Chapter 18 - Awkward Sleep-uation

Trevor had offered to sleep on the floor, but exhaustion overcame him as soon as they returned from their outing. After mumbling something that sounded like he was only going for a quick nap, he sank onto the bed and succumbed to a deep sleep. Prioritising the comfort of the ladies, he had allowed them to take their showers first. Once Emilee emerged from the bathroom, much to her surprise, Elena had snuggled up beside Trevor on the bed, and they were both asleep. As Emilee reflected on their interactions thus far, she realised that Elena had been flirting with Trevor. Could she be interested in him as a partner? This made more sense than the sleazebag she had assassinated. Dating wasn't something Emilee had much time for, and she had never truly connected with a man before. Whilst she had the inclination that Trevor was a good man, he wasn't her type, though she wasn't really sure what her type was.

Seeing Trevor and Elena asleep on the bed did not bother Emilee as it was early evening, and she would likely be up for another few hours before retiring for the night. Hopefully, Trevor would awaken before then. Content with this thought, she settled into a lounge chair in the room and began stroking Mr. Bluebell, who had cosily nestled in her lap, purring contentedly. He was a good cat, well trained and very loving.

With some down time, Emilee decided to explore the information tab that had appeared upon levelling up. Emilee possessed the ideal personality traits of a police officer, her workaholic tendencies combined with a keen interest in the intricacies of the law. In her personal time, she delved into reading up on cases and familiarising herself with the nuances of legal proceedings. Now, trapped in a situation where the lack of information posed a formidable obstacle, she felt compelled to educate herself. Fortunately, the information Evolution Corp had provided, appeared to be more extensive than any individual could hope to digest in a lifetime. The articles spanned six hundred years of Evolution Corporation's existence and their exploits. Emilee was keenly interested in the history of the Evolution Corps' interactions with earth, so she searched back to when they originally landed in the seventies.

For hours, Emilee delved into firsthand accounts of the event by those involved on the side of Evolution Corporation. Something didn't add up. Her police senses were tingling as she sensed a cover up; all the tell tale signs were there. The upper echelon of Evolution Corporation comprised six board members who, through their healing technology, had lived the full six hundred years of the company's existence. Undoubtedly, these individuals possessed exorbitant wealth and had access to the finest equipment, technology and personnel the corporation had to offer. Two of the board members were present during the meeting and were subsequently interviewed by various Evolution Corporation media outlets.

As Emilee meticulously read and watched their accounts, which were recorded months apart, she detected inconsistencies and pauses that suggested they were reading from a script rather than recounting events from memory. Digging deeper, she uncovered redacted documents that had been released due to a freedom of information mandate. These documents indicated, through the information they were missing, the Evolution Corp were lying about what happened on that day. Emilee yearned to uncover the truth, but the only means to achieve that lay within the confines of the company. This revelation imbued her with a sense of purpose amid the apocalyptic chaos—to unveil the truth.

~~~~

[Three days until earth's transformation is completed]

Trev awoke to an interesting yet pleasant feeling. Much to his surprise, he had accidently fallen asleep on the bed. The room was filled with the lingering fragrance of perfume, emanating from not one, but two sources. As he lay on his back, a magical softness pressed against his chest and side, providing a gentle weight that kept him warm. It felt comforting, almost luring him back into slumber. However, a moment of clarity washed over him, and he realised this situation was anything but normal. In the dim light of the rising sun seeping through the room's tragically small window, he glanced down to find Elena, peacefully asleep with her chest resting against him. The warmth, softness, and fragrance suddenly made sense, yet Trevor couldn't fathom why she was sleeping in such proximity to him. Panic set in—had he somehow drawn her towards him during his sleep? He retraced the events of the previous night, realising that his initial uncertainty had not been a mere dream. Elena must have sought him out, just like she had the previous night.

Fully awake now, Trevor surveyed the room, careful not to disturb Elena. On the other side of the bed, Emilee lay with her back facing him. She must have abandoned her wait for him to wake up and settled on the bed despite her reservations. With Elena nestled against him, Emilee likely felt secure enough to join them on the bed, expecting nothing untoward to happen. As Trevor's panic subsided, a different sensation overcame him—a desperate need to use the bathroom. However, he doubted he could leave the bed without awakening either Elena or Emilee. Weighing the situation and considering the consequences of waking each woman, he concluded that waking Elena presented the least risk. He reached down and gently stroked her hair, attempting to rouse her as delicately as possible. Her hair was luxuriously soft and glossy, a clear indication of her meticulous care. She stirred at the touch, but only proceeded to hold onto him tighter, pushing her mounds against him even harder. Though it stirred his desires, he fiercely resisted letting it affect him. Eventually, after a minute, she finally gave up resisting and looked up at him, her wariness instantly fading as she realised the situation she was in. Elena promptly jumped out of bed, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. You were warm, and I was tired, so I snuggled up," she whispered.

"It's alright. I don't mind. I just need to use the bathroom," Trevor replied.

"Okay," she beamed, still half-asleep.

Trevor rose and headed to the bathroom, but upon his return, he discovered that Elena had curled back up in bed and fallen asleep again. Content with the amount of sleep he had received, Trevor settled onto the lounge chair, using his time to delve further into the vast repository of information available, focusing primarily on understanding the nature of the pinnacle systems.