The scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked pastries filled the air as Eclipse wiped down the counter of The Luminous Bean, a small, tucked-away café in the quieter district of Aegis’ arts district. The soft hum of conversation mixed with the gentle clinking of ceramic cups, creating a cozy atmosphere beneath the ever-present neon glow of the city outside.
Eclipse knocked a puck of used grounds into the trash singing softly to herself as she started wiping out the portafilter. Gncing out the front window, she gave a quick survey to the neon tinged darkness outside. It became a habit, as automatic as breathing. She wasn’t just the cafe’s night-shift barista—she was its protector, keeping an eye on the flow of people, watching for anything out of the ordinary. It was a habit she couldn’t shake, even when her only battles of the night were with the malfunctioning espresso machine.
“Eclipse, can I get one st refill before you close up?” called an older man from the corner booth, his voice warm and familiar. It was Mr. Lanson, a retired engineer who spent his evenings tinkering with old 21st century tech while sipping the house blend. eclipse always wondered what brought him here, but appreciated the quiet company nonetheless.
Eclipse smirked and grabbed the pot. “You say ‘st refill’ like I don’t know you’ll be here until I’m locking the doors.”
Mr. Lanson chuckled, scratching his graying beard. “Can’t fool you, huh?”
“Not even a little.” She poured him another cup, the rich aroma curling in the air. Gncing at the strewn tech parts on the table, Eclipse cocked her head. “Ok I’m stumped. What is it?”
Mr. Lanson chuckled and took off the multi tool. It was like an old school toolbox compressed in a glove that operated digitally with gesture controls.
“Well you see, it's called a hard disk. My wife found it at one of those junk shops that popped up on the outskirts of town.” Noticing the confused look on the barista’s face, Mr. Lanson continued. “It’s an archaic storage system. Basically anything worth storing was stored on these. Nowadays we just have virtual storage. But these,” he cooed in a reminiscent voice, picking up a silver ft disk from the center of the parts, “These were the king of storage.”
Eclipse looked at the piece before shaking her head. “I don't know why you do it..” she chuckled softly.
“Keeps me young, ‘Lipse. Reminds me of the good ol days,” he said, throwing out his nickname for her as he patted her arm. “Now go on, you're behind schedule on your evening routine,” he teased.
At the counter, a group of students chatted over their open textbooks, their holographic notes hovering above the table. One of them, a red-haired girl with round gsses, waved Eclipse over. “Hey, uh, do you have anything we can take to go with extra caffeine? We’re pulling an all-nighter for exams.”
Eclipse leaned on the counter, mock-serious. “You sure? I make a mean triple-shot espresso that might just send you to another dimension.”
The girl exchanged a gnce with her friends before nodding. “Sounds like exactly what we need.”
Shaking her head with amusement, Eclipse got to work, expertly pulling the shots and adding a swirl of caramel for good measure. As she slid the drinks across the counter, the café’s speaker crackled slightly before switching to a slow, lo-fi tune—courtesy of Sorin, Eclipse's friend who had ‘accidentally’ hacked into the system to update the exhaustingly synth wave pylist weeks ago, stating, “we gotta match the café vibe not the city.”
The night trickled on, the customers slowly filtering out one by one. The group of students gathered their things, waved and left right at close, leaving a heavy tip in the jar. Mr. Lanson watched as Eclipse flicked off the retro open sign. With a sigh he handed her his empty cup and began packing up his things. They had fallen into a nightly routine, Mr. Lanson was determined to keep Eclipse company to the st minute. She saw him as a grandfather figure. When the st cup was cleared and the chairs stacked, Eclipse and Mr. Lanson walked outside. Eclipse locked the door and leaned against it for a moment, exhaling.
“Are you heading home? Or checking out the nightlife?” Asked Mr. Lanson as he waved down a transport for hire.
“I’ve got some music I'm working on so I guess I'm heading home” she said, pulling up her hood as a light rain started. She waved as Mr. Lanson transport pulled away and stepped onto the neon-lit streets, disappearing into the pulse of Aegis.
