42. interlude: a conversation

Clunk.

and only the sound of files hitting the meeting table was heard.

“so with this, we are done with reporting for today.”

Speaking, was a woman leading the meeting. She was known as Celestin, as she announced the end of this meeting.

Then.

Silence.

And as if no more words were needed, every person stayed shut.

Standing.

Looking at everyone like that, Celestin stood from her chair, almost sighing.

But stopping herself from such action, she started walking toward the door, ignoring the multiple gazes lingering behind her.

Click.

Opening the door, not waiting for the other just trying to stand up, she got herself outside the meeting room, finally escaping this room’s stale air.

Sigh.

Feeling relaxed, with no more gazes on her, she started walking toward her office.

Step. Step. Step.

Walking like that, she glances around her, in case a person was nearby.

But finding nobody on neither side of the corridor, she releases her serious expression, enjoying being alone.

“Hhnnn. It’s really as tiring as always. The long-lasting meetings.”

Then stretching and relaxing her stiff body, Celes speak.

And feeling her shoulders restoring their sense of touch, while also getting rid of the back pain from hours of sitting, she starts walking again.

Walking toward her office.

Walking alone in this empty corridor, with no one keeping an eye on her, and with no urgent matters infesting her mind anymore, she unconsciously smiles a little.

Though not daring to do more, and barely stopping herself from humming, she keeps her pace of now light steps toward her office.

Turning around a corner, she looks, and there it is. Her office.

Then reaching the door, and opening it.

Click.

She froze.

“Yo Celes, it’s been a while.”

“L-Leo.”

Snapping from her frozen state, and Looking at the handsome man, sitting comfortably on the sofa of her office, as if being in his own house, her smile cracked.

And looking at her confusedly, as if not understanding her reaction was Leo.

Sigh.

Then getting such a confused look from the man in front of her, Celes finally calm down and sigh tiredly.

“were not you supposed to not be arriving until tomorrow at the very least ?”

Walking toward an opposing sofa from him, then choosing to sit there, she asked.

“I just felt like coming earlier than that. Nothing big.”

Calmly answering the question, Leo glanced at her.

“though you did expect it, no ?”

Hearing his answer, then remembering the urgent meeting she started, Celes got silent.

But as if not feeling the awkward silence, or maybe not caring for it, Leo spoke first, breaking it.

“so how is everything ?”

“everything? AH, the test, or more like the game? it just started yesterday.”

Thinking back on the meeting she just finished, moments ago, and all the bothersome hours of needless bickering, she started talking.

“and as you can guess, nothing big had happened, nor any weird result appeared. So we can wait and see.”

“is that so ?”

Coldly and disinterestedly speaking, only those words were Leo’s reaction.

But then, as if remembering something, he asked.

“hmm, did you make any adjustments to the drive? like pain suppression for example.”

“well, of course. It’s not like anyone can stand that level of pain. Even if you say it’s for realism, we couldn’t leave it like that. Though we did improve with additional effects, while we were at it. Like suppressing real pain, even if not in a game mode, and some AR features too.”

Looking at Leo, with eyes as if asking if he was serious, while feeling weird at his question, she answered.

“well, that can be ignored for now. So ? how is the game going ?”

Hearing his not caring reply, and knowing his personality, Celes did not bother to comment on him disinterestedly changing the subject.

Instead, she as always, seriously answered.

“ hmm, good for now? I mean nothing bad had happened, and everything seems alright. You too should know. It’s not like we are controlling the game, but the AI does. After all, with all the parameters, and content a VR game has, depending on people to check and take care of everything is just impossible.”

Stopping in her speaking, Celes tried imagining it. A group of people, sitting in a work office, observing a series of monitors, with an endless amount of values. With them even sacrificing their sleep time and trying to do such an impossible job.

Then shuddering at that thought, and fearing for death from overwork, she resumed her words.

“and to begin with, all we are doing is a small test, not a big game. So all we did, was just giving AI full authority and letting it control everything. We just do the preparations and things like that, and AI will put everything in its place when needed. Like the bullet board. It soon will be ready, but it does not seem like the AI is planning to use it soon. So we are just leaving things as they are.”

“oh.”

As if that last part picked his interest, Leo opened his mouth, but then as if not planning for a more clear reaction, he closes it back.

Looking at him like that, and getting bothered by the awkward silence that has started filling the place. Celes cleared her throat.

“cough. So Leo.”

Then awkwardly looking at him now, when finally calming down, she asked.

“How is she ?”

“ hmm ?”

As if not understanding who’s being referred to by Celes’s words, Leo looked confused. Though not lasting a second, he understood who, ...

And so he answered.

“fine.”

“fine ?”

Not believing him, and feeling the need to ask more, Celes repeated his one-word answer.

“fine for now. At the very least, Alice will live for another three months.”

“is that so? three months, is it ?”

Repeating his words absentmindedly, Celes closes her eyes.

Then after calming down, she opens them, glancing at Leo’s face, and with a complicated look, she asks.

“and is that okay with you, Leo?

With only three months been left ?”

Hearing her words, for the first time, Leo’s expressionless face, changed.

“it’s okay.”

He said.

“Nothing can be changed now, anyway.”

And with a sad face, he replied.