Interlude II - The Strange Garden Pt II

Huh? Where am I? I’m pretty sure I didn’t go to sleep in an expansive, brightly-coloured garden, filled with… lilies and camellias? The skies are perfectly blue and the temperature’s warm too; something is very wrong here. Maybe garden isn’t quite right; there are waterfalls(?) off in the distance as well.

A lone woman with short black hair and pink highlights sauntered along a path and continued to assess, while gazing in every direction.

Perhaps Renka is pulling a prank or something? I’m pretty sure I don’t own a gown similar to those worn by the ancient Greeks. Even if I did own one of these, I’d at least wear it with underwear, though I will admit; it is still comforting against my skin.

‘Be not afraid, young lady; this is a safe space and you have been chosen, along with one other.’

An all-powerful woman’s voice? I presume she’s the keeper or guardian of this place. I think the voice came from over there, so I should probably investigate.

After a while spent slowly advancing through the garden, the woman came to a stop. It’s been ages since I last saw a waterfall in person; although this place is extremely calm, the sound of water and the sight still feels special. It’s not enough to drown out a rustling that I hear behind me though. I’m pretty sure there aren’t any winds, so-

‘Hey, you! Do you have any clue where we are?!’ Uwah; now that she’s turned around, I almost feel a bit scared; she’s at least 10cm taller than me and her build is nothing short of mighty; the robes are definitely working with her.

Hmm; a panicky small(ish) woman with emerald eyes and flowing brown hair, with a large camellia ribbon atop her head and small camellia earrings. Wait; why does she get accessories and I don’t? ‘I don’t know where we are, unfortunately,’ she calmly replied.

Eek! She’s even got the cold and commanding voice to match! The green-eyed woman assessed, with the redness in her cheeks intensifying once more.

‘Now, now ladies. You need not be alarmed.’

‘Um, correct me if I’m wrong, but that giant lily just spoke??’

The black and pink-haired lady nodded.

‘Yes, ladies, I am in fact a sub-incarnation of Sappho and guardian/ keeper of this land, known only as “beyond the fourth wall”. Worry not; you shall completely forget this place and be returned to your normal lives without remembering or noticing anything once you have fulfilled the role for which you were summoned here. While you are already both fairly knowledgeable on the subject matter, I have temporarily given you some more wisdom, to help with your task’ the giant pink lily advised.

The pair of women stared blankly at the large flower.

‘What is our role?’ the black and pink-haired woman bluntly asked.

The flower responded, ‘You are to give the audience a brief description of the state of infrastructure on your home island. You need not worry about the audience hearing you; simply follow my guidance and speak normally; they will hear you.

What?? You’re just going to follow the flower’s instructions?? Are you nuts? Then again, she could probably punch me into another dimension and this is quite obviously a dream, at least I think so?

In a cool and calm voice, the short-haired woman explained, ‘Travel by rail and car were the main methods for commuting or moving between regions on the island. The island actually played host to a world-renowned high-speed rail system which boasted efficiency unmatched anywhere else in the world.

‘The one disadvantage to travel by train however, was the limited space for movement, making them a ripe target for criminal gangs, given that extortion had seen an exponential rise in recent times.

The situation wasn’t helped by the somewhat mysterious disruption in wireless communications that had affected the island, limiting citizens’ ability to contact law enforcement in case of emergency.’ After a brief pause, she glanced down and across, to the rosy-cheeked woman standing nearby. ‘It’s your turn to narrate,’ she coolly advised.

‘Road systems suffered similarly to the rail system. Criminal groupings having set up checkpoints and tolls in areas where they held great influence or where law enforcement and military presences would have slow response times thanks to being distributed elsewhere. Thankfully, radio infrastructure still functioned, offering direct communications between people with the correct equipment. GSDF forces on national guard duty ensured that FM broadcasting remained stable amid the declining situation. The broadcasting systems became an essential resource, especially for advising residents on criminal hotspots that lay on the road and public transport networks.

Some digital broadcasting still remained, but many transmission hubs became infamous for being early targets by criminal operations in order to gain an information and cyber warfare advantage. Walkie-talkies more or less replaced mobile phones for calls, as the main wireless communication method on the island for ordinary citizens, when they weren’t at home and able to use localised internet connectivity.’ Is that it? That’s pretty short. Moreover, why did we get summoned to “beyond the fourth wall” for this??

‘Thank you for your service, ladies,’ the lily gently remarked, after the emerald-eyed woman’s voice ceased.

‘Thank you for the invitation,’ the taller woman replied, as she bowed.

‘Um, why are you bowing to the flower?’

‘Do you not know who Sappho is, or was, rather?’

Summoning a confused frown and narrowing her eyes, the shorter woman answered reluctantly, ‘No?’

‘A poet from ancient Greece; famous for poetry concerning love and lesbianism. She’s revered by some as a goddess as well. Paying respects could maybe positively alter some outcome in your life when you return to the real world or something.’

‘Right,’ the woman with brown hair waywardly replied. Crazy as this all is, I am not bowing to a flower, even if it can talk.

Suit yourself; I did at least try.

The powerful voice concluded, ‘I shall now be sending you both back on your way. Although your hearts are still very much untrained, I do hope that the waters of the current and incoming storms and the sunny skies which follow help you both bloom beautifully.’