Black Hole Bakery

The fluorescent lights of Black Hole Bakery’s back room stabbed at Jade’s eyes. She stumbled, stomach churning, toward the small restroom. The toilet bowl welcomed the contents of her gut with a nauseating gurgle. She retched again, dry heaves racking her body.

Jade slumped against the bathroom wall, her legs shaking beneath her. The headache pounded against her skull like a hammer striking metal. Her vision blurred, the stark white tiles of the bathroom floor swimming in and out of focus.

Third time this week. The episodes kept getting worse, more frequent. The HMS scan trucks circled the streets like vultures, their automated announcements echoing through the dome. "Mandatory health screenings. For your safety and the safety of others."

Bull-void. Those scans weren't about health. She'd seen what happened to people who tested "positive." They vanished into HMS facilities, never to return.

She pressed her palms against her eyes until spots danced in the darkness. Just had to make it through another shift. Keep her head down. Stay invisible.

When she finally straightened, gasping for air, her reflection stared back from the cracked mirror. Bruised skin, a deep purple bloom on her left cheekbone, mirrored the angry red welt rising on her forehead. Better than it looked last week.

Her fingers explored the tender area delicately. The throbbing sensation verified what had happened - an underhanded blow from some rookie fighter at the Pits.

She focused on her eyes where dark circles underscored what used to be bright brown. Even her normally glossy brown hair looked dull, limp against her pale skin. She ran a hand through it, finding a tangle of grease and dust.

Fresh black spray paint marked the wall at her back, adding to its layered collection of tags. "Freedom is worth the fight" sprawled across the surface, dark letters standing out against the crumbling plastic wall. A tremor rippled through her body.

She pressed her palms hard against her eyelids again, trying to chase away the kaleidoscope of spots dancing in her vision. As clarity returned, she noticed that irritating Tag again: RCB. A derisive laugh escaped her. "Let me guess - Really Cool Babes?" She snorted to herself, "More like Really Crappy Bullshit."

The bathroom door creaked as she pushed through into the kitchen. The smell of sugar and grease hit her nostrils, making her stomach roll again.

Lenny, the morning baker and overall manager, glanced up from his work station. His weathered hands paused, covered in flour. "You look like hell warmed over."

"Thanks. Always know how to make a girl feel special." Jade tied her apron with trembling fingers.

"Those bruises aren't from falling down stairs." He wiped his hands on his already-white apron. "The Pits again?"

Jade grabbed a rack of Galactic Glaze doughnuts, avoiding his gaze. "Pay's better than this place."

"Pay won't matter when you're dead." Lenny returned to kneading dough, his movements sharp and aggressive. "Or worse, when the cops catch you."

"They haven't yet." She turned to go to the front then remembered. "Erin's coming in early to cover the last hour of my shift."

"You ain't leavin' till she shows up!" Lenny shouted.

"Yeah, yeah." Jade mumbled swinging thru doors to the front counter, cutting off anything else he might say. The morning rush waited for no one, especially not lectures about her life choices.

The register's screen flickered as she logged in, the ancient tech struggling to boot up. A line had already formed outside - dock workers ending their night shifts, suited corporate types starting their days, all of them hungry and irritable.

Her fingers ghosted over her bruised cheek one last time before she flipped the sign to "OPEN." Time to paste on a smile and pretend this was the life she dreamed of. The lock clicked, and the first customer shuffled in.

"Welcome to Black Hole," she called out, her customer service voice already grating in her throat. "Try our - Solar Flare Strawberry glaze or our Cosmic Caramel Crunch – they are out of this world!" The customer, taken in by her charm, ordered a dozen each, and Jade's fake smile never wavered.

Jade's eyes darted to the clock for the hundredth time. Ten minutes until she needed to leave, and still no sign of Erin. The morning rush had dwindled to a trickle, leaving the shop quiet except for the hum of the ancient refrigeration units.

The bell above the door chimed. Her heart leaped, then sank as two men walked in wearing matching black hoodies pulled low over their faces.

"Welcome to Black Hole, guys! What can –" The words died in her throat. An acrid smell hit her nose - burnt metal mixed with something chemical that made her eyes water. She stepped back, covering her nose with the back of her hand.

One of the men's head swiveled, taking in every corner of the shop. His companion's gaze locked onto the security camera above the register, then swept across the display cases. Neither seemed interested in the actual doughnuts.

Jade fumbled the next customer's credits, her attention still on the two men. Same build, broad shoulders but not bulky. Average height. Maybe five foot ten, but there was something unsettling...

Then, in unison, they raised their heads, locking eyes with her from under their hoods. Twins. Jade felt her stomach flip, and it wasn't just the nausea. Her skin tingled, her heartbeat quickened, and her mind screamed at her to stay alert.

Jade's skin crawled as she fumbled for her Vic's menthol chapstick, applying a quick dab under her nose. The menthol bliss provided a brief respite from the burnt metal scent, but her unease lingered. She tried to focus on the next customer, but her attention kept drifting back to the twins, her mind racing with questions. Who were they? What did they want? And what was with that bizarre smell?

The twins, their chiseled features identical, moved in sync, their eyes scanning the shop with an unnerving intensity. Jade's gaze locked onto theirs, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. The air seemed to thicken, heavy with an unspoken challenge.

The door flew open, and Erin bounced in, all smiles and cleavage spilling out of her Black Hole Bakery tank top. Jade jumped, breaking eye contact with the men.

"Hey girl!" Erin's voice pierced through the thick tension. "Sorry I'm late.

"About fucking time!" Jade hissed at Erin, frustration simmering just below the surface. Jade's hands trembled as she untied her apron. The twins hadn't moved, their presence a dark cloud in her peripheral vision. The burnt metal smell lingered, making her nose twitch.

Erin lounged at the counter, playing with her hair. "You didn't show up at the The Shaft last night. There were three deep core miners with fresh bonuses." She displayed numbers on her comm. "Got them all."

Jade glanced between Erin and the twins, who crept closer in line.

"Fourth party this week," Erin whispered. "Miners are where it's at, Jay. Rough, sure, but those hazard bonuses?" She fanned herself. "Worth the dust."

The metallic stench intensified, turning Jade's stomach.

"Earth to Jade?" Erin snapped. "I'm sharing my hot streak here. Remember that redhead? His brother's in Port City now. Double trouble." She winked.

"Great," Jade mumbled, collecting her belongings. The twins flanked the counter, their relaxed poses belying menace.

"You're not even listening." Erin checked her reflection. "Fine. More miners for me. Though you need some fun. Those bruises aren't cute."

"Whatever." Jade crumpled her apron into a ball. Her bruised face throbbed, a reminder of her own questionable life choices.

"Oh." Erin finally noticed the two men. "Customers." She smoothed her tank top, but her usual flirtatious confidence seemed to evaporate under their steady gaze.

Jade grabbed her bag from under the counter, her muscles tensing. The twins' presence felt wrong, like a storm about to break. Their identical faces remained expressionless, but their eyes followed her every move.

"They're your problem now." Jade ducked through the swinging door to the back of the kitchen. Behind her, she heard Erin's customer service voice, higher-pitched than usual.

"Welcome to Black Hole! What can I get for you today?"

"I'm outta here!" She called back to Lenny, not waiting for a response. With a few choice doughnuts tucked in her bag, she glanced back at the twin men, now facing each other, talking in low voices. They didn't seem so dangerous now, just some dudes wanting a sugar rush. She shook her head, leaving the shop.

She's late. Again. The Pit wouldn't tolerate tardiness, and Jade took off in an all-out sprint, the dusty alleys of Port City blurring around her.