After consulting their Family Head, the Bloodhounds soon relented and escorted Sylvia and Screwllum to Chadwick's room.
There weren't two humans inside who'd already been at death's door two Amber Eras ago. Instead, there was only a Dream Bubble resting inside a Dreampool.
"Hypothesis: The Memoria within his brain was extracted and sealed inside a Dream Bubble so they could search it for whatever they wanted," Screwllum said.
Thanks to Black Swan's lessons, Sylvia might not have known how to perform the technique herself, but she'd grown much better at recognizing it. "It's a method used by the Garden of Recollection. Penacony's probably the only place where they could preserve his consciousness indefinitely."
"Oh? Have you studied Memoria, Miss Sylvia?"
"I learned the basics from a Memokeeper. Plenty of people on Penacony have lost their physical bodies but chosen to keep existing within dreams. I'd guess they're all using something similar."
"In that case, conclusion: The IPC wished to find something hidden within Chadwick's consciousness. Evidently, they failed."
Sylvia turned toward Screwllum without saying a word. Her meaning couldn't have been clearer.
What else could they have been looking for besides that absurd weapon of mass destruction?
"Miss Sylvia, I'd like to make a request. Please deliver this to Dr. Calderon Chadwick, who remains trapped within the Dreamscape. I believe it'll help him regain his senses."
"What about you?"
"I'll attempt to negotiate with the Family's upper ranks and secure permission to remove Chadwick's Memory Bubble from Penacony. Until then, I'd like you to learn the full truth from Chadwick, including everything that happened afterward."
Once Screwllum had finished, he and Sylvia went their separate ways.
--+--
Not long after Sylvia returned to her room, she found Topaz waiting outside.
"Hey. This is our first time meeting face-to-face, isn't it, Miss Sylvia?"
"Senior Manager Topaz? What're you doing here? I thought you'd go looking for Screwllum."
Sylvia opened the door and invited Topaz inside. She wasn't in any hurry to deliver the medicine to Chadwick because she'd already handed that job to Mei.
Sylvia didn't understand how it worked, but Mei could see Clockie too. Besides, the rest of the story was slowly coming back to her, so there was no need to watch the whole thing again and send her blood pressure through the roof.
"Of course I came because you're my friend," Topaz said with a smile as she sat on the sofa. "Isn't visiting a friend the first thing I should do?"
Numby wandered over to Sylvia's feet and sniffed around, as though trying to memorize her scent.
"So, you found Chadwick's records?" Sylvia sat across from Topaz. "Did you come here to stop me?"
"Why would I? I'm not planning to pass judgment on any of this. Chadwick's tragedy and the Technology Department have nothing to do with me."
Topaz had certainly learned some juicy secrets, but she had no intention of getting in Screwllum's way. If anything, she wanted to support him.
"If you've still got urgent business, go ahead. I can also help if you need it, though only with documents that aren't too highly classified."
"Chadwick's records… You can show them to me?"
"Strictly speaking, I'd like you to pass them on to Mr. Screwllum. What happened to Chadwick was tragic. At the very least, I think someone should remember the truth."
Topaz didn't seem concerned about the rules at all. Sylvia fell silent and thought for a while before a possibility suddenly struck her.
"Don't tell me you're planning to use this as leverage too. Won't that put you at odds with the other departments?"
"Mhm." Topaz smiled. "The IPC's departments have always competed with one another. If the rules didn't hold them back, plenty of them would openly come to blows."
Topaz had already read the files Jade had helped her uncover. The IPC hadn't found what it wanted after two Amber Eras, and another two probably wouldn't make any difference.
If Screwllum insisted on taking Chadwick away, neither the Technology Department nor the Family would put up much resistance. Still, that was a separate matter.
The IPC had poured an enormous amount of money into the project all those years ago, and now every hope of success was gone. Their only remaining option was to have the Technology Department reverse-engineer the technology from scratch.
Without a doubt, the project was dead.
Worse, the IPC might've offended the Genius Society. They'd trapped one of its members until his death, then tormented what remained of him for two Amber Eras afterward. If that story got out, the Technology Department would be in for a world of pain.
The Family and the Technology Department's senior leaders would have to take the blame. Had no one else learned the truth, both sides could've exchanged a few empty smiles and quietly buried the matter.
But Topaz knew now.
More importantly, she belonged to the Strategic Investment Department. She wasn't on their side.
Wouldn't it be a waste if she didn't make good use of this?
It was an unexpected windfall.
"You people at the IPC really are something…" Sylvia couldn't find the words.
She could more or less guess what Topaz was thinking. Groups that grew too vast probably couldn't avoid this kind of internal struggle.
That might've been for the best. If the IPC were truly united, there'd be little room left in the universe for any other faction. Controlling the entire cosmos's credit system was terrifying enough already.
"Hey, Sylvia," Topaz said, her voice suddenly earnest. "Before he leaves, could you let me meet Dr. Chadwick? At the very least, I'd like to see him off as a representative of the IPC."
Sylvia suspected she only wanted Screwllum to see her doing it.
Had Topaz truly pitied Chadwick and believed the IPC had wronged him, Sylvia wouldn't have minded putting in a word with Screwllum. Judging from Topaz's attitude, though, there was some pity, but not much.
Topaz cared far more about how she could use the situation.
Sylvia didn't judge people for feeling indifferent. The universe was full of tragedies, and no one could care about all of them. Still, if Topaz didn't feel strongly about this one, there was no reason to stage a pointless gesture.
"Sorry, but I can't help you with that. It's Screwllum's decision, and I won't make it for him. You'll have to ask him yourself."
Sylvia wasn't about to overestimate her own importance before a genius. Several members of the Genius Society treated her well because she could participate in the Simulated Universe and possessed certain unusual qualities.
That didn't mean she could truly consider herself their equal. She'd at least have to become a genuine Emanator first.
"Hmm…"
Topaz understood Sylvia's meaning. She tapped away at her terminal for a moment, then sent Sylvia a file.
Sylvia looked down at the long string of identification numbers and opened it, only to find that the contents were encrypted. "Are these the files you mentioned?"
"That's right. They're encrypted, but I'm sure Mr. Screwllum can unlock them with ease. Consider them my personal greetings to that genius."
Since she couldn't meet Chadwick herself, Topaz wasn't going to force the issue. There was no point fighting over something that wasn't essential. It'd be better to use Sylvia as an intermediary and show Screwllum some goodwill instead.
It was only one encrypted file. As long as neither of them said anything, it hardly counted as a problem.
"Understood. I'll pass it on to Mr. Screwllum."
"Then I won't bother you any longer. Once you're finished here, let me buy you a drink. I've only just arrived, and you're the only person I know."
Topaz stood, opened the door, and waved to Sylvia as she stepped into the hallway. She'd only taken a single step when she turned around and winked.
"I hope we'll work well together in the future."
With that, Topaz walked away without looking back.
Sylvia shrugged and locked the door. Whether working together would be pleasant remained to be seen.
Come to think of it, had the IPC only sent Topaz?
Sylvia recalled the scene in the lobby. There hadn't been many people following Topaz when she arrived.
Was Topaz really handling everything alone? Or would representatives from other departments arrive on Penacony at different times?
Sylvia couldn't view the IPC as one united entity anymore. Judging by Topaz's behavior, the fighting between its internal factions was every bit as fierce as its conflicts with outsiders.
Could Topaz's department really be the only one coming to Penacony? It was hard to say.
Sylvia shook her head and set the speculation aside. She could ask Topaz about it later.
For now, she needed to visit Dream's Edge and see whether Mei had finished dealing with Chadwick.
Clockwork seemed rather amazing, but the game had already shown how chaotic a person's inner world could become. Sylvia had found it annoying enough while playing. The real thing would only be worse.
Just thinking about it made her head hurt.
She'd rather not get involved if she could avoid it. She especially didn't want to solve any puzzles. Mei could handle it this time, and once March 7th and the others arrived, Stelle could take over.
Hopefully, Mei hadn't gotten lost.
Sylvia allowed herself a slightly wicked smile at the thought, then lay down in the Dreampool.
--+--
At the edge of a deserted rooftop in Dream's Edge, Sylvia found Chadwick standing motionless. Mei stood beside him with her eyes closed.
"Tick-tock! You're here too, my friend!" Clockie jumped down from a nearby bench and hurried over. "We're at the most important part! Did you come to help?"
"Uh… How far have you gotten? Do you still need me?"
"Tick-tock! A robot connected from somewhere else and is helping untangle this old gentleman's heart. Your friend doesn't talk much, but she's very good at untangling people."
"Well, that's Mei for you. From the sound of it, you don't need me anymore, so I'll wait out here."
"Tick-tock! You're slacking off, my friend!"
Clockie crossed his arms, tilted his head back, and wagged a finger at Sylvia. She didn't mind in the least.
"Listening in on someone else's private thoughts isn't exactly a good deed. One person's enough to solve the problem. There's no need to drag in another."
"Tick-tock—"
"Hey, hey, that's enough ticking. They're coming out."
Before Clockie could keep protesting, Chadwick's image shattered like a cluster of bubbles and faded into the Dreamscape. Mei slowly opened her eyes.
"You're back?" Sylvia raised a hand in greeting.
Mei ignored it and stared at her with a strange expression. "I nearly got lost in there. My instincts are telling me you did that on purpose."
"Hey, accusations need evidence. I was dealing with Topaz, all right? How could you call it deliberate?"
Mei gave her a look.
They knew each other far too well. Mei could tell exactly what Sylvia had been thinking, so there was no point in pretending.
Sylvia grew awkward under her gaze and cleared her throat. She was about to offer another weak excuse when a message from Screwllum arrived at the perfect moment.
[Screwllum: Thank you, Miss Sylvia and Miss Acheron. You uncovered the mystery surrounding Chadwick and helped him find release.]
In the end, Chadwick had been imprisoned by his own unresolved guilt. He believed the weapon he'd created in pursuit of a genius's fame was a terrible sin.
After sealing away his memories, he'd willingly allowed the IPC and the Family to keep him trapped there and subject him to endless torment. With Mei and Clockie's help, he'd finally reconciled with himself.
Screwllum had witnessed everything. He might not have understood many of the emotions felt by organic life, but he understood how important that reconciliation was.
Sylvia held out her phone to Mei and smiled. "See? Screwllum's thanking you."
"He's impressive."
Mei nodded, offering her assessment of Screwllum. If anything, meeting him had only made her more certain of it.
"That's not what I asked…" Sylvia pouted, then turned away and typed a reply.
[Sylvia: Chadwick disappeared. Did your negotiations succeed?]
[Screwllum: Correct. I persuaded the Family and have already returned to the space station with his Memory Bubble.]
[Screwllum: As the final witnesses to his life, I invite both of you to attend his farewell, provided you wish to do so.]
"We should go," Mei said. "Dr. Chadwick deserves our respect."
She'd witnessed most of Chadwick's life. In her eyes, the choices the old man had made afterward were worthy of respect.
[Sylvia: We're on our way. Topaz also asked me to deliver a file to you.]
[Screwllum: Miss Herta and I will await you in the Seclusion Zone.]
After sending the message and saying goodbye to Clockie, Sylvia and Mei left the Dreamscape.
--+--
After regrouping aboard Herta Space Station, they walked through the corridors of the Seclusion Zone. Mei glanced at Sylvia with curiosity.
"What was in the file Topaz gave you?"
"Probably records of Chadwick's cooperation with the IPC. It's encrypted, so I couldn't read it."
Mei thought for a moment. "What position was she taking when she offered Screwllum that gesture of goodwill?"
"Her own. She plans to use this as one of her bargaining chips. I just don't know what she intends to do with it."
This one piece of leverage alone wouldn't amount to much. Still, judging from Topaz's behavior, Sylvia had a feeling she was preparing something far bigger.
Mei was more worried about the chaos Sylvia might create by getting caught between the Family and the IPC.
Topaz had approached Sylvia the moment she reached Penacony. She'd clearly come to recruit her.
She might even have been sending the Family a deliberate message:
'Sylvia has close ties to the IPC's representative.'
Sylvia also had the Astral Express behind her and was close to Robin. Watching her court both sides at once, Mei could only shake her head inwardly.
Sooner or later, this was bound to blow up in her face.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL