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.

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.

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. 

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.

“Yello?” She answered. “Naomi Titch speaking-”

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. 

“My son is missing!”

Fuck. I’m going to need more pills for this. Naomi sighed internally.

“How old is your son?”

“Nineteen.”

“Does he have a history of vanishing?”

“Yes, but this time is different.”

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.

“How is this different? Teenagers always do dumb shit.” She too used to be that stupid.

“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?”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to help you, but I need information about this kid so I can find him.”

“Alexander. Ahem. Alex Tucker.”

“Your name?”

“Why do you need that?”

“For my records.”

“Oh...” A contemplative pause. “My name is Luna. Luna Tucker.”

“His father?”

“Nicholas- I mean, Nick. Nick Tucker.”

“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?”

The woman complied.

“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?”

“What do you mean?”

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?”

“I would never!”

“Calm down, ma’am.”

When people yelled at her, Naomi ignored them. That was a side effect of her PTSD.

“I am calm!”

“Lower your voice. Please send me the information I asked for. I’m trying to help you.”

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.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Okay.”

“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.”

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.

“No wonder the name Tucker seemed familiar.”

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. 

Naomi dialled the only person that she trusted, outside of her own parents.

“Matt? I think I’m in over my head.”

She could feel his panic radiating off the silence as he struggled to respond.

“What can you tell me about the Tuckers? It can wait until you’re home from work.”

“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.

“What have you done this time? They aren’t to be trifled with. I could lose my job if you-”

“No. I haven’t pissed the Tuckers off. That I know of.”

“Naomi-”

“Their son is missing. She asked for my help. So…”

“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?”

“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…”

“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.

“You have a hunch? How long have you been staring at that board today?”

“Uh…That’s not important.”

“Naomi.”

“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?

“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.

“Naomi?”

“In here!” She dashed to the console to close her tabs before he could see them.

“Have you been working all day?”

“Yes! What else would I be doing?”

He laughed under his breath.

“You do have a point. What did you find?”

“What do you know about Luna Tucker?”

“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.”

“A son. I know. He’s missing and she asked me to find him.”

“How are we going to do that?”

“We?”

“My laboratory is used to you pulling me away without warning. I don’t like that look.”

“What look? This is my face.”

“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.”

Matt swallowed. She did not like Honey. He preferred plain old Naomi in every way.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to sleep with Alex. He’s nineteen. He’s practically a baby.”

“You’re literally twenty three.”

“And you’re twenty four. What’s your point?”

“I concede.” The blonde sighed. “I can’t stop you. Don’t keep me in the dark. Please.”

His previous relationship with the infamous Fay Kent left Matt with trust issues.

“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.”

Matt laughed behind his hand.

“Hey! Don’t laugh at me. I was raised by that woman. You’re lucky that she adores you.”

“I’m sorry.” Matt chuckled while Naomi puffed out her cheeks. “I can only imagine.”

Naomi was so cute like this.

“If you need new accessories for your disguises, be sure to use my card.”

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.

“Me…in the kitchen? Hahaha. No.”

“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.

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.