Edward Kenning
Night time rolls about unexpectedly fast. I think it might be something to do with how nervous I am, wishing that the day will slow to a crawl which spurs the night on but it's too late to think about the damage of my thoughts. We're sitting around the thin panels in the Techies room, Ellie and Kirk seated on chairs as they run information through the holographic screen.
Martha had ordered us to change into clothes a few minutes earlier and the tuxedo that I have struggled into starts to feel like it's choking me. The collar is turned in a way that causes an itch to creep against my skin and the necktie is binding around my neck too tightly. Fidgeting uncomfortably, I shift to look at the weapons hidden along the inner folds of the fabric- a knife at the side, a few hand grenades in the pocket.
"I hughly doubt we'll need to resort to such drastic measures." Martha strolls into the room and I feel my lips part to reveal a figure of shock. Fitted in a slim dress that slides down her waist and asserts emphasis on the length of her legs, she glides into the room almost naturally, allowing the tiny sequins that layer the seams of her dress to sparkle as the light catches against their gleam.
"Last time I checked, we were on a mission." Luke says coldly. There is a look of annoyance that crosses his features as he speaks, leaning against the cave walls with a firmness that declares his focus on the mission.
"If you guys want to get into the gallery, you need to look the part of rich and wealthy Solars." Ellie replies to Luke's snarky comment as she leans towards the panel, her fingers stretching across the screen and drawing up more surveillance footage. The coast is chaotic with employees rushing to finish the last fews tasks- perfecting the angle of cloths against modern tables, running through the guest lists.
"If you set off now, you should make it with time to spare. Get a feel of the layout and report back once you're comfortable. We'll rig the fire alarm, causing the others to leave and shut down the security system. The Resistance members- you have to take out yourself." Ellie shoots us a look which is filled with hope, "I hate to be pragmatic but this is what we have to settle for."
"Alright, let's do some last-minute check on the equipment and our weapons!" Martha prompts. I frown, glancing at her dress, "How on Atlanta do you plan on smuggling weapons through that dress?"
Returning my glance with a look of irritation, Martha motions towards her footwear. That's when I notice that her dress cascades towards the floor, flawlessy hiding a set of weapons tucked along her training boots. They're worn with age but the integrity of the soles don't seem to be compromised- in fact, it looks stable enough to support the weight of her weapons.
I pat down my tuxedo, feeling the rough bumps of the materials hidden along my frame.
"Alright, the three of you should leave now. The car's outside and ready for you."
Martha, Luke and I begin to amke our way to the exit- instead of a ladder, there's a lift that operates to bring us to the surface of Atlanta. When I ask Martha about the reason behind the different modes of transportation, she answers with a vague response.
"The lifts travel faster than when we climb our way to the top. This way, if there is a chance of an attack, we'll be able to escape quickly."
It seems like she's nervous for her first assignment, too.
The vehicle that we have been assigned to is wide and stretches across, the hood flat and long. The windows are tinted black and visibility of the interior is murky.
"I'm guessing you guys din't usually have access to such resources?" Lukes asks Martha who shakes hed head in reply.
"It's Luna's treat. She traded some points in for us to get this sweet ride." We slip into the vehicle and the engine at the back roars to life, fuelled by the solar energy reserves in the tank. I scroll the windows down with a button that's stamped along the side of the doors despite Martha's hard stare of disapproval, begging for the cool wind outside to clear my mind.
As the vehicles traverse the bump terrain, the breeze that flutters across the landscape catches against my face, gently cooling the heat that has been building up in my chest and inching across every area of my bdoy. The anxiety that flits about in my lungs slow to a gentle momentum as the cold air teases my face. My fingers begin to trace the outline of the glass barrier's curve, allowing the chilly feeling sink into my skin.
Outside, the moon is suspended among the stars- a rounded yellow that illuminates the darkness surrounding it.
Which is strange.
Just yesterday, the moon was a crescent- the yellow barely filled up half of what it is now. Blinking furiously, I glance up at the sky to ensure that it isn't my mind playing tricks on me. Even though I'm a Solar, I'm well versed in the moon's cycle and the Dark system- how everything affects each part of a system, because of how similar it is to the Solar System. The moon shouldn't be growing at such a fast rate unless I'm missing something.
"Hey, Luke." I call out to the seat in front of me.
"What?" Luke twists his body, angling his face in my direction. His lips are curved into a lopsided line and I notice that there's dirt caught beneath his nails- he must have been digging at the texture of the seat for long. There's a heavy weight of fear trapped in his dark eyes as they survey me and my thoughts drift to the moment his arms were around me, touching me and healing me.
I want to do that for him right now.
But I don't.
Instead, I point towards the sky, "Is that supposed to be normal? The moon hasn't reached the last stage of its cycle yet and it's full."
His face mists up with confusion as he turns his body back to its original position and scroll the windows on his side of the car down. As he glances out, his face loses all colour and he sinks back into his seat, defeated by the sight.
"What's it? What's wrong?" My questions race out in a flock as I anxiously clutch against the armrest by the side, the agglutination of fear and unrest starting to heighten my perturbation.
When Luke doesn't answer, Martha chimes in gently.
"Luke... what's wrong?"
With a sigh, Luke lets his body slide against the seat, his legs limply dragging against the mats beneath, as if the action had exhausted his energy.
"You're right. The moon isn't supposed to be round tonight. There's something wrong with the Dark system- the same thing that has been screwing with Atlanta." When he finally speaks, the pinhole in my lungs seals off, obstructing the path of worry and concern.
I don't want him to have to go through the episode that I did, without being able to have someone to hold him.
"You mean the fracture in Atlanta's crust?" Martha steers the vehicle towards the right and I begin to see landmarks that dot the surroundings- more street lamps that speckle the fringe of a road which draws close, high-rise buildings along both sides of the grey asphalt emulsion, sprayed along the surface of Atlanta's crust. Here, along the urbanised area, mirrors are set up at an angle along the roofs of the buildings to reflect light back onto the roads and create an environment that radiates warmth and light.
Darkness might try to govern the area but there are measures in place to defend Solars. Still, it contributes to the pollution that's starting to wear Atlanta thin.
From the look of annoyance I catch skimming across Luke's face, I realise that he must be thinking along these lines too.
"Yes," The word sounds as if it is being torn right from his chest, compressed into a hiss that exudes an anger he can't suppress, "And that's because of what you Solars are doing. Look at all these lights- you're supposed to embrace the night when it comes."
Martha's knuckles grow white as she grasps the wheel firmly. Her face is pinched with a resisted annoyance at Luke's words but I know that she is keeping it togethet just to be professional.
"We can argue all we want after the mission. Right now, we need to focus." I quickly add before the two of them can orchestrate a disaster.
The car slows to a halt as we approach one of the shorter buildings. A roll of red carpet is pulled along the sidewalk and the poles allign to form a neat gap where a steady stream of Solars are entering the gallery.
Are there meant to be this many Solars at the gallery? I recall the numbers being drastically lower than the turn up before my eyes. As soon as all the windows on the car have been rolled up, Martha passes around our ear comms. I press the small button that has been embossed onto the groove, enabling the wireless chip inside before gently clipping it into the side of my ear.
"Hello? This is the other half of team Eta, can you hear us?" Ellie's voice wafts through the earpiece and I nod before recalling that she can't see me.
"We're here." Martha replies.
"Good. Because in five minutes, the other members of Resistance are going to intercept the message. The three of you need to move. Now!"
Word Count: 1655 Words
A/N: Oh, exciting! (: I knew I said in the previous chapter abot a bunch of stuff that I have prepared but the story took a different direction.
Also, I know that there are a few holes that I have dismissed but since I'm writing for #NaNoWriMo, I'll address these spots once I have accomplished the word count.
Please leave a vote or comment! Shares are also welcomed! (: