Video

As the sun rose through Kat’s curtains, I lazily rolled over–my eyes meeting Kat’s gentle face–her mouth slowly breathing in and out as she slept. It took every ounce of self control not to brush her hair.

I lazily stretched, glancing out the window. After my late night chase the police had apparently completely given up on the chase. I didn’t see another cop, despite the millions of cameras, sensors, and eyewitnesses. Iero was massive yet that didn’t mean they couldn’t find me if they really put their mind to it.

That’d require them to be competent. No AI software would help them with the actual chase, much less if they didn’t bother to use it.

“Morning…” Kat mumbled, rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?”

“Ten sharp. Bit early I know.”

“Early for you maybe,” She said, sitting up in her baby blue pajamas–face still not awake. “I’ll make breakfast.”

I wasn’t one to complain. Kat put my cooking to shame whenever I came over. Bacon, pancakes, waffles, anything I could imagine. Compared to my usual diet of an apple at most this was a feast. Caspian had tried to get me to cook in the past, I’d never taken to it.

We both walked like zombies to her kitchen. Compared to my apartment Kat’s felt like a mansion, with a whole three rooms compared to my one. Came at the cost of a thirty minute walk to class though so who was really winning?

As she was firing up the grill I popped a screen open and glanced at the news. “For being a wanted criminal Iero sure is keeping everything on the down low.” I said.

“Wanted? I don’t know about that,” Kat took a sip of her coffee, passing me a cup. “Are you sure they didn’t want to just give you a scare?”

“If so, they sure didn’t drive like it.” I said, taking a long drink.

“Damn… All this in Iero. I never thought I’d see the day.” Kat sighed as she flipped the pancakes.

“How do you think Iero’s been so peaceful this entire time? History class after history class of ours went over how the old world countries fell from corruption and strife. By that logic the fact Iero has survived for seven hundred something years is a miracle, “ I said, finishing the cup. “Maybe there's more to the story after all.”
“Do you think that's what your brother was researching?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” I shrugged. “They’re hiding something from us, and to be real I don’t really care what it is. All I care about is finding who killed Caspian and returning the favor.”

I could still hear his final words to me over the walkie talkie–an eternal recording on repeat in my head.

“Every lead I find leads to a dead end, but the government still wants me dead because of it. What is it Kat? Am I missing something, is there some hidden connection I can’t see?” She stayed quiet, letting me ramble. “And why did Caspian go out of his way to mention Mom of all people? Mom? She’s been dead for years! Why can’t that bonehead ever be clear…”

I could feel the tears building up. All this talk and I couldn’t find a single damn hint, not one! What in the hell was the point of going to class if I couldn’t at least help me with this?

“Asta…” Kat put an arm around my shoulder. “It's ok to cry, you know, you don’t have to do everything yourself.”

“Then what can I do! I can’t help Sky with the decoding, I can’t find a single crack in project whatever! It’s because of what I can't do that I have to take on everything else myself.”

“Girl, you can’t live like that.”

“Well if no one else is gonna do the work, it might as well be me!” I sighed, leaning back. “I'm sorry Kat, it’s not your fault.”

“Hey Asta, why–”
“BZZZ!” Screens popped up near both our faces, white glowing text with the word urgent in all caps. “What the…”

“It’s from Sky,” I muttered. “Got Caspian’s message decoded. Asta, you’re gonna want to see this, it’s not pretty. Make sure you’re in private. Best, Sky.”

“Well, that's not ominous,” Kat said.

I stared at the document, ignoring her words. Inside was a set of more files than I could count: documents, photos, videos, everything I could think of in one nifty folder. But, my eyes couldn’t help but look towards the one file Sky had labeled "watch first” at the top. “You ready?”
“How bad could it be?”

“I don’t know if I want the answer to that Kat,” I said, clicking the link.

“Help! Someone!” A shrill scream boomed out of the video, almost knocking me out of my chair as I paused it. “What in Iero is this?”

The grainy video made me shake as I forced myself to analyze it; A woman in a dull gray chair with wires piercing her skin as she screamed in agony, the multiple scientists standing around her with faces blanker than a white wall. It was akin to something from a horror movie, only much, much more real.

I pressed play, hand shaking as one of the scientists spoke. “Subject seven thousand and forty five reading’s are stable. Very well team, may Project Promethius’s torch burn another day.” he walked off, away from the shaky camera. “May seven zero four five’s suffering bring Iero into a greater age.”

The cameraman snuck back, keeping their footsteps as he looked to leave. “Wait!” I gasped. As they made their way through the halls I recognized the splattered blood, the old dusty electronics.

“It all makes sense!” Kat gasped, hands over her mouth as she stared. “But why would they allow us down there?”

They were underneath Iero, the same place Caspian disappeared.

“I don’t know, but if anyone is going to find out what they're hiding, it’s me!”