and chatting her arms inflecting her story at the points where she's overwhelmed. She turns around beaming at him.
"What's up?" She asks.
He looks away feeling the shame rise through him. His eyes find what he thinks to be a star right before it moves past a tower. When he dares look back at her, she's way closer than she was last. Again his System fails to show him what exactly to do. Then she does the impossible, touching his face. He shuts his eyes afraid to even look at her.
"Hey, hey,"
He looks.
"Hey Jonah, it's okay you can look at me. There's nothing wrong with you, nothing at all. It's human to forget. The Seven Crosses know that's why we're here in the first place."
Her smile melts the little parts of him, he's never once before felt. The urge to touch her hand is overwhelming so he looks away again. She forces him to look at him this time taking his hand to her cheek making him flinch.
"This is how your remember my name Jonah. Alisha Liumu. Your best friend in all the Blotlands."
Jonah breathes in for the first time in ages since that hand touched him. Alisha. He will never forget.