So it is done

Mantle, Vacuo, Menagerie

Robyn Hill found herself clinging to the TV screen, trying her best to make sense of the static-filled picture. On the TV was the broadcasted live news coming from Mount Glenn. The man — the young man — standing on the small podium took her full attention. At least she thought it was a young man, the static makes it hard to tell.

Trying to make out the features of the speaker through the interference, never mind what he was actually saying, was very difficult. But still, Robyn still closely watched the screen, as well as the many like-minded people gathered around her, in silence, trying to catch at least something from the broadcast.

Unfortunately, they did not have a better option other than a screen transmitting with terrible interference and loss of signal. Atlas, and therefore Mantle, tried their best to destroy any possibility of any connection with Glenn. Even if it was just an ordinary TV broadcast...

Even, when it was broadcasting such an important event.

"Citizens of Glenn Kingdom," The speaker, whose voice was distorted due to interference, leaned forward slightly. "Today, October 2, we remember the most tragic event, the most terrible night in our life..."

After another second, the guy's voice broke off again, and Robyn involuntarily hissed. Bloody Atlas and it's government! Couldn't they, at least for a second, at least for a moment, take their heads out of their asses and understand that not all events in the world should be reduced to politics?! Couldn't they have stopped hacking the message with Glenn for at least one day, just one hour, for the sake of all those who died in what is already being called 'The Tragedy of Glenn'? For the sake of their own residents that lost their friends, acquaintances, family members in that event?! Couldn't they just let them see the memorial service for the heroes who stood against the horde of Grimm?! Nobody was demanding for the Council to recognize Glenn! Just a minute of memory in honor of people who gave their lives in the fight against Grimm — the common enemy of all mankind!?

Of course, they could not, because Atlas always did not care about any sacrifices made by other states. They didn't even care about Mantle — why would they make an exception for another state on the other side of the world? Even if simple honor and conscience demanded it...

A moment later, a mechanic from Robyn's company reached out to the equipment standing next to him and began swearing. "It looks like this channel has just been blocked... Of course, because everyone knows that Mantle has not completely fucked up their respect for other people, which means that many will watch the broadcast from Glenn. So they spent precious time figuring out the connection and cutting it off."

After these words, there was a muffled hubbub from Robyn's associates, who only clenched her hand into a fist. Bloody Atlas and its retarded policies! All of them, and their colonial administration in Mantle! None of them hold anything as sacred anymore!

Rising from her seat in a huff, Robyn attracted the attention of the others, but a moment later, when the head of their resistance-cell simply headed for the smoking room, the rest of the people returned to their discussion.

Robyn, having approached the right door, opened it, and then found herself on a street in a small nook between two old abandoned residential buildings. Although, the fact that they were abandoned could only be judged by the lack of people nearby and not by their appearance. In the poor districts of Mantle, every house looked the same.

Robyn, after taking a step outside, took a deep breath of air, then winced. Ha, another Schnee plant must have opened somewhere nearby, the pollution almost made the air unbreathable. And now, the very thought that she could 'get' some fresh air seemed to her an inappropriate joke.