Legacy to Zero

34: A Fragment of Fabric in Your Pocket

Lars

Once the speech was over, I had a choice to make: head to my meeting with Sachiko or get to the bottom of Reid's constant vagueness.

The second option was embedded in my brain, because it was what I'd been waiting for. Finally figuring out what this secret is! I mean, come on.

I couldn't leave Sachiko waiting, though. So, with a tiny sigh of resignation, I hurried to her office. The walk through the hallways was strangely silent, with nothing but the shuffle of my boots against the tile. Her door was wide open, and I swung myself into the seat facing her desk.

I swallowed the slight unease as the whisper of movement caught my attention. But the footsteps weren't loud enough to be Sachiko, a fact confirmed when Bea flickered into view. She peeked into the room.

"Back again?" she asked. At my nod, she grinned, flashing her teeth. "She's not that bad. Actually, she hates giving bad news. So if you're in here, then it'll be fine."

"Thanks, Bea."

"What for?"

"Getting stuck in a hydro tower," I said, half-teasing.

All that got me was a roll of her eyes. But even as she walked by, I couldn't help but think that maybe it wasn't really a joke.

Sachiko showed up moments later, her pen clipped to the pocket of her powder blue suit alongside a tablet cast-screen. She tossed her legs onto the desk like she had the first time, nearly knocking a plush, striped zebra to the ground. Sitting on a tall pillow, it wore its own crown, which hung around its neck. "I see you attended Wren's speech."

"It was great. She's—she's very nice." The hero I want to be.

Sachiko's gaze softened. "You got introduced?"

"Yeah, R—Vale brought me over to meet her."

If she had anything to say about that, she didn't go there. She merely tugged the cast-screen from her pocket, setting it at the midpoint between us.

"I apologize for making you wait for so long. Your trial period has concluded, and I think you proved yourself a long time ago."

I settled back in the chair. That was the good news. Was there bad news? I nodded, waiting for her to continue. She tapped the cast-screen, and it folded outward. My watch lit up at the same time to show me she was sending them my way.

"I gave the Tetra and Halcyon clearance to head to the Rift. I'm also going to do the same for you. My other proposition is to make you a Prismatrix member, and as I'm sure you understand, there is a great need for scouts. So I drafted multiple contracts." She let the statement hang between us before pointing to my watch. "I understand Halcyon is offering you a spot. I'm including that in the options, along with a few others, so when you come back, you can decide."

I turned my watch towards me and squinted as though the text was blurry. It wasn't. I just wasn't sure if I was hearing her right. "Woah." It was the only word I could get out of my mouth.

"There's also another contract Vale brought into the question," she said. "Because Wren recruited him, the council thought it was only fair to give him that task as the newest member."