17
The vehicle bounced, thrusting Austin’s head against the base of the trunk. He wondered why Val hadn’t bought one of those hovering vehicles he saw on the bustling streets of Cralia.
Following a restless night of sleep, they had left her apartment early in the morning. The cool air woke him better than any coffee, and the gravity of what he was about to do rumbled into his stomach. His hands shook as Val handed him the red coveralls she said maintenance crews wore inside the Zahlian complex. He folded his legs into a tight ball, forcing his body into the compact trunk. She had squeezed his shoulder once before closing the false bottom and securing him.
It only occurred to him later it might be the last time he would ever see her.
The vehicle paused. He heard muffled voices. A guard.
