Page 60 of Human Reform
“Welcome to your new home,” he said, gesturing around the vast chamber.“Well, for the day or two you have left, anyway.”
“They’ll find me,” I croaked, my throat painfully dry.
He laughed, the sound echoing off the stone walls.“Communications and scanners are blocked here.That was by design—a safe refuge in case of attack.”He crouched down, patting my cheek condescendingly.“Ironic, isn’t it?No one will hear you scream for help.”
As he stood to leave, he gave me one last smile.“Maybe you’ll starve.Maybe something will find you first.Either way, so long, Dr.Bridges.Thanks for all your hard work.”
His laughter lingered in the cavern long after his footsteps had faded away.
TWENTY-SIX
DAXON
I glancedat my wrist communicator.1932.The main operations area had slowly emptied as the day shift transitioned to evening, leaving just Sage, Tegan, and me.Through the reinforced windows of the security center, the dying light painted amber streaks across the consoles.
Something felt wrong.
Alora had promised to find me when she finished working on her new protocol.That was hours ago, and she hadn’t even sent a message.I pushed back from my workstation and strode down the corridor toward her private office.My footsteps echoed against the metal walls, matching the rapid beat of my heart.This wasn’t like her.Not after everything we’d been through.
The door to her office was closed.I rapped my knuckles against it.
“Alora?”
Silence.
I opened the door slowly.The room was empty, bathed in the orange-red glow of sunset streaming through the window.Her chair was pushed back, and the spare chair lay tipped over on its side near the door.
A cold weight settled in my stomach.
Her wrist communicator sat abandoned on her desk, its screen dark.I picked it up, turning it over in my palm.Alora would never voluntarily leave this behind.It was her lifeline, her access to everything in the colony.
Something was very, very wrong.
I stormed back into the main operations area, my jaw clenched tightly.
“Sage,” I called out, my voice sharper than intended.“Have you seen Alora today?”
She glanced up, her ponytail swinging with the movement.“Not since this morning when you two came in.”She must have read the tension in my face because she immediately straightened.“Is something wrong?”
“She’s not in her office.Her communicator’s there, but she’s gone.”
Sage’s eyebrows drew together.“That’s strange.I’ve been at my workstation all afternoon.She never passed through here.”
I turned to Tegan, who was packing up his gear at his workstation.“What about you?Have you seen Alora?”
Something flickered across his face.“Actually, yes.”He straightened, running a hand through his auburn hair.“She pulled me aside earlier.Asked for my help, privately.”
“Your help with what?”A prickle of unease crawled up my spine.
Tegan shrugged, his green eyes not quite meeting mine.“She wanted to go home.Back to Earth.Said now that she’d fixed our glitches, she wanted to return to her mountains.”
I felt my fingers curl into fists.“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
“She specifically asked me not to.”His tone was maddeningly casual.“Said she couldn’t stand being here anymore, playing nice with you.Though she did mention the sex was enjoyable enough to pass the time.”
My vision flashed violet at the edges.“You’re lying.”
“Believe what you want.”He grabbed his datapad and headed for the exit.“I arranged transport for her a few hours ago.She’s probably halfway to Earth by now.”
