The Rise Of The Consortium

After several failed attempts to connect to the intercom, Norliera waited there to pray that the person would pick up her calls.

She kept sweating in the damp and dark room of Hotel Stomstey in the middle of the night, but that was the only time to connect outside. It has been two weeks since she got her interaction pass and was stressed that nothing had happened yet. Five days more and she might have to face all those things that gave her chills.

What felt like an hour for 10 minutes, she saw an outline of a person with blond hair straightening himself through the screen. She connected her palm reader to a TV in the hotel room she was staying. Unluckily his vision wasn't clear as she expected.

"Hello." She was impatient to get her heart out about the happenings over the last week.

"Wait. Let me fix myself." The person's voice sounded as if he had just woken up.

"Oh, do it quickly. I've got a little time." she tried to keep her voice low and eyes on the door in case she has to stop this.

"Ok. So how was your death trip to Katokein?" She could feel his suppressed laugh from his tone.

"It was fine but not so fine." She could feel her cheeks burning as that was her wish to go to the lands unaided.

"What happened?" suddenly his voice went serious.

"I mean everything happened whatever we thought. But, I met 'her'." Her eyes lit up with her thoughts of Rio.

"How's she doing? Did you help her recruit anywhere yet?" He was still fixing his hair, occasionally looking at her.

"Dane, I can't see things clearly..." she realized her mind was somehow at the blurry screen all that time.

"Okay. I got this." and did something that made the screen clear. "Has it got any better, the city?"

"No. They still have to fend for themselves" she remembered the common situation she noticed while in the city. People only deviated themselves from their problems and kept making it more complicated.

"This is what happens when one has responsibilities but they're put to sleep. Either one doesn't listen to what you're saying or they become overreacting. And I'm sorry for whatever happened to you."

"No, it's ok." her eyes were on the shiny dark blue long plug fitted in one of the TV's outlets. "He wasn't wrong when he said it's impossible" she remembered what her boss had said before taking this trip.

"But at least you tried." He was trying to convince her, she thought to herself.

"Are you sure she's the one?" It's been two days and she heard nothing about Rio yet.

"She can fix things, so yes." Norliera heard she was a mechanic, but she had her doubts.

"I think she used to look like the way you told me. Because now she's not." yes. Rio was rather looking weak, bit scared and as if she was lost somewhere.

"Of course. She is still sleeping. Did you got her a job or not?" Why was he repeating the question, but she could answer if he's really that curious.

"Not yet. I forgot about that. But I want to see if she does the things I told her."

"And she has failed in the first one." Dane was speaking as a matter of fact.

"What?" She worried about different things Rio could've done she shouldn't have.

"Yeah. she met the Manings today, despite everyone's denial." That felt like a slow punch on her face, shaking her estimates about Rio.

"How come…"

"She needs a constant reminder."

"But I can't always."

"You've to stick to her. I told you."

"Yes, but don't you think she needs some reason to do anything?"

"She's got a lot. And even if you go on talking about that, she won't understand a thing."

"Like most people."

"Like most people….wait. Why did it take longer for you to…"

"What about Zeppy?" she heard some sounds outside her room and hurried to know things she wanted.

"Wha---oh, she's checking on Dad. Still babbling about Mum and someone else." his sounded thick although she couldn't see anything on his face.

"Are you ok?" asked as if he was about to cry.

"What's there to be ok when----"

"I think someone is coming, I've to go." Dane was shocked the way she cut him but maybe she really was in trouble.

"Ok. just come with her soon."

And she grabbed the antenna from the TV. she saw some bugs near the door through the light that fell from outside the room. She pressed her palm on her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Her heart thudded fast with approaching footsteps.

"Are you alright Miss?"

"Yes. I'm fine." and took a deep breath to find that it was only the maid. She forgot about them completely. They check all hallways every night to find whether anyone accidentally sleepwalks out of the hotel.

Norliera downed two glasses of water and shook her head to get over its rusty taste. She looked at the night sky out of the window near her bed waiting for some ideas about what she should do the next day.