Neron Rising

ns have set amounts of shots they can fire. A dozen. A few hundred if they’re a

ergy. It packs a lot of pun

dea-” the man

ld our hands up at the

ut what you’re going to do with the

ility,” Re

on people on this planet know that what Reena and I are doing is so illegal, i

tations?” Reena asks, foldin

fect posture, and smooth, porcelain skin. Somehow her clothes

in disbelief, and he can hardly take his eyes off

rds. I didn’t really think about them, they just kind of

s trance. He extends his wrist to Reena’s fir

rty-nine thousand credits transfer to my

al. If my account were to ever be reviewed, I have to have some kind of explanatio

Mr. X,” Reena says, packing up her own

. or Ms. X. We never ask for real

s very expensive new toy. We both turn to the right,

ag. Looking at myself in the reflection of the

as knowing my face. So this morning, before I headed out the door, I dipped my fingers in my charcoal-grease mix, and spre

na she should

ever list

ks as we start walking again. She doesn’t look over at me. She keeps

you’d think she was one

say, looking around to be sure there are no ears within hearing dista

irs before popping back out on the lower skywalk level. Without another

now, and the entire time she’s been nothing but chilly and…almost suspicious of me. Maybe it’s because she was born into t

, because it is. Considering the entire planet of Korpillion is populated from shore to shore, there

f it can keep so many ot

ever known a

alk. The trams zoom by, rocking everything around them. Ships drift through the s

ssive building l

o the building and wait my turn

close today,” a voice

my shoulder and glaring at Za

ext. When it beeps, he steps beside me, and we head for the narrow door that funn

” I let out an exasperated sigh as we aim for the employee locker room. Unfortunate

door of his locker, opening it. “Just because it’s over doe

aff member put in there last night. I peel off my tunic and

e still gives me a side look as I cha

k hair is on trend, and his jawline could practically cut steel. But

ip up the front of my black jumpsuit. I grab my fingerless glove

ffices. But us grunts don’t ever walk through those doors. We come in th