Alora Factor: Invasion of the Realm Jumpers

Prologue

The Ancients sent me to find a man named Louis Tarkington, a shady developer with plans to raze a historically Black neighborhood and cemetery in Maryland for "low-income" housing. And by "low-income," I mean housing that struggling millennials with three or four gigs might be able to rent, but not the type of housing that Black and Brown people being priced out of their own city could afford. That's the side of gentrification most are willing to ignore in exchange for higher property values and a Starbucks.

Tarkington was described to me as a "colorful character" by my elders, which I learned long ago was just a nice way to say that he's an asshole. Tarkington initially put his development plan into motion by trying to buy out the residents but when that didn't work, he turned to threatening them. Last week, he killed an elderly Black woman who lived alone in her Victorian home. This sudden, violent escalation is why I've been dispatched.

The Team passed on some intel that he regularly visits a mistress who lives in a secured skyrise in downtown Baltimore. I had watched the building earlier in the week, assessing the security system that includes a guard station in the lobby and a few cameras on the building's exterior, and determining the number of entries into the building. All residents are required to enter through the main entrance, with three additional doors on the first floor that are exit only.

It's about 8 p.m. on a cool weeknight that's just this side of crisp — not warm, but not too chilly either. A brisk pace propels me towards the camera-free alley, about half a block away, identified during my last visit as a perfect place to provide cover. Not many are on the streets at this hour and the few I do pass, I give a slight smile to. One that says I'm not a threat, but doesn't light up my eyes with an invitation to talk or otherwise engage.

Once in the shadows, I breathe deeply and stretch, as if I am just relieving the tension of the day. My arms and legs shrink as my shoulders narrow and my lower torso and hips become bulbous. I'll end up just under two inches once I'm done shrinking. The fine hair that naturally covers my body duplicates rapidly and thickens, going from soft to wiry. My eyes multiply by four. I blink all eight to refocus them, then start to make my way out of the alley.

But I'm not moving as quickly as I'm used to. My extra legs are a little short. This happens sometimes when I transform into a spider on uneven ground. It's not an exact science; I usually just feel my way through the transformation. A quick adjustment of the legs at the center of my body and a test to make sure they are the right length, and now I can properly scurry.

This new suit that the engineering team made is amazing. It shrinks during my transformation, returning to its original size when I'm human. I didn't even have to struggle to put it on — it resized to my body instantly, remaining form-fitting without being too tight. I make a note to mention all of this to the engineering team in my feedback.

I make my way up the trunk of a nearby tree, running over bark and past an army of ants that must be marching back to their hill. Near the top, I creep to the edge of a branch, pull a single strand of silk through my spinnerets and cast it into the light breeze, slowly adding more silk until it reaches the adjoining tree. One, two, three tugs. Then it's secure. Time to jump.

The wind whispers in my ears and tickles my hair as I slice through on my web. Only the other insects at work tonight will notice me landing on the next tree and scurrying to the opposite side.

Swinging and scurrying through the trees takes a few minutes, but I eventually reach the front door of the apartment building. The smell of curry and a blue cap with a red DoorDash logo signal that my ride into the building has arrived. I jump from the doorframe and enter on the delivery person's head, getting past building security undetected. I know he'll leave the meal at the front desk thanks to my surveillance, so once we clear the threshold, I jump off and scurry towards the elevator to wait for the next person who will unknowingly pick me up.