「page 602」
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「
This one can be
categorized
as both nothing
and everything.
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The next morning was almost an exact replica of the previous morning—albeit Atienna awoke before her sisters this time. It was just her mother and her father in the kitchen. Her father was manning the stove this time, while her mother was setting plates out onto the floor mat.
After a moment’s hesitation, Atienna went to aid her father. It was quite easy to fall into step beside him. It was just the two of them at the head of the household for all those long years, after all.
Breakfast passed by swiftly. Once again, Bachiru did not show his face. Once again, Atienna’s ‘mother’ offered to tour the area with her. Once again, Atienna opted to accompany her sisters on the way to school instead. Like before, Kamaria walked ahead of her while Kichea tightly clutched her hand.
It felt—dare she think it—normal.
As Atienna continued along the path towards the station with her sisters, she noticed a long and sleek black vehicle pull alongside her. It matched her pace. When she stopped, the vehicle stopped as well.
She remembered occurrences like this happening before. A v-ehicle following a ‘target’ for several miles until the target turned into a dark and abandoned alleyway. Subsequently, the target would be pulled into the depths of the v-ehicle—never to be seen again.
At the memory, Atienna paused.
Wait—perhaps this was… Cadence13?
The window closest to her rolled down, revealing none other than Cadence herself. Rather—the Cadence of this place. Atienna felt an odd sort of simultaneous relief and discomfort at the sight of her. This feeling passed as soon as Cadence locked eyes with her and offered a tight smile.
The adjacent window rolled down, revealing Gilbert. There was a clicking sound and the door closest to Atienna popped open. Atienna looked back at her sisters.
“Are you going to do your policy making stuff, Atienna?” Kamaria asked, glancing over her shoulder. “See you tonight then.”
“Wait—”
But Kamaria had already taken Kichea’s hand and ran off.
After studying their disappearing backs for a moment Atienna slipped into the limousine beside Cadence. On Cadence’s opposite sat Carl. Across from them both sat Gilbert and Klaus. Atienna looked over her shoulder through the window to see into the driver’s seat behind her. It was not Feliciano who sat there.
Perhaps this was not Cadence’s vehicle then. But if not hers, then who’s—
“How’s the start of your week been?”
Atienna turned forward again as the vehicle began to roll forward. Gilbert was smiling at her. The suit he wore was crisp, clean, bright, pin-striped blue. Golden cufflinks guarded his wrists and an assortment of rings glistened on his fingers.
Gilbert’s smile—it was pleasant, genial, amicable, welcoming, friendly.
It was unnerving.
Gilbert continued, “Have you been adjusting decently?”
What…?
The dots connected within Atienna’s mind just as Carl broke the silence with a grunt and a statement of clarification—
“He’s turned into one of them.”
One of them?
Ah.
Did he become one of them or had he been replaced by one of them or—
“‘Them’?” Gilbert glanced briefly at Carl. “Let’s not try not to distinguish between you and me or us and them. Here, there’s only we.”
Klaus swallowed slowly.
“I’m sure you’re all unsettled about my demeanor and appearance right now,” Gilbert said, intertwining his fingers together and resting his hands above his abdomen. He leaned back slightly. “From what I understand, you all hold the same beliefs about the world and… about the people of ‘this’ place.”
“And…” Atienna regarded him curiously. “What beliefs do… you hold…?”
Gilbert leaned forward, still smiling. “I believe that we should all try to understand each other and help each other no matter what beliefs we hold.”
Carl swore under his breath.
This was troubling. It was a certain level of troubling depending on what Atienna concluded—‘believed’—about this place. What did it mean for them if this place was real? What did it mean for them if this place was fake? Becoming normal versus becoming integrated versus becoming replaced…?
The possibilities scratched at Atienna’s mind. It was very curious, but—oh, Gilbert…
Gilbert studied Carl for a moment before gesturing to Cadence. “Are you dealing with everything by yourself alright? I’d be happy to share some pamphlets on some of the support programs we have in my district.”
“No, it’s quite alright. I’m not by myself,” Cadence responded. She appeared somewhat tense. “I have Francis and Allen to help me around. Besides, Carl hasn’t done anything wrong, and it isn’t as if we haven’t dealt with this before.”
Gilbert raised his hands lightly. “I’m not making any accusatory statements here. In fact, I think Carl is the perfect poster child for our new VNW program—”
“I’m not being any damned poster child for any damned new program,” Carl snapped, slamming his fist on his knee.
Cadence rubbed his arm. “Carl, please…”
Carl tensed and grimaced down at Cadence but unclenched his fist. He stared down Gilbert. “What the hell is going on? What the hell happened?”
Gilbert, despite being on the other end of one irate Carl, folded his hands again and smiled. “I think we need to find a better, less… discriminatory word than this, but—as you can see—I’ve recovered from my VNW.”
There was a stretch of silence.
Atienna took the time to take note of Gilbert’s affable yet composed demeanor. His disposition was uncanny—both befitting and not at the same time. Interesting.
Klaus shifted uncomfortably. “Do you… remember anything about what happened before, sir…?”
“There’s no need for that level of formality, Mr. Kleine,” Gilbert replied. “The amount that’s recalled post-VNW-recovery varies from person to person, but the trend is that memories of VNW are more likely to fade as the duration of post-infection-recovery increases. With that said, since I’ve just recently recovered, I do recall quite a bit.” He leaned back in his chair as he placed a hand on his chin. “A power-hungry Kaiser, a comically philosophical and villainous group of ‘Saint Candidates’—interesting title choice there—and a terrorist group using the name of hope.” His gaze became sympathetic. “I understand why you’re so apprehensive…. From your perspective, the world is a dangerous place.”
“It is a dangerous place,” Carl retorted. “Especially here. Normal people end up like damned idiots, ‘hippies’, or… ” He gestured to Gilbert. “Whatever the hell you’ve become.”
Gilbert stared at him for a moment before glancing at Cadence and chuckling. “Excuse me.” He composed himself.
Klaus and Carl shared expressions of discomfort.
Gilbert said, “Back in the old days, people tended to pay the most attention to physical conditions—if that. They… looked down on people who voiced their pain. Emotional and psychological pain—people used to pretend that those things didn’t exist. Averting their eyes so to speak.”
Atienna tensed slightly at the familiar phrase.
“We don’t do things like that here in Ndoto. The problems that you can’t see, the problems that you might keep hidden away, the problems that hurt you more than any physical pain can—here at Ndoto we can help you fix them.” Gilbert gestured to them. “We see you. I see you. You’re not crazy. You just need help. We all do. And help is what policy makers do here at Ndoto.”
Policy maker…
“You sound like a damned politician.” Carl leaned back in his chair. “Butter words.”
Gilbert continued to smile. “Well, I am a policy maker and I do work with politics, so you’re not wrong there. Butter words though—I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Leutnant…”
Gilbert studied Klaus for a moment. “Mr. Kleine, I understand from your perspective, I’m your superior. However, trust me when I say this: I am serving you.” He allowed a pause to pass before continuing, “As I was saying, Carl, Klaus, you both are currently marked as VNW infectees. As it is right now, that status is considered a brand. I’m trying to work to change that prejudice right now—”
Prejudice.
It existed even here.
Interesting.
“—but that could prove difficult if certain people work to… unintentionally exacerbate that prejudice.” Gilbert clasped his hands. “We were with a Mr. Derik Stein, if I recall correctly? Unlike the rest of us, he hadn’t gone through a formal reacclimating process—i.e.: he wasn’t marked in-person as a VNW infectee nor was he given any educational pamphlets.”
Klaus drew slowly, “Stein is—”
“—causing some people to be unhappy,” Gilbert finished. “I received notice this morning that there was a… disturbance in the district I’m accountable for. That would be the Harvest District. A man has been cited as disrupting the day-to-day lives of the people in that district… Things we haven’t had in Ndoto in a very long time.” He paused. “Would you happen to know where Mr. Derik Stein is? I’m concerned he might be a danger to himself or others in his state.”
There was a beat of silence.
“I do recall seeing Derik on the day you all came to the roller disco,” Cadence finally answered, “but I reckon the last we saw of him was the last you saw of him too.” She threaded her fingers through her hair. “Are you intending on sending him off to the Small Services District?”
Klaus just barely flinched. “That’s… that holding facility, isn’t it—”
“It’s a rehabilitation center, not a holding facility,” Gilbert corrected.
“I understand Stein is… Stein—but he’s not a… dangerous person.” Klaus looked Gilbert up and down. “Sir… please. You… the Hauptmann… I—”
“You’re still not convinced,” Gilbert concluded. “That’s fine. But you have to realize that whatever beliefs we hold about the world, we still need to be considerate of people outside of ourselves. You and Carl have been doing just that for the most part. So—let’s just focus on the positives here. There’s a new VNW program—”
“Yes, I saw your announcement on the news and have witnessed the beginnings of it firsthand,” Cadence replied slowly. “Doing away with stays at the Small Services District.”
Gilbert raised a hand. “Not doing away with stays but improving the processes of the Small Services District. As you know with change, people tend to reject it. Even here in Ndoto. That’s why you need to show people that change is good.” He gestured to himself. “Show them that integrating VNWs into society can facilitate rehabilitation.”
Cadence opened her mouth but then closed it.
“I’m assuming Francis thinks that all I’m doing is diverting attention away from the entryway of immigrants into Ndoto.” Gilbert played with a ring on his right hand. “Or maybe it’s Jericho El-Mahdy?”
Cadence crossed and uncrossed her legs, giving her answers away.
“ELPIS…” He let out a quiet sigh. “Well-intentioned, definitely. The thing is that imagining a fair paradise is easy. Implementing it is anything but. People have different versions of paradise, and we can’t just follow one person’s version. It wouldn’t be fair to everyone else. It may be fair to people in ELPIS and people outside of the borders but—”
“I thought you said we shouldn’t separate ‘us’ and ‘them’,” Cadence said. She held up a hand. “Not that I’m in any place to speak of politics.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but you say this and yet your public endorsements say otherwise.” Gilbert waved a hand. “Not that I don’t support your charity work and sponsorships. It’s just that you can’t do charity work without getting political.”
“What else would I do with all of these VPs and all this time on my hands?” Cadence sighed. “You may have been foul-mouthed, but I appreciated your innocence when you had VNW, Gilbert.”
This Cadence was really direct and to the point. There was no concealing intent or hiding behind double meanings here it seemed.
“Innocence?” Carl snorted. “You’re kiddin’ me.”
Gilbert continued smiling.
“Well—separating between ‘us’ and ‘them’… You’re right. We shouldn’t,” Gilbert agreed. “Inside Ndoto, that is.”
Something itched at the back of Atienna’s mind. This way of thinking was more than just a little bit familiar to her. The irony didn’t escape her—then again, was it irony? Or was it something more sinister…?
“So, the reason you stuffed us all in this sorry excuse for a v-ehicle,” Carl grumbled, “is because you lost your head and now you want us to be your damned mascots for your make-believe program.”
Gilbert’s polite disposition did not crack. “I understand why you’re interpreting my intentions that way and why you see things that way too—but, if you agree, you’d be helping not only yourself but all the other people who will contract VNW and who have contracted VNW.”
“Well, I don’t damn agree.” Carl leaned back in his seat. “And you need to wake the hell up, Capricornian.”
“Capricornian…?” A strange look passed over Gilbert’s face before something akin to recognition flickered there. “Ah, right. Capricornians… An interesting name for an ethnic group.” He glanced at Cadence. “Do you think your new television short about horoscopes might be an influence…?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cadence pursed her lips slightly. “It’s real, you know. Horoscopes.”
“I’m only joking.” Gilbert smiled again. He turned his attention to Atienna. “So… Miss Imamu, you’ve been quiet.”
It was interesting—this new distance between them. A distance had always existed since she knew him through Werner, but he hadn’t actually known her. Now, however…
“I’m just wondering…” Atienna drew slowly. “…why you’ve brought me along… Gilbert…” She glanced at Cadence and Carl beside her. “I understand you had something to discuss with Carl and Klaus and I’m sure Cadence came for support, but…”
Atienna had an inkling of an idea but—
“Yes, about that.” Gilbert crossed his legs. “You do recall Miss Maria?”
“Yes, of course,” Atienna replied. “It would be hard to forget someone like Maria.”
“Agreed.” Gilbert smiled before momentarily touching his right upper arm. “I was informed by Miss Angelo that you were supposed to meet up with her yesterday, but you didn’t show up. I was asked to pass along a message—rather, another invitation—to reset a meeting date.”
—that confirmed things.
“Oh.” Atienna dipped her head. “I’m sorry for missing the meeting. It completely slipped my mind.”
A lie. She was the one to maintain the itinerary for the diplomats she served, after all. A secretarial role added onto her advisor role, perhaps, but it wasn’t an unsatisfactory task.
“It’s for tomorrow—the invitation.” Gilbert waved a hand. “I can have Seamus call your place the morning of if you’d like—”
“Seamus?” Carl’s brows met. “Ain’t that the—”
“Seamus is here?” Klaus did a double take. “Seamus Dolby?”
“He’s my PR manager.” Gilbert nodded. He placed a hand on his chin again. “But… oh, right. You remember him as a…. chairman of a… peacekeeping organization?” He chuckled. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m sure Mr. Dolby would get a kick out of hearing about that.”
A lapse of silence fell.
‘Even peacekeepers were here,’ was probably what Klaus and Carl were thinking. ‘Were the peacekeepers also affected by whatever was going on here?’
“Am I correct in thinking that that’s only… part of why you brought us along with you to…?” Atienna drew slowly. “Ah, where exactly are we going?”
“Still sharp despite the VNW,” Gilbert said with a chuckle. “Yes, well, I’d like to talk to you from policy maker to policy maker.” He gestured to the others. “And perhaps I could convince you to change your mind.”
It was then that Atienna looked out the window. The scenery had changed completely. The white glow of the Great Tree was no longer in view. Instead, all that surrounded them were stark buildings with glass panel walls and windows—entirely reflective with not a gap in the mirrored surface in sight save for the barely noticeable metal frameworks of the buildings.
“The Small Services District,” Gilbert said, clasping his hands together with a smile. “If you feel nostalgic, it might be a good thing.”
* * *
The vehicle parked in front of a glass building with a half-moon driveway. The driver opened the door on Gilbert’s side, and the latter proceeded to straighten his suit and tie before stepping outside with a smile. He shook his driver’s hand before greeting a dress-skirt wearing woman exiting the building with an equally firm handshake.
The driver opened Cadence’s door next. After Carl exited, the driver took Cadence’s hand as he helped her out of the vehicle. “I’m a huge fan. A huge fan,” he whispered—to which Cadence responded to him with a sweet smile.
Carl looked back at the man and sneered at him.
Atienna was not met with the same warm gesture. In fact, the driver took a step back as he opened her door and gave her the most courteous and curtest of nods. She frowned at this and locked eyes with Klaus as he too exited the vehicle.
The woman who was conversing with Gilbert departed back into the building after staring at Atienna for a moment. Atienna came to a stand beside Gilbert alongside Cadence, Carl, and Klaus. Atienna took note that Cadence was standing much closer to Carl than to her. She turned her attention to the building. If it were not for the fact that the woman conversing with Gilbert made to re-enter the building, Atienna would have not been able to tell where the entrance was.
“Just follow me,” Gilbert said, gesturing to them while walking to the door and fixing his tie.
“Ain’t no way in hell,” Carl grumbled.
“Oh, come on now. Don’t be silly,” Gilbert chided. “You’re already here. Might as well make the most of it.”
Atienna paused as she noticed a sign glinting on a silver plaque in front of the door. She gestured to it. “Are we allowed to come in…?”
RESTRICTED ACCESS: LEVELS 4+, it read.
“Oh, as long as you’re with someone who has higher-level access, you’ll be fine,” Gilbert said, barely glancing in the direction. He pushed the door open for her and then held it open. “Flat out restriction isn’t ethical.”
* * *
The interior of the building was nothing like the exterior. The windows let in light from the outside and, paired with the orange bulb lights that went down the entrance hall, gave everything a natural, warm glow. Below the lights was a checkerboard floor leading to a circular reception desk manned by a man wearing circular glasses. Surrounding this was a sea of men and women who looked rather busy.
The atmosphere of the building’s interior felt a bit like the Serpens Establishment of Ophiuchus. The purpose with which people walked was familiar. And the suits people wore—albeit the suits worn here were more… extravagant than the typical monochrome Ophiuchian wear. Floral-patterns, blue and green checkerboarded stitching, and polka dot ties? Atienna was certain that even Cancerian culture with all of its extravagance wouldn’t consider this attire exactly professional.
Several of the passersby greeted Gilbert with nods and waves. Some approached him and shook his hands and offered words of congratulations—about his ‘recovery.’ Some fawned over Cadence who responded by signing autographs and posing for photos taken by rather small cameras. Others came to Atienna and shook hands with her while wishing her a quick recovery. Atienna tried her best to play along.
Only one person lingered behind after the greeting crowd parted. A suit-wearing woman with blonde hair tied into a tight bun and wearing heavy blue make-up.
Atienna couldn’t help but think she looked a bit familiar—
“That’s… Frieda…. Heitmann…” Klaus took a step back. “She was in the first ever unit I was assigned to. She… died on our first operation—”
“Yeah, dead people walkin’,” Carl interjected. “Nothin’ new. Almost gave me a heart-attack with the way you reacted.”
Frieda stared at them before addressing Gilbert: “Right… You have about 60 missed calls, Mr. Wolff. And you have a two-day backlog of paperwork.”
Gilbert paused at this before he chuckled. “That’s what being absent from work for a few days tends to do.” He arched a brow. “60 calls? Really?
“About 20 of those calls are from Mr. Waltz.”
Gilbert quieted. “About?”
“It seems he wanted to say hello and congratulate you on your recovery,” the woman informed him. “And invite you out for a celebratory drink.” She checked her notepad. “And throw you a party. And send you a cake. And—”
Gilbert seemed to sigh a bit and held up a hand. “I get the picture. Did you ask him to call me on my personal, not work phone?”
“Oh, he did call you on your personal,” the woman responded. “He left five messages there.”
“Right…” Gilbert adjusted his tie again. “Oh, I need to run to my office real quick.” He gestured to Atienna and the others. “Would you mind escorting these lovely people to the waiting room for me, Frieda?”
Klaus flinched at the address, while Frieda stepped forward with a pursed smile. She held Klaus’s gaze for a moment before indicating for them to follow her. She led them to a small room to the side of the hall. The wall of the room that faced the hall was made of glass, so Atienna was able to analyze its interior before stepping in.
The wallpaper inside the room was stripped green and yellow and a tanned leather sofa was pressed along the far right wall. A glass table sat at the center of the room with some sort of metal art piece standing tall at the center of it. A soft song Atienna could only describe as unbelievable generic was twirling out from the radio on one of the tables.
Cadence guided Carl to one of the sofas and waited for Atienna and Klaus to seat themselves before clapping her hands once. “I’ll be right back if you’d excuse me.” She approached Frieda who had remained by the doorway and whispered into the woman’s ear.
Frieda nodded at her before saying to the rest of them, “I’m going to escort Miss Cadence to the ladies’ room. Please wait here. I’ll send a guidance officer to look after you.”
There was a beat of silence after they left.
“So.” Carl shifted in his seat. “What the hell are we actually doing?”
Klaus opened his mouth to answer before something in the main hall seemed to catch his eye. Atienna followed his gaze and found a startlingly familiar woman passing by the door to the room.
Klaus rose from his seat. “Elizabeta…?”
The woman stopped short and turned at the address. Although Atienna had never seen Elizabeta Wtorek in person herself, she couldn’t help but feel a small burst of relief at the sight of the woman. Elizabeta and Jericho had not been particularly close—in fact, there had been some tension between them due to both of their involvements with ELPIS. However, Jericho had felt a small sort of one-sided friendship with the woman, so Atienna felt the same.
Elizabeta’s eyes widened and she slowly, hesitantly entered the room. “Klaus Kleine? Lance Corporal Klaus Kleine?”
She’d called him by his military title.
Carl looked between them. “Who’s the doll?”
“Miss Wtorek? Is it you…?” Klaus stammered. He slipped into Capricornian, ran up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, before he shook himself, released her, and continued in Common—“Do you know what happened to the rest of my unit? To Bergmann and Brandt?”
Elizabeta’s eyes widened and she threw a look over her shoulder.
“We met Elizabeta after Emilia, Alwin, and I left our outpost with that ELPIS Leader,” Klaus explained to them quickly. He tentatively glanced at Atienna. “Elizabeta’s a peacekeeper. She said she knew Jericho, Atienna, so you must know her too?”
“Jericho…?” Elizabeta’s gaze trailed to Atienna before something flickered in her gaze. She tensed. “You—”
“Elizabeta?” a familiar voice behind Elizabeta called.
“Nico!” Now Carl shot up to a stand.
Nico Fabrizzio, wearing the same light brown uniform Atienna had seen him wearing the first time she’d met him in this place, stood behind Elizabeta. In his left hand was a cup of coffee and in his right a clipboard. On his face—his ‘usual’ frown.
“Oh, Nico,” Elizabeta greeted him. “Good morning.”
“Morning…” Nico’s gaze flitted in-between her and Atienna’s group before he stepped into the room in-between them. “Is there an issue here?”
“No,” Elizabeta replied quickly. “I just wanted to catch a break, but…” She checked her wrist where a watch gleamed. “It looks like I don’t have the time.” She paused, lowering her wrist. “Is there something you need from me, Nico?”
“Gilbert just asked me to bring them to his office,” Nico said, thumbing behind him as he leaned against the doorframe. He crossed his arms. “If you didn’t realize, they’re all VNWs. I’m guessing Gilbert wants to use them for his new campaign.”
“I see…” Elizabeta studied Atienna.
“Is it true?”
Elizabeta looked back at Nico. “Is what true?”
“That VNW infectees can’t spread VNW.” Nico’s frown deepened. “I thought the consensus was that level fives were spreading hotspots. Hence the quarantine.”
“That is the general consensus,”’ Elizabeta replied, “but the vector for VNW doesn’t operate in the way you think it does. Semantically speaking, I’d refrain from using the word vector altogether, but it’s what’s been widely accepted. Spread of VNW is… something more akin to a folie à deux, if you’re familiar with the term. So, I suppose it depends on how strong the mental will of the ‘carrier’ and another person’s is… and their proximity to the Tree. Degree of transmissibility—for the lack of a better word—isn’t always relative to proximity to an ‘infected’ individual.”
Nico grunted.
“If you’re interested, I could give you the most recent research on the topic,” Elizabeta continued, “since I’ve been looking into it recently. There are a few medical journals on it too that I can hand over. KM-level access is 2 so you should definitely be able to—”
Something flickered in Nico’s eyes, Atienna noticed. A brief light that was extinguished as quickly as it came.
Nico shrugged. “Not my thing. Anyways, Werner wanted me to ask you and Mr. Wtorek to dinner. The weekend after this one. He says he’s been dying to catch up.”
Mr. Wtorek? Izsak…?
Elizabeta appeared caught off guard but quickly recomposed herself. “I’ll have to ask Izsak, but dinner sounds lovely.”
Nico nodded before jerking his chin at them. “You lot. You’re with me.”
Klaus’s gaze flicked between Elizabeta and Nico—
“I’ll leave them to you then,” Elizabeta said before departing.
Curious, Atienna thought and ruminated. Elizabeta was giving clear indications that she was familiar with their version of reality, but it appeared as if she was playing along with this place. Atienna had an inkling, however, that the reason she was playing along was quite different from Eunji’s reasonings.
Nico knocked on the doorframe, stirring Atienna from her thoughts. “You too.”
Klaus and Carl were already at the doorway beside him. Cadence was there too.
“Don’t be rude.” Cadence clicked her tongue before approaching Atienna and looping her arm through hers. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Atienna followed Nico back into the hall with the others. Eyes from surrounding passing men and women trailed them up until they reached a series of offices with glass windows and doors. As Atienna spied into the interiors of the offices, she took note of the wooden desk tables, the bookshelves, the bright wallpapers, the decor inside each—and then she came to the realization that each office was absolutely identical to the next.
Although Atienna felt the hairs on her back rising at the sight, she couldn’t help but also feel curious and relieved. It was a sign of fallibility, fakeness—
“Weird ass designs,” Carl mumbled.
Atienna glanced at him and then looked back at the offices only to find that each office was now populated with small personal items—photos on the walls, desk gadgets, themed paperweights—that distinguished each from the next. Items that had not been there before.
Not again. No—there was no reason nor time to panic.
Nico stopped short in front of one of the offices and entered without saying a word. Inside was Gilbert who rose from his desk and began conversing light-heartedly with Nico. Unfortunately, Atienna did not have the ability to read their lips at the moment. Perhaps if she was able to synchronize with Cadence, it would be a different story.
“What should we do…?” Klaus whispered as he watched them. “Are we all going to become like the Leutnant…? Or… if that’s not the Leutnant… then where is he?”
“I sure as hell ain’t becomin’ like that,” Carl grumbled. He gestured widely, drawing stares. “If anything, this just damned proves that the longer we stay, the more we’re gonna become like the people here. We gotta find a way out.”
“Is there a way out?” Klaus murmured before placing a hand to his chin. “They were speaking about a… ‘gate’ of some kind… Maybe that is like an…” He seemed to search for a word. “… an ‘exit’. Maybe if we go to these gates then… we can escape.”
“No shit,” Carl grumbled. “That’s generally what exits and gates are for. No maybe about it. The problem is we don’t know where the hell this gate is. What is it? Like a border or somethin’? Easy to smuggle things in and out of borders if you’ve got the right resources.” He jerked his head at Klaus. “What the hell was up with that peacekeeper? She with us or not?”
“I… don’t know.” Klaus frowned. “They were talking about an ‘Izsak.’ I… think that’s the name of her husband.”
“And?”
“Her husband was… I don’t really fully understand what exactly happened, but he was turned into an ELPIS Leader. And maybe—”
“Shit. Fully initiated or what?”
“I think so—” Klaus’s brows rose. “You know…?”
Carl did a double take. “Look at who my brother is, stupid.”
Klaus pinkened. “Oh. Right. But what I was trying to say—it’s complicated for her. I think—”
“What are you all talking about…?” Cadence interjected. She’d been quietly observing their conversation the entire time and Atienna had been observing her in turn. “Carl… are you talking about leaving again…?
“Yeah, we need to get the hell out of this joint,” Carl grumbled. “Don’t worry. We won’t leave you behind. Just sit tight. We’ll get you out too. Francis too. And Captain Ditzy. And whoever else got their brain scrambled.”
“Carl…” Cadence let out a quiet sigh. “You know, when people usually speak of leaving Ndoto, they’re speaking about going to the tree. I hope you’re not talking about that.”
The tree…?
“Tree?”
“That’s how you exit Ndoto,” Cadence replied. “It’s the only true exit.”
Carl arched a brow and shared a look with Klaus.
“What…” Atienna drew. “…do you mean by that?”
Before Cadence could answer, Gilbert and Nico exited the office.
“Ready for a tour?” Gilbert asked.
* * *
“To the left we have our dining hall for citizens who have stage four VNW and on our right we have the dining hall for citizens who have stage five VNW.”
They were walking across a bridge now that oversaw two cafeteria halls. One to their right and one of their left. The bridge they were crossing also served as a wall separating the two areas from each other. The dining areas were dotted with metal circle tables and populated with people dressed in familiar, matching outfits. Light green button-ups and khakis. The same attire Atienna had seen in the photo Cadence had shown her the previous week.
“We usually keep citizens at different VNW stages separate,” Gilbert continued, striding ahead of them. “Oftentimes we keep individuals who are at the same stage separate from each other too outside of common meal.”
“Because level fives can feed into each other’s delusions and cause delusions in people who don’t have VNW,” Nico explained, following just a step behind Gilbert. He eyed the man. “Or that was the general consensus.”
“Looks like where they lock up the crazies,” Carl grumbled. “Or some new age cult.”
“Let’s not be using hurtful words like that,” Gilbert interjected. “Though I agree that these facilities definitely need some… refurbishing.” He paused and looked over the glass railings. “Instead of being surrounded by friends and family reminding them of their real life, they’re isolated and only interact with guidance officers. In my opinion, that’s doing anything but helping.”
Nico frowned.
“Not that our guidance officers are unneeded or unhelpful,” Gilbert amended. “In fact, without our guidance officers, Ndoto wouldn’t be able to operate as it does now.” He placed a hand on Nico’s arm. “You are making a difference, Nico. You’re helping us achieve Ndoto’s goal.”
“Sure.”
Klaus swallowed.
The politics of this place truly were rather intricate, Atienna thought to herself. Besides that— ‘Ndoto’s goal?’ Curious.
“You look like you have a question, Klaus,” Gilbert noted.
“I… was just wondering what you mean by ‘Ndoto’s goal’, sir,” Klaus wondered Atienna’s thoughts aloud.
“To ensure everyone lives fulfilled and happy lives,” Gilbert replied, placing a hand to his chest. “To ensure that everyone discovers and achieves their life goal so they can go to the Tree so that Ndoto can continue on.”
The Tree again…
Atienna’s thought was cut off short as someone from below caught her eyes. Multiple someones. Sitting around together at one the tables in the far corner were none other than Peacekeeper Ferris Hart and Caporegime Agape Rosario.
The last time Atienna had laid eyes on them had been—
“What the—Agape!” Carl was at the rails, waving an arm wildly. “Agape!”
The woman looked up at the shout before shooting to a stand.
“Oh, poor Agape…” Cadence sighed from beside Carl. “I heard she just recently caught VNW. She’s always been tough though, so I’m sure she’ll be out of here in no time…”
Agape’s gaze flitted to Cadence and her already present frown deepened. It somehow deepened even further when Cadence gave her a small wave. Then Agape’s gaze landed on Atienna. The woman’s eyes widened slowly, and her face became pallid. Ferris shot up to a stand beside the woman, and she too fixated her eyes on Atienna. Her face contorted in horror.
Atienna felt a chill run down her spine as she suddenly became hyperaware of her surroundings. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest as sweat broke out across the nape of her neck.
“—get her the hell out of there!”
Atienna looked over at Carl. The man was holding Gilbert by the scruff now, and for once Gilbert was looking slightly bothered and irritable. Nico was struggling to pull the two men apart. Cadence meanwhile wrapped her arms around Carl’s waist and pulled him back and away—with surprising strength and force.
Atienna looked back at Ferris and Agape and found that the two no longer had their gazes fixated upon her. They were focused solely now on Carl who had finally released Gilbert and was being consoled by Cadence. Gilbert was readjusting his tie and his smile. It was almost as if they hadn’t ever been looking at her in the first place.
“First you lock her up in a cell with a damned ELPIS Leader,” Carl rattled on, “and now you—”
Atienna stiffened.
“You better take a chill pill, Foxman,” Nico finally said, pushing Carl back. “Acting out like that’ll definitely get you a stay here.”
“Nico!” Cadence whispered. “Don’t say that!”
“Don’t worry. That won’t happen,” Gilbert reassured her, “but I do suggest you, Carl… take it down a few notches from now on. If you truly end up disturbing the happiness of other people, I won’t be able to do anything for you.”
Carl’s and Gilbert’s tussle had garnered the attention of those around them and some of those below them. Atienna thought to herself that it seemed as if half the people she’d landed in Ndoto with were for covertness while the other half were all about drawing attention.
Carl grimaced when he noticed the stares. “Look. I saw ‘em in my dream. They were back in some old ass century and a buncha people in robes locked me and them up for whatever reason. And now they’re here. You get me? They were caught there and now they’re locked down here.”
There was a stretch of silence.
Atienna’s mind went to the remnants of her dream from her second night here. Her memory of the dream was faint, but—yes, this confirmed it.
Nico and Gilbert exchanged looks. Klaus’s brows knit with concern.
Cadence flushed slightly. “Carl… please quiet down. Right now you sound—”
“I don’t give a damn if I sound crazy,” Carl snapped in a whisper.
“No one’s calling you crazy,” Gilbert said, smiling again. “I’m not denying that you fully believe in your reality of the world. But…”
Atienna watched them go back and forth as she ruminated. Eunji had confirmed that she had been having strange dreams since coming here. That in itself was nothing to draw conclusions on, but Carl’s confirmation just now gave it more meaning. But what was that meaning? Why?
Atienna abruptly felt her senses heightening, her palms itching, her heart hammering once more. It felt different from earlier this time, however. This bodily sensation was familiar and nostalgic, bringing her back to her nights in the Night Circle. The feeling of anticipation before a match, of someone sizing her up, of someone just about ready to go in for a fight.
Atienna quickly scanned the bridge, the people on the bridge, Carl, Gilbert, Klaus, Nico, Cadence. None of them. Then her gaze was drawn to the floor below—towards the people looking up at them, the people looking up towards Gilbert and Carl. Only one person below was not focused on the duo. A man. A familiar man14 with dark skin, dark eyes—eyes trained burning, focused on Atienna.
“Sefu…?” Atienna whispered in recognition.
Relief visited her momentarily before the reality of his burning gaze settled in. Was it another illusion? Was she seeing things again? Sefu had never looked at her like that before. No—the only people Sefu had ever looked at like that had been people who had tried to harm her.
“That’s a nasty glare,” Nico said, coming to a stand beside Atienna.
So, he was glaring at her. Unlike Agape and Ferris who apparently had not been…?
“If you’re wondering why he’s giving you a hairy eyeball, it’s probably because you were the one who got him committed here.”
Again, the alternate Ndoto version of herself was being mentioned. A pre-VNW version who apparently was not so different from how she was now. The idea of the identicalness of this pre-VNW version of herself to her actual self was… odd. Or perhaps it wasn’t. This was a facet about herself that Scorpio had prodded at, after all.
Scorpio…
“You said he was a danger to not only himself but others. That he was violent and obsessive.”
That was contradictory to the Sefu that she knew—though she reckoned she didn’t truly know Sefu at all. However, was this glaring Sefu here her version of Sefu?
“How long…?” Atienna tried. “How long has he been here?”
“About two and a half weeks now,” Nico replied. “The stay here is usually at least a month long.”
A month. Two and a half weeks ago. Were any of these times relevant? Relevant for Sefu surely. But—
“Do you know what his VNW makes him believe?
“It wasn’t my case, but I heard that he thinks he’s your bodyguard.”
Atienna’s heart skipped a beat and her eyes remained glued to Sefu. “Is there any way to get him out earlier?”
“He’s unwell,” Nico said. “The only people that can help him right now are the guidance officers and the people who are close to him, so no need to keep pretending that you feel anything but a passing pang of sympathy. No need to go ‘Oh, Gilbert’ this or ‘Oh, Sefu’ that just to try to seem more empathetic.”
Atienna felt the hairs on her back stand again. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see something crawling along Nico’s face. Vines. Blossoming flowers.
“We’ve been trapped in your perspective for a while now and haven’t been getting anywhere. Probably because you don’t want to be getting anywhere. Would you mind hurrying up to the next chapter so you can see Maria?” He seemed to look past Atienna’s shoulder. “So, you can see Maria?”
Atienna didn’t dare look over her shoulder. Instead, she turned to face Nico head on and tried, “I wonder… since you’re so impatient and I’m quite lost… why don’t you just direct me to where you want me to go then?”
Nico’s face contorted—into confusion. The flowers were gone. His face was clear. “What?” He arched a brow next and sighed. “Anyway, usually if you want to check someone out early with good reason, you take it to a council member of the district the person is from.”
Atienna stared at him, heart hammering, mind buzzing. She tried to recompose herself and looked back down into the crowd. The dining hall was emptying now, brown uniformed officers taking the place of the diners. Sefu was no longer in sight.
Nico studied her for a moment. “But seeing the current state of things, your best bet would be to talk to the chief guidance officer.”
After a pause, Atienna asked, “Would that be… Maria?”
* * *
Gilbert continued to tour them around the facility for the next two hours. There were several facilities dedicated to the quarantine and recovery of VNW infectees. It was a rather functional facility with several departments dedicated to therapy, nutrition, and social work. It seemed more complex and well-oiled than any of Signum’s healthcare systems. Troubling.
Gilbert seemed to think it troubling too. Atienna wasn’t sure whether he was trying to compliment the Small Services District or criticize it throughout the tour. A compliment followed by a jab and vice-versa. Straying the middle ground—or so it seemed. In other words, this Gilbert was a perfectly crafted politician. The opposite of the Gilbert she knew, the culmination of everything the Gilbert she knew despised—or perhaps that was a misconception from what she gleaned from the way Werner viewed Gilbert.
As the tour neared its end, Gilbert had his secretary—Frieda—hand them complimentary gift baskets. And his business card.
“When you go to see the chief guidance officer tomorrow,” Gilbert said to Atienna at the end, “please keep in mind what you saw here today.” He winked. “From policy maker to policy maker.”
* * *
A limousine pulled into the circular driveway of the building to pick them up. In the driver’s seat sat Feliciano who opened the door for each of them and guided them into their back seats. For once, Carl did not push or egg him on.
They rode in silence for the better part of half an hour. Cadence spent the time doing ‘vocal exercises’ and humming a portion of one of her songs. It was a catchy tune—preppy, warm, unusual.
“Atienna?” Klaus broke the silence first.
Atienna offered him a smile. “What is it, Klaus?”
“I overheard… you’re going to speak with the… er… chief guidance officer?”
“Yeah—that’s Maria, ain’t it?” Carl interjected. “Top boss? Somethin’ like that? Could be our ticket out of here—”
“That again?” Cadence sighed before reaching over and clasping her hands around Carl’s. “Leaving?”
Carl tensed.
Cadence reached out to hold Atienna’s hands next. “Today was a lot. I know.” She reached over and squeezed Klaus’s hand after. “But I promise everything will be making sense soon. I know seeing someone snap out of their VNW can be quite jarring… All of it is quite normal, I promise you.”
Klaus flushed.
Carl grimaced in disgust.
Klaus pulled his hand away and cleared his throat.
“‘Snap out it’?” Carl shook his head. “It’s more like Gilbert lost what little marbles he had left.”
“Gilbert’s heart is in the right place,” Cadence returned, threading her finger through her hair. “He’s passionate about his goals. It’s just that… he’s willing to do what he must to obtain that goal. And that’s why he can come off as…”
“A suck up?”
“Well…”
Klaus expressed discomfort and looked out the window.
Atienna gave him a sympathetic look before reaching over to briefly hold Cadence’s hand. “Cadence, you were mentioning earlier that the ‘Tree’ is the only exit to Ndoto… right?”
Cadence nodded. “Technically, it is once you enter Ndoto.”
Carl and Klaus exchanged looks before Carl leaned forward.
It was best not to jump to conclusions.
Atienna felt her palm’s itch. “Could you… elaborate on that…?”
Cadence leaned back in her seat. “Oh, I suppose that wasn’t in the pamphlets. Well….” She crossed her legs. “If you’re honest about how you feel in Ndoto, if you feel satisfied and happy with everything, you most likely will return to the tree. That’s the goal for some here, you know? That’s the goal the guidance officers and the guidance council push.”
“To go to the tree…?” Atienna pressed. “Leaving Ndoto through the tree is the goal of people in Ndoto?”
“Wait, wait,” Carl interjected. “That ain’t the right question. The question is where this damned tree—”
Klaus held up a hand. “Wait…”
Carl slapped his hand out of his face. “Who the hell do you think you are—”
“Carl!” Cadence gasped. “Please.”
Carl opened his mouth before shutting it.
Atienna nodded at Cadence to continue. “The goal is to go to the tree…?”
“No, no, the goal is to find and obtain your life goal,” Cadence clarified. “Once you’ve done that, there’s nothing left to do. So, the option for most is to return to the tree.” She briefly toyed with the rings on her hands and leaned a bit more towards Carl who stiffened. “Our parents’ ultimate goal was to bring us to a place where we could live peacefully and thrive. After they accomplished that goal, they decided that they were at peace and reached their ‘ultimate happiness,’ so… they went to the tree.”
What?
“Wait, wait, wait. Wait a damned minute.” Carl shook his head. “What the hell does going to the tree mean?”
Cadence stared at him in confusion.
“Is that kickin’ the damned bucket? Is goin’ to the tree kickin’ the bucket?” Carl pressed. “They force you to go kick the bucket once you’re ‘happy’? That ain’t fucked up to you? I mean I ain’t a saint, but—”
“You know you could let me finish,” Cadence huffed. “It’s not like it’s a forced thing. It’s a choice. A decision. Which you would’ve known if you would have just let me finish! You are always like this. Can’t you just let me finish without interrupting me once?”
Oh dear. This was a rather domestic dispute.
Carl leaned back. “Damn. Sorry…”
Cadence huffed once again. “At least that much has stayed the same with you, Carl. That’s a good sign.” She turned her attention to Atienna and Klaus. “My brothers and I”—she patted Carl’s arm—“are minor skeptics of the tree eagerness which is why we entertain people. It’s all about love.”
“Love?” Carl arched a brow.
“Love.” Cadence nodded, glimmering. “Love of your job. Love of music. Love of art. Love of yourself. Love of a song. Love a dance. Love of another. Love strong enough for you to stay.”
Stay.
That word had been important to Cadence, Atienna thought. Her version of Cadence. It was a word Cadence had asked to multiple people throughout her life, and out of all those people Cadence had asked that word to, only one had given her a definitive answer.
“There are so many lovely fine arts and entertaining activities to enjoy in Ndoto, so many people to meet, so many places to see,” Cadence hummed, “so why not stay a little while longer?”
Six Chances 