Page 35 of Jinxed

‘Do I!’ He bounces up and down on the desk, and I’m worried he’s going to bash his head on the shelves above him.

‘I’ll take that as a yes. Can you examine all of Jupiter’scasings and bash out any dents – or if anything is too damaged, bring it to me so that I can print out new ones?’

‘You got it, boss lady.’

‘Right. Okay, I’ll go and get this...’

‘And what about me? I can help too.’ Ashley jumps up to her feet. ‘I don’t have much experience with companioneering but I can check the electrics once her wiring is fixed.’

‘Perfect. You can hook up to the monitoron my desk when Tobias and Kai are done. In the meantime...’ I don’t know how to ask without sounding like a totally crappy person, but thankfully Ashley is eminently sensible – and senses what I’m going to ask without me needing to spell it out.

‘Coffee. Snacks. I’m on it. How does everyone take it?’

As I give her my order for my coffee of preference (black – no sugar or milk, nice and simple),I whisper to her: ‘You are a lifesaver.’

She shakes her head and grips me by my shoulders. ‘No, Lacey. You are.’

WHEN I’M OUT OF EARSHOT OF MY locker and striding down towards Paul’s, I finally feel like I’m able to catch my breath. The lights come on one at a time as I pass underneath the motion sensors. Iwish Zora could be here. I’m annoyed with myself that I haven’t found the time to see her recently.

Then I realize something else is different.I’mthe one setting off the motion sensors. That means I’m walking in front. I haven’t walked in front of Jinx... since I first fixed his ability to walk. He’s always racing ahead of me – totallynotnormal baku behaviour – but at the moment he’s afew paces behind. If anyone were around to watch, they would find that pretty unusual too. Most of the time bakus walk directly at their owner’s side.

Everything okay?I ask.

Jinx is silent. I sneak a look over my shoulder and see that his head is hanging down low, his pace languorous.

Jinx?

>>Is that what I’m like? Inside?

I frown.What do you mean?

Rather than replying with words, he projectsa short video he took of Jupiter laid out on the floor of my locker, her wires and electronics all exposed and broken.

Well ... yes. You know that. You’ve seen the inside of a baku before. Like Aero.

>>I know. It’s just - if you put Jupiter back together, does that mean you created her?

No – I just repaired her. I’m not her creator. I’m... I’m more like her doctor. Ashley is her owner. And Moncha Corp is her creator. Moncha Corp created all the bakus. Even you.

>>Are you sure about that?

My heart quickens.Why? Who do you think made you?

Before Jinx can answer, Paul’s voice pops up out of the darkness. ‘Lacey, is that you?’

We’ll continue this conversation later,I think to Jinx.

When I see Paul, I feel overcome with the urge to spill everything to him about what it’s likeat Profectus – about the Baku Battles and how they push the students and bakus to the very limit, how there’s a chance for me to really make a name for myself, how all his help teaching me over the years, learning how to tinker with bakus, is finally going to pay off. But the looming Profectus NDA hangs over my head and I can’t risk another black mark – or worse, getting expelled.

‘Hey, Paul,’I say, instead.

‘What can I do you for?’ he asks.

‘I was wondering if I could use your super melter? I have a part to print tonight ASAP.’

‘A rush job, huh? Something for your new school?’

‘Something like that.’

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