It was five minutes past eight o'clock, the time we had set for the so-expected meeting. Everything was ready and we all had arrived early. So all the introductions were done. Stella Chan, the city's Head Commander of the Security Department, was sitting next to me. She had her hair pulled back in a high ponytail, fastened with a rigid triangle-shaped hairband that emitted small silver dots. I was amazed by the level of fanciness of that hairband.

On the other side sat Beverly Duklas, the top shipbuilder in the Reg Society. She looked a bit tired and not exactly thrilled to be there. She had thick and rounded aviator glasses propped up on her head, keeping her messy red curls from falling into her eyes.

Only one person was missing: Heather. 

Brooke, at the head of the table, was tapping her fingers impatiently. At this point, I was sure she wasn't coming. Heather was always punctual; she took things seriously and wasn't the type to be late. Brooke glanced at the clock again, then stood up.

"Let's get started," she said, activating the hologram projector positioned in the center of the table. "Welcome, everyone. Thanks for being here Stella, Beverly, and Grace."

With a couple of quick touches to her Reg Bracelet, Brooke dimmed the lights in the room to make the hologram more visible. Then she continued. "As you're aware, incidents have been destabilizing our society over the past few years and..."

Suddenly, the door of the meeting room swung open. Brooke paused her speech and spun around. Heather entered, her eyes dark, her hair cascading over her shoulders, with crown braids coming from her temples and merging into one at the back of her head. 

She wore a long navy overcoat with a fuzzy collar so inviting, you'd want to snuggle up in it. It had a shrinking floral pattern in metallic blue that had me hooked. Beneath, a crisp white shirt peeked out and a black blazer layered over her shoulders. It seemed she was now the fashionably late type, a new development. 

Heather fixed her gaze on Brooke, who seemed to shoot laser beams with her eyes, before settling in beside Beverly, directly across from me. We all turned to her, anticipating an apology or at the very least a greeting. But she just stared at Brooke waiting for her to continue. Not a word.

"Alright, finally... We've got the whole team." Brooke said her tone tinged with anger.

She then gestured at the hologram with her Reg Bracelet, and a map materialized, the same one she'd shown me days ago: The other side. A red point pulsated, emitting waves of energy that moved across the layout.

"As I was saying, the Phoenix group has become a significant threat to us, especially since we found out they've developed technology that rivals or exceeds our own."

"That's not a threat," Heather interjected without even paying attention to the map.

We all looked at her, surprised that was the first thing she said. Brooke didn't even blink and answered immediately. "It is. They could use it against us."

"Only if that technology is a weapon. We don't know what that is." Heather stated now locking eyes with Brooke.

Beverly with her hand on her chin, chimed in. "That's true. It might be something for them, created for their survival."

Brooke let out a laugh. "We can't risk it. Whether it's a weapon or not, it has to be destroyed."

"I agree," Stella said. "As a Security master, I don't think we should wait and see what happens. We have to anticipate the events."

"Thanks, Stella," Brooke said, throwing a smile her way. Stella stood up and moved closer to the hologram to get a better look.

Brooke gazed at me. "Grace, Heather, you're the ones who are more familiar with the other side. We'd like to hear your approach on the best way to get there," she said, pointing at the map.

I pondered the question, but before I could answer, Heather stepped forward. "We could take a small spaceship and fly there. A one-day mission and that could solve it."

"No." I blurted out. Heather gazed at me annoyed. "Our spaceships are extremely noticeable. They could spot us from miles away." I continued.

"If we are fast they won't have time to react." She shot back.

"But we don't know what we'll find there. What if we need more time to evaluate the situation? What if people are securing the zone? We can't rush this." I said.

"Well, then what do you suggest?" Heather asked a bit irritated.

"I say we dress like them and go on foot. We gather information, get a feel for the situation, and refrain from making any hasty decisions," I proposed.

"By foot? And why not crawling? This isn't a scholarly expedition, Grace," she sighed as if my suggestion was the most ludicrous thing she'd ever heard.

Stella jumped in, "Yeah, It would take ages to get there." and Heather nodded in agreement.

"Maybe not," Beverly said. "We could take one of our old SUVs."

Stella frowned. "An SUV? What the heck is that?"

"It's an old vehicle, kind of clunky if you ask me, but they're pretty common on the other side. We've got a couple of models lying around here. I could arrange one of them for the mission. If anyone spots us, they won't recognize us."

Brooke seemed to like the idea as her lips curved to show a timid smile. Stella strolled about, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her black hair, mulling over it. But Heather? Her face tightened with anger, clearly not a fan of the suggestion.

"Opening the gates and leaving with a SUV is a suicidal mission. We haven't done a transfer for months, and all eyes are on the gates! There's no way they won't see us!" Heather exclaimed, her voice rising.

"We can go through the tunnels and leave at night," I said. 

"That's a good idea," Stella chimed in, turning to me with a smile.

Heather didn't seem satisfied, her gaze piercing me. "They also watch out for the tunnels, Grace. They know everything about them, or have you forgotten?"

Whoa. Was this comment innocent? It certainly didn't feel like it.

"We could provoke a distraction and seize the opportunity to leave," I said.

"They'll sniff it out," Heather shot back.

"Not if we do it right," I replied.

"As if you know how to do things right," she said.

"Excuse me?" I snapped, glaring at her. What did she just say? Heather avoided my gaze, and Brooke frowned,  confused.

"And what would YOU know about doing things right, Heather?" I retorted, feeling my anger escalate with each passing moment, but it didn't seem to faze her.

"We need a plan that's actually feasible, not some half-baked scheme that'll get us all killed," she replied, her fists clenched on the table. She was fuming, and you know what? So was I and I wasn't going to let her play with me like that.

"First of all, nobody is going to get killed, and second, at least I'm offering solutions instead of shooting down every idea," I said, my rage building.

Beverly and Stella pivoted their gazes between us as if our conversation was a tennis match. Brooke, on the other hand, had turned her back to us, looking out the window. She was quiet. Too quiet.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Grace, for not wanting to end up at the edge of death again!" Heather yelled.

Whoa. That was hurtful. Brooke turned to us immediately, anger crossing her face.

"What the hell is going on here?" Brooke said enraged. 

I froze. My hands trembled, and I quickly hid them under the table. Heather's eyes were like knives, slicing through me. I held her gaze as if by doing so, I could resist her fury. Silence enveloped us. Stella and Beverly shrugged.

"Alright, we're gonna take a break. We'll return in five minu-" Before Brooke could finish, I stood up and left the room abruptly. My stomach ached as if it were compressing and wanting to fold in on itself. It was coming. Damn it. Not now. An unpleasant tingling began to gnaw at my legs, weakening them by the second. The knot in my stomach rose to my chest, invading my lungs like a deadly poison. Damn it, hold on, Grace. I reached the restroom just in time. I locked myself in one of the stalls, and then, as if a wall rose in my lungs, I couldn't breathe anymore.

I closed my eyes and slumped to the ground, leaning against the wall separating one stall from the other. I placed one hand on my racing heart, feeling it pounding like a drum. Cold sweat dripped from my forehead. I couldn't do anything but wait as my body plunged me into the depths of panic.

Suddenly, footsteps and the sound of the door opening. Someone had entered the restroom. I caught a glimpse of a pair of boots from the door frame and then I heard a voice.

"I thought you'd learned your lesson after what happened last time. But here you are, suggesting the same reckless ideas." Heather's voice cut through the tense air, her words landing like a punch to the gut.

I didn't want to answer. Not now, not ever.

She continued. "You don't want to talk now? Alright. It didn't seem like that back there."

Silence. The only thing that could be heard was my desperate gasps, trying to get the air my lungs craved and refused at the very same time. Pull yourself together, Grace. You can't let her see you like this.

"Grace?" Her voice was now different. Showing a hint of concern. Then, she knock on my door. "I see you sitting on the floor from here. What's going on?" She asked, her concern gradually increasing in her voice.

Silence. 

Damn. Grace, come on.

"Grace," she said, her tone firm. "Open the door." It was an order. I recognized that commanding tone. It felt familiar. Very familiar. Amidst my blurred vision of the surroundings, memories from the past flooded back to me as if in a dream: She as a Narval Officer, commanding at the border.

"Grace!" she yelled, and I snapped back to the present.

I kicked the door, causing it to swing open violently. Heather stared at me, her eyes wide with shock. I wasn't sure what I looked like, but it was certainly not my best moment. Still, I refused to feel ashamed. I didn't want her pity.

"What's wrong?!" Heather exclaimed, clearly alarmed. Then she knelt down, extending a hand towards me as if to offer comfort. But I recoiled instinctively.

"Don't. Touch. Me." I managed to mumble.

She stepped back.

Luckily, my heart was getting back on track, and I slowly felt the air filling up my lungs again. Heather was still like a statue, just staring at me. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her head. Even though her expression had changed, I couldn't quite figure out what she was feeling.

I got up, still a bit shaky, and shuffled over to the sink. Man, I looked like I'd just run a marathon when I caught my reflection. I splashed some water on my face to freshen up.

"Are you ok?" She finally asked.

"Honestly? No." I said drying my face with a towel. "Got any other critiques for me, or are we done here?" I retorted.

Heather didn't answer.

"Good, then," I said and without any other word made my way to the exit and slammed the door behind me.

I walked down the seemingly endless corridor, trying to get myself back together. God, what a start. Nothing was going as I had thought. It was worse. A disaster. How were we even gonna pull off this mission when we're all at each other's throats like this? I reached the fountain and poured myself a glass of water. I felt dry, physically and mentally.

"Grace" Brooke's voice came from the distance. I turned and saw her coming towards me. Just what I needed. I took a long sip of my water, but God I would die now for some of Tanya's magic drinks right now. 

Brooke halted in front of me, her arms folded tightly across her chest. "Can you tell me what the hell happened back there?" she said, clearly annoyed.

I sight. I had no idea where to start from. I couldn't tell her all the truth, but I mean... I had to give her something.

"Heather and I have some unsolved issues..." I mumbled.

"Oh, really? I hadn't realized!" Brooke said ironically. "Come on, Grace, tell me something I don't know," she insisted.

"It's nothing, I swear. We'll solve it,"

Brooke stared into my eyes as if she wanted to see into my soul.

"You better do."

Author's note: 

Hey there! The meeting was a bit shaky... When you talk with people with whom you have unresolved issues, are you able to stay calm and discuss them without exploding? I'm the best at pretending everything is okay and then being super awkward, hahaha. What about you?

Love you all and thanks for being here with me! 💖

Ava 💫