Glass Planet

X A N D E R

"Oh, come on." I blink up at her, and realize I'm on the floor. The car we're in jerks wildly, and my body slams into the wall. She says nothing, sits stoically on the bench opposite me. "Viva, I'm trying to help you." She does get up then, and before I know it, she's kneeling before me, steady despite the rocking of the car, her palm connecting as hard as it can with my face. "Help me," she spits. Her fingernails dig into my wrist. "Help me lose everything. Help me die. Help me, help me, help me." She stands, towering over me. "You're all the same," she says, then crouches to take my chin between her fingers. "Weak little bastards who only care about themselves." Anger flares in my blood. I grab her wrist and shove her backwards, causing her to emit a small yelp of pain that only makes me angrier. "I'm like them?" I ask, standing over her. She turns her head to the side, not even looking at me. "You have no idea what I sacrificed for you," I whisper.

"Nor do I care," she says, getting up. The intercom in the car crackles to life. "Jupiter Sector, arrived," a female voice says. The car stops, and Viva steps out swiftly as if nothing happens, something that's inexplicably annoying as hell. "Go home," she says over her shoulder before shutting the door. My phone starts ringing. I pick up on the third ring.

"What is it, Emma?"

"Where are you?" I swallow, knowing I can't tell Emma. I pause, and then I hang up. I've nothing left to say. And before the car starts moving again, I step out.

I've never been to Ground Zero, and the first thing I notice is the architecture of the city. There's a elaborate simplicity to it that I'd never seen before in Glass Planet, and I'm disoriented by the change. In that moment, I've completely lost Viva's trail. I can't spot her in the mess of people that makes up the port of Ground Zero. My eyes dart around. Damn it. I even forgot what the hell she was wearing. I think about Emma, and then I remember that Viva's wearing her clothes. Why the hell do I not even remember what my sister's clothes look like? And then I really do remember, my memories coming in sharp bursts. The red, white, and navy jacket that Emma always wore, the jeans ripped at the knees. At least I was smart enough to give her bright colors to wear. Sure enough, I spot her in the next few seconds. I start to jog towards her, and then I stop.

Why her?

Why me? Why am I so hell bent on getting this girl? Why should a simple interesting fact make this much of a difference? I think back to the deal I made with Dad about keeping Viva, and a wave of nausea rolls over me. If I walk away now, I can lose the deal and everything will be okay, but I'd also be losing my chance to be... to finally be what I'm expected to be. I was Andrew Holland's son. I am Andrew Holland's son. I look up, and Viva's still in my line of sight. She's moving slower now. I stare, and for a second I'm mesmerized by her. Sure, she's short, but she towers over everyone else, somehow, with the regal way she walks. Her hair takes on streaks of gold in the sunlight, shining against the otherwise black waves cascading over her shoulders. My promises claw at the corners of my mind, and I walk towards her. I am condemning her to suffering if I do this. I am being a coward.

Maybe being a coward isn't always the worst option, though, I think, as I start pushing through the crowd faster.

~

I have no idea where she's going; I've been following her for half an hour now. I start to realize how packed of a city it is, the urban part of Ground Zero. It's nice; a satisfying blend of old and new. I can see tall glass buildings next to stout blocks of brick a few stories high, but perhaps my favorite parts are the tall stone and brick buildings standing tall next to shorter, shinier, buildings one to two stories high, with walls of clear glass. It reminds me almost imperceptibly of me standing next to Viva, reflected in our bathroom mirror. I push the idea out of my head, feeling momentarily angry with myself. She finally enters one of the glass buildings, and to my surprise, it's empty except for us. I walk softly so my footsteps don't echo, and I slip from shadow to shadow, following her.

I'm not prepared for what happens next.

She whips around with inhuman speed, and shoves me into the nearest wall. Her body is completely flush with mine, and I swallow. "I don't think I made myself very clear before," she says, raw malice tinging her words, "but I'll make myself clear now." She plants a hand squarely on my heart for a second, then takes a fistful of the neck of the shirt into her hand. She drags me into a deserted room, completely bare of furniture except a cart with various objects I can't see clearly. Shoving me onto the floor, she approaches with a syringe, and I try to get up, but she plants a foot in my sternum. She bends down so her hair hangs in a curtain around our faces, and there's a tenderness to the way she plunges the needle into my neck, like a twisted lover. She looks apologetic, and it's the last thing I see before my eyes shut. My mind goes a little later, deals and promises echoing in my head. And the worst one of all, the one I made with my father.

If you keep Viva Ross with us, in the end, you'll have to kill her.