Cynthia Ross's Story

Nothing looked good in the skies. A large, unfamiliar vessel loomed at large, casting a bleak shadow over everything. Other ships had begun to occupy the atmosphere, many shuttles were departing, many fires lined the horizon. Roana waited as Kelby cleared her way through the thick line of riot cops surrounding the building. They argued with Kelby at first, but thankfully she had presented her ID before actions were taken. They hadn't cleared Roana. She would need a pass, which was Kelby's top priority. The main atrium was crowded, but there was an easy path to the door. Eyebrows were raised, a co-worker waved, many were suprised she had made it at all it seemed. With a set jaw, she all but slammed her I.D. on the receptionist's desk.

"Need a guest pass."
The receptionist didn't look pleased at her phone conversation being interrupted. Her eyelids closed and wrinkled in an exagerated fashion as she reached slowly for the guest ID card. Sliding it across the counter, the woman tapped it twice before returning full attention to the phone call. It was her sister, by the sound of it. Kelby didn't care: she had to get back to Roana.

Outside, Roana waited impatiently in the crowd. They were mulling about, chanting of riots, while she stood in the mix of people between those spitting in the face of the assembled police. She was one of the people ready to fade through their ranks if the rioters did strike: ready to be protected. Her phone made a noise, indicating she had a message. That's right!

Roana fumbled her phone from her purse, slinging it back over her shoulder and tapping through the lock screens.

_Where r u

Braxton. Her heart skipped a beat, grasping the device in both hands and sweeping in a reply.

Graystone Indst. u safe? _

There she waited, staring at the phone, while inside Kelby fought through a crowd that had thickened while the receptionist recieved her. Where had this crowd come from? With a frustrated sigh she pulled out her research badge and began elbowing through. Had to get Roana, who outside was fully attended by her phone. Braxton had replied quickly; a good sign if there ever was one.

_4now. U?

Roana hammered in a reply, looking up as there was a noise. A strange noise. She nearly dropped her phone, but instead typed something else in and hit send. She then shoved the phone back into her bag. All around her, everyone else had taken to staring at the sky. Out of the large unfamiliar vessel descended arms. At least, they would be arms if they had been human. Fear and disgust crossed her face, the crowds began to grow silent. In the strange mechanical arms was an egg. It could be nothing good, for it was nothing familiar. Inside, many hiders by the window had gone silent at a child's shouts to "LOOK!" Kelby had made it to the door, and was negociating passage when they turned to observe the arms, the egg. Kelby screamed in horror.

The silent crowd raged at once, surging towards the Graystone Industries main building. Roana was caught in the shuffle, her bag at some point becoming detached from her. A heavily armed officer, possibly an army guy, grabbed her and flung to the ground with Roana. She had been far too busy watching, forever imprinting into her mind, what it looked like when a bomb was dropped.

The claw had let go.

Inside, everyone spilled into back rooms, downstairs, anywhere but where they were. Kelby managed to wrestle through two doors and find a spot in a toilet stall. The bomb was dropped and, for both girls, all turned to darkness.

---

Down the hall, as Kelby drifted to consciousness, there was activity. Why was she asleep, and why was she wet? It was cold and echoey where ever she was, and it was awfully dark...and her foot was asleep. In a...toilet? Yes, in a toilet. Her location had been identified, when she noticed she was surrounded in rubble. Bricks of some sort, and plaster possibly?

It all rushed back to her as someone sobbing not ten feet away was heard. They choked on their moans, babbling nonsense and shuffling around. The sobs turned to shrieks, shrieks with words and a name. Accusing shrieks that somehow sounded farther than she knew they were. Kelby cringed, as memories took place of irritation and wet shoes. There had been something large, they had all be staring outside at...

Roana.

Kelby scrambled, climbing under the fallen bathroom stall wall and over rubble from the collapsed corner of the room. Apparently she had chosen her safety place wisely. Rushing water began to mix with the sobs, as she realized her shoes were more than just wet. Her shoes were soaked. Had a sink...exploded? The cries morphed into wails. Kelby felt her way around the wall to the door, as the sounds of someone losing their sanity with their dead friend in their arms droned on. In the hall, low lights had activated along the floor in beans. People rushed by, but they still sounded far away. Had her hearing gone? She was slightly dizzy... It was dusty here...Not a good sign. Kelby pulled her shirt over her mouth. Mournfully, she thought of her friend.

Roana.

As she came to the main atrium lobby of the building, the breath left Kelby completely. Dust caked everything, and the air. Glass was shattered, people were strewn about. Corpses. She pulled her shirt over her mouth again. A broadcast could just be heard, she wobbled forth and angled an ear, as other survivors straggled to life. Kelby reached a grave conclusion, a single tear pushed a shining trail down her cheek. Through the dust, in silence, she grieved her loss.

Roana...was surely dead out there.