āWhen the darkness rolls in, and the only light is from the stars...ā
For a while, Stella was silent, taking in the information she was given and picking it apart, as analytical minds are wont to do. She glanced for a moment at the short biographical file and image brought up of the Supreme General, though he was enough of a public figure that she, like most people, knew more or less what he looked like. Her lips pursed a moment, and then she sighed through her nose.
Well, it was a given that security would be high at an event like that. It was, after all, a military thing, and it would be kind of pathetic if even the governmentās soldiers couldnāt protect people effectively. So they would have to rely as much as possible on subtlety up until the key moment, which naturally implied more disguises. Well, that wasnāt such a hassle. It would be better if they were not immediately recognized, after all.
She frowned at him when he seemed to challenge her, again, her eyes narrowing across the empty chair-space that separated them. āOne day, Iām going to learn how not to take that obvious bait,ā she informed him dryly, then shook her head. āBut today is not that day. Iāll do it, and Iāll make sure they donāt kill you. Itās practically my job at this point anyway.ā Her half-smile was sardonic, but there was a note of honest conviction in her words. If there was anything she could do at all thenā¦ yes. She would stop him from dying. It seemed important, to be able to do that. If she succeeded in her goal of showing the truth to everyone only at the expense of losing the person who had helped her most, thenā¦ she wasnāt sure it would be worth it.
The thought was almost unexpected, and either way, it reduced her to silence, so she finished eating without saying much, washing her dishes and then turning back to him. āIām going to go practice now. Try not to almost die while Iām gone, okay?ā She flashed an impish grin and then headed for the stairs.
They took her out onto the roof, where night was swiftly falling. All around her, the city lights were brightening as their automated systems adjusted to the incoming darkness, and when she looked up, she was disappointed to note that the stars were barely visible. It was almost like what sheād seen that afternoon was all some kind of dream, and yet, she knew with so much certainty that it wasnāt. She could still recall the phantom traces of roughened bark on her fingertips, still smell flowers on the air. It wasnāt a dream. This world, where those things didnāt exist and the outside was a barren wastelandā¦ this was the illusion. It was so convincing, even now, and for a moment, she wondered if theyād succeed at all.
But now wasnāt the time to think about that. Glancing around, Stella found a security panel attached to the side of the stairwell which had brought her up here, and after a bit of exploration, she was able to cloak the entire rooftop, so that what she was doing would not be seen by anyone, human or Network camera. It was kind of important, considering she was going to be doing things that human beings had no right to be able to do.
Many hours later, night had fallen in full, and she laid out on the roof, her arms and legs spread-eagled, her chest rising and falling with deep, steady breaths. She felt like she was getting better at managing these powers of hers, but she did wonder if she wasnāt just fooling herself. Cass had said sheād been making great progress, but she also wasnāt near as strong as he was, and presumably the same applied to whatever person was actually running this show. She supposed that, when that person did make an appearance, sheād have to hope that adrenaline and need would pull from her what was required. There was definitely precedent for thatāsheād made great leaps when her life was in danger before, after all.
āStillā¦ā Stella lifted one arm and used it to cover her eyes. She hoped it would be enough.
Darcia was somewhat puzzled by the request for confidentiality. It was not that she had a problem with it, as such, only that it seemed unusual to her. She was aware of the implications of the information they had been given, and understood that even if she showed no desire to fulfill the design for which she had been created, it was now more likely than ever that the government would order her decommission and destruction. There was no mistaking that. And she knew that, logically, Crux would include the information they had gained from Dr. Engelsās program in the report, meaning that whomever this being was, she would soon know just why Darcia had been brought into existence.
She knew that, but somehowā¦ it didnāt seem so bad, for what she received in turn. Which was simply this: that, for now at least, she was free to remain here, where she most desired to be. It was an unfamiliar feeling, the priority of one personās company over anotherās. Certainly, when her creator had been alive, she had enjoyed spending time with him, but thisā¦ this was where she liked to be the most. In the end, she simply nodded, confirming that, until he made his report, she would not release the details.
They headed for the platform shortly after, reaching Dome 83 just as night fell, illuminating their surroundings in bright, artificial light. There was a bit more of a sense of being on edge in this dome than in most others, perhaps attributable to the higher rate of criminal activity, but she was not especially concerned with it. There was little they could not handle, after all. The request for them to be members of the Supreme Generalās security detail was granted, and they were told that they would be able to make a preliminary investigation of the area in the morning.
For the night, they were set up at another government hotel facility, as clean and modern as the last. Darcia did not sleep, but she knew that Crux did, and so when they reached the floor they would be staying on, she released his hand for the first time since that afternoon. It was strange, how she didnāt like doing that, even now. In fact, she felt the strangest impulseā¦
Reaching upāa considerable distance, given the modest height at which she had been builtāDarcia laid her palm against his cheek, the ghost of a smile flickering across her face. āThis one is glad that you are its partner,ā she told him. āIt hopes you sleep well.ā
Well, it was a given that security would be high at an event like that. It was, after all, a military thing, and it would be kind of pathetic if even the governmentās soldiers couldnāt protect people effectively. So they would have to rely as much as possible on subtlety up until the key moment, which naturally implied more disguises. Well, that wasnāt such a hassle. It would be better if they were not immediately recognized, after all.
She frowned at him when he seemed to challenge her, again, her eyes narrowing across the empty chair-space that separated them. āOne day, Iām going to learn how not to take that obvious bait,ā she informed him dryly, then shook her head. āBut today is not that day. Iāll do it, and Iāll make sure they donāt kill you. Itās practically my job at this point anyway.ā Her half-smile was sardonic, but there was a note of honest conviction in her words. If there was anything she could do at all thenā¦ yes. She would stop him from dying. It seemed important, to be able to do that. If she succeeded in her goal of showing the truth to everyone only at the expense of losing the person who had helped her most, thenā¦ she wasnāt sure it would be worth it.
The thought was almost unexpected, and either way, it reduced her to silence, so she finished eating without saying much, washing her dishes and then turning back to him. āIām going to go practice now. Try not to almost die while Iām gone, okay?ā She flashed an impish grin and then headed for the stairs.
They took her out onto the roof, where night was swiftly falling. All around her, the city lights were brightening as their automated systems adjusted to the incoming darkness, and when she looked up, she was disappointed to note that the stars were barely visible. It was almost like what sheād seen that afternoon was all some kind of dream, and yet, she knew with so much certainty that it wasnāt. She could still recall the phantom traces of roughened bark on her fingertips, still smell flowers on the air. It wasnāt a dream. This world, where those things didnāt exist and the outside was a barren wastelandā¦ this was the illusion. It was so convincing, even now, and for a moment, she wondered if theyād succeed at all.
But now wasnāt the time to think about that. Glancing around, Stella found a security panel attached to the side of the stairwell which had brought her up here, and after a bit of exploration, she was able to cloak the entire rooftop, so that what she was doing would not be seen by anyone, human or Network camera. It was kind of important, considering she was going to be doing things that human beings had no right to be able to do.
Many hours later, night had fallen in full, and she laid out on the roof, her arms and legs spread-eagled, her chest rising and falling with deep, steady breaths. She felt like she was getting better at managing these powers of hers, but she did wonder if she wasnāt just fooling herself. Cass had said sheād been making great progress, but she also wasnāt near as strong as he was, and presumably the same applied to whatever person was actually running this show. She supposed that, when that person did make an appearance, sheād have to hope that adrenaline and need would pull from her what was required. There was definitely precedent for thatāsheād made great leaps when her life was in danger before, after all.
āStillā¦ā Stella lifted one arm and used it to cover her eyes. She hoped it would be enough.
āThen is the time it seems most to wonder, what things could have been.ā
Darcia was somewhat puzzled by the request for confidentiality. It was not that she had a problem with it, as such, only that it seemed unusual to her. She was aware of the implications of the information they had been given, and understood that even if she showed no desire to fulfill the design for which she had been created, it was now more likely than ever that the government would order her decommission and destruction. There was no mistaking that. And she knew that, logically, Crux would include the information they had gained from Dr. Engelsās program in the report, meaning that whomever this being was, she would soon know just why Darcia had been brought into existence.
She knew that, but somehowā¦ it didnāt seem so bad, for what she received in turn. Which was simply this: that, for now at least, she was free to remain here, where she most desired to be. It was an unfamiliar feeling, the priority of one personās company over anotherās. Certainly, when her creator had been alive, she had enjoyed spending time with him, but thisā¦ this was where she liked to be the most. In the end, she simply nodded, confirming that, until he made his report, she would not release the details.
They headed for the platform shortly after, reaching Dome 83 just as night fell, illuminating their surroundings in bright, artificial light. There was a bit more of a sense of being on edge in this dome than in most others, perhaps attributable to the higher rate of criminal activity, but she was not especially concerned with it. There was little they could not handle, after all. The request for them to be members of the Supreme Generalās security detail was granted, and they were told that they would be able to make a preliminary investigation of the area in the morning.
For the night, they were set up at another government hotel facility, as clean and modern as the last. Darcia did not sleep, but she knew that Crux did, and so when they reached the floor they would be staying on, she released his hand for the first time since that afternoon. It was strange, how she didnāt like doing that, even now. In fact, she felt the strangest impulseā¦
Reaching upāa considerable distance, given the modest height at which she had been builtāDarcia laid her palm against his cheek, the ghost of a smile flickering across her face. āThis one is glad that you are its partner,ā she told him. āIt hopes you sleep well.ā