The Martial Unity

Fifteen minutes later, Rui and Bella had navigated through district twenty-three, and found themselves in front of commercial building.

"Is this it?" Rui asked. They'd finally reached the local transport company that Bella had spoken about. Bella apparently trusted the director enough to seek help from him despite her vulnerable situation. Rui was quite hopeful about this, if this man was actually reliable as Bella alluded, then Bella had a pretty good chance of achieving her objective.

Bella nodded. "Let's go."

She had not only covered her hair, but also obscured her face under a cap-like garment to ensure no one could possibly identify her features enough to recognize them if inquired by the Lowminers.

The interior of the reception was hospitable enough, there were seating arrangements on one side of the room, with an array of receptionists engaging with each visitor one-by-one. A little behind them was a several corridors that led to the interior of the building.

"How do you plan to meet the director?" Rui asked. "You'll need to reveal your identity in order to get an immediate appointment with him, that's risky."

"I just need him to see me once." Bella replied confidently. "He'll understand once he sees me. Help me force my way to his office."

Rui nodded.

They walked towards one particular corridor that Bella was aiming for, hoping they would be able to naturally pass.

"Excuse me, please take your seat in the visitor's bay, I'm afraid we cannot allow you enter the building without permission and authorization." A receptionist noticed and insisted.

Bella began running, as Rui followed her example.

guard blocked their path, attempting to grab

Thwack

tears. Rui didn't even bother using his full raw physical

as she

Wern!" Bella cried as she opened the door to

small eyes through his rimmed spectacles as he tilted

repeated, elated. "It's been so

sorry for the interruption." the receptionist apologized. "We tried to stop

good job." Wern interrupted her. "These people

visibly confused, but she nodded before

"Where have you been??

aware of the truth behind her father's death. If anything, in hindsight, Bella took a well-educated guess more than

"I have a lot to tell you,

raised his hand. "Then let me clear my schedule and finish a quick errand, so that I can

feeling a sense of safety she hadn't experienced in the past few days. Rui observed her demeanor, she seemed

him that she was just a seventeen-year-old girl, even if quite remarkable. Rui though back to the teenage girls from back

of them.') Rui shook his head. ('The kids from back on Earth in the twenty-first century lead relatively simple teenage lives

company from a young age, her acumen was remarkably well ahead of most of her

much just a kid mentally from his perspective. He would even console her and comfort her a bit if not for the fact that it would be extremely patronizing for a fourteen-year-old to do that to a seventeen-year-old. Especially when teenage girls tended to

then, Wern returned, interrupting

without interruption." Wern said, eyeing her with concern. "What happened? Why did you leave your home and disappear without