Blurry Eyed

8.3.5 SW
Evening SW-CP-Local Time
Crowning Point > Residential Hex > Nila and Maryam's Flat

A broken Nila awoke from an impromptu nap, eyes blurry and her head an utter mess. She adjusted her bra, pulling the strap back over her shoulder. Then in the corner of her eye, she noticed her SutterLynk device repeatedly beeping. She had never liked the sounds that were made by her device, it was an annoying and whiney sine noise that felt like it gave Nila tinnitus.

But it was unusual for the device to keep repeating like this, it meant only bad news. "Shit," Nila said to herself. With all the energy she could muster she leapt forward and grabbed the device. "Attention all colonists..." she started to read to herself. Then moments later, "lockdown?". "Shit," she groaned as she finished reading through. The situation at the hatchery must have been worse than she anticipated it to be, and then she started to worry about Erikson and Osman again. At least sleep brought her solace from that.

She went out into the apartment to look for Maryam, but there was no sight of her housemate. "Maryam?" Nila called just in case she was hiding somewhere or was behind a counter, anything really. No reply. Nila went to Maryam's room and pushed the door forward slightly so as not to disturb her. "Maryam? You in there?" Nothing but silence again. "Where the fuck is she? Is she stupid?" Nila asked herself, irritated by her friend's wandering off. As quickly as her fingers would allow her Nila started to compose a message to Maryam. Asking where she was, why would she go out in a lockdown, or why she didn't leave a note saying where she would be. As Nila pressed send she heard something she didn't want to hear. The SutterLynk notification sound from Maryam's device in her room. "You have got to be kidding me!" she complained.

Nila wasn't one to break rules, as much as she loved Maryam she didn't want to think of all the consequences of being caught breaking lockdown procedures. So she went over to the sofa and lifted her knees up and promptly rested her chin on them. It was an incredibly uncomfortable way to sit but something Nila had always done whenever she felt stressed. Then she started to wait, hoping that Maryam would return.

TBC