Lunai woke up to the dramatic wailing of a hungry cat. Cromble scrambled into the bedroom and screamed with a ferocity that no one could match.

  “Calm down! You sound like Dr. Crux yesterday!”

  The end of the trial was a shock to her boss, who had hoped a guilty verdict would suppress the small, but noticeable crowd of fans doubting the charge. Lunai watched him scold Judge Stell after the trial. He wasn’t exactly yelling, but he was clearly pissed off. He mostly kept his complaints to the judge’s flagrant attitude towards the trial, but deep down Lunai could tell the verdict was getting to him.

  He’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison either way, but the human-trafficking charge really could’ve helped the human’s cause. I'm disappointed too...

  Lunai didn’t doubt that Armageddon was involved with traffickers. Entropi’s investigation didn’t leave much room for interpretation.

  Even if the toys were from children he cared for, why did he have so many sedatives? Were they all for Bliss? Creepy.

  He was either eerily obsessed with Bliss or a human trafficker. Regardless, he was responsible for billions of deaths. Lunai knew what it was like to live on a doomed planet. She couldn’t imagine how it felt to have everything fall beneath you in a second.

  After Cromble was fed, Lunai slumped over her couch. She kicked her roots up and searched her mind for any new psy-pings. Her team was moving on to Rengeus, but they had nothing to do until Dr. Crux asked them to report to the teleportation pods.

  Ugh! More random lecture notices. Where is it, where is it? Aha!

  The words she was waiting for popped up in her head. She thanked the spirits she didn’t have to sit around waiting all morning. Cromble chirped at her and she placed the squirming creature into a carrier. Extreme shrieking ensued as she walked to the office.

  “Please Cromble! You would’ve been even sadder if I left you at home.”

  People eyed her curiously as her cat yelled through the streets. Many snuck closer to catch a glimpse of the rare feline. Lunai was happy to show her off. Familiar children at the building’s entrance squealed with delight as the cat’s nose poked outside of the carrier.

  Lunai knelt to the floor. “Would you like to take a look? She’s a little upset right now, but you can let her sniff your fingers.”

  The children approached as if Cromble was a precious jewel that would crack with one sudden movement. Little hands brushed against the front of the carrier as Cromble sniffed through her fear.

  “She loves people, even when she’s terrified.”

  Lunai let the children have a minute with Cromble, but she didn’t want to keep her locked up for long. She took an awkward stroll through the lobby, passing the security guard whose eyes widened at the critter.

  “Ok, that thing is adorable, but absolutely not allowed.”

  Lunai frantically searched her wrist for the animal authorization form, displaying it for the guard. “I’m heading to a long-term mission today. Cats require specialized care so I couldn’t get a sitter.”

  “I see…Just try not to leave any cat crap in the halls.”

  Lunai laughed. “That’s not a problem! She won’t use the bathroom unless it’s in a box filled with sand.”

  The guard raised her eyebrows. “Huh? That can’t be real.”

  “I totally thought it was just another Earth myth too, but she really does it!” Lunai giggled. “She’s not going to offer a demonstration, so you’ll just have to take my word for it!”

  They shared a laugh as Lunai awkwardly pulled away. The cat detours took long enough that she had to rush. The psy-ping technically didn’t mention a specific time, but it said to be there ASAP and hell had no fury like Bliss having to wait five minutes. Just as she expected, she found her entire team waiting by the teleportation pod when she ran in.

  Ahh I hope Bliss isn’t pissed! WAIT. I have the ultimate weapon.

  Bliss opened his mouth as she approached, but she quickly held up Cromble’s carrier as the perfect shield. His scowl quickly faded and his eyes went wide.

  “Aww it’s the poor jail baby!”

  Lunai noticed that Bliss was holding Sorebel in his arms. He was curled up in a content ball, purring away.

  So well trained! That’s why he’s a cat bowling professional.

  “Yes, your animal is very cute.” Dr. Crux poked Cromble’s nose through the bars. “Now let’s get them settled in as soon as possible. We’ve soundproofed the warehouse, so don’t worry about the meowing. Just make sure they don’t get outside.”

  “I would NEVER let Cromble out!”

  She a heard a small chuckle from Dr. Crux as he opened the door to the teleportation pod. They arrived in an unfamiliar location surrounded by walls decorated with perfectly painted vines and trees. The lights were soft on the eyes without making the place too dim. One of Dr. Crux’s fragments was posted right outside of the pod, greeting them as the stepped out.

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  “Welcome back to planet Rengeus. We prepped the warehouse for your arrival; I hope you find it to your liking.” He pressed a few buttons on the teleportation pod and it powered down. “We need to limit the use of high-profile technology like this. You can return to the GSA for emergencies, but please do not try to use it otherwise?”

  Lunai took a good look around at the transformed warehouse. She was relieved to find that the dust and rust had been cleared.

  Good, I won’t have to make a new appointment with my botanist!

  Each team member was directed to a room of their own. Lunai quickly released Cromble from her prison before checking anything out. The cat darted across the room and found a nice hiding place in the closet.

  “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to this place. I bet you’ll be sad to go back to our boring apartment again.”

  Cromble curled up with a grumpy trill. Lunai took a good look around her new room. The decoration was incredibly bland. The nice wallpaper still coated the room, but the only furniture was a standard bed and dresser. A few potted plants sat in various corners, probably placed there for her sake.

  She reached out to one of them and caressed a leaf. Her mouth immediately curled into a frown as her hand failed to sense spiritual life. The plant was yet another artificial life-form. While she understood the appeal of such fauna, they were not for her. She was worried the very presence of one in her living space would be considered blasphemy.

  “Lunai, come on out!” Bliss’s voice came through the door.

  She collected all of the potted plants in her roots. “Coming!”

  Argalax and Bliss were waiting outside by the stairwell. Lunai gently placed the plants in the hallway before walking over to them.

  I hope someone else can appreciate your beauty. You’re still very precious beings.

  Bliss led the interns downstairs into a room filled with hovering monitors. Dr. Crux was standing next to a desk with two agents working. Lunai could see footage of a crowded hall filled with slot machines and tables stacked with cards.

  “My agents here will be keeping watch at the Treetop Hotel and Casino. We’ve received several reports of a scorpaenidae patron that appears from time-to-time.”

  “Huh!” Bliss scoffed. “Typical. He just can’t help himself from a quick dopamine-fix.”

  “Please keep your personal feelings out of this mission, Bliss.”

  Bliss’s mouth gaped in response. “I-I am!”

  Lunai kept her mouth shut, but she was giggling on the inside. For once, Bliss’s internal concerns seemed light on his shoulders. Whatever drama he had with his childhood friend, Lunai could tell he wanted to see Loshket again.

  “Anyway…I’ve paid for some ad space at the casino. Bliss’s face will cover the walls from midnight to dawn.”

  Dr. Crux projected a video from his wrist. Lunai and Argalax watched the image of Bliss giving his monthly PSA about human trafficking. Another ad played about the dangers of reality glue and where to turn in any contraband found.

  That has to be the most money anyone’s spent on a single-person issue. Not that Bliss isn’t important…

  “The agency has been following Placebo for quite some time. He’s known to be quite-“

  “Moronic?” Bliss interrupted.

  “I was going to say impulsive. With that being said, it’s possible that just the sight of agent Bliss will draw him to the area.” He switched the video out with a map of the hotel. “This is a small mission with limited manpower. The two of you can only be in one place at a time, unlike me.”

  Argalax frowned and lowered his eyebrows. “We are to stay in the casino until we see the scorpaenidae?”

  “Yes. Is that a problem?”

  “No sir. I just…I just don’t know how to behave in a place like that.”

  “I see; I can sympathize with that. Luckily there’s an easy fix.” Dr. Crux approached Argalax and held up his wrist. “If you go into your suit’s settings through your CellPulse, you can activate a charisma modulator that will help you fit in seamlessly.”

  Argalax looked down at his wrist. His frown did not fade. Lunai wasn’t a big fan of the idea either. A charisma modulator had to affect the mind. That freaked her out, no matter how small the effect was.

  Dr. Crux spoke up again after a brief silence. “Of course, you don’t have to use it. We can have you take a more invisible role if that would be preferable.”

  He nodded fervently. “Yes. Absolutely. I’ll gladly be a waiter or work in the kitchen. Whatever helps.”

  “The waiters there are known for their professional demeanors. You’ll fit right in.” Dr. Crux patted the ailing intern on his back. He then looked to Lunai, who gave a big smile and a thumbs up.

  “I’ll be fine. I’ve always wanted to act like a big city party girl! Some Ya’arin charm will warm everyone up.”

  Plus, no one will be in mortal danger! The perfect mission.

  “Quite. If you can keep the mood light, that will be a great help. You two are there to support Bliss if a fight breaks out. We have no idea how many acquaintances Placebo may have shared his reality glue venom with.”

  Lunai looked towards Bliss. He had his arms tightly crossed on his chest. His foot was tapping incessantly and he was looking away from everyone in the room. Lunai had never seen him like this.

  Is he worried about the reality glue? Or maybe that Loshket actually went and gave it away. I’ll kick his ass if he did! You can’t stand up my mentor AND mass-produce his greatest weakness; that crosses a line!

  “Bliss, you are dismissed. I’m going to give your interns a brief review on undercover work.” He looked back to them. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing your lessons didn’t cover in school.”

  Bliss walked out of the room without a word. Dr. Crux led the interns to a small kitchen with a round table. They spent the next few hours going over proper protocol when undercover. Never panic. Never do more than asked. Never start a fight unless absolutely necessary.

  Lunai was practically bouncing in her seat. This mission was right up her alley. She loved anything that involved talking to people. Talking and not fist-fighting them. Once she became an attending, she planned to focus on work like this. That and rescue missions, which practically everyone loved.

  They were taken back to the main foyer where Dr. Crux helped them prep their suits. The appearance-modifier was activated and Lunai gasped as she saw herself in her projected mirror. She was wearing a long strapless dress. Fiery red sequins glowed all the way down.

  She started to blush. “This is…flashy! I like it, I think.”

  “I hope you don’t think I chose that. Your suit responds to your own thoughts,” Dr. Crux explained.

  “Oh…” She scratched the back of her head. “That’s a little concerning.”

  “You two should get some rest. You’ll head to the hotel at night, since that’s when Placebo tends to appear.”

  “Got it!”

  Lunai saluted him out of habit. Dr. Crux gave her a small nod in response before sending them to their rooms. Lunai found Cromble in the same spot she left her in. She scooped the cat into her arms and crawled into bed. Another late-shift was ahead, and once again, she didn’t protest.

  Sure, I’m disappointed in myself, but how could I resist a casino stakeout?