Shattered

Chapter 5

"Yuni!" Neira had run past the Kÿdney District and was already getting close to Yuni's neighborhood. When Neira turned a corner into the Öctave District, she realized how big of a mistake she had made. Hundreds of other people where rushing back to their homes or looking for others. Multiple people where on the ground, moaning for only a few minutes ago they were trampled. Little kids were crying and people where shrieking in fear. Neira took a quick glance at her hovergram. The timer was still in the top right area of her screen.

11:38:49

Neira looked through her messages again and clicked on Yuni's.
'894 Plaster Condos,' Neira read the message in her head, How am I supposed to get through this crowd! Small crashes and bangs were colliding in Neira's ears. Voices could be heard at every angle.
"Mommy!"
"Tunya!"
"Iris!"
"Come here honey, it's ok."
"Yuni!" Neira finally added her voice into the mix, trying to run through the crowd.
"This way!"
"I will meet you at the office."
"Operus!"
It had barely had been 25 minutes and there was already complete chaos and fear lurking in the air. Neira knew what was going to happen, but she didn't believe these people did. All they knew was they were forced to stay in the city, and something bad was going to happen soon. Neira pushed her way through people until she had finally made it to Yuni's condo. The door was left ajar, which was strange because doors should shut automatically. Neira decided to question it later and ran down the hall. She quickly rushed up three flights of stairs, almost knocking over an old woman.
"Sorry!" Neira said as she heaved her way to Yuni's door. Neira slowly walked over to Yuni's door and knocked gently. The door pushed open to reveal a version of Yuni that Neira had never seen before. She was looking rather stern and upright, and looked ready to fight, but in the back of her kind eyes she could see a tint of fear growing.
"Good, you're here," Yuni said, "let's go."

"What is all of this?" Neira asked, looking through Yuni's bag.
"Well I saved up a few tins and spent them all at the market nearby."
"And got all of this?" Neira kept scavenging through the bag. There were mini NutriPacks, water purifiers, hovergram accessories, and so much more.
"I don't know what is going to happen, but I know this timer-thing isn't good." Yuni showed Neira the timer on her hovergram.

11:29:48

"It's going to be a tsunami," Neira blurted. Yuni looked at her, her seriousness was almost scary.
"How do you know?"
"My friend and I looked on a hovergram."
"Your friend?"
"Yes," Neira replied, "His name is Pease, I met him last night."
"Neira," Yuni put a hand on her shoulder, "you are trusting a guy who you met last night?" Neira decided to explain to Yuni what had happened last night, from the hand to Aqualo to even the office when the timer set off. When Neira had finished, Yuni looked at her curiously, and then began to smile.
"Is he cute?"
"What! No!" Neira blushed, furious with herself.
"Well whatever," Yuni picked up her bag, "I'm ready how about you?"
"No, not even close, I ran straight from the laboratory straight to here."
"Well we have plenty of time to go back to your apartment, but we need to change you into some new clothes." Yuni glanced over Neira, who was wearing a bright orange lab coat, some nectarine shorts, and a peachy tee shirt.
"Yeah, no," Yuni said, "that's not going to work."
"But all my clothes are back at the apartment!"
"Guess we'll have to run!"
"I will tell Pease to meet us there then, and we can plan our next move." Neira quickly snatched her hovergram from her pocket and typed out a short message to Pease, who was currently telling his family to hide. Pease had decided it would be the best for all of them. As Neira clicked SEND, she saw the numbers on the screen before putting the hovergram away.

11:19:26

It took Neira and Yuni almost an hour to make it to the Kÿdney District, which on a normal day would've only taken a few minutes. Not only had the pair been guiding themselves through the crowd, but also they had visited a marketplace nearby. People were still running around, trying to figure out what to do. Most were frantically running to the ocean, hoping to swim away to somewhere that wasn't Yokohashi. Others were spending their money on supplies that they thought might help, even though they had no idea what was coming.  The people that weren't in the group were committing Breaches of all sort, not caring that soon enough they would all be dead. Neira got to her apartment and pushed the door open.
"Welcome, Neira Faets!"
"Hi," Neira responded, not caring. The duo took the elevator and got to Neira's apartment. The ScanKey made the familiar metallic and allowed her in. Yuni placed herself down on a sectional as Neira roamed her condo for a backpack.
"What should I put in here?"
"Anything that you think is necessary," Yuni began, "than again we have never been through a tsunami." Sadly, Yuni was right. Thanks to the ClimateTweaks, the weather in Yokohashi is always warm in summer and cool in the winter. They had never anything above a small thunderstorm, they were completely inexperienced. Neira packed her starfish-colored bag with a blanket, some mini NutriPacks, a tarp, and a inflatable boat; something she never thought she would need.
"Hey how about you change into something more stretchy," Yuni suggested, "I can pack the rest."
Neira nodded and Yuni smiled. Neira looked through her closet for something that would be flexible. It took her a few minutes, but she finally put on a papaya kurta and a tangerine tights. It was and odd combination, but it was the best she had. She also grabbed and extra pair of clothes, including a scarf and a light jacket; both the color of a ripe apricot. She also grabbed extra pairs of socks, all of them shiny and white, for that was the one thing the Government didn't color regulate.
"Look at you!" Yuni smiled, "You make autumn come two months early."
"Same to you!" Neira replied, pointing out Yuni's honey running shorts and golden tee shirt.
"Well, you are all packed up," Yuni stood up, "let's blow this joint." Yuni strode to the door confidently and walked out. Neira quickly grabbed her running shoes and slipped them. Looking behind her, Neira gazed back one more time at her condominium.
"Goodbye," Neira said, giving a small smile of hope as the door shut behind her.