Belle
"Which Hollow is it?" said Belle. "Where did the signal go?"
"PubSec has officially dubbed it the 'Little Twin' Hollow," said Fairy. "It formed yesterday evening one block south of Ballet Twins Observation Plaza."
Wise was at his computer, pulling up the proxy news sources. "The hollow is about a block in diameter. Looks like it landed in the abandoned commercial district over there. No one reported missing. PubSec swept it once last night and found no one and no ethereals. The source of the Event Horizon is unknown. Some are saying it's a spore from Hollow Zero."
"A spore, huh," said Belle.
How new Hollows formed was still a matter of scholastic debate. Ethereals taken out of Hollows had been observed to make new Hollows around themselves, but that seemed almost an exception to the chicken-or-the-egg dilemma of Hollows and Ethereals. Hollows made ethereals, that was not a matter of debate. But since the opposite could also be true, that ethereals made Hollows, then how did new Hollows seem to pop out of nowhere? Ethereals did not leave their Hollows on their own, so if they are the proverbial chickens that lay the eggs, how were they forming new Hollows if they didn't cross the road to new territory?
The 'spore theory' was the idea that Hollow Zero emitted some sort of invisible trans-dimensional singularity that could take root far from Zero and form into a new Hollow. That theory would explain the spontaneous appearance of unrelated Hollows, like this new "Little Twin" Hollow. But unlike the ethereal-created Hollows: no one had ever seen a 'spore' and no computer sensor or test could detect it. Hollow Zero was the most analyzed and studied thing on the entire planet, so it was hard to believe in the spore theory when all the computers and scientists devoted to the study of the Hollow Zero had never seen a hint of something outbound like a 'spore'.
Belle began to muse on the timing of these events. She found the Ether Dawn Data. A man is sent to kill her. A hidden signal was triggered by the dead assassin's name in a PubSec database, and it went back to a Hollow that had only come into existence about the time Belle and Lycaon were leaving Scott Outpost yesterday.
Her fingers tapped on the arm of her chair. It was too tight a time frame to be coincidence, but how could it possibly be anything but coincidence? Hollows appeared. That's all there was to it. Right? The signal about this assassin went into the hollow because the system it was linked to was unlucky enough to be where a Hollow had appeared. It was plausible, if outrageously unlikely. But plausible.
"Belle," said Wise suddenly. "Why were you interested in that OldKnott server anyway? What was the Ether Dawn project?"
Belle closed her eyes to avoid rolling them. She'd advocated her suspicions about the project to Wise several times, but at the time, he had not taken her seriously. He'd nodded and 'huh'd' in that way he did when he wasn't really listening. One of the many reasons Belle had finally decided to go off on her own as a last resort.
This was the first time he'd asked her about it, so apparently it took an assassin to get him on the same page.
"I may field this question, Belle," said Fairy.
Belle actually felt grateful for the offer. Fairy listening to everything finally had a perk Belle could appreciate!
"By all means, Fairy."
"Please keep it to three sentences or so!" said Wise, quickly.
"Ether Dawn," said Fairy, switching into a narrative tone, "was the official code name of a research and development project in old Eridu following the successful identification of 'dark energy,' a force which was an astrophysical quandary that long plagued humanity's understanding of the universe. We now know this force as 'Ether.' Official government documents which survived Hollowfall advise the study's focus was to explore ether's potential as a clean energy source."
Wise looked at Belle. "A government research project on clean energy? Why do I get the feeling that wasn't the only thing they were working on?"
"Exactly," agreed Belle, gratified Wise was catching on. "I want to know what else they were trying to do. Some people say Ether Dawn triggered Hallowfall. I think that could be true."
"You mean- like a science experiment gone wrong?"
"I suppose that could be the case,' said Belle, "But I doubt they would have rushed into pushing big numbers on big machines with a brand new force of nature as the fuel. I think it's more likely that Ether Dawn discovered some foundational concept or tech that eventually led to Hallowfall."
"How?" said WIse.
"I don't know," said Belle and then she tapped her head. "Or maybe I do. Maybe it's all locked in the file in my brain."
Wise's eyes traveled notably to Belle's forehead.
"2.8 petabytes could theoretically be the entire information output of a project that size," said Fairy.
"Theoretically," agreed Belle. "But let's switch back to the practical. Fairy, this computer signal into the Hollow? If we got you through that Hollow's event horizon, could you track it to the specific computer system it went to?"
"Of course," said Fairy.
"Wise? I want to go into that Hollow after that signal," said Belle. "Shall we have the Cunning Hares work off some of their debt to us?"
Wise was looking down at his phone. "Maybe we don't need to."
He held the screen out so Belle could see a new text message:
KOLEDA: Some land Ben was eyeing for development just got a lot cheaper! Close to Ballet Twins Plaza! Why was it so cheap, you ask? Because now there is a Hollow on it! Proxy! Come help us track the source and let's shut this Hollow down so Belobog can build a bunch of condos! $$$!
This was a coincidence that Belle could get behind. "Great! I can go into the Hollow and get paid to do it!"
Wise blinked, pulling back his phone. "What do you mean you? Let's just proxy it like normal."
"You proxy it like normal. I'm going in person. The signal could have gone to another OldKnott server. Or to an encrypted HDD. I need to hack it before the Hollow corrupts it."
Wise frowned. "It could be corrupted right now! Or if not, it could last until the Belobog people got it out, if we ask them. There's no good reason to risk yourself in the Hollow."
Belle wasn't interested in logical arguments. Someone was trying to kill her and she had a scent to follow. She wasn't going to wait for someone else to follow it for her. She wanted to go. Right now.
Wise seemed to see his own defeat in the determined expression on Belle's face. "Well, I think you need to convince Lycaon, anyway."
Belle pursed her lips. That was true. Lycaon might be a bit of a problem. It was time to see how much authority Lycaon believed he had over her life.
Lycaon
The process of cleaning is a deeply satisfying process. Perhaps the root of that satisfaction coiled itself around the need to have one's existence validated. There was no more obvious sign of one's agency than to transform something that is dirty and messy into something that is clean and organized. A stone pillar in the jungle of existence: I was here! I did something!
Lycaon long had ambitions of creating a better world, a world that was fair and equal. Greed, corruption, exploitation- the stains of modern society- he wanted to scour them from the edifice. But things happened. Mistakes were made. Lycaon lost his naivety, lost his legs below the knee, and now he was cleaning up the juices of a dead man in the stairwell of a used video store on Sixth Street.
Perhaps in his younger days, he might have found some sort of glee in the task. The dead man was an assassin- a human stain on society itself. When Lycaon wringed out the blood-laden mop water, it was like the figurative made literal: he was washing the man away. However, the Lycaon of today simply worked with a mild grimness, wondering idly what finishing chemical might best eliminate any residual odor.
"Lycaon," said the voice of Lady Belle.
Lycaon looked up to find Belle standing in the open doorway to the staff office. She was dressed in a skirt and tight tank top, which Lycaon was beginning to figure as her choice of style: casual clothing that accented the womanly curves of her small body in a subtle way that made one look twice. Yet all Lycaon's attention was on Belle's face and the determined look that gleamed in her blueish eyes.
It was the look of a client who was about to be something of a hassle.
"Yes, Lady Belle?" said Lycaon, standing in formal stiffness. He suspected his own appearance was somewhat marred by his cleaning efforts. But if one were caught with stains on one's own clothing, it was best to pretend they didn't exist- defy reality with an aura of dignity.
"We've traced a computer signal related to the assassin," said Belle.
Lycaon raised his eyebrows. That wasn't something he had expected to hear. Belle was being proactive about her own situation, likely related to that small computerized voice that he heard from time to time. Some sort of data assistant, perhaps. A tiny ball of dread formed itself in Lycaon's chest. He'd had proactive clients before. They made a bodyguard's life utterly miserable.
Belle continued: "It went into a Hollow. I need to go in after it."
In a subconscious reaction, Lycaon's ears went back and his tail straightened out. Delving into a Hollow?! Belle had already proven she possessed adequate ether resistance, but he'd had to get her out of the last Hollow alive, and she'd come to a great deal of grief in the process.
And that was just yesterday.
"Lady Belle, perhaps there are alternative means to attain your goal?" began Lycaon. "I dislike the natural dangers the Hollow environment brings to your person."
"So does my brother, Lycaon. But I want to go. I am going. So what do you think of that?" said Belle, her eyes becoming somewhat challenging.
Lycaon took a deep breath and considered. He was unaware that to Belle, he had the appearance of the noble movie monster: sleeves rolled up to the bicep, the fur of his hands and forearms stained with blood, his normally pristine clothing polka-dotted with red droplets that were ubiquitous and unavoidable in a wet mopping job. His crimson eyes frowned out at her.
"I think that I shall accompany you, Lady Belle, of course," said Lycaon, accepting the inevitable. He could not control his client's movements except through suggestion, and Belle was obviously beyond the reach of suggestion in this matter. "And I will see to it that you accomplish your mission safely."
Belle's determined look transformed into a relieved smile. Lycaon realized again that she had a certain fae-ish element to her beauty. Something in the eyes and the angle of her cheekbones. It was striking.
"Great! Thanks Lycaon," said Belle, appearing relieved.
"When do we depart?"
"Our clients are mobilizing their equipment. We will all meet outside the Hollow around noon."
Lycaon cocked his head in confusion. "Your clients?"
"Yep! Wise has proxied for them before," said Belle. "Belobog Heavy Industries is looking to kill the Hollow and develop the land underneath. I'm going to trace the computer signal while they do it."
"Your established clients are operating in your target Hollow?" said Lycaon, wondering at the circumstance.
"Right? Nice to get some good luck for a change," said Belle. "Amiright?"
"You are right. I wish you endless good fortune, Lady Belle," said Lycaon, not quite grasping the expression.
Belle looked at him wide eyed and then laughed, her voice melodious to Lycaon's ear. Subconsciously, his ears perked up and his tail wagged ever so slightly. She looked at him while smiling, a moment of silence stretching between them.
Then the spell of her laugh broke and Lycaon felt uneasy to be under the gaze of his client while he was not doing any work. He took out his pocketwatch and checked the time. It was only 7:30 am, the police having arrived at the crack of dawn. That was just enough time to finish his work and get himself cleaned up for the mission.
"Lady Belle, please keep yourself inside Random Play for now. I will complete this cleaning and then I shall cleanse myself. And while I apologize for the breach of personal space and of etiquette, but may I be so bold as to ask permission to use your bath? I note this establishment lacks a servant's accommodation."
Belle blinked at him. "Servant's accommodation? No- I mean yes, Lycaon it's totally okay for you to use our bath. You're living here now, too. You're one of us."
"I do not presume to be your equal, Lady Belle, but your allowance of your bathing facility is most welcome."
Belle gave him a strange look. It was an expression he couldn't interpret. Concerned confusion, perhaps? Surprise? Whatever it was, Belle didn't seem interested in pursuing the thought.
"No problem, Lycaon. I'll just work in the staff room until you finish, okay?"
"Excellent, Lady Belle," said Lycaon. "The stairs will be usable again within the hour."