Refracted

- - 21 - -

A few hours later, Elyse and I were free. Well, as free as you could get with multiple hidden personalities watching you and threatening you with mysterious, beautiful women that suddenly disappeared in the middle of the night. Normal, right?

Fortunately, Elyse had exactly the same thought process as I did in the infirmary and we both agreed to not let our emotions get in the way of the investigation. Due to that, Elyse was released only a small portion of time after me with all the blame on the non-existent animal attack. Fingers crossed that the hunt for the wild beast would deflect a little attention away from me. I could certainly have done without it.

So on we went to Lucas' office. We were determined and ready to confront him and his lies. Until we weren't. Patiently, we waited outside the familiar, grand oak door but there was no reply to our obnoxious and incessant knocking. The mood dampened and we hesitated, unsure of what to do. Usually the hero didn't come into contact with such trivial issues as the villain not being home. Not that I was saying that Lucas was a villain or anything, despite some serious anger issues, but the whole thing was quite the inconvenience.

"What now?" I asked Elyse.

"We wait, I guess," she replied.

I shrugged.

I wouldn't have noticed all the time passing if it weren't for the DigiClock on the opposite wall. Fifteen minutes, half an hour, forty-five minutes...

No Lucas but oddly nobody else either.

"Where is everyone?" I wondered aloud.

"I was just thinking that," replied Elyse, "have we missed something?"

I glanced around and suddenly Amir popped out of nowhere. "I've been looking for you two!" He exclaimed. "Come, there's a huge meeting going down in the briefing room and it starts in five minutes!"

We hurried along with Amir but luckily, the briefing room wasn't that far away from Lucas' office. As we arrived, Amir gave me a curious look and left to find a seat while Elyse and I did the same. Our lateness earned many glares and the second we sat down, the meeting could begin. Oops. I guessed the confrontation would have to wait.

"I apologise for the inconvenience but this meeting was urgent," Lucas began with a narrowed look in my direction, "but I am afraid that I come with bad news. Originally, we thought we had three weeks now until the Solar Elections. However, I have received word that an astronomer got the date wrong completely but unexpectedly and the Solar Elections have been brought forward."

"How forward?" Someone called out.

"They start tomorrow."

All round the room, everyone gasped. Tomorrow? That would be impossible, how could this have happened? All the government approved astronomers were the best of the best. Unless...

"Are the changes really due to an astronomer's mistake?" I enquired. Shocked, everyone turned to gape at me now, including Lucas. "Well, are they?"

"Well erm no," Lucas stammered, he regained composure of himself and continued. "I believe that the rumours are true and a spy among us had alerted the Higher Authority of our plans to interrupt the elections. They must have brought everything forward as a security measure to stop us from assassinating Alpha and Beta and igniting the rebellion."

"Will this stop the rebellion?" Elyse asked.

"Of course not, but we will now be even more disadvantaged than before. I have already alerted the Skyfallian Resistance and the one in Aurora, on the other side of Zyphia. They are travelling as fast as they can to get here and help but I fear there isn't enough time. We will have to start without them."