Spica – Chapter 5C

When the bus landed on a pad, everything froze. The driverless bus instructed everyone to remain for a quick inspection. Ariel planted herself back in her seat, raising an eyebrow at Tanya, who shrugged.
The chatter in the bus lowered to an eerie silence as two Virtus Guard officers holstered their weapons when they came into view.
“Nobody panic,” said the first officer. “The city is under a full Virtus Guard sweep.”
From behind them, an AU (Attack Unit) stepped forward, with eyes the color of the sun. Its silver chrome body and synthetic lips warped with its movement. It was as anatomically close to human beings as a naked humanoid robot could get without being too inappropriate. Attack Units rarely stepped foot on Virtus soil, so awe escaped the mouths of many of the students as the robot lowered itself to one knee and rolled a ball across the floor. Its fingers curled flawlessly; its dexterity was impeccable.
Pale blue light covered every part of the bus as the ball moved through the center aisle and back. Everyone and everything was caught in the light beam’s web before it returned to the AU’s hands.
“All clear,” the AU said to the officers behind it. But then, the AU caught Ariel’s gaze. Silence rippled through the bus as everyone turned to Ariel. A deep concern rushed to squeeze her chest as she remained motionless.
“Is everything all right?” asked one of the officers, attempting to see past the AU at whoever it was observing.
“Oh yes, everything is all right.” The AU turned around along with the officers, but before reaching the stairs, it took one last look at Ariel, who was now sinking lower into her seat, and smiled.
Ariel remembered the last thing her mother had said to her: …live a quiet life and do not bring any attention to yourself. She had been deliberately disobeying her mother. She now tried to convince herself that an AU staring and smiling was perfectly normal. She gulped. What did this mean? She followed her fellow students out of the bus and into one of the campus entrances. Was her game so deplorable that an AU had taken notice? She headed straight for class.
Ariel spotted Manny sitting alone in the quickly filling lecture hall. Hundreds of students trooped in, splitting into lines as they climbed the four stairs to take their seats. She clutched her things and carefully made her way to the seat next to him. Her cheeks rose at Manny, who clearly knew she wanted something.
“You won’t believe what happened to me,” she said, ignoring the disinterest on his face. “An AU stared at me and smiled. What’s happening to me?” She snickered nervously. Her attempt to soften the mood apparently did nothing, as Manny gazed somewhere else.
“Is it possible that my game against Demetrius could be spun as illegal?” she asked, one hand caressing the other, her full eyes fixed on Manny.
She removed her gaze when his quiet stare told her “no way.” She squeezed her hands into fists and exhaled. Then, applause roared throughout the hall, and Ariel looked up to see Demetrius.
He headed for the stairs, but requests for autographs slowed him down. Ariel dug into the desk.
She’d make him pay. That had been, and still was, her plan.
She observed him engaging with the crowd at the foot of the steps. He smiled at them. He laughed with one. Shook hands with another. She’d make him suffer. Excruciatingly.

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