As Adlai lay bleeding on the ground, his vision slowly dimming and his mouth dry, he wondered if he’d ever see the light of day again. The dulling rays of the sun landed in his eyes, but strangely he wasn’t bothered. His eyes slowly closed, and his vision darkened. He remembered that day, when the first rays of light shone through the sooty, encrusted window, waking him up. He groaned softly, and rolled over, relishing those last moments of soft, warm, comfort before stiffly rising, stretching his aching back. He slipped on his beaten jacket, along with his worn air purifier, finally throwing on his scraggly jeans.

Stepping down the ancient, creaky stairs, he grabbed his little bag filled with water and the little money he had saved. He pushed open the rusty door with a rough screech and took in a deep breath of slightly sour air. Adlai squinted as the bright rays of the sun, dulled slightly by the thick smog in the sky, bedazzled his vision. He wondered if he should even show up to work today. He sighed and made his way past the rows of dilapidated buildings, elderly faces rotting away, from sand to sand. The air was thick, and Adlai knew it was about time he would have to change his purifier for a new one.

This industrial world had sacrificed habitability for production, the product of a materialistic empire. The only people who lived here were the workers who operated the dangerous and deadly machinery. Adlai walked past some of these workers, many missing arms, legs, and eyes.

“Hey, wait up!” Adlai turned to see a red-haired girl, a little bit younger than him running towards him. She had a slight limp, the result of losing a leg to an industrial grinder, but she was one of the lucky few to get a prosthetic. Adlai obliged, and slowed down his pace. Averi, the red-haired girl, fell into step next to him.

“You going to work?”

Adlai nodded, the helplessness of going to toil for another 12 hours in a dingy, dark corner clear on his face.

Averi smiled cheerily at him. “This might be the last time you have to go to work!”

“What?” He scowled at Averi. “You better not be joking about this.”

“I’m not, I swear! There’s this colonization program, and they’re looking for colonists here! I’m going to apply, are you?”

Adlai kept silent, thinking about it. His entire life, he had been on this planet. It wasn’t a beautiful tourist destination, but he was okay with it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn photo, one of two parents and an unsmiling child. He put it back into his pocket and nodded to Averi, who jumped at least 3 feet into the air.

“YES! I’m so glad you’re gonna do it too! All right, I gotta go do some stuff, I’ll catch you tomorrow at the testing place!” Adlai knew by stuff, Averi would be trying to pull off some outrageous heist, whether it be pickpocketing the richest factory owner in their town, or running a rigged dice game. He remembered the first time he saw Averi when she was still fresh on the streets.

She was on the ground, curled up in a fetal position, face streaked with dirt and tears, and a stump where a leg used to be. Two men stood over her, one missing an arm.

“I’ll give you the kid for the prosthetic and 200 hard credits.”

“The kid’s a crip! You trying to rip me off? Only thing she’d be good for is parts, she can’t work no more.”

“Fine, just give me the prosthetics, and I'll give you the kid.” Averi’s eyes were shallow and dull, like a sheep up for slaughter. She looked up to the man who was selling her and crawled over to him, grabbing his leg tight.

“Dad?”

The man kicked her off of him, spitting on the ground. He refused to look into her eyes. Reaching out a hand to the other man, he shook his hand, and grabbed the prosthetic arm. He walked off, leaving Averi and the other man alone. It wasn’t common for a parent to sell their child, but it was done as an act of necessity, or an act of greed. Adlai stood and watched, almost rooted to the spot. As Averi’s father left, her eyes lit up with animalistic desperation. The man reached down to pick her up, and she bit his hand. Hard. The man screamed, his face turning red from rage.

“YOU BITCH! I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!” His wounded hand was limp, and he dropped the case of prosthetics, searching for something in his bag. Averi crawled over to the case and pulled out a prosthetic leg. She slipped it on, got up, and started to run. And fell. And got up again. And fell. The man walked over, gun in hand.

“I don’t need you alive for parts.”A cruel smile festered on the man’s face. “You shouldn’t have done that, you stupid cripple.” Averi desperately tried to crawl away, as the man walked forward. He raised the arm holding the gun, drew a bead, and was tackled. Adlai never knew why he got involved. The basic rules of this society dictated that your eyes were closed to everything, but something inside him moved to help her. The man was on the ground, and Adlai punched him again, and again, and again. He didn’t stop punching until the man’s face had swollen up like a balloon. Adlai’s knuckles were raw and bleeding, but he didn’t feel a thing.

He grabbed Averi’s hand and ran, dragging her beside him. Silent tears flowed from her cheeks, and they both ran. They passed alleyways, crumbled buildings holding malnourished inhabitants, factories churning out thick smog. They stopped only when Adlai felt as though he’d collapse. Miraculously, he’d ended up at his house, and he walked to the front steps, his chest pumping like bellows. Averi stared up at him, tear-streaked face filled with apprehension. He gave her a reassuring smile.

“What’s your name?” Adlai asked gently. He felt like he was handling a piece of glass, any wrong move and it would shatter.

“Averi.”

“What?”

“Averi.” She sniffled quietly.

“That’s a beautiful name. Come on, let me get that leg fixed for you.” Adlai slowly reached over to the prosthetic and began strapping it on tight. Averi barely moved, muscles rigid with fear. Adlai carefully reached for her hands.

“Do you think you can get up for me?”

She rose unsteadily, a tiny smile on her face. It was the first time she had stood on two legs in a long time. Adlai led her into her house. He was sure he still had some food to share. Probably.

Adlai was shaken out of his memory as he nearly walked into a burnt-out lamppost. The factory loomed ahead of him, and he ducked under the door. Today would be long and tiring, but he was ready for the new day tomorrow and the new opportunity.