Marie sprinted into the street and turned into a small ally to catch her breath. The music faded away since she chose not to sing. It was surprisingly easy to ignore the impulse to sing when she was running for her life. She hugged the laminated page tightly to her chest. The only safe option now was the underground. Hopefully the S.E.A. would go to the wall and she'd have a clear shot to the bagel shop.

She took off her bag and knelt to the ground. She slid the page inside her bag and pulled out her biology notebook before zipping it back up again. With a bent head, she reentered the street. It was past six, so it was a pretty big crowd. Sirens screamed behind her as she tried not to freak out. Police cars zoom past.

The bagel shop looked small. There was an empty outside seating area. The cool autumn wind was coming in, and it looked almost empty inside. She figured bagels were more of a morning or afternoon thing. But it was probably better. Marie didn't want to attract too much attention. Marie swallowed and gripped her notebook closer to her chest.

The door hit a bell as she slipped in, and Marie winced. As far as the S.E.A. was concerned, she was headed to the wall. Could she cover this somehow?

There was a woman behind the counter, and a man taking an order to a customer. Both looked like college-aged kids. Marie wasn't sure who to show the note to. Were these college-aged kids part of the underground?

"Can I help you?" the women asked. Marie glanced at her name tag. It read Harriet.

Marie stepped forward, flipped the pages, then held up the note from Mr. Edison for Harriet to read. She scanned it, nodded in an impressed way, then glanced up at the second piece around Marie's ear. The man got back behind the counter in time to see the note. They both glanced at each other and nodded.

The man pressed a button under the desk as Harriet hurriedly scribbled a note. Marie closed the notebook as the man gathered things together for another order. Harriet pushed a note into Marie's hand.

Say: No, sorry. Just lost.

Go out the door and go behind the store to the shed. Charles will meet you shortly.

"No, sorry," Marie said, still staring at the note. "Just lost."

Marie crumpled the new note in her hand, anxious to leave the shop again. She slipped out and followed the instructions, feeling safer when she was behind the store by the shed and out of the way. Sirens still bellowed into the air way too close, and they made her anxious.

It was an excruciatingly long five minutes until Harriet came back around the store. She thrust another note in her hand.

Are you the one responsible for all these sirens?

Marie read it and nodded. Harriet looked a cross between nervous and impressed. She scribbled another note.

Charles will take out the second piece, but I'll take you to the room now. He'll be another few minutes.

Marie nodded again. Harriet put in the number code on the shed door lock and it popped open. Harriet then flipped open the number code panel and pressed her thumb against the grimy scanner. Marie watched, impressed, as the floor slid back. It squeaked and moaned, but hopefully wasn't too loud. The beginning of a spiral staircase was at the top of the trap door. Harriet nodded toward the staircase and Marie hesitantly walked in.

As she descended the staircase, she saw a dingy room with a chair and one of those medical beds with a small table next to it. The room almost felt like one of the rooms from the S.E.A. hospital, except not as sterile and pristine. Marie took off her backpack and hugged it close. She wanted to look through the laminated page again but wasn't sure she was safe to do so yet. She didn't know how sensitive the bug was in the second piece.

Thoughts swirled around her mind. She realized Harriet wasn't too much older than she was. With how much Mr. Edison reminded her about how young she was, he wondered what he would think about Harriet. And the other guy.

She tried not to think too much about her dad. It filled her with panic and an urgency to save him, but she didn't want to activate the chip again.

It was another five minutes before the trap door squeaked open. She glanced up and saw a man descend the staircase. It must have been Charles. He held a small medical pack. When he came to the final stair, he turned to look at Marie. Marie couldn't help but stare. If Marie had one word for him, it would have been hot. If she had two, she would have said super-hot. She turned her gaze to the floor, feeling her face flush. How long had she been staring?

Charles stood almost six feet tall, a whole foot above Marie. He had dark brown hair with a slight wave to it, and blue-grey eyes. His clothes, black dress pants with a white, long sleeve button up shirt and tie. He wasn't the extreme body builder type, but he did take care of the body he had, and she could see the white shirt pressed tight against his broad shoulders. He didn't seem too old, approaching his mid-twenties, maybe. Did Mr. Edison know the underground was young?

Charles motioned with his head over to the table, and Marie tore her eyes away from the floor and obeyed. Marie placed her bag next to the table before sitting down on the edge of it. Charles set down his supplies on a small end table. He pulled out two plastic gloves before placing them on the table. Charles loosened his tie and slipped it over his head. He rubbed his throat, a hint of relaxation on his face. He pulled at his collar to loosen it, and Marie realized she was staring again. She averted her eyes, not wanting to be caught. She was in mortal danger. Did she have to remind herself constantly of that in order to focus? Charles began to roll up his sleeves right as the trap door opened again and someone descended the staircase. Marie turned to look, but Charles seemed to expect this newcomer as he slipped on the gloves.

A thick black container rested in Harriet's hands as she walked down the stairs. Charles pulled out a syringe and motioned to her hair. Marie gathered her hair and pulled it to the side. With one gloved hand on her head, he tilted it and injected whatever was in the syringe, most likely anesthesia, into the area around her chip. After checking his watch, Charles returned to his tools and rummaging through them, picking some out and sterilizing them. Through her side vision, Marie saw Harriet smiling. Marie turned to her, and Harriet pointed at all of Charles before nodding and smiling.

Yeah, he's hot, she mouthed. It made Marie go even redder in the face. Was it obvious she was quietly admiring Charles again? She had people to worry about, she didn't have time to admire a man's hotness.

Charles turned around, wearing a pair of glasses, and his hotness intensified. It must have shown on her face, because Harriet shook with silent laughter. Charles started pointing to her, pointing to the bed, then pointing at his stomach, and Marie could not for the life of her figure out what he was trying to say. He did the mime again, and it wasn't until Harriet touched her shoulder and helped her to lay on her stomach that Marie understood.

Charles worked quickly. She felt his gloved hands brush against her ear occasionally as she kept her hair out of the way. With a clink, Marie knew the second piece was in the container. Thirty seconds later, with a smaller clink, Marie guessed that was her chip. Harriet screwed the lid on tight and headed up the stairs. Charles still worked on Marie's head, and she wasn't sure what else she had to do.

Marie heard the trap door slide back into place.

"If you'll give me another minute, I'll have this incision sealed."

Marie closed her eyes. She hoped he'd have a high, squeaky voice so there would be something to turn her off, but nope. Even his voice had a deep, rich tone to it.

"Could...could someone get my dad? I think he might be in danger because of me," Marie said.

Charles paused in his work. He then pulled off one of his gloves and took out his phone. He flipped it open, dialed a number, and placed it to his ear.

"What's your address and your dad's name?" he asked.

Marie gave him the information, and Charles nodded right as someone picked up on the other side.

"Sam, it's me," he said. "I need you to pick someone up. ... Yes, he is in danger." He relayed the information. Marie felt a bit better. She could tell her dad everything and they could figure out their next step.

"Yes, I know." Charles was still talking to the person on the phone. "I know," he repeated. Marie could barely hear whoever was on the other line. He listened some more, glancing at Marie. Marie stared at his blue-grey eyes, surprised to see a quiet but exhausted kindness behind them. "Yes, we're at the place. We'll meet you here. Bye."

Charles closed his phone and put it back in his pocket. He slipped a new glove on his hand, picked up a tube of paste-like glue, and continued working. He did a little more work on the cut before setting the tube down and removing his gloves. Marie flipped on her back and sat up. Charles kept his sleeves rolled up as he placed his used gloves on the table. He ran a hand through his beautiful dark brown hair before taking off his glasses and placing them to the side of his tools.

Focus, Marie.

"I used some miracle glue from the S.E.A., so it has a less chance of getting infected, but still watch it for a few days."

Marie nodded, staring at the ground instead of him.

"Harriet tells me you had a note from Thomas Edison himself. It's enough for us to bring you and your dad here, but if you'd like to get any deeper in the underground, I'll have to ask you some questions."

Marie nodded again. Charles didn't sound threatening. There was a laid-back vibe to him, like they were going to chat about certain subjects in science and was asking her opinion.

"First, your name?" he asked.

"Marie Curie."

Charles held out a hand, and Marie reached out to shake it. "Charles Darwin. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Um, yes," Marie said, realizing she sounded like an idiot.

Charles leaned against the wall, arms folded, his forearms still exposed. Marie tried not to look anywhere but his eyes.

"How'd you know Tom?" Charles asked.

"He was my science teacher at Presley," Marie said.

"Oh, you're a high school student?" Charles asked.

Of course he'd think she was probably in junior high. Maybe even elementary school. Sometimes she hated being short.

"Yeah. Freshman."

Charles nodded. "Checks out. We keep an eye on him."

"Sounded like you're not the only one."

Charles gave her an innocent smile. "What do you know about the underground?"

"Only what Mr. Edison told me. Which isn't much. I... I overheard Mr. Edison not singing once." Her life story tumble out of her, mentioning about Mr. Edison and the S.E.A. and President Arnold and how she got wrapped up in it all. Charles listened, a finger to his chin, as she explained about the S.E.A., about Sophie's parents wanting her to spy on him and his inventions, how she was forced to sing about everything she knew to President Arnold.

Charles listened thoughtfully. "If President Arnold heard everything, why are you still here? How did you escape him?"

"Apparently I didn't know enough, so he let me go, telling me not to get in any more trouble."

Charles studied her. "You must have gotten into a lot of trouble, then, to have the streets covered in S.E.A. agents and officials and cops stopping at nothing to find you."

Marie looked at him, then realized it was too distracting, so she turned her head and studied the floor.

"I discovered some more things," Marie said.

Intrigued, Charles cocked his head to one side. "What kind of things?"

"The blackmail Mr. Edison has over President Arnold."

Charles looked genuinely impressed. He held up a hand. "Don't tell me. I get screened enough at work. But I'm glad someone else besides ol' Tom knows."

Marie nodded, but didn't smile. "President Arnold doesn't know I know yet. There's... something else."

Marie grabbed her bag and held it close to her. She stared at it.

"Just to be sure, are you the leader? Of the underground?" Marie asked.

Charles looked as though he didn't like the reminder. "Yes. I know what you're thinking. I'll be twenty-five in February. The leaders before were older and more experienced but things... happened. It fell on me to take over."

Marie nodded before unzipping her bag and pulling out the laminated page. "Sophie and I discovered this when we accidentally found ourselves in the basement of the S.E.A."

Charles shot her another strange look as he took the laminated page. "Accidentally found yourselves in the basement of the S.E.A.? It's not a—" He cut himself off when he glanced at the page. His mouth fell open as he stared at it. He tried multiple times to talk, eyes still fixed on the page. Finally he looked up at Marie. "Do you have any idea what this is?"

Marie nodded. "The chemical formula for memory blockage. What the S.E.A. uses for hobos."

Charles stared at the page again. "This is the most amazing thing. Ever. We owe you now, Marie. This is... this is remarkable! Thank you so much."

Before she could stop herself, Marie let the question tumble out. "Are all the hobos part of the underground?"

Most of his attention was still on the page, reading over the formula. "Some of them."

"Some?"

Charles tore his eyes from the page and looked up. "The rest of the underground are over the wall."

Marie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Oh?"

Charles nodded. "Many members of our group have been forced to the other side because of what happened here. We had a strong leader who was discovered and barely managed to escape over the wall before it was too late. The S.E.A. is weeding us out, driving us to either join them, or go over the wall. If any of them come back, they catch them and force them to forget who they were. There are so many people I recognize, Marie. Shells of what they once were. If we can crack this code and bring their memories back, our numbers would triple, and we could have a fighting chance again."

Marie held her bag close, her fingers turning to ice at Charles' words. "What exactly would we do, though?"

"Well," Charles said. "Fight against President Arnold."

Marie frowned. "Like, actually fight against him?"

The hesitancy was evident in her voice, making Charles look up. He set the laminated paper aside, giving her his full attention. "Change doesn't often happen by a group of people politely asking to be heard, Marie."

Marie looked away, holding her bag close. Dread settled in her stomach like a lead weight. When she handed Charles the laminated page, she also gave a lot of fuel for a war. She didn't want a war. People died in a war.

"Hey," Charles said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Marie, it's okay."

"Is it? Last history lesson I remember, it was the evil scientists who fought and destroyed and killed. We would play right back into that role, wouldn't we?"

Charles frowned. Marie expected him to pat her head, to tell her she was too young to understand, and she should leave it to them to figure things out, but to her surprise he didn't.

"I want you a member of the underground," he said.

It took her by surprise. "Really?"

Charles went back to cleaning his tools. "I want to hear every idea you have about non-violent revolutions. If there is any way to lessen suffering, I'm all ears."

Marie was shocked. Maybe she was used to Mr. Edison telling her she was too young all the time. Then she realized Charles was twenty-four. Maybe he was still young enough to remember what it felt like to be left out of things because of his age.

The trap door slid open and a new person descended the stairs at a rapid pace. It was another man, about the same age as Charles. He had dark brown hair and green eyes. This new man got to the end of the stairs and leaned over, hands on his knees. Marie saw he had sweat pouring down his face and he was breathing deeply.

"Sam?" Charles asked, taking a few steps toward him. "Did you find him."

Another deep breath rattled Sam's frame before he gave Charles an annoyed look. "He'd be here if I did, wouldn't he?"

Marie felt everything inside her seize up. "Are...are you talking about my dad?"

Sam noticed Marie for the first time before looking away, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Why did he look ashamed? Where was her dad?

Charles frowned. "What happened?"

"We were too late. By the time we got over there, S.E.A. and police cars had the whole place surrounded. They were leading him away handcuffed to the back of one of their cars." Sam shook his head. "One of them spotted us."

"Anyone lost?" Charles asked.

Sam was still panting. "No. Thankfully."

Marie didn't realize she was hyperventilating until Charles was next to her, instructing her to breath through her diaphragm, not her chest. Marie covered her mouth with both hands, tears leaking out of her eyes.

Sam didn't meet her gaze. "I'm sorry. The S.E.A.'s got him now."

Anger burn inside Marie's chest. She could get angry without singing, and the anger seemed to triple.

"Go get him then!"

Sam gave a laugh. "If only we could. It's not easy."

Marie moved off the table, heading for Sam. "He's probably not there yet! Go back out there and stop them!"

Charles grabbed Marie's arm. "Hey, hey. I know. It's hard. But getting angry at Sam won't fix anything."

Tears fell down her cheeks as she remembered the last conversation she had with her dad, which was really a fight, where she shattered her dad's heart.

"The S.E.A. has him, Marie," Charles said. "It means top most security in the basement of the S.E.A. skyscraper, and if he leaves, he will leave as a hobo. How you managed to get there is an achievement, but it's an achievement we in the underground are still trying to obtain."

"Wait, you've been in the basement?" Sam asked, a new respect in his voice.

Charles said nothing, only gave Sam the laminated page with a wide smile on his face.

Sam took it curiously, but his curiosity turned to utmost joy. He looked at Charles hopefully. Charles nodded. "We'll put our top people to work on how to crack it. Tonight."

Marie stared at her feet, not sure what to think. Her thoughts reeled as she tried to understand her situation. She didn't register that when Sam wiped his eyes, it was from tears and not sweat. He gave Charles the page back, looking extraordinarily happy. He mentioned something about needing to get back to his place and left as quickly as he came.

Her heart cracked, and tears continued to leak out her eyes. Her dad was arrested. And from the sounds of it, she wasn't sure she'd ever see him again. She never got to explain herself, never got to let him understand. She refused to see him this morning, the last time she could have seen him, and a sob threatened to break her down.

Marie felt a hand on her shoulder as she tried to keep the tears under control. Charles pulled out a tissue and handed it to her.

"Giving us the page is the best chance we have of getting your dad out. We will fix this," he said.

Marie tried to nod, but the tears came more quickly. Everything she knew about her old world crumbled away. Her friends, Sophie, her dad, even Mr. Edison, she wasn't sure if she'd ever see them again. She could never show her face at Presley. Even being seen in the city was dangerous. She was now part of an underground, fighting for her right to be what she wanted, and part of her couldn't help but feel like she just took a running leap off a towering cliff.