Children of the Gamma

chapter two || iii

[ word count : 3,753 ]

Forty-five minutes later, I land the podship a half-mile from the warehouse, thanking my old instructor for the private lessons she gave me when I was thirteen. I jump to the ground, squinting under the harsh streetlight. At this hour, I'll be lucky if the ship is still here when I return. That's the least of my worries right now.

I start running down the familiar sidewalk webbed with twisting cracks. Overhead, the electric dome casts the darkened streets in faint purple light. In the distance, I hear the Gamma coming alive, laughter, music, howls dancing through the night.

It's improbable, considering how far he has to have gotten, but I keep an eye out for Spider. Slowing by the alleys to try to spot his form, craning my head to peer at the tops of buildings. His skinny silhouette is absent. I'm sick to my stomach. Azurdins need to be accompanied by an unmarked after eleven o'clock, or they'll be sentenced to a night in prison—if they're lucky. Spider knows this, and that's what worries me.

My watch reads 11:15.

I just hope we can find him before any soldiers do.

The side of the warehouse comes into view, along with my friends' dark forms. I call out so as not to startle them when I meet them.

Aria paces while Sora clutches her holo, her face pale. Kenji is nowhere in sight.

"Hey," I wheeze, bracing my hands on my knees as I catch my breath. "How long has he been gone?"

Eyeliner smudged, Sora checks the time on her holo. "Um...almost three hours ago. About thirty minutes after you left."

I shake my head, bewildered. "Wait—what happened, exactly?"

Aria tears a hand through her hair, her eyes dark with worry. "He ran off at eight. Said he needed to be alone for a little while. He said he'd be back before the curfew."

"He hasn't answered any of our texts," Sora adds, her voice pitched high with fear.

I noticed our group chat had about a hundred new messages from Sora and Kenji, but I hadn't had time to read through them all. "Did you check the forest?"

Sora looks at me like I'd asked if they checked outer space. "Of course not. You know how he feels about spiders."

I hold up my hands in defense. "Sorry, sorry, stupid question. Did Kenji go after him?"

She nods as Aria turns toward the dark streets. "A little after ten. He says he hasn't found him yet."

"He was in hysterics when he left to look for him," Aria murmurs, the tone in her voice unknowable.

I shift on my feet, trying to calm my mind. He could be caught or worse. A wave of black swims through my vision. "What do you guys want to do?"

Aria braces her fists on her hips, facing me. "You and I are going to the show April and Dizzy are playing. They'll want to know so they can help us look."

For a moment, I wonder if they need to stay to make the money. Then I remember how unsafe Spider is alone in the Gamma. Dizzy can work extra shifts, and I'll keep the bills paid. Spider is worth that trouble without a doubt. "Sounds like a plan. What about you?" I glance at Sora.