ChorTek Tower had fifty-two entrances. Surprisingly, Delilah had only been inside the building a handful of times. Of course, where they kept the children was always different from where they had visitors and workers. The children were kept in a safe home where they had their government rations, school, and even rooms.
The tower is where they took Delilah on their sixteenth birthday.
It had to be where they took Annabeth. Delilah knew she'd worked for them, but they didn't realize they'd come looking for her. Especially not after so many years had passed. Something was amiss. Something was wrong.
"What's your name?"
The man standing opposite Delilah took them in momentarily with a thin-grinned smile and an unrecognizable glint in his blue eyes. To honestly describe the man would take more than a simple statement of tall, white, brown hair with blue eyes and a slight stubble. His jaw stuck straight out, and he had a Greek nose, his forehead barely wider than the space between his bottom lip and chin. Something about him was handsome in a far-off way–like someone that would be imagined in a dream but only piece by piece.
"Artx, you?"
He had a childish, almost nasally voice.
Delilah paused, uncertain if they wanted to be truthful or not. What would Annabeth do? She, if anything, knew how to speak to people. She knew how to get them to trust her, be friendly, and be manageable.
They stared at the man for an awkward amount of time and tried to channel a smile into their voice. "I'm John, and I'm looking for my daughter. She works at ChorTek."
Artx looked Delilah up and down before breaking into a laugh. "Let me guess–gifted program in the lower ends? You look like you haven't stepped foot this side of Idyll since the 80's. You sure that's the lie you're going with?"
"It's the only truth left, Artx." Delilah backed up a few steps and looked back amongst the crowd. It seemed to grow almost as fast as the spire they all watched grow. Orange rust escaping the earth–breaking with cracks, just like the spaces between people. It was flush with life. Delilah raised their eyes back to the man.
An alarm blared through the city.
An unauthorized Android is loose. Please return all ChorTek equipment to law enforcement.
It replaced the otherwise distracting advertisements on almost every building in the main square. The crowd stared up at it–distracted, at least, for a moment. Delilah played their last bluff.
"I can find another stray out here to help if–"
Artx waved his hands in the air and chuckled. Then, they held their left hand as though ready to shake on a deal. "Now, now, who said I wouldn't help ya?"
***
Annabeth sat alone in the vestibule outside of Valentina's room, staring up at the bronze nameplate that said "Micky Valentina" written in some older sans-serif font. It stared down at her. The rest of the room, the walls, and even the flooring were all shades of whitish gray. She stood out in her old, rust-covered clothes, shoes with dried mud stains, lack of makeup, and unbrushed hair. A wreck of blonde against a clean, established building that waited to punish her in some form or fashion.
Before, she'd expected a welcome party once she finally returned home from her mission. Two years in the field, gathering data, testing, ensure that their hypothesis was true–all of it meant something. She was ready for her boyfriend, her promotion, and her parents to sing her praises.
Instead, she waited, anxious and unable to control the tirade of her beating heart.
Somewhere out there, Delilah was going to be shot down and brought back in a body bag. A gift of blood and cells to science, made to become something beautiful. She had to remind herself it was for the greater good. It was. It had to be.
