Chapter 28: Frantic Worry
Meraki and Bucky drove off, taking a backstreet route to the coordinates of Cygnus Industries. Meraki looked all around whilst driving, peeking down every street and alleyway out of curiosity. "The streets are so empty here in the New City Arcadia," she mused, the silence unsettling.
"Yes, only at night, and that's because President Lawrence encourages all citizens to be in bed and get enough rest before midnight," Bucky drawled, his voice slow and hazy. "That's why it's always empty at night, but this is just another false attempt at him pretending to care about the City's well-being".
"I'm surprised they all listen," Meraki commented, her brow furrowed.
"Well, it's mostly out of fear. There have been random nights when the patrol would roam the streets and give warnings. Nobody really wants to get thrown into the cells for being outside late," Bucky explained.
"Well, in that case, it's not even an encouragement; it's literally being enforced," Meraki muttered, her hands tightening on the steering wheel.
Meraki looked down an alleyway and saw something familiar. "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed, speedily bringing the vehicle to a halt. "Crimson red hair???". Her heart lurched. She jumped out of the car, yelling, "Come on, Bucky!". She ran towards the lifeless body lying in the alleyway. "MERIELLA!". Meraki fell to her knees at the sight of Meriella. "What's going on! Bucky, help me!".
Meraki took Meriella in her arms and placed her ear on her chest. "She has no heartbeat," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Bucky, moving with uncharacteristic speed, stated, "Move, let me see," and placed his hands on the orb in Meriella's chest, which glowed faintly. "This is her core; it's dying".
Meraki cried out, "Noooo, Riella, I'm sorry, please don't die!".
"Hahaha, chill, dude, she's already dead technically," Bucky said, his usual laid-back demeanor unaffected by the tragedy. "Based on this energy orb, it was fueling her, keeping her alive like a battery".
Meraki looked at Bucky, mortified. "How can you say that! She's not dead! Grab her legs, we're taking her home!".
"But what about the mission... you know, helping save Terrchel, hahah," Bucky drawled, a slight shrug in his shoulders.
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT TERRCHEL RIGHT NOW! MERIELLA NEEDS ME!" Meraki screamed, her voice raw with desperation.
"Okay, okay, cool it, hahah," Bucky replied, slowly walking towards the body and doing as he was instructed. Together, they placed Meriella in the back seat of the Velox. Still no sign of life. They rushed to get back to The Undergrid.
As Meraki and Bucky sped through the deserted streets of New City Arcadia, Meraki's anxiety reached a fever pitch. She constantly glanced over her shoulder, her eyes fixed on Meriella's lifeless body in the back seat. The dim glow of the city's neon lights cast an eerie pallor on Meriella's pale skin, making her appear even more fragile and vulnerable. Meraki's heart ached with every bump and jolt of the vehicle, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios. As Bucky took a sharp turn, Meriella's body slid precariously close to the edge of the seat. Meraki's voice rose in a panicked cry, "Bucky, slow down! You're going to throw her out of the car!".
"Chill, dude, I got this," Bucky chuckled lazily, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. He made no effort to slow down, and Meraki was forced to grab Meriella's arm, holding her in place as the vehicle careened through the streets.
Bucky's suggestion to take Meriella to the Arcadian cyber hospital was met with a firm rejection from Meraki. "No way, we can't take her there. She's always been careful to avoid the Patrol, and taking her to a hospital would be like handing her over to the enemy". Meraki's voice trembled with emotion, her eyes welling up with tears. "You know we're not like you guys; the Undergrid Arcadians can't just go to these fancy places, plus I remember long ago when we met she told me she ran away from the Arcadian Patrol rankings. I have to respect her choices! Even if... even if it's too late".
"Hahaha, correct way of thinking, but dead people can't make choices, you know," Bucky's response was characteristically laid-back, his smile unwavering.
"YOU SO INSENSITIVE!" Meraki's eyes flashed with anger.
"Hahaha, nah, bro, I'm chillll," Bucky chuckled, his laughter slow and relaxed. Despite the gravity of the situation, Bucky seemed utterly at ease, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to Meraki's frantic worry.
Meantime: Leghorn & Emerson
As the portal dissipated, Leghorn and Emerson found themselves standing in the heart of a futuristic laboratory, surrounded by the hum of machinery and the soft glow of holographic displays. The room was a marvel of modern science, with sleek, silver surfaces and towering shelves lined with an array of peculiar devices and futuristic gadgets. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and burning circuitry, and the atmosphere was electric with the promise of innovation and discovery.
In the center of the room, a digital work desk pulsed with holographic sketches and schematics, detailing the design of advanced AI robots with reinforced exoskeletons and self-healing circuitry. The diagrams danced in mid-air, a mesmerizing display of light and color that seemed to shift and evolve before their very eyes. Nearby, a large, cylindrical device dominated the space, its surface etched with intricate patterns of circuitry and wires. The device pulsed with a soft, blue light, and a small, Celestial orb energy at its core seemed to glow with an inner radiance.
They spotted Terrchel's swatch suspended within an electric cube, but no Terrchel. It seemed to hover in mid-air. The cube it was in was a marvelous display of advanced technology. Its surface etched with microscopic circuits that seemed to shift and flow like a liquid, but it seemed dangerous to attempt to grab it. As Leghorn and Emerson approached, the cube began to glow with a soft, pulsing electric light, as if sensing their presence.
Together, they wondered how to extract the swatch. It seemed to still be open on a recording that showed the last events prior to Terrchel being captured by the Arcadian Patrol and robots. Emerson tried to grab the swatch but gets shocked immediately by an invisible electrocution barrier around the cube, which sent a sharp pain through his fingertips up his arm. They decided to just leave the swatch for now and try to get it after securing Terrchel. The room was heavy with anticipation, as if the very fabric of reality was waiting to be reshaped by whatever secrets the room held. Leghorn and Emerson knew this wasn't good. All this planning doesn't take place in Arcadia for no reason. Amidst this technological marvel, Leghorn and Emerson were prepared to uncover the mysteries concealed within Cygnus Industries, but they first needed to locate Terrchel.