Et Tu Brutus?

Walking to work the next morning was not easy. Sedona resisted the urge to keep checking all around her to see if she was being watched. Or followed. While searching the faces of people walking toward her, she realized there was an unusual amount of chatter going on. Voices held a sense of urgency, even anxiety. Were Tokyo’s ominous predictions beginning to show already?

Carefully, so as to avoid notice, Sedona crept forward until she was close enough to a group of people to hear what they were saying. Oh no! Another roofer had fallen this morning. And died. Immediately her thoughts went to Jakarta. But wait, she assured herself, Jakarta is an experienced roofer and he’s always very careful. Surely it couldn’t be him. She made herself relax.

She walked confidently into the scout’s control room, then stopped when everyone in the room deliberately turned their backs on her. What was going on? Had Merida’s hysterics the other day infected everyone there? Glancing around the room, she noticed Merida was no where in sight. The commander’s door opened and Athen’s head appeared in the doorway. “Sedona! Get in here,” he barked.

Sedona did not hesitate, even though her stomach clenched at the tone in his voice. She swallowed once, tucked in her chin, and marched right into his office. But she was careful to close the door tightly behind her.

“What’s this I hear that you’ve brought contraband, toxic artifacts into the dome?”

Sedona was confused … artifacts? Then it clicked, “Oh, do you mean the rocks? Sir, I only picked up two and they went all the way through the decontamination chamber with me. So, they’re clean.”

“I don’t care if you spit-polished them, they’re still contraband. And a violation. Sedona, what were you thinking? Or maybe you weren’t thinking!”

“What do you mean by that sir?”

“Merida has reported that you’ve been ‘hearing things’ while you’re in the wasteland. Just how long has that been going on? Any why haven’t you gone to be examined for it?

“I haven’t been hearing things sir!” Now Sedona was getting annoyed – what on earth had Merida told Athens? And why would she deliberately try to get Sedona in trouble like this? “I’ve been noticing intermittent sounds and vibrations for quite some time when I’ve been out on patrol. And I have noted it all in my reports. Both Merida and I have been doing data checks on our equipment readouts to see if anything has shown up that matches it. We just haven’t been able to find a source for it yet.”

“Well, I must tell you I’m concerned about all this. Added to your violation of contraband rules, (and it flashed through her mind to wonder how Pariss had managed to get all his rocks into the city) I have no recourse but to take you off duty for the next ten days. And I’m cutting you a break Sedona, by posting it as a medical layoff, not a disciplinary one.”

“Thank you, sir,” responded Sedona meekly. Meanwhile she was planning to hunt Merida down!

“That’s not all. Sedona I’m ordering you to get a thorough physical clearance at the clinic before I can let you report back to work.”

“Yes sir,” she said again. Then, just as she was turning to leave …

“And of course, you must realize that I have to report this to Lundun,” said Athens.

“Yes sir. Of course, sir.” And Sedona opened the door. As she did, scouts jumped in their seats. Clearly they had all been trying to hear her get a dressing down and Sedona was surprised at their lack of sympathy and loyalty. Maybe she had been the patrol’s pride and joy for so long that some of her fellow scouts were feeling left out. Some might even be jealous and glad to see her getting in trouble. But … Merida? Her best friend of all the scouts. Why would Merida stab her in the back like this?

Sedona left headquarters, concerned that she could be in big trouble now. If she lost her position in the scouts, she would also lose her premium apartment. Maybe she’d even have to give back her two little paintings. She didn’t want to return those paintings to the museum – they were what made her quarters truly a home.

As she drew closer to her apartment, the voices around her were still chattering and she again forced herself to listen. They were still talking about the roofer accident and … Noooo! The roofer who fell was Jakarta! Her friend was dead.

Sedona put her hand on her chest as if she could keep her heart from hurting. Oh, she thought, what must poor Merida be feeling now?

Then, another thought. What if Jakarta’s accident was ‘arranged’ because Karachi overheard him talking about the structural problems with the dome? In view of everything else she had learned in the past few days; Sedona thought it was very possible that’s exactly what happened.

Suddenly she was afraid. For herself, and for Merida. Her first response was to run to Pariss and Tokyo for protection. They both seemed to like her and to want her understanding about what was needed for the city. She fairly flew to the entrance of Tower Two, certain she would get the help she needed. And, as a bonus, she might get to see Indiga again.

But when she got to the Admin office, someone she didn’t recognize was sitting at Indiga’s desk. Sedona was disappointed not to see him, especially since this assistant seemed very stiff and serious. When Sedona asked to see Pariss, the response was brisk: “Pariss is too busy to see you now.”

Sedona rocked back on her heels. That was not what she needed to hear. What next? Where could she go now for help? Of course … Tokyo.

Relief hit her in a wave when she flung open the door to Tokyo’s suite and found Accra sitting at her desk. But that relief faded when Accra told her that Tokyo was too busy to see her right now. Sedona stayed rooted to the floor as tears began running down her face. Startled, Accra stood up, placed her hand on Sedona’s arm and said, “Stay here, I’ll be right back.

Within minutes, Tokyo slipped out the door and came to her. She took Sedona’s hands and gently squeezed them in hers while looking into her eyes. “Sedona, I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do to help you right now.”

“But I’m afraid and I don’t know what to do,” whispered Sedona.

“You’ve been learning about a lot of things going on in the city right now,” explained Tokyo. “I think you have three choices of action you can take.” She held up her hand as she counted. “One, continue supporting Lundun as you always have and try to get back in his good graces. Two, drop your loyalties to him,” she raised her eyebrows at Sedona’s gasp, “and join Pariss and me as we try to make necessary changes. Or three, lay low, don’t cause any trouble, and hope for the best. Now, I must get back to my meeting.” Tokyo paused to add, “Whichever path you choose, I wish you only the best.”

As she walked homeward, Sedona thought that laying low sounded like a good option. But at what cost?