Gateway Worlds

Trial and Error- 1

Maria waited in her downstairs room until the sounds of her parents died down. Days like this made her wish she'd moved out like her brothers had. Without the cultural expectation that she, the youngest daughter, care for her parents, Maria would have escaped long ago. Tonight, she wondered. Her concern for her brothers led to risking her life not once, but twice. Was there a limit to love? Did dumb mistakes void the warranty? Maybe after this, she should break ties and just start over.

Maria pulled her thick hair into a ponytail, then twisted it up under the ski mask. After her first venture in thieving, she'd hidden these clothes beneath her bed too ashamed to even throw them away. Practicality made her glad she hadn't – she'd taken several hours to get up the nerve to purchase them last time. This time things went much smoother.

Maria checked and double checked the breath mint tin. Inside two small capsules rolled, taunting her. This was not why she'd gone to pharmaceutical school. She meant her skills to advance man's potential, not to sideline it.

Disgruntled, she shoved the pack deeper into her pocket and stole from her room. The streets and sidewalks had plenty of light, but to avoid inconveniencing the residents each light had a shield that guided the light forward, leaving a small patch of darkness next to the lawns and walls of each home. Maria moved within this darkness at a hurried pace. She just needed to get this over with. Twice she stopped within alleyways, moving boxes and crates left by the local business owners. Each time she left the stack precarious with only enough space on the left for her to pass through.

When she found Juniper, she settled herself at the edge of the street and watched. Nothing moved. The moon above shone only a sliver of light, and everyone else had gone to bed. People were simple. High demand and constant action no longer ruled social agendas. A mentality of health and rejuvenation sent most people to bed early and lifted them refreshed from their sheets, ready to face the world.

Maria had never quite fit that profile as a night owl, but since her lab never closed she didn't see a problem with her irregular sleeping habits. She was grateful, however, that this street adhered to the norm. Dark houses lined both sides and the one remaining light clicked off after only ten minutes. Still, she waited.

When nothing moved for twenty additional minutes, Maria's watch vibrated and she moved. Slipping behind the wall she put her back to it and tried to calm her pulse. Staring at the massive home, she wondered again why she was doing this. She should have turned away – could have let her brothers pay the consequences for their actions, but frustrating internal compassion wouldn't allow it.

Dropping low, she scooted onto the porch. One more glance at the empty street and she pushed open the unlocked door. Inside the tiled mosaic of the floor gave off a soft glow, providing an ambiance for the entryway, but it wasn't enough to alarm her.

Maria moved along the displays starting at the outside. The evenly spaced pedestals and statues gave a museum-like feel to the home. She circled the bottom floor as quietly as she could, staring at each priceless exhibit. Finally, a twinkle caught her attention and she faced the multi-facetted diamond cat. The careful cuts made the tiny feline glitter in the moonlight. Maria's gloved hand slipped the piece into a pouch on her waste. She'd stuffed the space with soft material to provide protection for the stone, and she dropped out a little as she made enough room within the tight space. She hadn't realized how big it would be.

"Maria Donna. You are hereby under arrest."

The lights above her blared to life, temporarily blinding her.

Maria panicked, heading in the only available direction. The clear glass window shattered as she followed the cat's pedestal through it. Maria's natural grace was put to the test as she tangled with the pedestal and came up within the confines of the wrap-around porch. Grateful for the thickness of her outfit, Maria brushed away the glass she could see and started to run.

She'd left behind a potential track and field scholarship early in college, but she still practiced daily, and her practice gave her the hope of surviving this night. She managed to find her balance and her step and headed straight for the wall pretending it was no more than a high jump event at a meet. She tried to ignore the fact that the wall's height was higher than anything she could have hoped to clear, even in her heyday. Rather than let nerves intimidate her, she modified her launch to roll across it rather than diving over smoothly. The jump could not be described as graceful, but it did the trick landing her on hands and knees on the far side just as two police officers slammed open the front door.

How? How had they found her?

Ignoring the sting in her palms, and wishing for her usual cushion, Maria scrambled to her feet. As she moved, one hand blindly searched her pocket for the small tin. She tried to keep her adrenaline under control – tried to reign in her panic, but she felt the sobs tearing at her. They knew her name. With her fingerprints in the world-wide database along with everyone else's, she'd never be able to hide. She'd seen movies of people who used acid to clean off their fingerprints, or paid to have someone give them a new identity, but that sort of thing didn't really happen, did it?

At the next corner, she curved fast then dodged sideways to avoid her own obstacle. She heard cursing and the clatter of falling objects as the cops found her first trap. They were too close. She pulled out her tin and popped it open, nearly dropping the precious capsules in her haste.

Managing to get one in her throat, she ignored the powdery taste as it broke across her tongue. She swallowed, forcing her mouth the salivate enough to dissolve the dust, and within seconds the dangerous drug entered her system. Her speed increased and the clarity of her vision improved. Confidence came with the drug's presence and Maria took off again, dodging her second traps even as the sound of boots sped up behind her.

"Maria! Don't do this. You can't win this."