Chapter 9: Panic Station

"800 Quintels for a piece of fabric?" Diah exclaimed while Sky twiddled her thumbs sheepishly beside her.

"It's a really nice piece of fabric?" Sky offered in an attempt to sway the bewildered Chyl.

"Sky, you really pay this much for these dresses? I pay half that for ceremonial robes back home!"

"Not to interrupt the conversation regarding Chyl opulency versus Sky's extravagant tastes, but we should probably hurry," Zaius interjected. His expression had been stoic for a while and he seemed lost in thought. 

Diah nodded in agreement and Sky puffed her cheeks in a pout. Zaius flicked her in the shoulder and moved back towards the door of the shop. Other shoppers flowed constantly in and around them.

Diah had recommended the group change into clothing more befitting of a royal party and Sky leapt at the chance to go shopping. It was a way for her to decompress and keep her mind occupied after the loss of Gen. She had told them about her favorite shop in the Underside, one she frequented for her stage attire, and led the way through bustling crowds.

Diah knew that Sky was working her way through her emotions as best as she could, opting to defer feelings instead of facing them head on. She understood as she was guilty of building walls herself, but what really weighed on her mind was Zaius' behavior. He had been relatively quiet the whole time, and definitely not as carefree as he had been since they met. She pondered how he would react if she just reached out and hugged him.

'Is that even an appropriate thing to do right now?' She questioned in her mind.

Wyrna wasn't the most affectionate mother and never really had been. Diah thought about all the times she just wanted to be held or have her head patted and be told that things would be okay. It never happened. Any kindness she had received came from Gallard, but that could only make up for so much. It didn't help that her lack of love growing up meant she wasn't sure on how to care for others in times of need. Especially Iva.

'Stop.' Diah commanded herself as she wandered down the dark mental road. 'Not here and definitely not now.'

She glanced and caught Zaius watching her mental anguish. He gave her a tired smile. 

"You alright?" Zaius asked her. He had leaned back against the shop's wall to avoid the people around them. A white hooded jacket with green edges and sleeves had been rolled up in his arms. It had been Diah's personal selection for him.

Diah nodded twice and turned towards the patter of feet in the corner. She watched as Sky fluttered around the store, her hand waving over various articles of clothing to check their price. A dejected look slowly grew across her face.

"I think I may just have expensive tastes," Sky muttered as she walked back toward Diah in defeat.

Zaius let out a huff from behind and pushed himself off the wall, waving at Sky to follow. As Diah watched the two dig through piles of clothing, she couldn't help but think they really did seem like siblings. Though Gen was gone, they at least had each other.

'You don't have anyone,' Wyrna's voice hissed from a hidden corner of Diah's mind. 'You've been nothing but a burden to them. You've brought nothing but death everywhere you've gone.'

Diah tried her best to ignore the voice but some days were harder than others. It preyed upon her delicious insecurities. She forced her attention forward and focused on the first thing that fell in her sight.

The dress Sky had shown her twinkled in the store light. The long ivory fabric flowed downward into a tulle maxi skirt and electric blue lines swirled up the side like twisted vines of lightning. Diah moved toward the register.

She placed the gaudy tangerine robes she found on the desk, followed by her own personal choice of a sporty black and gray top and dark purple leggings.

The Valnaken clerk looked at the clothes with her six eyestalks and then pointed them at Diah.

"Odd combination but I like it," The clerk said.

Diah thanked her and pointed towards Zaius' jacket and the dress.

"All together that's 1,500 Quintels even," The clerk calculated.

Diah's eyes grew wide at the price. Her hand swiped over the register box as it scanned the MenXhip in her palm. The box beeped and turned green.

'Mom is going to kill me when I get back home," Diah thought.

She grabbed her clothes, thanked the Valnaken and met back with the others. Sky and Zaius were arguing over an ugly scarf that the latter had found. Diah held back a laugh.

"We're good to go," Diah informed them. "I already paid up front."

Zaius and Sky looked at each other in confusion.

"We haven't found anything for Sky, though," Zaius said.

Diah looked at the Sky and tried to hold back a smile. Sky gave Diah a squinted glare and then broke into a massive grin.

"You didn't."

Diah nodded, fully breaking into a laugh. Sky screamed in joy and jumped onto Diah, hugging her tightly. Diah recoiled from the unexpected force, her feet braced as she leaned in to reciprocate the hug.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Sky said with elation. She jumped in excitement then whipped over to Zaius and waggled her index finger in his face.

"If you don't marry her, I'm throwing you out an airlock," She threatened in jest.

Zaius rolled his eyes and looked at Diah. It was the first time he looked happy since the fight at the Atometry.

"I think what she means to say is thank you. We both really mean it, Diah."

Something about the way Zaius said her name set off an emotional bomb in Diah's gut. She leapt forward and gave him the hug she had been debating about. It was firm and warm, an eclectic mixture of unspoken feelings in the middle of bloom. She wondered if Zaius felt it too. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed lightly, seemingly tickled by the sensation of her hair brushing across his cheek. She felt his quickened heartbeat but called no attention to it. There would be time to acknowledge everything that had happened and everything she was feeling when they got off of Tovarro.

"I'm here for you," Diah said, muffled by the hug.

Zaius didn't respond, only squeezed tighter. As they separated, Sky let out a quiet "ooo" of approval. Diah held back a giggle as Zaius flicked her shoulder again.

#

Freshly cleaned up and changed, Diah followed behind Zaius and Sky as they headed toward what Zaius called the "Lift Park". 

"Think of it like a giant large circular hub in the middle of every station floor, interconnected by thousands of tunnels," Sky had explained elatedly. "They shoot upwards into the ceiling and take you wherever you want to go!" 

Sky's excitement had made the Lift Park sound like some sort of magical place and a bit of anticipation had built up in Diah. The reality, however, was nothing like she pictured. The Lift Park was cold and flat, a dire change to the general look and feel of the Underside.

Diah noticed that guards with "TovaSec"emblazoned across their uniforms blanketed every spare inch around. She guessed that the situation in the Stock Docks had probably made them a bit more cautious. She did well to steel her nerves as they approached, but wasn't able to tell how the others were feeling.

Diah was used to dealing with security, after all. She had learned to keep a calm mind in every situation, especially as a politician's daughter who had been forced through a number of security checkpoints in her lifetime. Still, the idea that TovaSec may be looking for her or Zaius did pass through her mind a few times.

Diah silently moved to the front as they approached the main entry gate of the Lift Park. Zaius pulled the holocard out of his pocket and slid it into Diah's open hand. There was no room for error or suspicious activity at this point.

The guards at the entry scanned people's chips as they passed by, keeping the lengthy line flowing smoothly. Diah held up the holocard as they approached and passed through. The gate beeped angrily.

"Hey, you three! Stop right there!" The guard closest to them ordered.

The trio stopped. Diah noticed Sky fidget slightly while Zaius swept his jacket clean. She inhaled deeply, knowing that fear would give away their ruse. The guard directed them toward the side of the line and into a holding area.

"Apologies for the scare," He said. "We need to make sure that you're taking the right lifts. There's too much going on for us to risk the safety of high values like you."

'Of course we're called high values,' Diah thought as her eyelid twitched. Still, she felt relieved. Things seemed to be progressing according to their very shoddy plan. She knew she would really need to play into her part now, though.

"Thank you very much," Diah told the guard, breaking the silence. "It has definitely been an experience here the last few days. Are things always this rambunctious on Tovarro?"

Her tone had changed entirely and mimicked the condescending nature of her mother. She stood tall, hands wrapped in her orange robe to provide the same strong aura. She hoped the change in vocabulary helped sell the idea of a Chyl noble most had in their mind.

"No ma'am," the guard responded, trying to hide his obvious intimidation. "We do our best to ensure the safety of our citizens and esteemed visitors. Please allow me to extend my most gracious apologies for the trouble we may have caused you."

Diah slowly nodded as she stared the guard down with a blank expression and eyes that could kill. A quiet "Humph" escaped her lips. Zaius and Sky stood rigidly behind her. She could sense they were holding their breaths. The air grew a bit colder around them all.

The guard licked his lips and then smacked loudly. He looked uncomfortable. Diah didn't release her glare. He pointed towards a nearby group of lift tunnels with blinking dark blue lights along the side.

"Yeah, so go over there to subsection J and you can take any lift from 33 through 987," He directed. "My, um, deepest apologies once again for any inconveniences."

 The guard hurriedly marched back to his post at the gate. Diah whipped around to her friends, silently tilted her head toward the lifts and began walking. As they entered the giant glass tube and stood on the vibrating silver disk, Diah kept her cold forward stare. She wanted to be absolutely sure no one could see them before she relaxed. Darkness enveloped them as they passed through the Underside's ceiling. Diah let out a long exhale. All the time she spent mocking her mother's mannerisms had finally paid off.

*****

Sky was dying of nerves on the inside but refused to let it show. She was an entertainer and hiding her anxiety was an almost daily routine. It wasn't the idea of passing through security that scared her, however. It was the unknown that sat beyond. Diah's change in behavior was also a little unnerving.

"Can we talk about how incredibly terrifying you are?" Sky said, bewildered. "Like where did you even learn to act so frigid?"

Zaius gave Sky an annoyed look that she knew meant to be quiet. She quickly caught on. 

'Sore subject,' She thought. 'Got it.'

Diah cleared her throat but continued to stare out the transparent tube. She had relaxed a bit, but still seemed deep in her own mind. Sky inched up to stand next to her.

"You know, I've never been outside of the Underside since I first arrived here?" Sky said as she watched each floor pass by. "I briefly remember the Arrival Docks, but I got tossed down to the depths pretty quickly. I remember thinking about how much I missed home and how foreign everything was."

 Diah tilted her head toward Sky as the latter leaned over the lift's railing and continued. She could tell the conversation was lightening the mood.

 "I don't really want to talk about Gen right now," She continued, making sure the point was made apparent. "I'm worried it might break me in a moment where I need to be strong and helpful. But I would be at a loss without him. He saved me. This place can be terrible and beautiful at the same time. It can eat you up entirely or lift you to new heights. I was always scared of going up though, scared of being kicked back to the bottom. I guess what I mean to say is that without you two, I don't think I ever would have had the courage to see all of this."

 Diah put her hand on Sky's shoulder. It was soft and warm from being in her sleeves. Zaius moved up to them and placed his hand on Diah's. Though nothing was said, Sky felt the support. Gen had told her to fly free. Getting out of the bird cage was always the first step.

The levels of Tovarro became more exorbitant as the trio continued to rise, first through the Embankments and the Stock Docks, then through the housing areas. Fountains and greenery grew more prevalent with every new floor, housing shifting from single use cubes to multi-level houses. As they passed by the towering skyscrapers of the Finances, Sky saw Diah's eyes grew wide.

"It's like someone stuffed the entirety of Vensha into a tall can, crystal pools and all," Diah said in amazement.

Sky glowed with excitement and tapped Diah's arm, pointing out the things she thought were interesting. Zaius was great to have around, and Sky always valued the advice or support that he gave, but having a female viewpoint around for once was a welcome change. Sky felt like she could be her full true self and Diah would just understand. A brother was cool, but a sister was even better.

*****

Zaius watched from the back of the lift as the other two reveled in the beauty of Tovarro's upper levels. He had only made it to the Finances a couple of times before, but the other districts had been explored plenty. Sky was right though: Tovarro was a place that could empower you and change your life or leave you stranded in the darkest corners, destined to die alone. So much banked on either sheer luck or an immense force of will.

 The lift finally came to a whirring stop at the final, and highest, level of Tovarro: the aptly named Highlands. Thick green vines covered the walls and a large multi-tiered golden fountain welcomed them on the other side of the tube. Everyone that passed by looked like they were dressed in the latest and most expensive fashions, a testament to the idea that nothing was too much for the select few able to live there. The signs and sides of the shops and restaurants circling the fountain were spotted in rare jewels, diamonds and gold. Designs of pure Zanathum ore, the rarest of all Atanian metals, stenciled every sidewalk and road. An enormous rounded glass ceiling hung above, a permanent window to the stars accessible only to the rich. It was even better than Zaius had ever imagined.

 "And I thought the High Marks were bad about their need for all of this," Diah said quietly to Sky and Zaius, spinning in circles to take in every sight.

 "Welcome to Qivera Station, home of the most elite in all of Atania. I honestly can't imagine what Vensha is like if they're even half as bad as these Highlanders," Zaius responded.

He noticed that Sky was lost in her own wonder. She was observing every passing face, squealing at different people she recognized.

 "There's Dison Alamaze, one of Iconoball's top players! And over there is Portis Shmetzel, the chef!" She spouted hectically, pointing in every direction. "No way! Is that Laranya? She's my favorite singer ever!"

 Zaius noticed some of the people passing around them had turned in concern to Sky's overwhelming excitement. Warning bells sounded off in his mind. He saw that Diah had realized it as well and moved to reel Sky in. He looked around once again.

 "Uh, Zaius?" Diah's voice came from behind, riddled with concern. "Where is Sky?"

Zaius snapped his attention back to Diah and the empty spot where Sky was once standing. Zaius ran his hands through his locs in anxious frustration. He knew better than to leave the flighty Uvari to her own devices. 

"I was busy looking around, so I didn't see her run off," Zaius explained.

 "Same," Diah agreed. "We need to find her before she draws even more unnecessary attention. I'll take the right side and you the left, okay?"

"Can do," Zaius said as he took off toward the left side of Qivera. A small bit of anxiety began to gnaw at his mind. The shopping center was huge and packed to the brim, but Zaius knew he needed to search high and low to find Sky as quickly as possible. They couldn't risk being exposed and having their chance of getting off Tovarro ruined.

Zaius moved quickly and looked over every building and every person that he passed: a pastry shop, a group of famous Chyl actors, a restaurant with flaming pillars around it, a well-known Uvari engineer, an angry man staring at him from a corridor.

Before Zaius could process the last sight, the man reached out and grabbed him by the jacket. He slammed Zaius into the wall, knocking the air out of his lungs with a hefty gasp. In less than a second, the unknown assailant pulled out a solar pistol, aimed it at Zaius' stomach, and readied his shot.

"This is for Gen," He seethed before squeezing the trigger.