2510.08.10
Reflexis City
Armstrong’s Bakery Basement Safehouse
“Do we have any updates?” Archaeus asked.
“I heard back a few hours ago,” Mo said. He and the rest of the team were spread out in the briefing room of Mo’s base. “The current idea is that the plans, schematics, and general information will be located within the Allusion Logistics Corporation headquarters. We are now shifting to conduct an investigation. I already have my people on the inside working on it. They have some serious encryption going on there. And it’s going to take us a while to find a breakthrough. We should hopefully make some headway within the coming months.”
“Months?!” Jerry asked emphatically. He stood up from his seat, focusing more on the conversation.
“I don’t mind it.” Geneva chimed in.
“Yeah, I’m sure you don’t little miss lovey dovey. What are you on like date fifty-six by now?” Jerry said. Geneva met his hard glare with an uncommon smile.
“Yes, Months.” Mo cut in before the situation could get any more out of hand. “Unless we get some sort of rare breakthrough, we will have to go in the slow way. My people aren’t high up in the chain, so getting information or shuffling to a position to gain access to said information will take time.”
“I, for one, am not in a rush,” Veralia said. She sat perched in the corner, a screen hovered mere inches from her face.
“Of course you aren’t,” Jerry exclaimed. “You’ve been hogging the damn big screen since we got here. Not all of us want to spend our days watching sports games.”
“You know you could go out and explore the city. It’s not like we are fugitives.” Archaeus said. “Besides the one of us who gets us into the most troubles seems to have found a safe distraction from doing just that.”
He made a direct glare at Geneva. She just shrugged as everyone looked her way.
“I may have entertained myself these past few weeks, but I, mind you, have actually been trying to do some sort of research. Ryan is even going with me to a bookstore later this evening.” Geneva said.
“And what research can you conduct through that outdated medium? We have the internet with its literal tons of digital encyclopedia right here.” Jerry replied.
“That’s enough,” Mo said. He stretched his arms, palms out. “The point of this meeting is to address what's happening and to update the boots on the ground,” He gestured to the group before him, “of our current objectives. So just stay still for the next little while. We will get a lead soon enough. Until then, we will reconvene in two weeks for another update unless anything important comes up.”
Before he finished speaking, Veralia was already out of the room; the sound system of the living quarters echoed down the hall. After sharing a stern glance at Geneva, Jerry stormed off towards the sound. Archaeus gestured for Geneva to follow him out the door.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“Well, that could have gone better,” Archaeus said after they got into the waiting grav-car.
“I think it went great. Besides, we get more time to explore the city. I was worried they were going to recall us for inactivity. This was my first time getting a chance to see the world that’s not the wing of my station.”
“Well, look how you’ve been colored, your station?”
“It's not my fault that they gave me an entire wing. But this place feels so different from there.” She said. Her gaze drifted out the window.
“Well, now that you mention it. This city does feel pretty expansive for being underground.”
“That’s not what I meant, Archaeus, and you knew it.” Geneva shot him a knowing look. “I’m sorry, okay.”
“There’s no need to apologize.” He replied.
“Yes, there is. I knew how you felt about me. We aren’t that different in age. And yet here I am leaving you on your own for hours while I go off seeing someone new.”
“Its not your fault.”
“I don’t really care. I can see how these moments are impacting you. I can see the hope that was so strong in your eyes when we got here a month ago, literally evaporate. So once again. I’m sorry.” This time, Geneva looked at him and kept her eyes locked with his.
“This thing with Ryan came out of the blue.” She continued. “I liked you before. Something that was beyond platonic had blossomed. And instead of seeing this moment as a chance to figure out if we could be something. I’ve been off with some guy I just met. I’m not dumb, Archaeus. I can see the way that you look at me has changed.”
“You aren’t promised to me, Geneva. I did like you. But these past few weeks have taught me that maybe I saw you too much as a way to get off that station. It does hurt to know I’m not the biggest priority in your life. But I understand that maybe I was forcing it on to you a little too much. I don't blame you.”
“You will always have a place in my life. As a friend, almost family even. I’ve known you for years now. And each moment in your company had made that unbearable life on that station worth it. The fact that you came as my guard to keep the rest of the organization off my back means a lot to me.”
Before he could reply, the grav-car settled onto the private veranda of their suite level.
“Destination reached. Continue to the next destination?” The car chimed.
“I’ll see you when you get home later. You should come introduce mister fancy pants at some point. It’s been long enough, and I should meet him.”
And just like that, he was gone. With a silent flick, Geneva gestured with her wrist. As the car sped off to the far wall of the cavernous city, Geneva reveled in the energies around her. Buildings, infrastructure, and people blurred past here through the window. She enveloped herself with the energies of the various elements and mechanisms that carried on day-to-day life in Reflexis.
What was she doing? She had dreamed and fantasized about life outside of IO Station. Archaeus was supposed to have been a part of that life. She wondered if her teenage self a few years ago would realize that she wouldn't have ended up with the one boy who had shown her so much attention.
Archaeus was nice. Something to look at and enjoy the presence of, but had she just used him? Was he just someone she had used to leverage even an ounce more of freedom? Geneva huffed into the empty cabin, the seat across from her slightly ruffled from where he had sat moments ago. She felt awash in the chaotic nature of the major city. Something leagues beyond her private arm of the station.
They had been in Reflexis for several weeks now. And she had spent most of that time exploring it with Ryan.
It felt more like her home than Io ever had. And now she was going to be here for more time. Shouldn't she be happy about that? She should be excited to tell Ryan the good news, but here she was brooding inside a taxi as she journeyed across a massive city
For the first time since she set foot into this chamber of earth, she felt stifled. Confinement was all she had known before she finally became an agent of the organization. Perhaps she now understood; there are more ways to feel trapped than she imagined before.
Lost in thought, the energies outside the vehicle, for a moment, became tangible. As the car moved through the air, fluctuations forcefully pressed in upon her. Fear spiked within Geneva as she was accosted by various frequencies. Energies which propagated, not just within the large cavern beyond the glass of the vehicle, but from the more well-known realm of human space. In every direction, within the presence of Sol, she felt like humanity was stuck.
“Destination reached.” The vehicle chimed once more. In her moment of distraction, she didn’t realize she had arrived. Geneva stood from her seat and stepped into the overwhelming sea of energy that surrounded her.