Triptych

Chapter 13

Candor

We got too big for the cage you locked us up in – Against the current

When Lana agreed to spend a day with famous teen star Katherine McKenzie, she imagined high dining and fashion photoshoots. Maybe a press conference or some sort of public appearance. The farthest thing from her mind is a trip to the surface city where the labor class lives and works to maintain the city infrastructure. No one from the upper city ventures down there unless they absolutely have to, or if they're trying to escape the ever watching eyes of FOCUS. The city gets quieter and darker as they get to the lower levels, lit by battery operated street lamps and void of kaleidoscopic jumbotrons. Lana fights the nervousness building up in her chest. Ever since she crossed paths with Mac the unknown variables in her life keep increasing and for the first time fear creeps up her spine. There has been no reason to distrust the duo till now but Lana has been told enough times that she' s a carrier of some highly invaluable tech. Tech that Mac now has exclusive access to after masking her neural link to FOCUS.

"Relax. If I wanted to strip down your parts I'd have done it when you were out cold in my lab." Mac scoffs at her suddenly, making her jump.

"I wasn't -"

"You do look like you're gonna throw up any minute" Orion supplies calmly. "You've never been down here I take it?"

Lana shakes her head in silence. "I was always told it's not safe. Especially for someone like me. Someone with evident enhancements." She clarifies at their raised eyebrows. "But I guess it was another way to ensure I don't leave their radar?"

"Could be, who knows." Mac comments as if talking about the weather. The hover drops them on an abandoned street and Orion sends it away with a few taps of his wrist. Lana looks around at the graffiti on the walls with a morbid sense of wonder as they walk around the dimly lit streets. There's a distant bass echoing through the air, and Mac seems to beeline towards the noise. Lana sticks to her side unconsciously, curious but hesitant. It's nothing like she imagined. The surface city is blaringly different from the upper city but seems to have a life of its own. Half illuminated by lamps and neon paint they walk briskly in search of the music thumping through their feet. Lana can't help but stare at the people they pass by, sturdy and rough around the edges but looking content with their lives, whether they're shopping for hardware parts of pausing at a corner shop to catch up. In the absence of technology they use their words to converse, exchange jokes and ask about each other without any agenda to wheedle out hidden weaknesses. Inexplicably, Lana likes it.

They finally find the source of the music, a tiny arcade almost hidden behind two industrial buildings. The blaring neon sign saying Magic Shop hanging precariously above the door.

"They sell actual magic here?" Lana blurts out, only half joking.

Mac snorts. "As close as they can get to it babe" She says before pulling her in by her sleeve.

Magic shop's interior looks at outwardly as the name promises. The walls are covered with floor length mirrors in each corner, reflecting the bright lights around making the place look like a fever dream. There's a dance floor in the middle of the room where non discernable bodies move together in a dissonant rhythm. Lana can feel Mac's eyes on her, a pleased smile on her face. She lets her take it all in for a moment before moving deeper inside, bypassing the dance floor (thank god) and moving to the corner bar where an android stands attentive, eerie smile frozen on his face. Mac orders beers for all of them, shutting Lana up with a wink when she opens her mouth to protest.

"Don't tell me you haven't had a drink before" Mac yells over the noise.

"Of course I haven't" Lana takes offence, "It meddles with the brain"

Mac rolls her eyes. Orion nods sagely, "Right, we don't want that."

"I can feel you shading me" Lana aims a punch at his arm, it probably hurts her more than it hurts him.

"I wasn't trying to be particularly subtle about it" Orion retorts coolly, meeting her eyes and drinking deeply.

"Don't fret. Orion only roasts you of he cares about you" Mac giggles from her other side.

"I suppose you'd know" She jabs coolly, chancing a small sip from her glass. It burns all the way down and she makes a face.

"I do know" She affirms proudly before gesturing to Lana's barely touched glass, "Finish that."

"Gimme some time atleast. It burns"

Mac throws her head back, groaning loudly. "Here. Open up." She takes Lana's glass from her hands, putting it against her lips. Lana shakes her head to avoid opening her mouth but Mac is persistent. It's a full on staring contest until Lana relents, opening her mouth and taking a small sip. "Get it over with dude" Orion advises, looking done with their antics.

So Lana drinks, her hands closing around the glass to lift the glass Mac doesn't let go, her eyes bright and surprisingly soft. Lana finishes the drink with a wince and Mac applauds her loudly, before taking her hand again and pulling up the stairs leading up from the bar. Lana already feels lightheaded, giggling when she trips trying to keep up and Mac laughs too, pulling her into an alcove behind her.

The upper floor is again different, giving an almost classy feel with its cool colors and subdued music. Mac lets go of her hand, swaying to the music and spinning around, before turning around and pulling a face at her. Lana laughs and on an impulse, turns on the record function in her retina as she follows Mac around. Mac introduces her to a few people, their faces and names a blur in Lana's mind as they huddle laughing and jumping around with their hands clasped together. Mac is the polar opposite of Lana. She's obviously pretty, but what pulls Lana in deeper is her courage, her unrelenting confidence in herself and what she believes in. Lana can't help but stare in wonder, wishing, hoping to be one of them.

Somehow, they end up the roof. Lana's had a few more drinks in her, in-between hours of dancing. She sits on the ledge with her head on Orion's shoulder, definitely not drunk.

"You're so drunk" Mac giggles, spinning an empty bottle around her fingers.

"No I'm not" Lana denies loudly. "I can't drunk. I can't"

"Why?" Orion asks curiously.

"I can't." She says again. "There should be something in my hardware to prevent being-"

"Anything remotely fun" Mac interjects.

"Yeah." Lana agrees absently, only half aware of what she's saying. "I mean- it'll be embarrassing if I get drunk."

"Why?"

"Because- I just met you" she admits softly, talking to herself with her eyes closed. "And you're both so cool and I'm just- lame. I don't want you to think I'm lame."

There's a hand softly caressing her bangs away from her face. "You're not lame. Aren't you the brightest mind in the country?" Mac reminds her.

Lana frowns "Am I? I don't know. I feel like – like this thing in my head is doing all the work and I'm just- here." She opens her arms wide, gesturing at nothing. "Like I could just disappear one day and no one would be able to tell because this thing in my head it won't- it doesn't stop. It's always running and running and I can't keep up because I'm not smarter."

The thing in your head is your brain Lana. Stop talking about it in third person. Her father would say. Now, no one says anything. If Mac's fingers weren't in her hair, she'd think she had pushed them away. "You don't think I'm lame, do you?" She turns her head to look Mac in the eye.

Mac shakes her head, her eyes gentle. There's a weird look on her face, something she hasn't seen before. Lana doesn't know her very well but she thinks its anguish. It confuses her, to say the least.

"You're not lame. Not at all" Mac assures her. "You're sweet and dorky and so smart, even without the upgrades. And- and you're strong." She adds, her voice getting wobbly for some reason. "You're really strong."

Lana lifts her head to look at Mac's face. There's something definitely wrong with it. Lana's head is buzzing but her enhanced vision is clear enough to acknowledge increased stress levels and erratic heartbeat. "What's wrong Mac?"

Macsniffles a bit, her hand resting softly on her cheek "Lana, I'm so sorry."