CRONUS

Part 6: This Wretched Planet

Keeping my head down, I race up the last few steps to the abandoned Sectors apartment. No one knows about this place. No one, but Nick, Jackson, Cam and me. This is our place. It saved our lives when our parents died and we had no money to pay the bills. We secretly crashed here for months and it has remained empty to this day.

Knocking on the door twice, I look over my shoulder and confirm for the tenth time that no one is following me. All clear - for now.

No response.

I knock again.

My heart drops when it hits me. If Cronus somehow knows about this place, they could already be here.

The door suddenly clicks. I'm about to spin around and fly down the steps when the door slides open. Nick appears in the doorway.

"Ray!" He gasps. I push past him and rush inside. "What's going on?"

It's dark in the small apartment, with nothing but streaks of light leaking in through the half-closed shades. Bits of dust swirl in the sun's rays. The thick, heavy air is saturated with the odor of a dead rat hidden somewhere.

The door slides closed and the noise of the Sectors fades away. This was once my home, my sanctuary. I slink into the shadows of the small space.

"I don't know how much time I have," I breathe, staring at the swirling dust. Flashes of the day flood my mind as tears burn at the edges of my eyes. The metal inside me - the terror of what they did, comes crashing down. Clapping, screams, gun shots, fire. Panic begins to claw its way out. 

"Whatever it is, I can fix it," he reassures me with a strong voice. "Vaughn can help us even if you're in trouble. Tell me what's going on and we'll figure it out."

"It's not that simple. There's...so much." The world begins to spin. "They did something to me." The air in the cramped, stuffy room seems to disappear like there's no oxygen.

I think I'm dying.

Warm, strong arms suddenly wrap around me and squeeze. I melt into him, breathing in the smell of cedar on his chest. The world comes to a sudden halt as warmth spreads through me. 

"Just tell me," he breathes against my hair. "It'll be ok."

"I can't explain it. I have to show you," I muffle into his shirt.

The disgust and fear painted on all those people's faces suddenly appear, making my stomach twist. I suck in air, desperate to find my courage.

Cut this shit and pull yourself together. There's no time for this. The whole city is looking for you.

Pulling out of his embrace, I begin backing away.

"What are you doing?"

"I have to show you," my voice breaks.

I step into the streaks of light.

"They're planning on attacking Mhinto. They're going to use a team of cyborg soldiers using a new tech and a chip that will force me to follow every order."

He watches silently, waiting for the end of my explanation, but there's no more words.

Without wasting another second, the metal begins to shift under my skin.

He gasps.

The sound is like a knife to the heart, twisting and lodging itself deep in my soul. Everything starts aching.

His hand moves to cover his mouth as he slowly scans every inch of my new body, stripping me vulnerable with his wide-eyed stare.

"They want to use me to kill you, Cam and Jackson and everyone here in the Sectors, just to test the tech." I force the words through the knot in my throat, refusing to meet his gaze.