Days — Roleplayer Guild

The Real World, Quiet HiveMind Facility

Nova wrapped her arms tightly around herself, trying to preserve what little warmth she could. Her once-stunning emerald green gown was a shadow of its former glory. The elegant fabric, once an eye-catcher of the Louvre Gala, was now shredded and stained, torn above the knees during the chaos of the battle. Nova could still feel Kai’s strong hands tearing at the hem as its flowy length had made her trip while running for her life.

She remembered the absurd flicker of worry that had crossed her mind at the time, about the cost of the dress and how it was now beyond repair. Such a trivial thing to think about, given the carnage surrounding them. Now, one sleeve was gone entirely, the other hanging in tatters and smeared with dried blood from a wound long since healed. The delicate mesh over her chest had been ripped too. But it was just a dress.

People had died that day.

And Nova had lost so much since then. Stella, restful nights. But she’d also believed she had gained something: a husband and Annalise, a sense of purpose. But as she stood there on the cold floor, barefoot and dripping with fluid from the simulation tube, the crushing truth still rang in her ears. None of it was real. The past year of her life, everything she thought she had built, had all been an illusion. The only thing she had truly gained was more questions.

Nova gave Cosette a nod in response to her gratitude. “Be careful walking, Cose,” she said gently, watching as the blonde moved to stand beside Annalise. For a moment, Nova paused, observing them. What was it about these two girls that made her feel so responsible, so protective? One she had pulled from the depths of the sea, cradling her in her arms and whispering promises that everything would be alright. The other she had embraced without hesitation when Kai brought her home, braiding her hair before bed and soothing her through the nightmares.

She’d probably go to hell and back for them, but why? Somehow, these two had awakened a part of her she never realised existed—a need to care, to nurture. It was almost laughable, how far she had come. Not long ago, she would have chosen conversations with her cat and her plants over people. Now, she’d do anything to protect them.

While the girls focused on the terminal, Nova was still trying to find her bearings, wishing for the ringing in her ears to stop and for her body to shift into action mode. The fierce need in her heart to find Kai hadn’t yet translated into her muscles. Absentmindedly, her thumb brushed the spot on her finger where her ring should have been as her eyes drifted to the two relative strangers nearby; the nameless man and Jay. Thankfully, both seemed relatively stable, though Nova noticed the man struggling back to his feet after coughing up blood. He was quiet, always hungry, and carried an air of unpredictability that kept Nova on alert. She made sure to keep him in her periphery; nothing and no one would get near the girls while she was alive, that much was certain.

Her gaze shifted to Nick, still floating helplessly in his tube, much like Kai and the others. In the background, she could hear Cosette speaking kindly to the odd man, her warm nature shining through even in this situation. She heard him introduce himself as Toren. But also Maw? But Nova’s focus stayed on Nick. They had people to save, but she couldn’t stop her mind from selfishly prioritising Kai. Yet, she’d seen Stella too... Kai had tried so hard to find her. They both had. But no—that had all been the simulation. Her brows furrowed as she struggled to disentangle real memories from the fabricated ones. She wanted Nick to wake up. He’d want to save Stella as much as she did.

Just as her fingers twitched, readying to move towards him, Nick’s eyes opened. Nova’s widened in response, a wave of relief washing over her. It pulled her out of her trance and back into motion. She quickly ensured Nick’s tube began to drain, stepping back as his raspy voice broke the silence. It wasn't long before a message appeared in her vision, making her blink. Nick was sending a message to her...mentally? She looked him in the eye and nodded in confirmation that yes, her augmentation could before Cosette barreled into him for a hug. The sight was endearing, and Nova couldn’t help but feel a small flicker of gratitude that, at the very least, those two had woken up together, just as she had with Annalise.

That thought sparked something in her: a renewed determination, tempered by anger. She nodded curtly at Nick, placing a firm hand on his shoulder and giving it a brief squeeze as he confirmed he was alright. “I’m glad. Now let’s focus on getting out of here,” she said, her voice steady and resolute.

As her heart still thumped, the company in the room was quiet as something seemed to pass its door, before Cosy snuck out. A small smile appeared on Nova's lips instead, the girl had grown a lot more confident and capable. She gave a knowing look to Nick for a brief moment before looking back at Cosette holding out a laminated map as if they were in a regular office building with fire drills and regulations. Yet, as the man, Toren, walked up to Cosette, something in Nova alerted and she stepped forward as well. She didn't know him. He had been tied down to a damn slab and he didn't seem to be entirely in the here and now. She quickly glanced at Annalise before going to stand beside Cosette, looking at the map while simultaneously forming a subtle barrier between her and the man. "Cosette, you're brilliant. One moment, keep it still, I'm scanning it," the scientist said as she ran her eyes over the map. 

The vision part of her augmentation was back to its basic state. Only in the simulation had Kai paid for her upgrades. With every realisation of what hadn’t actually happened, another cut seemed to slice into Nova’s soul but she pressed on. She scanned and saved the map, carefully analysing it for keywords and ensuring that, even if the physical map was lost, it was backed up in her augmentation.

Testing her implant, she tapped twice behind her ear and found it still functional. The thought still unsettled her. The upgrades Kai had added to her retina and cochlear implants had made her sharper, and better at processing sounds and details. While she could manage without the advanced vision features like enhanced zoom and recognition, losing the auditory support felt like being thrown back into deep waters without a lifeline. Even so, she couldn’t let it distract her. She had to find Kai. Somehow, they could still become what she had believed they already were.

While Nova focused on a route or exit, the request for a kitchen made her frown in confusion and look back up at Toren. The hungry man. While the request seemed odd, she vividly remembered the moment Annalise fed the man on the slab. Something about what the girl had said made Nova think twice about writing food off as a priority. "Um, let's see," Nova said softly, her eyes shifting to Nick. 

Curiously, with a couple of movements in her eyes, Nova tried to send him the map just like he'd sent her. Hoping it worked, she looked back at Toren, her eyes moving a little as her golden retina sparkled ever so slightly, signalling her augmentation at work. She was looking both at the man and the map. "There are stairs to the right. We could try those, but; no kitchen. Or, no, wait, there's an employee room. There could be supplies there,"

Blinking, she removed the map from her vision and looked over at Nick.  "Nick, any idea?" She inquired before looking over at Jay and her flying dinosaur. "Jay, is there some way we can utilize your friend over there to find a way out?"
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