Page 36 of Jump or Fall

Mara

W aking up this time was easier. No phantoms whispering in her ears, and no panicked nightmares of choking on her own blood.

The room, however, was too bright. She winced, raising a hand to shield her new eye from the glare.

“Yeah, it’ll take a few hours to adjust,” Silva said. “You’ll probably get some headaches too—especially when using the special features you added in.”

Blinking, she tested each eye, noting the difference. The new one was noticeably crisper.

“How do I use my ‘special features’?” she asked.

“Tap the outer corner twice for thermal. For synth-mind, do the same, but above the center of your eyebrow.”

She tried the thermal first. A sharp, searing pain shot through the left side of her skull, like a hot needle stabbing into her temple.

Silva sighed. “Did I not just tell you that?”

Gritting her teeth, she tapped the corner of her eye again to switch it off. “Oh, shut it. You’d want to try it out too.”

He smirked but didn’t argue.

“Where’s Gordon?”

“Flying the birds around,” Silva said with a roll of his eyes. “I told him that believe it or not, he couldn’t play with them in here while I was putting a chip in your head. He should be back any minute. ”

He held out a small bottle. “These drops will keep the eye clean and lubricated. Might have some issues with tear production, but it should balance out over time.”

She took the bottle and nodded. Slowly, she sat up, her movements stiff but manageable.

A small handheld mirror sat on the table next to her. She hesitated to grab it. The last time she’d seen her own reflection had been right before wrapping a cloth around her face to hide from the world. She didn’t want to break down in front of Silva.

Just get it over with.

Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and picked up the mirror.

The bionic eye could probably pass for real at a distance, but up close, it was obvious. The white was too stark and the iris mechanical. As she moved it, the parts inside shifted to adjust focus around the faux pupil. Even still, it was much better than having no eye at all.

The door opened, and the moment Gordon saw her awake, he rushed over. “Shit, I thought you’d still be out.”

Mara pulled him close and pressed her face against his chest. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. “What’s it like out there?”

“Millon’s stunt has resulted in a lot of severed hands in One, but there’s no telling how many actually belonged to Silvers. They even destroyed the gate. It’s a mess. I think it’s best we stay put for now.”

“Did Millon and Kimmie make it back?”

“Yeah, but they ran into Max. Turns out Wells didn’t kill him. He’s been keeping an eye on anyone trying to get to Nella, but he won’t be coming back again.”

Relief washed over her at the thought of Max finally being gone. He had been nothing more than a pathetic lapdog, breathing down her neck and sniffing around Dawson’s feet.

“Can I fly a bird?” she asked. “I want to see if Nella’s there.”

“Sure. The Armory has the best connection. ”

Gordon helped her down from the bed. The adjustment to her new eye left her feeling off balance, and a dull ache pulsed at her temple as they made their way to the Armory.

He handed her his tablet and pointed to the controls. The display showed the point of view from the bird perched on a ledge. She typed in a command and the bird took flight, its wings flapping at the edges of the screen.

Mara watched in fascination. “It looks so real.”

“Wait until you see one in person. The only giveaway is the eyes.”

Much like her own.

“Where do you keep them?”

“I built them little nests—mostly to keep anyone from tracking one back to me.”

“Do they run on lithpacks?”

“As backup power. The feathers have micro solar cells that keep them running during the day. The skin is made from living cells, which is how they look so real. They can bleed as well, but the inner components are all artificial.”

She selected Dawson’s house as the waypoint, and the city unfolded below her on the screen. From above, it looked almost beautiful—nothing like the nightmare it was on the ground.

As the house came into view, dread settled in her gut. Even through a screen, it felt suffocating.

Armed guards stood out front and blood smeared the pavement. Bodies were being loaded into a truck, while another person hosed down the street.

Mara maneuvered the bird to a window and perched it on the ledge.

“Set it to auto-view,” Gordon suggested. “Makes it look more natural.”

She adjusted the settings, but the room was empty. It was almost exactly how she remembered it—except for a dress laid out on the bed .

“This was my old bedroom,” she said quietly. “I lived in this house for a year and a half.”

Gordon placed his hand on her knee and scooted closer. “I can take over if you want.”

She shook her head. “No… It’s just strange, seeing your old prison from the outside. But good, in a way.”

She guided the bird to the back patio and settled it on a tree branch.

A young woman lounged in a chair, lazily swiping at a tablet. Long, white-gold hair cascaded over her shoulders, her tan skin was radiant beneath the light fabric of a lavender sundress. Sunglasses hid her eyes, but her resemblance was remarkable.

“She looks like a long-haired Kimmie.”

“Yeah, Deluri all look like that,” Gordon said. “The traits are so strong it takes a couple generations to dilute them.”

“Interesting.”

It was clear that Dawson had a type: women he found rare, unique, or useful. They were status symbols to collect and flaunt. Nella was just another prize.

The back door opened to the patio.

Dawson stepped outside with a grin plastered across his face.

Mara’s hands started to shake, bile rising in her throat. “Is there any way we can peck out his eyes?”

Gordon grimaced. “It can attack him, but I don’t want to lose a bird and have him figure out we have spy animals.”

On the screen, Nella looked up and beamed, tossing her tablet aside. She practically skipped to him and wrapped her arms around his neck with a delighted squeal.

“What…”

Dawson kissed her—deep and slow.

Nella hooked a leg around his waist as he lifted her with ease, carrying her to the outdoor couch .

As she wrapped both legs around his hips, his hand slid up her thigh and disappeared beneath her dress.

Mara dropped the tablet.

“Turn it off,” she said, her voice weak.

Gordon snatched it up, issuing a quick command to the bird before setting it aside.

They sat in stunned silence.

He was the first to speak. “I think we need to have a chat with Kimmie.”