Compared to the chaos that was the night, the morning was peaceful. A tranquil hush of waves swelled across the rocky shore below the cliff side, a precipice the bakery hugged comfortably close. Sea fowl called with the rising sun, awakening Satya with the light and sound of a new day in Dorado. Bells in the distance began to swing.

She awoke to find she was alone in the room. The cot beside her was empty – of a body, at least. The blanket left behind was unfolded and askew, as she supposed the thief would leave it. She clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth, releasing the unease building in her chest. It could be corrected. She rose from the sofa and stretched, folded her own blanket, then folded the blanket on the cot.

The methodical movement of her arms as she folded had been rehearsed into a mindless dance after so many years of insisting she fold her things herself. She was the only one who could do it right. Edges flush, corners tapered. Her thoughts drifted. She wondered if the thief had already taken his leave. His gear was no longer strewn along the floor. It was for the best, Satya concluded. Her heart pumped as she remembered her spill of classified information in the waning hours of the night. For what reason had she been so careless, confiding in a thief like him? She had no need for justifying herself. It would not happen again.

Laughter erupted from downstairs. So, the thief had not yet left. Of course not, she was his technician after all, and for him to depart without her would raise questions.

Satya slipped on her boots and descended the steps into the bakery. Alejandra and the thief sat together at a table and her broken leg was propped up on another chair. The plates in front of them presented half-devoured pastries, though the plate in front of the remaining fourth empty chair was full to the brim.

"Buenos días, Satya." Alejandra's mother said, massaging a raw mound of dough behind the bakery counter, "I've made pan dulces for breakfast. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I included a little of everything. The plate on the table there is yours."

Satya took her seat at the table and found some surprise to be greeted with two wide smiles. "Hey, mornin'," the thief said as he leaned in, pointing to the plate. "You should try the conchas, they're delicious."

"Which ones would those be?"

Alejandra chimed in, mouth stuffed with dough. "The ones shaped like shells!"

The sweet bread in question were small and bulbous, scattered across the plate, and ribbed with fine white powdered sugar to accentuate the sea shell resemblance. They were nearly too perfect to eat. Her stomach protested her care for the symmetric. Satya winced as the bread so meticulously crafted crumbled under her touch. The sugar glaze gave some resistance under the bite of her front teeth, crackling and crunching, and the sweet casing gave way to a soft middle dough. It was pleasant, and paired wonderfully with the hot coffee provided on the side.

"They are delicious," Satya replied, noticing the thief patiently awaiting her verdict.

"Gloria, the breakfast was amazing, even Satya thinks so," the thief turned to Alejandra's mother. "I'll have to come back for these again sometime."

"Gracias," Gloria beamed, wiping her hands off on her apron. "I must say, it's still a little surreal that the Lúcio is sitting in my bakery."

It was still surreal to Satya too, for different reasons. What would Sanjay think if he saw her now, sharing sweet bread and fake smiles with the criminal designated for termination only hours ago?

"Hey, I came from a favela in Rio. I'm just a guy that likes music," the thief said, standing up and lifting his plate from the table. "I'd love to stay and help you and Alejandra, but we should probably get going before any Los Muertos show up."

"Can't you stay a little longer?" Alejandra pouted.

Gloria shook her head. "I would love for them to stay too, mija, but I agree. With Los Muertos, this is for the best."

Satya savored her last bite of the sweet bread, and the last minutes she had with company. It was rare she shared meals with anyone. Her routine was rigid, grabbing meals from Vishkar's cafeteria and retreating to her quarters or the laboratory, careful not to contaminate the equipment while eating. On occasion she would join Sanjay or the more tolerable of her fellow colleagues – Nisha, Mayura, and Farida – as they would gather in the food court at the table by the window. She wasn't often included in conversation unless they were desperate to know the latest breakthroughs in her hard light experiments. Otherwise, she would finish her meal, recline, and observe the pristine clockwork operations of Utopaea below as the others conversed. She was different; she should not expect anyone to understand her, and she would not burden anyone with the effort to do so. Still, to be included in conversation here in the bakery was a welcome novelty.

"You ready, Satya?" the thief asked, watching as she removed her plate from the table and deposited it on the counter.

"I am."

"Stay safe," Alejandra said. The thief kneeled to her level, giving her a hug.

"We will, you should too. Get better and rest up, okay?"

"I will," she said. She blushed and bashfully asked, "Can you sign my cast before you go?"

He smiled and scrawled his name in green pen across the hard-light cast. After he was done, the girl shifted her melting gaze to Satya, as if expecting her to do the same. Satya kneeled as the thief had done and gingerly wrapped her limbs around her in a configuration she assumed a hug demanded. The contact was not emotionally artificial, but neither was it physically natural. Satya had not affectionately embraced another being in what must have been decades. If the hug was awkward, it did not faze Alejandra. "Thank you," the girl whispered as Satya released her.

"Thank you."

Satya and the thief waved as they passed through the doorway, paired together like old friends until the door had shut and they were both across the threshold and in the streets of Dorado. They stepped apart, their smiles faded.

"So," the thief started, arms crossed against his chest. "You're going back to Vishkar. Where are you headed off to then?"

"There is an envoy likely awaiting my arrival at the LumériCo power plant, our rendezvous point by the bank," she replied coolly, squinting in the sun without the visor she had lost with her abandoned headset. For Vishkar's security, it was best the thief did not know Vishkar was stationed there, in case he was compelled to steal again. "What is your destination?"

"Why? You gonna send Vishkar after me?" He said it with a smirk, which Satya mirrored.

"As I have already informed you, I will not report you for this occurrence." It was a temporary truce birthed out of circumstance rather than any obligation she harbored for him.

The thief chuckled. "I guess I'll have to take your word for it. I've got an agent that's probably been looking for me all night. I'll be giving him a call," he said, his relaxed eyes shielded behind his green visor.

Satya remembered what the mystery woman had told her – eyes and ears were everywhere in the city, and the communication systems had been compromised after her tampering. If the thief were to call his agent it was certain Los Muertos and the mystery woman would find him in an instant. She considered sharing this information, yet, if she were to say nothing at all, the Los Muertos could relieve her of her mission and take the thief out of Vishkar's dealings in Dorado entirely, whatever it was they wanted with him.

"Indeed. I suppose this is farewell."

The thief shook his head. "Nah, I'll walk with you to town hall. They're after both of us right? It'll be safer if we stick together until you get there."

"You will accompany me?"

"Sure, don't see why not. Los Muertos will probably have a harder time catching both of us, especially with your tech."

She figured it might not hurt to have the aid of the thief's speed in the case a chase occurred, as long as he was out of sight of the security systems installed on the LumériCo premises. She couldn't risk Sanjay spotting him and asking questions. "We must rely on cover then. Our outfits are even more egregious in the daylight."

"I hear you," he agreed. "Let's go through here." The thief held out a hand to Satya's shoulder, stopping just short of placing it against her sleeve. His hand hovered behind her back, a gentle gesture to direct her where he wanted to go.

They swiftly moved up the stairs and through the uphill street, careful to take cover under archways and behind terraces. The street was bustling – carts pushed and pulled over the cobbled street, advertising colorful crafted wares and fresh produce to deliver to the plaza marketplace. The people were preoccupied in their daily chorus of buenos días, cómo estás, buen, gracias, y tú, and paid no attention to the outsiders slinking behind bushes and low walls.

As furtively as they attempted to navigate the corridors of the city, their equipment did little to muffle their movement. Satya stepped softly on the ground minimizing the click of her heel. The thief faired far worse. His skates produced a whir against any solid surface, the metal tubing hanging off his hip clattered as he glided across the floor, and Satya could hear the bass of his music through his headphone. He couldn't even stand still. His muscles bounced subtly to the rhythm of the music, his skates shifting back and forth and never silent as they waited for the crowd to pass. She thought successfully breaking into a high-security Vishkar facility would have taught him something about stealth.

They ducked into a covered area, with stairs that lead onto a bridge overlooking the plaza. Children played with a football in the marketplace below. Satya caught the thief smiling.

If there was any credit she could give the thief, it would be his acute lack of intimidation. Unlike the ruffians of Los Muertos, he had no spike or leather or rough edge to speak of. Only one tattoo, of a harmless frog no less, was emblazoned on his upper left arm. Without the volume of his dreadlocks, even Satya comfortably surpassed him in height. No, he was not intimidating at all, and she wondered just how he managed to become the powerful rebel that drove out such a massive influence as Vishkar.

"I don't get it Satya," he started in a hushed voice. "How can you see all of this and think that there's anything about it that needs fixing?"

"There is always room for improvement."

"What is Vishkar doing to improve anything? You'll give them buildings and use it as an excuse to punish them if they're out past curfew or refuse to work. What you Vishkar will never understand is that people should be free."

"What you call freedom is an illusion that causes more harm than good. You seem to have forgotten what we are hiding from. The existence of Los Muertos is a testament to the perils of freedom."

"That's different." The thief sighed, gesturing her to follow him into an alleyway. "You can't force people into your idea of a utopia."

"The true enemy of humanity is disorder. Once we convince the world of this, there will be no more suffering. Everything will have a plan, a place, a function. Everything will be by design."

"I don't even know what to say to you," the thief spat. The edge of his lip rose and curled in disgust. "Humans aren't designed to live like that."

"I am. Am I not human to you?"

The thief didn't respond, though she could detect the hiccup in his step, the hesitation in his breath. Perhaps he had only shifted his attention to the museum, which now stood as the final obstacle to town hall, but she was satisfied with his pause. He might have accused her of not seeing the truth of the world, of Vishkar, but he was no different. He was blinded by his own naivety.

She followed his lead pressed up against the walls of the museum. It was fortunately empty at this time of day, and another open doorway led them out as easily as they came in. Grass cushioned her feet as she stepped out. They had arrived in the courtyard of town hall. The shade of trees kept them well under cover for the time being.

"We are here," Satya said, glancing at the vulgar graffiti that marred the statue of Guillermo Portero. This was as far as she could allow the thief to go. "It is time we part ways."

"Wait, Satya." She turned to see the thief was about to grab her arm, but once again stopped himself before he could. "You're human. I didn't mean to say you aren't. It's just… not everyone is like you."

"You are not the first to tell me this," Satya replied. "I do not expect anyone to understand who I am. I only wish for others to see the world as I do."

"I think that's something everyone wants," he said. "So I understand that much."

Satya returned only a hard stare while contemplating his words. As was his specialty, the thief changed the subject amidst the awkward silence. "My agent isn't gonna be too happy when I give him a call. He didn't exactly approve of my idea to hold a concert here, so I'll probably hear a lot of 'I told you so.'"

"If it is any consolation, I can relate," Satya said as she wrung her organic hand with her metal one. "My superiors will not approve that I had cut off communication for such an extended time, and… and that I…"

"And that you helped me," the thief finished her sentence. He had a gift for acknowledging the predicament he had put her in.

"I did not help you, rather, I helped Alejandra and you insisted in becoming involved. But yes. You understand."

"What they don't know won't hurt them, right?" He rested his hands on his hips and kicked at the grass. "You know, I kind of hoped you wouldn't go back to Vishkar."

Satya scrunched her nose. He was yet another criminal proposing she defect from Vishkar, her only home. She supposed she was grateful he wasn't threatening her with the idea. "That is a preposterous thing to hope for."

"Yeah. Yeah I guess it is." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Can I ask you one question before you go?"

She had amused the thief thus far. She saw no harm in entertaining him a final time. "Very well."

"Why were you at my concert? I mean, I assume it's 'cause Vishkar sent someone out to scout for me. I just wanted to know. It couldn't possibly be because you like my music."

The thief was not wholly wrong in his assumption, yet there was more to her mission than what the thief could ever assume. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right? "It is as you suspected. I was scouting."

"I see," he said, lowering his eyes. "Well, Satya, thanks for sticking around. Maybe you can make some positive changes when you go back."

"I always strive for the advancement of Vishkar," she boasted. She had just noticed his hand was outstretched, awaiting hers to join it. She did not revel in handshakes, and on business deals she obliged simply to get it over with. At least she had practice.

She took his hand, pivoted her wrist once or twice, and retreated before he could comprehend it. "I do not agree with you, thief. I do, however, appreciate that you have accompanied me."

He only responded with a firm nod and a slight smile, but it was enough. He understood. Satya turned on her heel to cross the courtyard and enter the bank. She fought the strange urge to look behind her as she left.

The LumériCo power plant, despite no Vishkar involvement in its development, was an architectural marvel. It stood as a steel and glass ziggurat, towering above the painted brick and mortar buildings of Dorado, and showered the city in reflected green-tinted sunlight. It was almost a shame the power plant would have to be carefully deconstructed once Vishkar claimed its hold. Satya took note of the structure's intricacies as she exited the bank and stepped onto the loading dock, hoping to take inspiration from the building while designing the new Vishkar facilities for Dorado.

She would have to draft the designs remotely. After the fiasco with the thief and the mystery woman, Sanjay certainly wouldn't keep his top asset at risk in Dorado. She only hoped her new deployment would be for a research project at the shimmering university in Oasis, and not for the radiated wasteland that was Australia's outback.

The gate to the LumériCo power plant was sealed tight. Satya pressed the button to the intercom.

"This is Satya Vaswani requesting access."

Static was her only answer. She was exposed in front of the building that provided her no cover – churchgoers glared at her from nearby, whispering in curt voices and shielding their children from her view. The bells tolled again.

"Satya Vaswani?" A man's voice finally erupted from the intercom. "Sorry, it doesn't look like you have permission for access."

Satya closed her eyes and breathed deep, quelling her frustration. The security of the power plant was still under LumériCo control, and while Vishkar was allowed to use the building as a privilege for being the highest bidder, the tension between employees was palpable. It wasn't uncommon for security to refuse access to Vishkar members for the pure thrill of it, and it slowed Vishkar's progress.

"You know who I am," Satya spat. "Sanjay Korpal is expecting me."

"I know who you are. The computer doesn't," the man said. "Our computers were breached earlier this morning; we've been trying to recover our database."

"Of course." Satya breathed in again. For the sheer power that LumériCo possessed, their technological security was second rate. It was no wonder they were the constant target for outside hackers. "Call Sanjay and speak with him. He will grant me a manual override."

"Hold on a minute, something's wrong…" the man said, though his trailing voice was distant, no longer pressed into the intercom. Only static followed.

Impatient, Satya tapped her foot to the metal loading dock. After a few taps she began to synchronize her foot with the chiming of the bells. Then she counted, as if it were a dance.

One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, one, two, three…

And on the final four, the top of the glass ziggurat shattered, engulfed in a cloud of fire.