For Luna, a young Nation Eremus guard, the world of the outliers and unregistered is wild, unknown, and unpredictable. For Kyree, a Free Nation runner, the confines of the WNC's nations and rules are ruthless and cruel. In a world struggling to surv...
"We are surrounded everyday by the unreliability of life, and the promise of death. Accept your experiences good and bad. Honor them."
- WNC broadcast network
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The aged wood of the tree groaned beneath Luna's weight as she shifted lazily within its embrace. Her eyes drifted upwards, peeking between the brown-grey branches to the hues of vibrant purple sky. She had read about forests and plains of green; read poems crafted around its many shades. Her fingers dipped into the empty veins of the tree's limbs as she imagined green leaves sprouting forth. She was obsessed with the color. She envied the eyes that had once seen it. "Green," she whispered lightly, wishing she could invoke the color with the sound of her voice.
Her transmitter crackled to life in her ear, "You good out there, lieutenant?" She shifted focus and tapped her wrist to check the progress of her active scan. She'd forgotten to focus on the mission. She was here to retrieve a stolen element from the Nation gardens.
Her eyes quickly scanned the edge of the dry plains. She knew her team was positioned at the ready just beyond the tall yellow grass. A smirk lifted the corner of her mouth as she imagined Jael with her hair twisted neatly atop her head, crouched in the grass, and sweating in the heat. "All good here," she chuckled lightly, "Is it just me, or is today so much cooler than yesterday?"
Her quip hit its mark, and immediately Jael answered with a growl. "Finish your scan, or I'm leaving you in this dump and telling Captain Frey the scavengers ate you before we could reach your precious tree."
A laugh escaped before she could catch it, and she listened as other team members joined in. "She's been cursing your name since last night. I wouldn't push it, Denari." Marsai chimed happily.
Before she could respond, an alert came from her para-scanner. She glanced up quickly. Every muscle tensed as she stared into the swaying yellow grass. She honestly hadn't expected to find the stolen element today, but the para-scanner detected its presence. Luna knew that meant not only the element but also the thief was nearby. She slowed her breathing and focused on the plains before her, searching for signs of movement.
There.
A few meters away from her perch, a small gap in the swaying grass captured her attention. She touched a fingertip to her ear, "Lennox, I need eyes. Four meters west of my location, the scanners grabbed something."
Deftly she slid her pack onto her shoulders and moved quickly from her branch to the ground. Keeping her back pressed to the tree's trunk, she dipped beneath the sightline of the grass and waited. The faint hum of the drone appeared overhead as it sought out her target. It came to a halt, hovering just over the hole, and she tapped the screen of her sleeve panel. The drone's video appeared just above her wrist, and she felt the wind knock out her chest. She sat back on her heels and gripped her lower lip between her teeth. She became rigid as if her limbs had turned to stone as she stared at the young girl on the screen. Her body lay twisted in the grass. She looked to be about 10 years of age, although it was difficult to guess with outlier children.
