CTS TIME RE250.09.05 — 9:00 AM
SECTOR 13 — NIKHIL'S APARTMENT
The apartment hummed faintly, a fusion of morning drones outside and the warm thrum of circuits in the walls. Memory Reboot Synthwave leaked in through the half-closed blinds, its metallic rhythm blending with the faint scent of warm food.
At the dining table, Valerian sat with mechanical stillness. His stormy-blue suit glowed faintly under his casual jacket, reactor simmering in a mixed hue green pulsing against red, never fully one or the other. In front of him lay a neatly untouched plate, his posture unreadable.
Nikhil, humming in Hindi-English mix as he always did, laid down plates of blueberry cakes with reverence as though they were rare artifacts. "Arre wah, breakfast ready ho gaya ekdum fresh. Luna ke liye toh double blueberry special. Aur Valerian, for you… normal portion only, warna tum dono ek hi din mein pura stock uda doge."
(Ah, perfect. Breakfast is ready—fresh and hot. For Luna, double blueberry special. And Valerian, for you… standard portion only, otherwise the two of you will finish the entire stock in one day.")
Luna stirred awake in the bedroom. She stretched slightly, eyes glowing lilac in the dim light. Her hand brushed against the cold sheets beside her. He's gone?
Quickly, she clicked her wrist switch. With a faint hiss, her biomechanical layering wrapped her body again, light as silk yet harder than titanium weave. She pulled her casual outfit over it but the moment the tactical bra synced over her suit, the fabric adjusted to the perfect contour of her chest. For a flicker of a second, her reactor glowed violently pink, casting a glow across her collarbones.
Her cheeks flushed hot.
Why does it feel so exposed? I'm covered, but… it's like I'm standing bare in front of him. No no, don't think about that. Just breathe, Luna.
She grabbed her long coat and hurried to the dining hall.
The sight that greeted her almost made her laugh Nikhil already halfway through his food, Valerian seated with his arms folded, and her own plate stacked with blueberry cakes glowing faintly under the neon-white light as though blessed.
She slid into her seat, reactor flickering with delight. "Blueberry cakes…" she whispered like it was heaven. She picked one, the sweetness melting instantly on her tongue. Her reactor pulsed a bright, affectionate pink with every bite.
Nikhil smirked, sipping his synthetic coffee. "Dekha, Valerian? Yehi hai asli fuel. Tum dono reactor se chalte ho, par Luna ka reactor cake se bhi chalta hai."
(See, Valerian? This is real fuel. You both run on reactors—but Luna's reactor runs on cake as well.")
Valerian didn't smile. He spoke with that cold steadiness that could slice metal.
"Today you'll go back to Vault Void Club. Keep building trust with Oliver, Clara, the others. Ask carefully any name, any sighting of a child, especially Flame. Meanwhile, I'll search in Sector 15. Different clubs, different rings. We divide our work."
Luna froze mid-bite, the sweetness turning bitter in her mouth. Her heart ached, though she forced a smile.
He wants distance. Always distance. Why…? Why can't he just say we should go together?
She set her fork down, eyes lowering. "Understood…" Her voice was soft, clipped.
Then, almost without thinking, she added "But… if we work together, won't we find information faster? Two pairs of eyes, one direction. We'd cover more ground."
Her reactor glowed pink as she said it not with fake emotion, but with an ache so raw it leaked through the layers of her suit.
Valerian turned his gaze to her, sharp and unyielding. "No. Splitting doubles efficiency. While you smile and talk, I'll cut through lies in another sector. We can't risk overlap. We can't risk slowing down."
The word smile cut through her like glass. Her hands tightened around her fork. She wanted to scream I don't want efficiency I just want to be with you. But instead she smiled that same practiced smile she always wore.
"Right. Divide the work," she said. But inside, her heart whispered I hate this distance. I hate it so much.
Nikhil, catching the tension, waved his fork dramatically. "Arey wah, kya strategy session chal raha hai. Valerian is like 'mission, mission, mission.' Luna is like 'but together, faster!' Bas tum dono ki yeh ladaai ek din love story ban jaayegi, ya phir mera reactor hi band ho jaayega sunte-sunte."
(Well, well, look at this strategy meeting. Valerian is all 'mission, mission, mission,' and Luna is like 'together, we move faster.' At this rate, either this rivalry will turn into some epic story one day or my reactor will shut down listening to the two of you.")
Luna's cheeks burned crimson. She kicked lightly under the table, glaring at Nikhil. "Stop it!"
Valerian, unbothered, stood up and adjusted his coat. His reactor glowed red for a moment, then pulsed green when his eyes lingered just for a second on Luna's flushed face.
He turned away before she noticed.
CTS TIME RE250.09.05 — 9:45 AM
Sector 7 — Central Market District
The city was awake in full brilliance. Holographic skies arched overhead, an artificial morning painted in perfect gradients of amber and blue, accompanied by Memory Reboot Synthwave, echoing from the sky-lattices and public speakers. Its pulses carried like a heartbeat through the towering glass and chrome structures, merging with the rhythm of levitating cars streaking neon trails above his head.
Valerian walked steadily, coat brushing lightly against his legs, his biomechanical layering glowing faintly beneath. His reactor shimmered with its conflicting hue red and green mixing like war and restraint.
At the central board, a holographic pillar twenty meters high, floating glyphs shifted continuously, naming locations across the sprawl:
Sector 7 Market
Sector 8 Amusement Dock
Sector 10 Data Spires
Sector 15 Dark Alleys
Valerian's eyes locked on Sector 7. His mind sharpened like a blade.
"Markets are where everything bleeds together. Legal. Illegal. If there are dealers trafficking in hidden channels, I'll find the echo here. Evidence of humans if they exist, it must ripple in black trade. If not… this hunt collapses into shadows."
His reactor pulsed stronger.
He moved with the stream of androids, blending into their precise, timed motions. Families surrounded him mechanical fathers with their sons perched on chrome shoulders, mothers holding daughters with giggling voices that sounded almost indistinguishable from human children. One small girl waved at him, reactor glowing tiny pink as she clutched a candy bar her father bought.
Valerian's steps slowed. His eyes lingered.
"Machines… with families. Bonds. Affection. They glow with colors we thought only belonged to us. Am I… am I wrong to see them as just mechanisms? Am I the one who doesn't understand?"
Luna's voice echoed in memory, bright and insistent
"They love. They care. They feel. Don't call it programming it's heart."
Valerian's jaw clenched. "Am I alone in this world? Even machines seem less alone than me."
He stepped into the line for the Warp Gate, a massive ring humming with bright plasma arcs. Dozens of androids queued ahead, Detroit's towering industrial builds with heavy arms and black reactors pulsing slowly. Everyone stood orderly, waiting for their turn to vanish into the bending light.
Valerian's reactor flickered low. "Family. Bond. Home. Do I… have any of that?"
The gate shimmered. His turn came. With a faint hum, the world tore open and swallowed him.