Several giant screens illuminated the streets of the city of Kal, the second-richest city on planet R2, a center of commerce and technological advances. On the screen a man proudly held an attention-grabbing device.
The crowd showed different emotions, but the most shown were of surprise and happiness looking at the screen that projected an image of the tablet that represented the most significant advance of mankind.
While the tablet was at the heart of every dream, it was also becoming the center of growing suspicion. Rumors spreading through the shadowy corners of Kal and its surrounding areas were starting to take root.
Whispers claimed the tablet was only a prototype—one with serious flaws that had never been revealed to the public. Some spoke of people who had vanished without a trace. Others told chilling tales of teleportation gone wrong, leaving users stranded in unknown places, far from the safety of home.
The official websites dismissed all of it as mere conspiracy theories. But the doubt lingered, quietly alive in the minds of a few.
Despite the fears and warnings whispered by those brave enough to speak of the device, the desire to possess the technology was unstoppable. The tablet promised a future of limitless knowledge and unimaginable power. High-profile dealers and billionaires, always hungry for the latest obsessions of the elite, were offering astronomical sums for it.
Some dreamed of using the tablet to explore unreachable worlds—distant corners of the universe untouched by human presence, far beyond the reach of laws or government surveillance. For them, the tablet represented the forbidden. But for others, it was purely about the status it brought. Owning the tablet meant standing at the very top of the social pyramid, a symbol of wealth, power, and untouchable exclusivity.
At that very moment, as rumors continued to swirl without action, a thief was preparing to make their move. A legend in the criminal underworld, known for flawless heists and feats of stealth that seemed to defy all security systems. This would be their final job—the greatest heist of all—before vanishing to another planet to live a life of luxury.
Wearing a black suit that absorbed light, he moved like a shadow through the darkness. His backpack, carefully packed with a variety of state-of-the-art tools, felt surprisingly light. Among them was a device that emitted electromagnetic waves, specifically designed to block alarms and disrupt security cameras in his vicinity. He activated it and waited a few minutes before continuing on his way.
Security was difficult to bypass — but not impossible.
At last, he reached the room that was guarded so heavily. The door was sealed with a complex system of security codes. The thief pulled out a palm-sized device from his backpack and connected it to the door's control panel. Instantly, lines of data began scrolling across the device's screen.
Seconds later, it emitted a faint beep. Then, with a soft mechanical whir, the gears inside the door began to move. A moment later, the door slid open with a gentle hiss.
The room's interior was dark, lit only by the faint bluish glow of the security system. In the center stood the tablet, protected inside a glass capsule and surrounded by lasers that cast hypnotic patterns across the walls.
The thief smirked. He had dealt with more complex systems before. Without wasting a second, he pulled out a sleek tool and connected it to a nearby panel. His fingers moved with precision as he manipulated the controls. Then—click—a soft sound broke the silence. The laser beams flickered once… and then vanished.
He strolled forward without hesitation, reached into the capsule, and opened the compartment. Gently, he slipped the tablet into his backpack, making sure it was secured.
He had succeeded.
But just as he turned to leave, a rising hum filled the air. The device he had used to jam the lasers had reached its time limit. At that exact moment, the lasers reactivated—not to harm him, but to detect him.
A patrol drone burst into the room. The thief scowled as alarms blared, echoing deafeningly through the space while bright red lights flashed, casting chaotic, distorted shadows across the walls.
Without hesitation, the thief sprinted forward, leaping over a workbench and kicking the drone mid-air. The impact sent it crashing into a bookshelf. He didn't look back. He just ran—full speed—through the winding corridors of the complex. His breathing grew heavy as a swarm of machines chased close behind, their engines whining and weapons charging up.
The hallway doors began closing automatically in front of him, forcing him to zigzag through side passages in a desperate search for an exit. His eyes darted wildly until he spotted an open room. He slipped inside just in time and slammed the panel shut, locking the door. A moment later, pounding echoed from the other side—each hit harder, more urgent than the last.
scanned the room frantically. In a corner, a small, dimly lit window caught his eye. It sat just beside a ventilation duct—too high to reach on its own. Without wasting a second, he started piling up everything he could find: boxes, desks, even a rusted old shelf. Behind him, the metal door began to glow and bend under the relentless assault of the machines. Sweat poured down his face as he worked, racing against time.
Trying to steady himself as his heart pounded in his chest, he closed his eyes for a moment, fighting back the panic threatening to take over, and kept moving—there was no time to stop.
When he reached the window, he didn't hesitate. He slammed his hand against the glass, shattering it into pieces. Ignoring the small cuts on his skin, he shoved his backpack through the opening and launched himself forward with all his strength. The jagged edges tore through his clothes and scratched his body, but he managed to pull himself through, falling into the void beyond.
A sharp pain shot through his legs as he landed awkwardly, but he didn't pause to check the damage. Behind him, an explosion echoed— the door had been blown open. The swarm of machines poured through the broken window, now hot on his trail.
With his heart pounding and adrenaline coursing through every muscle, he grabbed his backpack and started running again. The lights outside flickered dimly, but the path ahead was clear. He had to reach his lair before they caught up to him.
Each step was a battle against exhaustion. The thief was fighting his own body, which was begging him to stop, to rest.
All around him, the streets pulsed with the frantic energy of people and flying vehicles. Thinking he was safe, he began to slow down—just a little. But then he felt a shot graze past his head, followed by a volley of gunfire. In an instant, the crowd around him erupted into panic, running in every direction as vehicles screeched to a halt.
He used the chaos to disappear into the masses. The shooters fired mercilessly, not caring who got in the way.
The pain in his overworked muscles was growing unbearable, but the threat of drones and bullets still loomed—constant and unforgiving.
In a sudden move, he turned into a dark alleyway, lit only by flashes from nearby storefronts. The shadows seemed to swallow him whole as he pushed forward. He knew there was only one option left. He had to use the tablet in his backpack. It was a risk (it might not even work) but he didn't have any other choice.
As best as he could, he pulled the tablet out of the backpack. Frustration flickered across his face when he saw the screen had been damaged. A curse slipped past his lips, but when he felt another brush against his shoulder, he bit his tongue, forcing himself to swallow the words.
He powered on the device and entered random coordinates. The tablet lit up with a blinding surge of energy that illuminated the entire alley, momentarily paralyzing the drones and forcing him to shut his eyes.
Something slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. The tablet slipped from his hands, landing just a few inches away. A stranger lunged for it, shouting something—he couldn't hear what, too focused on getting the device back.
He wrestled to free himself. The tablet was within reach—just a little farther. He stretched out, fingertips brushing it, finally gripping it. It vibrated with a strange, pulsing energy, almost as if it were alive. The hum intensified, rising into a deafening vibration that shook the air.
Just as the stranger grabbed one of his hands, the tablet erupted in a blinding flash—an explosion of pure light that engulfed them both. A cry of pain tore from their throats as the searing energy overwhelmed them. Even with their eyes shut, the brightness burned through, painful and inescapable.
In the blink of an eye, both disappeared, swallowed by the void left behind by the blast. Only the smoke lingered, drifting slowly like a specter.
When the light reappeared, it dropped both of them into a completely different environment.
The thief was panting heavily, his breathing labored. Struggling to open his eyes, still sensitive to the light.
Not far from him was the policeman, who was also disoriented, but his experience and discipline kept him more focused. Though he could feel the lingering pain in his body, he forced himself to rise quickly and opened his eyes. The surroundings that greeted him confirmed that they were no longer in the city.
All around them, trees stood in shapes and sizes that defied logic. Twisted trunks, branches reaching skyward in impossible patterns, oddly shaped plants, moss clinging to rocks or trees, with two suns in the sky and leaves of various colors.
A few meters away, the thief heard her whimpering. Without hesitation, he approached. "This is your fault."
The thief, still in pain, flashed a crooked smile. "Oh, right, like it was my idea for you to follow me around like a crazy bitch!"
"It's my duty," he replied, his jaw clenched, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths. "As a cop, I have to catch vermin like you."
"I'm not vermin, asshole!"
"And childish, to boot," the policeman muttered, rolling his eyes. His tone mixed irritation with exhaustion.
Before they could continue their argument, the ground beneath them began to tremble. At first, it was subtle, like a faint murmur beneath the earth's surface, but it quickly grew into a thunderous roar. The silence of the forest was shattered as a deep, guttural sound echoed through the air, causing them both to freeze.
In the distance, beyond the towering trees, two titanic creatures clashed. Massive beings with scaly skin that gleamed with a metallic sheen in the dim light fought violently. Their roars reverberated through the air.
"Shit...!" the thief exclaimed, his voice now a frantic whisper. His hands gripped the trunk of a nearby tree, as if it could offer him any semblance of security.
The creatures ripped into each other with brutality, their fangs sinking deep into flesh, tearing off pieces that fell to the ground. Violet blood gushed from the open wounds, splattering the nearby trees.
"We need to move." Said the policeman, momentarily forgetting their enmity.
The thief let out a nervous laugh, which failed to mask the tremor in his voice. "Are we a team now?" His sardonic smile tried to keep up appearances, but his eyes betrayed the terror that consumed him.
"If you want to stay alive."
They both began running in the opposite direction of the creatures, their footsteps echoing through the earth that still trembled beneath them.
They hadn't planned on stopping, but they did when an imposing presence emerged from the trees with a low, menacing hiss. From the dense underbrush slithered a massive snake, its body covered in iridescent scales that shimmered under the dim light with a hypnotic glow. Its eyes, two piercing yellow orbs, locked onto the two remaining people. Every movement of the snake caused the dry leaves to rustle beneath its weight.
The creature lunged at the policeman, coiling its tail tightly around one of his legs. The pressure intensified with each passing second, wrenching a grunt of pain from him.. Fighting off panic, he drew his combat knife in one swift motion—the blade catching the light for an instant before sinking into the beast's scaly hide.
Each strike landed with a dull thud, the desperate violence echoing through the air. The knife cut through the creature's scales, tearing away shards that scattered across the ground. Thick violet blood gushed from the wounds, soaking the officer's boots and uniform with a pungent. His face contorted in a grimace, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he drove the blade into the monster again and again.
The snake let out a roar that vibrated through the air, and with a violent jerk, it released the policeman. The creature slithered back into the undergrowth, leaving behind a trail of blood that stained the vegetation a grotesque shade of violet.
"We need to find shelter!" shouted the policeman, still gripping his knife tightly as his breathing grew rapid.
"Y-Yeah," the thief replied, his voice shaking, unable to hide the fear that had taken hold of him.
The policeman pushed him forward. He was determined not to get caught—neither he nor his companion. The thought of being devoured by those creatures drove him to press on without hesitation, his senses alert. Every rustle, every whisper of wind through the trees made his heart pound faster. He refused to die before keeping his promise to return home and marry his fiancée.
After what felt like an eternity of running—without rest for hours—they finally spotted a cave, hidden in the shadows of moss-covered rocks and faintly glowing bioluminescent lichen. The entrance was narrow, but it was their only option.
They began to enter, which was a little difficult as it was narrow. To their surprise, once inside, soft light from crystals embedded in the walls dimly lit the cavern. Although the entrance had seemed small, the interior opened up into a much larger space.
The policeman, still breathing heavily from the run, collapsed onto a large rock. Sweat covered his forehead. "Listen…" he said at last, his voice serious and low, almost like a plea. "If we really want to get out of here alive, we have to work together. We won't get anywhere if we fight against each other."
The thief, equally exhausted, took several breaths of air before responding. "I don't believe you." He folded his arms. "I'm sure if I turn around now, you'll stab me in the back."
"I'm not stupid enough to kill you. What we are living through now is much bigger than our differences. We have no choice but to unite if we want to survive."
The thief watched the policeman for a few seconds, evaluating his words. Although he didn't like working with someone from the law because of his bad experience, he couldn't help but consider his words. Finally, he waved his hand, pointing to the entrance of the cave. "So, what do we do now, do we wait for the creatures to find us?"
"No. For now we stay here to regain strength. Then we'll plan what's next. And in the meantime, let's try to stay alive."
"I understand."
Immediately, his hands began to move, exploring her back and sides. She was gone. He turned abruptly, looking back as if he could magically find her in the gloom that surrounded them.
"Backpack?" He muttered, his brow furrowing as panic began to flare in his eyes. The usual composure he always tried to maintain was crumbling, revealing the true chaos that inhabited him.
The policeman, turned his head toward him, his gaze tinged with confusion. "What's up?"
"My backpack." He repeated in his agitated voice. "I don't have it. Do you know what that means? Everything I was carrying... My tools, my devices... it's all gone."
The policeman let out a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "What matters now is that we are alive. And if we want to stay alive, we need to stop thinking about what we have lost and concentrate on other things. There is no time for regrets."
The turned to him with a mixture of disbelief and anger distorting her face. "You don't get it!" His voice rising like a roar. "That damn backpack isn't just a 'thing' I've lost! It had everything we needed to survive! Tools, devices, my inventions - those things could save us, and now I don't have them thanks to this damn chaos!"
The policeman blinked, surprised by the intensity of his reaction. "Oh, Shit!" He finally whispered, realizing his mistake. He ran a hand over his face, understanding the magnitude of the situation.
The thief snorted, his laughter laden with bitterness. "Yes, shit!" He spat. He took a couple of steps to one side as if for the other. "Do you know what was in that damn backpack? Tools, state-of-the-art technology, advanced maps. A fucking flashlight that still worked. And you know where it is now?" she turned to him. "With those things. Those creatures. While you and I were running for our lives."
The policeman knew they could not move on without what he had lost, but he also understood that they could not stay there. They could not allow themselves to be dragged down by despair. "You know what? Let's rest for now, we can't go out knowing we're exhausted. When we're ready, let's go get your backpack."
"It's okay."
The policeman nodded and lay down again, looking for some comfort and rest, after everything that happened in a single day, he deserved even a rest.
"By the way..." Said the thief suddenly, breaking the heavy silence.
The policeman opened one eye and raised an eyebrow. "What happens now?" He asked, with a touch of irritation.
The thief sitting on the edge of a rock with his half-smiled. "What is your name?"
"What?"
"I said, what's your name? Or do you want me to call you corrupt, asshole, crazy bitch, nincompoop, cretin and...."
"I got it. Stop it. I am Rafael."
The thief grimaced. "Rafael, uh... Can I call you Rafita? Or maybe... Rafi?"
"Call me whatever you want, as long as you shut your mouth for a while."
"Whatever you say, boss." He threw up his hands, as if in surrender, but the wry smile was still intact. "By the way, my name is Oliver, although most of my 'friends' call me Ollie, but also Olivercito, if I'm in a good mood."
"Perfect." Rafael closed his eye. "Now shut up and let me rest."
A brief silence settled between them, interrupted only by the distant rustling of branches and the echo of their breaths. Oliver shrugged his shoulders and settled back to sleep.