ChapterFour: New York City
September 2155
It’s the next day. Back on the surface world, it was lunch time for Cassie and her friends. Her friends were talking about strategies for the upcoming cheer competition. Cassie? She kept thinking about moving to GH569. It wasn’t just she wanted an Undergrounder as her mate. She also wanted the fresh, clean air. Seeing the grey skies, despite the sun being out, were depressing. The cold air was bearable, but it hardly ever warmed up. Any search for warm weather on Earth was almost futile. The more she thought about moving to the barely polluted GH569, the more she desired to move there.
Her friends noticed she was in a daze. Lilly waves her hand in front of Cassie, and said, “Uh, Cass, are you there?”
Cassie looks up, snapping out of the daze. She sighed, “GH569 sounds really good right now.”781Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GG4SpfrcF
Lilly sighed, “I know it does, but you can get a mate here.”781Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IBCgM9PDp
“It’s not just to get a mate,” she retorted. “It’s to finally escape this nuclear mess of a weather, and live in another world with clear, blue skies, some sunlight, almost fresh air! Nice warm weather hitting your body instead of nothing but cold air! Wouldn’t that be better than living in a grey, cold planet?”
The girls stared at her blankly. No one knew what the world before 2070 was like except for their still-living Gen-Mod ancestors. Cassie then sighed and slumped into her chair.
As soon as the silence filled the table, across the cafeteria, the school’s Queen Bee, Amanda Jenkins, stands in the middle of the room. She announces, “Everyone, this Saturday I am hosting a crazy-ass mate party at my townhouse! Everyone is invited to come!”
The girls at Cassie’s table squealed in excitement at the news. Cassie remained emotionless. Lilly looks at Cassie with an annoyed expression on her face. She tells her, “Cass! Come on! Mate party with hot boys!”
Cassie shakes her head, and walks out of the cafeteria.
It’s now early evening. As Cassie was about to walk to the subway station near her school, Lilly runs up to her. Cassie turns to face her, and asked, “What is it?”
Lilly said, “My parents work for the ISA, the International Space Agency. Come to my place, and I’ll show you what they found on GH569.”
Cassie looked at with surprise, and said, “Let’s go.”
The two girls got onto a subway, and off they went. They soon arrived at their stop. They walk into Lilly’s townhouse. She mindlinks Cassie, You’re sleeping over tonight.
Fine by me, Cassie mindlinked back.
Wait until my parents are asleep, Lilly continued, and then we’ll get on their tablets.
Cassie nodded.
It’s now late at night. Lilly wakes up Cassie through the mindlink as Lilly’s parents and siblings are now asleep. The two girls sneak out of their rooms, and into the family office. Lilly grabs her mother’s tablet.
Cassie mindlinked, Do you know what to look for?
Lilly only smirked as she guessed the password correctly. She looks on the tablet for any folder that said “GH569.” She did, and clicked on it. Cassie noticed a folder that said “sketches.”
She asked in a whisper, “What’s in the ‘sketches’ folder?”
Lilly clicked on it…
ns 15.158.61.51da2
