Adeline had more questions lined up, but somehow, all of them vanished. "Thank you, Mr. Dixon," she said softly. "We'll contact you after the review."
Brian's face tightened with uncertainty, but he nodded with a polite smile. Adeline closed her eyes, avoiding his gaze.
"Ah—dust in me eyes," she muttered under her breath.
"Thank you very much," Brian said as he stood, gathering his papers.
"N-no, it's fine," she interrupted. "You can leave them here. You can come back for them once the results are posted tomorrow."
"Alright…" he replied quietly, then turned and left the room.
"Ms. Callaghan," Yokumi's voice chimed in, "shall I order lunch for you?"
"No, Yokumi… I'm heading home," Adeline said, her mother's accent slipping through again.
"Hai~ That interview sounded intense! I'll handle the room for you then."
With that, Adeline gathered her things and walked out. She stepped into the glass elevator, descending from the warm orange-toned office to the ground floor. Outside, the long conical building stood beside a line of factory chimneys, its giant gear-shaped logo spinning continuously. Inside the gear, a clock ticked in sync with state time—2:50 p.m.
She crossed the crowded parking lot, the tall buildings around her blocking out most of the sunlight. Lifting her wrist, she glanced at her gold watch, its delicate spider-leg engravings catching the light. A holographic interface projected above it, letting her select her ride.
She tapped the icon of her private airship.
For a minute or so, she waited—until a sudden gust swept across the lot, scattering leaves into the air.
"Right on time," she murmured, glancing upward.
Above her hovered a massive airship, ballooned like a sky bus, its masts swaying gently with the wind. Blue thrusters glowed beneath it, keeping it afloat. A magnetic sling lowered automatically toward her, and she caught it with her left arm.
The line pulled her up swiftly, lifting her through a hatch beneath the ship. Inside, the wooden deck gleamed with old-world charm, like something out of the pirate age. Adeline climbed the short staircase to the helm, where a circular wheel stood waiting for her hands.
The airship drifted north, gliding past towering buildings until, fifteen minutes later, it reached a small village where a grand manor stood among the quiet streets. The house was dark and solemn, its Victorian architecture giving it a sense of old-world dignity. A woman in a maid's uniform waited patiently by the gate.