What is your name, user?
Again, Seri hesitated…but in the end, he typed in his name.
USER
Seri North.
The word user changed to Seri after he sent his name.
UNKNOWN
What do you need, Seri?
SERI
The ability to hide. To disappear where no one can find me. I need a new identity.
UNKNOWN
Why?
He took a deep breath and started to type without trying to think about how much he was giving away. Seri hit enter without letting himself even take a moment to breathe, because if he had, he knew he wouldn’t have sent it at all.
And then he…waited. And waited some more. Five nerve wracking minutes later, Seri finally got a response.
UNKNOWN
Go to the Days Pub Locker Storage on Tin Street in two hours. Speak to the person at the key desk. There will be a key to a locker waiting for you. The locker will hold all that you need. May you find the safety you are seeking, Seri.
Seri’s insides contracted painfully. Goddess, how had time passed by so quickly? He gripped the sides of the tub and let out an agonizing high-pitched scream of pain. It hurt so much, he didn’t even care that the voice wasn’t ‘his’. He arched, causing the water to slosh over the side. When the pain passed, Seri let out a pathetic sob.
He prayed no one called the cops on him—they wouldn’t, right? He had warned his neighbors that he’d be giving birth at home a few days ago, so… The walls were also pretty thick, weren’t they? Seri couldn’t recall ever hearing any noises from any of the surrounding people…
He let out another painful high scream as the next contraction hit. Gasping, he stared at the paused holographic video floating above him.
Supposedly, being in his female form would make birth easier. What a bunch of bullshit! Of course, considering where the baby would come out of, if he stayed his actual gender… Seri shuddered. Yeah, this was a much better alternative.
Another contraction plowed through him, but he ground his teeth and forced himself to restart the video and ignore the pain. He did all that he could to focus on whatever the hell was going on in the damn hologram. He’d found the video online, and it was hopefully going to give clear instructions on how he would know when it was time to push.
Something he had intended to watch weeks ago, but his sheer terror at the thought of giving birth had made him put it off. Seri had been going to watch it tonight! Really, he had! BUT then this happened!
“Check…that your cervix is dilated to ten centimeters… And how do you…” he trailed off, and blanched as the video began to demonstrate how.
Preston leaned against his desk,eyeing the man held kneeling before him. He balanced a large old coin between his knuckles, moving it back and forth across them. It was interesting. The human was on his payroll, yet he couldn’t recall his name. Probably for the best. He wasn’t sure the bastard would be living too much longer.
“Detective. I don’t think… No, IknowI haven’t asked for too much.”
“You haven’t!” the man quickly responded.
His lip curled. “I wasn’t finished.” The human’s head hung down, avoiding his gaze.Pathetic,he thought. “If you know I am not asking for much, then why,” he ground his teeth together, “haven’t you found her yet?”
“She just…vanished…”
“Ha… She’s vanished, has she?” Preston asked, a smile spreading across his face.
The man didn’t respond to the question, remaining hunched there. Straightening away from his desk, he pocketed the coin and strolled forward, stopping right in front of the human.
Crouching down, he said without any emotion, “Look at me, Detective.”
