Absalom Station, 23:18.
A modest, dark, but elegant apartment in the northern periphery, vibrant lights coming from the landing starships not that far away, along with the brilliant neon lights from the busy streets below.
A female Ysoki is standing, the glass of the window wall partially reflecting her face. She's at the phone.
(Play "Wasteland", by Daniel Gidlund)
"You can't, for Triune's sake!" said the Ysoki. Quickly, as they usually do.
"We must. Sorry." The man sounded dumb.
"It's wrong! We don't even have an idea of how..." She's passionate about their job and researches. Her thin ysoki voice now stands as an enraged growl. "You owe me a lot, mate!"
"I know, I know. That's the reason why I'm sending the messenger. Now."
The girl felt a tear slowly discending and then falling on the floor. Her life. Falling. Nothing to stop it. "Give me one more day."
"You had it."
"Twelve hours! I'm so near!"
"You had it, Kib!" The man suddenly felt sorry for the irriverent tone. "Kib, we did all we could. We can't do more than this."
"I..." Kib's voice died in her throat.
"Listen." The man now felt calm and, probably sincere. "You are the best, ok? I've never had the privilege to work with a genius like you. You are brilliant and you did all you could. Really." She listened. Crying in silence. "But the time is over and you now there's nothing more you can do, right now. And, to be honest, it's far above your job."
She found the strength to speak as he finished. "My job is endless." Blowed her nose. "I can't just sleep without being sure I considered all the variables. I'm sure something's missing. It has to be..." Silence.
"Kib? Are you ok?"
"Give me a hour!"
"Kib don't...!"
Click. Kib grabbed everything she could from the sofa, where all the comms, recorders, sheets and notes were, waiting for an idea. She had it.
"How the hell I missed this! You're so stupid, small, bitchy Ysoki!" Said to herself.
The elevator took an eternity to reach the base floor. Chaos outside. Fine. It could help. Raised her coat's neck and stepped outside, all the noises, screams and engines invaded her mind, her hears. Fuck. At least now she knew where to go, who to seek and what to do.
A single hour. Not more. He trusted her, but she couldn't push it too far. A hour would have been enough.
***
Life is strange. A hour later she found what she expected. She was right. For Triune's glory, she was fuckin' right. She finally smiled, taking a deep breath. Absalom station pulsed crazily, like her heart. She started running back, dialed the number.
"I got it!"
The man was astonished. "Oh Kib, how..."
"Not at the phone. Meet at 01:00 where you know."
"Oh sure! I love you mate!"
"Love you too, brother." She hanged.
01:00 o'clock never came for Kib.
At 00:54 she was dead.
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