Page 37 of Run Omega Run
Her eyes met mine. "Ye don't have to do everything alone anymore," I said, my hands coming up to frame her face with careful gentleness. "I'm here. My pack is here. We want to help, want to be part of this life ye've built." I gestured toward the children, who were watching our interaction with the fascination of people witnessing something important. "Look how much it's making them smile just to have something new to look forward to."
I could see the exact moment her resistance crumbled, the way her shoulders sagged with relief. A laugh escaped her, bright and genuine and more beautiful than any sound I'd ever heard, and I knew I was completely, irrevocably lost.
"Okay," she said, her voice soft but steady. "You've twisted my arm then. Show me how it works."
I guided the small parade of children into the living room, my body still tingling from being close to Heather. The space looked transformed... walls that had been cracked and sagging now stood straight and solid, windows that had gaps letting in cold air were now sealed in their frames. The afternoon light filtering through clean glass cast everything in warm golden tones that made the room feel like something from a proper home rather than a building held together by hope and stubbornness.
"Right then," I announced, settling the boxes on the old wooden coffee table that served as the room's centerpiece. "Time to see what we've got here."
My chocolate scent filled the space as I worked, intensifying with my excitement and mixing with the lingering sawdust smell from the day's repairs. I could see Heather’s breathing deepen beside me, responding to me in ways that made my pulse quicken.
I opened the first box, peeling back layers of protective foam like a magician revealing his greatest trick. The children pressedcloser, their eyes wide with anticipation as I lifted out the flat-screen television.
"Would ye look at that," I said, my Scottish accent thickening with satisfaction as I held the TV up for their inspection. "Fifty-five inches of pure entertainment! It’s the latest model, with resolution so sharp ye can count the individual blades of grass on a football pitch."
Loubie Lou reached out with one tentative finger to touch the smooth surface, her one-eared rabbit clutched in her other arm. "It's so shiny," she breathed, wonder making her voice even softer than usual.
"Aye, that it is," I agreed, carefully positioning the television on the low stand that someone had thoughtfully placed against the wall. "But that's just the beginning. The real magic happens when we get the gaming console hooked up."
I moved to the old radio that had been providing the room's entertainment, unplugging it with exaggerated ceremony. "Sorry, old friend," I told the ancient device, patting its worn plastic casing. "Time for retirement. Ye've served these children well, but it's time for something new."
The second box revealed the gaming console itself, along with a tangle of cables that looked intimidatingly complex, but which I knew like the back of my hand. This was my world, after all. It was the technology I'd designed and built, and sold to millions of people around the globe. But seeing it here, in this room full of children who'd had so little, felt different from any business presentation I'd ever given.
"Now then," I said, holding up various cables, "we need to connect the brain to the body, if ye will. This cable carries the pictures." I held up the HDMI cord, watching as Tomas stepped forward with shy curiosity. "And this one carries the sounds."
Tomas held out his small hands, and I placed the cable across his palms with careful gentleness. His touch was feather-light ashe examined the connector, turning it over to study the metal contacts with the focused attention of someone who understood that mechanical things had a logic to them, rules that could be learned and mastered.
"That's it, lad," I encouraged, crouching down to bring myself closer to his eye level. "Every connection has its proper place. Like a puzzle where all the pieces have to fit just right."
Behind him, Manny had parked his broken truck at a safe distance but close enough to observe everything. He tracked my movements as I connected cables to the back of the television, his brow furrowed as he memorized every step of the process for future reference.
"Can I help too?" Denson asked, his hearing aids whistling slightly with feedback as he leaned closer to watch my hands work.
"'Course ye can," I said, handing him the power cable. "Every good installation needs someone to manage the power supply. That's the most important job of all." His face lit up with pride as he carefully threaded the cable behind the television stand.
The gaming console itself was a thing of beauty. It had matte black plastic housing, advanced processors that could render worlds more detailed than reality, cooled by fans so quiet they were barely audible even in perfect silence. I'd spent years perfecting the design, countless hours ensuring every component worked in perfect harmony, but holding it here in this room full of children who'd never owned anything so sophisticated made me see it through different eyes.
"This little box," I explained, connecting the final cables with practiced efficiency, "contains enough power to simulate entire universes. Race cars that handle like real vehicles, worlds ye can explore, adventures that feel real enough to make yer heart race."
I could see their imagination sparking as I spoke, their eyes growing wider with each promise of digital adventure. Even the older children, Susie and Dylan, were leaning forward now, their teenage pretense of disinterest cracking under genuine curiosity.
The steering wheel controller came out of its packaging like Excalibur being drawn from stone, its massive base and force-feedback motor making it feel substantial and real in my hands. I positioned it on the table where the children could see every detail. It had a leather-wrapped wheel, pedals, and an array of buttons and switches that would let them control their digital racing experience.
I smiled watching their wide eyes and excited expressions. Knowing I could do this for them, give them a little luxury, made my heart warm with joy.
"Racing games," I announced, powering up the system and watching the startup screen fill the television with brilliant colors, "are what I do best. This game took my development team three years to perfect.” Heather sat down next to me and smiled, nodding attentively. “Every car handles differently, every track has its own challenges, and the physics are so realistic ye'll feel like ye're actually behind the wheel.”
“I’ve never driven a car,” Heather said, lips pursed. “It’s not something that was ever on the cards for me.”
I squeezed her arm, “Well it is now, then perhaps we can try the real thing in the future aye?”
Her eyes sparkled, lighting up as she grinned.
The children gathered around me on the floor cushions that someone had arranged earlier, their faces illuminated by the screen's glow as the game's menu system loaded.
"Now then," I said, my voice softening as I looked around at their eager faces, "who wants to go first?"
Loubie Lou ran over and jumped on my knee. Heather and I laughed. "Right, let's see how ye handle a racing car, shall we?"
