What Happened? I Fucked up: Part 1

Noa pulled up to the front of Rose’s mansion. The building was an imposing, square structure lined with tall, humming blue columns. Their soft buzzing filled the air as he drove down the long driveway, which wrapped around a statue of a bear before leading to the entrance. Strangely, there was no surrounding gate to the property.

He knocked on the door.

It swung open, revealing a woman with red hair in a maid’s uniform.

“Yes? Can I help you?” Lauren asked.

Noa cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m looking for Rose. I have something they wanted me to deliver.”

Lauren gave him a polite smile. “Oh, I’m afraid she’s not here right now. You can leave it with me, though.”

“She?” Noa hesitated. “I’d rather give it to her in person. Do you know where she went?”

***

The Teneson Museum was a beacon of wealth and status, surrounded by sleek cars and flashing cameras. Large banners draped across the building read: 20th Annual City Gala. Blue spotlights cut through the sky, illuminating the grand entrance, where Keepers stood watch.

Noa parked his bike across the street. A group of elegantly dressed elites crossed in front of him, the silver glint of their implanted chips visible at the backs of their necks. Quickly, he hopped off his bike and blended into the crowd, keeping a careful distance but moving as if he belonged.

Just as he reached the entrance, a firm hand grabbed his arm, yanking him back.

“Excuse me, sir,” a Keeper said. “This is a closed event.”

Noa nodded toward the group ahead of him. “I’m with them.”

The Keeper rolled his eyes. He tapped his finger against the back of Noa’s neck.

“I don’t think so, Error,” he said flatly.

Noa tore his arm free and stormed back down the stairs, cursing under his breath. He glanced up and down the street, searching for another way in.

Then, he spotted it—a loading truck circling around the back of the museum.

Behind the building, workers moved quickly, unloading boxes. None of them had chips. A man near the rear of the truck lifted a long box effortlessly, using a robotic claw to support its weight.

Noa crept up from the side, grabbed a large box, and fell into step behind him, blending in as they carried their loads inside.

Inside, the back room was a frenzy of movement—workers rushed in and out, crates stacked in every corner. Noa weaved through the chaos, keeping his head down.

A large man stepped in front of Noa and tapped his shoulder. “Who are you? I don’t see you on the work list.” he said.

Noa gulped but kept his poker face. “Nah, I just like carrying boxes for the exercise,” he said. “Where’s this one go, anyway?”

The man snorted. “Over there, smartass.”

He pointed to a corner. Noa set the box down, then casually glanced toward the entrance.

“I’m gonna hit the bathroom real quick.”

“Whatever. Be back soon.”

Noa didn’t head for the bathroom. Instead, he slipped through a sliding door and stepped into the main exhibit.

The entire gallery was ocean-themed. Holographic fish floated overhead, their translucent bodies shimmering in the dim light. A massive statue of an octopus wiggled its tentacles, animated by hidden motors. A banner stretched across the room:

GEN CITY GALA: MARINE LIFE.

The room was packed with guests in expensive attire, sipping champagne and murmuring over the exhibits. Near the back, a large circular stage stood ready for speeches and presentations.

Noa muttered under his breath, scanning the room. “Rose… seahorses. You better be here.”

Outside, a sleek convertible rolled up to the museum’s entrance. Flashing cameras surrounded it instantly, paparazzi calling out names, drones hovering overhead to capture every angle. A line of Keepers formed a barrier, keeping the crowd at bay. One stepped forward to open the car door.

Donna stepped out first, graceful and composed, with Roy close behind. She wore an elegant green and white dress, its fabric shimmering with a holographic blue sheen. Roy, in a matching green and white suit, bore the ViGen logo on his chest. Even though Donna wore three-inch heels, Roy still stood significantly taller than her.

“I never pegged you as a fan of art,” Roy said, adjusting his cuffs.

Donna didn’t even look at him. “Just stay where I can see you.”

Roy smirked. “I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else. Shall we?”

He offered his arm to her. She ignored it and walked inside.

***

Noa moved through the exhibit, passing several moving statues—an eel twisting through a loop of light, a jellyfish floating under a glass dome, an enormous whale cresting through a sea of glowing mist.

He stopped in front of a painting of a seahorse, staring at it for a long moment before turning to the guests beside him.

“Excuse me,” he said. “What’s your name?”

The man shook his head, confused. “Uh… David?”

Noa exhaled sharply and moved on, asking another. No luck.

Across the room, Roy followed closely behind Donna, keeping an eye on her as she greeted various guests. At one point, he handed her a drink. She took it but never drank. She knew better.

Noa wandered down a quieter hallway, away from the main exhibit. As he neared the end, a familiar figure appeared at the opposite side—the Keeper from the front entrance.

Their eyes locked for a split second.

Noa turned sharply and walked out of the hallway before the Keeper could react. Meanwhile, the Keeper stepped back into the main room, now accompanied by a small unit. Their eyes scanned the crowd as they moved through the gala, searching.

From the middle of a small group of guests, Noa watched them carefully, praying they wouldn’t see him.

***

Rose wandered through the gallery with Rob trailing behind her. The dim lighting reflected off the delicate seahorse necklace resting against her collarbone.

To be honest, she hated this kind of event. She would rather be working with her hands, covered in grease. She had wanted to be an engineer, but one day, out of the blue, her father had told her she wouldn’t be able to.

Now, at seventeen, she was already being used as a pawn.

Her mind was consumed with the image of Jason. His body on the car

She thought back to how they met.

They had gone to different high schools but had crossed paths at a fencing competition during her freshman year. Her team had trained for months, preparing to defeat the other elite schools from the city’s central sectors—but in reality, it was all for show.

They just wanted to pad their transcripts. They had heard about someone with a perfect record and had craved the prestige of being the one to topple him.

When they arrived, they learned a first year Error from the outskirts would be competing. It was Jason and he had come alone. No coach. No parents. Just an orange cat that slept on his shoulders as he walked around. His school had cared so little that they let him choose his own uniform.

So Jason, being Jason, he just wore his regular street clothes.

The judges allowed it as long as he removed his jacket and tucked in his shirt. Everyone snickered behind his back. Even Rose, at the time, had thought his attitude and appearance were an insult to the sport. He kept to himself and spent most of his time on the phone talking to someone.

Then everyone realized why he was allowed in. He beat a school’s entire team in under 5 minutes. In his first match, he simply gave one of the judges his cat to hold, tucked in his shirt and went to work. This Error was somehow better than everyone else, which made them hate him more. The competition ended early because of how quick his matches were. Everyone was seething and this made Rose think about him day and night.

When Tamara introduced her to the rebels, Jason was the first person she thought of to join them.

Now, he was dead.

And she couldn’t even attend his funeral without raising suspicion.

“You feeling alright?” Rob asked. “You’ve been acting strange today.”

“I’m fine,” Rose replied. Her eyes scanned the room. “Why isn’t my father here yet?”

“He said he was busy.”

Rose scoffed. “Typical.”

She turned to him. “Rob, can you do me a favor and grab one of the brochures? I think they were near the entrance.”

“Of course. I shall return.”

As Rob disappeared into the crowd, Rose continued through the gallery, taking in the art with a detached gaze. She stopped in front of an aquarium, watching the fish glide weightlessly through the water.

For a moment, an image of Tamara flashed in her mind.

“Drink?”

The voice startled her. She blinked and turned to see a server smiling politely, holding out a tray of champagne flutes. She nodded and took one, downing the entire glass in one swift motion before the server even walked away.

“Rose! I was afraid I wasn’t going to see you!”

She barely suppressed an eye roll as a group of well-dressed women approached. At the front, a woman with pink hair and a flowing blue dress—Ava—beamed at her.

Rose forced a weak smile. “Hello, Ava. You know how much I love to show face.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you came this year! My family is hosting. We have dozens of exclusive artists.”

Rose feigned interest. “Yes. It’s very… water-like.”

Ava beamed at the comment, completely missing the sarcasm. “Thank you! Oh, and you know Donna is supposed to be here this time!”

Rose stiffened, swallowing hard. “How about that?” she said. “Can’t wait.”

“Excuse me.”

The voice cut through the chatter. The women turned to see Noa standing nearby, clearly underdressed compared to the rest of the guests. His eyes locked onto Rose.

“I couldn’t help but overhear,” he said, his tone polite but firm. “It’s so good to see you, Rose. What a lovely seahorse necklace.”