Exiting from the first-floor plaza's M.C. Remy fashion boutique, which rested opposite a virtual reality boutique, Valerie and Jessica heard a loud thud. Looking back, they caught a man in a black leotard lying beside a three-sixty treadmill.

Due east on the sidewalk, past the commercial vicinity of Trixie Plaza, the sun peaked. A series of intersections colored their view of the outer city. Chavez and Seventh: Fruit and art vendors, paintings and meticulously crafted fruit ...