Just Shapes and Beats: Atop Oblivion

Chapter One

The clock struck eight p.m.. Jace closed his hologram computer and stood up from his chair. Picking up the computer's gadget, he pocketed it and left the basement, going to the living room. Kestrel was there, laying on her stomach on the floor and watching the TV.

"I don't know how that's comfortable for you," Jace said, shaking his head.

Kestrel glanced in his direction. "It just is. I don't have an explanation. What were you doin'?"

He sat himself on the couch. "For the most part not much. Been keeping my eye on that whole corruption case going on. Kind of scary, isn't it?"

"I haven't been keeping up with that, to be honest. What's new?" Kestrel asked, looking back at the screen.

"Its been spreading to the planet's core apparently. Not fast or anything, but it has gotten closer over the years, and it's far more noticeable now. First time I've ever heard about this, though," Jace explained. "They still haven't figured out how or where the source originated from, but have suspicions they haven't publicly announced yet."

"Shit... and none of the corrupts are experiencing anything?"

Jace pulled the hologram gadget out and booted it up, scrolling through an earlier page while Kestrel paused the show playing. "It didn't say anything about that. But since it's a physical virus, the higher ups don't understand why it's doing—whatever it's doing to the planet. Or why it's headed to the core."

Willow walked in, saying, "I just put Aubrey down for bed. Talking about the situation?"

"Yeah. Pretty interesting case," Jace replied.

"I've been keeping up with it, too. Just overheard the part where you mentioned the corrupts not feeling anything," they said. "It's interesting, and not like I'm blaming them, but you'd almost think something would happen."

"I was just thinking that, it is a bit odd," Kestrel agreed. He grunted as he got up from the floor, cracking their back and stretching before shutting the TV off.

"Obviously if it gets dangerous or the higher ups feel we need to be evactuated—somehow—they'll say something," Jace said.

Transportation of any life form was not a process that had been explored. While it was possible to send and receive resources from other planets, it was a very high risk for any living being to be harmed in the process. No one, not even the higher ups, knew why, but it was theorized that materials were too weak.

Psyria poked its head around the wall. "You guys heard about it, too?"

Kestrel walked over, kissing its forehead. "Yup. Don't get too scared though. We'll be fine, I'm sure of it. But I'm heading to bed, so see you all tomorrow."

Psyria looked over its shoulder as she left, and once Kestrel was out of sight, it joined the other two.

"Has they mentioned anything about their domain being affected?" it asked in a whisper.

"Oh, you mean Hell?" Jace said. "No, not that I've heard."

"If something is wrong, they'd probably have left to check," Willow stated. "Plus her... um, soul? Heart? Whatever it is, it's connected to Hell's state so it wouldn't be hard to know if something happens. At least that's my theory."

"Forgot about that," Psyria chuckled. "Alright then, thanks."

It walked off to its room, planning to sleep as well. Jace and Willow, now alone, sat on the couch on opposite sides. Willow fidgeted with a bracelet as Jace pulled the article back up.