Miya turns around, locking eyes with a young Ya’valtian boy with brushed-back hair giving her a wide smile. He wore an octagon-gridded mesh hoodie and matching pants that played a three-dimensional image of a girl with pink-hair singing to a cheering crowd waving neon pompoms.

  Miya glances down at his top with a snicker. “Nice shirt.”

  “Y-you like? It’s Hiruma Orimi from the V-Group, Daxnsels! If you want we could watch some of her concerts, I have them all recor-”

  “I’m not really interested.” Miya halts his enthused response. “Where're your parents? Are they here?”

  “Oh yeah, I-I’ll go get them! You can sit down or something, I’ll make us some snack pallets when I come back! Then we can play some games!”

  Miya watches as he runs up a spiraling staircase onto the next floor. She then sighs and walks over to the lowered sitting space and rests her back on one of the blue-cotton seats.

  In a short blink, another white void materializes in her initial spot with Loliel appearing in a blur.

  “It’s a nice place, don't you think? At least they treat their captives to a nice living quarters.” Miya remarks.

  Loliel puts a hand onto her head, snapping her metal mask off her face with a wince. “Everything… Feels weird, and I can’t see straight…”

  “Oh, it’s your first time hopping through a warp-gate. You get a bit nauseous at first, but you get used to it. Come over here and sit.”

  Loliel walks over and takes a seat next to Miya rubbing the sides of her head with squinted eyes. Miya scoots over and places her hands on the side of Loliel’s neck and head them rubs in a circular motion.

  “That feeels… So good…” Loliel soothes while leaning her head over on Miya’s shoulder.

  “My friend taught me this trick, we use to do it all the time before our… Raids…” Miya reminisces tilting her face down as if remembering a wistful memory.

  “You found your way here just fine, excellent indeed! Just excellent!”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Mensa rushes down the stairwell, now wearing a white-collared shirt with the outlines giving off a light-blue ray and matching pants.

  Riree followed shortly after, her ashen hair curled into two large pigtails at her back with a black crease swirling through the middle. Her outfit changed as well, now a gray sleeveless dress having a white coat-like fabric wrapped around her torso and covering both her lower arms and hands. Her feet were inclined by a swirling sphere that changed colors every time she took a step, while the rest of the shoe revealed her petite feet being wrapped in a glass-like fixture.

  “We’re so glad you could make it Miya. Oh, and you brought a companion, how nice!” Riree beams.

  Loliel scowls at Miya who pats her head while walking past her. “Now be a good companion and stay!”

  “I’m not laughing Miya.” Loliel drawls, while crossing her legs and arms.

  Miya chuckles then snaps her fingers toward the couple pointing to a closed-off room past the kitchen. The space was made of thin-clear walls, surrounding the enclosure was a pool of water with different species of fish glowing with red and blue glistening fins that swam around the compartment.

  Riree and Mensa both enter the room after Miya, she presses a panel at the front of the room to lock the door shut. She then taps her collar device, and with a soft beep, the room is coated in an array of white holo-lines dashing from one side of the room to the other.

  “Good, now one can hear us except for the people in this space,” Miya resolves, “Because someone forgot to mention that you live at the same dam place your trying to undermine.”

  “W-well, I just thought it went without saying… All contract business officials must stay in the Stravos main headquarters suites while conducting business.” Mensa replies.

  “Well whatever, it’s an easy way in I suppose. When was this geofront constructed anyway, I saw the artificial expanse of water hovering above us. I thought it was quite ridiculous as all of the water on 4056-E evaporated a long time ago.”

  “We aren’t very sure when Stravos began construction of the cityscape. However, this subterranean cavity was built a few centuries ago, started by the humans because of overpopulation. It’s also believed that they made a deal with the Ya’valtian Federation to have a base for them here as well.” Riree answers.

  `I thought this was a virtual space constructed in the QYI, but we’re still on 4056-E… Interesting. It’s safe to assume that these two know nothing about the world’s sudden dimensional rift-port if they don’t have any clue about the construction of this vast cavern, but it’s still a good idea to ask.`

  “Do you two know anything about 4056-E ever being anywhere else other than this sector?”

  Riree and Mensa nod their heads.

  `As I thought, despite them being stuck here it seems they’re being kept out the loop at whatever Stravos is planning. Guess I’ll only find answers the higher I go.`

  Miya taps her collar gear, causing the lines tracing the room to collapse on the floor. She then taps the entry panel and the door whisks open.

  “There’s something I need to take care of. There’s supposed to be some sort of function going on later, I’ll wake up around then. Do you have a Galvanizer for hyper-rest and QYI-linkage?”

  Riree nods her head and walks through the door. “It’s upstairs, you can use our guest room to rest. I’ll take you up there to get settled. Does your companion need a place to sleep as well, or food perhaps? We have a helper room that can take care of all its needs.”

  “Mommy, mommy!” Darfin bawls while lunging into Riree’s arms. “Her companion wouldn’t obey my orders and hit my hand away! We should punish it!”

  Riree bends down and kisses Darfin’s hands with a smile. “I don’t think that will be necessary dear. But is it true, Miya, that your companion is misbehaving? We have a cerebral node system that can rewire her mind to become more obedient. It would only take a few minutes.”

  Miya looks over to Loliel now standing near the window with her arms crossed. “Tempting, but that won’t be necessary. Just tell the runt to not bother her while I dive into the Q.”

  Riree stands and pats Darfin on the head, still sniffling in between his hands. “Understood. Let us be on our way then.”