Noia snatches up a length of cloth to use as rope. She wraps an end around one hand and grasps a shoulder width length, then pivots, crouched and ready.

The area is empty.

The car passing by startles her and she clutches one hand over her heart. After the headlights disappear around a corner Noia sighs in relief. What happened to her follower?

“You’re still half asleep.”

Noia whirls and raises a length of cloth before her in a slanted guard. She believes the space before her is empty until she looks down at the boy standing only an arm length from her. His hair is short and curly and his eyes a warm, wise red-brown. The image of the lightning children flashes across her mind’s eye and Noia shakes her head. He blinks up at her, waiting as if he had asked a question.

Noia lowers her arms. “What?”

“You’re still half asleep.”

Noia looks around but the streets are otherwise empty.

“How are you going to find the box if you’re still half asleep?”

Noia’s eyes widen then she frowns. It couldn’t be… “What box?”

“Pandora’s.”

Noia clenches her hands and clears a tight throat.

“You barely remember the events with San’azi, let alone what Morphia wove into your sleep. How are you going to figure out who to trust now?”

Noia crouches down to look the boy in the eye. “Who are you?”

“You know my name.”

Noia cups her hands around his shoulders and leans closer, searching his eyes. Something sparks there, like lightning across the sky…

Noia leans back suddenly, her jaw falling open in surprise. “Oryn!” He was one of the lightning children, one of the few who escaped Zuiter’s control so many centuries ago. He had become her in-between, able to communicate with the other children and run small missions for her against the god of gods. He had gone into hiding before her long sleep.

His smile is a wide flash of white teeth in the dim of dawn. “Ama Levanoia.”

Before she can embrace him he ducks into shadow. “Do not mention me, Ama. Zuiter’s ears are many places.”

“What-?” Noia turns to follow his gaze and catches Deline coming around the corner. She stands and puts her back to where Oryn is crouched.

Deline calls out to her and Noia raises her hand in greeting. She glances over her shoulder only to find Oryn has vacated the area.

“What are you looking for?” Deline asks.

“Oh, I thought I saw a critter…”

Deline laughs. “This close to ETHR headquarters? Haha, maybe they really are bringing nature to our fingertips. Though this is a poor place to do it.”

“I see. Were you following me or do you, ah, live somewhere around here?”

Deline raises her eyebrows. “Direct as always.”

“Did I offend you? I’m sorry–”

“On the contrary I like it. I was actually looking for you. I had a few tasks in the area so I kept an eye out in case you went for some fresh air.”

“Instead of asking for me in the lobby?”

Deline lifts her shoulders with a deep breath. “I would rather Crevan Almira not be monitoring what I have to say to you.”

Noia recalls her conversation with Rowan and their doubts about ETHR despite its reputation and practices. “I’m sure I understand.”

“I’ll get right to it then. I need to ask, is Crevan pulling strings to force you to do something?”

Noia recalls Deline’s deadpan gaze at Crevan’s jokes, keeping him at a distance when she pushed him back with the files, and the way her mouth quirked approvingly when Noia had backed away from Crevan after a flashback. “It doesn’t sit right with you, does it? You act impartial in front of Crevan but it’s him you don’t trust.”

Deline snorts. “You’re quick as a whip. So?”

“He hasn’t forced me to do anything.”

“Yet.”

Noia nods her head in assent. “Yet. May I ask you, why do you put up with Crevan’s pet names?”

Deline shrugs. “They don’t get under my skin.”

“Isn’t allowing him to continue just encouraging him to keep doing it to others though?”

“Maybe, but I get the feeling you can handle whatever he tries to pull on you. Listen, he told me some things about you that seemed odd even for him. He passed them of as a joke afterwards but…”

“What things?”

“From what I saw hours ago this is the first time you have met but he mentioned before he wanted to apologize for a lot of things he did to you in the past. There was a tangent into some historical events but he mentioned children and remedies for drowsiness...the strangest thing was that he asked how I remove blood stains from my jackets and when I met you,” she gestures at Noia, “those were old blood stains on your robes.”

Noia frowns. “I don’t remember…meeting him before.”

“He certainly does not behave likewise. Also…I don’t believe him when he says you have selective amnesia. It took you some time just to get through the textual records on my phone, like it was your first time operating one. You didn’t even touch the voice mail.”

Now Noia raises her eyebrows. “You did that on purpose?”

Deline smirks. “You wouldn’t have been able to get by the thumbprint security. I was hoping you would be the self-educating kind. There are too few earnest people around – even less after the massive collateral from the End Wars. What did you think?”

“About the text logs?”

“About all of it. You must have questions.”

Noia recalls the journal, the map, and the phone. “Why did you handwrite the notes? You–we have such integrated technology in easy reach. Why not use voice notes or an email for your notes?”

“Crevan requested I use paper. It’s harder to steal manually logged data in the case of hackers or the scanners at international checkpoints.”

Noia nods. “What about, ah, your business card? There’s no way to contact you…”

Deline smiles. “I have the equivalent of a self-appointed personal assistant. If anyone starts making serious inquiries it will reach me.”

“That’s your contact The Ghost, right?”

“The one and only.”

“The Ghost seems closer than a personal assistant. Those were quite drastic measures for when you went M.I.A. after the yellow security level activated.”

“Wow, great detailed recall. The Ghost is one of the most wanted hackers in the world right now. I imagine there are few very close to them as a result. I cut a percentage of my commission towards The Ghost but they refuse to take more than a set amount.”

“Then he – or she – must believe in you.”

Deline snorts. “An ex-military with loose morals? Hah.”

“You never know. Others can see in us what we miss sometimes. Hm. Is ‘The Fox’ Crevan?”

“Ah, good girl.”

Noia smiles and shakes her head.

“Alright, new girl, I’ve got time for one more question.”

“…What were you and The Ghost looking for? In Sector 8.”

“That’s…” Deline clears her throat and straightens. “I’m sorry, I can’t share that with you. Here.” She holds out her mobile phone and gestures to Noia’s pants pocket. “Come on. I’ve got a check in time for my last assignment coming up. If I miss it I don’t get paid.”

Noia retrieves her phone and taps it against Deline’s for the contact information exchange.

“Call me, text me any time.”

Noia stares at the contact information, reading each letter in her head before looking into Deline’s green eyes. “Why are you helping me?”

“Although we’ve made many leaps in gender equality since the twenty-first century and even managed to retain a lot of them after the End Wars I still believe us women should stick together. Besides, I thought it only fair to level the playing field. Now you have a contact outside ETHR whose priority is not upholding its image.”

Noia reflects Deline’s smile. “Thank you.”

Deline gives her the same salute as when she exited Crevan’s office – index and middle finger of her right hand touched to her temple then lifted in the air. Then she crosses the street and turns a corner.

A notification sounds on the phone – a text from Arianna.

5/17/45

[07:20 AM] Arianna: Good morning, gal! I hope this doesn’t wake you up.

[07:20 AM] Arianna: When you get a chance, turn on the news. You’ll get a wide scope of what’s been going on.

Noia chuckles and opens the keypad, minding her peripheral vision as she turns back to the residential building.

[07:21 AM] Noia: Thanks! I’ll check when I get back.

[05:22 AM] Arianna: Ooo up and about so early? Don’t tell me that too-handsome-for-his-own-good CEO has you hard at work on weekends?

[07:22 AM] Noia: No, no, I took a walk. I have a bit of insomnia.

[07:22 AM] Arianna: I hope it’s nothing bad keeping you up?

[07:23 AM] Noia: No.

[07:23 AM] Arianna: Glad to hear it!

[07:26 AM] Arianna: If you’re inclined to read when you can’t sleep like me try these sites

[07:26 AM] Arianna: download file

[07:27 AM] Arianna: Forgot the last one has a password, sorry!

[07:28 AM] Arianna: I made you a un and psw. It’ll pop up with a verification prompt before it shows you data and saves your login device. Use the name of the club we met at.

[07:30 AM] Noia: Looks interesting, thank you!

[07:31 AM] Arianna: No problem! Let me know if you have any trouble with it or if you’ve got any questions! I know navigating the modern world can be a lot.

[07:31 AM] Noia: You’ll be my first contact. Have a great day!

[07:32 AM] Arianna: You too~

Noia rereads the second to last text from Arianna. The modern world…Why had she said that? Had Noia let some of her circumstance slip during their conversation at the club? No. Perhaps it was just phrasing common to Arianna’s speech.

A block away from the residential building the phone rings. Her phone ID shows Rowan’s name. Her eyebrows draw together in confusion but she smiles and answers it, curious.

Please go to the next segment for the rest of 1.10 and to make your route selection for arcs 2 and 3!