Mari

The sewers were flooded.

Or rather, the old sewers, we didn’t use these anymore. But the lingering stench had never really left them. I was up to my neck in water, the unsavory scent prickling my nose. I had finally waded out to a part where I could come up over the water where the ceiling was higher. I stood up on my toes, gasping for breath.

If I kept going further, the water would just get thicker. Eventually, it would come out to where the main lake was—where a permanent body of water now settled within the old city depths. There, I could make my way into New Atlantis's lower city, and hopefully, lose myself in the crowd. Out here there were many nooks and crannies where I could hole myself up until the coast was clear.

But not for long.

I had to get out of here. Even now, they could be tracking my chip. The water would mess with their trackers, but it was only a matter of time. I couldn’t stay in the water forever, the only other alternative was to get out of ECCO’s range and find a way to block it. I could only hide for so long.

Nevermind how I was going to figure out how to camouflage my rather recognizable face. I remembered my words to Linnie the night before, repeating them to myself as acid filled my mouth.

“Don’t you understand we were created to stand out?”

And I was bound to stand out like a sore thumb with my bleached blond curls and baby blue eyes. No hair dye would ever stick to my genetically enhanced hair, and no amount of makeup would ever make my face unrecognizable. People had been seeing my face on every street for years. And usually, I might have blended in.

I could get a face changer, but that was only useful if my pursuers were human, the V-World addition covering up my face.

But if they had droids out after us, no amount of V-World meddling would save me now.

I took in a breath of the thick sour air and ducked back under the water. I swam hard, kicking my feet like I was kicking back the thoughts screaming to be heard. There were about how RiRi and Linnie had been taken right under my nose. How I had also left Meryl behind to get taken. I had run--like a coward. I had no clue where Rilyn was, and if she was safe. I hadn’t done anything to try and save my family.

I could feel my lungs tightening, desperate for air, but I was still deep under the dark murky water. The salt was stinging my eyes as I tried to paddle harder. I could see where the light penetrated up ahead, a haze of bright neon blue and purples where the lower city was in a state of perpetual night. I banished away my guilt and sorrow. I slammed a lid over the agonizing thoughts of what was going to happen to my sisters back at the ECCO facility. I needed to focus.

Running would mean nothing if I couldn’t even make it out alive.

The light grew brighter behind my eyes. My lungs screamed for air. The darkness of the tunnel left me as I broke through the round opening where a manhole had been once. I could hear the distant thrum of distorted sound through the water.

I was close now. Just a little further. I kicked harder.

And just when I thought I could go no more, when the energy I was pressing into my limbs started to waver, I broke the surface. I gulped in the air with greedy gasps. I sucked it into my air starved lungs. Dizziness spun in my head, sending me staggering as I righted myself on my feet. I just barely oriented myself on the top of an ancient old rusted car. It sat under the water, providing me with a platform. It was one of the ones that ran on wheels and couldn’t leave the ground from before the sinking. I looked around.

Once left the safety of the water, my window for escape would be narrow. I looked over to where the lights were shining down on me from a marketplace, several makeshift stalls--both real world and V-World--stood with blinking and flashing lights, advertising their products. It was busy today.

Perfect.

Now I just had to find a way to blend in.