Black Feather: Episode XXV
"Two Skies"
Global Cortex Surface Base, Eastern Cafeteria GCWC-ES/CF-01
8:13 a.m., 03/18
The week wandered by. The group had to keep low until things 'settled' down.
"...The bombing of Nephilon City's Global Cortex, recently set in motion by Sphere last week, has the suspicious corporation heavy with scrutiny, both from opposing corporations and Ravens. On a recent financial conference, Kenneth Gregson, Sphere's military representative, claimed that Sphere has their reasons and does not intend to divulge it to the public. Their activities have certainly been quiet during the past year..."
Iris spooned and stirred her mashed potatoes repetitively, staring blankly into space. She'd been hearing the same news over and over for the past week. Her behavior somewhat annoyed Royal Mist, as he already finished his breakfast and was paying attention to the news monitor. The cafeteria dome shutters were closed that morning, since it was raining. He turned to Iris.
"Something on your mind?" Iris didn't answer, as if she was deaf. "Iris?" Royal Mist's word was bolder this time. Iris looked up, startled.
"Oh... uh, yeah?"
"You worried about something?" He never liked repeating his words.
"I am... about him..."
"Him? You mean your friend? What's it about him that got you so worried?"
"He's got no one and nowhere to turn to. And Sphere'll be after him too. I want to go out there and find him, but he could be anywhere. I-"
"Whoa, slow down there, young lady. He's a Raven, isn't he? I'm sure he'll be able to take care of himself."
"But, how? I don't think he's eaten in a while, and if he tries to get to the nearest city, he'll be starved to death..."
"I wouldn't worry much about him." He nodded. "I'm sure he's in good hands." Royal Mist sounded like he knew something. Iris suspected of this, but asked instead...
"I almost forgot. You didn't tell me how you got us out of the prison."
"Yeah, that. Well, after we got up to the surface, we found Nephilon City in chaos, and because of that, we took cover in the shadows. Kyrie, Legionnaire, Virgil, and I didn't know what was coming until the city was completely empty. Then, those Sphere MTs came and we saw you, Rose, and BB get into a detainment transport. We didn't know what to do until..." He paused.
"...Until...?"
"They came."
"They?"
"'They' were an active anti-Sphere rebel force, 'Laevaentteinn'. We took refuge in their base for the time being. I sent Virgil here with the survivors to save time. Looks like they made it okay. Anyway, we needed to get you out, so their leader, Lucifer, offered to help. They were planning on attacking the detainment facility anyway, so I guess it was two birds with one stone..." Royal Mist laughed. "We left before the rebels did, since they had to clean up the remaining forces. Lucifer gave us a large-scale transport, since we were able to capture the hangar first. Your friend in that AC must've cleaned up the Sphere lackies for them, I think."
"There's also something else."
"Yeah? Then shoot."
"I have this... 'power.' I-it happened when those spiders got us." Iris staggered when she recalled such an event.
"Ah, that. BB told me something about it. Said your AC went berserk and destroyed all of District 2!" Royal Mist exclaimed the last part of his sentence, but Iris only looked more worried. "Something else bothering you?"
"Yeah... What if I find Qastor and... My AC goes off again?" Iris was gloomy when she spoke this. Royal Mist was silent for a moment.
"If it comes, it comes. That's all I can say." Royal Mist got up, grabbed his coat, and patted Iris on her shoulder as he walked past. Gears and mechanisms in the dome activated, leaving only the dome glass panels and the support linings. Silver skies loomed and raindrops gently but numerously pelted the dome. The gray clouds clogged the atmosphere.
Iris smiled at last. Talking to someone about her worries cleared up her anxiety.
________________________
Virgil emerged from the eastern conference room. Rose came out with him.
"Why so down? C'mon, cheer up! It's for 150,000c! You struck it big time!!" Virgil had enlisted her help immediately after the conference with Paige Anmus, a Mirage representative. Paige was still inside sorting papers and chatting with her assistant.
"Yeah, but I got a bad feeling about this. I mean, 150,000c? There's a reason why they offer that much, ya know?" Virgil's eyes were fixed on the ominous numbers freshly printed on the paper copy.
"You'll be fine~... with me around, right?" Rose's eyes glittered in the hall lights. Virgil rolled his and shook his head slightly. She slapped him on the back.
"Ow... I gotta bruise there!!" Virgil awkwardly groped for it.
"From what?"
"A-"
"Are you ready, Mr. Virgil?" Paige had a light suitcase in her right hand and a binder in her left. Her matte hair was tied back; two bang strands hung on each side of her bespectacled face. She wore a female business suit with a tie. Virgil thought it strange for her to wear a one.
"Virgil!! Watch where your eyes are!!" Rose elbowed him when she noticed him checking her out.
"Hey, just 'cuz I have ba-" Virgil's whispered sentence ended with.
"Mr. Virgil?" Paige blinked.
Virgil almost blushed from the way she said "Mr." and followed it up with his name.
"Ah, yes. Uh, R-Rose, how much is left in my rest of funds..." Virgil's voice wandered, still glued to Paige. Rose glared at him.
"What!? You dimwit! Just look at the paper!" Rose had her arms akimbo, but soon held the paper copy when Virgil handed it to her. She sighed.
"23,000c..." Rose was annoyingly blank.
"Hamm... That's a lot. I think I'll ah... call me friend... Yes... Me friend... Oh, uh, Rose! Call Iris for me..." Virgil forced his cell phone out of his jacket. Rose didn't respond. "Please?" Exasperated, Rose snatched and dialed up Iris' number. Paige turned to her assistant and whispered quietly while Virgil's eyes were lost on her... ahem...
"Yeah, Iris? Rose here. Anyway, Virgil needs your services. He's got this BIG mission with this BIG reward! So, are you in or not? You will? That's great! I'll go tell Virgil!" Rose found him on his knees begging Paige for a date.
"Vir~gil!!"
"Two Skies"
Global Cortex Surface Base, Eastern Cafeteria GCWC-ES/CF-01
8:13 a.m., 03/18
The week wandered by. The group had to keep low until things 'settled' down.
"...The bombing of Nephilon City's Global Cortex, recently set in motion by Sphere last week, has the suspicious corporation heavy with scrutiny, both from opposing corporations and Ravens. On a recent financial conference, Kenneth Gregson, Sphere's military representative, claimed that Sphere has their reasons and does not intend to divulge it to the public. Their activities have certainly been quiet during the past year..."
Iris spooned and stirred her mashed potatoes repetitively, staring blankly into space. She'd been hearing the same news over and over for the past week. Her behavior somewhat annoyed Royal Mist, as he already finished his breakfast and was paying attention to the news monitor. The cafeteria dome shutters were closed that morning, since it was raining. He turned to Iris.
"Something on your mind?" Iris didn't answer, as if she was deaf. "Iris?" Royal Mist's word was bolder this time. Iris looked up, startled.
"Oh... uh, yeah?"
"You worried about something?" He never liked repeating his words.
"I am... about him..."
"Him? You mean your friend? What's it about him that got you so worried?"
"He's got no one and nowhere to turn to. And Sphere'll be after him too. I want to go out there and find him, but he could be anywhere. I-"
"Whoa, slow down there, young lady. He's a Raven, isn't he? I'm sure he'll be able to take care of himself."
"But, how? I don't think he's eaten in a while, and if he tries to get to the nearest city, he'll be starved to death..."
"I wouldn't worry much about him." He nodded. "I'm sure he's in good hands." Royal Mist sounded like he knew something. Iris suspected of this, but asked instead...
"I almost forgot. You didn't tell me how you got us out of the prison."
"Yeah, that. Well, after we got up to the surface, we found Nephilon City in chaos, and because of that, we took cover in the shadows. Kyrie, Legionnaire, Virgil, and I didn't know what was coming until the city was completely empty. Then, those Sphere MTs came and we saw you, Rose, and BB get into a detainment transport. We didn't know what to do until..." He paused.
"...Until...?"
"They came."
"They?"
"'They' were an active anti-Sphere rebel force, 'Laevaentteinn'. We took refuge in their base for the time being. I sent Virgil here with the survivors to save time. Looks like they made it okay. Anyway, we needed to get you out, so their leader, Lucifer, offered to help. They were planning on attacking the detainment facility anyway, so I guess it was two birds with one stone..." Royal Mist laughed. "We left before the rebels did, since they had to clean up the remaining forces. Lucifer gave us a large-scale transport, since we were able to capture the hangar first. Your friend in that AC must've cleaned up the Sphere lackies for them, I think."
"There's also something else."
"Yeah? Then shoot."
"I have this... 'power.' I-it happened when those spiders got us." Iris staggered when she recalled such an event.
"Ah, that. BB told me something about it. Said your AC went berserk and destroyed all of District 2!" Royal Mist exclaimed the last part of his sentence, but Iris only looked more worried. "Something else bothering you?"
"Yeah... What if I find Qastor and... My AC goes off again?" Iris was gloomy when she spoke this. Royal Mist was silent for a moment.
"If it comes, it comes. That's all I can say." Royal Mist got up, grabbed his coat, and patted Iris on her shoulder as he walked past. Gears and mechanisms in the dome activated, leaving only the dome glass panels and the support linings. Silver skies loomed and raindrops gently but numerously pelted the dome. The gray clouds clogged the atmosphere.
Iris smiled at last. Talking to someone about her worries cleared up her anxiety.
________________________
Virgil emerged from the eastern conference room. Rose came out with him.
"Why so down? C'mon, cheer up! It's for 150,000c! You struck it big time!!" Virgil had enlisted her help immediately after the conference with Paige Anmus, a Mirage representative. Paige was still inside sorting papers and chatting with her assistant.
"Yeah, but I got a bad feeling about this. I mean, 150,000c? There's a reason why they offer that much, ya know?" Virgil's eyes were fixed on the ominous numbers freshly printed on the paper copy.
"You'll be fine~... with me around, right?" Rose's eyes glittered in the hall lights. Virgil rolled his and shook his head slightly. She slapped him on the back.
"Ow... I gotta bruise there!!" Virgil awkwardly groped for it.
"From what?"
"A-"
"Are you ready, Mr. Virgil?" Paige had a light suitcase in her right hand and a binder in her left. Her matte hair was tied back; two bang strands hung on each side of her bespectacled face. She wore a female business suit with a tie. Virgil thought it strange for her to wear a one.
"Virgil!! Watch where your eyes are!!" Rose elbowed him when she noticed him checking her out.
"Hey, just 'cuz I have ba-" Virgil's whispered sentence ended with.
"Mr. Virgil?" Paige blinked.
Virgil almost blushed from the way she said "Mr." and followed it up with his name.
"Ah, yes. Uh, R-Rose, how much is left in my rest of funds..." Virgil's voice wandered, still glued to Paige. Rose glared at him.
"What!? You dimwit! Just look at the paper!" Rose had her arms akimbo, but soon held the paper copy when Virgil handed it to her. She sighed.
"23,000c..." Rose was annoyingly blank.
"Hamm... That's a lot. I think I'll ah... call me friend... Yes... Me friend... Oh, uh, Rose! Call Iris for me..." Virgil forced his cell phone out of his jacket. Rose didn't respond. "Please?" Exasperated, Rose snatched and dialed up Iris' number. Paige turned to her assistant and whispered quietly while Virgil's eyes were lost on her... ahem...
"Yeah, Iris? Rose here. Anyway, Virgil needs your services. He's got this BIG mission with this BIG reward! So, are you in or not? You will? That's great! I'll go tell Virgil!" Rose found him on his knees begging Paige for a date.
"Vir~gil!!"