They came back the next day and found the apartment empty.
Bella called out first. Nothing. Anna tried, a little louder. Still nothing. Mary moved toward the bedroom, her neck ridges flickering.
Anna walked to the window, scanning the street below.
And froze. "Bella. Bella."
Bella and Mary rushed to her side.
Below, twenty stories down, something was happening in the plaza. Humanoids, dozens of them, were running in every direction. Not the calm, programmed walk of robots. Running. Panicked.
And among them, smaller than the rest, faster than the rest, was a figure they recognized.
Roman.
He was sprinting through the crowd, dodging bodies, leaping over obstacles. Behind him, three Trabs in dark clothing were giving chase, and they were armed.
A flash of light and one of the humanoids near Roman crumpled.
Roman kept moving.
Another flash. Another humanoid fell.
Then a third flash, and Roman went down.
Anna screamed.
He hit the ground hard, tumbling once, twice, coming to rest against a fountain.
"No—NO—" Anna lunged for the door.
Mary grabbed her arm. "Wait—"
"He's dead! They killed him—"
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"If you go down there, you die too. We all die."
Anna fought against her, but Mary held firm. Bella joined her, wrapping both arms around Anna's struggling form.
Through the window, they watched the shooters approach. They circled Roman's body and one of them nudged him with its foot.
Roman didn't move.
The shooters exchanged glances. One said something. The others nodded. Then they turned and moved on, pursuing the remaining humanoids scattering through the plaza.
Anna stopped fighting and those impossible Trab tears streamed down her face.
"He's gone," she whispered. "He's really gone."
Bella held her tighter. Mary said nothing.
They stood at the window, watching the plaza empty. Watching the shooters disappear. Watching Roman's body lie still against the fountain.
Five minutes passed.
Ten.
Then, slowly, his head turned. Just slightly.
Anna gasped. "He's—"
Roman pushed himself up. Not weakly, but deliberately, like someone who had never been hurt at all.
He ran toward the building.
Anna stumbled back from the window. "He's alive. He's alive."
Mary was already moving toward the door. "Go. Meet him in the stairwell. Bring him up."
Anna ran.
Ten minutes later, Roman walked through the apartment door.
His clothes were dirty. His hair was wild. But he was moving easily, breathing normally, with no sign of injury.
Anna stared at him, tears still fresh on her face. "You…we saw you fall. You didn't move. The shooters—"
Roman met her gaze. "Because they thought I was dead. The shot never got me, I just pretended that I was hit."
Bella stepped forward. "What were you doing out there? We told you it was dangerous."
"I don't trust your government." Roman's voice was calm. "I think they're already watching you. All of you. If they're tracking your movements, they'd expect to find me in this apartment. So I needed to understand the city, just incase."
Mary's voice was quiet. "Trabs come here to act out violent fantasies, it’s so dangerous."
“We are always in danger. When will you come again?”
Bella studied him for a moment. "Three days. Same time."
Roman nodded.
"Now," Bella said, "we can continue. What's your plan?"
"The app concept. A platform for Trabs to connect. Share experiences. Find others who feel the same loneliness you've all been living with."
The Trabs were silent.
Roman continued. "I need to see what Aethryx came up with. The AI's plan for how to distribute it." He paused. "Bring it next time. I'll compare it with my own plan. We'll find the best path forward."
Bella nodded slowly. "We'll bring it."
She stood. Mary and Anna followed. They then left through the pod room.
Roman walked to the window. He scanned the streets and reminisced what had happened.
Then he turned from the window, sat down on the too-soft couch, and began to plan.
