Fatal Order

Part 2: Hopeless Confusion - 5

Alex was up and awake very early this morning, and he took in the cold air of the living quarters as he stepped out into the hall with his coffee.

The fluorescent roof lights did not lead him to shield his eyes this time, because he went to sleep early, oddly calm, and so he felt rather refreshed as he awakened.

Once he slipped his keys into his pocket upon locking his room door, he walked over to Omar's door and knocked, so the two could again stand against the wall with their coffees and have another morning conversation.

Despite feeling rather indifferent to the idea at first, he quickly grew to enjoy the small chats he and Omar would have each morning.

Though, after standing impatiently tapping his foot on the cobblestone for a good minute, Omar had still not answered the door, which led Alex to question why he hadn't opened it yet.

"Morning, Omar! You in there? I'll make ya a coffee if you like!" Alex cheerfully greeted as he knocked on the steel door again repeatedly, this time louder than he had previously.

He then stood back anticipatingly, as he focused his hearing in an attempt to try and hear him in his room, but he had no luck. Omar's room was totally silent. He didn't even hear an unwelcoming grunt to inform him to go away, he got absolutely no response whatsoever.

"Huh... that's weird, I wonder what he's up to in there?" he whispered to himself as he held his fingers on his chin.

"He's probably still asleep, Alex," Maria advised while taking a sip of her own drink.

"Gah-!" Alex exclaimed as he turned and noticed her, "you scared me there."

She was sitting up against her door drinking from a cup of her own, and a black box-shaped device was gripped in her left hand by her side.

"Haha," Maria chuckled, "I scared you? Does that mean I'm intimidating or you're weak?"

"Uh- haha," Alex laughed, "perhaps both. That's the first time I've seen you smile, y'know?"

"Ah, well," she smirked, "I get pretty moody sometimes. Constantly working with kids will do that to you."

"Oh?" Alex curiously replied. "You work with children?"

"Yeah," she sighed, "at an orphanage. It's hard work but, I love 'em, really."

"Heh, that's cute," Alex added as he sat down beside her. "What's that you got?"

"Oh, this?" Maria asked, holding up the device. "A walkie-talkie. Doesn't do much though, I'll tell ya."

"What... did you think it was gonna do?" Alex asked.

"I dunno," she puffed, "kinda hoped it'd have someone else on the other end because this thing was stored by itself in the tech room. But, to nobody's surprise, I got no luck."

"Is- the tech room fine to go into now-?" Alex nervously asked. "I've... kinda been avoiding it ever since you know what happened."

"Well," Maria sighed, "the remains are gone, but it's still an uncomfortable place to be."

"Right. I- there are things about Aurora's death that still don't make sense to me."

"Like what?" Maria curiously asked.

"How she died. Fate said she was attempting to escape, right? But, how?"

"You... make a good point there," she acknowledged, "she was just in the tech room, after all, not hammering through any walls."