The Rise Of The Consortium

Hello, NewUser064. The system scanned Rio's device on her wrist and allowed her into the restaurant. It wasn't the same one she had come a few days ago. Rather it was on a tiny complex deep in street five. The receptionist noticed her.

"Hello. How can I help you?" said the receptionist.

"Umm, there's a task here that I've to do," said Rio showing her wrist to him to read.

"Newly appointed?"

"Yes," said Rio hesitatingly. She didn't have any proof that she has been doing these things for a couple of years, would anyone believe without that?

"The power source is in the backyard. Here's the way." the receptionist showed her the way from where he stood. Remembering the directions, she headed towards the backyard.

The first work after getting the device was at a restaurant. The device showed her the direction with maximum time she can spend doing that. There were many more steps to complete her first work. She would have to check the speed of the machine that was working before fixing, then do whatever was needed and then record the new speed after fixing.

She had only half an hour doing that. Looking at that, she couldn't understand why one would need such a long time. Even if one doesn't have that spray, one shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to clean that. 'It's only dust. Not your typical glue' wondered aloud.

She used only her trusty screwdriver to get rid of stubborn dust. It normally takes a brush to remove those, but it looked like someone sprayed water on it. It was stuck so hard with the surface.

Her mind was on her task only. But how much would they pay me for this? A question struck her mind. She brought her wrist nearer to have a look at it. 85 COH. They wanna pay that much just because they can't clean it themselves. Will they get their hands blooded the way she saw in her dreams?

After finishing with the locking mechanism of the power backup, she opened the door to have a look at that. She looked around to make sure it was disconnected. She went ahead and moved her hands as fast as she could.

After a while, the receptionist appeared from behind. He intently saw her working.

"All done?" asked the receptionist.

"Just a minute. Could you please turn it back on? I need to check the speed." said Rio hurriedly closing the compartment and dusting away her hands. Glittery dust flew in the air as she dusted her tools.

"You don't look like a newbie." said the receptionist.

"Yes. Cause I've been doing the same thing for the last three years," said Rio, noting the readings and confirming in her task sheet.

"Then your device showed…."

"It showed because I lost my card this morning," said Rio looking at the apologetic face of the receptionist. "To be honest, I accidentally burnt it."

"Have you been working with the card all these years?"

"Yes. Do we get anything else during our internship?" said Rio. She doubted there was anything else other than the work card.

"No, I mean didn't you get the device on your…." his inquiries went off as Rio interrupted, "No. I don't know why I didn't get it after I turned eighteen. But that doesn't matter now." she prepared to leave the location. "I've got a lot to do."

She reached the reception desk to scan her device that confirmed her work and it blinked as it received her first 85 coins of health. Was her first day of work looked like this? It was cheerful but she still has to do a lot. At least to have enough to give to her mother, if she didn't want her to know anything about this mishap.

The first day had places that were quite high profile. Hospitals, cafes, shopping centers, and even banks. Isn't the chairman worried about this? So many places are lacking work speed and this person doesn't seem to worry about anything. Of course, Mr. Maning is worried about his family drama instead of this.

Not every place had such an understanding of receptionist or even an employee. Many were lost on the TV screen with the repetitive headlines of Mrs. Maning. They were too busy to care about 'who the new silver dust cleaning girl' or even 'isn't it the girl who is on the screen'. They looked at Kner sympathetically which burned Rio's heart.

Some even had time to question her new identity. Funny thing was that no one asked her name. Was she lucky today? Or they didn't mind? Who cares when you have to have money to handover to your mother else she would swoon and upon waking her would run off to the scary swirl?

Another thing that struck her mind was what if her dreams have become a reality? What if Kner had left her in the figurative swirl in the city and runoff, laughing? What if her mother would push her off the ground? What if she gets her hand bloodied just when she touches the glittered dust? Her screwdriver fell right on her foot, making her alert. She was on the top of the tower that controlled traffic. It worked on its own. The view of the city looked a step away from being perfect. What was the mess, she couldn't tell it right away. But it looked as if a storm had just passed by, destroying everything in its way.

Her palm-reader on her wrist vibrated, showing her a notification. Cl.i.c.k.i.n.g on it her jaw dropped.

'The future chairman' s ex-girlfriend speaks the evil language of Zolzeim. '

Rio didn't feel like its anything about her. She was sure it must be someone else. Reading more about that, her mind whirled seeing it to be the claim made by Mrs. Maning. Does she know anything else other than this? Her eyes didn't believe as she read further that it was indeed written about her.

'Rionora Tarnilier, the intern who looks innocent but is not.' She sighed reading the sentence. That doesn't explain anything.

'The one who should focus on her work wandered around with my son. Despite my objections, she never listened to us. Everyone is aware of the cheap tricks of the workers but sadly my son didn't know any of it.

Forgetting her limits, she coaxed him to give her higher posts before she completed her projects. Instead, my son had to give her something else. He even had to pay her from our treasury just because she didn't get what she wanted. The workers, don't even know that's how it doesn't work. But sadly they stay where they are, don't even know the basic knowledge of the work thingy works.

When he decided to give her a nice post in our company, he asked something from her in return. But she dared not to obey him and along with it, she even threatened him the evil language of Zolzeim. I fear she has secret trades with them and conspires against our country.

I want immediate the police to arrest her for her crimes. It's not my word, it's my son's demand. If the city wants its next chairman to be healthy, do them justice. Get rid of the girl.

Our next chairman would be the next Gliustav Maning if everyone supports him now. He needs your help in this darkest time. 'she finished reading the article in one breath.

Her head felt heavy going through the article. She slid on the floor of the traffic control room, trying to catch her breath. When was she warned before? The only warning she ever got was on Kysop' s birthday. And what was the evil language she is talking about? Rio doesn't know anything other than her Katokein tongue. It was him who wanted the password and he threatened most of the time, even bullied her and her mother. She couldn't remember a thing said to him, let alone words of threat. He indeed took her outside or even treated her with nice things. Wait, it was mostly nice restaurants for dinner. 'I want to get away from home for a while', that were his words when he took her along with him. So the dinner at those places cost him a million? She couldn't think of what she should do now. The news that was between a few people is out now. Everyone would get rid of her. She even ordered an arrest. Did the matter reach that extreme and she didn't even realize any of it? Had he told her to stay away one single time, she would have stopped working there. She just wanted her certificate after a few days of working. Oh, occasionally she did ask him for any stable job in a nice place. 'I can even give you the companies in my hand', indeed were his words. The scenes ran in a loop in her head, making her close her eyes. Gladly there was no one in the control room, else it would have been embarrassing to cry in public. How can he just lie like that to his mom? Doesn't he know what was going on between them? Rio even stopped asking him for work since the last week, let alone the stable job after the internship.

This news must have gone to her mom. She would finish her for sure. Her heart twisted thinking about what she would do at home. She decided not to go home early. But where should she go if not home? The whole city must be looking for her. Will her mom hand her over to the police? Was her nightmare becoming a reality?