The Storm (SVep)

Story
‘’Log. The day following the attack. Sapphire seems to be okay, I’m preparing myself for a meeting with my fellow secretaries to discuss the events which took place. We also have a new member I’m sure they will like.’’

The meeting room was small, just barely larger than an office space meant for three. The white walls, as plain as they were, welcomed me into the formal environment after a long pause of inactivity among the high caste. Blue Goldstone came to me immediately after I had returned with Sapphire, asking me to begin weekly meetings with the secretaries again. I wouldn’t object.

I gently place the recording device back down on the table, letting it dissipate into dust before continuing with welcoming my colleagues to the meeting. Hopefully they will be okay with my leading the conversations for today.

The three of us sit at a relatively small, hard-light table, notes from the previous meeting popping up for each of us on our own Holo Screens. “I would like to call this meeting to attention,” I squeak out, swiping the notes aside for a clean page, placing my stylus onto the screen and begin to write the time.

“Second,” Boulder Opal announces after a short cough, startling Harlequin Opal.

“Yes, of course...” I finish the time and produce the agenda for today’s discussion. “First things first, Blue Goldstone has allowed a new secretary alongside the new additions for the other jobs within the High Caste.”

“I can’t believe she was able to find another Opal,” Harlequin mutters over her coffee. I have never understood why she enjoys such earth drinks.

“It’s funny you mention that... She isn’t an Opal.”

Boulder Opal glanced over at Harlequin then stared me in the eyes. “You can’t be serious.”

Stuttering, I followed with a nod and, “Y-yes, ma’am. She’s a B-Bismuth.”

“Amazing. We can’t get more original than that can we?” Harlequin draws out, taking a sip of her beverage, then glancing at Boulder awkwardly. “So, what’s she like, then?”

The Bismuth comes around the corner at last, her floating limbs seem serene as she makes her way inside. She looked almost lost as she sat down, the other two Opals patiently waiting for her to make any noise at all.

“Hello, I am Bismuth, I am looking forward to work with you all from now on.”

I smile at her, turn to the other two, then introduce them. “I’m Gold Opal, as you know. Boulder Opal is the one wearing a mask--”

“An interesting choice of accessory,” the grey skinned gem notes quietly, before I continue.

“And Harlequin Opal is the one drinking coffee.”

“Hello.”

There was silence before I continued awkwardly. “The incident of yesterday...”

I recounted the happenings as shared with me by Crystal Opal. It all happened too fast for me to give every little detail.

“Two pearls, one topaz,” I noted, coming up with the data of all three gems. “A Mocha Pearl, Creamrose Pearl, and a Cave Creek Jasper. Sapphire has detained the Pearls but the Jasper was let free with a fine for harassment. There are no further points to discuss. Motion to adjourn the meeting?”

“I motion,” Boulder mutters.

“Second,” Harlequin follows.

The Holo Screens close themselves, the regular and overpowering white environment returns. “I call this meeting to an end. Thank you for joining us today, Bismuth.”

-

The gates open wide for us. “What are we doing today?”

Crystal Opal accompanies me today outside the gates of the High Caste, her enthusiasm is beyond me but I am glad to be able to work beside her some day in the future. “A quick inventory of the surrounding area, that is all.”

“What if that Jasper returns?”

I laugh before answering. “Crystal, you’ve trained this far, you handled him before, I’m sure you would still be able to handle him.”

“Oh...” she whispers, flushing a lilac on her cheeks. “Right.”

We both walk the outside perimeter of the castle grounds, making sure everything is still in order both in the outside and in the immediate area. Not much has changed since two weeks ago when I last went on duty.

As we continue with our checks, Crystal becomes more and more nervous, almost as if she’s about to have a break down on the wall. I turn abruptly, giving her a small scare before checking her over about a thousand times. “Is everything okay?”

Crystal seems to be on the brink of tears, her normally alice blue face pales to pure white, her under eyes taking on a shade of grey with stress. “Sapphire seemed so worried about the events of yesterday, it scared me a bit, I’ve never seen her take so much responsibility for an incident, or even so serious at all. She’s always...”

“Soft? Kind? Yes, that’s what she wants everyone to think... Believe me, when I first came into the Caste and met her, she was a charm to work with but Harlequin didn’t take her personality too well, making various quips at her before being shook into line. That’s her tactic against life.”

The ground gives way beneath us as I finish my sentence. Time seemed to slow around us as we fell. Crystal Opal was ready to give up on herself through panic and I attempted to remain calm.

I took a deep breath and reached to embrace Crystal Opal to calm her.

Time stopped.

For everyone.

Except us.

A little gem of pastel purple and orange came down to meet us, making her way on the tops of the broken parts of the cliffside.

“Hey, are you guys okay?” Her accent was foreign, her gestures more foreign. “Just give me a moment and I’ll put you two back, please.” She conjured up a small symbol of circles, twisting it back and forth, here and there until we finally began to reverse onto the cliffside, the earth following.

Reality rippled as she let go of the cryptic symbol. She was tiny, about half my size, maybe less. “Hackmanite, a returning chief from the outskirts. Time’s back to normal but please return inside the gates as soon as possibly.

The attire of Hackmanite was somehow unappealing, a floating violet top surrounding her upper body, matching shorts covering her lower, slightly lighter coloured thigh high socks, flats, and floating, sky blue bangles two sizes too big for her wrists and ankles.

We follow her orders as she dives to the below world, disappearing a second after we return to safety.