Concord City had two kinds of subways. First was the ordinary one for the general public. At the same time, the other was a superfast magnetic train system capable of running at Mach speed. Government enforcers and staff used the latter.
Piper Lee briskly approached the sub-surface station entrance on Synergy High 3rd Avenue. "Wait up!" Noah called out. "At least let me know where exactly we are going. What do you mean by underground?"
"Shh!" The cyborg silenced him and gestured towards a girl walking ahead in the crowd. She slung a spider-silk crossbody bag over a leather jacket and jeans. A RazorCars cap was pulled down low over her head.
RazorCars was one of the most popular sports in the Rusus-Afel star system. It was a no-holds-barred race held during the winter season. Skilled drivers raced highly customized cars with millions of credits at stake.
Troth City had three dedicated astrodomes for RazorCars. The sport was quite popular in Concord, too. However, the city's arenas lacked sufficient infrastructure to handle the chaos of RazorCars.
The girl entered the station's AI security cubicle and removed her cap for the scan. It was then that Noah recognized her. "Wait, that's Eve Trinity!" he exclaimed.
"Shh! Yes, she is. Did you think I was following a random girl? Have you forgotten what our mission is?"
Noah felt guilt pooling in his gut. "Okay… Okay… But why are we following her?"
Piper groaned. "What part of LET'S FIGURE OUT EVE'S INTENTIONS don't you get? We need to tail her to find out where she goes and who she meets. The plan is so simple it just might work."
"Let me rephrase my question. Are we really going to STALK her?"
The cyborg nodded as if it were charitable work. "Yes, of course. You took the words right out of my mouth. Stalking it is."
Noah shook his head and turned to leave. "This is crazy! Can't you see the problem here? We are two losers stalking a gorgeous celebrity —none other than the daughter of Providence's Chairman! I can't be part of this crime. I'm going back."
Piper put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Do you want those dollars or not, LoveLord?"
The young man stopped in his tracks and scrunched his face, beginning to hate Piper Lee. He desperately needed the money because Lia's medicine would run out in a couple of days. But to stalk Eve Trinity was going too far. To be honest, he was a bit curious himself.
Noah rubbed his temples and turned back. "Ugh, okay! But if she catches us in the act, I'm pinning this entire thing on you."
Piper flashed him a toothy grin that showed that some of his teeth were actually metallic. "I will gladly take the fall. It is my plan after all, man."
The subway connected the central city to the colonies. Noah could reach school in a few minutes instead of walking for thirty minutes. However, his parents never gave him any pocket money, and subway travel was expensive.
Noah did earn some dollars from time to time writing code for private companies. He spent most of it on in-game purchases of Knights of Regia, and for Lia's welfare. However, such work was scarce, and he had little leisure time after finishing labor at the Shepherd residence.
"There you go," Piper said a few moments later, handing him a few notes. "Ten dollars, according to our deal, in case I am arrested."
"Thanks." Noah felt his lips bend into a smile regardless of the cyborg spelling doom on their plan to stalk Eve. He could purchase medicine for Lia and get the expansion pack once he reached home! Friendship with Piper Lee was not as bad as he had imagined.
Eve had crossed the AI security cubicle and was headed to the platform. Noah and Piper quickly got themselves scanned and paid the entry fee.
"WELCOME TO CONCORD SUBWAY—"
The duo maintained a reasonable distance from Eve so as not to arouse any suspicion. The 7 P.M. local arrived at blazing speed and came to a whooshing stop. The subway train was sleek with circular windows. It was solar-powered and could travel up to 300 miles per hour.
Eve looked around for a moment and then entered a subway coach. The guys stood at the entrance because Noah wouldn't go in. "She's just going to her hotel or something. We don't need to follow her home!" he mouthed to Piper. "Isn't following this far enough? She might recognize us!"
Piper was adamant. "What if she's going to meet her mission handler, huh? Come on. Let's go inside."
"No! You must put an end to this madness right now."
"Noah, let's get on the train. It stays open for one minute only—"
"I won't—"
"Why are you guys following me?" A feminine voice asked them from behind them.
The two boys whipped around in shock, dreading the worst. Eve Trinity stood behind them, looking furious with her hands on her hipsShe was taller than Noah by an inch and the same height as Piper Lee. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail beneath a blue RazorCars cap. Eve was indeed beautiful, even though she had a grumpy expression right now.
Piper lost his bearings. He peered into the train and then back at her in confusion. "Didn't you go inside a few seconds ago? We saw you!"
The duo realized Eve had quickly entered the compartment and emerged through the other exit. She had clearly noticed them even before they had set eyes on her. She was a professional.
"So, you WERE following me?"
"Wh-what? Wh-why would we follow you?" Piper stammered, his bionic eye spinning. Eve looked daggers at the boys, and yet Noah felt he was in heaven. He had never seen such a pretty girl in his life and was almost in a trance.
"What is your name, boy?" she asked Piper Lee.
"I'm Pee-pee... I mean Pi-per."
"Okay, Peepee, tell me the truth right now, or I will report this to the headmaster. You may even get arrested if you don't spill the beans."
Piper gulped nervously and looked at Noah from the corner of his eyes. "Err... It's Noah's fault!" he blurted out. "It was his plan. He thought you were on a secret mission that may bring danger to Concord City!"
Eve furrowed her brows. "Danger to the city? What rubbish!"
"Yeah, it is rubbish," Noah agreed, knitting his brows at his traitor comrade. Not only did the cyborg shift the blame to him, but it also made up a ridiculous claim that could only make matters worse.
Piper Lee had regained his composure by then. He just lowered his head and looked at the ground.
Noah sighed and spoke up. "Sorry, Eve, we play a lot of video games, and our heads become muddled sometimes. I swear it was all a silly game for us. We are thrill-seekers looking for a cheap thrill. I apologize profusely."
The girl pursed her lips in irritation and then rolled her eyes. "I forgive you, but no more games. Both of you owe me a favor each, and I will cash them in one day."
"Agreed! We owe you one!" the boys said, relieved that they got off too easily. Noah had feared she'd report them to the headmaster to get them expelled. Worse, she could have called the cops and gotten them thrown into prison.
"So, are you gonna get on the train or not?" Eve asked, boarding the coach. Piper's home was near the next station, while Noah's destination was the colony G—the last station. It made no sense to leave the subway and go for a walk. Besides, Piper was paying for the tickets.
Four coaches made up every local train. They were hollow cylinders running along magnetic lines. Each was about a hundred feet long. At the moment, Noah figured there were around three dozen passengers, which wasn't very crowded by subway standards.
Eve gave them the stinky eye and walked away. The coach door was about to close when five other people came aboard. They were tall and muscular, in spider silk clothes.
Spider silk was a next-generation fabric used in the textile and accessory industries because of its versatile applications. It was highly durable, with optimal flexibility and resistance to wear and tear.
"Hybrids," Piper whispered, gesturing at the five new passengers. It was very common for a hybrid to be muscular and intimidating. Genetic engineers always chose animal splices, which made the subject stronger. If you decided canine genes, you'd get faster and stronger, but you'll also crave meat at all times, and drool in your sleep.
An AI hologram notified the message, "NEXT STATION: SYNERGY HIGH 1ST AVENUE. ETA 8 MINUTES."
The train lurched into motion and almost instantly picked up speed. The tube's internal hydraulics offset the drag, and the passengers did not feel the tug even though they were moving at 100 miles per hour.
Clang!
"HELP!!" A woman's shriek pierced the mundane bustle of the train. All eyes turned towards the source. She was stuck to the frame of the tube train, a metal pole jutting from her gut.
The attacker pulled out the weapon roughly, and the lady's bowels spilled out with blood and viscera. She barely had time to gurgle before dying.
The gruesome spectacle caused an instant panic among the passengers. They crawled over each other, trying to get away from the scene of butchery.
"It's the hybrids! They have gone mad!"
"Help! Someone stop the train!"
"The hybrids have transformed into monsters!"
Piper pulled Noah away, and the two scampered towards the other side. "Is this real? A hybrid actually killed a human! What's going on?"
"No idea!" the cyborg replied in panic. "Just run, man! Run!"