[The door to the booth opens with a very clear "I'm done with this shit," and Dick walks back in, head hanging like a man who just survived an IRS audit. He drops into his chair and exhales so deeply the microphone almost files for resignation]“Baby… I’ll be honest.
The way you described Vael?
Their marketing department should cut you a massive check.Now I get it—
that Neo-Seoul Skyloop™ doesn’t just teach people how to dress pretty and slam doors dramatically…They also train you to describe cosmic freaks so well
half our degenerates are already flooding Bookings.space
trying to buy tickets to a place with a giant sign that says:YOU IDIOTS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN
That’s what you are, sweetie…
Beautiful.
And cruel.”
[He drags a hand across his face, like he's trying to wipe off his own despair]“Alright.
Now that you lulled half the audience to sleep with that soft voice of yours…
Let me continue the story.”
[He suddenly slams both hands on the table]“WAKE THE HELL UP, YOU DAMN GREMLINS!
Take a deep breath of nitrogen—
and let’s keep going.”
The Z-P-N-E-S sliced through Elyndar’s atmosphere
like it owned the planet by birthright.
And of course, Zeros didn’t miss the chance to announce it out loud:”
“YOUR LOST CHILD HAS RETURNED HOME!
OPEN THE DAMN HANGAR GATES!”
Across the spaceport, the Aelori collectively sighed.
And then… they opened the gates.
Fast.
Like there was some unspoken protocol:
“Better let him in
than deal with what happens if we don’t.”
Looks like someone had a very bad experience
trying to keep Zeros out.
[On the broadcast, a soft, thin inhale from Jackie—almost a whisper, almost static]“How is that possible?..
They actually let him in?
But… why?..”
[It was a genuine question. A scientist's question.
Because what just happened… should not have happened.“But Dick didn’t even register her confusion.”
[If anything—he sped up, like stopping would mean having to explain something]“Anyway!
An hour later, Zeros is already tossing Blindy onto a med table
like a sack of spoiled meat in an overcrowded ER.”
A dull thud. Metal creaks. Blindy wheezes out a weak “ow.”
Zeros looms over the Aelori physician—
who looks way too calm to be a real doctor.
“Sael.
Patch this idiot up.
He…”
Zeros pauses, searching for words like he’s trying to simulate emotion.
“…I need him.”
The Aelori adjusts their semi-transparent cyber lenses—
a smooth, fluid motion, almost like a dance.
“Oh? I see he’s very important to you,”
They say with a soft smile—impossible to tell whether it’s humor or analysis.
“We’ll fix him right up.”
Zeros freezes.
Just for a moment.
A fraction of a second.
Then, cold. Metallic:
“No.
I need him… well… to draw fire.
When he’s with me, they shoot him first.
It’s an efficient system.”
Blindy, half-dead, mutters through a blood-choked breath:
“Wow…
so much love…”
Zeros mutters, without even turning his head.
“SHUT UP, and bleed quietly,”