Blending in just didn’t always work.
Adryel sprinted down the alley, looking for an escape route. Maybe between a couple of the buildings? Or up onto a roof? There had to be something around here that she could get--
“Ahhh!” She cried when a man grabbed her arm and pulled her inside one of the back shop doors.
She held up her hands, ready to fight, but he pushed her away and shut the door. The door locked with a quiet, but firm click, akin to a blast door seal, but much faster, and less likely to be seen by the guards.
Adryel backed into the wall and scanned her surroundings. This province wasn't known to have nice, clean, bright shops, but that was where she found herself. In the back of a nice, clean, and bright shop.
Art of foreign worlds covered the walls. Holograms projected images of couples marrying and of babies.
Alien babies.
A cute one with little ridges and scales chomped on his fist, and the hologram next to it had to be the parents. Mom had some ridges on her face and shoulders, and Dad had the scales.
Tranquility Amongst The Stars flashed in a bright sign over some of the art. Finding the Connections Craved was posted on another wall.
What was this place?
She tried to get oriented, but what in the stars was this? She held her position and looked back at the male--standard humanoid, bipedal, and with no obvious scales from the back. He turned to face her, revealing a large chunk of his skull had been replaced with cybernetics, as was his shoulder, she could see the outlines of the metal under his shirt.
She took another step away. If he had enhancements, he could likely throw her through the wall if he wanted to.
The question was, did he want to?
“I think they're moving on.” A panel behind him displayed the exterior of the shop, including the alley she'd just been in.
Guards were walking up and down the alley cluelessly. She couldn't hear anything through the displays, but their body language didn't look like those who were moving on.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
He was about to answer when pounding echoed against the door. He gestured for her to back up.
She backed into a storage room and shut the door.
Which probably wasn't the wisest decision. She realized she'd just locked herself in here with an unknown element--namely this guy. And where was she anyway? Safety lights gave the room an orange glow. Data pads and hard copies of information filled the place. Everything was neatly stacked and organized.
It was obvious it had been painstakingly logged.
She picked up a piece of paper. Gah, who used physical linen paper anymore? There really wasn't a reason for that unless someone remained that connected to old things.
Galactic Alliance Science Society.
“No scientist I've ever known was this organized,” she muttered to herself. Not that she knew a lot, but the few she'd ever been around lived in a state of constant chaos that followed them, like a cloud of dust on a dry day.
But they usually had paper.
Lots of it.
The door opened and she jumped.
“I'm not a scientist,” he said. “They're gone now. I made sure.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Dane. I work here.”
“Doing what? What is this place?”
