The Revelers (Serial 1)

Act 1 - Chapter 15: Cithara

I did not realize how long I have spent at Ari's dorm room. I really should return to my apartment. After all, I'm losing my patience and my resources are dwindling. It's like investing a few Satoshis into a memecoin, hoping to become a whole-coiner overnight, but walking away with clinical depression. I sigh. Still, there seems to be a lead and leaning towards the notion that Ari could be there on Howland Island.

The next question is how to get her out of that place? Satellite imagery does not reveal any buildings or suitable structures. Although, considering the two individuals who apprehended Ari during the WarGames Championship, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of magical forces. As strange is it is, if the facility is not underwater, then I'm certain that it's probably covered in an illusion or glamour. A wild hypothesis, but I think it's possible. But how do I prove it?

I'm thinking about this too hard.

A knock thumps from the door and the locks click. A short pale skinned woman with black long hair and red scarlet eyes, donning a white lab coat, khaki pants, and sneakers, walks in. She bears the look of concern on her face.

"Dr. Kari," I greet. "Good day."

"Greetings, Cithara. How are things? The team told me you are on a mission, yes?"

"Yes. I'm trying to pinpoint Ari Kagura's location." I pull out my holographic tablet and point at the recent pings on the holographic map. "There are signals coming from this remote island in the Pacific Ocean. At first I thought it was a false positive, but after trying out different triangulation methods, I'm optimistic that Ari is within that general area. How she got there, however, is anyone's guess."

Dr. Kari scratches the back of her neck. "It wouldn't be the first time our specialists spotted suspicious pings from that area."

My eyes widen in a sudden shock. "Oh? So, this looks normal to you?"

Dr. Kari turns her head in thought but maintains her gaze at the holographic projection from my tablet. She says, "I was part of CrystalCorps' Investigative Securities Division two years ago, and we would see pings from that area frequently. However, despite our efforts, we could never engage in any deep-dives. Our data probes would never breach their firewalls, scouting drones never returned with reliable data, and satellite imagery reveals nothing of interest."

"Do you think there might be something underwater?" I ask.

"We tried sending underwater drones to the area, but we got nothing important. In fact, I have photos of the drones that returned from their probing missions. Something is obviously there — they just don't want to be bothered."

"Can you forward me those photos?"

"Certainly," Dr. Kari says with a nod. "I will do that once I return to the office. It might take a while since I have to request for this through formal channels, but I'm certain you'll get those before the end of the business day."

"I look forward to it."

"At the meantime, I recommend you return to the Boulder Beach Laboratory. I'm sure your coworkers are concerned about you."

She's right. The folks at the lab, strangely enough, are like a family to me. Just a group of intellectuals who try to keep me sane. Sometimes, they wonder where I might be if I'm gone longer than usual and I forget to notify them of any delays. I guess that's a thing when I'm seen as a family member instead of a supervisor. Still, there is work that needs completing.

"Yes," I say. "I'll be monitoring my inbox for those photos. Thank you and have a splendid day." I stow my holographic tablet in an inner pocket of my coat and proceed to the bus stop.