Vortex
08 Nov 2024Kasumi Goto
The presence was... hungry. It wanted information, anything that it could find inside the mind which it scoured. Thoughts, experiences, memories. All of which taught it more on the human species that it sought knowledge of. And there was little that could be done to stop it.
October 24, 3310
Aegis medical facility
My eyes opened up to sterile, white walls and lighting. Medical facility, I immediately realized.
Then, the sensation of gravity. Stronger, and not the rotational kind used on a space station. A planet.
Further compounding the rapidly building confusion was what felt like a throbbing headache, and... something. Something, inside my head. A... presence, moving through it, or just the remnants, an afterimage of it, still burned into the brain as an echo.
Trying to sit upright, I quickly thought better of that attempt when a strong dizziness shot through my head, forcing me to lie back down, closing my eyes to let it settle again. Approaching footsteps then stopped me from further thinking about the 'thing' which I could feel, inside my head, and my right hand instinctively raised up to signal that I was not going to move.
"Relax. You're safe.", the voice of what I presumed was a male doctor said. At least it was pleasant.
"Where?", I asked, to at least start getting a bearing of where I'd woken up. And maybe when, too.
"Aegis. Medical facility."
That prompted me to open my eyes. The last thing that I could remember consciously was being on a station in the Coalsack nebula.
"Aegis? But - " There was a cautious apprehension in my tone at the mention of its name. "How... why?"
"There was an incident, where you ..."
"Fell unconscious.", I completed the sentence, interrupting him. "I remember. When you... they started attacking the Titan." Pausing, I breathed deeply. "Not the most pleasant experience. How long?"
"A week, roughly. It is October 24 today, currently late morning of a standard Earth day, and afternoon locally. You were brought here on request of Professor Tesreau - though I believe she worded it more as an order - once she learned of your state. Both for your safety, and to place you under our medical supervision."
I sighed, but not because of those actions... couldn't really argue with them, even if I wasn't particularly happy about it. My eyes then closed again - needed to keep them shut to focus. "Okay. Fine. How do I look? And what happened?"
"As far as your physical health is concerned, it does not appear that your body suffered any permanent damage from what rendered you unconscious, though we are going to perform a few additional checks to ensure it, now that you are awake. And what made you lose consciousness was an intense seizure that you experienced early in the morning, on Thursday last week, as Seo did. It was in fact her situation that made us aware something may have happened to you, as well."
There were just... so many questions on my mind, right now. The one burning on my mind the most being why they thought bringing me back over here was a good idea, when I was somewhat at odds with Aegis ever since the Titan assaults began. But this man was just doing his job, and getting upset at him wasn't right, so I settled on the second-most obvious one. Because her being mentioned definitely got my attention, looking at him directly.
"Seo, too?" Way to make me feel uneasy on what this was about. "Do you know ..."
"Not... yet, no. I personally don't, at least. But yes, it affected her too. She actually woke up a little before you, and appears mostly unharmed. Nothing she won't recover from, most likely." He pulled out a datapad and pushed a button on it, with a short bleep indicating a recording was started. "Now, I'd like you to talk about ..."
"... when I was out?" I nodded, taking another deep breath, and fully becoming aware of my current position. Laid on a medical bed, evidently, with some kind of 'pillow' or support beneath the waist, and my upper body on a slight incline to reduce the weight directly on the chest, so that I was comfortable.
"Yes.", he replied, seeming slightly surprised that I appeared to have an idea. "But also before that."
"Okay ..."
I started after a second-long pause, crossing my arms on the chest, just above the waist. A gesture that provided some comfort... but also made me realize my hands felt 'exposed', currently without the gloves on them, exposing the Thargoid glyph on the back of the right one to view plainly.
"Before I passed out... it felt like... the noise suddenly became a lot stronger. Even more than what I usually felt when one of the Titans was attacked. Normally, I wouldn't have noticed... as much, a few hundred light years away, but this, it was... different. Something not related, or... not entirely, at least. It felt like it was actively trying to get into my head, so much... louder... and painful. Worse than anything else I felt before. And then, I just remember collapsing, on the station."
"Okay. And after that?"
"It was... I'm not sure how to describe it. I could feel this... thing, inside my head, even though I was not conscious. Moving around, taking... my memories, thoughts, everything. Anything that it could find about me, and, well... us. I'm not sure why, yet, but... it had to have been something from the Thargoids. Something must have made them search my mind, in a way they hadn't before. And I couldn't do anything about it. I can... still feel it, now, too, like a... distant background echo. Or imprint, or... I don't know. And... they're still in my head." Giving myself a moment to think, the dots quickly connected in my head. "This is what happened to Seo, is it not?"
"I'm afraid, I believe so, yes. Though I'd have to ask the team assigned to her to be sure. But given that you both share a similar connection to their hivemind, it seems rather likely."
I let out another sigh. Even if I was not particularly fond of humans right now - and generally - this didn't seem very good. "I'm sorry I can't say more. It's ..."
The doctor ended the recording. "It's alright. You've just woken, and this was an unpleasant as much as confusing experience for you, so we'll move on to physical examination. If you find anything in your head later, you can tell the professor. It is likely she'll want to speak to you personally."
I remained silent, just listening inward... trying to figure out whatever the Thargoids were very probably up to, until those examinations began. They all came back as leaving little doubt that I'd fully recover from this, and the seizure induced by the Thargoid intrusion into my head hadn't left any permanent damage. That was one good thing, at least.
The not so good thing I came across was that, upon catching up with the news of the last week - the only noteworthy thing, aside from the obvious Titan madness, being Seo's condition that was leaked out instead of planned to be released by Aegis - that idiot Rademaker in charge of Azimuth had opened his big, stupid mouth again and suggested that... she be killed for it. As if this was not a problem entirely of their own making, and that they refused to be actually helpful in fixing by releasing what data they had on the Project Seraph experiments. 'Characteristically insensitive', indeed.
I'd have words for Alba about that matter of the leak, as well. But I wasn't looking forward to having to talk with her, or, even, anybody here, knowing my disagreements with them. Except Seo, maybe, who I hadn't yet heard from. Because she at least understood some of the things I had to endure just so humanity could maybe have a slight chance of a Thargoid-free 'Bubble', for a... very short time, at best. And now, it seemed like the Thargoids were setting up for something else, too, with whatever they had obtained from Seo... and me. I could tell as much, from having listened to the noise, incomprehensible as ever. It was only when they chose to 'talk' directly that the meaning was attached directly to it... or, the means to comprehend provided with it, but not permanently stored. That would have been too easy.
An unexpected ping from my wrist computer - which I'd been allowed to keep on, apparently, despite otherwise only being in a shirt and pants, or trousers if you were so inclined - pulled me out of the thought loop. Wondering what it was that my attention was getting drawn to, I checked and found it to direct me to that strange 'ICE-Cast' website... something I never really spent a lot of time on, but did have flagged to notify me for any items that could be of personal interest. This item in question now being... a recording that I immediately recognized as being from Seo, and in which she went over her experiences while unconscious, and just before then, mirroring my own. And it seemed she'd come to that same conclusion about the noise in the hivemind as I had.
And now the Thargoids were awre of her, too. Or, maybe, had just stopped ignoring her. Whichever it was... it didn't seem like things were going to be good for her or me. Or anyone else, for that matter, if my hunch was correct. The only surprising thing about it - that it had taken so long for the Thargoids to even be stirred into action, properly. And yet we still didn't know exactly what they would do.
Noticing Alba approaching, I interrupted my thought process, instead looking her way with a neutral gaze, huddled up in my comfy 'big ball' pose with the knees at chest level, arms wrapped around them... as well as I could go into it now, with my body making it a bit more difficult. At least that headache had faded.
"Hello, Kira.", she greeted me. "How do you feel?"
I decided to not say anything about the name... evidently, Seo's insistence on calling me by my birth name than the self-chosen one was contagious.
"How do I feel?" Tilting my head, I pondered how to answer that for a moment. "At least, I don't have a really bad headache. Not like some of those other times there was a lot of noise in my head. It's already gone again."
"I see." She sat down on a nearby chair. "I thought you would be more upset at being here."
I lifted my right hand from the knee, as though to indicate I was a bit clueless on how to react to the situation. "I... can't say I'm happy about it, but, I guess it is better than spending the week unconscious out there, where anything could have happened... a lot more easily."
"I'm glad you agree. Have you caught up on the situation?"
I nodded. "We are down another Titan, me and Seo were completely out while it was attacked - which I will... not complain about - Azimuth were idiots, as usual... and you probably got my report already."
"Of course, I did. And I don't believe I need to assure you we would not have considered killing neither you nor her."
The reaction that elicited from me was a scoff. "They just want to be rid of her so she stops being in their way." I looked at her a little more directly. "You didn't tell anyone this same thing happened to me, right?"
"No. That would not have been appropriate, just as it was not for Seo's condition to be released, particularly not in the way that it has been."
I shook my head, more in disappointment than anything else - because I was glad that I didn't need to add this to my list of concerns for why people wouldn't trust me. "If you want my advice, you should just kick whoever did that out. They could be an Azimuth spy, for all we know."
Alba raised a hand. "I will keep it in mind. But leave that matter and any necessary measures to me. What can you tell me about what happened ..."
"... with that... thing, in my head?" I stopped to take a deep breath. "I cannot say a lot more than what I did in that recording. It was like, a vortex, pulling everything that I knew out of my mind. My memories, thoughts, experiences... you name it. But, I'm not... sure, why it happened. I feel like, it is in some way related to the attack on the Titan, but beyond me to say how. Besides, if Seo told you or you saw that - video, she made, you know it will have been like that, for me, too."
"I understand that, Kira - but what I'm trying to figure out is, why you were targeted as well. Surely they already knew what they could from you."
I shrugged. "I'm... not too sure. Maybe, but, looking at those old records... it seems like my brain was... pretty messed up back then. Might have been hard to really get much out of it. A few... memory fragments, maybe, to rebuild a personality. But now, I guess maybe they thought I learned more new things, or had something worthwhile to them even if I lost some more things in my head. Or tried to take me over again, I don't know. Seo knows a lot more than I do anyway, especially about what you do... here ..."
I gestured at the surroundings, meaning the Aegis headquarters in general.
"I really can't say. But they probably had a reason. Or just... wanted to be sure, get as much information as they can."
"I suppose that's a possibility.", she replied, quickly moving on to more questions. "And what about the hivemind? You said you could still hear it."
"Yes. It's... still there, at the back of my head. And the noise has been pretty consistent, since I woke up. They are planning something, just like Seo already told you. But I can't say what exactly."
"So you really don't know anything more specific?"
I - kind of - threw both hands up to signify that I didn't. "What makes it look like I do? Whatever thing they put into me, it's... it doesn't come with any way to actually understand. Only sometimes, and it's like they provide the meaning, without leaving any permanent memory or way to when they're done 'talking' to me. Whatever they wanted out of me now, I wasn't told, and all I know is they are going to do something. Not how, not where, what, or when."
I sighed, lowering my head for a little, before continuing.
"I tried to warn you that attacking the Titans would have consequences. All I can tell you now is that this has been long coming, and you should be ready for it, now that it is. But humans were always going to have to face the consequences of their actions eventually."
Now Alba sighed. "This is not very helpful, Kira. Are you even trying to help?"
"And what more am I supposed to do? Besides, I stopped trying to help you when you began to attack the Titans without looking for any other way out." I paused, cutting back on it a little. "Okay, look. I can try to tell you anything that I maybe find out, but whatever I do, Seo will know too. Maybe even better than me, and right now the best I can do is confirm that her warning means something. This time, you really should take it seriously. And I really don't want us to be... extinct, or whatever. Rather, for both sides to come out of this more, or less, better. But humans - we - were going to have to learn that, their, lesson, eventually. And I'm afraid that time is about to come."
"Just - let us know if you ever get any useful insights to predict what the Thargoids might be planning to do, even if they only complement Seo's information. Okay?"
I lifted my left hand and let it forcefully hit the knee, in a semi-silent acceptance of the idea. Then, I had another question of my own to pose. "Are you just going to keep me here again, now?"
Because she knew I was not too fond of being here at this time. Even if I was not overtly showing it.
The expression on Alba's face changed to something more thoughtful. "About that... I was going to tell you. I'd like you to stay here for a few more days to be sure about your physical condition, maybe a week to be sure this... incident, won't repeat itself. But outside of that, I don't see a reason to keep you here."
Now that surprised me, making me raise a skeptical eyebrow. "Why?"
"Well, while you were unconscious, we ran your body through a few scans and found that the structure of your implant has changed in some parts of it. We're not entirely sure what the purpose of those alterations is or how they occurred, nor why. But it's possible they are what prevented them from taking control of you again, like has happened in the past."
"... don't remind me.", I muttered, vaguely making a throwaway gesture with my right hand, then raised my voice again. "It, might... not always be obvious, but I do am grateful, that you pulled me out of... that. I would rather not have been stuck on a Titan when it exploded, or... worse."
"I'm glad you feel this way.", she said, sounding genuine. "The modifications to the implant in no way impede its functionality, so you don't need to worry about any issues relating to it. It might even be their purpose to impede any attempts at direct control, if not prevent them outright."
Interpreting my silence correctly, in that I didn't have anything to say, Alba stood up.
"I'll be leaving you then, Kira. Seo might be coming to see you, too. And stay with us until next week in case the Thargoids do anything you might be able to help us with, okay?"
I answered in a bit of a lower voice. "... okay."
Maybe just taking a week off things to get some distance from the madness was not a terrible idea... even if I'd been doing something that was personally important to me. I knew I was fairly safe from anything here, anyway. And I would have to 'remind' Seo to stop telling everybody to keep using my real name, if only to annoy her a bit. And to be teased right back. Some time after Alba walked away, I received a message, but it was not from Seo. Rather, Jana.
Hey, Kas. Are you okay? Saw the news today, and thought I would, you know, ask. Make sure you're alright. Hopefully, conscious.
I sent my answer quickly, not having anything better to do right now. Yes, I am fine. Mostly... Aegis stuck me into a room in a medical facility because I was also sent out a week by the Thargoids. And obviously awake now. They say I'm not going to have any problems because of this. Or, at least, no more than I already have.
That's, well... good. I was a bit worried when I saw that article about the leaks last week and had to think if you were... 'affected', too. I guess I have my answer now. Do you think I should come by?
Maybe. If you want... I was told I have to stay here for another week anyway, to make sure this 'does not repeat itself'. But apparently I am safe from them taking over my brain. Or maybe they didn't care to with this and just wanted information. Whatever the case... I'm still here to terrorize the world with oversized curves.
I guess it hasn't done anything to ruin your sense of humor, either. Maybe I'll come by in the next week then, just so we can chat a little. By the way, that thing about the Thargoids, it's accurate, right?
I noticed Seo approaching, thanks to the door to my room in this medical facility opening, and decided this would best be the last message for now.
It is. I can 'feel' the same, but I'm also not sure what exactly it is they're getting up to. Just don't get into too much trouble around them... anyway, have to go. Someone wants to talk to me.
I did still read Jana's response to it, before turning the device off.
Okay. Sure. And don't get on the nerves of the locals by bumping into them too much, okay?
It was just like her to find any opportunity to tease about my big size. Seo offered a light wave once noticing that I was no longer occupied. And with me still in the huddled pose, that had to be quite a funny view to her.
"Hey, Kira.", she greeted. "You're still big."
Of course. "And I would not want to go back to anything else.", I retorted. "I like how this feels, and I am keeping it."
"I know. But it still looks funny. And maybe a little too much. Especially in that pose."
"Good thing I didn't ask for your opinion before I started to get fa- thicker." I shrugged, keeping the hands where they were on the knees. "Of course, it is too much. But it is why I am so happy with it."
"And I wouldn't want to change it. But ..." She studied the extent of the 'damage' my lower half had suffered many months ago, now. "I don't think you ever told me exactly how this happened."
I tilted my head. "I thought I did?"
"Maybe, but I think I'd like to hear again now that you can... word it better."
I shrugged again, in lightly uncaring manner at having to say it again. "Ok. Sure. So ..." I breathed before starting off. "After waking up... last year, one of my friends introduced... re-introduced, me to this funny virtual reality thing, and in there, my body was like ..."
I gestured to show 'wide', but maybe only half as much as this excessive thickness I carried with me now.
"And something in me, kinda liked it, a lot. After I got over it being ridiculous. I guess, it is one of the things I carried over with me, from my... old things. And not long after, this started ..." An outward gesture accompanied as I went on with my tale of the weirdest experience. "... getting wider... bigger... thicker... whatever you'd like to call it. I think the implant reacted to me liking, being big. And you can guess, I really liked that - getting bigger - too. And maybe a little too much, because when I was kind of at the point of the body in those... VR experiences, or maybe even a little past it, I remember the hips being a bit wider than... up above, at the shoulders. But, it kinda kept going and building more and more fat in both areas, until it got to, what you... see now. But any more than this - would be too much. Even for me."
She looked more amused than anything. "Anyone else telling me something like this, I would not have taken them seriously. But with you... I can buy it."
“Yes, well… you get stupid, and ridiculous, with me, free of charge. If just seeing me does not say that.”
“I guess it does.” Seo moved to get a chair – with arm rests – and provided a funny look which effectively said ‘You could not sit in this’, when sitting down on it. “So… what do you think… of the Thargoids?”
I decided to lay back down for this, crossing my arms beneath the chest curvature again. The spot she sat in was visible past the mass of fun, but I just looked up at the ceiling – mostly – for now. And, in a way, feeling the weight on the chest was… comforting.
“Honestly?” A distinct pause marked the start of my answer. “I am just glad they didn’t try to… use me, again, or something. Passing out like that, it was not pleasant, but at least I am still here.”
“But what do you think they wanted with you? They had to have known …”
I raised my right hand. “I went over this with… Alba.” There was some hesitation referring to her on first name basis. “I am not sure about it, but even if whatever went around in my head already knew about me, before, which there… is no reason to think it did not, they must have thought with my brain working better again, they could get more out of it.”
A shrug accompanied the suggestion.
“I don’t know. Maybe when they realized… what, I’d turned myself into, they decided it was just too impractical to bother. But, I don’t think it was to that… goal, end… whatever. It only… wanted information.” I looked at her directly. “I have always felt it… them, in the background. But even at the worst times… it was never, this deep. Like something was going through every corner of my mind, sucking every piece of information it could find out of it. Maybe even things I no longer know about myself.”
“Are you not worried about the things they found out about you?”
I couldn’t help but audibly breathe out, as I turned my gaze to the ceiling again. “What are they going to do with it? This is not like humans where they will sell your personal data and information a thousand times over if it makes them money. I more think about what they are going to do with what else they found out.”
Seo tilted her head slightly. “Are you worried?”
“I’m not. I just think whatever is going to happen has been long coming to humans.”
“You’re worried.”
I sighed. “Seo – “
“Stop. I know you are, and I can feel it, even though you’re trying to hide it from me. We both know whatever is going to happen will probably be bad, and the last thing you want is to be forced into their hands again. So maybe, you should do something to help it from not being as bad as it could be.”
I grumbled under my breath – knowing that, deep down, she was right. Though, I did not reflect it in my answer immediately. “Humans have not given me much reason to be supportive of them.”
“But they are also the reason you are still able to think freely now, when the noise isn’t too loud. And I found out more about the person who was responsible for rescuing you, this Ina. If you manage to make someone like that, who is the direct opposite of your own views, your friend, should you not do something to help keep it alive?”
It felt like there was a double meaning in this. And I could only really concede defeat in this… she knew me too well. “Fine. You win.”
“So, are you going to say anything about it?”
I scoffed at this idea, and looked at her again. “Why would I? You already told them everything that needs to be, and you also know that I do not like public appearances at all. Maybe even less, now.”
‘No thanks to my own questionable choices’, I added in my thoughts.
“But you have done things like that in the past.”, she pointed out.
“Yes… usually, in text format. I never did feel too comfortable making audio recordings, even if it was something I felt like I wanted to bring up. And just… forget video. I’m not going to do that unless something is seriously wrong.” I thought about it for a brief moment. “I guess, I could send a message to that one woman, you know, tell her that this warning should be taken seriously. But… I don’t know, we didn’t leave off on the best terms.”
“Okay. I won’t force it if you don’t want to. But you can still help Aegis.”
“… assuming I want to.”, I muttered, looking back up again.
“I know you will. That is the Kira I know, even if she doesn’t always agree with everything humans do.”
I just remained quiet. This was a subject that needed more thinking… and Seo gave me an easy way out of it, anyway.
“Are you going to stay here?”, she inquired.
I shrugged in response. “They want me here for a week to make sure I am fine. And that… this… ‘incident’, does not repeat itself. I guess, it is a good precaution to take. But I’m not sure I want any part of what happens when the Thargoids react, neither on our nor their side. At best, I will do what I do and get people out of the firing line, or just sit it out somewhere away from here.”
“I wouldn’t ask more than that. Just… be yourself.” Seo leaned forward in the chair, seeming curious. “Who’s that friend you mentioned earlier? The one you said got you into this trouble of… unusually sized bodies?”
“It, is… someone I met, not long before… that thing, at the end of last year… happened. And she is… well, I think, you would find her… interesting. When she visited me after I recovered enough to come back here, and was… big, like this, one of the first things that happened was a poke. Down there …”
I gestured at a particular spot on the backside of my lower section, on its left side.
“She might visit in this week I will be here. It is who I was writing to before you came in.”
“I was curious about that, too. And I don’t think I need to guess what to expect from her.”, Seo stated.
“… you… would be right. Just not as excessive.”
“I think I’d just leave you two to your things. I’d rather not be in the way of it.”
“But I think you would like her.”
“Maybe. But it seems like you’re… close.”
The way she winked at me hinted at some knowledge of other things existing below the surface. I returned a funny look for that, as much as I could manage while still flat on my back.
“So, if you are not going to get involved with anything related to the Thargoids when you go back out there, then… what would you do?”, she asked next, after some silence began filling the chamber.
“I will… continue working on something I was doing before this.”, I replied, remaining vague on purpose.
“And that is what, exactly?”
“Something… that might help make some Thargoids be less angry in the future. Or, at least… reduce the chances of it.”
Seo didn’t look surprised. “Of course. But keep your secrets, then. I’m sure I’d find out eventually anyway.”
“I’m not doing anything stupid… unless you asked a certain corporation about it.”
“Is this about Azimuth?”
I shook my head. “Not this time. But, I haven’t let them off the hook, or whatever you would say here, yet. At the very least, not until they stop hiding their Salvation brain computer.”
“We’ll find it, eventually. No matter where he is hiding.”
I merely gave her a look indicating it was not on my immediate list of priorities - in the short-term - but of course I would be there to support her if she did get a chance to commit to the search again. But with Azimuth likely to interfere rather quickly, and after that experience she’d apparently made doing so last year, it seemed unlikely going out there was a particularly good idea for her.
It likely wasn’t for me either, but if there was one thing we both shared it was a certain restlessness. I still felt that it wasn’t quite right to let me be going around out there while she was stuck here, planetside - with one or two rare exceptions - but then she’d just tell me to not get bogged down worrying for her or any of her reactions. Maybe I just didn’t have enough experiences with understanding humans to get it into my brain how she was so ok with it.
I also chose not to tell her about how Azimuth had attempted to abduct my friend, Jana, to use her as a kind of bait or pressure tool. Now… really wasn’t the right moment for that, when it was our first time talking since February, and maybe it just wasn’t that important since everyone except the Azimuth goons’d made it out of that one in one piece.
“So, do you want to get out of this medical chamber yet?”, Seo suddenly asked.
“I think, I am going to wait for the docs to be ok with it. They said I am fine and should not be having any more problems, or at least fully recover. But they didn’t say I could leave yet.”
“It’s not like you to listen to advice so much.”
I shrugged, deciding to sit upright again for now. “It is not like I am going to go anywhere quickly again, either. And I think I remember where I have my little hideout here, anyway. So… go. I’ll find my way to it.”
“Sure. Try not to cause too much chaos on the way there?”
“Don’t worry. The plant pots will be safe… probably. And I’ll try not to trip over any cats.”
She looked amused at the mention of that memory. “If you do, I’ll be sure to step out of the way this time. Getting a faceful of your large chest once was enough. You’re pretty heavy now.”
“… don, don’t remind me. I try to ignore that making myself fat almost made me be twice as heavy as I used to be.”
“If only you weren’t so easy to tease about it.”
“With that attitude, you’re making it tempting to accidentally trip over and fall on you.”
“You’re awful, you know.” Another teasing remark, clearly not meant to be taken seriously.
“Yes. Now go! Or I’ll be tempted to get up and floor you and that chair with my hips.”
“Okay, okay. No need to threaten me.”, Seo lightly answered. “But if you do actually do that to anybody, make sure I’m nearby to watch the show.”
“I’ll try to remember. But you can always ‘watch’ through my brain if you really want …”
“I think I’d rather witness it in person.” She stood up from her chair. “Anyway, it was nice to see you again. Maybe we should catch up proper another day, while you’re still here.”
“Oh. Sure. I guess that would be nice.”
Seo simply nodded and, after putting the chair back where she’d taken it from, walked out. I watched her until the door closed, leaving me alone again for the moment.
Maybe I would try to come up with something to try giving people some kind of idea what was coming, if they would take it seriously. Even if it was only to please her.