Chapter 20

Log. 10112.a.b

I don’t know what to do. I can't find new information anymore and I can't just live my life.

Me and the Programmer talked and decided to keep studying the virus and sharing anything we find out. He checked my computer and everything is fine. I feel like I went back two centuries, without being able to access the Cloud or the Net directly!

The team of guards and engineers were ecstatic to arrive at the cabin, but no one was as marvelled by it as Yurt. He was almost in tears. Vone laughed at him, the lad was so dramatic, but it was good having him on the team; he knew how to do his job quite well.

The cabin looked empty from the outside, though it was hard to see with the little light they had. The guards positioned themselves around the door, crossbows in hands, bolts prepared to shoot. Vone was about to open it , and they would protect her no matter what.

As soon as the handle clicked and the door creaked, they were all blinded by light. Vone screamed in surprise, Yurt crouched on the ground, almost crying for a second time, bolts were shot, people were screaming, and in the next second, all was calm again.

Vone ran into the cabin, someone had to be in there, the energy wouldn’t just come back out of the blue like that; however, once inside, the place was empty.

— Check the transformer and the cables. — Vone told the engineers, then pointed to four of her guards: — Stay here, keep your eyes peeled. The rest, follow me, let’s take a look around the perimetre, see if we find whoever or whatever did this.

Yurt was the first to get to the transformer. He crouched in front of it as he rubbed his eyes, and started to look for anything uncommon. The cable coming from the wind turbine was still very well attached, but he checked the bolts anyway.

While he was working, other engineers were confirming if the cable leading back to the city was safe; nothing seemed out of place, which on its own was strange, given the long power outage.

On the outside, Vone had her batton in hand. The other guards had their crossbows ready — just in case — and kept their eyes sharp for any movement. After circling the cabin, they found a big pile of nothing, which made no sense.

Vone crossed her arms and looked around; there had to be something there, they were the last team to arrive at their location, the energy couldn’t have disappeared and come back so abruptly like that, there had to be a reason.

— Let’s go a little deeper, folks. — She decided. — Maybe this tunnel leads somewhere hidden, even though the maps say otherwise.

She knew the place had been left by itself for centuries; if someone had ever ventured through those old tunnels, it was ages ago. The maps could be missing something.

They kept going for almost an hour before finding a crevice on the cave wall. It was small, but a person could hide inside it if they weren’t too big. She got her light and checked its interior:

— It seems to lead somewhere. — Vone looked at her guards, and pointed to a girl smaller than her: — Can you take a look inside?

— Yes, ma’am.

— Don’t go too far, stay where you can see us.

— Alright. I’ll shout if I need or find anything.

— Sounds good. — Vone smiled, and watched her go inside.

Vone would go herself, but she was afraid her shoulders were a bit too broad to fit, and she had been through her top surgery not long ago, her doctor would be mad she wasn’t resting, and the thought made her laugh a bit. She loved her work more than anything, it was hard staying put when she knew people needed her.

The guard lit the path with her torch and started walking. It led to a small gallery, where water dripped slowly from the wall. There were some stalagmites on the ground and stalactites on the roof, and after a few minutes, she was able to check the whole place and found nothing.

She came back and reported to Vone, and the Chief Guard was baffled. Maybe the engineers had found the problem, so she decided to go back and see how they were doing. Someone needed to have answers.

However, once back at the cabin, all Yurt had to report was a detail someone had forgotten to add to the transformer’s file: just below the main cable — which led to the city — there was a thinner bypass going underground.

— It doesn’t look new and, you can take a look, it’s super discreet. — Yurt pointed at it. — Maybe it’s always been there, maybe dirt was covering it, maybe we just didn’t notice it before, but I wouldn’t risk getting it off.

Vone kneeled on the floor and stared at it. It was made from the same material as all the other cables she had seen before, and having a power line going into the ground wasn’t unusual. It avoided energy overload, and there was a powerful wind turbine up on the surface.

— I can see how this was overlooked before. — Vone got up and cleaned the dust off her knees. — Let’s report it and update the file. I have no idea what happened, but there’s nothing to see here.

— It could have been an overload. — Yurt was still focused on the transformer; he was a different person when working. — And then we got power back once things got to normal levels. It’s not unheard.

Vone nodded and crossed her arms. She was still intrigued by the whole situation, but they would have to wait for the cars to pick them up anyway, so it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on the transformer while they waited.

Log. 9898.m

I bought one of the best computers on the market; I still have enough money from selling the house. I’ve put all the necessary information by hand, I don't want to connect physically. The clerk said it had never been used, but the clerk was a Robot. If things continue like this, in a little while I’ll be wearing an aluminium foil hat.

The meeting was boring. Qena had participated in so many of those, she memorised each of the speakers’ scripts. It was always the same, save for a word here and there. Koira, on the other hand, seemed interested.

It made sense. She hadn’t been to many, she didn’t know most of those people, and some of them brought interesting ideas. Qena was certain hers was the best; some of the projects looked rather crazy, like the one being presented at that moment: a material that could shock people and animals who touched the energy cables.

— What if a child touches it? — Ana, the Chief Engineer of the Underground City, asked.

— The shock wouldn’t be strong enough to hurt. And we can make bracelets with something to deflect th…

— Oh, shut up. This low brainwave of yours is getting worse every time a word comes out of your mouth. — She scoffed, surprised some people were still interested. — Get out of there, let the next one present their project.

The speaker didn’t look very happy, but he did what he was told. He started organising his things while the spectators got up and walked out of the room. There was a break between each presentation, and Qena was next.

She was a bit nervous, but her presentation was memorised, and she had an actual prototype to show, something no one else had. And Koira was there. She followed Ana with her eyes, and decided to stay in the room and review her notes one last time.

Koira, on the other hand, really wanted to talk to Ana. Being the Chief Engineer wasn’t an easy feat, and Koira thought she could learn much with the woman. She asked Qena if she needed any help, and once she said it was fine, Koira got up and went after the Chief.

Most of the people in the meeting were in the hall before the room, but Ana wasn’t there. Koira kept walking, looking for her, and she found the woman outside, in front of the building. She was smoking, her eyes focused on the roof of the gallery, where the artificial stars and all the lights were shut down.

Ana looked so alien, not meant to be there. For an instant, Koira almost didn’t recognise her. She had the airs of someone who should be out in the world, living a different life, but still, there she was, right in front of Koira.

— Hi. Excuse me, you’re the Chief Engineer, yah?

— Yes. — She breathed out some smoke; very few people still had the habit. — Do you need anything?

— I’m Koira. From Sand City. — She was nervous, it was like being in front of a celebrity. — I got here a few years ago. I-I’ve heard of your work. It’s quite impressive, eh?

— Ah, yes, Qena mentioned you before. Apparently your work is not bad either, not many people are invited to the city. — Ana inhaled the cigarette again, and smoke came out of her mouth after a brief pause. — So?

— Ah! Well, ahn, I wanted to meet ya, that’s all. — Koira tried to hide her anxiety, with no luck. — And, well, I’ve been working with prosthetics and the like, but, uhm, I’m sort of a Jack of all trades, ya know?

— Often better than a master of one, I suppose. What’s your channel? From the comms.

— Oh, I normally use the channel 13.7, it was one of the only ones available. And easy to memorise.

— I guess people thought it was unlucky, right? — Ana laughed. — I’ll call you if I need you. Now, are you here with Qena?

— Yes, we designed something too, like an armour for the cables. It looks pretty cool and I think it’ll work, but, oi, I ain’t giving ya any spoilers, I’ll let her sell it to ya. Well, I hope you’re buying.

— As long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, it’ll already be much much better than the last! — She inhaled the end of the cigarette, put the flame out, and dropped the butt into a small metal box in her pocket. — Let’s go back? Your friend is next, uhm?

Koira agreed with high hopes, and walked back in with Ana. As soon as they got in, the lights came back and blinded everyone. Qena opened the largest smile ever, then began her presentation.

Log. 9751.b.b

I imagined I was constantly being infected because of my programs, but it turns out it wasn’t quite like that. It seems the virus attacks groups of people, families, close friends, or even people who live together. And that makes perfect sense! Then they wouldn’t tell anyone and would still be able to maintain appearances. That’s why the virus is not giving up infecting me the moment I access the Cloud. My parents are... already gone.

After dinner, Soña gave Ganen and Séra a pair of towels, and bars of soap, shampoo and conditioner. She told them to have a good, relaxing shower, so that they could sleep clean and comfortable. None of the women complained.

The bathtub was big enough for both of them to fit, so after a quick shower, they sank into the hot water and melted within the bubbles. It had been ages since Ganen had an actual bath, and Séra had never had the opportunity.

Water was scarce in the desert, so long showers were near impossible; anyone with common sense wouldn’t spend more than five minutes under water. When Séra felt all that warmth and comfort around her whole self, she didn’t even know how to describe such an amazing feeling.

— It’s like being hugged, right? — Ganen tried.

— I think it’s quite close. — Séra mumbled.

She had her body resting against Ganen’s, and the dark nimble fingers were slowly washing her hair. The woman was almost asleep. She felt the hands going down her shoulders and resting on her arms; there wasn’t a better feeling. She looked at her own wrinkled fingers and smiled; that was indeed very good.

After more than an hour, Soña knocked on the door and asked if everything was okay, to which the women replied they were about to leave. They had forgotten other people also needed the bathroom, especially after Soña’s family started gathering in the house after the work day.

The woman showed Ganen and Séra to their room, where there was a comfy bed with cosy blankets. It wasn’t cold during the day, but winter was just around the corner, and the temperature dropped at night. Tired from the trips and the last few days, it didn’t take them long to fall asleep.

They were awoken by the perfume of coffee and fresh, warm bread. The house was filled with talk and laughter, as Soña’s large family gathered for breakfast. Ganen and Séra didn’t take long to get dressed, and as soon as they got in the kitchen, the matriarch presented them to all the relatives. Thankfully, she didn’t mention they were responsible for the death of Onesie.

— And more great news, it seems like Poppy is about to give birth. — Soña said between sips of coffee. — You girls should stay and watch with us, it’s a beautiful thing. And not as bloody as human births, I must add!

— I’d love to! — Ganen opened a smile; there weren’t many guinea pigs in Tree City — their source of animal protein was mostly insects — and she had never seen one give birth.

— Well, I don’t mind being there too, but I must admit I ain’t good with blood and such. — Séra, on the other hand, wasn’t very confident on such entertainment.

— You don’t have to if you don’t want to. — Soña answered. — Not all of us are good with living things. From what you’ve told me, you’re better with the mechanical ones, no?

— Yes! With those I’m an expert! — She laughed. — I can even take a look at your car, you’ve said it’s broken, eh?

— Yes, it is. One of my boys was tasked with the repairs, but I’m sure he would love the help. His parents were mechanics too, but I think he didn’t inherit their abilities. — The matriarch looked at her oldest grandson, Jasin, a lad in his late teens.

— We have plans, then! — Séra looked at him with a smile; it was good fixing someone else’s things for a change.

Once breakfast was over, Séra and Jasin went to the garage, while Ganen, Soña, Little Finny and the others headed to the barns.

The car was quite old, it didn’t look aerodynamic at all, but Jasin said it worked well enough before it started smoking. Séra looked at him quite worried; cars weren’t supposed to smoke. Once she took a look under the hood, though, she found the problem:

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

— See these dents on the battery here, here and here? — Séra pointed. — They seem harmless, because they’re so tiny, but they might just be the problem. Let’s take it apart and take a closer look, have ya done that already?

— Not really, I was afraid I couldn’t put it back together. — He gave her the most awkward and insecure smile.

— I see. Welp, let’s go for it, then. I’ll teach ya how to do it. I’m sure both of us can finish this today if ya have the parts, eh? — Finally, a problem she could solve with her eyes closed.

While they worked on the car, Ganen was waiting for Poppy to start birthing the baby guinea pigs. It was exciting that she could learn so much just by watching, and that was a rare occasion.

Soña explained that, when the mother was ready, she would squat like if she was pooping, and a few minutes later, she would start delivering the pups, one every five to ten minutes. Normally, the litters were small, three or five babies, but Poppy was known to birth more than usual.

— She’s quite the fertile girl! — Soña was proud of her guinea pig.

Once the first pup was out, the others followed it quite easily, and within an hour, there were six little babies with their eyes and ears open to the world, trying to stumble around. Ganen was in awe, it wasn’t exactly pretty, but it was amazing how such tiny things were already aware of the environment around them.

Soña made sure to keep Poppy separate from any males, so that she could have some quality time with her pups; males could try to copulate soon after the birth, and that wasn’t healthy for the lady, as the matriarch explained. A month from now, Little Finny could have his first guinea pig again, and he was already trying to see which ones were the smartest.

— Let’s give her some space, extra water and food, so that she can take good care of the babies, then we go back to work. — Soña said. — Finn, can you get that hay over there? I can’t reach it anymore.

Ganen had no focus for anything else besides the new little lives, and she watched them bewildered. So young, yet so full of life and curiosity. They were sweet tiny things indeed, there was no denying it. She almost wanted one for herself, but they were so special for the farm, she wouldn’t dare ask.

As the researcher looked around, everyone had smiles on their faces and the mood was lifted. Soña told her to stay for that night: there was always a celebration after a successful birth, and that night would be no different.

— You can either help me prepare it or help the folks with farmwork, I’ll let you decide. — Soña explained. — Now that you and your partner are fed, bathed, and rested, it’s time for some work, uhm?

— Could I help around the farm? I’d love to see how things work here.

— Of course! — The matriarch replied; she was happy to have some extra hands around. — Follow Finn after he feeds Poppy, he’ll show you what you can do.

Finn — or Finnian — was the father of Little Finny, and he didn’t seem upset about the incident which leds the girls to the farm. While feeding Poppy, he said he had three “first” guinea pigs, because he was way too young when he got his.

— And my son is still such a crybaby, I told mother she should wait, but she says he’s ready, so who am I to disagree? — He shrugged. — Now, come on, get a rake and a basket, we have some veggies to harvest.

While Séra and Jasin spent the day taking the car apart and changing the battery and cables, Ganen went to the fields with Finnian and his siblings to harvest vegetables and fruits. The farm extended for kilometres, and the woman understood why they needed a car.

In the past, large animals were said to be common, an everyday view, but once humans came back to the surface, those were very hard to find. Finn talked about the legend of horses, which were similar to ponies, but much larger, capable of carrying up to two humans on their backs.

— With the car broken, it would sure be nice to have those big ponies, right?

— I’m studying what happened to them. Maybe if we focus on making the largest ponies mate, we can get big ones in the future. — Ganen said.

— That sounds like a good idea! — Finnian was surprised he had never thought about that. — Mother said she started breeding the guinea pigs with the most fur when she was young, and now most of them have long, good fur for making fabric. I’ll talk to her about doing this with the ponies, who knows?

— It might just work! — She smiled, proud of herself for giving him the idea.

Once the harvesting was done, he showed them the food machine, a long lost Immortal they had fixed and tamed, then it was put to work for them. They would put vegetables and fruits in there, where it would be chopped in teeny tiny pieces and pressed into little pellets for the guinea pigs.

When Soña’s grandparents first got the Immortal, it was dirty and rusty, barely working, but after some time repairing it, it was possible to use the machine for the greater good, not for sacrificing children. And, because of it, the people who followed the cult never bothered them: they were protected.

The Forest People, however, gave them trouble from time to time. Finnian said they were opportunists, who would take whatever their hands could grab instead of settling down in a farm and working hard.

— I know working hard is tiring and such, but if everybody helps, no one gets too tired, and we all can enjoy the fruits of our labour, you know? If everybody does their part.

— I know! We have a very similar culture in Tree City. Sharing is caring and everything. — She laughed. — And I’m so glad Soña let us stay for a while, because we were indeed in a bad situation.

— It happens to all of us every now and then, don’t worry about it. — Finnian winked. — And I hope you and your friend are hungry, because we always have a feast when there are baby guineas.

— I sure am!

Log. 9751.b.a

I spent a few days looking for information. It’s more difficult now, since I can no longer access the Cloud by myself, I need a computer. Each time I accessed the Cloud, I was infected by the virus, but my protection programs excluded the harmful code from my system.

Qena wanted to celebrate her win. Once the energy was back, people received her presentation with much more dedication than the rest, and as always, she knew the right words to convince everyone. Her parents still preferred something more aggressive, but once Ana gave her approval, no one could make her change her mind. The next process was the mass production, and the Chief Engineer assured Koira they would have their own meeting soon enough.

It was already late when people started leaving the Office, and Qena invited her closest friends to a small party in her house, where she poured everyone a drink and asked the house staff to make them some well deserved snacks.

Koira was excited with the whole thing, she wanted to talk more to Ana, get her ideas for the manufacturing of the chainmails and all the other projects inside her head. She almost wanted to show her the prosthetics, talk about Tovu’s case, maybe Ana was better than her at communicating and she could help.

However, Qena felt left behind. With a glass in hand, she kept looking at Koira and Ana chatting the night away, and she barely felt like the one who came up with the solution for such an important problem. She knew she liked the spotlights, but more than anything, she wanted Koira to give her the attention, and seeing it given so easily to someone else was breaking her heart.

She didn’t even notice when people started leaving, it was a harsh day and everyone was tired after discussing and brainstorming for so long. When Koira approached her, her eyes glistened with joy, but when the woman slurred she was leaving as well, all the light disappeared.

— Oi, I am so drunk! — Koira laughed. — I need to start counting my glasses!

— Maybe you should. — Qena tried to smile. — Are you sure you don’t want to stay?

— Nah, I need to get home for my cats and projects, I’m still working on those prosthetics, and I gotta think of something new for Ryth if he needs it. And I’m exhausted, all these people made me quite tired! But we can talk tomorrow, don’t ya worry, eh?

— Yeah, of course. Do you want me to take you home? The cars are all powered up.

— Nah, don’t ya worry about it, I wanna walk. And I’m sure you’re tired too, eh? — Koira smiled and gave her a hug.

Then she walked away with Ana, as they kept talking about things Qena couldn’t hear, and while she followed them with her eyes, she knew that wasn’t the way to Koira’s house.

Log. 9536.k

All the people in that room are reported as missing. No one has complained, since their Cloud is constantly updated, but they do not respond to messages or calls. That worries me. I even got in touch with the spouse of one of those people, but the only thing I received were happy reactions (from afar I can’t say whether they were simulated or not, but I'm certain they were). I think the virus is getting more sophisticated, but I can’t say for sure. I need more information before getting to any conclusions.

Soña was happy to have some help in the preparation of the feast; it was hard work to do alone — though she also had Little Finny’s help.

With the recently arrived goat milk, Soña and Ganen started to make cheese. It was a fast method, without the ageing, and the boy loved seeing the magic happen. They also made bread with the grains and nuts they had from another farm, and it looked like a piece of art.

— We also get meat from a farm up north, mostly beetles and crickets, but sometime we have animal protein as well. — Soña looked at Ganen: — I know you and your partner don’t have a problem with that.

— Yeah… — Ganen looked down, feeling awkward and embarrassed.

— There is some salted meat in the pantry, get a block of it, cut it, and sink it in water, so we can get most of the salt off, then we’re gonna slice it thin and wrap the veggie cream with it.

— Alright. — That was a lot of information, so Ganen was suddenly focused.

— While it sinks, I want you to roll the veggie cream into cones with parchment paper, and put them in the cooling box. This’ll help them keep the shape once we roll them.

— Right. Cut meat, sink it, roll veggies. — She wanted to write it down.

— Once they’re rolled, you’ll dip them in the mix of milk and eggs Little Finny is making, bread them, and we’ll fry them. A delicacy we allow ourselves to have once in a while. — Soña finally smiled. — Feel free to ask me if you forget anything.

— I’ll try my best not to! — Ganen laughed, a bit nervous; she was trying to picture each instruction in her mind so she wouldn’t forget. — But I’ll ask if I need anything. Oh! By the way, you mentioned the farm that produces nuts and such.

— Yes, down south, why?

— Gayo asked me and Séra to take them some milk.

— Gayo can wait, and Misha can drive, so if they’re in a hurry, nothing is stopping them from going there themselves. — Soña still sounded upset with the grand-nephew. — Focus on helpíng me now, if they don’t go, you and Séra can go tomorrow. Does that sound good?

— I… I suppose it does? I mean, we don’t want to bother or disturb anyone. — Ganen felt threatened by her tone of voice; she didn’t want to be on Soña’s bad side.

— Don’t you worry, you two are being quite helpful. Now, go get the meat.

— On it!

Ganen felt proud of herself for remembering all the steps; after that long battle with the 5-letter word — “nasty”, which still made her angry sometimes —, remembering even simple things made her quite happy. And the feast they were making was indeed a good reward.

Once the food was ready to be fried and cooked, Soña showed Ganen her own proud possession: a cabinet full of drinks, only drunk on special occasions such as this. There were different kinds of fermented beverages made from all kinds of fruits, nuts, and grains she had available, and some even rarer drinks, which were probably in there for decades.

The researcher thought for a little while, and got to the conclusion these festivities were not so rare; guinea pigs had a small gestational time, and they could mate quite often, so they probably had something like this every month or so. The thought made her smile; it seemed like a good life.

— I think I might have a bottle of tequila somewhere, not the ones we make, but one from Sand City itself. — Soña smiled like a naughty kid. — I’ll look for it, maybe we can have it tonight!

— Séra will be delighted, I’m sure!

— Only Séra? — She was a bit disappointed, but in the end, it meant more for herself.

— I don’t drink. — Ganen explained. — I don’t like how it messes with my head. Actually, I don’t really like anything that does, so… yeah. I might be tad boring.

— Not at all, I’m sure you can be fun with or without a little alcohol. — Soña winked. — You got all the way here from Tree City, didn’t you? That takes a taste for adventure.

— It sure does. — Ganen smiled, proud with the compliment.

— What are you doing so far from your home, anyway? — Soña asked while heating up the oil.

— I’m looking for answers of what happened in the past. I mean, I know humans spent a long time in the tunnels, but why? The Moon swallowing the Sun is a good story, but it’s not science.

— Uhm, I see. Well… — Soña thought for a moment before saying something perhaps impolite. She really didn’t care about the past. — I hope you can find the answers you seek.

— Thanks. Me too. — Ganen took a deep breath. — I did leave everything behind to look for them, so… yeah.

— As I said, a taste for adventure. My people here don’t really go too far, I think the furthest farm is about a 2-day trip from here by car, and we need one another to thrive. We do get some resources from the cities, but nothing we can’t live without. The Farms like being an independent system.

— It’s easier than depending on others who have different priorities. — she agreed.

— Indeed it is! And because of that, we are able to spare some for people in need, like you and your partner. Now, come on, Little Finny can’t really help me cook nor fry.

Ganen nodded, and started giving Soña the meat-veggie rolls. Its perfume filled the whole house and started escaping through the windows; it didn’t take long before the house was full of family, laughter and gossip.

Someone got a guitar from out of the blue and started singing songs in a language Ganen didn’t understand very well, but Séra knew a few more words, and tried translating the idea for her; a song about a ghost who wished to see his lover one last time before he was sent to the afterlife.

It wasn’t sad, though, for the lover visited his grave every year, with flowers and colourful clothes, bringing him to life once more to dance and celebrate the cycle of life and death together. So, even if he was there no more, his memory would forever be alive.

Eventually, Ganen was coaxed to get the guitar and sing some songs from her own city, and though she hadn’t touched the strings for a long time, her fingers remembered the chords for a song about the rain, the rivers, the floods, and how the frogs would sing and dance all night long surrounded by the stars.

Séra had never heard her sing before, not seriously like that, and her heart was set ablaze by her ever growing love. She decided to build a guitar somehow, and give it to Ganen when it was ready, so that she could play it during the trip or at night, while they rested. Séra just needed to learn how to make one.

Fortunately, one of Soña’s daughters had built the one they were playing, and offered to write Séra some schematics and instructions the engineer could follow. That deserved a toast, though Séra insisted she wasn’t going to drink too much, they would have a long drive the next day, and a hangover was the last thing she needed.

The moon was high in the sky, the talk was loud and the music was beautiful, until Little Finny — who no one even noticed had left — entered into the house screaming:

— They’re taking the babies!!

Log. 9487.t

Okay, maybe people is an overstatement. They were machines. People still need chairs and personal space. There were cables connecting all those people and computers. Program lines ran on the screens and their eyes were all glassy. I got out of there as soon as possible, that was not human.

I need to review my memories; find a clue.

Tovu's door was opened with a loud bam and the man almost jumped from his bed. He heard the unstable steps from probably more than one person getting closer as he tried to sit. When weight was dropped by his side, the smell of alcohol made his nose burn.

— Tovu. — He recognised the voice: Koira. — Do ya drink? — Her voice was slurred, lazy.

— Not usually, why? — He had no idea what was going on.

— The power's back and Qena's project was chosen. We are celebrating! — Koira laughed at the man's confused face. — Thought ya might wanna join us.

— I don't think I should.

— Eh, it's up to ya, but they have some good tequila around here. Not as good as the one from Sand City, but, oi, it ain't bad, no! — Not even Koira herself understood all of her own words.

— It has been a long time since the last I had a drink. — He was starting to like the idea, but he also didn't want to impose himself. He was also afraid of saying something stupid if he got drunk.— But, I don’t know, because it’s been so long, I don’t know how my body will react.

— Wanna have a shot and try it out? As long ya don’t try to… eh, ya know, it’s fine. And Ana’s here, I think she’s more sober than I am. I mean, less drunk!

Tovu stopped to listen, and there was another person breathing in the room. He could hear the low wheezing in and out of her nose.

— I’d rather not. — He knew he wouldn’t try to kill Koira, the worst he could do was crawl in her direction, but he didn’t feel like celebrating. — What happened to the energy anyway?

— There’s a small cavern near the transformer. — Ana answered, and Tovu paid attention in order to memorise her voice in case they ever talked again. — Some animal came from there, walked around the cable and dislodged it. No perfect fit, no energy. The engineers fixed it, and with Qena’s idea we won’t have to worry about it anymore.

There was something in her voice, maybe the way she said it was too mechanical, like something she had memorised and repeated word for word, but it didn’t make Tovu feel safe. In fact, it made him more certain that there was a Machine within the city, and it was the one truly responsible for the blackout.

After two more attempts on making him drink, Koira gave up and mumbled she needed to get home and drink some water. Ana offered to walk with her; not that she was sober, but at least she could walk straight. When both left and his door was once again closed, Tovu laid down and tried to go back to sleep.

However, the thought of a Machine walking around the dark corridors kept him awake for a long time.