Page 1 of Jump or Fall
Chapter 1
Mara
Two taps on the bottom corner of the bathroom mirror brought up the news display. The morning report announcing yet another victory for the incumbent Archon Beck was no surprise. This time he had secured eighty-five percent of the votes. Three years ago, it had been eighty-two. And before that, eighty-four.
The Archon stood before the cameras with a strained smile, waving to a cheering crowd. The location of his acceptance speech hadn't been advertised anywhere, so it was hard to say who had shown up. His balding head glistened under the harsh lights as he dabbed his brow with a red handkerchief.
“Thank you again to my loyal supporters,” he said. “It has been an honor to serve the people of Teichus all these years.”
To his right stood the Secretary of State Security, Dawson Knight. His freshly cut dark hair was cropped close to his head, and he wore a navy blue soft armor suit. To the untrained eye, it could pass for regular clothing. With his hands clasped in front, the titanium tips of his fingers caught the light in a sharp silver glare.
Secretary Knight shifted slightly as the Archon dabbed his head once more with an unsteady hand. “The city has thrived thanks to our hardworking citizens and dedicated public servants. I look forward to continuing my work to make Teichus the greatest of all cities in the Western Domain.”
The feed abruptly switched to a report on a worker shortage in the lithpack facility. The anchor, with her wide face and perfectly shaped hair, urged able residents to apply by pressing their thumb to the screen. As footage played of workers loading lithpacks onto forklifts, a small message scrolled across the bottom:Residents of Eight Need Not Apply.
Mara switched off the display with a single tap. The mirror toggled through a number of ads, analyzing her and recommending products. She swiped them all away until only her face was staring back.
Her short black hair was sticking up in a few places, so she smoothed it down with a bit of product. She lined her eyes with a dark pencil, then dabbed a touch of gold to the inner corners to bring out the bright amber color. Gold suited her best and made her warm olive complexion glow.
Her gaze fell to the bottle on the counter, its presence silently urging her to pick it up.
Not today.
She pried her eyes away and headed to her room to dress.
In the closet, she picked out a pair of onyx slacks and a dark purple button-down shirt. She grabbed a few musty short-sleeved blouses from the back and tossed them to the floor. They were just taking up space—she had nowhere to wear them.
She fastened the Master Tailor pin—a golden pair of scissors—to her shirt above her left breast. The design was a bit antiquated. A miniature laser would have been more fitting, considering how little she used regular scissors when crafting armor.
After a final glance in the mirror, Mara slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped into the thick, humid air of the overcast morning.
The rainy season was nearly over. Soon, the so-called dry season would begin—not that it brought much less rain. The storms came just as often, but they traded relentless downpours for crackling displays of lightning.
She tipped her head back, tracing the towering spires that topped the skyscrapers. The first time she’d seen a lightning strike ignite one had been mesmerizing. It was like the light had been snatched from the sky, the illuminated spire steadily pulsing as the lithpack cells absorbed the energy.
Hyperion was only a few blocks away, one of the perks to being a tailor for the elite. Living in Division Two meant safety—the Silvers wouldn’t let anything happen to their weapons and armor manufacturers.
Division One was the safest and most exclusive. Only those approved by the Archon were permitted to enter or reside there. The remaining Divisions had no such restrictions, though no one moved to Division Eight, or “the Outskirts”, unless forced. The buildings were crammed so tightly together, there was no clear separation between them—just a continuous, haphazard eyesore. The patchwork block was pressed flush against the city wall, its residents forced to build upward. The maze of pathways was so narrow that vehicles couldn’t pass through, and with all the stairs, even a motorbike would be useless.
Hyperion came into view. The black structure towered above the street, setting it apart from the bustle around it. Its surface was entirely bulletproof black glass, reflective and imposing. A tall security fence framed the perimeter.
At the gate, she placed her hand on the panel and waited for the familiarclickbefore it slid open. Once inside, she stepped up to the sleek glass door. The city and the fence behind her reflected in its surface as she pressed her palm to the sensor. A yellow glow emanated around her hand, followed by a soft beep indicating the door was unlocked.
Inside, the high-ceilinged lobby was bright despite the dark exterior and clouds overhead. She nodded to Tamar at the front desk, but she barely looked up, her fingers occupied with some task.
Tamar rarely spoke to her, and when she did, it was almost always in writing.
Mara shrugged off the brusque greeting and veered right, heading for the Armory and the haven of her office.
Her desk was a carefully maintained mess of papers, fabric samples, blades, and stray pieces of armor. She unlocked her tablet with a pressof her thumb and was met with an unexpected notification. Usually, she checked messages at home, but today she’d put it off. Sometimes it was nice to be a little lazy.
The message said she had a new client and that she would be taking his measurements in an hour. That was unusual—she’d never had one so last-minute.
As she waited, she sorted through the samples, tapping notes into her tablet. The technologies were always evolving, giving way to stronger, lighter, and more comfortable armor. She ran her fingers over a particular sample that had been tested against two types of serrated blades. The material held up remarkably well and the velvety texture would make it ideal for soft-armor.
A dull chime in her ear let her know it was time to meet her new client.
Chapter 2
