CTS TIME RE250.09.04 — 1:45 PM
SECTOR 13 — GALDOS APARTMENT
Valerian sat alone in the dim-lit secondary room. The glow from a suspended holo-screen painted his face in shifting blues and greens, but he wasn't looking at the data. His storm-colored eyes were fixed on nothing.
For the first time since stepping foot into Mechatopia, his own composure betrayed him.
He replayed the moment—Luna collapsing, clawing at her throat, eyes wide with suffocation. The way he had hesitated before pressing his lips to hers to share oxygen. And worse—the flicker of something inside him when her life reactor flared pink against his chest as she hugged him after.
He clenched his fist.
I should not have done that. I should not feel anything. This is a mission. A child's life depends on it. If I hesitate again because of her…
Yet his chest tightened, the echo of her trembling still lingering in his arms. His reactor had pulsed green for an instant during that moment. He knew it. He felt it.
"Impossible," he muttered coldly to himself, dragging a hand through his hair. "I don't… fake emotions. And I don't have them."
But his own words didn't sound as convincing as they should.
Meanwhile, down the hall
Luna stood barefoot on the smooth metallic tiles of Nikhil's bathroom, steam rising as the tub filled with purified water. For a moment, the sight comforted her. Something human. Something familiar in a world of machines.
The bathroom lights glowed soft and sterile white. Luna exhaled deeply as she pressed the panel on her chestplate. With a shimmer and a low hum, the biomechanical layering peeled away from her body like strands of dissolving light, retracting into a compact folded unit that settled neatly on the counter.
Her lilac glow vanished. Her life reactor—gone from sight.
And there she was again just Luna. Just human. Warm skin, flushed from nerves, wrapped only in her tactical bra and simple underwear. She touched her arm, almost surprised by how soft and fragile she felt without the layering. No synthetic hum. No wirings glowing under her flesh. Just skin. Just her.
Steam rose from the bathtub, curling into the air, making her heartbeat quicken. She dipped her foot in—it felt heavenly. For one blissful second, she imagined sinking into it, letting the water swallow her whole.
Then
"Luna!"
Nikhil's voice thundered through the bathroom door, switching between Hindi and English in alarm.
"Oye, ladki pagal hai kya?! Don't do bath human-style! Without layering the water will fry you! Tum mar jaogi, samjhi?!"
("Hey—are you out of your mind, girl?! Don't bathe human-style! Without your layering the water will fry you! You'll die, understand?!")
Luna froze, her entire body stiffening. Her wide lilac eyes darted to the tub, then to her folded layering on the counter. Oh no…
Her chest tightened as panic surged. She had completely forgotten—here, she was not allowed to be human. The suit wasn't just armor. It was survival.
"Ah—!" she gasped, stumbling forward, snatching up the folded biomechanical layering with trembling hands. It reactivated at her command, shimmering back into existence and coating her bare skin. Layers of glowing lilac circuitry and plating sealed against her body, the life reactor flaring bright once again in her chest.
She leaned against the sink, heart hammering, her reflection in the mirror showing a girl with burning red cheeks and trembling lips.
"How… how can I be this careless again?" she whispered to herself, biting down on her lip. "First I forget the Memorium liquid… now this. S-rank? I'm a joke. If Valerian finds out, he'll… he'll never look at me the same."
Her hand pressed over her chest, fingers brushing the reactor through the plating. It glowed faint pink, responding to the storm in her emotions.
But… he saved me. He breathed life into me. Even for a second, his reactor turned green.
Her blush deepened. Steam curled around her, blending with the faint glow of her suit.
"I don't fake emotions," she admitted softly to the empty room. "Not with him. Never with him."
She finally lowered herself into the tub, fully suited this time, careful not to submerge her head. The water rippled against her synthetic plating, glowing faintly lilac under the surface.
Outside, faintly through the walls, the hum of Mechatopia's city music—Interlink Synthwave—drifted in, calm yet endless.
The table hummed faintly as its surface rearranged into plates and holders. Two service droids slid trays forward. Nikhil had already finished his synthetic nutrient meal, leaving the faint smell of ozone and polished metal lingering.
Luna pressed her wristwatch, summoning a metallic box onto the table. It hissed open, and the sweet, rich aroma of blueberry cake spilled into the room. Her lilac eyes softened instantly.
"Cake again," Nikhil muttered in Hindi, shaking his head with half a laugh. "Pagli ladki… if ISA makes a record, they'll note 'S-rank Luna—powerful warrior, weakness: pastry.'"
Luna giggled, cheeks coloring, but she ignored his teasing. She cut a generous slice for herself, the cream melting at her fork's touch. Her lips parted, and the first bite made her cheeks pink with joy.
Then she glanced sideways. Valerian sat across from her, his stormy blue suit faint under his plain clothes. His reactor was visible only faintly beneath the fabric—still that strange blend of green and red. He was watching her quietly, no mockery, no sharp edge in his eyes. Just… watching.
Her heart skipped. She hesitated, then slid another slice onto a small plate and pushed it toward him.
"Valerian," she said softly, trying to keep her voice steady, "share with me."
For a second, he didn't move. Then he picked up the fork, broke off a piece of the cake, and took a bite.
The sweetness hit his tongue—a foreign thing, after months of ISA rations and the sterile flavor of Memorium liquid. He didn't show it on his face, but his reactor betrayed him. The glow pulsed—more green than red.
Luna's eyes widened slightly. She pressed her hand against her chest, pretending to be casual, but inside her reactor pulsed bright pink in resonance.
Nikhil leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, eyebrows raised. Arre wah… what is this? He watched carefully. Normally, Luna would be a flustered mess around Valerian—red cheeks, stammering words, every little thing a storm. But now… she looked calm. Radiant even. And Valerian—Valerian wasn't wearing his usual stone mask.
"Interesting…" Nikhil murmured under his breath, eyes narrowing. His gaze flicked between their reactors—Luna's bright pink, Valerian's edging toward green. "Kuch toh badal raha hai."
("Something is changing.")
Valerian finally set his fork down. He didn't say much, but his voice when he spoke carried none of the cold edge it usually had. "It's… good."
Luna's smile bloomed, faint and sincere, as though those two words were the sweetest thing she'd heard all day.
Nikhil smirked, unable to resist. "Dekha, dekha? Real couples share cake, feed each other… Next step, maybe I should order a romantic dinner setting for you dono."
Luna's face heated instantly. "N-No!" she stammered, waving her hands, but her reactor betrayed her again—still glowing pink, steady and warm.
Valerian's lips twitched—not quite a smile, but something dangerously close. He turned his eyes away, muttering low, "Eat your cake, Luna."
But his reactor pulsed green again.
And Nikhil, watching them both, thought: Maybe this mission will succeed not just because of their strength… but because of something deeper they haven't admitted yet.