Chapter Text
“Okay, one last calibration test, and we’re all done,” Sebastian said, and smiled as he picked up the laminated board that lay on the bench beside him.
Simon stood behind the technician and smiled encouragingly at the woman, who sat on the worktable across from him. Phoenix, as she had decided to call herself now, though the name did give him slight discomfort, all considered. Simon half suspected that was why she chose it.
She was entirely unrecognizable from the first time he’d met her, the careful work of the technicians having erased any outward sign of the damage she’d suffered. But it was much more than that. It was all the little differences, as she smiled, curled her bare toes in curious excitement, and raised her hand to the board, which made Simon’s artificial heart hum in his chest.
Her motions were fluid, as she rapidly tapped the little colored dots by Sebastian’s instructions, alternating hands and fingers without ever breaking rhythm. She stood, touched her finger to her nose, first the left and then the right, as she twirled. Dipped to touch her toes, and stretched up as far as her fingertips could reach, before falling into Sebastian for a hug, a pearling giggle emanating from her lips. There was no trace of static left, and not the slightest hitch in her motion.
“You’re all done” Sebastian announced, returning the hug before turning to Simon, as to introduce them, fingertips still lingering together for a moment. “Astonishing, aren’t I?” she teased, meeting Simon’s eyes and mirroring his smile as he nodded.
“Entirely.”
She said her goodbyes to Sebastian, giving his cheek a small peck and promising visit, before taking Simon’s arm and following him out, her steps almost bouncing.
It had been about a week since she’d first left the recovery room and started familiarizing herself with New Jericho, and all the ways life was different from what she’d known. They’d still needed to do smaller repairs, but she’d been so eager to take it all in that she’d simply refused to let the work slow her down, even when she’d needed to be carried back down at the end of a day. Now, she all but floated, as she waved goodbye to Gina, and steered Simon toward the elevator.
“I might miss the techs, they’ve all been so sweet to me,” she chirped, as she leaned against the window of the elevator, letting Simon pick their floor “but if I never need to see the inside of the repair bay again, it’ll still be too soon.”
“Sebastian likes walking the trails outside,” Simon mused, drawing her attention momentarily from the view “I’m sure he’d love the company.”
She nodded eagerly, keeping perfect balance as she did, and Simon struggled to contain the widening of his smile.
“Where are we going?” She asked as the elevator came to a halt, and she peeked into an unfamiliar hallway. “you said you wanted me to meet someone?”
“Yeah, he’s… it’s my boyfriend. I’ve told him a lot about you, and he’s very eager to meet you.”
The woman smiled, taking Simon’s arm again and letting him lead her along as the soft hum of piano music drifted down to meet them.