She followed the dot on her watch through skyscrapers, lights and freshly tarmacked roads. She skirted parkland and monuments; watched as large carriages flew past, hanging from rails overhead. In another situation she would have been in awe, stopping to marvel at the technology rich landscape, clean streets and lush foliage. For now, she had a mission to complete, she could be envious and angry later, those emotions pushed to the side for fear of what might happen to her if caught, and the hope her daughter was alive.

Johanna had wandered into an industrial area, not noticeable by large chimneys and thick smog, these sights were long gone. Instead, the lessening height of the buildings gave the main clue. The architecture also became more elaborate, swathes of glass and curving roofs showing off steel struts and beams within. Interior design replaced with stripped back modernism whilst exteriors showed that the arduous, backbreaking work of the past had given way to the future. The clean cut look stated that no secrets lived here, however Johanna knew that not to be the truth. Nestled somewhere in this labyrinth was the building she wanted, she would know it as it did not disguise the fact it was hiding something.

She slowed as she entered the area, worried she would be spotted on CCTV cameras, an almost redundant form of security now each citizen had a chip in their head. She had disposed of her chip, having to rip out a clump of her own hair. It now sat in a skip down a dirty alley, even in this ultra modern city there were areas of neglect, you just needed to seek them out. There were no homeless here, so these areas were not frequented, an easy place to dispose of something you wanted no-one to find. The chip would be incinerated in the skip and crushed into a small block of waste then dumped outside the city. It may even get back to the slums before she did, that is where all the scraps and dirt ended up.

When she was confident that no-one was watching, Johanna unlocked her watch, she swiped till she got to the message app. Breathing deeply, hoping that Solomon's contacts really were on their side, she accessed a sub menu and selected 'Send location with message.' Without moving to hologram mode she arduously typed in the word 'Lion' by scrolling between each letter. She might have paused, thought twice, wondered if she could actually start a life in this city, were it not for her missing daughter. Instead she moved quickly to the 'Send' button, and the data flew off into the ether. Johanna continued for a few more steps before her watched beeped and the end destination on her map changed. She moved off in that direction with slightly more hope she that would see her daughter alive again.

~

She saw the building's historical brickwork before she noticed the words 'Central Science Laboratory' emblazoned in large white letters. It was more like a nineteenth century school than a modern research facility. There was a grand plaza in front, curved grey blocks slowly rising to produce two walls like welcoming arms, a row of trees leading across the tiled floor to help denote the path of darker grey blocks that had famous scientists names engraved on them. A large rotating glass door stood at the end of the path, but here the modern world ended. The rest of the building was a sea of red brick with tall, barred windows. These openings either had old glass, or were so grubby, you could not see in.

The map did not send her to the front, it skirted round the building toward an entrance at the back. The lab continued for some way before she came to a parking area. She saw sleek hover cars, in every colour of the rainbow, with highly polished surfaces and blackout out windows, sitting on stands where wheels would have been on a regular vehicle. The parking bays were behind a solid plastic wall that acted as a tall fence, however the plastic created a roof as well so it appeared to be more of a greenhouse for cars. Someone wanted people to know how rich those that worked here were, but still offer some protection. Looking at an angle, Johanna worked out the plastic was thick so presumed it was bullet and bomb proof. Like some poor mime act, she felt around the barrier but could not find a way in. Her map, however, stopped here.

As she stood, staring between her watch and the plastic shell, a door in the back wall of the laboratory slid open. It looking like a wooden antique but acted like sophisticated technology. As calmly as she was able, Johanna turned and walked away. She tried to look nonchalant but forgot how a normal person walks, her arms swinging high and whole body bobbing up and down as if she were sat in a boat on choppy waters. She did not get far before her watch beeped again. Not wanting to appear suspicious by hiding before checking the device, Johanna raised the technology to her face without breaking stride. A message appeared before her, 'don't run, it's me.' She stopped, almost scared to turn round. As she glanced over her shoulder, Johanna observed a man standing near the plastic wall. He nodded to her. She turned, walking back slowly, still unsure how she would get inside whilst desperately hoping this was her contact.

As Johanna approached, two thin lines faded into view like large cracks. A substantial part of the plastic wall slid upwards giving enough room for two cars to pass each other. She was committed now, so stepped through the newly created opening, gazing at it in wonder.

Seeing her reaction the man said, "it is new technology, a new type of plastic that can turn slightly liquid using an electrical charge. The opening is almost invisible."

They stood for a moment, staring as the section of wall slid down. Once in position the lines faded. Johanna noticed that, if you looked carefully, you could just about see the strip of electronics that moved the doorway.

"Let's go," the man stated, "best not hang around here."

As Johanna made her way to the door, she wished she had a knife or other sharp implement to scratch the pristine paintwork of the cars she passed. Instead, she had to imagine the devastation she would cause.

The man, already at their destination, waited by the door. When she arrived he uttered only the word, "here," passing her a chip. She held it in a tight grip as she watched him step through the doorway, then followed.

A voice said, "welcome Miss Briggs, the location of your job has been downloaded to your watch." Johanna looked round though she knew it was an automated message.

Inside, the building lost its old world vibe, becoming a soulless shell of shiny pastel floors and bright white walls. Johanna looked to the man, he pointed to a door a short way down the corridor. "You will find work clothes in there, then your watch will tell you where to go."

"Aren't you coming with me?" she responded in shock.

"No, if this mission gets traced to me, my family will be in danger."

Johanna had no response, she knew the importance of family more than most. If she would do anything to protect her family, then she could not ask this man to jeopardise his. She nodded her understand before moving off, stopping after two steps, "where do I meet the transport?"

"It's all in your watch, someone will be waiting for you."

She was getting little out of him, so moved off to get changed. Inside the small room a set of lockers stood opposite a handful of cubicles with frosted glass doors. Other than this the room was bare. Another message came from speakers hidden in the roof, "Miss Briggs, you have been assigned locker seventeen. Please change into standard Princips protection gear before commencing work."

One tablet that sat on the front of each locker flicked on. The number '17' appeared in white on the large display, below a small Princips Ltd. logo. Johanna went dizzy for a second, concerned they would need to scan her retina or hand to allow access to the locker. Had that information been assigned to her previous chip? Was the game now up? To her relief, an open button faded into view as she stepped nearer. Even though she was sure she understood how it worked, Johanna held the chip away in her clenched hand, watching the button fade out of view. Like some school child doing an experiment, she moved it toward the locker and away again, observing the button appear and disappear.

Once satisfied this was not a trap, Johanna pressed the open button, listened to the lock slide back and watched as the door swung open. Inside there were three items, a blue jumpsuit, a white hard hat and a pair of black gloves. All were emblazoned with the Princips Ltd insignia.

Deciding the chip was of vital importance she put her hair up again, winding strands around the small piece of technology to keep it secure. As she changed, she looked at her underfed body. She was disgusted by the state she was in; had she been born in the city, born into a rich family, she would be living a happy, healthy life. She could stop, couldn't she? Live here under the pseudonym they had given her. Live a life of luxury, away from the slums. No, she was here for her daughter, she had to move forward. She shook the thoughts from her mind as she got changed. Once in the Princips clothes she packed the ones she had brought into her backpack rather than leaving them in the locker. She would not come back this way, and the material was too expensive to leave here. Walking a few steps to the door, she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. This was where the real mission started.

The door slid to the side, Johanna moving before it fully opened, like a racehorse primed for victory. She glanced from the watch to the hall, following the 3D map. As she passed employees and outside workers, none questioned her, few noticed her. She was invisible, another member of the workforce blending in to the machine. Her confidence rose. Most of the walk was through clean white corridors, no signs directing her to different departments. Who needed signs when you had all the directions in your watch?

The first door that appeared in her way was the entrance to the 'Medical Studies' area, she did not even have to break stride, sensors reading her chip and opening the door moments before she got there. The first room, a standard reception area, although someone had clearly seen too many sci-fi movies. Every surface was white, where possible curved and, in a few cases, hanging from the ceiling by semi translucent wires to give the impression they hovered. There were chairs to wait in, a water cooler with a selection of biscuits next to it and a desk, behind which sat a young woman. The chips had rendered her job almost pointless, but still she sat and smiled, sticking out like a sore thumb in her dark blue Princips uniform. Johanna gave her a nod which she reciprocated, then continued staring forward. At that point Johanna got a little too confident, diverting her walk to pick up a biscuit. Her heart jumped with excited fear. The dull brown snack was in her mouth as she headed to the next room, still the woman stared forward. Johanna wanted to enjoy this rare treat but there was work to be done.

The next few rooms comprised of standard scientific fare, amongst the smart white desks and tall stools stood bubbling liquids, beakers of every colour, small dissected animals, computer workstations, state-of-the-art machines that chilled and span test tubes, even a range of tools for slicing, clamping and pulling. Dotting around the benches, naked flames danced as she walked past, sending extra glare bouncing off the laboratory walls and clean equipment. Whilst other areas were sparse, these labs had been crammed with experiments and piled with the technology to solve the most intricate conundrums. The scientists were used to visitors, contractors coming and going. Much like everyone else, they ignored Johanna's presence. The odd one gave a nod or smile, but mostly they appeared too absorbed in their own work to notice. Johanna was an outsider, not denoted by the white lab coats, plastic safety glasses and face masks. She somehow felt less valuable than them and therefore not worth their attention. From the point of view of her mission, that suited her fine.

The maze of laboratories ended in a heavy set door, plated in thick metal. There were secrets behind here, but as the public never got this deep into Princips' strongholds, there was no need to hide the fact.

Johanna listened to a myriad of locks unbolt and slide back. The doors rumbled apart at the pace of a snail. She stepped inside to find a long wide corridor, smaller doors in the same metal sat at an equal distance to one another down the walkway. Each had a small hatch around eye level and a larger one at floor level. The corridor appeared to be a prison. At the far end stood double doors.

As she took her next step, she heard a voice from behind a door, "hey, hey, I don't feel well." It did not sound convincing.

Johanna paused, the voice came again, "anyone there? I feel sick."

Curiosity took over, maybe this was a prison. As the noise continued she located the door, two down on the right-hand side. Johanna placed her ear to it, the muffled sound vibrating through the thick metal. She moved away, wondering how the cell opened. A smile played across her face as she realised no technology existed on the door. A standard lock stood between her and the voice inside. The grin expanded when she saw the two hatches, they were held closed with two metal latches. She only needed to unclasp them and twist. Princips did not want anything to go wrong with technological locks here, anything that could open the cells accidently and let the inhabitants out. This had played into her hands. The public were not supposed to be here, but she had got in and now would gain their secrets. Taking the two latches at eye level, she clicked them and turned. The hatch did not drop, Johanna had to pull it forward. The familiar sound of rusted hinges played tunefully in her head. The sound made her feel at home, you did not get that sound with a sliding door. Her happiness turned sour as she thought of her daughter.

She was snapped from her thoughts by the sound, "you're new."

The room was bare, a bed jutted out one wall whilst the other contained a metal toilet and wash-hand basin. The only other item in the cell was the occupant, a young man in his early twenties. He sat on the bed cross legged, wearing the same itchy grey jumpsuit as Kira had.

"I said I feel sick," he tried again, "you need to let me out." There was a confidence in him, it was clear he did not feel ill, that all he wanted was to get out of the cell. Rather than feign the symptoms, he commanded Johanna to do his bidding as if just speaking the words would make her act. Little did he know she did not have the power to release him.

"Why are you in there?" she asked.

This made him smile, "do you work here?"

"Erm..." Johanna did not know the right thing to say.

"You're a contractor, aren't you?"

"Yeah," now it was her who did not sound convincing.

He got up and walked towards the open hatch, "you do know what they do here, don't you?"

"Test medicine?" she tried.

"Well, you could call it medicine. And they do run tests."

"Are you one of the tester people?"

"Tester people?"

"Like...the ones they test on."

"You could say that. They test on me and monitor the results."

"Is it making you better?"

"Well, I suppose I am better now."

"That's good."

"Is it?"

"If you were ill and now you're better then that is good."

"Who said I was ill."

"Oh, then why are they testing medicine on you."

"Because they want something."

"Want what?"

"The ultimate drug, the one that lets you live forever."

"Oh, why are you locked up?"

"Now that is the question, because they don't want me to get out."

"Why?"

"How old do you think I am?"

"Erm..." Johanna was taken aback by the question. She was not good with ages but tried, "I'd guess about twenty eight."

"Fifty two."

"What?!"

"The drug works, but what will happen if the whole world knew?"

"Everyone would be young."

"Yes, no-one would die, the world's resources would be used up. End of the world scenarios are not what Princips want."

"So you volunteered, and they locked you up?" Disgust washed over Johanna, she hated Princips but this took it to a whole new level.

"Who said I volunteered?"

"You were taken?"

"Captured is the word. Yes I was breaking the law, breaking into the city, protesting against Princips' rule, how they treat people from the slums, but this was not the correct punishment."

"You're from the slums?"

"S45-B2."

"What is that?"

"They really don't tell you anything. You have no idea what life is like outside this city." Sudden anger appeared in his voice, "you think the slums is just one big place, there are different communities, different slums as you call it." With the final word he hit the door in frustration. Johanna felt foolish, she was from the slums and did not realise there were others out there, more deprived cities of dirt and desperation. She had lived a sheltered life, one of scrabbling for a living, but never outside a radius of a few miles. It was another thing Princips had told her she he had bought.

There was another bang, a door vibrating, but not this one. The sound came from the other side of the corridor, down near the double doors. Johanna's gaze shot that way, concerned for what was behind there. "The beast is awake," the man uttered, calm once more.

"The beast?"

"A failed experiment, not like me, but they must be keeping him alive for some reason. They say he's been here for years."

"How long have you been here?"

"I don't know, it has to be months, could be longer."

The banging got louder. Though she was scared, Johanna knew she had to investigate. The short conversation with this incarcerated man had unlocked so many secrets already. As she edged her way down the corridor, trying to walk as quietly as possible, she heard the man shout, "hey, what about me? Are you not going to let me out?" She ignored his protestations. When at the door, Johanna breathed in deeply, preparing herself for what lay ahead. Slowly she unlatched the eye level hatch and pulled it open. Two eyes appeared, making her jump backwards. She steeled her, stepping forward once more. What greeted her was not the image she expected. The creature had retreated to the far side of the cell. She saw its dark skin through rips and tears in the grey jumpsuit. It was pocked with scars and boils, some oozing yellowing liquid. Clumps of hair clung to its scalp amongst patches of baldness. The creature looked scared. It scratched itself, opening another wound and letting a little blood and puss trickle from its body. After the initial shock, the smell hit Johanna. A stench of decay and faeces, the creature ignoring the toilet and instead using the corner of the room. The beast turned its head toward her, Johanna looked disgusted, a long beard was matted with blood, saliva and old food whilst the mouth foamed. Next she looked into its eyes, eyes that asked for pity. She knew those eyes, she had seen them before, but where? It hit her,

then the tears started to roll. She knew those eyes, and she knew them well. Those were the eyes of her husband.