The morning light poured into my room as I sat up, noticing Earl cuddled up by my side instead of at the foot of the bed. I watched dust and cat fur dance in the sunbeam. I patted him, and he responded by nuzzling my arm. When I got up for a shower, he followed me into the bathroom, and sat patiently on the bathmat, presumably waiting for his breakfast. I walked over to my chest of drawers, and pulled out a button-down blouse, slacks, and my favorite necklace. After feeding Earl his usual meal, I made myself a coffee with toast. Earl jumped onto the table and watched me eat. I always felt that cats had a sort of intuition we cannot explain, and I felt he knew I might not be coming home. After I filled several more bowls, puzzled with the abundance of food. I said, "I know, buddy," scratching him behind the ear. "I just don't want to leave you without something to eat. If I don't come back in two days, an email will go out to Daniel. Do you remember him? He's a nice kid, and he can take care of you." With a lump in my throat, I picked up Earl, stroking his back, shaking away the urge to cry, and left the apartment. Once I’d put my key in the potted plant in the hall by my door, everything was set.
I had the fake ChronoSavior in my pocket and called an e-car to take me to the Red Fall Facility. The driver was talkative, trying to make idle chatter, but I wasn't paying attention. I looked out the window unresponsive, watching the trees, buildings, clouds, and the world fade past. I saw the Red Fall Facility in the distance, still partially charred and looking like a plain warehouse surrounded by a few dilapidated barns and sheds. It was meant to look abandoned, with electrified barbed fences and no trespassing signs. I could now see where the rioters had bypassed a part of the fence by using a large log to hold the barbs down. The driver announced our arrival and asked if I was an auditor here to assess the damage, mentioning the falsely accused corporation and the attention-seeking evil writer. I simply agreed, thanked him for the ride, and walked along the dusty path leading to the building.
With its aluminum siding covered in rust spots and invasive weeds growing along the sides, the warehouse truly looked like an abandoned lot. Inside, the building was full of dust and old farm equipment, but underground was a labyrinth of technology and malice, inhabited by people who refused to see the beauty in the world anymore, who had probably never even seen roses. I walked around a bit, puzzled, knew there must be a hatch into that world. When the rioters came, Red Fall personnel were already topside defending the base, having anticipated the attack after my story was released. No civilians ever made it this far, apart from the vigilante who had spray-painted “Reject Red Fall” on the inner wall before he’d been killed. Blood still marked that spot. Eventually, I noticed a stack of hay near one of the walls, and behind it was loose straw covering a rusted hatch painted to match the ground. As I was about to knock on the hatch, it opened partially. "State your business," a red-haired woman barked at me. I heard a voice down the hall. It's the package; she's with me," said Cypher, telling the woman to stand down. "I am sorry; I notified security about your arrival. Please, right this way," he said, helping me down into the corridor. The interior was cherry red and white throughout, with angular walls and lighted panels, making me feel like I was on a spaceship. "Do you have the ChronoSavior?" he asked sharply. "Yes, of course. Have they freed Nyla?" I asked. "Not until they have verified the device. They don't want any tricky business. You need to go to the meeting room where you'll meet Gideon; he's one of the head tech guys here," he instructed. I nodded along. "Okay, just follow this corridor to the left; I will join you shortly."
Cypher went in the other direction into a lab and started talking to the workers. Taking a deep breath, I walked down the hall and entered a small room with monitors and a man in a lab coat. I cleared my throat, and he spun around in his chair, pushed up his glasses, and sneered at me. "You made the right decision turning the device in. It will make us forget about that little stunt you pulled in Neo Vista Alpha with that damn book and your big mouth. Our team does not take kindly to resistance, but if you comply, this can all go away, and there will be no bloodshed," he said, pushing up his glasses again. I recalled the blood splatter of the last resistor on my way in. "Where is Nyla?" I asked firmly. "Oh, the actress, sure, sure," and made a call on his console, telling security to bring her in. Two large men in red and white, Red Fall uniforms led Nyla into the meeting room. She had tawny brown hair and glared at me. I looked at the floor, feeling guilty, but at least she was unharmed. "Alright, hand me the ChronoSavior for verification," said Gideon, pushing up his glasses and opening his hand. I dug the ChronoSavior out of my pocket, running my finger along the cool metal edge and feeling my life slipping away as I handed the device to him. Cypher finally walked into the room but stood quietly with his hands linked behind his back. The men held onto Nyla's arms, securing her in place, awaiting orders. Gideon plugged the ChronoSavior into the console and started running a program on his computer, opening the main page in the ChronoSavior and leaning in close to the screen. I felt my knees weaken and my vision blur. "Something's wrong," said Gideon loudly. My heart was pounding so hard I thought the entire room could hear it. I resisted the urge to faint, standing as straight and confident as one could when facing death.
Reject Red Fall!