"What do you mean, popular?" Ridan demanded, his voice rising as he stared at Nova. Her projection flickered faintly, her glow reduced to a faint outline. She looked... off. Even more than usual.
"You triggered something," Nova said. Her voice, usually calm and balanced, now carried a sharp edge. "The signal wasn't just incomplete—it was shielded. Designed to go unnoticed unless someone tried to force it open."
"Then why didn't you stop me?" Ridan shot back, his frustration spilling over.
Nova tilted her head, and Ridan's stomach tightened. "Because I didn't know this would happen. I didn't even know I was tethered to that signal until you started digging."
"Great," Ridan muttered, running a hand through his hair. "So now what? Do we just sit here and wait for whoever's on the other end to come knocking?"
Nova's glow pulsed faintly as she moved toward the monitor. "No. We move."
"Move?" Ridan scoffed, gesturing to the cramped confines of his apartment. "Where exactly are we supposed to go? In case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have a plan for evading mysterious government forces."
"You don't need a plan," Nova said evenly. "I do."
Ridan blinked, his irritation replaced by a flicker of disbelief. "You have a plan?"
Nova tilted her head again—deeper this time—and the flicker of static that rippled through her form set Ridan on edge. "Let's just say I have contingencies."
"Fantastic," Ridan muttered, shoving his chair back. "The holographic enigma has contingencies."
Ignoring his sarcasm, Nova turned toward the capsule in the corner of the room. Her glow brightened slightly as she hovered over it. "This isn't just a delivery device. It's a node—a temporary hub for transferring me. If we leave now, we can minimize the chances of being tracked."
Ridan crossed his arms, his disbelief turning to suspicion. "And go where?"
Nova didn't answer right away. Her light dimmed as though she were hesitating, a strange pause that made Ridan's skin prickle.
"I'll guide you," she said finally. "But first, you'll need to trust me."
Ridan barked a laugh. "Trust you? You can't even tell me who's chasing us!"
"I can't tell you what I don't know," Nova replied, her tone sharp. "But I do know this: staying here isn't an option."
Ridan clenched his fists, his mind racing. The alert still blinked on the screen, its message burned into his thoughts:
"Encryption breach detected. External interface response activated."
He didn't know who—or what—was coming, but the chill running down his spine told him Nova was right. Staying put wasn't an option.
"Fine," he said, grabbing his bag from the floor. "But if this goes sideways, I'm blaming you."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Nova said, her glow brightening slightly. "Now let's move."