As Flor and Alastair hurried with the group to the east gate, Alastair seemed to work harder than Flor. “Are my legs really that short?”

“Yes, you’re a few inches shorter here than in reality.”

“I would not have expected. This search party will certainly change our experiment of being in bed.”

“Well, let’s just consider it a different experiment, then. Let’s see if we’re awake when the clock rolls over. If we’re still present or not.”

“Which raises another issue. What if we do continue past…well, I’m going to continue calling it midnight, since I haven’t heard them call it something different…what if we persist through midnight? Which sucks if we have to wake by first four to eat and be at the muckers by first five.”

“I don’t think you have to refer to the hour by the eights, Alastair. I think they use the numbers one to thirty-two.”

“Oh, that’s a bit more simple. How did I not realize that? Hold on…okay, I see it in the digital clock. It’s already late. Where do you think they will send the search party?”

“We’ll see in a few. It looks like they are directing people just up ahead.”

A woman with a torch was standing on a makeshift platform. Alastair could make out the name Helena Lara, Assistant 3 over her head. As their party approached, the warden moved to the platform to speak with the assistant. Alastair overheard the conversation. {…by reading the subtitles.}

Helena: (scorn) Well, if it isn’t the released prisoners led by the famous Rudolf. Timely, as ever.

Rudolf: Helena. We came as soon as we could. Where do you need us?

Helena: You’ll be on the west side of Keep Road, along the river to the foothills. There are torches piled over there. Don’t take them all in case we have another group show up even later than you.

Rudolf: Of course. And, before we go, how many were in the procession? How many are we looking for? Is there any indication where they got lost?

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Helena: There were four in the cab, four again in the Hansoms, and eight escorts. And the drivers for the cab and hansoms.

Rudolf: How long do we search?

Helena: Return at first light and not before. Ensure you keep adequate records of your progress to continue tomorrow.

Rudolf: Are we getting assistance from the Keep?

Helena: Don’t presume to tell me my job. Send out your teams.

Rudolf turned and spoke to the group of released prisoners. “Raise hands if you’ve been along the Keep Road?” Only three of the releasees raised their hands. “You are designated as the sub-party leaders. Split the group into thirds and take four torches per group. We shall proceed together and I will detach your groups at specific points to continue searching toward the foothills. Send a runner to me along the main road every hour with any indications. Ensure you mark those locations well for review in daylight. Since it is not raining right now, perhaps we’ll have good fortune.”

Replay cut scene? Yes/No?

----------------------------------------

Alastair and Flor were with a group of five others. None of them had a name next to their title, so surely the interactions out here would be strictly business. The business of being tired, if nothing else. Alastair yawned. “It’s late. Assuming you’re right about the thirty-two hours thing the day will reset in about two hours. I don’t think that’s time for us to get into bed. This game sucks.”

They had exited the East Gate about thirty minutes before and were now combing back and forth between the forest and the road, looking for any sign of man or horse or carriage.

Flor and Alastair traded yawns back and forth a few times before Flor said, “I’m fighting this as hard as I can.” Then she yawned again.

“You two, stop yapping and yawning and get back to looking,” said the man with the torch. They noted he was called Dock worker 1.

“Dock worker, that sounds almost as exotic as mucker.”

Flor politely laughed, but Alastair could tell she wasn’t having it.

“What do you think about that event as a cut scene? Not very thrilling, huh?”

“It was probably just extrapolation. If this day repeats, it’s probably one of the events that triggers every day at the same time,” she said.

“I was thinking about the same. And since it is scripted, we’re unlikely to find anything out here. Should we give up and head back in?”

“I doubt they’d let us through the gate. Seeing as we had to have the assurances of Rudolf to exit since it was already dark.”

“We could wander off and up the road, see where it goes?”

“Now that’s thinking. Let’s do it. We can wander up and out. If we see another search party, we’ll make some nonsense up to get them off our case, then wander back if we start to see the sunrise.”

“That dock worker is out of sight. Let’s go.”