The door before us hissed open, revealing the scorched savanna. Guards in uniform waved as we walked through. Deva gave them a simple nod as he led us into the wilderness.
Behind us, I could hear Lauron and Diana whispering to each other.
"I'm more worried about Deva..." Diana whispered. "I think Viel will let it slide, even if she seems like she might not..."
I slowed my pace, trying to catch their conversation.
"Really? I thought Viel was..."
I couldn't hear Lauron's response.
"No, I'm sure she's fine with it... if she caught us, I mean. But Deva... I don't know. He seems very stern, doesn't he?"
Oh no. Oh fuck. We've got a conspiracy. Thinking about making a break for it? Should I help them? Aion said Lauron would agree one hundred percent, but was he wrong? Had Diana convinced him to bail?
"Tonight?" Lauron asked.
"Y-yeah... we might not get another chance."
Okay, they are definitely conspiring to leave. Should I let them know I was on their side? No, I should just see if I can distract Deva. Or... I could ask Deva about the whole "consent" thing? If Lauron didn't actually want to do this, shouldn't he be allowed to go back?
Why was this suddenly so complicated? I was so sure Lauron was down for this. He was a weirdo! Had Diana talked him out of it? And why didn't she trust me enough to tell me?
"Let's stop here," Deva announced, gesturing at a Blight Mark up ahead. "Lauron, Diana, set up camp. Viel, come with me. We need to talk."
I followed Deva away from the site while the other two began setting up. We walked toward a jagged cliff and scaled it. It was massive, nearly five stories tall. I could see the vast savanna stretching out toward the horizon from up here.
"This is the place marked in the intercepted message," Deva said, gesturing toward the camp below. "The Insurgence plans to attack and abduct Lauron tonight. I need you and Diana to protect him. I will stay hidden up here; my presence might alert them and cause them to bring in their more experienced members."
Alright... so... okay. I wanted Lauron to have a choice, but I definitely didn't want the Insurgence to snatch him. This was a mess.
"So you're staying up here, then?"
"Yes. Be ready."
I was about to turn and leave when Deva called out to me again.
"Also, Viel."
"Hmm?"
"I have very good hearing. Let them know they should do it now, before the sun goes down."
I blinked. Wait, what? "You know?"
"They weren't exactly being discreet about it," Deva said. "I know I can come across as stiff, but I'm not the type to fret over things like this." He leaned back against a large rock, looking down over the camp. "Go ahead. Tell them to have their fun while they still can."
Huh... I guess I really can take Aion's word for it.
I returned to the Blight Mark to find two tents pitched. They had finished the heavy lifting, and Diana was helping Lauron with the campfire. "Hey, guys."
"Oh, Viel!" Diana smiled and waved. "Welcome back. What did you talk about? Where's Deva?"
"Deva is staying hidden," I told her. I paused, then added, "And, uh... he told me he's been listening to you guys. He said if you want to go, you should go now, before sundown."
Diana's cheeks turned bright red. "Ahh... I see..." she looked down, embarrassed. "That's... really nice of him." She turned to Lauron, who opened his mouth, looked at me, and then promptly closed it again. "Ah, Lauron is trying to restrain himself from speaking too much, since he realized his manner of speech makes you uncomfortable."
"Huh? Oh, that." I shook my head. "Look, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I should be the one adapting to this, not you guys."
"Right... Ah, also, umm..." Diana stepped closer to me. "I know you'd probably say no—you weren't built for it anyway—but, like... would you like to join us?"
"Go back to Ingenuity?"
"Eh? That would take too long. We were planning on doing it in the tent over there."
I blinked slowly, the realization finally sinking in.
Tent. Deva is 'too strict.' Not sure what I'd think. Do it before sundown. We might not have another chance.
...
"Viel?" Diana asked softly. "Why do you have that look of utter disappointment on your face?" She took a step closer. "Should I apologize?"
"No, it's nothing. I just suddenly remembered something." I gestured toward the tent. "You guys go ahead. I'll keep watch. Just... don't be too loud."
"Right. Thank you! Come on, Lauron."
The two of them disappeared into the tent, and I walked over to the edge of the Blight Mark. I felt... stupid. And yeah, I was incredibly disappointed. I thought we were having a grand moral dilemma or a daring escape! But no! They were just horny!
What was wrong with this world? I got it—romantic love didn't exist—but why was Diana so unbothered by the situation? Shouldn't she be trying to convince Lauron to stay? Am I missing something? Maybe they had a heart-to-heart while I was gone?
Or was I really the only weird one here?
FUCK! This was so frustrating. Why do these people act like this?!
It was midnight.
I discovered that there's a volume control on my internal audio sensors; I can essentially deafen myself at will. It was a feature I found out about because I desperately didn't want to hear anything from the tent for obvious reasons. I didn't care what kind of sci-fi tech was being used in there; I was NOT risking hearing this world's equivalent of dirty talk.
Eventually, Diana and Lauron emerged to tend the campfire. They seemed happier now, less tense. I was glad for them; we all needed to loosen up. Especially me. Lauron was clearly still holding himself back from talking too much because of my earlier reactions.
Fuck, I feel terrible now.
"Lauron?"
"You called, Miss Paradox?"
Oh great, he was being formal now. I really needed to have a normal conversation with him. He was a good guy, and I wanted to get to know him better.
"Yeah. I'm actually curious—where exactly did you learn about the Old World?" I asked. Last I checked, only Aion and Deva were supposed to have that info. "Isn't that... I don't know, forbidden information?"
"Ah! Thou art curious of my knowledge of your world of origin?" Lauron paused, folding his arms as he sank into thought. "It is simple: Guanyin was an expert on the Real World. She told me everything she knew of the forgotten times. It was her personal notes and diaries that I used as a basis for how I should conduct myself in your presence."
Guanyin... The Natural studies club
"What exactly do you know about the Old World?" I asked.
"Humanity lived a simple life in harmony with nature," Lauron replied. "They planted trees and received fruit and wood in return. They tended to herds for meat and cotton. They built houses, created societies, danced, partied, and more importantly..." Lauron placed a hand over his heart. "They had what was known as 'family.' It was like a caretaker and their children, but more intimate. Sometimes small, sometimes large. A special kind of bond unlike anything Ingenuity has ever known."
Ahh... that brand of humanity. "Did they, uh... omit the parts about war? Racism? Propaganda? Twitter?"
"Pardon? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with those terms."
Right. "Say, in the Old World, how advanced were the humans compared to people now?"
"The Old World humans were far less advanced. They didn't need to be, you see? They worked in tandem with nature—with the trees and the beasts. They lacked the technology we see today."
So his understanding of the "Old World" was stuck in the pre-industrial era. Should I leave it that way? Had it never crossed his mind that the world he imagined couldn't possibly have built something as complex as me? Whatever. Not my problem. He'd learn eventually.
Diana walked over and sat between us. "Psst. Hey, Viel, Lauron. I can sense someone coming." She pointed into the darkness. "Over there. Four people are approaching. They're heavily armed and seem dangerous, but I don't think they know we've spotted them."
I had to hand it to her; she was remarkably calm. "How can you tell?"
"I'm a Storm Forecaster."
I'm just going to chalk that up as magic.
"So... now what?" I asked.
They both turned to me and blinked.
"I was under the impression that you were in charge here," Diana said carefully.
"Huh?"
"Well, Deva spoke with you privately. I assumed he gave you orders?" Lauron added.
Well, fuck. Well, FUCK.
I stood up. "Let's see... Diana, stay here. I'll go engage this group. Don't worry; I'm extremely sturdy." It was my only saving grace. It wasn't like I could do much if they started throwing hands, but maybe I could divert them. I was playing all my cards at once.
"Alright." Diana looked around the camp. "I'll stay here and keep Lauron close. Give us a holler if you need help."
"Understood. See you both."
"Safe travels, Viel!" Lauron called out.