Cadenza: Veritas
Chapter 10: Ascent
"Thanks for blowing my cover, Tanja." E glares at Tanja before he redirects his attention to you. "Pleased to meet you even in these circumstances. Like this wench here says, I'm E." He extends his hand to you.
"Hey, don't call me a wench!" Tanja swings her arm backward to hit Carlos with her elbow. Carlos then presses a button that closes the elevator doors, and another button for the fourth floor.
While nary a doubt that the elevator would quickly make its ascent to your destination crosses your mind, the lights in the elevator shut off. Tanja immediately screams, but is silenced just about as quickly. You hear her continue to say something, but her voice is muffled by what you assume to be someone's hand blocking her mouth.
"I wonder if he knows I'm already here. He's definitely getting better at this. Or he hired more skilled people," E mutters.
As soon as Tanja ceases her attempts to speak, there is a few seconds of silence.
"What do you mean?", you ask E.
"Man, I hope the power getting out means the closed-circuit cameras aren't running on backup power. Actually, we'll be fine as long as they aren't recording any sound."
He pauses for a moment.
"Okay. I think we're safe for now. I needed assistance from Neutral Force because I can't enter the bar in the fourth floor alone. I've tried to infiltrate this place before, but I made a misstep. I can't go back in there now. They'll capture me immediately."
"What are you trying to infiltrate? And why didn't you give us any leads sooner?", Carlos asks.
"I don't know if I can trust any of you fully."
"Fair enough."
"I need to physically destroy a server in the bar. Or at least delete a few files for a friend."
"Can't you do it remotely? I thought you were a skilled hacker."
"The server was supposed to be in a run-down apartment, but that turned out to be a false lead. Technically not, because I tracked the place down and found a handwritten note telling me to go to this bar instead, because the server was brought here."
"But why go through the hassle of visiting the server's physical site?"
"This is more than just a couple of files that shouldn't exist. I'm going to confront its owner. Since that failed, I'll need your assistance."
Carlos screams in pain, and shortly after, you hear Tanja speak clearly.
"E, I think this is a bad idea. What are those files, anyway?"
"Nude photographs of a friend. Apparently."
"Are you sure they even exist?"
"Yeah. He is diabolical enough to do that. He has done worse."
"Let me guess, this is Brandon Dorian, right?"
"How did you know?"
"He turned himself over to the police in the Upper City."
"WHAT?"
"I heard he didn't seem like himself. It's like his confessions were made under duress."
"Recently, I started to think he's just being used. That someone is framing him for everything."
You feel the air around you become more tense and scarce.
"Tanja, have I told you about the contents of Brandon's USB? I believe the person who gave the simple cyphers in the device is Brandon himself. He's warning people of a certain 'Master'. That person is who I seek to confront."
"Be careful, E. He might be shifting the blame to someone else. We're talking about an organisation of bigots who recently attempted to set up base here in the moon."
Just when you thought you'd all suffocate from a lack of breathable air, the lights come back on. The elevator resumes its trip up to the fourth floor. You hear a ding, and the elevator doors slide open. As you walk out of the enclosed space, greeted by a lounge with glass walls that show the dance floor and giant mirror ball below, you notice that E stayed behind in the elevator. He waves his phone at you, and presses a button before the elevator doors close again.
All three of you take a seat in one of the lounge's sofas, when you feel your phone vibrate. You receive a message from an unknown sender. There is a "Secret Message" label where the contact name should be.
"Hey, don't call me a wench!" Tanja swings her arm backward to hit Carlos with her elbow. Carlos then presses a button that closes the elevator doors, and another button for the fourth floor.
While nary a doubt that the elevator would quickly make its ascent to your destination crosses your mind, the lights in the elevator shut off. Tanja immediately screams, but is silenced just about as quickly. You hear her continue to say something, but her voice is muffled by what you assume to be someone's hand blocking her mouth.
"I wonder if he knows I'm already here. He's definitely getting better at this. Or he hired more skilled people," E mutters.
As soon as Tanja ceases her attempts to speak, there is a few seconds of silence.
"What do you mean?", you ask E.
"Man, I hope the power getting out means the closed-circuit cameras aren't running on backup power. Actually, we'll be fine as long as they aren't recording any sound."
He pauses for a moment.
"Okay. I think we're safe for now. I needed assistance from Neutral Force because I can't enter the bar in the fourth floor alone. I've tried to infiltrate this place before, but I made a misstep. I can't go back in there now. They'll capture me immediately."
"What are you trying to infiltrate? And why didn't you give us any leads sooner?", Carlos asks.
"I don't know if I can trust any of you fully."
"Fair enough."
"I need to physically destroy a server in the bar. Or at least delete a few files for a friend."
"Can't you do it remotely? I thought you were a skilled hacker."
"The server was supposed to be in a run-down apartment, but that turned out to be a false lead. Technically not, because I tracked the place down and found a handwritten note telling me to go to this bar instead, because the server was brought here."
"But why go through the hassle of visiting the server's physical site?"
"This is more than just a couple of files that shouldn't exist. I'm going to confront its owner. Since that failed, I'll need your assistance."
Carlos screams in pain, and shortly after, you hear Tanja speak clearly.
"E, I think this is a bad idea. What are those files, anyway?"
"Nude photographs of a friend. Apparently."
"Are you sure they even exist?"
"Yeah. He is diabolical enough to do that. He has done worse."
"Let me guess, this is Brandon Dorian, right?"
"How did you know?"
"He turned himself over to the police in the Upper City."
"WHAT?"
"I heard he didn't seem like himself. It's like his confessions were made under duress."
"Recently, I started to think he's just being used. That someone is framing him for everything."
You feel the air around you become more tense and scarce.
"Tanja, have I told you about the contents of Brandon's USB? I believe the person who gave the simple cyphers in the device is Brandon himself. He's warning people of a certain 'Master'. That person is who I seek to confront."
"Be careful, E. He might be shifting the blame to someone else. We're talking about an organisation of bigots who recently attempted to set up base here in the moon."
Just when you thought you'd all suffocate from a lack of breathable air, the lights come back on. The elevator resumes its trip up to the fourth floor. You hear a ding, and the elevator doors slide open. As you walk out of the enclosed space, greeted by a lounge with glass walls that show the dance floor and giant mirror ball below, you notice that E stayed behind in the elevator. He waves his phone at you, and presses a button before the elevator doors close again.
All three of you take a seat in one of the lounge's sofas, when you feel your phone vibrate. You receive a message from an unknown sender. There is a "Secret Message" label where the contact name should be.
"i think bella and grace were brought here by that master
their phones geolocated to an area close to this place
dunno where to find them so good luck i guess
the server can wait -e"
Before you can show Tanja and Carlos the message, it vanishes. You relay it to them instead.
"Grace? I've heard E mention that name earlier," Carlos says.
Tanja swings her arm backward to hit E with her elbow. "Yes, he's the person in the CCTV feed from Club PLURality. Who would have known they'd wind up somewhere close?"
You allow your eyes to wander around the room. There are only a few patrons in the lounge, compared to the crowded dance floor. One person is looking over the glass walls. You also notice a hooded individual reading from a pink book on the sofa next to the one where you are seated. He suddenly looks at your general direction, hurriedly standing up to dart away from his seat. He leaves the book on the arm rest. It seems to be a diary of sorts.
"Grace? I've heard E mention that name earlier," Carlos says.
Tanja swings her arm backward to hit E with her elbow. "Yes, he's the person in the CCTV feed from Club PLURality. Who would have known they'd wind up somewhere close?"
You allow your eyes to wander around the room. There are only a few patrons in the lounge, compared to the crowded dance floor. One person is looking over the glass walls. You also notice a hooded individual reading from a pink book on the sofa next to the one where you are seated. He suddenly looks at your general direction, hurriedly standing up to dart away from his seat. He leaves the book on the arm rest. It seems to be a diary of sorts.