Grey left the bathroom first, telling Jupiter to met them past the radiology wing's doors, the one just past the elevators.
When Jupiter left the bathroom a minute later, she felt her heart hammering. Two Keepers were leaning against the vending machines, projected faces looking tense. The majority of the cafeteria workers were gone, with a sign indicating that services would resume in an hour. Everyone went to the fifth floor. Grey made an even bigger fuss then I thought.
Jupiter gave the two Keepers a faint smile as she hopped past. But otherwise didn't acknowledge them. Their gazes followed her as she left. Jupiter kept moving. Two more Keepers were in the hallway- just before the cafeteria entrance, disguised as janitors. They were not going to allow anyone near the Entrance of the Hall of Keepers until they solved whatever was happening on the fifth floor... Did Grey set off something, or just lie?
It didn't matter. Jupiter had to keep moving.
The Planetary Lift was in the radiology department, hidden behind one of the larger machines- the one the entire body entered. Not guarded. It didn't need to be like the Keepers' Hall, even if it was an emergency situation. This wasn't something just anyone could enter. She again saw the emblem of House of Abrasax, Balem's Gilded Lady. He did everything in his power to erase her... Or erase who she had become. It was above them, in one of the insulator tiles of the ceiling. It looked like a random pattern, but Jupiter recognized it all too well. She started feeling around for the lock. Hands feeling out the wall before she felt the tell-tell feel of a scanner. She removed her hands quickly and touched the side of the panel. It lite up, becoming visible, and she sighed in relief that it was a design she recognized.
It was impossible for anyone without an Entitled Stamp of the House Abrasax to access under normal circumstances. But Seraphi had designed the system herself on her most precious planet, and Balem hadn't bothered to change it. Most Entitled rarely ever set foot on a Harvesting Planet, and hence wouldn't bother to do much to update this more than necessary. Jupiter pulled out the tool she needed. Grey gave an annoyed trill at the fact that Jupiter had stolen the multitool from them.
"I'm sorry I took this," she told Grey, voice soft as she expertly switched through the settings she needed and then started the steps to override the lock. Good thing Grey is a collector of junk. This multitool is old enough for me to remember how to use this. She sighed, "I should have told you before this. But I was scared to get you in trouble."
"Youngling… How do you know of the Planetary Lift?" the voice was barely above a whisper, and it had lost the high quality of before. Jupiter could hear the faintest thrill of the Keeper's natural language in the startling sweet voice. Grey wasn't hiding beyond the audio projection, and for the first time, Jupiter heard Grey's real voice. It was like a song, soft and high.
She swallowed and twisted the lock panel back into place as the doors of the Planetary Lift opened, shaking her head slightly. After a second of hesitation, Jupiter slipped her way into the unoccupied Planetary Lift. This is it. Grey followed her with a nervous chirp, still disguised as a young woman followed a step behind her. The doors slide closed silently.
"Planet Core, please," she said, to the air.
"Access code required. This is an Entitled Space," said a calm, stale voice, thankfully in English, probably translating for her, "Current occupancy rate, one unless an override is provided."
Jupiter trembled in place and took a single, deep breath. I am but the wind.
"I pass swift and sure. My wings are a perfect gleam, their fire, and gale everlasting, and I shall hold my brood within my golden claws. They are whole and perfect, eternally beneath me. I am a whisper. I am a roar. I am silent. I am heard. I am but the wind." she told it, simply, flawless repetition of the language of Oros on her tongue. She had practiced for hours, but she was still nervous about the way it sounded. Silly in her high voice. But the system would recognize her vocal patterns nonetheless, and no one in her last life had known about the audio override. Not even Seraphi's children.
She held her breath. Grey jumped, sucking in a startled breath at her words, but Jupiter could only look at the ceiling, praying to anything that could hear her.
"Priority Override. House Primary Access. Welcome Queen Seraphi of House Abrasax to the Planet Earth."
Jupiter let out her breath. I did it. Then, the Lift started to move, zipping its way through the no doubt complex system until their destination. She felt a breath, then she laughed. Balem hasn't bothered to change the software system, only some of the hardware. Jupiter slipped down on shaking legs and flopped down onto the Lift's floor. They were in for a long wait. The lift was on the older side, and the Planet's Core was very far away.
Across from her, Grey's disguise had large eyes, and the woman's mouth was dropped open in shock. Jupiter gave them a sad smile.
"Can... Can you drop the Cloak? I don't like looking at a lie."
Wordlessly, Grey did so. They sat, sitting as far as way as they possibly could in the small space. Dark wide eyes stared at her, and despite the general different way they expressed emotions, Jupiter could see the confusion and horror on Grey's real face.
"It's a long story."