The Rise Of The Consortium

She continued looking around the source of light. It didn't make sense to her as to how the flashlight was floating on its own. Just when she was going to hold it, she hit something. Her heart stopped beating when she immediately realized that it wasn't something, rather it was someone.

"AH, WHAT THE… " she squeaked followed by a long scream. She stepped back as the flashlight was pointed at her, making her scream once more.

"WHAT NOW? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! " she asked, covering her face with her hands. She didn't want to see what was going to happen to her. She felt her heart might burst if it kept pounding so fast. She parted her fingers a bit from her eyes to see whether the flashlight was put away from her or not.

It wasn't. Rather, it kept moving towards her as she stepped backward. As she didn't look at what was behind her, she stumbled back with a thud. "OH NO!" she screamed as she landed on the ground with her backpack under her waist. She rolled to rest on her c.h.e.s.t instead.

"WHO ARE YOU?" asked the person who was standing a few feet away from her. She didn't feel like she could answer anything as she was trying to absorb the pain she just received. Still, she struggled to raise her head a bit to see an extended hand towards her.

"I'm sorry, please put this away!" she squeaked gathering all bits of energy, which of course ended up with a series of c.h.e.s.t wrenching coughs. She still felt the thing above her head, ready to stab her anytime.

"Who are you?" asked the person again, seemingly avoidant of her request.

"Put this away!" cried Rio as her mind went blank just looking at the pointed glowy weapon upon her. She couldn't see why this person was being increasingly annoying. Not having a light source at first and then putting this curious object in mid-air and on top of that, not standing a few feet away cautiously from this object would irritate anyone, let alone the oblivious Rio. How could he expect an answer? Can't he see that she's trying to gather her energy to get up after all these?

"Why? " asked the man with a hint of curiosity.

"What have I done?" inquired Rio as she couldn't understand why she was being attacked like this. Is he a police officer? Her eyes widened as she thought it to be the closest possibility of being reprimanded like this. She kept lying down on the ground as the final bit of energy seemed to seep out of her body.

"Why are you here?" asked the man. Although it didn't sound like he was questioning as a policeman would do, still he asked in the way a policeman would do. If it is so, she might have to tell the truth. She doesn't have anything in her mind right now to avert the inevitable.

"I was told," she replied, her eyes still looking at the weapon. She couldn't decide whether it was a weapon or a flashlight.

"To repair?"

"Huh?" she didn't feel like she should be scared of it anymore. She looked at the person, whose hand was still stretched. She tried to search for this person's face to determine what he was going to do. When she failed to find that in the darkness, she gave up. Instead, she continued observing the flashlight, still kept towards her, untouched by the person. It looked like a flashlight, but she felt this one be an interesting one. Her attention was now on the shape of the bright object. She realized that she was asked a question. "I don't know. Please put this away!" she said weakly. She wondered how interesting it would be if something like that would become a weapon.

"64?" asked the man to Rio, motioning the flashlight towards him.

"Uh? No, my name…. " Rio wanted to tell him her real name, but she didn't want to get caught. But then she thought that she doesn't have to be worried about it. This person knows that she is there to repair and won't hand her to the police or won't arrest her himself.

" Is that you?" asked the man to her again.

"Oh, uh. Yes. It's me." she replied feeling ashamed of what mess she had just made now. It was a simple flashlight, did she have to be this scared?

"Don't you have a name?" he asked.

"You can call me Rio, sir." she felt weird as where did this 'sir' came from.

"OK, Rio. We've got this starter to repair," he explained. "We're already late, it's better if we get started."

"Sorry, never been here before," she mumbled as she slowly got up. She tried not to give outcries as she got jolts of pain while sitting. She had her reasons to be late. She was getting late for other things as well, she thought to herself.

"You had the map, right?" he said. The hand was still outstretched which reminded her of the work outside this pain. She felt relieved that he's not a police officer looking for her. The only thing that scared her was her waist. If it got fractured, she would have no luck curing that or to work anymore. She could get back home soon to nurse that. But now she has to get back to her work.

"Don't you want your paycheck?" he asked. She frowned at him. She was getting up, did he have to ask her?

"How much will you pay?" asked Rio. She grabbed the person's hand and got up slowly, without exclaiming her inner pain.

"See if you can fix it," he said. Once she stood on her feet, she let go of his hand. "I thought someone else would come. I don't know what you would do now."

"I'll have a look now," she said half- dragging herself towards the said starter while taking out her flashlight from her backpack. She was sure her back was out of shape as all the tools were safe. Well, they're made of metals, how they would have broken? She hoped the incident hasn't gone extreme, else she's done for.

As she focused her flashlight towards the switchboard, another flashlight illuminated the area as well. It was brighter, of course. She flicked her off and bent down to inspect it. She tested whether it was devoid of any current.

"Every time I'm tasked to inspect the switchboards, I have to hire a mechanic," he said. "I wish I could hire one forever. You know, it's a waste of time to wait for one while things are going wrong under your nose."

She listened carefully while unscrewing the protective plate. The switches were inside it and felt it was wet. Looking inside, the plate was covered with moisture. She placed it inclined with the pillar so that it gets dry. The inside of the switchboard was even worse. It was blackened and moldy with small spider webs here and there. She cleaned the area with her screwdriver.

"Don't you have that thing, what they call…." he asked.

"The spray?" answered Rio wondering if he is thinking the same thing. The spray that kills dust instantly. She missed having one with herself.

"Yes. Nepgimet the name. Don't you have one?"

"No, sir. I ran out of it two days ago," said Rio musing about the day she used it for the last time while cleaning the spider webs.

"Shouldn't you be getting another?" he asked.

Was he getting impatient? She sensed as if he was in a hurry. She should finish that soon. But cleaning things with this screwdriver will take time. She could clean with her hands, right? She dropped her tool and cleaned the area within seconds.

"What are you doing? You'll get infected!" he warned. He stepped forward as if to stop her. But the damage was already done. She sensed that as well, as she saw a flicker of brightness on the switchboard.

"It's alright. This is what happens when you're the target for no absolute reason," she said, now picking up her small pointy object and placed over random places which made faint crackling sounds.

"Anyways, this is nothing."

"Doesn't your boss allow you to have the spray?" the person asked.

"Yeah, kind of." she murmured. "I fixed this, for now, things have to be changed." she put things back in their proper order.

"Will you work with me in return for the nepgimet spray?" he asked her as she finished packing her backpack too.

"Excuse me?" she paused to look at him. Now the flashlight was beside him, still floating. The person was in a black suit as if he was a very important person in the city. Even more than the Manings? If it is so, why would he be here to fix this? She must be mistaken.

"I get my thing and you, yours." he clarified. "Just remember that you might have to go to a lot of places."

She held her breath for a moment. He is recruiting her. Does Kner know about this? He must be noting this. Someone else is going to recruit her. She doesn't have to wait for her identification process. Or does she?

I don't think you should hire me." she said flatly.

"Why?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

How should she tell him that she's going to be arrested any day? Or say to him that her mother finds it impossible for her to move to a new city, just because of what she has done to her life?

"Well, I'm not a registered mechanic, if you know what I mean," she said, hoping he would understand the hint she was giving.

"But you can fix things, right?" he asked her. "Yeah, I know I should wait for the light, but you did it right. Isn't it?" he inquired.

"Uh, yes. But I think you were right. You need someone else." she said preparing to walk away from the platform.

"Well, I searched for one and you are here. So I guess that's it. Wait for the map of the location." he ordered. "Be there on time."

"What if I can't? " she asked wondering what if she's locked up? She must know if he is going to act like Kner. If so, she must decline the offer at once. She can't get her head hit once again. She continued walking away from the place. Suddenly she forgot which way she came from.

"Why not? Don't you want your paycheck?" he asked. she paused on her way. She turned back to look at him.

"It's not like I don't want it. It's just I…. I can't," she spoke aloud from where she stood.

"Why not?" he asked again which she thought as if he was saying standing next to her. She felt tipping on the edge with anger. His questions were making her lose more answers from her head. She wanted a proper answer to say him back. Only if he gave her a little time. She took a deep breath.

"You must not hire a stranger, sir. You must have complete data about your employee." she felt relaxed as she managed to say this much. "I'm afraid I'm not the reliable one, sir," she said this one in a single breath and turned away to go ahead. She walked forward aimlessly. She didn't even know what was there when she entered that area.

"Do you care? Do you really care what everyone is doing?" the employer's voice rang in her ear. It felt as if he was speaking next to her ear. She turned back to see whether he was standing behind her.

But no, she found she was walking alone, till she hit her head on a tree trunk. That's it. She looked at the tree while wincing in pain. That tree was there when she stepped in that area.

She paused and looked back at the platform again while massaging her head. There was no light at the platform.

She stood, resting her back on the trunk. She kept thinking about the last words she heard when she left. "Do you care?". What did he mean by that? What did she have to care for? She got confused for a moment.

"Do you care, now that they don't care about you?" she jumped this time. The voice felt so close again. A shiver ran down her skin, making her look around frantically. There was no one near her.

Is she feeling dizzy? Or is she being tricked? She stamped her foot in rage wondering about the latter. She felt she has no luck just to rest for a moment. Next time she would arrest whoever it may be. What does he think about her? She's a Junior Charger. No one dares to play with her. She humphed wondering what strategies she must adopt if she was to arrest someone.