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“But, dude Thirty years!” Trent says, his eyes wide “Whoa, future ht; all of us would be about forty-eight or so I try to ie, but quickly push those thoughts from , but I have to resist it We have a job to do, and we need to stick to it so we can get back to our tiet paid That’s what I need to focus on

“Thirty years or ten years, it doesn’tThe clock is ticking and we’ve already wasted an hour”

I start walking, and it’s not long before the others catch up After a few blocks of office buildings, we turn onto a busier street with a large striplot The place doesn’t lookcenter froe-colored storefronts and restaurants—except for the strange egg-shaped vehicles parked in front

“Look at the cars,” Trent says “No one’s driving theli on their back, with their eyes closed In the next car, two people areattention to the road at all Everywhere we look, those strange egg-shaped cars whip around without anyone at the wheel, like they’re possessed

“The cars drive themselves,” Adam says “They must all be connected so with spatial sensors…”

“This is the kind of stuff Aether wants to know about, right?” Trent asks

“Let’s get a closer look” Chris’s head turns to follow each car that passes by “I’m a mechanic, so I assume this is the kind of shit Aether picked me for”

We head into the lot and peer inside one of the parked cars There is no driver’s seat, noyou’d use to drive the car—are all gone It’s like the inside of a limo, from what I’ve seen in , with a low table in the middle

Chris studies the car and kneels down to check under it “It looks like the entire thing is used for passenger and storage space There’s no hood No rooine”

“But then what powers it?” Ada beside him “Is it electric?”

“I don’t think so Maybe some sort of kinetic or solar power…”

I have no idea what they’re talking about, but at least they aren’t fighting at thehow the cars work, but I tune the with so shops, a couple restaurants and fast food places, and so furiously in a sketchbook, which she must have found in her backpack Every few seconds she takes quick glances at the stores before turning back to her page I peer over her shoulder to get a better look In acenter and all the cars in front of us, down to the tiniest detail Not bad This must be her talent

A car stops in front of us and part of it slides open Tomen step out, the door shuts, and the car drives off by itself The first wohts flickering all along the edges She has a black facial tattoo, a pretty design of swirls and flowers, curling around her left eye and along her te similar, but the tattoo on her face looks like leopard print

Are facial tattoos coe trend

But as I watch, the leopard print design changes, flowing into a new pattern, and I gasp out loud The wo a place called Frosty Foa at the open

“Did that just…” Zoe asks “Her face…”

“I don’t know, but we need to find out,” Adam says

I nod “We should split up and check out some of these stores”