Echoes

Pass It On

"Echo One-One-Four occupies an Alpha seat," Wunforoh announced. Her flat tone and clear frustration implied she was losing patience with all the turnover going on in the Hub.

Get used to it, toady, Forsephore thought. You'll be out among the plebes soon too, if I have my way.

Wonfortene ascended the dais and took the vacant chair, radiant with supplemental Inspiration from Forsephore.

Forsephore spotted what seemed like a cold shoulder between Wonfortene and Sicstuphyve. Not good, not at all. I really can't afford to have Echoes I infuse caught up with infighting, going after each other.

She noted the tense reaction and moved toward the floor below the dais, considering options to deal with the budding strife. Then pragmatic reality set in. I'm going to bring down the Chief Alpha. That's going to take some hard choices and sacrifices--and not all of the latter are going to be mine. I warned these Echoes about what we were getting into.

And sometimes different ideals clash, regardless how good everyone's intentions may be. I have to stay back, and let this play out.

Sicstuphyve had no intention of holding back. The ultra-fit Echo of the Prime stood, rolled her shoulders, and popped the knuckles of each fist as she approached the mousy Wonfortene.

To her credit, Wonfortene held her ground. A trembling finger pushed her glasses back into place on the bridge of her nose. But she met and returned Sicstuphyve's stare.

"What's your frickin' problem," Sicstuphyve growled. She shook a fist in Wonfortene's face and said, "Take note of this. Poach the Prime's commitment to my ideal again so you can feel better about yourself, and I'll put you on your ass out in the Plaza before you can jot down another word."

"We're on the same side," Wonfortene said, palms out to calm her frustrated peer. "And let's be honest, neither of us came to this with enough Inspiration to change the Prime on our own. But both of us are helping her become something better."

Forsephore's eyes wandered toward the Chief Alpha. The radiant Sevnynate whispered in Wunforoh's ears, then noticed Forsephore in the crowd of Echoes beneath the dais. Sevnynate made no effort to hide her smirk as she gestured toward the argument. She shrugged her shoulders at Forsephore with a face that feigned concern. Then she and Wunforoh shared a laugh.

The other Alphas turned their attention to Wonfortene and Sicstuphyve as well. In fact, when Forsephore looked around the central chamber of the Hub, it seemed all eyes were fixed on the pair. Arguments between Alphas aren't that uncommon. But they usually follow strict protocol, and there's never any form of physical intimidation.

"I fought too long and too hard to get to this point," Sicstuphyve said. "I've watched the Prime struggle up a couple flights of stairs, seen her curse the scale whenever she dares to pull it out of hiding. I'm not about to let her give up on healthy choices so she can sit in front of a computer venting her 'voice' to a world that doesn't care to listen."

At that comment, Wonfortene shrank back as if struck. "The--the last post got five 'likes.' And three of those people followed the Prime's blog."

"Changing the world there, Wonfortene," Sicstuphyve shot back. "Man, maybe she'll hit double-digits soon. Meanwhile I've got her doing three times as many full body push-ups as when she started. I got her putting actual plates on the bar when she lifts. Heads are turning when she walks into the gym, and that's because I'm not letting up. And neither was she until you came along."