I tried to step back, but Officer Perez pushed me forward. I didn’t want to go into a cell. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but it was only going to get worse from here. I knew it.

I forced myself to keep moving, slowly marching my way into the cell, and Officer Perez slid the door closed. Metal slid along metal. I jumped as the lock engaged, clanking and beeping as the alarms activated, and suddenly everything felt a little too real. I was back in my body, and I wished with everything I had that I could go back to that floating feeling.

“Stay away from the bars. They become electrified if you get too close. They won’t kill you, but it’ll sting like a bitch.”

“Okay.” I swallowed the knot of dread. I wished I’d researched more about the whole process of being sent to jail. At least I’d know more about what to expect. Not knowing when I was going to get scanned was driving me crazy.

Breathe. I had to remember to breathe.

Officer Perez started to turn away. I was safe. I was stuck in a cage that could shock me, but no one had scanned me. If I was being treated like a normal human, then I had a shot at getting through this alive. I took a breath, thankful that maybe Roan’s job on my file had been thorough enough that SpaceTech didn’t require a scan.

But Officer Perez stopped.

“Shit. I almost forgot.” She tapped in her code, unlocking the cell. “Scanner’s down. Your file checks out, but it’s procedure.”

Any hope I had left went down the toilet. “The scanner’s down?” My voice sounded hollow.

“Yeah. Broke a few hours ago. It’s never broken before, so I’m not used to doing it this way. It’s throwing me off my game. All out of order.” She pulled a little rectangular device out of her pocket. “Just need a little blood for the lab. Arm, please.”

My heart hammered in my chest as I held out my arm. My pulse was going so fast, so hard, it almost looked like it was jumping from my skin.

I tried to breathe but I couldn’t. Not if I was supposed to hold still. I wasn’t sure how the glow was staying away, and I knew I had to get control soon.

Officer Perez looked at me. “You okay?”

I didn’t trust my voice, so I gave her a tight-lipped nod.

The officer took the gray, one-inch by two-inch box and pressed it against the inside of my elbow. A few lights told her where to place it, dinging when she’d aligned it with my vein. “All righty. This might sting for a second.”