I Will Help

“Aight; I’m in,” you say adamantly. 

“The elementary school is at the junction between the Red Commons and the Caprice Solar Array. When I was a courier, I was in that area, but that was 20 years ago,” says Seth-Sagan.

“I know a way in. There’s an atmospheric processor near the junction. It leads into the school.  A few of us stayed there right after the GMO purge. that’s probably how he knows about it,” you say as you pull a bag from under your bed.

“You know the baby-eater?” asks Seth.

“Maybe. If he’s a GMO, we might have shared a space or something. It was crazy when they came for us,” you say putting on your recently upgraded courier gear.

You put on a carbon weave poncho, a thin fabric that stops penetration of knives or bullets, but you really wear it because it flows in the wind magnificently. Then, you strap a brand spanking new gyro-jet pistol at your side. You never carried a weapon before, but mainly because you never had the money to do so. You turn the pistol on, and it links to your bio-organics, and you can see the targeting system in your vision. You double-blink and lock the reticle onto your stove. If you pull the trigger a mini missile will launch out and blow the ever-living shit out of your stove. You triple-blink to disengage.

“What do we know about the kid?” you ask.

“We need to get in and get him out, without the cops knowing.  Council member’s son: has to be hush, hush,” Seth-Sagan says and walks you to his grav-car.

The two of you speed to the atmospheric processor where the car descends quietly. You quickly break into the underground conduits with ease. There isn’t a door in the JSS (Jovian Superstructure) that either of you couldn’t open.

“People will do anything for their kids,” you say as you pry open a vent and move deeper into the facility.

“It’s true,” he whispers quietly.

“I noticed a lot of toys at your house,” you say as you point for him to squeeze between two pipes that will lead you into the school basement.

“Yeah.”

“I’ve never seen kids,” you say.

“No, they’re gone.  I just, I can’t clean it up, you know.  I can’t put the toys away.”

“What happened?”

“Let’s just say it’s not wise to cross Juedon,” he says looking away.

You feel like there is a tragic story here. Your convictions falter at the thought of helping Juedon if indeed he has harmed other children. You also realize now is not the time to moralize, there are children here, right now, in danger.