The Revelers (Serial 1)

Act 2 - Chapter 26: Cithara

It's been ten days since Ari's disappearance, and I grow more worried with each passing day. I try not to let it bother me during my work, but it sure is stressing. Fortunately, Samza and Mezos haven't been sending weird emails or jacking our crypto wallets.

Milani never got all his money back. Instead, he flagged it as a tax write-off. It wasn't much anyway — just enough to buy a 20-year-old Civic, built before they spun off of Honda and became their own brand, like the Dodge Ram, the Hyundai Genesis, and the Chevy Corvette. Still, it could have been worse. He's lucky the value of his 69 Dogecoin inflated, recouping some of his losses.

I'm sitting in a company-owned air taxi with Ruby, her face shrouded by her porcelain Maestro's Mask, her metal cyborg body covered in a red hooded robe. We're heading to the Solstice Sky Labs. As the name suggests, it's a facility that hovers in air space. The International Civil Aviation Organization legally designates the Solstice Sky Labs as a corporate-owned airship, but it looks more like a hamlet on a metal floating island with small buildings on the landing area.

The pilot lands our ship in the landing zone and a pearlescent white, ultra-luxurious Ala~de~Edan Mazaalai autonomous SUV picks us up. The super-expensive vehicle brings Ruby and I to the headquarters for The Eyes of War, a mosque-like facility where Ruby and her advisers gather and talk about the upcoming WarGames season. Whenever there are suggestions for new rules, debates would ensue. I've been here before, but I can't say I like it. It feels too cult-like. Even the random prayer chants from Eyes cultists creeps me out.

We exit the vehicle and enter through tall golden double-doors. It feels like we're walking through a set of heavenly gates as the doors let out a low, reverberating creek as it opens.

Up ahead, natural white light illuminates the inner chambers, revealing ornamental accents of gold and red on white pillared structures.

Inside, a tall bald woman with dark brown skin and pale blue cybernetic eyes, donning a white ornamental robe with gold and red trimmings, and a golden circlet on her head, confronts us. The sun highlights the gloss of her shaved head.

"Ms. Octavia Cerayle," I greet, "How are things today?"

"Enlightening," Octavia says, her tone cold and formal. "My colleagues possess news worth sharing, Ms. Cithara Orphea. If you're wondering, the news pertains to Ari Kagura. Follow me." She motions with a fluid hand gesture.

Ruby and I follow as Octavia leads to the building's inner chamber.

"Such concerns also pertain to my sister, Livia. Mayhap, you might remember her," she says, continuing our walk.

My brows scrunch for a moment, wondering who Livia might be. If I recall, Livia Cerayle played for the Brick City Sirens of New Jersey. She was the Eastern Conference's top Tactician and one of the front-runners for this year's WarGames MVP Award. However, Livia died last month from a freak car accident. "I remember her," I say. "My condolences."

Octavia stops and turns her head, her eyes slanted in bitterness. "Your precious condolences are not required."

Well, excuse me if you have a steel pole stuck up your ass, I want to say to her snotty attitude. Instead, I ask, "How so?"

The tall woman returns her gaze forward and continues walking. "Our sources state my twin is alive and well. We shall explain more once we arrive at the command room. For now, I'm glad you have kept Ruby under control. We have heard of her recent manic episodes. It seems her visions are becoming more rampant."

"Yes," I answer. "While my colleagues and I have been doing what we can to quell her nightmares, I believe the best course of action is to deal with the source of her problems — and that involves a woman who Ruby refers to as Gunhild."