(Viewpoint: Roum)
Her fingers closed around mine.
Not good.
Just enough for me to understand.
"Good choice," Alpha-1 murmured.
His hand is cold despite the warmth of the cups.
"You can go home now," she said.
– Go back where…? Yes indeed
She smiled.
– In your module.
I slowly release his hand.
My fingers still tingle when she walks away.
The world around me is wrinkling.
The terrace disappears.
I rush as far away as possible.
I was even afraid to go back to my apartment
But that choice wasn't really one of my options.
Return to this room
A bed built into the wall.
A table.
A chair.
A screen-wall that displays an artificial sky in slow motion.
My heart is still beating too fast.
[EMOTIONAL ANALYSIS: unstable.]
I jump.
The voice is coming from everywhere.
"You're still here," I murmured.
[YES, AFTER ALL I AM YOUR ASSISTANT]
A line of blue light crosses the air in front of me.
[GOOD EVENING, Roum-7.]
I swallow.
– Okay, you can leave now…
[I can't], the voice clarifies.
I can't even be free anymore.
Awesome.
I sit down on the bed.
The mattress immediately adapts to my weight.
– Alpha-1 told me I was going on a mission.
[ Confirmation.
Departure scheduled in 2 hours 17 minutes.
My stomach is in knots.
Then I take a deep breath; I've been too distracted, I have to earn my place, or go back into the pit.
Chetan.
His burning gaze.
The way he looked at me like I was a bug
He really doesn't look like us, it's as if he's always lived here.
- Is it that…
A brief silence.
[Request denied.]
I lower my head.
- Of course.
The screen wall is changing.
And my keyboard is stuck
Switching to independent mode
[Mission summary:
External unit for barrier installation, Delta team in charge.
Objective: securing, recovering and repairing the south wall at the lower level of the pit.]
I raise my head.
– Are we going away again, even in this position…?
[AFFIRMATIVE]
I run a hand through my hair and collapse onto the bed.
– Here we go again
[You are classified as a "faction leader".]
I frown.
– What does that mean? Do you want others to hate me even more?
[Your presence is mandatory]
– I'm finished for good
I couldn't close my eyes for even a second.
Two hours later.
A white corridor.
Infinity.
I'm walking next to Beta-2.
Ela is not here.
Obviously.
Beta-2 walks at a good distance as if she were disgusted or shy, glancing at me.
"You have a horrible face," she said without looking at me.
– Is it… visible?
– Absolutely.
She glances at me.
– Poor baby
I nod.
She whistles.
– hum .
She makes a vague gesture.
My heart skips a beat.
– Ah.
Chetan is waiting for us further on.
Leaning against a dark wall.
Arms crossed.
He's looking at me.
A long time.
"You look even more useless than last time," he says.
Beta-2 gives him an elbow bump.
– we're not going.
Chetan narrowed his eyes.
– How are you different from me that you should be the boss?
He stares at me even more intently.
Silence
A platform opens up beneath our feet.
The world is changing.
[DELTA TEAM]
We were thrown into the void
A grey sky.
Broken structures float in the void.
Like a forgotten setting.
I immediately sensed that something was wrong.
"Can you smell that?" I whispered.
Beta-2 smells of air.
– Wear your masks, it reeks of sadness.
Chetan steps forward.
– Stay behind me.
I am not protesting.
And I turn around
But I see a figure in the distance.
A girl.
Young.
Sitting in mid-air.
She is crying.
My heart is clenching violently.
– Oh no…Asmara?
"Don't come near," said Chetan.
But my feet move forward on their own.
– But it's Asmara…
– Roum! whistles Beta-2.
The girl raises her head.
Her eyes are completely black.
– Help me, Roum
My throat tightens.
-.... Yes.
She smiled.
– Finally, someone who sees me.
Chetan raises his weapon.
– Move away.
– No! I cried.
Asmara gets up.
They're going to hurt us again.
It is trembling.
– Who… Who, tell me?
But Chetan does not lower his weapon and advances further
– Chetan, please…
– Back off, Roum.
– It's Asmara!
Beta-2 is looking at me.
- Shit….
Chetan grits his teeth.
– Rome…
If you continue like this, you're going to die.
- Please…
Not yet…
Asmara looks at me and smiles.
– They haven't told you yet, have they?
The world is cracking around us.
An icy voice echoes everywhere.
– END OF INTERACTION.
The silhouette of Asmara is looming.
– No! I cried.
I look at her one last time.
She disappears.
Everything turns white.
When I open my eyes again…
I am on my knees.
In the white corridor.
Beta-2 has me by the shoulders.
– Hey… hey…
Chetan is looking down at me from even higher up.
– Mission accomplished.
I can hear whispers.
[Updated rating]
Only one thought crosses my mind:
Alpha-1 lies to me.
And I think I just understood
I am still
An idiot.