SG was still crouched behind the counter when Zax arrived. Her refitting machine was running empty as her head swivelled between her boss and the newcomer. She had identified her by his description, but why was she here? Her clothes were nothing she had seen before either; definitely not the dot standard.
Zax seemed as confused as his apprentice, but he set his face to neutral so fast she thought she had dreamt it.
“Hello Zax. My name is Bathor. It’s time we finally have a normal conversation.” The side-horned woman stated in an assertive but professional voice.
She didn’t introduce herself before?
Zax had never mentioned her name, but the apprentice hadn’t considered it was because she never gave it.
“Hello. I didn’t think I’d see you again. What do you want to talk about?”
“My mission isn’t finished. But after your… demonstration, I realised I was in my own way and I decided to change my approach.”
“Going for straightforwardness, I see. You look elegant and professional.” Zax nodded approvingly. “Ironically, it tells me less about you than before. I can’t identify the fabric of your clothes, nor how they were made. Clearly, they’re from the Circles, but I can’t figure out anything more about them.”
That comment refocused SG’s attention on the visitor. Her clothes covered as much as a dotter’s, probably because she had only human skin, but the cuts and seams were different. All sharp and angles, as opposed to the rounded squares she was getting used to.
“Even your bearing seems less fake, somehow. But why come to me again? Last time wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.”
“You’re still my best lead. You’ve already proven you’re perceptive, you know the dot and you’re not afraid of speaking your mind. You didn’t tell anyone about me, so I know I can trust your silence too.”
“Er, I did talk about you. With my roommates. Plus a report of suspicious behaviour to the Enforcers, but those go straight to the records.”
A shocked and embarrassed silence followed until Zax broke it.
“Why did you think that? Why would you even expect that? I had no reason to keep it quiet. I didn’t even know your name or what you actually wanted. Which was part of why I was so guarded.”
“… Why was I not arrested?” Her question and subdued tone shed some light about her mindset, but added more shadows around.
“Why would you? The authorities definitely know your name. You were weird and suspicious but you didn’t do anything wrong or… illegal. Well, not that I know of, anyway. Did you come in the dot from a secret entrance or something? There should only be one access point between the dot and the Circles.”
“No, the normal gate. I followed the arrows and nobody stopped me. Ever.”
“The facial recognition identified you and checked your records. If it allowed you in, you were allowed in. No one would stop you.” Zax shrugged, still not seeing what the deal was.
“You mean someone knew every time I came through!?”
“Of course. The access is tightly controlled, it’s common knowledge here. I thought it was in the Circles too. Anyway, if secrecy was paramount for your mission, you failed before we met.” Fearing the conversation stalling again, the handyman forced it back on track. “Now back on topic. What do you want from me?”
“… I want you to tell me how to navigate the dot so I can find someone.” Still reeling from the revelation, she gratefully welcomed the return to known territory.
“The most obvious would be to ask your bracelet.” Zax showed off the wide but thin metallic ring loosely hanging on his own wrist. “I see you still don’t have one…?” He inquired.
“Taking one would leave traces.” Bathor shook her head. “Using it too, I’m sure.”
Did she forget I was here?
A witness was definitely a trace.
“It would, but I’m pretty sure that ship is launched already. Also, just to be clear, everything happening in the dot is traceable.”
He emphasised by using his bracelet to display public security footages of her walking through the dot to reach his shop. The Resident appeared transfixed by her own image, seen at several angles simultaneously and ignoring the few stares around. She earned more than SG did, too.
“And those are just the public records. Enforcers would have access to more. Do you still not want a bracelet?” Her horrified face was answer enough. “Then you’ll need a public access to the dot’s databases. You knew the way here, so you should know about those already.”
“I used one in… at home. They can be… unreliable. I don’t know the local ones. And I don’t know what to ask.”
“Just ask where your targets are. If that information is locked, ask to send them a message.” The tone was a bit curt; Zax was getting annoyed.
“I don’t even know who they are!”
… What?
The outburst startled both dotters so much the words didn’t register immediately. The experienced handyman expressed both their thoughts:
“… What?”
“I have a list of points to look for, but I don’t know their name, or their address, or their appearance.” The single-horned Resident glared at him, as if challenging for a comment.
“Alright, I can see how that would complicate things.” Zax sighed. “Just so you know, you’re back to being suspicious. And I guess you can’t tell me what you know about them either? Didn’t think so. In that case, you’ll have to comb through several databases, then cross-check the results. Add a new database, rinse and repeat until you have something you can use. When you have few enough names, you can query a meeting or something. There are tools to help with that. Do you have any experience with AI assistants?”
“Of course not.” She frowned so hard her eyebrows merged.
Is the idea that insulting?
“Better forget it then, they’d just get in the way. You’ll have to use basic or advanced research for each individual database, case per case. Don’t worry, it’s easy to use if you know what you’re looking for and read the options.”
“Guess I can only try and see.” She sighed, but didn’t falter in front of the daunting task. SG gave her a few points of respect for that. “Where can I find those… access points?”
“I can make you a list, but how do I transfer it?”
“How would you for a dotter?”
“Direct link between close bracelets.”
“Of course. Guess a normal paper list would too much asking.” She said sarcastically.
“Paper? You mean ordered cellulose made from actual trees? Sorry, I don’t deal with frivolous luxuries.”
If it was a luxury, it would explain why SG had never heard of it. She’d have to research it later.
“What? It’s not- I mean- I… Uh. Nevermind. Just write it down here. With that.”
The confused and confusing reaction was quickly shelved in favour of pulling something from her pocket and putting it open on the counter. A pen followed. Or was it a pencil?
Zax put the request aside to examine the items.
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“What are you doing?” The visitor frowned.
That research seemed more and more important; SG had only seen Zax in such a state when talking about his studies of mutations. It wasn’t as strong, but close. He briefly probed and manipulated the items a few times, and only then did he do as he was asked and wrote the requested locations. From the lack of hesitation, he probably had the whole list displayed on his mental HUD.
“Sorry, I never saw a physical notebook before. I understand better some design choices for the digital ones now.” He explained as he finished. “There, that should be it. You can ask a passerby for directions if you get lost. Sorry if it’s messy, I haven’t written by hand since… long ago.”
Bathor took her notebook from the outstretched hand and left, still off-put by his last displays. She remembered to thank him as she passed the door though.
“That was weird.” SG stated when the door was shut.
“You can say. Whoever she’s looking for, I pity them. Now back to work, apprentice. You have a quota to finish before you can call it a day.” Her boss clapped his hands to dissipate the leftover tension.
The winged girl blushed and restarted her machine. It must have stopped from unuse at some point during the conversation. Her quota was ludicrously low, but not enough to dawdle. Still, as Zax passed the backdoor to his own task, she blurted out the question waiting on the tip of her tongue. Without stopping her manipulations this time:
“Why didn’t you make her pay?”
“What do you mean?” Zax stopped between the rooms.
“She asked something of you. You gave it to her. You don’t work for free. But you didn’t quote her. Or did you, and I missed it?”
“No, you’re right.” Zax proudly nodded. She had well assimilated the principles of being a salesman. “It’s because what she asked for was worthless. Literally anyone above 10 could have told her most of it. The only thing worth paying for would’ve been our silence, but I already failed that. Plus, I have no intention of keeping this interaction secret either. As I said, she was back in suspicious behaviour. Not sure she got that, but it’s not my problem anymore.”
The winged girl was sceptical about that reason, but she nodded her understanding.
“I humoured her for that long because I thought it would end with a commission, but she wants to do her research on her own. I can’t force her, so that was that. Plus, I got to touch items I never saw before, and I had a glimpse of their clothing designs, so it’s not like I didn’t gain anything.”
Doesn’t sound very balanced though, with the general hassle.
The apprentice kept her opinion to herself and inquired about the other curious point:
“Can you do that? Find someone specific from a list of traits?”
“I can try. I have an idea of what to do, but I’ve never done something like that before. That would be within the Enforcer’s purview.”
Oh, she knew that principle!
“Never say you can’t before you try.” The newbie recited.
“Good girl.” He smiled and nodded.
She smiled back and kept going:
“Will she manage on her own?”
“No idea.” Zax shrugged. “She doesn’t want help and she refuses to use advanced tools, so she’ll pay for it with time and inconvenience. How long and how much will depend on what she actually knows about her target, but she already demonstrated she was persistent. If she stays as patient and proceed logically, step by step, she should succeed. You know, eventually.”
There was no further incident for the rest of the day. Slow day too, SG even managed to reach her quota earlier than expected, unlocking her training to the next level. Aran arrived just in time to serve as training mannequin for her new tricks. The foxy girl had finished early too, and she hadn’t wanted to wait before gathering again.
It was a relaxing moment; the girls discussing as SG applied her new skills. Once Zax was done on his side they closed the shop and suggested plans for the evening. The main goal was still to expand the winged girl’s horizons, so her proposal to go back to the entertainment centre was vetoed.
“We could go to a nature park?” Zax offered. “There are four, one for each season. Which is which is constantly rotating-”
“Duh.” Aran rolled her eyes.
“-so there’s always something for every taste.” He ignored the interruption. “They are unlike anything in the dot. We first met in the current spring park, so I thought you might like to see it before it changes too much.”
“Nice. I was thinking about the communal bath.” Aran presented her idea. “It’s a place to cleanse body and mind, and to mingle with others. We’d see a lot of people and make a lot of really shallow bonds. There’s also a swimming pool, I think.”
“There is one close but it’s not the same building. That reminds me, can you swim, SG?”
“Er, maybe?” The uncertain answer caught them as off-guard as the question had her. “I did it once, but it was just staying afloat while the current carried me. My wings helped a lot. But I couldn’t do it for long.”
“Doesn’t count if you didn’t know what you were doing.” Zax contested. “Funny, I would’ve thought unspecialised wings would make it harder.”
“But good to know you could handle yourself if you’re ever caught in a giant pipe.” Aran joked.
The three friends chuckled. The choice eventually landed on the public bath. The former gladiator thought having enough space to spread her wings and clean herself on her own would be the main change, but it ended up close to an afterthought.
After the open changing room, to strip and store their belongings, came the shower room. The first timer was still self-conscious about her body, but the lack of reaction when she revealed herself once again assuaged her fears.
The ceiling was higher than usual, and everything sported the same white tones as Zax’s water unit. At waist level was a series of palisades with shower heads and various apertures for different spraying options. Everything was like the standard water unit, only… more. All in all, nothing unexpected for a communal shower, SG supposed. Except for the ambience.
SG had gotten used to the respectful distance people kept in the dot, figuratively when not physically possible. In the streets, she never received more than a passing glance. In the shop, people stopped asking questions about her when they discovered it made her uncomfortable.
The winged girl didn’t perceive how comforting it felt until it stopped.
The previous night at the entertainment centre, people were more boisterous and open, but the cheers of victory and laments of defeat mixed with the games’ ambient noise, weaving an enjoyable vibe. It was easy to strike or stop a conversation with a stranger, or to let go without bothering others. It had been a shock, but by the end of the evening she was used to rowdy crowds. She thought she was, at least.
How deluded she had been.
In the communal bath, people were standing or sitting along the palisades, sometimes on them, discussing and washing themselves or each other. Children were playing with water hoses and laughing. Friends were talking, strangers washed each other’s back, there was even a friendly arm-wrestling match on the side. Accolades and greetings between strangers were common. SG had nearly jumped out of her skin the first time someone had touched her shoulder; had Zax and Aran not assured her by their presence, things could have easily turned ugly. People seemed to compensate for a lack of contact and forgot the notion of personal space.
It took a moment for that new shock to settle. Afterwards, time came for the actual cleaning. There were all kind of brushes and products available, for every skin, leather, hair, fur or else possible. It was easy and straightforward, especially with so many people eager to help. Some were better at it than others, but her friends assured her it was part of the experience, and it was never too unpleasant.
At Aran’s prompting, SG even managed to reciprocate and clean someone’s back too. It felt surreal, but there she was; sitting on a stool, a talon grabbing her seat for stability while the other held a brush. Without a word, without knowing their name, she was scrubbing their back, doing her best to follow the scale layout. They were tall and sturdy; she didn’t have to worry about accidentally hurting them. Zax and Aran were busy on the arms and head, the tailed girl making enough conversation for the three of them.
It felt… surprisingly smoothing. Therapeutic, maybe. She wouldn’t be surprised if it had been their main reason for coming in the first place.
Unfathomably, it worked.
“Had fun?” Zax grinned when they were done.
SG nodded, her own smile refusing to leave. It may have been a bit overwhelming at first, but it was a pleasant experience overall.
“Ready for the second part?” His grin morphed in a smirk.
They were not done? She blinked in surprise. And maybe some apprehension too.
Indeed, they were not.
If the previous room was a giant public shower, this one was a giant public bathtub. After the clamour of the previous room, the silence in this one was another world. SG’s heart was beating in her ears.
Many tubs dotted the floor, each filled with different options and settings of water. According to the map next to the entrance, some pools had water jets or bubbles, others were steaming hot, had salt and other components mixed in, and so on. Some were separated, to preserve their own air, like the mud baths with smells. The main benefits of each option were also explained.
People were seated or leaning against the edges. Some were softly swimming closer to the centre. A few baths were opaque enough to only show the heads above the water. Everyone displayed serenity.
SG was still reeling from the change of atmosphere when Zax wordlessly led her to a simple hot bath, showing her how to get in a free spot without disturbing others. She took extra care to not let her claws click on the floor as she walked, but with moderate success. No one called her out about it, but she felt uneasy.
Once seated she was left not knowing what to do. Zax and Aran were still next to her, but she didn’t dare to disturb the silence. She tried doing as he did, leaning her back against the wall, closing her eyes and slowing her breath.
She didn’t feel anything at first, although her shoulders untensed a hint. The rest of her body followed suit before she realised; the ubiquitous warmth slowly relaxing every muscle. She wasn’t sure she would be able to move if she wanted to, and she certainly didn’t want to.
Her mind soon followed, wandering aimlessly. And as every time it did, a certain topic kept coming back.
What future did she want?
How should she wear her bracelet?
The question and the conversations she had on the subject had kept her awake more than a few nights, but she wasn’t closer to an answer. Having a job, something to do and to focus on, a short-term goal flimsy as it was, it helped, but it was too early to lean on.
However, her anxiety, her doubts didn’t gnaw at her this time. They were still there, trying to intrude, but they were less, somehow. Answers were as far away as ever, but a decision felt… reachable, eventually.
The bath maintained its effect as she pondered, and with those thoughts swirling in her mind, the winged girl slipped into a dreamless sleep.
Her mind as cleansed as her body.