INTERWOVEN ADVENTURES | Circadian Earth: Book 1

Chapter 32

2-14 looked around, to make sure nobody was watching. After ditching Alice, Cybal and Stardust, she'd been searching the city for somewhere to call her home. She wasn't looking for much, just somewhere to stash her bag of crystals where nobody would find it. And now she had found something that could be interesting, a grate in the floor of a street. However, she was struggling to pull it off the ground, and as much as she hated talking to people, this looked too good. Looking around again, she noticed a robot who she thought could be strong enough to lift the grate up.

"Hey you!" she barked. "Can you help me out?"

Berria turned around, pointing to herself as if to ask if 2-14 was talking to her.

"Yeah, you! Get over here."

"And what do you want with her?" Astrid asked, landing behind the prototype.

"As if that's any if your business," 2-14 snapped.

"It is my business when you're ordering my companion around."

"I don't remember asking." 2-14 turned to Berria. "You, help me lift this thing up."

Astrid wasn't having any of it. "Berria isn't doing anything without me giving the go-ahead. Tell us why you want to open it."

2-14 groaned. "Fine. I'm without a home in this place and I need to find somewhere to stash my stuff."

"Actually a good excuse..." Astrid fell silent for a few seconds, thinking. "What can you give us if we help you?"

"A trade?" 2-14 opened the bag and tossed Astrid a crystal. "How's that?"

Astrid stared at the bright yellow crystal. "Yellow? Really? You know yellow ones are low quality."

"Fine, fine." 2-14 picked out a purple crystal and handed it over. "Happy now?"

"Yeah, that works. Berria, can you lift it?"

Berria nodded, and using her slime to get into the gaps, she easily lifted it out of the ground.

"Nice one. Thanks," 2-14 said, before diving down into the hole. Looking around, she found herself in a tiny tunnel barely big enough for herself. At the end of the tunnel, she could see some kind of red glow. "Hey, teal?"

"The name's Astrid."

"Whatever. Get down here, this is interesting."

"I thought our job was done."

2-14 sighed, throwing another crystal upwards. As it emerged, Astrid caught it, and passed it to Berria for safekeeping. "I'm coming in!"

"Just so you know, it's not the most spacious place."

"Really? That's another crystal then."

"I hate you so much." 2-14 tossed up a fourth crystal.

Once again, Astrid passed it to Berria. "You, close the grate back up once I'm down there. And stand guard."

Berria nodded, and Astrid jumped down. Looking around, she saw what 2-14 had seen. "You know what? Hand over the bag."

"Are you insane? You'll just run off with my crystals!"

Astrid let out a laugh. "I'm not THAT mean. Once we're done, I'll count up how many crystals you're paying me for my time, and then I'll give it back."

"Four isn't enough?!"

"Depends on whether you want to explore this scary place alone."

"Ugh, fine!" 2-14 gave Astrid the bag, who smirked. "Now follow me."