Ciphered Desires

chapter V

The dim glow of the screen illuminated the cramped living space as Astrid sifted through the anonymous submissions on her blog. Each message seemed more useless than the last, offering vague suggestions and empty platitudes in response to her plea for tips on the disappearances. Frustration bubbled within her as she read through the responses, her fingers tapping impatiently on the keyboard.

"Listen to this one," Astrid muttered, her voice tinged with annoyance as she read aloud one of the submissions. 'Beware: some truths may lead you astray.' What the hell? Is that a threat?'"

Xena glanced over from her spot on the worn-out couch. "Sounds like something out of a fortune cookie," she remarked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Astrid rolled her eyes, scrolling through another submission. "And this one: 'Sometimes the most obvious explanation is also the right one.' This has to be a joke, right?"

Xena chuckled softly, shaking her head in disbelief. "It's probably just some punks messing around," she replied, popping a crisp into her mouth.

Astrid, feeling the weight of frustration and exhaustion bearing down on her, let out an exasperated sigh. With a sudden surge of frustration, she slammed her head against Xena's desk, a gesture of defeat and exasperation.

The sound echoed through the room, a sharp punctuation mark to the end of their conversation. Xena turned to Astrid, concern etched in her features as she reached out a hand to comfort her friend.

"What the hell Astrid?" Xena exclaimed, no longer laughing.

Astrid lifted her head from the desk, her expression a mixture of resignation and annoyance. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she replied. "I just... I don't know if we'll ever find the answers we're looking for."

Xena placed a comforting hand on Astrid's shoulder, offering her silent support. "We'll find a way, Astrid," she said reassuringly. "We always do."

"I really hope you're right," Astrid murmured into her hand, covering her yawn.

However, their conversation was abruptly halted by the piercing wail of an alarm, its shrill tones slicing through the tranquility of Xena's apartment. It echoed relentlessly, a signal that Synthopolis drones were once again patrolling the skies over the Wirelands.

As the sound reverberated through the room, tension crackled in the air, and the urgency of the situation became palpable. Without exchanging a word, Astrid and Xena instinctively rose from their seats, their movements swift and purposeful. With practiced efficiency, they hurried to the windows, their hands reaching for the blinds to shield the apartment from prying eyes.

Outside, the sky darkened as ominous shadows flickered across the landscape, heralding the arrival of the drones. With each passing moment, the hum of their engines grew louder, and shadows began to cast through the skies. It was a chilling reminder of the ever-present surveillance surrounding them.

Working in tandem, Astrid and Xena closed all of the blinds with determination, blocking out the outside world and cocooning themselves in darkness. The room grew dimmer, the only source of light filtering through the thin slivers between the blinds, casting eerie patterns across the floor.

As they retreated further into the shadows, a heavy silence settled over them, broken only by the distant whirring of the drones outside. With each passing moment, the tension in the air seemed to thicken.

This routine, however, had become an everyday part of their lives for as long as they could remember. There was no predicting when these disturbances would occur. They could happen suddenly, without warning, forcing everyone into a frantic scramble for safety. Anyone unfortunate enough to be caught out in the open risked being apprehended by masked soldiers dressed in pristine white uniforms.