The lantern cast a small circle of warm light, barely enough to push back the dark corners of Selene's hideout. It made the bruises on my ribs look artistic, if you preferred choice of colour was dark purples.
Selene sat cross-legged on the floor in front of me. She had her hands clenched with her face braced in a way that suggested she was containing something under pressure.
Cadence hovered beside me, arms folded, like a therapist who knew every answer but refused to share any of them for entertainment purposes.
I exhaled slowly. "Alright. You said you wanted to talk. Start whenever you like."
Selene didn't start.
She erupted.
"You want to know why I was in that block?" she said. "Why I was even near the Thorns? Because I needed scrap. Actual scrap. Not the garbage my father lets me have. Something decent. Something I could work with."
I blinked. "Work with for what?"
She gave a short laugh, sharp and exhausted. "What do you think? To build."
Cadence perked up. "Clarify. Build what."
"Anything," Selene said. "Everything. Things that should not be possible. Power systems. Stabilizers. Small autonomous units. I could redesign half of Tollhaven if someone gave me a pile of broken appliances and two hours."
I stared at her. "You can do all that."
"Yes," she snapped. "I build the generators. I fix the grid. I keep half this city from shutting down. You think Rourke does that? He tries. He really does. But my father barely knows which end of a capacitor is the dangerous one."
Cadence nodded. "Her assessment of her father's skill appears valid."
Selene jabbed a finger toward her small metal desk. "That ventilation regulator over there? I made it from a broken compressor and a fan blade I pulled off a trash heap. That water unit? I built it when I was thirteen because the apartment pipes failed and my father told me to be patient."
I glanced at the machine. It hummed steadily. Cleaner water than anything I'd seen since awakening in Badlands.
"You're talented," I said.
She scoffed. "I'm trapped."
My attention sharpened. "Trapped how."
She looked down at her hands. "My father needs me. The district needs me. But no one admits that. They think he's the genius. The man with the vision. The saviour who keeps the lights on." She swallowed. "I'm the one crawling through ducts at two in the morning, replacing wires with whatever scrap I can barter with."
Cadence considered her. "That sounds exploitative."
"It is," Selene said. "Everyone looks at me like I'm Rourke's daughter. A responsibility. An asset. A bargaining chip. No one sees the work I do. Not even him."
I frowned. "Does he know you feel like this?"
"No," she said. "He sees danger everywhere and thinks keeping me hidden is protection. It's a cage."
"That is emotionally complex," Cadence said.
Selene shot her a glare. "Yes. Thank you for the analysis."
Cadence nodded. "You are welcome."
I rubbed my temples. "So you want something else."
Selene's voice softened. "I want a life. My own life. My own shop. My own bench. My own scraps. I want someone to come to me because they need something built, not because they want leverage."
She hesitated, then looked at me with a mix of hope and fear. "I want to leave Tollhaven. I want to go somewhere I can build real things. Not patchwork miracles that break every two weeks."
Her anger cracked just slightly, revealing exhaustion beneath.
"And I can't do that alone," she said. "I thought maybe… maybe you could help."
Cadence made a small sound. "Iris. Emotional flag raised. High significance."
I ignored her.
"Selene," I said. "If this is what you want, I'll help you."
She nodded quickly, as if afraid I'd take the offer back. "What did my father promise you ?"
"An ID chip." I replied.
"Including credits." Cadence intervened.
She reached into a metal container nearby and pulled out a slim metal case. Similar to the one Rourke showed me.
She opened it.
The chip inside glinted with a clean metallic sheen. It looked small. Too small for something that determined your entire ability to exist in this city.
"This is yours," she said. "If my father made a promise, I will see it through. Least I can do."
She lifted it carefully and pressed it against the inside of my wrist. The metal warmed, softened, and then I felt it sink under the skin with a faint sting.
Cadence's voice chimed. "Integration successful. New identity interface online. Please select name."
Selene smiled a small smile. "You can pick anything. New city, new start. New name."
"My name is Iris," I said.
Selene blinked. "You… don't want a different one?"
"It's the one thing I remember clearly. It's mine. I'm keeping it."
Cadence hummed. "I approve."
The HUD blinked.
Tollhaven Registry: ID CONFIRMED
CREDITS: 10,000
My eyebrows shot up. "You loaded it with ten thousand."
Selene smirked. "My life to me is worth a lot more."
Cadence made a thoughtful noise. "At current market rates, that allows the purchase of a significant number of upgrades, food and possibly an appliance that does not try to kill you."
Selene leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. "So... Now you have a chip, credits, we can get out of here."
I exhaled. "Not quite."
She opened one eye.
"What do you mean not quite."
I leaned forward. "If I leave Tollhaven now, the people will remain oppressed. Your father stays trapped between factions. Those factions keep hurting people because no one's strong enough to stand up to them."
Selene bit her lip. "So what are you saying."
"I'll help you leave," I said. "I promise you that. But not until I make this place safer. Not until I'm strong enough to face that woman again. Not until those gangs stop owning this city."
Selene stared at me like she was trying to understand how someone could be that reckless voluntarily.
"That's not possible," she whispered.
"Possible is overrated," I said.
Cadence nodded. "She has survived multiple impossible situations. Mostly through stubbornness."
Selene let out a shaky laugh. "You're serious."
"Yes," I said. "But first I need to get stronger."
"And how will you do that?" Selene asked.
"With credits," I said. "And shopping."
Cadence's hologram glowed slightly brighter. "Oh. Good. We get to purchase more life-threatening items."
I stood, more stable now that the nanites had stitched the worst of the damage.
"I need gear, improved enhancements. Maybe something that does not involve me tasting my own blood every time I fight someone with metal parts."
"We'll need to keep a low profile," Selene said. "They'll be hunting you."
Selene passed me an old cloak as I threw it over my head Cadence shook her head. "You look more suspicious than ever."
Selene got to her feet and dusted off her clothes. "We should go early. Markets get crowded after midday. Help me get out and I'll help you take down those factions."
I extended my hand.
"Deal."
She took it.
Cadence sighed dramatically. "Emotional bonding detected. Proceed with caution."
I grinned. "Let's go shopping."
"Girl trip" Cadence yelled sarcastically.