Human Hacking Code

*Chapter ten*

I was exhausted. My brain hurt and my body was sore. It was week three of Nova training and everyone was completely done. I forced myself to get out of bed and into the bathroom. I was glad Casey was still asleep, I wanted some time to myself.

The shower greeted me with hot blue liquid. My tense and sore muscles relaxed when I began to lather green soap onto my body when I felt little bumps on my thigh. I washed the soap off and looked down where I had felt the bumps. On my thigh were little black lines in the shape of a rectangle. At the bottom was a number. A bar code.

I stumbled and fell against the hard chrome floor of the shower. There was a knock at the door. " Mar, are you alright?" Casey asked. I was gasping for air. I knew there was some kind of catch to all this. No wonder this all seemed suspicious. We weren't Nova saviors, we were Nova slaves.

" Mar?" came Casey's voice again. " Marley!"

" I'm okay!" I finally answered. How could I be okay though when I knew what was actually happening? I stood and turned off the shower. I wrapped a towel around me and took a step over to the counter. A pair of black jeans, a dark green shirt and brown laced boots. I stepped out of the bathroom and Casey lay on her bed already dressed in a grey sleeveless, green pants, and black boots.

" Why did you fall?" she asked, studying the nails on her fingers.

" I was startled, and then I slipped." I replied, sitting on the edge of the bed, facing the wall.

" What startled you?" she looked up at me in confusion. I leaned in closer to her just in case someone was listening. " Have you noticed the bar codes on your thigh?" I asked.

Casey just stared blankly at me. "I am just going to say sure so I don't have to deal with you right now..." I stood with my arms folded as she sat up. She placed her hands on my hips and gave me a peck on the lips. " Now are you happy?" she let me go and laughed at my scowl.

" I am being serious! Maybe Kayla will listen to me!" I huffed, storming towards the door. " K babe." Casey laid back down.

I didn't understand Casey. But I guess that was what made us perfect for each other.

I was about to start walking down the hall towards Kayla's room when some movement on the other side of the hall caught my attention. I turned and slowly made my way towards it. A door kept closing and shutting. It probably had a glitch in it's system, but sparks were flying everywhere. I held the door open so I could pass through. It shuddered and began buzzing. I stepped into another hallway. There was a loud noise as if a huge gush of wind was colliding with another gush of wind. My purple and white hair whipped around my head.

I stepped over bits of metal and ducked under sparking wires. Than I heard footsteps. I jumped up, kicked my left foot off of the wall, propelled myself far enough upwards where I could grip the wires hanging from the roof. Sheryl scurried through, stopping and looking behind her. She held a small cardboard box that looked pretty beaten up.

She ran past through all the mess. I dropped down and left the hall, knowing that I should just get out and pretend it had never happened.

...................

My food just stared back at me. I wasn't hungry, I just didn't feel like eating. Casey looked up at me as she shoveled a spoonful of chopped bacon. " I just don't feel hungry." I stated. stirring my bacon, my eggs, and honey dew together. " Now you've ruined your breakfast. Mar, what's wrong?"

Kayla came over and slammed her box of food down on the table next to me. I jumped and turned to her. " Oh,am I interrupting a special moment?" she asked rudely as she sat herself down.

"Are you alright?"

" Yes it's just my time of the month again!"

" Really?" Casey raised an eyebrow at Kayla's statement.

" No, my roommate disappeared and hasn't come back for the past two weeks!" she seemed hurt. I wrapped an arm around her and held her tight. " Hopefully she is okay." I said.

Kayla shrugged me off her and walked away without even opening her food box. I knew this wasn't why she was angry. I stood up and the boy with brown curly hair stopped me. I brought my arm back, ready to throw a well deserved punch, when Casey gripped my forearms and held me back.

She dragged me back to our door. She threw me against the wall. I looked up at her innocently. " Don't give me puppy eyes Mar. I didn't mean to hurt you." She leaned into me. I looked up into her grey, misty eyes.

Our faces were inches apart. Her lips neared mine, when we heard loud yelling coming from down the hall. Casey left me standing there, where I had waited for her to plant a kiss on my lips, but someone had scared her off like a tiger does an antelope.

Kayla came down the hall, her hands clenched into fists at her sides and her face red hot. " Are you alright Kayla?" I came over to her.

" I'll never be alright!" she screamed as she stormed into her room.

.........................