"The mind gets distracted in all sorts of ways. The heart is its own exclusive concern and diversion."

  -Malcolm de Chazal

  Eli

  "Scientists at multiple space agencies and all over the world are baffled about the sudden increase in dust falling toward earth from orbit." A reporter on the radio said, "While they don't know what is causing it, they say that it will lead to some nice but short comet trails in the skies worldwide. The weather service has informed us that there is no increase in particulates in the air linked to this event. In other news, the president…."

  I reached over and turned off the radio while I pulled into the parking lot of a data center. I was putting together a server for a client who knew nothing of computers or how they worked, just that they needed one. At least the client gave me a lot of leeway regarding how it worked, just that it met some minimum requirements and asked that I keep it below budget. Some clients were specific on every last detail, making that contract hell.

  If the night crew cleaned up the racks where the new servers were being installed, and everything went right, I could finish this job quickly and head home for an early weekend.

  I parked and turned off my engine in a near-empty parking lot. It's not that there was no one here or that it was early; most technicians who maintained the systems opted to live nearby and be on call.

  I tapped my badge against the RFID plate beside the mantrap and walked into the lobby. This would stop the general public, but cameras made up most of the building's security. With them, security would be able to track everyone around the building. Everything was recorded and monitored.

  I said hi to a few people I knew as I walked through the building. When I reached the housing unit where my system was to be installed, I noticed a bunch of cables sticking through the back with no labels. I cursed because the night crew did not clean the racks, and the previous IT person had been too lazy to clean out all their cables. They probably removed the racks and walked away. I grumbled as I spent an hour cleaning up. The cables had to be removed, cleaned, and put away. The entire rack also needed dusting and filters replaced.

  I grabbed a cart and walked over to where the units were stored. I grabbed the ones I had finished building earlier in the week and rolled them back to the rack. Each one went in quickly. For the next few hours, I labeled and connected cables, referring to the notes on my laptop from time to time. When everything was connected, I pressed the power button. The lights on the front of each machine started blinking.

  I connected to the server with my laptop. After checking all the settings and the hardware, everything looked good and ready. I emailed the client the information they would need to connect and set up their program. My stomach grumbled at me for forgetting it. I looked down at the time. If I didn't finish and get home soon, I would be late for my date.

  Ok, so the word date may be a bit of an exaggeration. It was with a friend of mine since high school. I liked her and was sure she wanted me, but could I risk all of that for the chance that it could be more? Some of my other friends kept telling me that it would work out and to take the leap. I tried once, but I chickened out and felt too embarrassed to even come near her for a while.

  "Hey John," I said as I walked by one of the technicians that ran that room, "Could you check up on unit thirty-two occasionally to make sure it is still running normally."

  "Sure," he said while still reading the status display for another unit, "just a visual checkup, or should I check on the thermal and hardware?"

  "Thermal and hardware if you could." I replied, "Have a good night."

  I started walking away when he asked me, "So when are you going to ask Alissa out?"

  "I am taking her up to a place near Skykomish tonight," I responded, "We can enjoy a night under the stars. We should get a nice light show if the dust keeps falling. I am hoping to ask her then."

  "Well, don't chicken out like you did last time. She isn't going to wait for you forever, and it will be hard to figure out what to do next time if you chicken out."

  "Yea. If she says yes, I will also need to start planning the anniversary so I don't forget."

  He frowned as he said, "I am still saying sorry for forgetting my anniversary last month."

  "She still hasn't forgiven you? That's harsh."

  "Doesn't help that I played games with you guys that weekend."

  I grinned at him, "And if I remember right, you lost most of them too."

  "Yea, I put a reminder in all my electronics and accounts for a week out next year. I will not make the same mistake."

  "Well, text me if anything happens," I said as I walked out of the room.

  "No, but I will text you tomorrow afternoon if anything is wrong, not a minute sooner." He yelled after me. I quickly walked out of the building and to my car.

  I turned on my car and turned on the radio to the local news. "Is spreading." A female reporter came on mid-sentence. "The origins of this illness are still unknown, but it has been reported worldwide. The illness effects are similar to the flu. Doctors urge people with symptoms to stay home, rest, and drink lots of fluids. Do not go to a hospital unless you have a life-threatening emergency. Hospitals are already past capacity all over the country. Scientists report that studying this disease or the dust origins is going slowly due to unexplained distractions. We shall bring you updates and news on the hour, every hour."

  She paused to take a breath. "It is 4:13, and the sun is shining outside this clear autumn evening. Temperatures should be in the upper 60s. Traffic is smoothly flowing on most highways, but there are a few notable places to avoid. There is an accident near the Alderwood Mall Parkway exit going north on I-5. Expect significant delays and plan accordingly."

  I turned the radio to a music station and headed into traffic. On my way home, I grabbed a few things from the store for our picnic.

  Grabbing everything from the car, I put away all my work stuff and grabbed a basket. I put all the food, drinks, and cups into it. Along with my telescope set up, I put the basket into the trunk of my car and covered it in a blanket. She knew we were going out to eat tonight but didn't know where. Truthfully though, if not for the meteor shower, I would have had to find a nice restaurant in Seattle to take her.

  Alissa

  Walking out of the little operating theater in the veterinarian clinic, I looked at the clock on the receptionist's counter. A kid had attacked the dog we were now treating. After seeing all the damage, the kid had inflicted on the dog, I hoped the owner would take the kid to court. Then again, most courts side with the humans no matter what the case entailed or who got hurt.

  It reminded me of one case where a human attacked a dog for tripping him. All the dog was doing was walking alongside its owner. The dog was put down for "being a danger to the public." The worst part was that the guy who tripped had been on drugs and was only required to go to rehab.

  I grabbed my coat and purse from my locker and headed toward my car. "Hey, Alissa." My friend and coworker Jimmy called to me from the operating theater door. "You able to cover my shift tomorrow. My girlfriend wants me to take her to see this new movie before it leaves the theater."

  "Sorry, Jamie," I replied over my shoulder, "I can't. Eli is taking me out to dinner tonight, and he said to clear the whole weekend."

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  "Oh," Jamie said, surprised, "you think he will ask to make it official or chicken out again? Oh, any idea where he is taking you and what he is planning?"

  "No clue to either. All he said was to wear something warm. Do you think I should ask him instead?"

  "Did you guys hear the news?" Rosie, the receptionist, asked as she poked her head above the desk. "Apparently, a new bug is going around, overwhelming the hospitals."

  "Well, I hope he isn't taking me to a crowded restaurant then." I took a glance at the clock. "Well, I have to run, or I will be late. You guys know how traffic is on Fridays around here."

  "Have fun," Jamie said.

  "Stay safe," Rosie said.

  Briskly walking out the door and toward my car, I took a second look up at the sky. It would be a very clear night judging by the few clouds out.

  The roads from the clinic to his house were surprisingly clear of traffic. Grabbing my purse and coat from the car, I knocked before opening the front door. His computer was a bit far from the door, and sometimes he couldn't hear it. "Eli, you ready to go?" I called up the stairs.

  "Yea," he called as I heard his computer chair move around. "You have your coat?"

  "Yea, I will meet you in the car." When I was in the car, he was settling into the driver's seat. "So, will you tell me where we are going yet?"

  "What," he said while smiling, "and ruin the surprise? Honestly, I am amazed you haven't figured it out yet."

  "Well, it's not like either of us has had time to hang out much these last few weeks."

  "True," he said, sighing.

  "Well, can I have a hint, at least?"

  "Sure, it involves food."

  "Well, that's no help," I grumble.

  We sat listening to music until I realized we were already passing Monroe with no signs of stopping in town. "How long is this trip? Because there is not much out here until we get over the pass."

  "Except for the few small towns, your right. It should be at most another hour or two."

  That would bring us nearly to Leavenworth. I sit back and relax while looking out at the greenery passing by. My mind wandered, and I lost track of time. Seemingly minutes later, I felt the car slow down and pull off the highway and into a park.

  "Where are we?" I ask after the car stops in a gravel spot.

  "Skykomish Ballpark." He replies. "You want to grab the blanket and find us a good clear spot? I'll grab the rest and follow you."

  Grabbing the blanket off the top, I finally saw what was under it. He had hidden his telescope and a basket full of stuff. I had an idea of what he was planning. We met and got to know each other in high school during astronomy outings to observe the stars.

  I sometimes wonder how much farther along our relationship would be if I had just kissed him on one of those trips. I looked around and found a decently flat spot in the back of the park, closer to the trees than I liked, but it still had a relatively unobstructed view of the sky.

  Heading in that direction, I heard the back hatch of his car close. His long legs had him even with me before I was halfway across the field.

  "What do you think the dust shower is from?" I asked him as I spotted a few dim streaks high up.

  "Well, it could be an old comet trail from eons ago," he said while looking up, "but I think it's more likely our solar system is just passing through a denser part of interstellar space."

  I unfolded the blanket before folding it in half and laying it down. He placed his telescope case down before starting to unpack the food. He had packed some of our favorites. There was a container of precut watermelon, some sandwiches, sodas, and some slices of cake. While he was doing that, I started to unpack his telescope case.

  "Are we moving the telescope manually or with the computer?" I asked.

  "Is there anything you want to view specifically tonight or just at the moon and dust?"

  After some thought, I answered, "Nah, none of the ring planets are in a good position right now." I pointed the telescope in the general direction of the moon that had just started its track across the sky. He held out a sandwich to me. It tasted delicious. It was a ham and cheese sandwich, just how I liked it. Before he could move away, I leaned into him and relaxed. He didn't pull away but instead wrapped an arm around me.

  The air had started to get chilly, and I snuggled closer to him. His body heat kept me warm and relaxed. After a while of relaxing there, I decided to push him and asked, "Why did we never give us a try?"

  After some time, he responded, "I guess I was afraid to destroy what we did have on the chance it could become something more."

  I could agree with this statement more than I liked. I guess I had also been letting fear drive my decision.

  "Do you think it can work?" he asked.

  Now there was a question. "How will we ever know if we don't at least give it a chance?" I sat back up and turned around to face him. His eyes locked with mine and his hand reached for mine. I held his hand while I slowly closed my eyes and leaned in for a kiss, giving him time to pull back. He didn't. At first, the kiss was tentative. His free hand reached behind me and caressed my back.

  He returned the kiss. Our hands roamed until I realized something was wrong. I was never this forward. Yes, I had dreamed and wished to kiss him, but there was something…different.

  "I have never known you to be so forward, not that I mind." He said a bit breathlessly.

  I went back to the telescope to hide my blushing. I looked through it at the moon. Glancing back at him, I saw he was watching the shower of dust as it burned up in the atmosphere, but I quickly looked back into the lens before he caught me. I noticed a crater I didn't recognize as I scanned the moon. "Hey, do you recognize this crater?"

  I pulled back so he could look through the telescope. He moved it around a little before moving it back to where it was. "No," he replied with a perplexed look before continuing. "And it's not a small crater either. Any impact of that size would have been noticed. That would have been all over the news as impacts of that size are rare." He adjusted the zoom a bit before jerking back. Wiping his eyes, he looked again, only to pull back sharply.

  "What is it? What do you see?"

  "I saw some shiny material, and it seemed to move."

  Right, some naturally shiny material on the dusty moon that moves. "Let me see." I gently pushed him out of the way so I could look through the telescope. While the image wasn't all that clear, near the center of the new crater was some shiny material that seemed to ooze. When I pulled back, the back of my head collided with his forehead. The pain seemed to clear my head of a fog I didn't even realize was there.

  "Damn, that hurt," he said under his breath while rubbing his forehead before speaking a bit louder. "Let's pack up and get back. The computer will be faster than our phones to research this, and we can use the bigger telescope in my backyard to get clearer photos." He packed up the food and blanket while I packed the telescope and returned it to the back of his car. He was right behind me and finished packing the back while I got into the passenger seat. Heading back toward Everett, the silence was filled with music while we both thought about the material. Almost through Monroe, the music abruptly cut off.

  "BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. BEEEEEP. This is an Emergency Broadcast. An unknown pathogen is spreading quickly through the population around the world. Stay indoors and stay where you are. If you feel sick, isolate yourself from everyone around you immediately. Hospitals are closed to all but those directed there by medical personnel. A mandatory curfew will be in effect as of midnight tonight. Again, a mandatory curfew will be in effect as of midnight tonight. Public transportation will also be suspended at midnight. Return to your homes and await further instructions." The broadcast repeated twice more before returning to the music.

  The DJ stopped the music soon after, saying, "My station manager has just messaged me some directions and information. Everyone in our station will be heading home, but the station will stay on the air. We will also try and keep you updated on any important announcements as they come in. Stay healthy and stay safe." The music came back on, but I tuned it out.

  On my way to work, I had only heard of the potential flu this morning. How could a disease hide for so long and spread so far? The Covid-19 pandemic a couple of years ago was bad enough. It had been relatively fast to spread and quickly noticed. Plus, anyone who remembered what had happened during the pandemic would remember that lockdowns and isolation did little due to a lack of enforcement and people ignoring guidelines and requirements.

  I looked over at Eli and saw his hands were white around the steering wheel. I remember that his dad and grandparents had died from COVID related complications. I reached over and placed my hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. He relaxed slightly, but we stayed quiet the rest of the way to his house.

  After putting his telescope back into the closet, I was the first to break the silence. "Do you want me to stay, or should I go home?"

  He looked at me, "I want to tell you to stay, but that would be selfish. You should be in your house before the curfew starts."

  For a minute, I debated what to do, but I had my answer as soon as I saw his sad eyes and the memories that lingered there. I would not leave him to face this alone. "I'll just grab the spare blankets and pillow from the closet for the couch. Go pick out a movie we can watch." I was hoping to distract him for at least a little bit.

  I picked out the blanket I knew was the biggest while taking my time. My mother had also died from COVID, while my older brother fights daily with the lingering issues caused by that damned disease. Before he had gotten sick, he had a basketball scholarship. Now he struggles to work a minimum-wage job without being out of breath.

  When I got to the front room, I saw that he had picked a movie and had already started it. He didn't look like he was really watching it but was staring out into space. I handed him the pillow, and he put it beside himself absentmindedly. I sat down next to him while unfolding the blanket over my lap. I slowly slid sideways toward him to ensure I didn't surprise him too much.

  He didn't notice until my head touched his shoulder. His muscles tensed for a second before he relaxed. I lifted my legs and lay across the couch with my head on his shoulder.

  After a few minutes, he pushed me back to sitting. I got up to move so I didn't get in his way. He stretched out on the couch with the pillow behind his head.

  I thought he wanted me to leave, but he grabbed my hand. He gently pulled me on top of him, and I let him. We took some time to get comfortable while adjusting the blanket. I don't think either of us really paid attention to the movie. The last thing I remember was relaxing into him before falling to sleep in his arms.