Unfortunately for me and my daily commute, Finnegan’s hotel was between my apartment and store.

Fortunately for me on this day, what was usually a bane was now a boon, as Bob had mentioned Emma was staying there, and I wanted to stop by and check on her.

I hadn’t seen her there the day before, but I was hoping I could catch her at breakfast.

I glanced up at the sun.

Maybe lunch.

The Grand Hotel was a metal and glass building at the edge of downtown, a few blocks away from my own store. It was a six-story building—in defiance of the local regulations—with a jutting section of the ground floor devoted to a large dining area that brought to mind the one in the apartment building back in the tower-town of Ventis, and from which sounds of laughter and clinking silverware and plates emanated.

I inspected the building and found a surprise.

Finnegan’s Place

Level 11 Lodge

It had been level eight yesterday. How had he gained three levels on it in less than a day?

I headed inside and found the answer.

It was packed, even more so than the night before, now well beyond full capacity, the dining hall filled with people, all the tables pushed together haphazardly.

Most of the tower staff were here, and were all eating merrily, just like they had back in the tower. Based on their ranks they may not have needed to eat, but they sure enjoyed doing so.

I couldn’t help but think it was a waste of resources. Getting new food was soon going to become a problem unless everyone somehow managed to reach Iron in short order.

The tower staff weren’t the only ones present. I spotted several locals, but unlike last night the majority of customers were clearly not from around here, including who I at first thought was Semermen. My next thought was how disturbed I was that I could tell the selven apart already. It was mainly to do with his mana. He felt younger. He was pounding down pancakes topped with whipped cream and berries.

Odd diet for a frog-squid.

There was also a group of lizard people eating what looked to be huge plates of egg whites. Thomas Turner, the famous actor, was at the table with them, wearing what looked to be a cobbled-together version of the outfit Kral, his most famous character, wore.

To my surprise, I saw Emma weaving through the crowd holding plates.

When had she started working here? Maybe she was only helping out like she did sometimes at my store.

Somehow that was worse. It meant she was helping Finnegan and not getting paid for the displeasure.

After setting down plates on a cluster of two tables already filled with them—one at which Meredith and Harold were seated, as well as six other people I didn’t recognize—she turned to head back to the kitchen, her gaze passing over me.

She stopped, did a doubletake, then ran over and gave me a hug. “Noah! Oh my god I was so worried about you. What happened?”

After a brief recap she shook her head. “Well I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.”

She smiled. “Self-absorbed as always.”

“You know me too well.”

“I do now. And Dingo? How is he?”

“Uh…”

Her face fell. “Oh no, is he—”

“No, nothing like that. He’s fine. Even got a card, the bugger. He’s just… different.”

She frowned.

“You’ll see next time you see him. It’s better as a surprise.” I looked around the dining room. “You’re working here?”

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“Just helping Finn out.”

“Oh.” To say I felt a stab of jealousy would be an understatement.

“It’s the only place in town that’s safe.”

“Oh yeah,” I said, her explanation providing some relief. “Actually, the whole town is safe.”

She shook her head. “I doubt that. A monster chased us from the ocean and knocked down an apartment building. If some crazy lady hadn’t chopped its head off, I reckon we wouldn’t be talking right now.”

“Well, downtown is safe. Most of the houses and apartments aren’t, though mine is thankfully. And I’d recommend staying away from the courthouse. There’s giant spiders there now.”

“Giant spiders? In the safe zone?”

“It’s a long story. I don’t think they can hurt anyone, but better not to risk it. They managed to pull me out of the safe zone, so as long as you stay well within it, you should be fine.”

I pulled up my map to show her the outline of the safe zone.

“That’s a handy ability. Card?”

“Hobby.”

“I haven’t chosen one of those yet.”

“Emma Huxley putting something off? I never thought I’d see the day.”

“I like to be thorough.”

“I heard you shoot fireballs now.”

She grinned proudly. “I do.”

“Me too. Well, more like punch them into people. We should compare notes. When you’re not so busy.”

“Sounds fun.”

“I’ll be at my store. When’s your shift over?”

She looked around at all the diners. “Define shift. I pretty much spend all my time here. It’s just me and Ruby. Though she goes out on supply runs. Has a card that lets her carry a lot of stuff.”

“Is this where everyone’s been staying? Town seems oddly empty.”

“Heaps of people left in the first few days. We were in radio contact with them for a bit.” She shrugged. “Sarah, Olivia, Caitlin, and Grace all left. Even Zoe’s gone. Hope they’re okay. Except for Zoe.”

Zoe was Emma’s best-enemy. The other girls she listed were all of her close friends.

“You didn’t want to go?”

“Nah. I’d already got my first card by that point. Plus, we’re already here. Better the monster you know.”

“Where did they go?”

“They were heading to Newcastle. Military presence there.”

“Not in Brisbane? That’s way closer.”

She shrugged. “They only place that answered their radio calls was Newcastle, so that’s where they went.”

“I guess no one knew about the safe zone.”

“If it even was a safe zone then. Plenty of people got hurt, or worse.”

I nodded grimly. “Yeah, I saw. The corrupted.”

“Not surprising.” She sighed wearily. “Luckily the corrupted all left town. Not sure why, but I’m not complaining. Maybe the safe zone forced them out.”

“So you’re staying here too?” I looked at my map again. “Your apartment’s in the safe zone.”

She shrugged. “Dad’s here, so is everyone else who stayed. And I think it makes everyone feel better to be together. Except for Uncle Bob.”

“Yeah, where’s he staying after your dad’s boat got destroyed? With how much he distrusts Finnegan, I can’t imagine him staying here. I saw him yesterday, but I’m not sure where he got off to.”

Emma stared at me blankly for several moments.

“You okay?”

“The boat got destroyed?”

“Oh, you didn’t hear… Yeah. By a coral monster. Titan-class.”

“Oh I heard about that. The monster that is. Didn’t know about the boat.” After a moment she shrugged. “Ocean’s way too dangerous anyway.”

“Yeah,” I said morosely.

“Sorry, I know your family’s half a world away. Maybe airplanes still work. I’m pretty sure I heard one the other day. Saw a truck not too long ago as well.”

“Really?”

“It was an old one. I think one of Janice’s.”

Janice Pallinger ran a farm not too far outside of town.

“I hadn’t thought about cars still working. I guess that makes sense. Phones and TV work, they just can’t connect to the internet. Or they can, but every site shows that busy message.”

“Only the cars stored inside worked. The people who left tried a bunch, and none of the ones outside would start.”

“But your dad’s boat did?”

“Yeah. Not sure about the nav, but the engines at least. That’s how we got away and made it back here.”

“Why’d you go to the reserve anyway?”

“Work.”

“On New Year’s Day?”

“Since when has Jack let the holidays stop me from working?”

I chuckled. Jack Fleming owned the dive-tour company she worked for. “Thought he was off in America?”

“He is. Texted me at three in the bloody morning reminding me we were open on New Year’s Eve. It’s like bloody hell bloke, you’re from here, you should know the timezones are different and one, I’m drunk and asleep, and two, it’s already New Year’s Day here. But he’s gone seppo.”

“He has been there for a while. Don’t suppose you heard anything from him since?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Bugger all from anyone since that first day.”

“I saw a car right after this whole thing started. No planes though. Not like I know how to fly anyway even if I could find one that worked. Although I did get some wings in the tower. Only useable inside of it.”

“Wings? As in you can fly?!”

“Only in the tower. But yeah. It was pretty awesome.”

“I reckon it would be. I’ll have to keep an eye out for something like that. Maybe an arcana or sigil of the bird.”

“That might work. Long journey though, a boat does seem more reliable. I’m sure your dad or uncle knows where some more can be had.”

“I don’t doubt it. Speaking of my uncle, if you see him again, tell him to stop by.”

“Oh yeah, you never said where he’s staying.”

“I saw him—”

“Emma!” someone called from the kitchen.

“Ah bugger, I’ve got to go. It was good seeing you. I’m so glad you’re okay.” She hugged me again. “You’re still at the store, you said?”

“I—”

“Emma!”

“I’m coming!”

“Yeah,” I answered.

“I’ll stop by tonight. We can catch up. Go over those cards.”

“Sounds good.”

“Emma!”

“Bloody hell Vic,” she said, storming away, her voice fading as it got lost in the chatter, “calm your fat…”

I stared after her, wondering where Bob was, and for some inexplicable reason getting the feeling that I wouldn’t like the answer.

‌

∎ ∎ ∎

The Interviewer stops Noah.

“You seem to have constructed a narrative.”

“That’s what you wanted.”

“No. I wanted facts. Life is not this orderly.”

Noah shrugs. A bit awkwardly. “What can I say? Humans are suckers for narrative. It’s encoded into our brains. Gaining a few ranks isn’t going to do anything to alter that.”

“One would assume replacing the organ responsible for said flaw would have some effect.”

“You know what they say about assumptions.”

The Interviewer does not dignify Noah with a reply.

Not directly. Instead, another document appears. But this is no sponsored broadcast.

“What’s this?”

“Calibration. For your… narrative bias.”

Doing his best not to let his emotions show, Noah reaches out, and integrates the document.