Fate had landed Mel back in Deimos City. The arc of the familiar dome overhead, which had always been a symbol of safety, had become a canopy of vulnerability. With every step through its streets, every turn around every corner, she feared the MSS would be waiting to re-arrest her.
She wanted to return to Isaac and Daniel, but she knew the MSS would find her. Isaac would certainly put himself at risk to help her and she couldn’t let him do that. She needed him to be safe and look after Daniel. So, even though she desperately wanted to hold her family close and tell them everything was going to be OK, it was too dangerous.
As she had told Deverau on the train, the key to proving her innocence lay in the science. Returning to the Tall Greenhouse was impossible. After her home, it was the next place that Deverau would think to look for her. Even if she was able to get in and up to her lab without being reported by one of the hundreds of people who worked there, she wouldn’t have the days, weeks or even months to continue her work. So she went to see the only friend she knew might be able to help: Kaito.
She took a nervous ride on the public tram to the area of the city where Kaito lived, all the time wondering if the other passengers were looking at her. It made her so anxious, she got off a stop early and walked the remaining twenty minutes to Kaito’s apartment building.
Kaito was not a creature of habit. She would work late if she needed to and stop off somewhere on the way home if she felt like it, but at some point she would have to come home. So Mel waited there, huddled against the corner of a building, until she saw Kaito’s recognizable hurrying figure approaching from the other direction. Mel slipped round onto the main street and quickened her pace to catch her friend before she disappeared inside.
Kaito stopped mid-stride when she saw her. Her expression ran through recognition, surprise and shock.
“Mel!”
“Hello, Kaito.”
Mel managed an apologetic smile, pleased to see her friend, but also guilty to be involving her.
“You’re alive! Thank goodness!”
Kaito stepped forward and drew her friend into a hug. The warmth of Kaito’s body was so unexpected and caring that she wanted to cling onto it. But if she allowed her emotions to surface, she feared they would eat away at her strength.
“You heard about the train?” said Mel.
“It’s on every WristTab on the planet,” said Kaito. “But I only knew you were on the train when Isaac called me. He had a visit from some MSS officers saying they couldn’t find you after the crash.”
The sudden, unexpected mention of Isaac drew the heat of tears to Mel’s eyes. Her vision blurred, but she didn’t let them fall. “How is he?”
“He thinks you might have been killed. He wanted to know if I’d heard anything. I said I hadn’t, but I can call him now.”
Kaito went to lift her WristTab to her mouth, but Mel reached out and grabbed her arm. “Don’t!”
The shock on Kaito’s face made Mel realize how tightly she was holding her and she released her grip.
“Mel, what’s going on?”
“I escaped, Kaito. I’m on the run. You can’t tell anyone. Not even Isaac.”
“Even if he thinks you’re dead?”
It was an awful thing to do to the man she loved, but it was necessary. “He’ll know I’m alive when they don’t find a body.”
Kaito stared at her, aghast.
Mel wasn’t sure what she could see. Perhaps her desperation. Or her exhaustion. Even the fear she fought to hide from herself. But, whatever it was, it caused Kaito’s expression to soften into one of sympathy.
“I can only assume, then, you came to me for a reason.”
“I need a lab, Kaito,” said Mel, pleased to be able to concentrate on the practical and leave the emotion out of it. “I need somewhere to work where I can analyze samples from the farms and prove I’m not responsible. I know you have contacts. I’m hoping you can help.”
Mel watched her friend’s sympathy turn to doubt and then regret. “I’m sorry, Mel. That’s going to be a problem.”
Mel’s hope evaporated.
“If you don’t want to be involved, I understand,” she said. Even though she didn’t.
“It’s not that,” said Kaito. “I’ve been asked to lead the scientific team trying to stop the contagion spreading and secure what food supply we have left. I’ll be using all my contacts in the operation. More to the point, I’ll be under scrutiny. It would be too risky for you.”
“You’ll be investigating what happened at the farms?” asked Mel.
“That’s part of the remit, but it won’t be the main focus.”
“Then you’ll prove I didn’t poison the crops?”
“I’m going to try, Mel. But if I’m seen to be diverting too many resources to clear your project – which I supervised – I risk being taken off the team altogether. With the situation as it is, the priority has to be feeding people.”
Mel, despondent, stepped back into the street, her mind numb. She had only one plan and that had been taken away from her.
“Why don’t you come inside?” said Kaito. “I still have the spare room you can use and I have some food stashed away from before rationing. I’ll arrange for a legal team to take on your case and make sure EcoLine supply the best. It’s ridiculous to think you had anything to do with this.”
Kaito turned to enter her apartment building, but Mel didn’t move. She longed for the softness of a bed, the warmth of a meal and the cleansing feel of a shower, but she dared not succumb to the temptation.
“The MSS know we are friends. If they come looking, they will find me.”
“There must be something I can do.” Kaito looked at what must have been Mel’s disheveled appearance. “At least let’s get you a change of clothes.”
“OK,” said Mel. “Thank you.”
Kaito disappeared into her apartment building and re-appeared a few minutes later carrying a battered holdall. “There’s a set of my clothes in there, but they might be a bit small for you, so I dug out some of Andrei’s old clothes I still had hanging around. I thought, because they’re men’s clothes, they might work as a disguise.”
“Thanks.” Mel took the bag from her.
“I’ve been meaning to get rid of them. As if it wasn’t enough him leaving me heartbroken, he had to leave half of his unfashionable wardrobe as well.”
Kaito was making light of the situation, but Mel was too wrapped up in her troubles to smile.
Inside the bag, she found a couple of shirts and two pairs of pants. None of them would be a perfect fit, but they would do.
“I’ve put one of my hats in there from the time I had that hideous haircut,” Kaito continued. “And there’s some food and water. I wish I could do more.”
“These will help.”
“Let me transfer some credits to your account as well. I don’t want you to run short of money.”
Mel shook her head. “I can’t access my account, the MSS will be able to trace me.”
“Do you really think they’ll do that?”
“They invoked special powers to arrest me, placed me in handcuffs and dragged me off to Noctis City because they consider me to be some sort of prime suspect. So, yeah, I really think they’ll do that.”
“Mel, I’m so sorry. What are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Even if I did, it would be safer not to tell you. Then you won’t have to lie if you’re questioned by the MSS.”
Kaito gathered her up in another hug. It was warm, but no longer soothing. Mel was distracted, already thinking about her next move.
“I’ll find a way to fix this, I promise,” said Kaito. “Then, when food rationing is over, we can have that dinner.”
“That would be nice,” said Mel.
She turned from her friend’s concerned face, gripped the bag tightly and walked down the street. With each step, ideas formed in her mind. Hope renewed itself as she pieced them together, realizing she didn’t need Kaito to make a new plan.