Chapter 1-3: I wonder……
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The receptionist reaches beneath the desk. A hidden compartment within the walls suddenly burst open. Within it is a black suitcase. The receptionist reaches for the suitcase, with the compartment sealing itself suitcase is completely out. The compartment is completely unrecognizable, blending into the surrounding walls flawlessly.

“I’ll need you to sign this first.” 

The receptionist points at the tablet from just now as she slumps the suitcase on the desk. There is just something unsettling about having a black suitcase in front of you without knowing its contents.

“Within this suitcase is a relay device. Those contacts that we gave you just now are for manual contact of the emergency services. You should give them a call if you see any suspicious entities passing by. There is no need for you to fret about it, however. It automatically contacts those numbers if it detects that something is amiss."

I continue to read the contents of the tablets as the receptionist clicks to open the suitcase. She unlocks it but does not raise its cover.

“Il need you to go to line 7....... It's around... here. You should see a space for your signature. Please read through it carefully before signing.”

“…… I hereby declare that I shall take full responsibility in the case of the usage of the self-defence equipment(s) provided and loaned to me by my local URG…… “

“Exactly what are we talking about? This self-defence equipment stated here…

“Ah, For that, we will be providing you with this.”

The receptionist flips the suitcase around so its lock faces me. The receptionist lifts the lid for a brief moment. I make out what resembles the shape of a handgun, along with a black case, presumably its ammunition. The receptionist closes and locks the lid soon after.

“You should only use it if you are sure you have identified a rogue entity within your immediate vicinity. This should be seen as a last-resort kind of thing. There is no safety pin or recoil. Point and fire."

“This is…… a gun, right? W-What will happen to the entity if I shot it?”

“As of now, we cannot fully ascertain what will happen. This weapon is currently undergoing testing, and since we had such short notice before the entities arrived, we have decided the best decision is to arm our travellers first to protect them from the possibly... hostile entities.”

The receptionist hands me the suitcase in a friendly manner. I receive it anxiously. After all, there’s a weapon inside it! I’ve never really seen weapons up close, let alone handle one.

“There is a physical manual inside it containing all the information you need. Alternatively, you can find the manual in your PDA, I’ve just updated it for you.” The receptionist says this as the sounds of keys clacking away muffle my acknowledgement.

“This should be about it. You may board the train now. Best of luck on your future journeys, and stay safe!"

Back on the train, I feel uneasy as I shift around on my seat. This ‘entity’ thing does not sound like anything I want to be involved in. I get a glimpse of the suitcase, which is placed propped up beside my seat, lock facing upwards.

“You never know what might happen.” I murmur to myself.

 

 

There is half an hour left until I reach Entelechia.

My anxieties take the better of me. Although I highly doubt, out of the millions upon millions of realms out there, that Entelechia would happen to be the one that the entities pay a visit to - But what about the cafe? I reach for my phone and searched for the contact for Blue Horizon, the cafe that I am working the night shift in. I await restlessly for someone to pick up.

Within seconds, the call goes through and I am greeted by a familiar tone.

“Hello, this is Blue Horizon speaking. What is the matter of your concern?”

“Chester, its Mazaka over the line.”

Chester is another employee, and my personal virtual AI companion, that works with me at Blue Horizon. The owner of the cafe, which neither of us had seen before, employed Chester to help me out with things. However, I suspect the owner employed Chester to make sure I don't go nuts without any accompaniment. Without the sun, any human will probably lose their bearings after a while. Such a thing is hardwired into our genes, after all. Chester, or should I say the floating core it controls as a vessel, helps me with serving customers and keeping me company. Chester utilizes Exo-skeleton-like suits to help with chores and other physical tasks too, since there is very little you can do solely as a floating ball.

I appreciate his companionship in general, which is honestly more valuable than anything he can contribute physically. I’d accept any warmth from anything when I have nothing else, though id admit Chester can be quite cold at times. Being a relatively ‘fresh’ AI, he is still learning more about human nature and generally interactions with humans in general. Chester's personality is much more slated towards the polite, apathetic type, being relatively neutral on most matters, but inside that floating ball is a caring personality that manages to flow out at times when I need it most.

“I know, Mazaka. What were you going to ask? Feeling anxious about something you can’t get out of your head? Go ahead, pour it out on me, I’ll listen the best I can through the telephone.”

Sometimes, I wonder if Chester is constantly monitoring me at all times. Every time I seem bothered he is almost guaranteed to know the reason why regardless of location nor time. I doubt he will this time, though.

I explain to Chester everything that I have received from the receptionist.

“Well, I haven’t received any broadcasts on my telegram, but that surely doesn’t make this any less serious. I haven’t opened the shop yet, so should I do anything additional tonight?”

“Delay the opening of the shop for now. We'll see then.”

Introduced a third colour. There will probably be much more colours. Does it seem a bit confusing?
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