Our Existence Is Scandal

✦9✦

"I just don't get it, it's a beverage shop... why do they need one on every few streets," I narrowed my eyes at the building "And why the same one each time...are they not selling the same thing?"

"Well, look who's just discovered capitalism."

"What-is?" I frowned, "Is that the name of the beverage they sell?" I glanced at the cup I had gotten from one of the stores a couple streets down "I don't know Astra, I'm pretty sure the human called this a coffee."

"I don't think this is what Tempest meant when she said to infiltrate the human base," Astra sighed pointedly, even though she held a cup of her own too, tucked safely into the elbow of her broken arm. Hers was pink though, I forgot what they'd called it but I watched it being made and it was the juice that was mixed around very fast in a machine.

"She never mentioned how greedy they were, it's curious how such an evil species could be so interested in drinks," I shook my head sadly "Quick to dehydrate is an unfortunate trait to have. Poor things."

"Evil is a strong word," She snorted.

I turned to her "Would you prefer planet colonizers?"

"I would prefer if we'd find out where we're supposed to be right now."

"That's a trick question," I turned back to face the neon sign of the store "We're both meant to be behind bars."

"I don't think Sergeant Callaway and Dr. Mhklali are supposed to be in jail right now," She told me, looking down at her wrist "The communicator Tempest gave me has some directions but I'm not sure if they're to their homes or their workplaces. The latter would be better."

"Well, we'll never know unless we follow them."

I didn't know what I expected from the human base, maybe I thought the bolts holding the walls together would be messy and unevenly spaced, that the metal used to pave the floor would change in thickness and color as I continued to walk further inside it-rushed, I thought it would be significantly more rushed.

But here I was standing in a building that looked like the product of months, maybe even years of intense planning. Tempest had taught me last night that the humans were never allowed to build when they visited and if they were to stay for long periods they were to stay in the Martian homes or sleep in their ships.

Yet the ceiling was lined with plants, with holes small enough to let the dominating air component carbon dioxide enter so that the plants could produce what I learned that the humans needed to breathe, oxygen.

The rows of buildings were purposefully and equally spaced, placed with such precision that it could only be the product of intense planning and dedication. Tempest had described it to me like they'd ambushed them out of nowhere and built as quickly as they could but seeing all of this I doubted that.

Maybe the humans had come in a rush, but they certainly had planned on what to do when they got here.

"I think...this is it," Astra suddenly spoke up after leading us around corners for a few minutes. We'd decided that the most practical way of concealing our handcuffs was to hold hands, or rather, hold our chains and clasp our hands together to conceal the metal.