In the moment of her understanding of my situation, I felt an amazing feeling of triumph. I felt as if we'd already won, as with Monika on our side there was no way we could lose this battle. We'd rescue my friends, get back safe, and…
Monika…
I've missed her so much, and she's right there in front of me. If I play my cards right, I might be able to…
I ignore the thought for now, focusing on the task at hand. My future with Monika comes later, I don't even know if this is the same one.
If it isn't the same one, could I settle for her?
The sudden idea sends chills down my spine as I feel a pang of guilt for even considering that as an option.
No way, I reassure to myself, I would never abandon the Monika I know and love for a copy. Even if this one loves me the same, it just doesn't sit right with me.
Without warning I hear a familiar voice in my head. "You're a good person, Xavier."
Huh? What's this all of a sudden, PG?
"Just promise me you won't ever change that part of yourself, no matter what happens."
Not completely knowing what she means, I just nod to myself and respond. Sure.
"Serena? You good? You've been really quiet this whole walk."
I look over at Monika's concerned face, and smile.
"I'm fine, don't worry."
Monika smiles in slight relief before her face makes a turn towards a more serious expression. "We're here. Come in."
Recognizing Monika's house from the last time I was in the simulation, I feel a bit nostalgic. Just like old times, in a way.
Following her into her room, Monika walks towards her desk and grabs her laptop. She sits on her bed with the item in her lap and motions for me to do the same.
As I sit next to her, she slides slightly closer to me, causing me to blush a bit at the sudden intrusion in my personal space bubble.
Monika moves the laptop slightly closer to me and opens up an application. "Let's get some homework out of the way first, okay?" I nod, assuming this is part of the plan.
She motions for me to look at the screen and starts typing.
The people watching us can't see the contents of my computer. We'll talk like this.
I grin and type something out myself in response.
Good. Let me tell you everything.
…
I check my watch closely.
9:00 PM.
It's been four hours since my shift was supposed to end. Since most peoples' shifts ended, in fact. Instead, though, we all simply stayed in the facility and stared at our monitors like we always would, perplexed by what is befalling us.
There's a unit of people in one corner of the room trying to gain access to Monika's laptop and find out what she's really using it for, while also scanning through the code of the other person that I don't even know the name of to try and see if they gained sentience or something along those lines.
In another, there's a team of people debating the reasoning behind Monika's decision to have a sleepover and how it relates to this other person that I don't even know the name of, as well as trying to find a course of action. Quandary's with those guys.
As for me, I was told to wait outside.
It's been fifteen minutes, and the cold wind is starting to make my ears sting.
I wasn't told who or what I'm waiting for, just to stand outside the facility and wait.
I don't think they would task someone like me with a security position, so I'm pretty much clueless as to what they're having me do here.
I shake off my legs one by one to ward off the soreness that's started to build up in them, all the while stretching my arms above my head. I close my eyes, trying to release some tension in a strong blink.
As I open my eyes, though, what I see isn't what was in front of me as I close my eyes. I take a step back in shock before regaining my bearings to examine what I am being faced with.
Before me is a rather short woman with her gray hair shaved to its roots and what look to be scars lined all over her pale body and face. One of her eye sockets looks as if the contents have been gouged out, the other being colored with a sharp azure hue as deep as the ocean itself. Her expensive-looking suit consists of various shades of gray, causing her one eye to pop even more than it would ordinarily, as it is the only part of her body with any color whatsoever. Despite her young appearance, her face gives off a demeanor of a seasoned war veteran.
Snapping me out of my gawking, the woman speaks. "That snake's back to her scheming, is she."
Her voice sounds like that of a vengeful spirit, with the last shards of her original voice long since having fallen victim to her pursuit of unholy retribution.
The woman without warning walks towards the entrance of the supervision facility, punching in a passcode. With the doors not unlocking after an attempt, she groans and looks to me with a gaze that could well have killed me.
"They changed it again, didn't they… Come… Do you know it?"
"Uh…" I pause for a moment, being put on the spot. "I don't know it either… My chauffeur usually opens the door for me."
The grizzled woman sighs and moves her gaze back to the metal doorways. "I suppose you'll have to get this replaced." She sets her fingers in the narrow space between the doors, and after a sharp inhale grabs the inner parts of both doors with a vice-like grip. Slowly, the steel of the doors begin to shriek in discomfort, crushing upon themselves until adequate space has been made for entry.
Wordlessly, she steps through the door before nonchalantly locking eyes with me again.
I follow her throughout the bowels of the facility, having trouble keeping up with her pace in moving hall-to-hall. Soon enough, we reach another locked door.
I brace for the loud grinding of metal that is sure to follow, but the woman instead reaches into her pocket and pulls out an object.
A knife?
Without words, she places her hand above a tray-like object connected to the door, and makes a small cut in her wrist. The blood dripping from the wound to the tray tempts me to squint and look away, but as I am about to I see a green light flash above the door and it opens. She walks through, blood still dripping down her arm, and I hesitantly follow.
The continuation of the hall leads down to a single doorway, once again locked. The woman raises one arm and seemingly swabs her thumb across her armpit. Her digit now partially covered with a slight, slick residue, she places it on what looks to be a fingerprint scanner and the second door slides open.
On the other side of the door is a stairwell that seems to descend infinitely, illuminated by only a few bluish lights on the walls. After spending what seems like forever descending, one more door stands before the two of us.
Wordlessly, the two of us stand in front of the entrance for about a minute. Suddenly, after doing seemingly nothing to unlock it, the woman gently opens the door.