The lamps next to us suddenly turned on to create the feeling of night.
''The night feels a little artificial.''
I tried to change the topic.
''Even if we leave at 3 in the morning, we couldn't tell if it's night without these lights.''
I yawned. Still sitting on the ground.
''That's probably the point. By the way, we need to go before you fall asleep.''
Even though I hated she was referring to me specifically, but she wasn't wrong.
''Fair enough.''
I got up from the grund.
''Lead the way.''
She also stood up. And started walking afterwards.
I followed her.
...
While walking in the tree sided road, we heard a voice raising on the soil bellow.
''Watering begins.''
Behind the trees, something started to spray water towards us with high pressure.
Her cartography tool may be soaked.
The water reached my face. Freezing as always. I wasn't suprised.
220 was protecting her big pocket with her arms.
''Let's be quick.''
I started running. She followed me behind.
''Who waters plants with this kind of pressure level?''
''This is wrong.''
There was't a doubt that this was wrong. But why? Why someone decided to water plants at this pressure?
Weird.
...
We left the atrium barely.
I was soaking, water dripping each step and breath.
I dried my face with a cloth.
wasn't much different.
''No.''
She muttered.
''What happened?''
I looked her arms. She slowly raised it.
''Don't tell me...''
''...''
She slowly aproached towards a bench. And started pulling out her tools carefully.
''That can't be true.''
I slowly approached her.
I saw the scene and immediately turned my back.
I stomped to the ground in anger.
''All the ink was scattered around..''
I turned my back to look at the scene again.
She started shifting every tool she was carrying.
She slowly opened her notebook. The pages were stuck together. Black stains covered entire sections. Some pages had become completely unreadable.
220 didn't say anything.
''How bad it is?''
I said with a worried tone.
''Several maps.''
She swallowed.
''Explarotion notes. Supply records. Route plans.''
I looked 220. Then soaked tools again.
''This is a major blow for our committee.''
She reached her hand towards the tools. And pulled her invaulable ink pen.
She opened it slowly. Her eyes half closed while expecting something bad. Like her life depended on it.
Inside, the pen sat silently.
''At least this one survived.''
I nodded.
''I can redraw maps. I can rewrite reports.''
She swallowed hard again.
''But some things... Were written only once.''
She started collecting the tools.
''Some things?''
She looked at me.
Then, averted her gaze.
''Important things. You don't need to know for know.''
This was one of the typical movements of 220.
She finished collecting her tools, then started walking.
''Let's think about this problem later. We have more important things to do right now''
She stopped for a second.
''But for now, I want you to know...''
I wonder what she will say.
''These events wasn't random.''
Even, the fool that I am, eventually understood. Because The acts that happened is really concerning.
''You are right.''
For some reason, I had a bad feeling inside me, but I chose to keep it to myself.
...
I looked at the sign again before leaving atrium 2A.
200 meters. Not that bad.
We kept walking.
There was a slurping sound at every step.
I removed my eye patch. the moisture made the swelling and pain more intense.
I put the patch in my pocket.
That felt better.
We kept walking.
...
Eventually, we made into the atrium 1A.
It really were different.
Unlike the oak and pine trees,
We encountered a completely different one.
What was that?
220 turned back towards me.
''Do you--''
She immediately stopped when she saw me.
''You... Look like a monster.''
Monster?
''What?''
I almost asked what she meant.
Then, I remembered. My eye.
I still wasn't used to seeing only half of the world.
''I recommend you to put that on.''
I never thought I'd look this bad.
turned my back and put the eye patch.
I would rather feel the pain than being called a monster.
''Anyways, what you were going to say?''
''Do you know what kind of tree it is?''
''I was going to ask that too.''
Even 220 had no idea.
''Maybe an exotic species.''
She nodded.
''Let's look at it.''
We aproached to weird trees. There were people investigating the trees.
''Hello?''
A small group turned towards us.
''Do you know what these trees are?''
None of them responded.
I heard someone turning a page down.
thirty seconds of complete silence.
Then, among the group, one of them stepped forward.
He handed me a booklet.
''Chilean araucaria''
What kind of tree was that?
I started reading the description out loud to the group.
''Chilean araucaria,''
I continued reading.
''One of the oldest tree families on earth. Its ancestors existed over fifty million years ago.''
...
I kept reading.
''It grows extremely slowly, yet it can survive for more than a thousand years.''
I inhaled deeply from the long talk.
I closed the small hand book.
I lowered the booklet And handed the owner.
''That's interesting.''
I said.
''What's interesting with that?''
Someone said from the group.
220 looked at the tree.
''Thousand years...''
She stopped for a second.
''That's longer than most countries.''
...
''The volcanic part caught my attention.''
I exhaled quietly.
''Even though there aren't any volcanoes that harm the plant.''
She stepped forward and responded.
''Then why does it matter?''
I adjusted my eyepatch, still soaked. Including my body.
''I dont know. I just think it's strange. Something adapted to defend itself from lava and ashes...''
I stopped for a second.
''And we decide to plant it there.''
What I said really made sense. No other question could be asked of her.
''By the way, what you all doing in here?''
220 asked to the group.
''We are wandering atrium to atrium.''
''Atrium to atrium?''
''Yeah. what's wrong?''
The person I thought was the group leader stepped forward and was talking to 220. Or to tell you the truth, 220 started talking to them.
I decided to observe as always.
''You said you were visiting atriums. Can you tell us about these? I mean... how many did you all wandered so far?''
The leader of the group stopped for a second.
''Including this one?''
''Yes.''
''Seven. Maybe eight. We lost count after a while.''
220's eyen narrowed slightly.
''Seven? Are there that many?''
''More.''
I also frowned.
How? Why is this place so big?
The leader pointed somewhere behind us.
''We never really counted. But if I had to guess...''
He looked around the atrium to arrange the location while pointing random places.
''The atriums are arranged like a number line.''
''A number line?''
220 asked.
Afterwards, the leader nodded.
''Grand Bazaar runs through the middle. Then, the atriums spread to both sides.''
He pointed to west.
''3A, 2A and 1A.''
Afterwards, he pointed to opposite direction.
''Then 1B, 2B and 3B''
...
''At least that's the pattern we noticed.''
220 seemed interested.
''How far does it continue? I visited the Grand Bazaar a few days ago and tried to walk to the farthest part.''
The leader shrugged.
''We tried it too. But We have no idea about the atriums.''
He stopped for a moment.
''We found F. Someone claimed they reached G''
...
''Beyond that...''
He shook his head.
''Nobody in our group knows.''
He lowered his hand.
''But the strange thing isn't the atriums.''
220's gaze was locked into him, listening every detail mindfully.
''It's the stairs.''
''What about them?''
220 asked eagerly.
''They don't always take you where you expect. Sometimes you go up and reach another section of the same floor. Sometimes you go down and somehow end up somewhere completely different.''
That sounded ridiculous. Yet everyone including the leader nodded.
''Everything we've explored so far...''
The leader looked around.
''Has only been the middle section of the third floor.''
220's posture and face changed slightly.
...
The leader remained silent for a moment. Then, he looked at 220.
''You're the leader of Aetheris, right?''
''Yes.''
''The mapping committee.''
''Something like that.''
''You were planning to map the complex.''
''I still am. With my assistant.''
She really sees me as an assistant.
...
''Good luck.''
''What is that supposed to mean?''
''We've spent 2 days wandering around. And we're still discovering new places.''
He glanced at the group behind him for a second.
Then, at the araucarias.
''I didn't even know theese trees existed until today.''
...
''You need people.''
She herself said Aetheris needs capable people. This exactly matched what she said before.
''Actually... I wanted to propose something.''
220 nodded.
''Go on.''
''We don't want to map the complex. We're Scouters. And you want to map complex as the Aetheris.''
This committee must have been established while I was absent. The same day Aetheris was proposed to system.
''We just want to explore it.''
''And?''
''Your committee records information. And my committee gathers information.''
They stared each other for a second. Someone tried to interupt the leader by touching his shoulder.
''In conclusion, our interests overlap.''
220 crossed her arms.
''Explain.''
The leader changed his posture.
''Whenever we discover a new area, We send the report to Aetheris. Together, your committee will have a rough idea of that area before mapping it.''
''And in return?''
Team leader smiled faintly.
''I have one condition.''
220 crossed her arms.
''Let's hear it.''
''Any area mapped by Aetheris must be shared with the scouting committee. Even if we haven't visited it.''
Silence followed his words. The last sentence hit hard.
220 though for a second.
''That gives your committee access to places you've never explored.''
''That's correct.''
''And what exactly do we receive in return?''
220 asked.
...
Before the leader could answer, someone placed a hand on his shoulder.
''Wait, leader. thats too much.''
A girl stepped forward from
''She's right. We're asking for access to maps of places we've never explored.''
The leader remained silent. It was a fair question.
Then, silence.
I guess that's my turn as the crisis support. I raised my hand behind 220.
''Then I have a proposal.''
Nobody said anything. But everyone started looking at me.
Similar to the moment when I was speaking at meeting room.
''A proposal that would balance the agreement.''
The leader crossed his arms.
''Go ahead.''
I looked between 220 and the group.
''Neither committee should have the authority to publish shared information on its own.''
Silence followed. I guess my words hit hard.
Someone raised his hand from the group.
''Then who decides?''
''A commission.''
...
''Whenever a discovery is considered important enough to be released, representatives from both committees will discuss it.''
I stopped for a second.
''And a vote. If both sides approve, the imformation becomes public.''
The group leader stared at me.
''You're asking us to share authority.''
''I'm asking both sides to share responsibiity.''
I cleaned my throat.
''And for the last thing, The leader remained silent. Then, he nodded.
''Acceptable.''
I guess something is still off.
I need to propose this fastly.
''Ahem. One more thing.''
The leader was instructing someone to write something on a paper.
''The maps we provide and the information you provide will remain confidental unless both committees authorize its release. No unlateral publication, no hidden disclosures.''
I stopped for a second.
''No exceptions. If those terms accepted, I am willing to approve this agreement.''
...
''Any objections?''
For a moment, I felt like I had taken control.
''None from me.''
''Sounds fair.''
''Agreed.''
They started agreeing one by one.
Then, the leader got the paper from the back.
And extended his hand.
''Will you agree?''
For a brief moment, everyone seemed to wait for 220 to speak.
She moved her hand towards leader.
Then, in an instant,
Before she could take it, I reached out.
220 looked at me almost instantly.
For a moment, she looked geniunely suprised.
''Then, we have an agreement.''
...
Silence.
I looked at the extended hand that I was holding.
Then at 220. She didn't say anything.
''I look forward to working with you.''
''Likewise.''
When I finally released his hand, the leader started speaking again.
''Then it's settled.''
He handed the document from his bag.
''The agreement can be finalized now.''
He reached for a pen.
Then stopped.
His gaze shifted toward 220.
Meanwhile, 220 was looking at me.
''Won't you grab it?''
I asked.
She finally grabbed it.
But instead of signing, She handed the pen.
''You negotiated it, you sign first.''
I stopped for a brief second.
Me?
Even the team leader looked suprised.
The members looked each other.
220 continued.
''You spoke on behalf of Aetheris. It's fair.''
For the first time, I couldn't find something to object.
I took the pen from 220's hands.
Team leader guided me somewhere flat.
...
I raised the pen high.
But didn't sign.
Instead, I started reading the paper.
The leader looked at me.
''Something wrong?''
''Not yet.''
My eyes moved from line to line.
Examining every word, clause and condition.
''You don't trust us?''
Someone said.
''Trust has nothing to do with it. A signature is simply a promise to accept consequences.''
Then, the team leader smiled.
''Good answer.''
I continued reading.
''Shared information. Comission. What we will give.''
I readed out loud. There wasn't a single mistake.
The person who wrote it actually did a great job.
Satisfied, I raised the pen once again.
...
And wrote the name.
Yukio Enomoto, 518.
Then signed it.
I pushed the document forward.
...
The leader immediately grabbed it.
He glanced through the paper one last time.
Then wrote his information.
Just as I decided to leave, Team leader spoke.
''Wait. The second paper.''
Second paper?
I immediately looked him.
''What's that for?''
''Having the same paper in both of our possession legitimizes the situation.''
That was true. I started waiting for him to finish signing.
Then, he handed me the paper.
''Your turn.''
I picked up the document. Same as before. Same handwriting.
Then, I noticed the team leaders name.
Ruz Vulkov. 401.
I've never met a russian person in my life.
Before doing anything else, I started reading it.
Again.
''you really weren't joking.''
Ruz said.
''About what?''
''Reading everything twice.''
''People usually skip this part. That's exactly why I don't.''
A few people chuckled.
...
Everything matched with the 1st paper. No additional clauses, altered wording and hidden conditions.
I raised the pen once again.
Yukio Enomoto, 518.
When I wrote it, someone stepped beside me.
220.
She didn't say anything.
I placed the pen down.
''Something wrong?''
I asked.
220 didn't take her eyes off the paper.
One second, two second.
Seconds followed one another.
''No.''
She kept looking at it.
''Then what are you looking at?''
This time, she finally looked up.
''The agreement.''
''That's not what you were looking at.''
What I said was true. While her eyes should have moved while reading, it didn't. She was focusing on a single point.
Under the paper. More specifically,
My signature.
What she said was clearly a lie.
''You're imagining things.''
...
Ruz clapped his hands.
''The agreement has been completed. 518, You can keep this paper.''
I folded the paper and put into my pocket.
Then, rolled the pen onto his side.
''I will form a group and add every person in here. By the way, the person near 518, may you give me your number?''
220 looked at Ruz.
''220.''
''Okay then, it's completed.''
Ruz started to move inside the atrium.
''Hope to see you again, 220 and 518.''
I shook my hand in return.
The members of scouting committee started following Ruz.
We also started walking to the opposite direction.
The sound of our foorsteps echoed through the atrium.
...
For once, neither of us spoke.
There were still many things I wanted to ask. About the agreement.
About her reaction. About everything happened today.
I opened my mouth. Then inhaled.
''This took longer than I expected.''
220 spoke before me.
...