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Chris pulls on the front door handle, but it’s locked “The doors are glass If we find so on” Trent pulls some little metal sticks out of his backpack “Lockpicks!”

That’s a weird thing for Aether to put in our backpacks I narrow ot bored and went throughthe place There’s all sorts of stuff inside—food, water, and these lockpicks You probably got theranola bars, an apple, a sandwich, and a full water bottle There’s also a wallet full of more cash than I’ve ever had at one tieles, and a compass, which I don’t kno to use

While Trent starts working on the door, I check the re pockets on my backpack No lockpicks, but one has a first aid kit, which I really hope on’t need I also find a handful of condo

Another pocket has a gun

I freeze, staring at the black un before I can’t tell if it’s loaded, but I don’t see any bullets in , so I assume it is Is the safety on? I have no idea Sure, hts, but I’ve always tried to stay out of trouble as ht Aether knew that Why would they pack a gun for me? Did they expect us to run into trouble?

I raise h their own backpacks Do they have weapons too?

Is the gun in roup?

I zip the backpack closed before anyone sees the gun If the others have weapons, they aren’t announcing that to the group And if they don’t, it’s probably better that no one knows about o off in

Trent unlocks the front door with his lockpicks and pushes it open “Wait!” Adah the open door, along with a dash of hazy sunshine I don’t realize how et that first taste of fresh air I breathe it in, and when none of us falls over dead, I figure we’re safe

We gather around the door, peering outside, afraid to take that first step The sky is cloudy, with tiny drops of moisture in the air that hint of rain to come The fence around the research facility has barbed wire and is covered in “No Trespassing” signs that weren’t there before Beyond the fence I see buildings and signs instead of rocks and dirt Aether’s facility is no longer in the middle of nowhere

On the other side of the fence, a car drives past—at least I think it’s a car It’s black but shaped like a sideways egg, sleek and shiny, with dark-tinted s It’s hard to tell what part is the front or the back, but it has four wheels, so I assuone

“What was that?” Trent asks

“Wow, cars have changed a lot in ten years,” Adam says

That’s when it finally hits me This is real All the clues add up to one inevitable truth “We’re in the future,” I whisper

“Hell yeah!” Chris shouts, pu his fist “The future, baby!”

“I can’t believe it,” Zoe whispers, wrapping her ar, so unknown, so a…yet oddly familiar too I want to see more And now that we know for certain where we are, we can do e cay for Aether “We should look around Find so some sense around here,” Chris says He strides toward the fence, and Trent and Zoe follow hi back, his hands shoved in his pockets

“Co we can do here”

“I know I just can’t shake the feeling that weand I follow his gaze Everyis dark and empty