Where Is My Sister?!

Noa stared out into the center of the city from his apartment balcony, his eyes red and a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

He kept flashing back to the chaotic night at Club Polarity. To beating the man with the chair viciously.

He was on the balcony. Noa took a long drink from the bottle, as if it were soda, his heart pounding. 

"It's past 7:30."

Noa jumped, turning to see Tochi standing close behind him, invading his personal space. Noa took a few steps away from him.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"It's past 7:30. Saturday, we have waffles," Tochi explained.

"I don't want waffles right now. Go inside," Noa replied, turning back to look out at the city and taking another long drink from the bottle.

"You know, alcohol is bad for the liver."

"Noa, I'm an adult, and it's good for me. If you're hungry, go ask your mom," Noa sighed.

"She’s not here. I’ve been waiting but I don’t think she came back last night."

"Did you see her leave?" Noa questioned further.

"No," Tochi replied.

Noa looked back into the apartment, searching for any sign of Tammy. He looked high and low but couldn’t find her. Strange because she’s usually annoying him by now. Although he hasn’t slept all night and doesn’t remember seeing her. Then again, his mind was busy on other things. The horrific images from last night flashing through his mind.

Are people looking for him? Who knows what happened? Is someone searching for him? How many are dead? These questions circled in Noa’s mind.

The kitchenette was small, cluttered with mismatched appliances and an old table where Tochi sat, scrolling through pages on his tablet. The TV played softly in the background, the faint murmur of a news anchor filling the space. Noa entered from the hallway, a furrow in his brow and an air of frustration about him.

“I don’t know why she’s not picking up,” he said, tapping at the device in his ear. “Keep getting the machine…” He sighed, switching to voicemail. “Tammy, where are you? Pick up!”

Shaking his head, Noa moved toward the stove, opening and closing cabinets in search of something.

“Where’s that damn waffle maker?” he muttered.

Tochi turned on the TV in the living room and said, “Bottom left cabinet.”

Noa followed the instruction, pulling out a large round cylinder with a nozzle on top. He began pouring ingredients into it, the movements brisk and mechanical. His fingers hovered briefly over the keypad on the side before he pressed the number four.

“I’m making you four,” he said aloud, almost as if reassuring himself. “Four is a good number…”

Tochi’s voice echoed with a tremble, “Oh my System…”

The TV anchor’s voice cut through the moment. “In other news, the causes of last night’s massacre are still unknown.”

Noa’s head snapped toward the screen. The footage displayed images of chaos—Club Polarity members in a frenzied state, followed by keepers firing into the crowd outside the club.

“TV, increase volume by 30 percent,” Noa said sharply, and the sound grew louder.

“People went on a murderous rampage,” the anchor continued. “It’s suspected that some sort of drug may have been administered by the staff.”

“The staff?” Noa repeated, more to himself than anyone else.

“Dude, isn’t that where you work? What happened? Was it scary?,” Tochi said in an excited tone.

“Shut up, I wasn’t there!” Noa barked.

The news anchor’s voice was grave. “Anyone with any information is advised to go to the nearest keeper station and submit a report.”

Noa touched his Bluetooth device again, and he started pacing. “Call Tammy,” he commanded.

Tochi followed him around like a hyper puppy, ”If you weren’t at work last night, then where were you? You where there, weren’t you? Did you see bodies? This is so cool!”

Noa groaned, rubbing his temples. “It’s not cool! It’s not cool!” He threw up his hands in exasperation. “Where is your mother?!”

Rose’s bedroom was filled with the sudden sound of curtains being drawn. Light flooded the space, illuminating the traditional Victorian decor. The beams landed on a redheaded woman, Rose, lying in her bed. A blue square glowed faintly on the back of her neck.

When the light hit her face, she groaned, flipping over and pulling a pillow over her head.

“Blinds close,” Rose muttered.

The blinds obediently slid shut, darkening the room again.

“Blinds open,” came a soft voice from nearby.

The blinds opened once more, and standing at the foot of Rose’s bed was Lauren, a redheaded maid in her forties. Lauren’s neck was bare, absent of any chip.

“It’s time to get up,” Lauren said. “You don’t want to make your mother upset, do you?”

Rose groaned loudly, her protest echoing in the stillness of the room.

Lauren moved toward the closet. “Here, let me fetch you your slippers.”

“No, I can get them!” Rose sat up quickly, rubbing her eyes. She pushed aside the thick covers and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, blinking to adjust to the light.

Lauren knelt and reached for one of the slippers. Before she could slide it onto Rose’s foot, Rose jerked her foot back, her eyes snapping open fully. Lauren paused, staring up at her, unsure if she had offended her.

“Rose… please.” Lauren’s voice was soft but firm.

Reluctantly, Rose let her foot fall back down. Lauren slid the slipper on with a neutral expression. Rose frowned, watching her.

“I told you I could do it myself,” Rose said.

“I know, mistress,” Lauren replied.

“And how many times have I told you to stop calling me that?”

“At least once more, my mistress,” Lauren said, her tone unchanging.

Rose frowned deeper, disappointment flashing across her face.

***

Later, Rose stood at her mirrored dresser, dressed in a sleek crimson dress. She opened a pink box on the dresser and carefully took out a necklace. Beside the box sat a framed photo of a red-haired man wearing a seahorse-shaped necklace. He was smiling and hugging a younger redheaded girl.

Rose unraveled the necklace in her hands, revealing the same seahorse-shaped design from the picture. Lauren stepped behind her, taking the necklace and clasping it around Rose’s neck.

Lauren placed her hands on Rose’s shoulders and smiled. In the mirror, their resemblance became striking—they looked almost like twins.

“There. Beautiful,” Lauren said.

Rose smiled faintly and placed her hand on Lauren’s. For a moment, the connection lingered. But Lauren quickly withdrew her hand and stepped back. Rose froze, her smile faltering.

“Lauren—”

“Your mother is waiting in the dining hall,” Lauren interrupted. “Please excuse me.”

Lauren bowed and left the room quickly, her footsteps fading into silence. Rose’s mouth opened as if to call her back, but no words came out.

A loud buzzing sound broke the stillness. Rose turned toward her dresser, her eyes locking onto the top drawer. She moved quickly, locking her bedroom door before opening the drawer.

Inside, she retrieved a black earbud and placed it in her ear. With a tap, the device blinked blue.

“Hello?” Rose said softly.

On the other end of the line, Tamara was quickly walking down the Gen City streets.

Tamara was zipping down the sidewalk, moving fast. Sweat dripped down her face as she darted forward, constantly glancing over her shoulder. She narrowly avoided colliding with pedestrians as she weaved through the crowd.

“They code the system,” Tamara muttered under her breath.

Rose’s voice came through Tamara’s earbud, sharp and concerned. “But I am the glitch! Tamara, where the hell are you?”

“We’re blown, Rose!” Tamara hissed.

“What?”

“I said, we’re blown! Haven’t you seen the news?”

“No, I just woke up! What happened?”

A keeper squad car appeared on the street ahead, its sleek frame reflecting the morning sun. Tamara ducked into an alley, keeping her head down as the car rolled past. She waited a moment, her back pressed to the brick wall, before cautiously stepping out again.

“Last night, someone set off the frequency downtown,” Tamara said. “Someone must have intercepted our contact. People went on a rampage!”

“Fuck,” Rose said, her voice tight. “They set it off early? Who would do that?”

“I don’t know!” Tamara’s voice was sharp with frustration.

“Where are you? Get Danny and try to make it to my place!”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon. I’ll be there in—” Tamara stopped mid-sentence. Her breath hitched, and her eyes went wide. Three keepers were approaching from down the street. Without another word, she turned and walked briskly in the opposite direction.

“Tammy?” Rose’s voice was laced with alarm. “What’s happening?”

“Rose…” Tamara’s voice dropped. “They found me.”

“Tammy?! Get out of there!”

“Tell Tochi I love him. Smack my brother once for me, will ya?”

“Tammy, wait—”

Tamara ripped the earbud out and threw it to the ground. She stomped on it, sparks flying from under her foot. Without hesitation, she broke into a sprint.

Behind her, the keepers gave chase.

Tamara rounded the corner, only to see more keepers coming from that direction. She turned and darted across the street, cars screeching to a halt and honking as she narrowly avoided being hit. She didn’t look back or give them any attention.

She ran harder, faster, her feet pounding against the pavement.

WHAM!

A keeper tackled her, sending her crashing to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of her. Tamara clawed, scratched, and kicked, but her resistance was futile.

The keepers descended on her, pinning her to the ground. One of them reared back and kicked her in the face.