Page · 4 panels
Page 7/ 18
Layout — 4 panels
[art pending]
Jesse, staring. His face is open. His hands rise from his sides — automatic, the muscles remembering the shape of his old guitar.
- JESSEDad.
- JESSEI broke yours.
- ALEXYou broke the first one, mijo.
- ALEXThis is the seventh.
- ALEXI've been getting better.
[art pending]
Alex steps forward. He extends the guitar to Jesse. Jesse takes it. He cradles it the way he cradled the old one in Issue 2.
- JESSE…It's the same.
- ALEXIt is and it isn't.
- ALEXThe pickups are a new alloy. The original cerium-iron-boron was banned in your time — but in this one I had thirty years to work with the local mining licenses. The new alloy is cleaner. The harmonics are stronger. The portal will open wider.
- ALEXPlus this one is in tune.
- JESSEThe old one was in tune.
- ALEXI'm pleased to hear it.
[art pending]
Dev, behind Jesse, looking at the new guitar with the same awe.
- DEVAlex.
- DEVThe USB.
- DEVDoes the new pickup still respond to the old USB?
- ALEXBetter than the old pickup did.
- ALEXPlug it in. You'll feel it.
[art pending]
Dev pulls the USB from his jacket pocket. Holds it up. The chip catches the workshop light. Faintly glowing green. Like it knows.
No copy.