Overlap ~ The Other Side

Chapter 004: The Royal Scryers

Chapter Theme Music: Aurora ~ (Hans Zimmer – Aurora) [Forgotten Temples]

<06/13/136,159 {Avion 134} - 23:11 | Altiri Temple, Genosis, Altiri Sector Space><Karnak to ACS414 Date Equivalent: 06/13/-11,398>

I can't begin to explain how crazy today is supposed to be. Today will be the most important congregation of our lives, and yet it still feels so routine. Every procedure from before is currently being followed for this kind of meeting.

Today was supposed to be our official second yearly meeting with the queen, two out of four each year, Meeting B in the Altiri Temple. However, there were already many differences compared to what would happen in our usual meetings. One such difference was the time and setting of this meeting. Each Aggressor Group gets an assigned cluster of dates for these four meetings that do not change once received. For us, the Cy-Stars, Meeting A always occurs on the first Wednesday of the month of March, or in our language, Cycle 376, 3.3. Consequently, Meeting B will be the second Wednesday of June, (Cycle 648, 6.10). Meeting C will occur on either the third or fourth Wednesday of September, only the third if there are only four out of five possible Wednesdays for that month, (Cycle 1,044, 9.17; or Cycle 1,072, 9.24). Finally, Meeting D Rally occurs on the final Wednesday of our year, in December, (Cycle 1,436, 12.27). Times of day are only what gets moved around most, and each aggressor group gets a totally different and consistent schedule.

For us Cy-Stars though, our Meeting B was delayed by a few days, instead of the rumors earlier poising truth to the idea it would happen earlier than expected; though today is not a Wednesday for any of us. Anyone with a single brain-cell would know what this meeting is going to be about. General meetings in the Altiri Temple are nothing more than just benchmark meetings between an entire aggressor group's life and the queen, often including within the meeting her Royal Scryers if relevant. Meetings however can cover any unusual or unique circumstance, be it isolated to one individual or to an entire world. Instead of expecting the usual questions about 'How I'm feeling,' or 'Have you taken an interest in anything new,' I was expecting anything but the usual rick-roll.

Julara, who has worked here as the receptionist has held her position for quite a long time now. Even she was trying to make everything seem so ordinary and usual, despite the fact that other aggressor groups have come and gone from this place in the last week, with many more to come and go after our turn. She wasn't totally static in her day-to-day life though. From what I can presume must have been written all over my face, Julara made sure to address the uncommon weight in me for this uncommon day. "Lumina! And Junko and the others too."

"Must I really be referred to as 'the others' every time I come here?" Rose knew her words were of minor import, though wondered if Julara had some strange reason not to address everyone by name, aside from the obvious that I am the leader of the Cy-Stars.

"I know it may not look like it from the outside, but the process is being expedited today. Everyone? You will each be speaking to a scryer one-on-one, instead of a usual group meeting with the queen. The queen will later converse with all of you collectively after you leave here today, through telepathy of course." She didn't even try to hide the uneasiness in her fake expression; Julara knew just as well how different this was.

I'm wondering why nobody has had a problem with this kind of setup already. "Don't you think that's a bit disrespectful? We always come here in these mandatory meetings to speak directly with the queen, as well as her Royal Scryers. Why now must they isolate all of us like this?"