In a mountainous region, at the south of the world, next to the coast, there were several villages within a small town called Pedral. It was a quiet town, with no major industry, and few residents to speak of. In one of these villages, lives Sol. A teenage girl like any other, with big ears, messy orange fur, thin yellow eyes, and a constant laziness. Having just begun to consider college, she didn't seem to be in a hurry to plan her future. In fact, nobody seemed to be in a hurry in Pedral. Such was life...
All Sol felt at that moment was the comfort of the wind. She moved back and forth in her hammock, supported by pillars in front of her house. She seemed to be falling asleep, for a moment, but this peace would soon be interrupted.
-"Sol! Where are the things I asked you to buy?"
Her mother said, sounding slightly disappointed, in a high pitched voice.
-"Ah, sorry! I'll take- I mean, buy the things we need soon! But i don't have any list-"
Before she could complete the sentence, Sol was interrupted by her mother again.
-"I thought you had already written it all down! Let me remind you: meat sauce, bread, a kilo of flank steak..."
Sol's mother was the person most deserving of respect in the world to her. A heroine, who she hated to let down, but Sol always tried to make up for her mistakes with proactive actions, trying to make her mother proud. Sol, in her opinion, was trying her best, but she had her limits.
Astute as she was, she seemed to forget recent details quickly, absentmindedly imagining the feeling of flying in her daydreams. She even spent hours swinging in the hammock, subtly simulating this feeling, afraid of appearing childish. Sol had been a teenager for a long time now, and she didn't really like how she was still being treated like a child by close friends and relatives, but it was nothing that really brought her hatred for anyone.
Sol rarely got mad at other people, and, traveling in her dreams again, while thinking about what plane model she could draw later today, she had already forgotten about most of her mother's shopping list. That did irritate her, her own incapacity. At this point, she was already outside of her house, considering whether to go back and ask her mother again about the list. The possibility of a disappointed look made Sol give up on the idea, heading towards the market, at the end of the street, to the left of her house. While on the way, she tried to remember. "Bread...sauce...a kilo of what?"
The village Sol lived in was close to many similar ones, but seemed to preserve its own identity by preserving the interconnected triangular plots, which housed old buildings made of exposed brick, structures with rounded corners and, sometimes, small towers, cylinders that seemed to have an more of an aesthetic utility rather than a practical one. Sol loved the houses with towers on them, they reminded her of old castles, which she also appreciated. During her trip to the grocery store, she loved seeing the subtle details of the houses in her neighborhood, and how they changed. One house in particular was in the process of covering its bricks with a layer of concrete. Sol physically tilted her muzzle in disgust. She hated the look of concrete, and its texture. But this detail had distracted Sol from the most curious aspect of the house in question: There was an airplane in its yard. Covered in a tarp, yes, but the shape was definitely that of an airplane. When Sol noticed, she quickly approached the house, dodging carts, cars, animals and people walking along the cobbled road. Sol looked with a smile on her face at the completely covered plane. To her, it looked like a biplane, judging by the shape of the wings, but some of the details and shapes within the tarp covering the plane looked different. A rectangular bulge appeared on the sides of the plane, close to where the landing wheels would be.
Either way, Sol was pretty sure it was a plane, and she wondered for a second who it belonged to... Then she remembered, looking again at the house she hadn't recognized due to the concrete. It was home to Mr. Molini, an old man who Sol would have never thought had anything to do with planes at all. But she couldn't resist, and had to move closer to the odd covered machine at the yard. There, so close to the presumed plane, she crouched down, trying to visualize what she could of it, but the tarp covered too much. Practically nothing underneath was visible, bricks and ties ensured the stability and coverage of the tarp. Sol got the message, Mr. Molini certainly didn't want prying eyes around his machine. But she wondered why such an elderly and reserved person like him would own a machine like that, and just have it lay around in his yard like that.
For a moment, she considered tearing off a piece of the tarp to get a better look at what was underneath. But, hearing an odd sound coming from the house, Sol slowly leaves it be, afraid of being oppressed by a person she didn't even know. Just like that, she went back on her way towards the local grocery store. It was where Sol always went to buy whatever her mother asked her to, belonging to the Beneth family for generations. Sol was a great friend of Martha Beneth, the daughter of the store owner, and one of the advantages of helping her father in the store was that Martha always overheard different rumors from different people that passed by the store everyday. Sol entered the store, and promptly questioned her friend:
-"Martha! Did you see it!? In Mr. Molini's house, there's a plane-"
Martha, resting near the counter, makes a gesture to Sol indicating silence. Sol approached her, quiet and confused.
-"Listen. A group of men I've never seen, wearing huge jackets and covering their faces with what looked like big medieval helmets, came yesterday at dawn, at old Molini's house...! I saw it! I usually sleep well, but something made me wake up, and I saw everything! Whatever it was, don't get in trouble with him. They left soon after, but I don't know what happened. It was scary..."
Sol replied, visibly more confused than before:
- "...Could be a cult or something...but what about the plane?" Now, it was Martha who looked confused instead.
-"Plane!? What plane, girl? I just told you about the craziest thing I've ever seen happen in this city in a long time and you come up with this random plane story?"
-"I mean, of course that is a strange thing to happen, but is it unrelated to the literal plane in front of his house!?" Martha paused for a moment, thinking.
-"...Do you think he stole a plane?"
-"How can I know!? I don't know anything about Mr. Molini!" Martha glanced around the store, making sure no one was around to overhear the conversation.
-"Sol, later tonight, I'm going to visit you, ok? Old Molini didn't come to the store today, it's possible he's not even in the village right now."
-"Alright. At what time?"
-"I don't know... whenever I'm able to. Now, changing the subject, it looks like Graxa is going to be in town tomorrow, some kind of tech event from what I heard."
Sol's eyes were filled with interest. Graxa was one of the best inventors Sol had ever heard of. The inventor of the plane itself, one of her biggest fixations. But Graxa, even as a public figure, was a mysterious, strange person. He was easily six feet tall. Disproportionately thin, and with a large, thin muzzle, he looked malnourished. He wore a hat like a policeman's, and a large red cape, along with a short scarf that covered most of his neck. But even so, the man was like a magician: He put on a show for each of his inventions, a show of curiosity and a fanciful display of technology. And Sol had never had the opportunity to see him in action. She had only heard of him on the radio quite often, when she had the chance to.
-"And only now that you make me aware of that!? We have to be there for the event! It's gonna be, it's gonna be-"
-"Awesome, I know, I know. But calm down for now, will ya? And don't forget: later tonight, we're going to find out what's going on with old Molini's house, okay? Dad is afraid they might be thieves, but we have to find out first. I didn't tell him I was gonna go there, nor do I plan to tell him yet."
-"That's not very nice of you to keep secrets from your own family!" Sol said, with a playful smirk on her face.
-"Sol! No moral lessons, please! You're acting like my mom!" Martha said, laughing.
-"Yeah, heh, who am I to say that!" Sol said, holding a chuckle.
-"Alright, I'll knock on your window to let you know when to come out, okay?"
-"Right. I'll be on the lookout. I'm going home. Oh no, wait! I need to buy some things that my mom asked for..."
Sol replied, almost leaving the store without buying anything.
Martha always had a smile on her face when serving the customers, but with Sol in particular she looked happier, even while talking about this mystery that intrigued the two girls. Martha looked quite a bit like Sol, but her fur was darker, and her eyes were a bright blue color. Unlike Sol, she much preferred to wear dresses instead of pants. But even with their differences, the two of them used to joke that they were distant sisters, when they were little, with how their friendship was like. Sol thanked Martha, and continued on her way home, passing once more in front of Mr. Molini's house. Now that she noticed it more calmly, the house seemed almost... abandoned. The windows were all closed, the grass, where existing, was overgrown, and dirt seemed to accumulate in front of the main door of the house. How long had Mr. Molini been outside, if indeed he had ever been out of the house? Several possibilities ran through Sol's mind, none of which she preferred. A small detail had passed unnoticed by her. A lightflower, growing on the edge of the yard! Sol loved these flowers, as they emitted a faint, but warm blue light when well cared for. Sol decided to take it, carefully pulling it with its roots intact. She promised the little flower that she would give it a better place to live, seeing Mr. Molini's practically abandoned yard. Sol accelerated her pace, arriving at home, placing the products that her mother needed on the table, and the flower, in a small, empty vase.
-"Mom, I'm home!"
-"Thank you, sweetie. Didn't you forget anything?"
-"I don't think so. Uhh, mom, do you know anything about Mr. Molini?"
-"Molini... Not much. I heard he was an engineer or something when he was young. He retired early, and has lived here for a long time. Did something happen to him?"
For Sol, this partially explained the alleged plane in front of the old man's house.
-"No, I don't know, actually. I don't think so, but there was a plane... At least it looked like one, parked in front of his house. I don't know how to explain properly... but it was covered by a tarp."
-"Strange, but it might be one. Maybe a memory from a long time ago that he decided to keep. Why don't you try talking to him? Maybe he'll show it to you! I know how much you love planes!"
-"I don't remember ever visiting Mr. Molini. I can't remember what he even looks like anymore, but it doesn't hurt to try. But Martha also said something that..."
Sol's mother found the pause strange, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
-"...It's nothing. Don't worry, it's just her silly little rumors that she likes talking about."
Sol's mom chuckled in response. Sol decided to keep it a secret from her family. She wasn't sure if it was the best option to go to Mr. Molini's house and visit him as if he were a known relative, it'd be too weird. She preferred to be with her friend if she was ever going to go near that weird house after hearing what she said.
-"Ah, sweetie, tomorrow there will be a book fair, near the city hall, and some event, which I haven't heard much about. But I heard that Graxa will be there. I don't know if you wanna go with me, but it starts at 8 am!"
-"Sure! It'll be fun."
Sol spent the rest of the day drawing planes in her bedroom. She had to study, but didn't quite feel motivated enough at that moment. If she tried to force her studies, she would end up sleeping on top of the books, uninterested and bored. She had several models in her room: biplanes, triplanes, some airships, almost every modern machine that was capable of flight. Using these models as a reference, Sol devised original aircraft designs, letting her imagination soar. She designed parts, complex systems and movement angles, but it was all amateur work made purely as a hobby, as she loved to draw. Even so, she planned to take an engineering course in the future, but she still had a calculus course to complete. She hated math, but it was part of the required knowledge to reach her main goal: to design and build her own flying machines, for real, one day. Perhaps. She didn't have much confidence, but according to her, it could be useful knowledge for another job, when the time comes.
Her father would come home late, working for an oil company at a nearby seaside town, around midnight, on a regular basis. Therefore, Sol preferred to stay up late, ensuring that he always arrived home safely. She didn't like to sleep with the anxiety of not knowing how her family was. She listened to the radio while waiting, always curious about the news, especially those related to scientific breakthroughs and new inventions. Reports came in of a newly discovered particle that was barely detectable, and Sol listened carefully, interested at the discussion about it in the nightly talk show, even if the content did not seem of much relevance to her.
And so, night had arrived. Sol's father had already arrived, but Martha hadn't visited her yet, which made her a bit worried. Still, she decided to go to sleep straight away, feeling tired, hoping to plan things better in the morning. But then, in the middle of the night, Sol hears a light tap on her window. A short knocking sound that subtly woke her up. Sol, still sleepy, finds Martha, looking uneasy, on the other side of the glass. She quickly leans her head to the left, asking Sol to come outside. Martha was still dressed in the same clothing from before. Sol wears whatever she could find nearby over her pajamas: an aviator jacket that her father gave her, jeans, and long, comfortable boots. Quietly leaving the house, she finds her friend, looking as if she was out of breath.
-"Sol! Sol! They showed up again! I didn't let them see me, I think, but they're at old Molini's house, again! Are you wearing pajamas!? Sorry, I-"
-"Calm down, calm down... and yes, I am, but it doesn't matter. Let's see what's going on..."
-"No way! There's a car in front of the house, crammed full of these guys! They'll see us if we get too close!"
-"Let's just stay in the shadows, then! This street has very little lighting at nighttime, because of the trees. If they see us, we'll just run away as fast as we can, simple as that."
-"This is a terrible plan. But it's not like we have another one... L-Let's just go, then."
Martha didn't seem too confident about the plan, but trusted her friend deeply. Sol, a little less sleepy now, watched the blue car parked in front of Mr. Molini's house. Two men, wearing what appeared to be medieval armor and a large jacket over it, got into the car, appearing to be chatting with each other for a brief moment, gesturing.
-"I told you! They're the same ones that I saw that time, Sol!"
Martha said, her eyes open wide. She was very much awake, in contrast to her friend. Right after she said that, another man came out of the house. He was similar to the others, but larger in stature, around 2 meters tall. His armor was different from the others: An angular, pointed style across most of the helm. A curved line crossed over the eyes like an eyebrow on each side of the helmet, pointing downwards. The top of the helm was smooth on the other men, while on him, it appeared to mimic wild hair, like an animal's mane. The rest of the armor was mostly covered by the huge jacket, from which a huge scabbard was suspended. It was an ominous sight. The huge man got into the car with some difficulty. Martha starts to breathe hard, visibly nervous, while Sol was scared too, but seeing her friend, she steadied herself for her.
-"Listen, Martha. I don't know what's going on, but they're going to leave now, by the looks of it, so we have to go into the old man's house."
-"T-The two of us!? But what if..."
-"What if Mister Molini is in danger? Look at those guys, do they look friendly!? We have to help him!"
-"O-Okay. I understand. Let's go, but if he's okay, we're leaving!"
-"First of all, you're the one who woke me up to come here!"
-"Shh, stay quiet!"
The blue car left, just in the direction where the two were hiding. They just hoped the men didn't look to the side, or that their helmets had poor visibility. The two then moved quickly, approaching the house, realizing that the door was open. Light seemed to seep through the gaps of the open door.
As Sol opened the door lightly, there was no sound. Silence dominated the house as the two friends slowly entered the narrow main hallway of the house. At the end of the hall, directly ahead, the only source of light: A lamp on top of a table in a small living room, some books scattered on shelves, and an airplane propeller stuck on top of the fireplace, as if it were a hunter's most esteemed prize. Oddly enough, everything looked as if it had been cleaned recently. Things were in perfect condition, there didn't seem to be any conflict inside the house.
-"Sol, do you think they captured the old man or something?"
-"I don't know."
-"...Mr. Molini? Are you here?"
The two were holding hands, one in pajamas overlapped by other articles of clothing, the other dressed appropriately, but almost in tears. Silence was the worst answer to their call for Mr Molini. Sol decides then to explore the environment a bit further.
-"Sol, no! You don't know what happened here! What if the police take your fingerprints and blame you for something, I shouldn't have gotten you into trouble...!"
-"Shh, quiet, Martha! No need to worry about that stuff, just look around, nothing happened here."
The answer did not fully please Martha, who by this point was shaking with fear, looking constantly into the darkness of the other parts of the house, and back down the corridor, as if considering escaping through the main door at any moment. Sol was pushing books on the shelf, as if trying to figure out which one was a secret lever to, perhaps, a secret lair where Mr. Molini hid from the bad guys looking for him. But all she found was a small, curious diary. Sol was enchanted by what she saw inside. : there were original drawings of strange aircraft that she had never seen before. The cover had an odd symbol, similar to a spear, next to a sphere, in the center of it. She had never seen that symbol before, either.
'Maybe it's something that those weird men are looking for, something important!', imagined Sol , with an adventurous spirit, which her friend did not seem to fully share. She decided to put the small diary in the pocket of her jacket quickly, without Martha noticing, as she knew that her friend would disapprove of her actions. As close friends as they were, Sol still managed to keep some secrets from Martha, but even then, she didn't quite consider it as theft, as she had planned to carry the diary around to, eventually, give it back to Mr. Molini, maybe as a conversation starter so she could manage to look at the cool plane in his yard. She didn't really know if it would work, but either way, it was a neat little book.
She was now trying to move several other different books on the shelf, but nothing happened. Sol realized that, maybe that would be too obvious of a secret. 'But, sometimes, the biggest secrets are the ones that don't obscure themselves', she thought. Sol looked at the entire room again, until she had the idea of spinning the airplane propeller hanging over the fireplace, the one item that seemed to be the strangest thing within that room. So the propeller spun. And spun. And nothing really happened. Sol felt disappointed in herself for even trying this, and thought how childish it seemed that she was looking for a mystery like that, while Mister Molini could actually be in danger, somehow. But then, it happened: The propeller kept turning and turning, all by itself! The two friends looked in astonishment at the propeller, which started emitting the loud sound of an airplane engine. The whole house shook, while the two had the feeling that the house was collapsing. Not sure what was going on, Sol warns Martha:
-"Run, Martha! This place is going down!"
Before being even able to run away, however, metal bars came down from cracks within the wall, covering every visible door and window in the house. The whole place was descending into the ground, like a massive elevator. Pictures and paintings fell to the floor with the tremor, as well as various books from the shelves. The table was rotated at a crooked angle. The two hugged each other, scared, hoping that the ceiling wouldn't fall on them, but then, the shaking stopped. And a deep, but laughing voice, echoed through the house:
-"Goh, Ohoh! You really found me, you fools, congratulations! But let's see what your tin cans do against the toxic GAS that-"
A surprised gasp echoed from this same voice, while noises of valves being turned silenced every other sound. Martha and Sol were looking at each other, visibly confused.
-"You two shouldn't be here, who are you!?" The deep voice asked aggressively.
-"...Are you Molini?" asked Sol.
-"For those who don't want to kill me or steal from me, yes, I am. Otherwise, I'm their worst nightmare!" The voice answered as if it was about to burst out laughing.
-"My name is Sol, and this is my friend, Martha."
Martha looked at Sol as if she had offended her.
-"Sol! Are you going to give my name like that, for free, to whoever is trying to kill us!?"
-"I don't think he wants to kill us. I'm almost positive."
Confirming her theory, the mysterious voice replied:
-"Yes, that's right. I'm not here to kill anyone innocent. Forgive me, girls."
The metal bars blocking the windows and doors were then moved at that moment, exposing an unexpected surprise for the two girls: A wide underground base full of bizarre machines, which Sol could not identify at all, and seemingly new, modern planes, hidden dozens of miles away from the surface, under the feet of the entire village. The machines were all colored differently, they didn't look like they belonged to any widely known military force. Gigantic metal arches provided reinforcement against the rocky ceiling, and lighting throughout what seemed to be a large hangar was more than adequate, with everything being well illuminated. Doors and doors were spread out over two floors of metal corridors, and two glass-covered towers seemed to look over the entire place. Between the two towers, a massive symbol made of metal, a lance with a sphere within it, just like the one in the diary Sol took from Molini's house, was placed on the wall.
Sol and Martha were impressed, looking at all that intricately hidden machinery. 'How did all this end up here?' was the question echoing in Sol's mind. 'What's the way out!? And where is the bathroom...' was the question that echoed in Martha's mind. Then, behind a nearby door, a short man appeared. His face had a conical appearance, and his small black eyes seemed to look at the girls with difficulty, aided by a large pair of glasses. He appeared to be very old physically, but had a youthful energy in his voice.
-"Hello girls! I don't think you properly know me, as well as most of those who live here, so let me introduce myself. My name is Bianco Molini, and I'm an inventor, engineer, former pilot, former teacher, mathematician, and much more, goh hoh hoh!"
Sol meekly introduced herself, trying to understand everything around her. She seemed to put on a tough act, for her friend's comfort. She considered mentioning the diary she had taken from Mr. Molini's living room, but hesitated, deciding to know him better, first, as he could still be a threat to them.
-"Hello, sir. My name is Sol Ravi, I live close by, on the...surface. My friend and I were aware of some strange men who seemed to try to break into your house, maybe looking for something, but we don't know why, we have no idea. We were worried, so we decided to investigate, and ..."
-"...And you two turned out to be much smarter than a bunch of bucket heads! Goh, hoh hoh hoh!"
Molini laughed maniacally for a while. He paused for a moment, as if trying to simplify a possible explanation for the girls about the whole situation.
-"Listen, girls. These men are dangerous indeed, it was very risky to get into my house, even more so, to come here. Thankfully none of them were inside with you, I presume. I don't want you two to get involved with them, it's a matter of security, worldwide!"
Martha froze at that moment. She looked like she was about to faint. Her imagination could only bring out the worst theories of what was so dangerous that it had to be considered a worldwide security issue. Sol momentarily grabbed Martha's shoulder, bringing her back to reality.
-"Are you telling me that those men are criminals? But in what way? Thieves, murderers...?"
-"It's as if they were! But no, underneath those armors...Well...Why am I telling you this...!? They're going to end up dismissing me..."
-"Mr. Molini, please! We risked our lives because we thought you were in danger, we deserve an explanation!" Replied Sol, in protest.
Molini stopped, absorbed in thought, while looking at the large hangar, trying to make sure that no one else was around.
-"Okay, I'll explain to you. Security guys are having a 'Game Night' in their room, I think. Don't be telling this to anyone, alright!? Well...those medieval-looking fellas are the 'WEMs', as we call members of their species."
-"WEMs!? Members of their species... What do you mean? Are they animals?"
Martha replied, in an aggressive tone, seeming to reject Molini's explanation. Sol shook Martha by the shoulder again, but this time to ask her to stop and listen.
-"It's just a nickname, like I said. An abbreviation, actually. 'World-Eating Men' is the full term officially used. I don't much like the term, myself, but it is what it is."
-"Mr. Molini, sorry to interrupt, but what exactly are we talking about here? This all seems absurd. If it weren't for this place, I wouldn't start to believe in your words, but surely there must be something more to it...no?"
Martha looked troubled and lost, while Sol looked confused yet curious. Molini paused for a moment, putting his hand behind his neck, as if uncomfortable with the situation.
-"You know what...? Follow me girls. I'll explain things quickly to you, and you two go home soon after. It could be a lot for just one day, though, that's all I'm saying for now."
The two followed Molini to an iron door, with a sign: "INTEL", written in capital letters. The room was relatively long, full of machines printing long papers with dots and lines in intriguing patterns.
-"Here, we analyze and receive information about new cases like yours around the world. Encounters with anomalous beings of all sorts. Some of them are more obvious, and others, much more subtle, like the 'men' who wear armor."
-"Anomalous beings...?"
-"I don't know where to even start explaining it all, but if you have any questions, that could help my old mind to put sense into it all for you!"
Considering the situation around them, a question arose in Sol's mind:
-"Wait, who takes care of this place? Just you, and a bunch of security guys hidden away in another room, who didn't even notice the huge house inside this place?"
Molini laughed briefly, sympathetically.
"No, dear, and my house is just one of the many connected to this place throughout the village. You activated the emergency protection system in the house, in case of bombing attacks, that's why it was so obvious and noisy, too. They must've ignored it, because I sometimes just activate it for fun, at night! Goh hoh hoh! It makes my annoying neighbor freak out sometimes, but then he just goes back to sleep! Security doesn't like it much when I do that, but who are they to judge me? I worked here for years, I earned the right to have fun! But yes, there are many other ways to access this place, too, and in total, around 200 people work here, give or take."
Martha didn't much Mr. Molini's concept of fun, but Sol seemed amazed by the strange things Molini talked about.
-"Incredible... And where is everyone?" Sol asked curiously.
-"Look at the time! They're all sleeping now, in their own homes! We might be a secret base, but we follow workplace rules strictly! Well, most of them, but I'm dedicated to my work, and I'm waiting for a prototype that we were supposed to receive a while ago. It will be delivered shortly, in a discreet manner, I hope. It has some flaws that I need to fix, in order to get it into proper working conditions."
-"This prototype you talk about...wouldn't it be the plane that is parked up there, on the surface, in your yard?"
-"HE'S WHAT!?"
Molini shouted in surprise. Martha let out a short but loud cry in reaction to Molini's surprise. She was still very scared of the whole situation that was taking place. Molini looked startled, too, but not because of Martha's reaction.
-"These freaks...that prototype is one of our few chances we have against the WEMs, and they park it in my yard like a sack of..."
Molini looks at the girls briefly, changing his furious expression to a forced smile, seeming to control his rage, for a moment.
-"...scrap. Ah, well, I'll check it on the cameras, right here. Because it can't be. There's no way."
After clicking a few buttons on a machine that Sol had never seen before, a small screen appeared to show the view of Mr. Molini's yard, in black and white. And really, there it was, covered by a tarp, something very similar to an airplane.
-"...Girls, wait here for a sec. Don't leave! I'll be right back."
Molini hurriedly left the room, his old body moving at a surprisingly fast rate, but Sol decided to accompany him anyway. The old man didn't seem to care about being followed, he was much more worried about what had happened. Martha followed Sol shortly after, but still reluctantly.
-"Sol, we have to stop here! Let's go back home, this is all insanity! We'll end up dying, or worse, going to prison!"
-"Martha, what the-"
The loud sound of a powerful engine interrupted the conversation between the two. It was Mr. Molini, in a white two-seater convertible, with blue doors and low-to-the-ground suspension. Sol deduced where Molini had come from, a small garage that held another similar car, but with red doors instead. Martha was running after her, but Sol was much faster than her. Sol jumped in the car, assuming the keys were already in the ignition, as Mr. Molini had quickly left the room they were in. Sol starts the car, trying to remember her father's teachings, but the car had a multitude of pedals and buttons that she had never seen on another vehicle. Finally, Martha caught up with her, hurriedly jumping into the vehicle, her body turned with her legs up.
-"Are you okay?"
-"Yes, yes, just go already!"
Sol finally found what she assumed was the accelerator. The car didn't have a visible shifter to change gears, so it just accelerated. The engine screamed in an ascending scale with the speed that they left, chasing Mister Molini around. A long, narrow ramp inside a tunnel allowed cars to exit to the surface, from the base. Sol, looking back, noticed that the ramp was connected to the garage of one of the houses of the village, but she couldn't tell who this house even belonged to. 'How long were these quiet, inconspicuous houses being used as entry points to a secret base?' she wondered. Martha was still upside down in her chair, trying to adjust herself. Finally they reached Mr. Molini, his car parked in front of his yard.
It was around 2 am, the darkness was immense in the dimly lit streets of the neighborhood. Molini hurriedly got out of the vehicle, removing the tarp that covered the mysterious machine in his yard, kicking bricks away that had kept it in place previously. The girls were approaching, slowing down their car when they came to a sudden, full stop, as Sol hit the brakes in reaction to what had just happened.
A huge explosion coming from the alleged plane threw the fragile Mr. Molini across the street, demolishing his yard! His house was still inside the underground base that the girls were in, previously. Only a layer of grass, now in flames, seemed to take its place.
-" Mr. Molini! What happened!?" Sol jumped out of the car quickly, running towards the elderly man, who appeared to be injured but conscious. She looked around for any help, but Mr Molini's house was so isolated from the others that she couldn't find any neighbor that could assist her nearby, besides the other house Molini had previously mentioned, where lights had turned on, and off, in a quick succession. There really was nobody around to help. Martha stayed in the car, now sitting properly, looking at the situation from afar, scared.
-"...Agh! Sol, get out of here! It was a trap... the WEMs... they managed to get this old mole out of the hole..." Mr Molini responded, breathless. Old Molini had wounds all over his body, the result of the wreckage that flew onto him with the explosion.
Sol was on the verge of tears. Everything was happening so fast that night, so much information, so many situations. How long had all this been going on without her knowledge? She suddenly felt a great deal of guilt for having warned Molini about the plane. She felt lost about where to go, what to even do. As she held Molini's hand in deep concern, not knowing what to do seeing the extent of the wounds, she thought: 'If I hadn't warned him about the strange plane in his yard, none of this would have happened. If i hadn't gotten out of bed today, none of this would have happened!'. Noticing Sol's conflicted expression, Molini replied, calmly:
-"Don't worry, laddie, I'll be just fine. Get away from here, you and your friend. Go back to the base, they can help you there. In the car's panel, press the yellow, triangular button, it'll help you two for now. I'll explain everything when we get back to safety..."
Molini only coughed after being done speaking. Sol, still deeply saddened and in conflict, but understanding of the danger they were in, had let go of the old man's hand, running back to the car to follow his advice.
-"...Sol! Come back! Those weirdos from earlier are over there!"
Suddenly, that same odd car that was parked in front of Molini's house had come back. Sol jumped into the car, and was quick to press the button Molini talked about, while driving it in a hurry. A short 'beep', followed by a strange sequence of other unrelated sounds, made the two girls stay silent, staring at each other in confusion, while driving as fast as they could back to the garage. Sol seemed to be driving quite nicely for someone with almost no experience, even more so considering they were being chased.
But then, something seems to hit the back of the car. Martha ducks in reaction, while Sol tries to look back quickly to see what it was. A huge projectile, like a crossbow bolt, but longer, and the point, a broad blade, seemed more made for slicing than piercing. The huge dart stuck in the center of the rear of the car, as if it were a warning that the next shot would be lethal. One of the men in armor inside the car that was chasing them held a huge crossbow beside the open window of the car, preparing to load another projectile.
-"Did these lunatics come from the Middle Ages!?" shouted Sol, as she alternated her gaze between the road ahead of her, and the car that was still chasing them.
Hearing, then, a distant blast, the two friends look to the sky, seeing what was certainly a plane. It seemed to have been launched vertically, oddly enough. This plane was slowly tilting towards the girls' direction.
-"Oh no. It's over now! It was nice meeting you, Sol! You're the best friend an idiot like me could have! They're going to blow us up like old Molini!" Martha said, in tears.
-"Stop being dramatic! It must be from the base. The button on the car must be some rescue signal. We're saved!" Sol said, with a confident tone of voice. Sol seemed to be constantly steady throughout the situation, through ups and downs, all for the best for her friend, imagining the guilt Martha felt as well for having involved her in this mess.
The plane was closer now, it was much easier to distinguish that it was a triplane, painted a striking yellow color. It was now approaching at an alarming speed, at low altitude. Passing quickly over the car where the two girls were, a huge pair of hooks descended like an eagle's talons, from under the plane. Judging by the height the triplane flew, it's plan seemed to capture the car chasing the girls, just like a hunting bird, but the huge hooks only scratched the roof of the car. A scare sufficient enough to make the man holding the crossbow drop it to the ground as he backed up within the car, with it quickly maneuvering to dodge the plane's attack.
-"What is happening!?" Martha yelled, while Sol looked breathless but briefly cheerful. Not only did she get to see an airplane, one of her favorite machines ever, flying so close to her, but she was also just saved by one, justifying her smile.
The yellow triplane seemed to turn around, still chasing after the blue car. The car maneuvered quickly, in desperation, now far away from the girls, having entered another street in hopes of misleading the plane. But the loud sound of the triplane's engine indicated that it was close to the ground, again, and, with the loud sound of metal impact, the girls saw the car that previously pursued them, now taking off in the 'claws' of the triplane. The girls couldn't see the men inside, but could only imagine their fear.
-"That's it! We're saved, Sol! We're-"
From the shadows of an alleyway, a small black sedan collided with the girls' car, sending it spinning in the opposite direction, with the girls screaming in desperation. Inside the car, Sol couldn't believe her eyes. It was the man in armor from earlier, the biggest one of the crew. He was hunched over comically inside the small sedan. Sol's car's engine seemed to have turned off completely on impact. Desperately, Sol turned the key in the ignition, trying to restart the car. The man was now getting out of his car, slowly, his vehicle blocking the street partially. Now, walking slowly toward Sol's car, the man looked more menacing than ever. Martha pointed at him, babbling, visibly frightened.
-"Work, damnit!" Sol screamed, kicking the accelerator and turning the ignition key.
The man was very close to them, every detail of his armor was now visible. It was oddly segmented, like an insect's exoskeleton. The helmet retained its expression, and the previous 'mane' above it now looked like multiple pairs of horns, viewed from the front. He quickly unsheathed his sword, the loud sound of its swing was heard by the two desperate girls. It was a huge blade, similar in style to the dart that had hit the car earlier, but the blade seemed to thicken in the middle, with a wide contact area, and taper to a spear-like shape at the tip. Now in range of the car, the man climbed onto the hood, in a single agile leap, as if his armor weighed nothing. The entire car swayed, however, under the weight of the man, the suspension tipping the vehicle forward. Resting the blade on his shoulder, he said, in a hoarse, deep voice:
-"Get out of the car. You come with me, without protest."
Sol and Martha were shaking with fear as Sol desperately turned the key in the ignition. Martha didn't know how to react, even placing her hand on the door, as if she was going to leave, but hesitating. The man seemed to be losing patience. So finally, Sol got a response from the car: The engine was back in action, and Sol, already squeezing her foot on the accelerator, managed to make the car run off at high speed, while the man lost his balance, leaning on the windshield.
The speed was too much for the man to balance properly now, he was about to slide out of the car, with Sol rocking the vehicle from side to side.
-"Fall, you damned pest!" She said now, frustrated, but still afraid.
The large man, with his sword, pierced the hood of the car, supporting himself. Martha was begging for the man to get out, while kicking the windshield in despair. The girls were already close to the garage they had left in, but the garage door was closed now, when previously it seemed to have opened automatically.
-"Hold on, Martha!"
Martha screamed even louder, holding onto Sol's left arm now that she had fully accelerated the car towards the garage door. The girls, with their heads tilted downwards inside the car, took cover. The impact was aggressive, the wooden garage door was shattered. The car's tires echoed through the ramp tunnel as Sol tried to return the car to base. All that was left of the large man now was just his sword, stuck on the hood of the car, and an odd, viscous purple liquid splattered against the windshield. The car had stopped in the middle of the hangar now. The two girls slowly raised their heads, now in a brief moment of silence after the previous despair.
The silence was then broken by the armored man's furious snarl. He was still alive, and now, inside the base, but without his helmet, which had fallen off during the impact. The girls couldn't believe their eyes: the man was like an insect, but humanoid. Its face had several segments that appeared to be made of solid material. Its huge eyes, bright and purple, glared at the girls in fury, with its antennae protruding above its eyes like eyebrows. It was a bizarre sight for both of them, like something out of a movie. Purple liquid oozed from his jaw as the man approached the two girls, who were now hurriedly getting out of the car, not sure what to do. The man grabbed his sword by the hilt from the car's hood, pulling it out of it with difficulty now that he was clearly injured. But then a voice came from above, from the upper corridors of the hangar.
-"Nonsense! Since when did old Molini throw a party without inviting me!?"
Sol recognized that voice. She had already heard this same person speaking on the radio, on TV, several times before. Sliding down the metal railing of the hangar stairs like a delinquent teenager, there he was: Graxa, the inventor. Sol was awestruck. This last hour was absolutely surreal to her, she had never expected that she would find one of her idols casually sitting inside a secret base that she had just found out about, on that same night. Martha looked at Sol, holding on to her arm, like a small child that wanted to go back home from a trip. Graxa paused for a moment, looking at the large, armored man as if he were an intriguing puzzle.
-"Son, I hate to break it to you, but you are so ugly that it hurts to look at. Please, put that bucket back on your head!"
Graxa didn't seem bothered at all by the man. He approached the helmet lying on the ground, and threw it next to the man, who kicked the helmet away right after.
-"It was not by my hand that I ended up here... Your two agents... they have brought me here..." Said the man, with difficulty in speaking, and with an odd accent.
-"Agents? These little creatures don't work for me. I don't know what they do here. Perhaps old Molini's granddaughters?" A strange tone of disgust came from Graxa as he referred to the two girls. Sol replied, her voice hesitating:
-"N-no, sir, we were worried about Mr. Molini, because these men-"
-"Ok, alright, silence, please! I get it, it was just an accident." Said Graxa, clearly irritated now. People in red uniforms were coming out from many doors throughout the hangar during the conversation, looking over the situation. Certainly, these were the people that worked there that Molini had mentioned previously. It was already past 3 o'clock in the morning. Graxa continued to speak to the large insect man:
-"Listen, we can help you. But I need you to drop that sword there. It's a very nice blade, but this is not the time to use it." He said, calmly.
The insect man grunted, but it wasn't clear if he was in anger or pain. He walked slowly towards Graxa, who took a step back in reaction. The man stopped, leaning on the stair railing so he could stand.
-"Don't think I don't know what you do here. I'm not going to be a lab rat for any of your disgusting experiments, you rotten fox!"
Spitting on Graxa's cloak in disgust, the man lost his balance for a moment, causing Graxa to help him to his feet. Resuming his stance, the man pushed him away.
-"Hey! I'm just trying to help!"
Angered, the man raised his sword, ready to strike Graxa. At that moment, several people in uniform approached the large man to try to stop him, some of them armed with strangely large, pointy pistols. But the man took only a few steps forward before collapsing to the ground with a heavy impact, having passed out. Some lifted him by the arm, others by the legs, at least four people carried him away. Sol didn't know how to react. This whole situation was very strange to her. And the mention of being a lab rat... what was the man referring to?
Martha pulled Sol by the sleeve of her pajamas, pointing to the tunnel they came from. She didn't say a word, not wanting to intrude into the already tense moment between Graxa and the other man, but Sol had already gotten the message.
-"Wait, you two." Graxa said, noticing Martha and Sol trying to sneak out through the tunnel. "We have a lot to talk about."
The expression on Graxa's face was like that of a worried parent. Sol and Martha approached him, then, but Sol felt deeply ashamed, that was never how she had planned to meet someone as famous as Graxa. In contrast, Martha felt irritated and confused, she wanted to protect her friend and get out of that situation as soon as possible.
-"Don't worry, you two are safe here. The big guy over there is quite injured, he won't be a problem, you ladies messed him up nicely! But even then, you two... I don't even know where to start..."
Graxa looked intrigued again, the same look Molini had when he tried to explain the situation to the girls, when a man in a red uniform approached him, warning him:
-"Sir, we've just rescued Mr. Molini. He's alive and well, damage control is already taking care of the situation on the surface. Some nearby residents were worried, but we gave them that one classic excuse."
-"Always works. Nice job, good to know that he's ok. You two, follow me."
Sol and Martha followed Graxa to a door, which had his name in capital letters, similar to the one in the intelligence room that Molini had introduced to them earlier. But this room was completely different. Thin, strange mechanical arms, with seemingly simple joints, were scattered across several tables in what looked more like a mechanic's garage rather than an office. Strange tools were suspended from the ceiling by small articulated arms, but they were all static. Everything looked...greasy.
-"Don't touch anything, just follow me!"
The girls followed Graxa silently, worriedly looking at each other. Then Martha said:
-"It's all my fault, Mister Graxa! I was the one who got my friend involved in all this! If it weren't for me, Mr. Molini wouldn't have been hurt, and I wouldn't have endangered my friend, but we needed answers, to ensure his safety and the safety of our village!"
Graxa looked at Martha in surprise, letting out a surprised 'Woah'. He didn't expect a confession like that. Sitting down in his leather chair, he pointed at two other chairs for the girls to sit next to his table.
-"I see, you can calm down now. Sit down, make yourself at home."
Sol found what he said to be strange. She wondered what Graxa was planning. Considering all the secrecy and bizarre information they had uncovered today, it certainly wasn't good at all. But Graxa now acted sympathetically, offering the girls a jar of candy.
-"Want some? They're coffee flavored. I don't know if you can have coffee, but... they're good!"
-"No, thank you, we're fine!" Sol said. Martha nodded, agreeing with her friend.
-"Right. Girls, what are your names?"
-"Well... I'm Sol, and she's Martha. We know you – I mean, we've heard about you on TV before!"
-"Haha, good! You love my inventions, I presume!"
-"Yes, we love them! I have several models of biplanes and triplanes at home. I love learning about your inventions and your new planes!" Sol said.
Now, the hangar full of prototypes seemed to make sense to her, since Graxa was in charge of the place.
-"How cute! Glad you like my inventions! But well, girls, straight to the point. I have some important information to give you, but hopefully, I need to inform you that you are now involved in a secret project, which seeks to protect whatever we're able to from an...external invasion, so to speak. We don't consider it a global threat or anything like that yet. A little too much information already, no? Haha!"
The two looked at each other for a moment, confused. They would laugh too, if they hadn't seen the things they've seen before. Sol asked:
-"I understand that we're accidentally involved in all this, but...that big armored man...was he an alien!?"
-"Of course he was! Of course he was. His name is Mantus, in our language."
The tone Graxa spoke in didn't make it clear if he was being ironic or not. The two were still lost, looking for answers.
-"How did he know our language?" Martha asked.
-"Ah, Mantus has been on our planet long enough to learn our language. He's...someone we know well, let's say. But we don't know who his contacts are, we are still investigating that. We know he's a spoiled rich kid on his planet. Greed is universal! It's almost funny."
-"But then... if he is rich, what did he want with Mr. Molini? They seem like they were looking for something in his house." asked Sol.
-"He's rich, indeed, but also greedy. We've concluded that the only proper reason he is here is to steal from us. Our technology is advanced, theirs is not. The more advanced technology he brings to his planet, the more power he gains there. It's really dodgy work."
-"But...they are aliens! What do they want stealing technology!? They must have at least some spaceship!"
Graxa chuckled in reaction to Sol's comment.
-"No, no, not in a thousand years. They are very old-fashioned. Their technology dates back to medieval times, we deduced from the evidence we could obtain. But they are still a threat. We don't know exactly how they got here, but we have a theory that involves something we can't fully get a grasp of. Something important..."
The two friends looked at each other, waiting for an answer. Graxa was silent, as if lost in his own thoughts. His eyes, looking towards the horizon, made it seem like he was disconnected from reality, at that moment.
-"Mr. Graxa...? Are you feeling well?" Sol asked.
-"Yes, yes, sorry, girls. I was...lost in thought. Oh yes, as I was saying... They have something that is not necessarily associated with technology, itself. It's magic."
-"...What is magic...? What thing is magical...?" Martha asked, losing her temper.
-"Magic, of course! I speak of magic itself, as a concept. Something imperceptible, inexplicable, by any science. It sounds ridiculous, but from what we gathered that our little invader friends talk about, and what we can see, magic is present among them, as well as in our ancient legends, as a tool. It is possible that our ancient magic of old legends is the result of previous encounters with them, hundreds of years ago, that have been happening subtly. Portals may have been opened in our world using advanced magic, but we still don't have concrete proof beyond word of mouth."
Sol questioned Graxa's sanity, but at the same time, she was very curious about the things he talked about. This internal conflict, along with being heavily sleepy, made her want to go back home more than ever. Sol got up from her chair, followed by Martha, and said:
-"Okay, Mister Graxa, we really have to go back home. Our parents must be worried about us, and it's too late. We've heard too much for today, too much information."
-"Well then, you wanted answers, didn't you? Here they are. And don't worry girls, my team will help you with any necessary explanations you need to give to your relatives, but unfortunately, I won't be able to let you out. At least, for now."
The two girls, already heading for the door, stopped midway, looking back.
-"What do you mean? We've heard enough, we're not going to tell anyone about what happened." Martha replied. Sol was silent, waiting for an explanation.
-"I know I know. But it's for your own safety." Graxa explained, using his hands constantly when expressing himself. "What you've seen today is just a fraction of the strength the WEMs have right now. I don't want to risk the lives of two random teenage girls this way, so I'm going to get you rooms to stay for the night. In the meantime, your parents will be informed that you have just saved Mr. Molini from a robbery, but for security reasons, you will spend the night under official protection, that being us."
-"But...but this is absurd! We want to go home, not just know our parents were told a lie as an excuse!" Sol said, irritated.
-"Nothing I have said here was a lie! Mr. Molini was actually saved from a robbery. If those men had discovered the entrance to the base, they would have stolen whatever of interest they saw in front of them, and who knows what they would have done with poor Bianco Molini. You really are in danger, still. I understand your frustration, but believe me, it's for your own good. After tonight, everything will be back to normal, and you two will be considered heroes! Two great friends who, through their curiosity and bravery, saved a life today! You're friends, right...?"
Said Graxa, with open arms, trying to lift the mood of the two friends, who weren't happy with what they heard. They understood the motives, but they didn't appreciate Graxa's supposed lack of confidence in them.
-"Come on, Sol. Do not mix with this rabble." said Martha, tilting her muzzle in disgust, comically, and turning her attention to the door, bending her knee as if in imitation of a snobbish madam. Sol laughed with her friend, who despite having gone through so many dangerous situations, still maintained her humor.
Graxa was silent. His hat now covered his eyes as he slowly sat down in his chair. The two girls were about to open the door, but oddly enough, two men had entered the room quickly, blocking the way. Now, the mechanical arms in the office were moving strangely, almost like living beings. The entire mood of the room seemed to have changed. Graxa got up from the table, slowly pushing his chair back.
-"I'm sorry, girls. Everything will work itself out tomorrow, but right now, you two need to stay safe."
The two men politely offered a hand for the girls to follow. Sol, as if on instinct, kicked one of the men in the knee, causing him to fall to the ground in pain.
Martha tried to do the same, but she didn't seem to have enough strength. The other man just took the brunt of her kick without much reaction. He reacted by trying to grab Martha, but she reacted quickly, dodging him. Sol tried to kick him, but only distracted the man, while Martha grabbed one of the strange metallic arms that moved on the desks in the office, swinging it aggressively against the man's stomach, who fell in pain to the floor with the heavy impact of the object.
With the path clear, the two decided to run, without looking back. But then, a strange noise of metal scraping against the floor approached the two. They were suddenly suspended in the air by their arms, by something that felt cold and hard. There were metallic claws, connected to long joints, similar to the object Martha used to defend herself, holding them tightly. They couldn't see what the origin of these arms was, but they tried to free themselves, swinging their legs in protest.
-"I thought I would have good visitors today. Maybe you're just in a bad mood, maybe, lack of sleep. Anyway, we will make room for you." Graxa said, with a strange calm voice. The two girls were carried out of the office as they protested:
-"Let go of me, you piece of scrap! I wanna go home! Sol, do something!"
Sol swung her legs around in protest, until she realized the claw was only grabbing her by her aviator jacket. Leaving her jacket behind, Sol immediately ran towards the source of anything that would have captured the two, ready to free her friend.
It was Graxa himself. The strange mechanisms came out from under its red cape, in an inexplicable way. Sol tried to punch him in the stomach, but all she felt was a thick layer of metal, which bruised her knuckles on impact.
-"Ow, hard belly, hard belly!"
A brief moment of confusion caused Sol to become distracted, with now another mechanical arm appeared under Graxa's cape, but without a claw on the tip, and instead, a strange white glove, which expressed itself in a lively manner while Graxa spoke.
-"I appreciate your persistence, Sol. But save it for when you really need it, you're safe here!" Graxa concluded, and his glove nodded.
-"Come on, girls, to your rooms! It's just one night, think of it like visiting a distant grandmother! As much as you want to go out, not putting up with the various pointless arguments and the classic family conflicts, it's important to visit your relatives!" Said Graxa, the white glove now lightly pushing Sol in one direction, while the claws dropped Martha carefully to the ground, going back inside Graxa's cape, where they quickly disappeared.
-"What cheap trick is this? Is that what you mean by magic!?" Sol replied angrily.
-"Yes and no. Magic is difficult to control, but with technology, it becomes moldable. But I'm still experimenting with it, look what I can do!"
The glove hand seemed to do a magic trick, opening its palm, revealing it wasn't holding anything. With a quick movement, a small lightflower appears in the palm of the hand. Sol loved these flowers, but didn't trust Graxa enough to accept his gift. She hesitated to pick it up, causing Graxa to rest the flower on his hat.
-"We're tired of listening to your nonsense! We want to go home!" grumbled Martha.
Martha and Sol were lightly pushed by Graxa, and his white mechanical glove.
-"Okay, okay, okay, tomorrow I'll explain everything better to you. You need to know all this if you are going to fight the enemy."
-"Who said something about fighting, you madman!" Sol said, ready to hit Graax again, but the white glove quickly grabbed Sol's fist, releasing it after, making a 'no-no' sign.
-"You are very aggressive for such young girls! Here we are, to your rooms!"
The mechanical arm quickly opened the door, pointing inside. The rooms were small but felt very comfortable, strangely enough. She had never expected a secret underground base to have rooms like these. A large, round bunk bed was filled with visibly soft pillows, and a table with a mirror, next to a wardrobe, allowed the two to get ready after so much confusion. A simple bathroom with a shower was also included to the right in a small section of the bedroom. It was practically a small apartment, all that was missing was a kitchen, a refrigerator, and few other items.
With this sight, Martha and Sol seemed to calm down, as they really needed to rest. Martha enters first, observing the room carefully. Slowly she removed her shoes, still suspicious of their surroundings. Sol came in soon after. She felt exhausted. She worried about her family, but at the same time, she was so sleepy that if she laid down on the bunk bed, she was sure he would sleep peacefully, right there.
-"Trust me, Sol. Forgive me for doing this, but I want only the best for those who live in this world. That's why I do what I do, that's why I create my inventions. I only want the best for all."
The tone in which Graxa spoke now seemed more sincere than before, but Sol was too tired to come up with a proper response. Graxa handed back the jacket Sol had freed herself from, while she thought about how to respond.
-"Thank you, I think. I don't know who you really are, but I'm gonna have to trust you right now. But know that the moment I'm suspicious of you again, I will not hesitate to escape."
-"And I won't stop you again." Graxa replied.
An employee in uniform appeared to call for Graxa in the corridor, it seemed to be something urgent. Graxa got out of the girls' bedroom door, only his mechanical glove waved a 'goodbye' before it disappeared under the red cape.
Sol closed the door, covering her face with her hands in exhaustion. Only now had she realized that she had been injured. Glancing into the bathroom mirror, she saw a small cut on her forehead, presumably from the impact with the garage door. Martha approached Sol, worried.
-"Did you get hurt!? I hadn't noticed it! Let me help you..."
Martha took a bandage out of her pocket. She always had a few provisions with her, including a granola bar, three different lipsticks, a small makeup kit, a swiss army knife, and many other small things.
-"I have to get a dress with pockets like yours ..." Sol said, while Martha carefully cleaned the area where she was going to apply the bandage.
-"Tomorrow, at the store, I'll offer you a discount, but only on the dresses I don't like!" The two laughed together, sharing that moment of friendship. They found later, exploring the closets, some pajamas that were their size. The only clothes there besides pajamas were red uniforms like those of the other employees there, a few pairs of aviator sunglasses, boots too big for the two girls, and blue aviator jackets. Sol found it strange how similar those jackets were to her father's jacket, but they had long sleeves, while Sol wore hers like a vest. At some point, her jacket also had long sleeves, judging by the stitching, but she doesn't know why they were removed.
Having showered and ready to sleep, they turned off the lights. The only light still present was that of the hangar. People were still working around and machines were making noise, even during those hours, but the door did a good enough job of muffling the sounds. Sol glanced at the clock on the wall, which indicated that it was 4 am. She didn't know what time she would wake up, and neither did she really care, at that moment. All she wanted was to rest.
Martha was already snoring, sleeping on the lower bunk bed, while Sol tried to fall asleep, but her thoughts swirled, remembering everything that had happened that day. She got up, had some water, and tried to sleep again. She remembered the diary she had taken from Mr. Molini's house. For a moment, she considered opening it again, but she felt too tired to read. Then she laid down again, adjusted the pillows, fluffing them even more, supporting one on top of her head, and another, below her, while lying on her side. Finally, she fell asleep.
But the world goes round and round, and a new life shall begin...