The fire crackled quietly as the small group sat around it, the flickering light casting long shadows across the room. Alex felt the weight of their eyes on him as he spoke about the potential of repairing old-world devices, the tension rising with every word. Elara and Serena exchanged glances, their skepticism growing as Alex explained his ability to fix things—with the right materials and energy, of course.
It wasn't long before the inevitable questions came.
Serena, always calm and thoughtful, was the first to break the silence. "You know how to fix old-world machines?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. "How? I've never heard of anyone being able to do that, not without years of training, and even then…"
Elara leaned forward, her expression more direct, even suspicious. "Yeah, Alex. Where exactly did you learn this stuff? You've never mentioned anything about fixing machines before."
Alex froze for a moment, his mind racing. He hadn't planned for this part of the conversation. He knew that explaining his abilities would raise questions, but he hadn't figured out how to answer them. The truth was too dangerous to reveal—he couldn't just tell them about the AI, or the techniques he had learned from the holo-display. Not yet.
He glanced at Elara, then at Serena, both of them waiting for a response. Nia, sitting quietly beside her mother, watched him with wide, curious eyes.
Keep it vague, he told himself. Don't give them too much.
"I… picked up some knowledge from a few old-world texts and devices," Alex said, his voice steady but careful. "You know how it is. Sometimes you find things in the ruins—old tech, books, stuff that people left behind. I've spent a lot of time studying those things, and I've learned a few tricks."
Elara raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Old-world texts? Alex, we've been scavenging together for years. You've never once mentioned anything about finding old-world books. What exactly did you find?"
Alex shrugged, trying to keep his expression neutral. "It wasn't anything special, just scraps of information here and there. I didn't want to bring it up until I knew more, and honestly, I wasn't sure it would amount to anything."
Serena wasn't buying it either. "That still doesn't explain how you know enough to repair old-world machines. People have been picking through the ruins for decades, and no one's been able to do what you're talking about. Where did you learn these techniques?"
The air in the room felt heavier now, the questions pressing down on Alex. He knew they were right to be suspicious—his sudden knowledge of advanced repair techniques wasn't something they could just brush off. But he couldn't risk telling them the whole truth, not yet. The AI was his secret, and revealing it could put him—and everyone else—in danger.
Change the subject, Alex thought. Don't let them dig any deeper.
He forced a small smile and leaned back, trying to appear more relaxed than he felt. "Look, it's not like I've figured everything out. What I've learned is just the basics. That's why I said we'll need materials and time. I can't just snap my fingers and fix anything we find. It's a process."
Elara crossed her arms, clearly not satisfied with his vague answer. "But where did you learn the process, Alex? We've been together for years. How is it that you suddenly know all this?"
Alex hesitated again, his mind scrambling for a plausible explanation. He needed to give them something, just enough to satisfy their curiosity without giving away the truth.
"There was an old scavenger I used to trade with," Alex said, the lie coming out smoother than he expected. "He didn't trust a lot of people, but we talked a few times about old-world tech. He knew a lot—more than most of the people around here—and he passed some of that knowledge on to me before he disappeared."
Serena and Elara exchanged glances again, and Alex could tell they weren't entirely convinced, but the story seemed plausible enough.
"Disappeared?" Serena asked, her tone still doubtful.
"Yeah," Alex nodded. "No one's seen him in a long time. He went on a run outside the Quarter and never came back. But before he left, he showed me a few things—basic stuff about energy manipulation and how old-world devices work. I didn't really think much of it at the time, but I've been piecing things together since then."
Elara frowned, her skepticism still evident. "And you're just now bringing this up?"
"I didn't think it was important before," Alex replied, keeping his voice calm. "I mean, I wasn't sure how useful it would be. But after everything we've seen recently, I figured it was worth a shot. We're running out of options, right?"
There was a long pause as the others processed what he had said. Elara didn't seem fully convinced, but she wasn't pressing the issue anymore. Serena, meanwhile, was still watching him carefully, as if weighing whether to believe him.
Finally, Elara sighed and leaned back, the tension in her posture easing slightly. "Alright, fine. If you say you've learned something useful, then I'll trust you. But we're going to need more than just talk, Alex. We need results."
Alex nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. He had dodged the worst of their questions, but he knew that wouldn't be the end of it. If he wanted to keep their trust, he would have to show them that his abilities were real—and that meant delivering on the promise of repairing the old-world tech they found.
"We'll start tomorrow," he said, eager to move the conversation forward. "We'll head back to the ruins and look for materials. Anything we find that has potential, we'll bring back. I can start small, and if it works, we'll move on to bigger things."
Serena gave a small nod, still thoughtful. "I hope you're right, Alex. If you can actually fix some of the old machines, it could make a huge difference."
Nia, who had been quiet throughout the conversation, spoke up, her voice filled with cautious optimism. "It would be amazing if we could get some of those machines working again. Maybe even find something that could help with power or water."
Alex smiled faintly, though his mind was still racing with the weight of the secrets he carried. "That's the goal. We'll take it one step at a time."
Elara stood up, brushing off her coat. "Alright, let's get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
The group began to settle down for the night, but Alex's mind was far from calm. He had managed to deflect their questions for now, but he knew the suspicions would linger. Sooner or later, Elara and Serena would want to know more, and he would need to be ready with better answers.
For now, though, he had bought himself some time. Time to prove that his abilities were real—and time to figure out how to handle the deeper mysteries of the AI and the energy techniques he had learned. But the weight of his secret pressed down on him, even as he closed his eyes and tried to rest.
Tomorrow, they would return to the ruins. And tomorrow, he would have to show them just how far his new abilities could go.