OGENUS EARTH 🌎 🌊 {Dystopian Sci-Fi Adventure}

Criminal

Olivia fretted from her position behind Gayle and the tight circle of Sirens. The thin strips of plastic holding her to the (very) uncomfortable chair were the type Legionnaires used when showing force with common criminals and ruffians, of which, she was neither. 

Coeuss had yet to deliver a verdict, and she couldn't help but think he was doing this on purpose. His computations happened within milliseconds.

Gayle and most of the others were focused on phase two. They were studying the piped footage of the bots dismantling every structure aboard Arc City Two. After harvesting the hardware, Coeuss would use the Tinkers equipment to produce hundreds of more bots.

"Seafarers have departed Arc City One," Bethany reported, looking up from her tablet with a smile.

"ETA?" Gayle replied.

"Roughly eighteen hours," Bethany answered with a nod.

"Alright, according to Coeuss they are going with the worst-case scenario, which can end in any of eight-hundred-thousand-six-hundred-and-forty-two ways," Gayle told the group.

Oh, is that all? Olivia thought to herself. The inside joke made her miss all of the snarky and sexually charged comments she and Harrison traded on his ship. Comparatively, this team was an outright drag.

The Sirens were haggard and not at all interested in making their plans an open discussion, or even listen to the opinions of anyone accept Gayle or Coeuss. This wasn't at all the sisterhood Olivia had imagined it being.

Olivia had clearly broken with the Siren's plan for her own gain, and if it were up to her, she would have taken swift, decisive action against the person stupid enough to defy her. As far as she was concerned, it should be Olivia in charge here because these women didn't seem at all interested in thinking for themselves.

Olivia's fathers always told her, if you want something done right, do it yourself. That simple tenet had been most advantageous in Olivia's life, and one that clearly would pop up again and again as long as others weren't pulling their own weight.

Olivia scanned the women surrounding her, glancing up from beneath her lashes to avoid detection. They were covered in gore, and with their occasional cackles and bedeviled expressions, they appeared to be turning into the fabled harpies Coeuss had named them after.

Her best bet was probably Sarah, who hadn't spoken a word since Olivia had arrived. It was honestly a wonder that she'd managed to survive this long. Sarah was a mousy woman, with a dainty nose, a wide face, and a bad habit for nibbling her nails when under duress. Case in point, she'd gnawed every nail to a bloody stump, and yet she still brought a finger up to chew absentmindedly as the rest studied Coeuss.

Perhaps she was reading Coeuss' silence all wrong? Gayle was questioning herself. The Sirens wouldn't allow Olivia to so much as communicate with Coeuss (for good reason) but that didn't explain why it was taking so long to deliver her death sentence.

The slight shift Sarah made in her weight gave Olivia a brilliant idea. She leaned forward in her chair, angling her body to point towards Sarah's back.

"Um, excuse me? I need to go to the bathroom." Olivia whispered.

Sarah's shoulders jumped in reaction, she'd nearly forgotten that Olivia was behind her. She turned around with caution.

"What?" She asked.

Olivia did her best to mask the frustrated sigh that escaped her lips, as an urgency to urinate. "I said that I need to go to the bathroom." This time she said it louder for Gayle's benefit.

Gayle's sharp frame turned towards her with a skeptical expression on her face. "Oh, do you now?" She asked as if she was surprised. "Well then, let's go."

"Shouldn't you remain here sister?" Olivia asked feigning a nervous look to the others.

"No," Gayle replied simply. "We have things well in hand here."

The rest of Gayle's followers nodded along.

"Sarah, cut her ties," Gayle commanded, turning to put down her tablet.

Olivia's mind raced. Had Coeuss already told Gayle that Olivia would try this? Sarah approached, tentatively picking at the plastic ties.

"Thank goodness, I haven't been able to think about anything else for the last twenty minutes!" Olivia exclaimed under her breath. "It's been hours since I've been able to relieve myself. Hours! I don't know how any of you do it!"

Sarah raised her head at the sudden urge to also empty her bladder. It really hadn't been too bad, until Olivia said something. Now, she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold it.

"Gayle?" Even Sarah's voice was weak, Olivia thought to herself. "I have to go too."

"Oh for Christ's sake!" Gayle gave Sarah a pained look. "Fine! Take her, and have her talk to you while she goes!"

Sarah nodded as she hustled Olivia out the door headed for the break room, which had the closest bathroom. Olivia liked this compromise, she didn't need privacy to escape, just a tactical advantage.

Sarah hurried using the wiggle of her hips to prevent any unwanted leaks while their captive sister took in their surroundings. This bathroom was identical to Arc CIty One and exactly what she needed to make this work. Sarah waited, hopping from one foot to the other, while Olivia shut the door to her stall.

"Is it alright if I hum?" Olivia asked through the plastic stall wall. "I find it annoying when people talk while using the bathroom."

"Oh, me too!" Sarah exclaimed, unsure of how to treat this surprisingly friendly hostage.

Olivia began to hum a ditty one of her dads had taught her growing up. She'd always dreamed of one day seeing the twinkling stars bejeweling the midnight sky that the song described. If this worked, and she managed to escape Coeuss' zealots, she might be able to get to old Earth.