Five generations ago humanity left their original planet, the identity of which was lost. While exploring the galaxy for a new home, humanity encountered plant-like aliens that called themselves Namolites. After forming an alliance with the aliens, humanity built a new planet and lived in harmony. In an act of hubris, the planet was dubbed the Titan.
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In the present day, several members of law enforcement and high class socialites went missing with nothing connecting their disappearances. That did not arouse too much suspicion at first. Socialites lived in their own world where they vanished and were reborn all the time. A world Naomi Titch would never understand because she was raised by a primary school teacher and fisherman. As a member of law enforcement, vanishing without a trace was an occupational hazard. Naomi stood in her boyfriend’s studio apartment, staring at the corkboard with the pictures of three missing children and the red strings connecting their pictures. Naomi was not about to give up on these three girls – Ivy Ridge, Sasha Moore and Clarissa Birmingham. Naomi was given up on by everyone except for her own parents, her boyfriend and her boyfriend’s own parents.
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The detective stared at their pictures and replayed her conversations with their parents.
A smiling blonde seventeen year old. A smiling sixteen year old with brown hair. A smiling eighteen year old redhead. All missing. All three girls had loving civilian parents. Ivy Ridge, according to everyone that Naomi interviewed, was an outgoing, tomboyish blonde with brown eyes, a freckled face. Ivy was a goalkeeper in a local soccer team.
Sasha Moore was only special because one of her parents was an elusive Namolite.
Clarissa was a sweet and caring girl who carried her dog in handbags that matched her favourite outfits. Additionally, the redhead wasn’t a working class eighteen year old. Her parents were President Atlas Birmingham and First Lady Andromeda Birmingham. Naomi sighed heavily, she knew the Birmingham’s personally. Due to her Special Forces history Naomi was only called in to investigate cases with horrific conclusions.
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Naomi lost track of the time, only to be snapped from her fixation by a ringing from her pocket. The most obnoxious ringing she could find without paying for soundbites. Naomi reached into the pocket of her grey hoodie and slammed her thumb against the cuboid.115Please respect copyright.PENANAim1Z2FWyKj
“Yello?” She answered. “Naomi Titch speaking-”115Please respect copyright.PENANA0z6WJH6ZRo
Naomi half expected it to be her boss, but she did not recognise the number. Maybe that was a good thing? There were no bodies…yet. She was cut off by a panicked blubbering female voice.
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“My son is missing!”115Please respect copyright.PENANAcEGsuL3bYL
Fuck. I’m going to need more pills for this. Naomi sighed internally.115Please respect copyright.PENANAhUoRphVcVP
“How old is your son?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAQ5IzwVnTVc
“Nineteen.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAs9lBwk5zoh
“Does he have a history of vanishing?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAeyppIAk0XZ
“Yes, but this time is different.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAm98YTg56ji
Spoken like a mother who’s been told to wait and see if her son would return on his own or be found after the worse had happened.115Please respect copyright.PENANAeYA3x4oQEW
“How is this different? Teenagers always do dumb shit.” She too used to be that stupid.115Please respect copyright.PENANAfLy8hE8rQg
“Please. This…is…different.” The female voice started to break. “I know my baby better than anyone else. No matter what has happened in the past. He would never…He…would…never…”
“What’s his name?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAJUoQyuoeOi
“Huh?”115Please respect copyright.PENANA688qvvGELZ
“I’m going to help you, but I need information about this kid so I can find him.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAYKyraBLgN0
“Alexander. Ahem. Alex Tucker.”115Please respect copyright.PENANA9iQuB8MKU1
“Your name?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAkd4TaTJC2p
“Why do you need that?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAHRBoFu0DTz
“For my records.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAMTHJx3rkZI
“Oh...” A contemplative pause. “My name is Luna. Luna Tucker.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAFREEUieqCC
“His father?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAX3JNIV3Y6i
“Nicholas- I mean, Nick. Nick Tucker.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAxqSTQBoDnW
“Can you send me a picture of Alex for identification purposes? Tell me what he was doing prior to his disappearance. Don’t leave out any details. I also need your home address so I can return him to you upon the conclusion of my investigation. I assume you called me directly because no one else would help you? Do you have any enemies who would want to hurt you, your husband or your son? What is your occupation?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAmyR1Ss6qK5
The woman complied.115Please respect copyright.PENANAQDzURN0nFi
“I am a scientist. My husband is a soldier. Alex is unemployed. He recently graduated and is taking a gap year before he decides to pursue further education or start a career.”
“Are there any problems at home?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAFa021kG2mL
“What do you mean?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAdoHF6m7U3Y
Naomi sighed heavily before replying. She pinched the bridge of her nose, pushing her rectangular glasses up higher. “Is there any friction between you, your husband or son?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAId78dsGBAB
“I would never!”115Please respect copyright.PENANAoQ4PP8tdjg
“Calm down, ma’am.”115Please respect copyright.PENANA6PRkgXsvOp
When people yelled at her, Naomi ignored them. That was a side effect of her PTSD.115Please respect copyright.PENANAJuP51pMhxp
“I am calm!”115Please respect copyright.PENANACcosIsB8b4
“Lower your voice. Please send me the information I asked for. I’m trying to help you.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAfjwGGIDZnY
At least this woman sounded like Naomi’s own mother. Naomi felt the uneasiness in her chest settle. Naomi’s mother was a woman who moved heaven and earth to protect her daughter. What people said sometimes did not line up with their actions, especially when it came to how people treated children. Naomi was especially sceptical towards figures of authority since her sentence in the looney bin. The people needed a villain. Heaven forbid that the government be held accountable for sending innocents to their deaths. As the mother crying on the phone was learning while trying to find her son.
“Okay.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAZWhqvuSZ3d
“I’ll contact you with any information I find.” The same words Naomi said to the parents of Ivy, Sasha and Clarissa. “I will do whatever it takes to return your son to you, ma’am.”
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The woman huffed and hung up. Naomi conducted research on the names the woman provided and she nearly fell out of her chair when three pictures filled the screen.115Please respect copyright.PENANA8Kiq6VM3v3
“No wonder the name Tucker seemed familiar.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAcmTR191xas
Staring back at her were three pictures. Firstly, a human. Secondly, a Namolite. Finally, their hybrid child. The Tuckers were the third richest and third most influential family on the Titan. Namolites were the epitome of what plants would look like as humans. Luna’s skin was yellow and glossy. Her irises were red. Instead of hair she had fleshy, yellow petals on her head and a row of short stalks tipped in what looked like dew but milky.
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Naomi dialled the only person that she trusted, outside of her own parents.115Please respect copyright.PENANACQgNh4rCVG
“Matt? I think I’m in over my head.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAEoFRG5FQAh
She could feel his panic radiating off the silence as he struggled to respond.115Please respect copyright.PENANANCLxLDtw6P
“What can you tell me about the Tuckers? It can wait until you’re home from work.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAm6teGqRxLj
“Excuse me. I need to take this call.” He placed something down and left the room. Naomi heard the whoosh of a door seal decompressing and the blast of air in the decontamination chamber. Matt worked in a laboratory whenever he wasn’t playing Dana Scully to her Fox Mulder.115Please respect copyright.PENANAClaEnuEd3D
“What have you done this time? They aren’t to be trifled with. I could lose my job if you-”115Please respect copyright.PENANAhFwMvG8vVa
“No. I haven’t pissed the Tuckers off. That I know of.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAd1PPdsulIi
“Naomi-”115Please respect copyright.PENANAAxl1uqPIHQ
“Their son is missing. She asked for my help. So…”115Please respect copyright.PENANAOfoekigfGc
“I’ll be home as soon as I can. Don’t do anything until I get home.” Matt commanded. His voice was softer than hers. Ordinarily, he was not firm with her. This made her smile despite the reason for her call. This exchange reminded her of when they first met.
“Don’t do anything without you or don’t do anything stupid in general?”115Please respect copyright.PENANA7q6Z4KnFZE
“Both. Naomi, this is serious. You can’t just tell this woman to get off her, and I quote ‘fat-ass and grab her own doughnuts’, like you do to Fells. If we can’t find this child…”115Please respect copyright.PENANAvtaQNNLZFV
“I know. There are only two families higher than hers in the chain of command. Something isn’t right. I have a hunch. If I can find this kid…I’ll know for certain.”
If only she could apply herself to something that won’t get us killed, or worse, fired. 115Please respect copyright.PENANA1fREt9SWGs
“You have a hunch? How long have you been staring at that board today?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAuEGDjMlWOw
“Uh…That’s not important.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAmJPLznukXn
“Naomi.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAIPO1Hx6dDQ
“See you when you get home.” She hung up on him and glanced at the board as Luna sent her the information she requested. Naomi printed Alex’s picture and pinned it up next to the missing girls before adding another length of string and a handful of tacks. Alex was a hybrid like Sasha. His family was rich like Clarissa’s. That did not account for Ivy. Three girls. One boy. Was there something she could not see? None of these children would have met before. Was this about protecting them or harming them?
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“Hmmn. According to this page, Alex seems to be a skirt chaser like his father, but he’s been offline since he vanished. How do I-” Naomi clicked her fingers as inspiration struck like lightning. “I’ve got it! I’ll reply to his dating profile. With help from everyone’s favourite slutty bunny. It’s crazy, but it might be crazy enough to work. Is this profile connected to the disappearances? Is it really him? He’s nineteen and they’re all minors.” While Naomi was trying to remember where she stored all of the makeup and garments needed to transform into Honey, a key turned in the lock. It was her boyfriend.
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“Naomi?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAdrLT0HJJUl
“In here!” She dashed to the console to close her tabs before he could see them.115Please respect copyright.PENANA0T60eF6eUq
“Have you been working all day?”115Please respect copyright.PENANArJ4T8VNywp
“Yes! What else would I be doing?”115Please respect copyright.PENANA7vpntrCeg9
He laughed under his breath.115Please respect copyright.PENANAOuJzEAV7tC
“You do have a point. What did you find?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAesEqEgeLJn
“What do you know about Luna Tucker?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAqRUZJEi5P6
“She works in the same laboratory as I do. She’s a Namolite. Her husband works as one of those armoured security guards that you ‘love’ so much. They have one child.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAlXqK1QsQRF
“A son. I know. He’s missing and she asked me to find him.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAjcuclp8dbJ
“How are we going to do that?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAXcb5IbF4e7
“We?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAHwVpTXdrNA
“My laboratory is used to you pulling me away without warning. I don’t like that look.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAXoZwYYt3cQ
“What look? This is my face.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAjw40l6ao93
“A pretty face, to be sure.” He sighed, pushing his glasses up. “What is your plan?”
“Honey has found a way to meet up with Alex or whoever has been using his identity.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAyU3tzDikf7
Matt swallowed. She did not like Honey. He preferred plain old Naomi in every way.115Please respect copyright.PENANA1lPKTg2KeZ
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to sleep with Alex. He’s nineteen. He’s practically a baby.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAgmmcrmayfW
“You’re literally twenty three.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAGOUAgiM6Ff
“And you’re twenty four. What’s your point?”115Please respect copyright.PENANAkm0cVItvL7
“I concede.” The blonde sighed. “I can’t stop you. Don’t keep me in the dark. Please.”115Please respect copyright.PENANARQwrwAYDoA
His previous relationship with the infamous Fay Kent left Matt with trust issues.115Please respect copyright.PENANARfI3fgbFzw
“First, I’ll message Alex. Second, we’ll meet up in a public location. I’ll be disguised as Honey. And last but not least, I’ll drag his ass back to his mother and then come back to you. He’ll have to deal with the consequences on his own. I’m not going to argue with anyone’s mother.” Naomi shuddered. “Especially if she’s half as scary as mine.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAuLdbgDSVh3
Matt laughed behind his hand.115Please respect copyright.PENANA22RrlDlwou
“Hey! Don’t laugh at me. I was raised by that woman. You’re lucky that she adores you.”115Please respect copyright.PENANA70x6biYfxJ
“I’m sorry.” Matt chuckled while Naomi puffed out her cheeks. “I can only imagine.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAx40kztNgzE
Naomi was so cute like this.115Please respect copyright.PENANAp3PY4kVx2z
“If you need new accessories for your disguises, be sure to use my card.”115Please respect copyright.PENANADkrBczfqtc
Matt was the breadwinner in their relationship, but she would never ask for his help. “I’ll start on dinner. You can help me in the kitchen, so you don’t stare at that board for another second longer.” Matt noticed the new picture on the board when he walked in.115Please respect copyright.PENANAmsTG9hs1Gs
“Me…in the kitchen? Hahaha. No.”115Please respect copyright.PENANAcCI9UZ7SSo
“You can talk to me. Talking won’t start any house fires. If, in the rare instance, I might be wrong, I paid the insurance last weekend.” The blonde smiled warmly.115Please respect copyright.PENANApb1KBjaAHc
Naomi’s heart backflipped. She cooked to survive, but she preferred her boyfriend’s ‘fancy’ cooking. ‘Fancy’ by the standards of a broken woman who survived off cheap, microwavable meals and the occasional leftovers delivered by her concerned mother.