Half in Fire

When I rolled onto my side, I felt the weight of the world collapse over me. How much time had passed? I moved my arms, which felt as though a truck had crushed them.

“Going back to sleep?” Maia whispered in my ear.

I buried my face in the pillow. If I suffocated there, would this end? “Damn it. Not again.”

“Why are you doing this?” She stroked my hair.

“AAAAAAARGH!” I raised my eyes to the blue wall. She’s an illusion. I shook my head, trying to dispel her image. I sat up and rested my arms on my knees. “Maia…” Was I really talking to a hallucination? “You need to go.”

She smiled, bringing her face close to mine. I felt nothing. Not a trace of warmth or cold. “Do you really want me to leave?” Her fingers slid over my lips.

I stood, ignoring the pain. “Fuck it.” I put on the worn uniform, tucked the gifts into my pocket, ate the protein bars, and breathed deeply. I tried to tolerate Maia’s illusion following me, but it was impossible. So I left.

Warmth enveloped me. I tied back my hair and descended the metal stairs to the lower level. I let my feet guide me through the center beneath a pleasant climate.

Had those people been there for more than a lunation? When could they leave? What had happened while I was absent? They were such adaptable beings, living inside a bunker. Parents held their children’s hands while shopping. Couples walked with their arms around each other. Merchants offered their wares. Life went on, after all.

“It’s nice here,” Maia murmured.

I huffed.

“Hey, chica.” Denden sat before a stall, smiling.

I silently gave thanks for finding him. I waved hesitantly and sat beside him. A delicious, greasy smell filled the air.

“Hungry, muchacha?” He drummed his fingers on the counter. “This place has la mejor comida colombiana.”

“Never tried it.” I scratched my cheek.

Denden inhaled dramatically. “No creo! Gotta try it, chica. La mejor comida del mundo. Japanese food’s nice, but this…” He spread his arms. “There’s no comparación.”

“What’ll it be, friend?” A bald, tattooed woman with prosthetics on her neck and legs came to serve us.

“Bandeja Paisa and Club Colombia.” Denden ordered arepas, patacones, blood sausage, sausage, rice, pork crackling, ground beef, beans, a piece of avocado, and beer.

I looked for something lighter. Pointed at a cheese bread on the menu. “This… Almo… almojábana?” I smiled awkwardly. “And guaná… guanábana juice.”

“ALMO-JÁ-BANA. GUA-NÁ-BANA,” Denden corrected, laughing.

The cook nodded.

“Muchacha, what happened that day? You were behind me, then vanished. Missed the best part. Los mierdas came in droves.”

“Ah…” I sighed and rested my arms on the counter. “Someone put out a contract on me. Kai and Luiz caught me.” Why lie? I had nothing left to lose.

“A contract, chica?”

“My name’s Akiko. I was the target of the thirteen-million contract.”

“No way, muchacha! Is that why Kiara wanted to kill me?” he murmured, frowning. “Had someone told me beforehand, things would’ve been different.” Denden gestured indignantly.

I raised an eyebrow. “Would they? You’re a mercenary. It’s thirteen million.”

His frown deepened. “So? Some things matter more than money.”

I rubbed the nape of my neck and decided to change the subject. “What happened afterward?”

“Ahhh, finished off those cabróns. About ten police cars showed up. We used them to transport the muchachos.”

“Trix and Kiara?”

“Chica, no idea. Kiara tried to kill me, but figured she couldn’t live in a world without yo. They took off.”

I wanted so badly to see Kiara again.

“By the way, I’m Diego Rivera. Pero you can call me Denden.”

I let out a little laugh. It was good to experience that feeling.

My portion of almojábanas arrived. My eyes widened at the absurd amount of food on Denden’s plate. He really was a beast.

“FINALLY!” Denden rubbed his hands excitedly. “Come to papi. Mi amiga, tú preparas la mejor comida del mundo.”

He blew the cook a loud kiss.

I tasted the bread. It had been so long since I’d eaten properly. “Delicious.”

“Looks delicious.” Maia’s illusion examined my plate.

I tried to ignore her.

“Hey, Denden.” Maeva approached and leaned against the counter. “Every time I see you, you’re eating.”

“Sabes how it is, chica. Maintaining all this takes effort.”

Maeva turned to me. “Better?”

I raised my eyebrows. “Couldn’t be better.”

“That’s the spirit. Wanna take a little walk?”

Denden grimaced. “Gonna invite me, muchacha?”

“Saymon wants to talk to you.” Maeva patted his shoulder.

“Calling me to kick some culos? Should’ve said so sooner, chica.” Denden devoured the rest of his food and left.

“Man, that Denden’s a character. He likes you.”

“Want one?” I offered a cheese bread.

Maeva declined. “He really is a character. I like him too, though…”

“Yeah. They all have that manic air that sends a chill through you.”

Finally, someone who understood me. I was grateful for her presence. “Are you one of them?” I asked.

“A mercenary? No. But lately, they’re the only people I get involved with.”

I shrugged. “Well, that makes two of us.”

Maeva and I wandered through the technoshops at our own pace.

Holograms flashed around us, and offers floated in the air. The metallic chime of e-credit machines echoed with every transaction.

We headed to the casino.

The atmosphere was charged with electricity. The holopanels’ radiance dazzled the eyes, while the incessant sound of falling e-coins, rolling dice, and sighs of frustration and jubilation filled the space.

Maeva taught me to play the machines. Then we wagered on a round of blackjack. The cards slid smoothly across the table. The sharp-eyed dealer awaited our decision.

I hesitated. Maeva smiled. I lost all my chips. Adrenaline called to me. My heart accelerated with every bet, and anticipation tried to seduce me. But I had already lost too much.

We left the casino.

Our next destination was the pet shops.

Glass cages displayed modified animals with tamed instincts and enhanced claws. Each had been created as a weapon. Thinking of Maia was inevitable. We shared that unconditional love for animals.

I stroked a golden monkey with green eyes. He held my finger in his soft little hand. The warmth of that contact awakened nostalgia for moments I wanted to forget. I inhaled deeply.

I followed Maeva to the highest floor, where we found an empty, quiet area. The market’s bustle below reached us like a distant whisper. From there, we could contemplate the vastness of the bunker, built from nanometal and concrete. Lights switched on and off as though the place were a living organism.

I rested my elbows on the glass railing. The structure’s cold contrasted with my skin’s warmth. A wind blew, bringing the surroundings’ metallic smell. That sensation… even empty inside, my shell still stood. That was what mattered. I would have to survive like this.

Maeva explained that they wouldn’t risk leaving the population on the surface, since the Aether Network was unpredictable. It could attack at any moment, exploiting the group’s vulnerability.

The nanobunker had become a temporary home, a refuge until the situation stabilized enough to allow a return to the surface. Since it was well equipped, families had managed to organize businesses and homes. Mercenaries also stopped there to rest and replenish their supplies.

Fortunately, the place had been declared neutral ground. There, nobody hunted anyone.

“Lorenzo resigned,” Maeva informed me.

President McQuoid had nominated a new Aether Network leader, someone with a more popular image.

“Man, it doesn’t matter, you know? Whoever they put in charge of the Aether Network, they’re just a channel for this shit. Others make the decisions.” She bit her lower lip.

“What do you mean?”

Her brown eyes met mine. “Paulo Lewis, you know? Everyone thinks he’s just an executive, but he’s second in the hierarchy of that fucking Sessota. And it’s more than that. He’s one of those people who decide everything for everyone else, decide what happens on the planet, acting in the shadows like some higher divinity.”

Discontent spilled from her expression. “He needed a comfortable position in Sessota, the world’s largest bank. The structure’s financial heart. They use the bank to finance their plans. Because, in the end, they make everything revolve around money and guarantee absolute control that way.”

Maeva ran a hand over her scarred arm. “If something goes wrong, the blame falls on the CEO, the scapegoat. Paulo has absolute executive power. Makes every decision outright, with supreme authority. Really, that hierarchy’s a façade. The guy runs everything. In the end, the others become puppets, and they get away unpunished.”

This was far bigger than I’d imagined. How had we reached that point? How did those people possess so much control? Who allowed them to exercise it? “What if you released that video? Would Sessota be penalized?”

Maeva shook her head. “No, man. We can’t do that. Lewis is where he needs to be: in the palm of Saymon’s hand.”

She poked her own palm. “If we released the video, the others would replace him. Know the hydra? That monster where you cut off one head, and two grow back? They’re a hydra. They call themselves the Society.”

“Is that what Saymon meant when he said nine remained? Ten heads. You caught one… nine left?” I bit the inside of my cheek.

If those people operated invisibly in the shadows, how had the group found Paulo? And how would it find the others?

My head throbbed beneath so much information. “How do you intend to destroy this hydra? After cutting off the heads, Hercules burned the necks to keep others from growing.”

Maeva gave a crooked smile. “Chaos.” She shrugged, amused. “They hate chaos and love control. So… breaking the order is their first loss of control.” Her eyes flashed. “But first, we need to discover where those rats are hiding.”

“I see.” I rested my elbows on the edge. “Any idea where they are?”

Maeva cracked her knuckles. “In the ten principal cities.” She began listing them, and the names cut through the air like sharp blades. “São Paulo, where Lewis operates. Hong Kong. New York. Dubai. Sydney. Singapore. Lagos. Kinshasa. Tokyo. London. Who they are or where exactly…” She turned a ring on her finger. “That’s why we need Lewis. Could be anyone.”

Her voice took on a denser shadow. “From the head of a nanocorporation to a beggar on the street. Even they don’t really know what each one does or who the others are.”

Maeva released a harsh sigh. Her fingers slid over the railing’s cold metal. “In those meetings where they decide the world’s fate, nobody sees anybody.”

I watched the movement below as I processed everything. It made sense for them to be scattered across the planet’s ten principal cities. Epicenters of power. Financial centers. Strongholds of the largest corporations. Population concentrations. Hidden underworlds. Cutting-edge nanotechnology. Remaining invisible in those places was easy. Manipulating them, even more so. The cities protected them.

My eyes met Maeva’s. No. Not anymore. “The way you speak is… familiar,” I murmured thoughtfully.

She smiled proudly. “You’ve heard me. Not with this beautiful voice, of course. Know that mysterious figure with the robotic voice? That’s me.”

My jaw dropped. “Really? Makes sense. You radiate a moving passion. You can feel it even without knowing you. Cron said you ‘projected your voice to reach hundreds and represent hundreds more.’”

Maeva raised an eyebrow. “He said that? That big guy really is hopeless.” A slightly goofy smile escaped her lips.

I smiled back. “He admires you so much. I admit, seeing you now, I do too. When you spoke, I wanted to rebel. What you did for him… for everyone in those facilities… it was incredible.”

“Surprised Cron told you that. He’s so private. What’d you do to get anything out of him?” Maeva tilted her head slightly, suspicious.

Perhaps there was no harm in telling her. “I wanted to know about Maia. Now I owe him a favor.” I rubbed my eyes. “I’m going to try to cure Cron’s Vaktiria.”

Maeva’s smile disappeared. “Really?”

“I wouldn’t joke about that. I’m a doctor.”

Her gaze darkened.

“They’re developing a vaccine for the disease in Zenith,” I added.

She seemed shaken.

Curious. Maeva knew so much about what happened in Zenith and the Aether Network, but that information seemed new to her.

“Why don’t they announce that?”

“There’s a regulation in the ten cities preventing scientists from disclosing research until it’s completely finished. Depending on the research… They never disclose it.”

“Damn. Bet that’s those bastards’ doing. Another tool of control.”

“Honestly? It’ll be a miracle if they develop a vaccine in the next five cycles.” I paused. “And I’m being optimistic. The bacterium evolved. São Paulo leads the research, but two hundred nanoformulas have already failed. With the latest, they managed to slow the symptoms. A person can live for five cycles.”

Maeva’s breathing grew heavier.

“But there’s a way. Perhaps removing the bacterium is possible. It’s illegal medicine, though I believe Cron would accept the procedure.”

Her eyes lit up. “How?”

I hesitated. Should I tell her? I inhaled deeply. It was for Cron’s life. That needed to be enough. “It’s brutal.”

Maeva blinked.

“He could die. I haven’t spoken to him about it yet…” I looked away. “I’d appreciate it if this stayed between us. I don’t want to raise hopes before obtaining the nanoprototype and confirming whether the operation is actually possible.”

Maeva held my hand. “Relax. Our secret.”

I swallowed. “The nanodevice would drain his blood, passing through the heart, brain, and lungs. Then it would be replaced with Rh-null blood, which is immune to the bacterium.” I paused, wavering. “That’s why it’s illegal. And deadly.”

Maeva’s eyes remained wide. Reluctant trust showed in her expression.

“But there’s someone willing to perform the surgery,” I added. I clenched my fists.

“Who?” The question came like a gunshot. Maeva seemed unperturbed by the procedure’s description.

Shit. I couldn’t believe I was about to say that. I looked at my hands. What was I becoming? I bit my lips. “Riki.”

She frowned.

“My father.”

Silence.

An emptiness that dominated everything around us.

The bitter taste of the memory rekindled in my throat. I would never forget what I had discovered or the hatred still burning my skin. Deep down, I had always known what he was capable of. I forced the memories away.

Maeva tossed her braids over her shoulder. “Why does talking about him seem so bad?”

I swallowed the bitterness. “What matters is helping Cron.” A reluctant smile formed on my lips.

Maeva watched me for a while. Then she smiled back. “Alright.” She changed the subject. “You know, you seem barely affected by what I told you. Lots of people would’ve lost their minds, gotten angry… I don’t know…”

I sighed. “I feel angry. Very. Have for a while, even before knowing about this…”

Her gaze fixed on mine.

I continued, “I want to do something about it.” I gestured toward the view. “I want to be part of this. But honestly? Disempathy has become institutionalized. In this illusory system, they’re capable of atrocities for so little, and they commit them smiling.”

Maeva looked at me tenderly. “Yeah, I know. But amid so much shit, we always find people worth it, right?”

A little laugh escaped her, easing some of the conversation’s weight.

“She’s talking about me, huh,” Maia breathed into my ear.

“Yeah…”

Maeva examined me more closely. “You look a little worn out. If you wanna head back to the cabin, just say so. Got nothing to do. Already prepared everything for the day after tomorrow.”

I frowned. “The day after tomorrow?”

“Damn, nobody really says anything, huh? Police violence and the Aether Network’s absurd orders keep coming.” Maeva undid her armband, removed a blade, and put it away again. “We’ll keep Lewis’s video hidden, but we need to fuck Sessota over another way.”

“Chaos, obviously, right?” I gave a knowing smile.

She winked confidently. “Exactly. We’ll release the documents about Sessota’s investments, especially those for Vaktiria’s production. The company will lose market value. Lewis’s name doesn’t appear, so his anonymity stays protected. We’ll stir people up against the company.” Maeva let out a restrained laugh. “You know, we’re more than a bunch of troublemakers.”

My eyes smiled. Of course, bankrupting a company Sessota’s size through those revelations alone would be difficult. But managing to destabilize it would already be massive. “You seem to have everything in order.”

“Wasn’t always like this. Une Côte caused disturbances here and there, but they were soon resolved.” She clicked her tongue. “When Maia and Saymon contacted us… anyway, we all have reasons for being here. But thanks to them, we got this far.”

“She mentioned me.” Maia’s illusion pointed at her own chest.

I focused on Maeva. A fictional sunset cast orange light over us. Maeva’s fierce expression gained new contours, glowing beneath the colors. She seemed like one of those people born with a blessed aura, bright as the sun. Simply being near her restored one’s energy.

Maeva stroked her forearm and traced the outline of an enormous burn scar.

I wanted to ask about it but restrained myself.

“It’s more than this Vaktiria business. They’re behind all kinds of shit happening in the world. Wars, poverty, diseases. Long list. The last straw was what they did to our country.”

My eyes widened. They were behind what happened in France? Ah. Did I still doubt it?

Maeva gave a feline smile. “Now we’ve done something.” The pain in her voice suffocated me. “I don’t want the world thinking we’re doing this just to make others feel what we felt. We can’t even speak our language or say where we’re from.”

My heart tightened.

“We want them to understand we’re all on the same side.” She breathed deeply. “Some in Une Côte think that way. Maia and I think alike. Saymon changed his mind too. That’s why…” She hesitated. “Ah, talking too much.”

“That’s why…?”

“Hmm, something changed everything. Things were supposed to happen differently.” Her gaze lowered. “Honestly… I prefer this. Prefer how things are now.”

“What was supposed to happen?”

Maeva closed her eyes for a moment. “This time, I’ll refrain from saying. Seriously, it’s something I’d rather not even think about.”

I sighed. Pressing would be intrusive. I stroked her back. “It’s alright.”

At the end of the day, everyone was half in fire, half in darkness. Maeva too. She carried a heavy burden and a pain belonging to her.

She smiled and stretched. “Thanks. Think I understand what Maia felt for you. And you for her.”

“She talked about me?!” My heart danced. She talked about me. My cheeks warmed. I lowered my head, smiling without being able to stop. My body heated. I remembered I was more than someone who simply existed. I was alive. I felt. Even shattered, my love for Maia kept vibrating inside me, bringing a refreshing vitality.

The hallucination nodded. “Of course I’d talk about you.”

“Wasn’t she supposed to? Maia mentioned you, yeah.” Maeva smiled, amused. “Could feel how deep it went. Very special.” Her words enveloped me like a warm embrace. “Know those people you look at and think they were made for each other? Something from other lives? That’s what I felt as soon as I noticed you two.”

“I think so too,” Maia remarked, smiling.

I rolled my eyes. “Stop.”

Maeva raised an eyebrow. “What?”

I waved a hand, trying to disguise it. “Nothing… just got too embarrassed.”

She burst out laughing.

We went down to the center to eat.

I chose ikan bakar, grilled fish marinated in spices, with white rice and beer.

Maeva ordered gado-gado, a vegetable salad with yardlong beans, spinach, potato, carrot, corn, bean sprouts, and peanut sauce. To drink, she chose iced coconut, with sweet coconut water, ice, and pieces of coconut.

“Wow, I’m starving.” I waited eagerly for the food.

Maeva nodded.

A holoscreen broadcast Visão Global’s news. The presenter began solemnly:

“Egyptian leader Abdel Kalil has submitted a formal complaint against the Aether Network. The World Criminal Court has included England and the United States as defendants. The investigative phase has begun, and the three organizations are under investigation. NGOs have filed petitions against their representatives, demanding the disclosure, within forty-eight hours, of the entities involved in coweaving Vaktiria. As demonstrations intensify worldwide, the federations face mounting pressure to account for their actions.”

The other journalist blinked, her expression filled with expectation. “Yes, João, it seems there’s nowhere left to run. Can you update us on Brazil?”

“Certainly. After assuming office as the Aether Network’s premier, Jacó Silva made a statement: ‘I disagree with the previous premier’s actions, but we will not accept violent demonstrations. As long as they persist, count on the A.T.F.’s support to contain any aggression.’ Protests in São Paulo have gained strength in recent days. Hundreds of protesters have been released.”

The journalist added, “The protesters will have the Russian army’s support, correct?”

The presenter nodded. “Yes. Empress Sonechka has sent the Russian armed forces. They will protect protesters from Brazilian police violence.”

“Abdel’s a fucking opportunist,” Maeva remarked, drawing my attention. “He’s a dictator, but other countries support him because of the…” She made quotation marks with her fingers. “International Program for Vaktiria’s Victims.” Her tone was laden with contempt. “Prefer thinking they’re just ignorant. Seriously, have they forgotten the atrocities that bastard commits in his own country? All for false solidarity.” Maeva spoke rebelliously, articulately, full of conviction. Listening awakened the urge to oppose it too.

I was inexperienced in that fight.

Before, I had believed myself protected from the reach of many of those atrocities. But after everything I had witnessed, discovered, and been forced to swallow, I felt a growing anger. I no longer wanted merely to accept. Didn’t want everything forced down my throat. I was tired of pretending nothing happened simply because it was comfortable. Of living in ignorance’s shadow.

But Maeva’s indignation, her knowledge of the world, her will to fight, and her revolt came from somewhere I had never been. She had felt every barbarity on her own skin. What choices remained? Either fight or be crushed. Survival had been her only option.

Maeva, Maia, and thousands of others carried an incendiary courage to rise against such corrupt logic. They had begun that fight. And I… I would continue with them.

I turned my face away. “I was there with Kiara. She said the military was arresting people without reason.”

“Ha! If it were only arrests… Nobody can get in. Don’t know how you managed. Closed the borders. Nobody knows what happens inside.” Maeva leaned back and crossed her arms. “Got a few contacts. It’s ugly. The people see that bastard Abdel as a god. He does whatever he wants. People starve and give thanks for it. Meanwhile, their freedom and dignity are torn away before billions. The world watches, and nobody does anything.”

A knot tightened in my throat. “Wh-when I flew over the region, I saw them making offerings to statues of Egyptian gods…”

The food arrived. We began eating.

Maeva wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Everyone has their beliefs, but obviously, it all goes to Abdel. He lives on a pedestal built on misery. Whoever disagrees with or threatens Kemetia’s command disappears. We know how that works.” She turned her spoon between her fingers thoughtfully. “Admit his feud with the Aether Network is welcome. Their military power’s terrifying. Nobody wants to confront them, especially because…”

Maeva leaned closer and whispered, “Nobody besides the Aether Network knows what happened to the 3-R. Naturally, they’ll keep that information from leaking, especially to Abdel. If he discovers the Aether Network’s disarmed, they’re fucked.” Her eyes flashed. “Anyway, the other countries would never have done what he did.”

I took another spoonful and chewed slowly. If other organizations discovered the 3-R had been stolen… Wow. That group was doing far more than playing. It held the entire board.

Maia’s illusion leaned over the counter, staring at me.

I turned my face, distressed. “Maeva, do you have more Pefentanil?”

She shook her head. “Saymon gave it to me. Said you’d like it. Anyway, can get more for you.” Maeva leaned back, studying me. “Wanna rest? Probably best. It’s late. Tomorrow you’re heading out. Since everything’s uncertain, always good to relax.”

I let out a short laugh. “I have no idea what will happen.” I offered an enthusiastic smile. “But I’m excited about what you’re going to do.”

Maeva winked eagerly. “Let’s do it. I’ll bring you the stuff soon.” She stood.

I nodded and said goodbye.

I walked back to the cabin.

As soon as I lay down, I felt the universe’s weight again. Maia’s hallucination disturbed me constantly. I forced myself to act as though I weren’t shattered.

Even so, spending the day with Maeva and discovering another side of that world had been good. I hadn’t even known that version of Denden, happy, eating, and talking. I had been through so much to get there. Walked among those people. Learned their stories. Glimpsed their pain. All of it was… could I live like this? Perhaps I would get used to it. Perhaps… it hardly mattered. At least it would be more than merely existing.

“What are you thinking?” Maia lay on the bed, facing me.

“You’re so much like her. On Sentila of Sensíria, you would have lived thirty cycles. I met you on your birthday. If I’d known…” I almost touched her. Almost. My heart hurt. She was gone. We could never celebrate together. “The same freckles, moles… these scars. You never told me how you got each one.”

“Maybe one day?” the illusion whispered in that same husky voice.

“Yeah… maybe in another life.” I raised my hand and watched my fingers against the light. “An entire life together, shared moons, with love, joy, and fulfillment. How good would that be? The two of us admiring a clear sky from a mountaintop, free. You and me.”

“I want that too…” The illusion came closer and raised her hands, almost touching mine.

It hurt so much. Tears fell. “I wanted so much more than this. Wanted to live so many things beside you.” My throat tightened. My voice caught. “I wanted you to have trusted me.”

“Who knows…” The illusory Maia shrugged.

I sighed. What had I expected? The Maia in my head didn’t have the answers.

KNOCK KNOCK Someone knocked on the door.

I wiped my tears and inhaled deeply.

The door slid open.

“Here you go. Keep it balanced, huh. Good night. See you.” Maeva winked and waved.

“Hey… thank you for today. Really. I needed that.” I forced a smile.

“No problem. It was nice. Hope we do it again.”

I nodded.

Maeva offered one last smile and left.

I returned to the bed.

Maia sat cross-legged. “Gonna abandon me again?”

“You abandoned me first.” I swallowed the pill. Closed my eyes.

“I didn’t…”