"I'm sorry, Mia," my colleague Sarah said over the phone in a tired voice a few hours later. "Orders from above. You're expelled and got our lab closed."

"Damn, I'm sorry, Sarah," I replied.

"I know it's not your fault. The team decided to go on without you, in a private lab. Thankfully Hiroshi's pitch worked. Otherwise, our research was as good as done." She sighed deeply. "I'm... awfully sorry, Mia, but we have to distance ourselves from you. If we don't, our new sponsors might not support us any longer. Your name is... tainted now."

I bit my upper lip and closed my eyes shut. They needed to go on without me. I couldn't be part of their research as much as I wanted to.

"No, don't worry about me." I massaged my forehead and let go a silent sigh. "I understand."

"I promise we'll see this through," she whispered with determination.

She hung the phone. I stared blankly at the screen of my smartphone for some minutes as my eyes got cloudy.

I loved them as if they were my siblings. They ditched me, but they had to. It didn't mean they didn't consider me a friend any longer, but... it hurt.

But my name was tainted.

Anyway, I sat at my desk in my bedroom. A few minutes into my laptop, I made a reservation on a spaceship that would take me to the city of New Paris, in the colony of Serenity.

It was for the best, really. Purple Rock was no longer a place where I would be able to do research from that moment on. I started packing my things.

My father and I exchanged farewells that evening. The sun was setting. A medium-sized suitcase and a handbag were all I was willing to bring with me—well, that and a ton of hope.

"Honesty is the best policy, but don't be rude to people," my father said, standing in the threshold and hugging me.

"I promise," I whispered, hugging him back with a bittersweet smile.

"Here. This is for you." He handed me a laser gun. "For your protection."

I pressed my lips into a disapproving, thin line as I grabbed it. "Dad, I'm a medicine undergraduate. I don't... I don't like this idea."

His voice became a sad whisper. "I insist. Who knows how rough it is out there, in the other colonies?"

I nodded and stored it in my handbag.

"Take my stethoscope," he said as I took it.

I stared at it with melancholy already. I had seen it so many times around his neck as I grew up. "I'll treasure it." I also stored in my handbag.

"A gift for my baby girl," he whispered then. "A charm necklace."

He put a necklace around my neck.

A delicate silver chain held a collection of intricately crafted charms which captured the essence of Starlight Over The Sea.

With his hands on the charms, he told me with a smooth voice fit for a fairytale, "At its centre, a seashell glistens with mother-of-pearl, evoking the waves on a tranquil shore, to remind you to be patient and calm."

I rolled my eyes. "Dad..."

"Then, there's a tiny ship's wheel, a symbol of navigation and adventure, like the one you're about to embark on. Next to it, a miniature lighthouse which guides sailors like you through the darkest of nights. It will remind you not to lose hope."

Yeah, I'm gonna need guidance and hope if I want to develop a cure—and fast.

"Further along the chain, a playful dolphin leaps in mid-air, a symbol of the ocean's joyful inhabitants—and you," he added with a bittersweet smile. "Your mission might be important, but don't forget to enjoy your youth."

Does he want to see me cry? "I'll bear that in mind. Thank you."

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I hugged him one last time. Then, I walked away with my suitcase. A flying taxi was already waiting for me on the sidewalk. I opened the trunk and loaded my suitcase in it.

With a heavy sigh, I closed the trunk. Where I was going, that disease hadn't spread yet. I hoped I could find answers there before my father's condition worsened too much.

I got into the cab and waved him goodbye. His bittersweet smile was the last thing I saw from the taxi's rear window.

The car drove around the corner when it stopped abruptly, startling me. A click echoed, signalling all doors got locked. Then, the taxi driver, a robot with a male customisation, turned to me and pointed a gun at me.

"What the-?!" I exclaimed.

Before he could shoot, I ducked and kicked his hand. The self-defence classes I took last year proved to be worth it. The gun fell.

I seized the gun, my heart pounding. Aiming behind me, I squeezed the trigger, shattering the taxi's rear window. Glass rained down like crystalline tears.

When the taxi driver tried to grab me, I kicked his arms hard. Grabbing my handbag, I escaped through the jagged opening before he had time to do anything else to stop me.

The taxi driver unlocked the doors and got out, but I sprinted down the street, my heart racing. Panting, I veered around a sharp corner, but before I lost sight of the main street, I glimpsed four menacing robots on motorbikes that were headed towards me.

Their metallic fingers were wrapped around firearms. What was going on? First, the taxi driver got aggressive, and then these riders appeared out of nowhere with firearms aimed at me? Something fishy is going on.

I frowned. There was no shadow of doubt they were after me.

Why?

The corporate bastards showing defiance at my every comment. My threat to kick them out. Getting expelled and my team fired wasn't enough. Hell, that was all about the cure I promised at the conference, wasn't it?

Suit Robotics doesn't want any competition. They want a cure dead. They want me dead.

Possibly also my friends and former research colleagues. Damn.

I bolted before their gunfire erupted, rounds slicing through the air while pedestrians screamed and got out of the way. I dodged each bullet, my movements a desperate dance with death. The taxi driver got hit in the head, luckily for me.

I made a desperate gambit, my fingers deftly drawing my weapon. I hated it, but I needed to do something. If it could buy me some time, then so be it.

The shots rang out. But my aim faltered, and the metallic assailants cornered me in a shady dead-end street. The powerful stink of urine and rubbish overpowered my sense of smell.

In a daring act, I hurled herself at one of the robot riders. With a fierce kick, I sent the mechanical goon crashing to the ground, and in an audacious move, I stole his motorbike. The other riders, as I expected, were too dumbfounded by the stupidity of my actions to even think of shooting at me, something I counted on.

The engine roared, and I escaped into a dimly lit alleyway. The robots pursued me, their guns blazing.

I revved the engine and careened into a cavernous parking building. Amidst a labyrinth of parked vehicles, I hoped to elude the three remaining assailants.

I navigated the maze of cars, ascending floors, and zigzagging between the metal columns at an insane speed, but I couldn't lose them. My mind raced, crafting a strategy on the fly.

Reaching the uppermost level, I spotted a narrow gap between buildings, a rooftop within reach. I soared across the urban abyss, my heart pounding. Two of the robotic pursuers attempted the jump but miscalculated, crashing violently below.

Being a doctor brought in me conflicting feelings. I knew I shouldn't be happy about their demise, since those suits used to be people before, but I sighed with relief.

Only one relentless robot remained. He successfully made the jump.

Next, he aimed a precise blow at my rear wheel. The screech of tyres and the deafening roar of metal filled the air as I skidded. I rolled over myself countless times on the roof of that large warehouse we were on.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I secured my handbag over my shoulder, staggered to my feet, and fled. I spotted a series of metal emergency stairs, which I rejoiced to find easy to go down despite being hurt. But with ruthless efficiency, my undeterred mechanical foe unleashed his firepower, severing the bindings that held the stairs to the wall.

"No!" I yelled.

In a heart-stopping moment, I plummeted backwards, an entire flight of stairs about to crash onto the suspended hover tram tracks below. The tracks ran between those two warehouses, and then I was about to have a run-in with a tram, which was passing by at that precise moment.

My eyes opened wide before we collided. Sparks erupted as the last car of the passing tram absorbed the impact. Unfortunately, the car and the stairs got stuck, severing the connection with the rest of the vehicle.

The tram, though missing its rear car, continued on its path, with me gripping a strangely bent piece of metal, a residue from the emergency stairs, from the penultimate car.

As the wind whipped past me, I clung to my precarious perch, hoping not to fall. My breath was laboured, and my skin was sweaty and dirty.

With a sigh, I saw my last foe become smaller and smaller, watching me dissolve into the city buildings as the tram carried me away.

Screeching, the tram pulled on the brakes as it approached the next stop. People ran out, screaming, when we got there.

The chase wasn't over. It would never be. So, I needed to keep moving.

I clung to the outside of the tramcar, my grip unwavering. With a grunt, I leapt onto the platform gracelessly—mostly due to my wounds—when most of the people were already gone. I merged into the residue of that hysterical crowd.

I scanned for any sign of pursuit, but I could only see perfectly normal citizens, from families to busy, fast-walking, regular commuters.

As soon as I could, I found my way to a different platform and boarded a tram destined for the docks. Staring from the tram's window, the circle exit door of the terraforming crystal dome was spectacular from that close distance.

As the tram rattled forward, curious gazes from other passengers followed me because of my ragged appearance and the blood that stained my clothes. I blushed a bit.

I shouldn't've worried about my appearance, but I couldn't help it. Besides, that could be a telltale sign that could lead to Suit Robotics knowing my whereabouts.

I wondered if there was a way I could warm my father and my friends. That is, if they hadn't got them already. I guessed that by then it was already too late. If those bastards from Suit Robotics wanted me dead, they might be monitoring all communications already just to make sure they knew about me in case I survived.

Suddenly, at the other end of the tramcar, I spotted my wannabe murderer, the last rider. Damn, these bastards were quick! Did they have privileged access to the security cameras' footage from the tram lines?

I bit my lower lip, put on my hoodie, grabbed my handbag tightly, and casually entered the restroom.

Upon arriving at the docks, a massive building which resembled a fancy airport, I remained vigilant. I scanned the bustling crowd, but he was nowhere.

I sighed, but the robot seized my arm from behind me with an iron grip. He put a hand over my mouth to prevent me from screaming as he pulled me backwards.

He took me to the airport restrooms to avoid causing a scene in public. As the door swung closed behind us, he said in a metallic voice, "Your escape ends here."

He pointed a gun at my head. The Suit Robotics logo was on my attacker's neck, below the jawline.

"We'll see," I whispered, smirking.

I executed a self-defence manoeuvre, targeting my assailant's legs. He tumbled to the ground. The firearm slipped from his grasp, clattering against the floor.

In a heartbeat, I kicked it away from reach. I grabbed my own weapon from my handbag, aimed at his head, and squeezed the trigger.

I stood there, gazing at the mechanical corpse in disbelief, with my eyes wide open. My breathing came out raggedly.

As my hands started to shake out of control, I turned my face to the mirror. Blood drained from my face. All of a sudden, now that all my assailants were dead or gone, the weight of my actions became an unexpected burden.

I, a devoted student of medicine, had crossed a harrowing threshold. Several times.

I swore to relieve suffering and cure people! Those robots were once innocent people. What have I done?!

Hello, my sugar cubes!

Will Mia be able to handle the pressure of this mission, plus the weight of the death of her assailants?

Stay tuned!

XOXO

Mar