Chapter 5: The Meeting

The white analog clock ticked in the lounge room. Even though he had been the inventor of many digital technologies, there's a rustic, almost nostalgic charm that came with the clock. Jacquel enjoyed collecting them if he came across such objects in his routine walks outside. Alone. As much as he wanted to, he understood the risk of letting his wife and daughter be seen outside. He wasn't taking any chances.

He particularly enjoyed the objects that not only hold aesthetic, historical value, but also a functional element. However, at this point in time, each tick of the clock only served to make him more anxious.

Thea, sensing her husband's evident anguish, attempted to comfort him, "It will be all right," simple, effective to some degree, but not enough to completely relax Jacquel. Still, his wife's hand and loving embrace were always welcomed.

Jacquel stared at the analog clock, attempting to divert his attention to Thea instead.

The truth was, all his faculties were focused already on the "hunting equipments" and he only discovered that portal by accident. As most, if not all inventions were created. There was no doubt in his mind that he could somehow manage juggling between the modifications for the hunt, along with the upgrade and modifications to satisfy the government with the portal.

He miscalculated the estimated time it would take before he discovered the rift, and he needed more time. He needed the protection of the ER Lounge to keep his family safe. If he hadn't discovered the portal, he was willing to put the hunt on hiatus. A great sacrifice, but a necessary one. If all went well with the meeting, though, he wouldn't have to sacrifice time. Until the results of the meeting came out, he could only wait, and he couldn't think up of any formula or numbers until he heard of the results. It would determine which path he should go down in the future, between one extreme or the other. To play on the offense or defense. The die had been cast. His decisions and gamble were riding on how well Rhyme Rivetta could sell his invention.

---

"Ah, Ms. Rivetta, you're early today," said the cabinet member that just entered the meeting room, attention immediately on the secretary's seat that was usually empty this time of day. Upon surveying the room, though, he realized he was the last one to arrive, and flushed as red as the scanning lasers, shying his face away at once.

With all the cabinet members arrived and seated, the president addressed the matters they would be discussing today, much to Rhyme's surprise. She didn't think that the president would have other matters to discuss today. Had she but known, she wouldn't need to go through the problem of sending him the text message last night.

Statistics, estimations and proposals started flying around the room on the chosen subjects, which were discussed based on their relevance at the present time. Discord, being the reliable secretary that she was, contributed her insights on various parts of the meeting as well. Rhyme, on the other hand, was starting to get anxious, wondering if the president had forgotten or ignored her text last night to focus more on the worldly problems, better known as money problems. The entirety of the discussion, though transitioning from one field of society to another which had little to no relations whatsoever, eventually came back to the operational cost, to the cold hard cash.

"Very well, now that we've found the solutions to most of the problems put forward in this meeting, I believe Ms. Rivetta had something she would like to speak of?" the president said, in an authoritative voice. Rhyme was internally screaming and wouldn't hesitate to hug the president for remembering it, but Discord disallowed the unladylike outburst.

"Yes, Mr. President, thank you; I would like to propose a project from an established researcher, Professor Jacquel Martinez," a few ears pricked up at the mention of his name, "He claims to have founded, and has requested funding for, quite simply, what you would call, a portal."

The room was washed away by whispers, silenced when the cabinet member that last arrived asked a question, perhaps as an attempt to redeem himself from the embarrassment earlier this morning. "By portal, are we talking about the portals you see in sci-fi movies? The one that's able to transport us from one place to another?"

"That seems to be his claim, yes," Discord deadpanned.

"And you're sure the portal works? Haven't there been multiple researches and articles disproving the possibility of moving a live human through a portal without discombobulating their body?"

"The invention has yet to be tested in terms of functionality as he lacks the funds and legislation to test it out, hence why he requested this project to be funded by the government."

"So it is still an experiment, then? A hypothetical theory that has yet been put to practice?"

"He has discovered what he called the rift, a tear in the fabric of space and time. Jacquel Martinez wouldn't resort to fantastical stories just to pitch in his work. He has presented to me the missing link to the portal formula as he would be able to present to you all should it be required," Discord had an inkling that the one debating her on this wouldn't even be part of the final trial for the project's approval. This was an unorthodox request for fundings before the finished product, due to the fact that most of the researchers were able to find what they needed in the facilities of the GRC.

"What's in it for us?" Vice President Ilechi intervened the debate. He would have a say on the final stage of the invention being approved for patent and/or mass production.

"In theory, the portal, when finished, would be able to advance, and even transform, the transportation of this world as we know it. Professor Jacquel Martinez has claimed that in time, he would be able to discover how to tamper with the rift's coordinates and make it so that we humans can pass through it safely to get to another zone, presumably with another portal, with the programmed coordinates. I would like to remind the room that these claims are done by an established researcher, and shouldn't be disregarded as mere bravado."

"Is it big? It would be inconvenient to only be able to go to a certain area from another particular area, don't you think?"

"That may be so during the first phases of the portal. However, in time, Professor Jacquel Martinez may be able to do more research as well as modify some upgrades to the portal to make them portable."

Discord thought as she made her statement, "He won't mind an extra work so long as he got the funds and approval to stay in the ER, will he?"

Rhyme answered that for Discord, "Ah, it's fine, it's fine, it's the nutty professor himself that we're talking about after all," although she used the actual mouth to say that by accident.

The room tried to contain their laughter at the sudden transition, with the president bringing order back with a deliberate cough.

"Excuse me," Discord regained control of the mouth, embarrassment and anger painted her face. "As I was saying-"

The president lifted his hand, signaling her to stop, "How long would it take for him to upgrade it to that point?"

"It's unchartered territory, and a solo research as he works alone, so it would take very long to-"

"Isn't his time in the ER Lounge coming to an end?"

"Yes, Sir, but-"

"If," he emphasized that word more than any of the questions he asked, "If we fund this project of his, would be be able to complete this first phase of the project, no matter the size?" he glanced at Ilechi while asking this.

With confidence, Rhyme stepped up, to Discord's surprise and dismay, to deliver one simple word, "Yes."

There was a moment of silence. Tension was high in the room. The president then announced, "By my decree, we will provide a remote island as well as the necessary surveillance for him to use, granted that he be watched while working on his project by an official supervisor from the Hall. Should his experiment show favorable results in one month, that is, if he's able to transport a live human being unharmed to and from the remote island, we will immediately, at that point, extend his time in the ER Lounge, and work towards producing the portals to be used in important landmarks of the world. The upgrade may come at a later time, if he decides to do so. Any objections?"

None.

"Then, Ms. Rivetta, I understand you will deliver the good news to Professor Martinez, yes?"

"Y-yes, Sir, I have it all recorded-" Rhyme wasn't expecting the president to be supportive of this idea.

"Then with that, we will end the meeting here. Please return to your respective duties, focusing on the matters we have discussed today. That is all."

---

"Sir, your decree earlier..."

"Do you question me now, Vice President Ilechi? I didn't hear you objecting in the meeting," the president replied, unenthused.

"I would never, but I would like to hear your rationale in supporting that surreal project with out funds when we have that storage problem-"

"Don't you see? This project is exactly the key to solve that problem with minimum cost. If we can make it so that the trial product works in THAT island, we can have the professor set one of his portals in the Densia Continent. They would be able to go to and from the island with ease and virtually no cost if the portals run as theorized."

"That makes sense..."

"We have to prepare ourselves... for any and all potential problems that may perturb the peace of this world."

"Does this have any relation to Ms. Rivetta's obsession towards that prank message you had told me about?"

The president responded in silence, looking up at the bright light reflected by the moon.

Vice President Ilechi took that as his cue to leave. He understood his silence more than anyone, thus his hand-picked position.

"Have a good night, Mr. President."

When the door shuts, the president muttered under his breath, "It's a shame, I no longer can..."

---

Rhyme had texted the nutty professor to give him the details of how the meeting went. She didn't bother waiting for him to reply as he would most likely call her at the dead of the night, which she would ignore, because she's done a good job, and she deserved a good night's beauty sleep. She headed back to her home in the Newgates Continent. To her surprise, there was someone familiar standing on her front door. She called out to the figure while locking in her wave scooter.

"Hey~ Are you looking for someone?"

"... A Rhyme... Rivetta, please..." the figure responded in her soft voice, without caring to look towards the voice asking her the question.

"Hey... Aren't you..." Rhyme walked closer to the figure to get a better look at her.

Rhyme flipped over the archives of her memories until she found who she was, "You're that receptionist from GRC! Why are you all the way here in Newgates?"

the receptionist, surprised that the person she was looking for received her before she rang the bell, mumbled, "I... have to... talk to you... about something..."

"Whoa, hold up, how did you get my address again?"

"Your ID... was shown by the professor... so the receptionists... that received you... would know how you look like..." she had a somber tone, pitiable to a fault.

Rhyme clenched her fist high up in the air, gritting her teeth, thinking in her mind, "How did that nut even get a copy of my ID- Why I oughta- that's an infringement of my privacy!!"

"Um..."

"Oh! I'm sorry about that, you said you were looking for me?"

"Yes... I want to talk to you... about something..."

Rhyme thought back to the time they met. She remembered Discord stopping her from conversing with the receptionist for the sake of time. Discord acquiesced to Rhyme's line of thinking even before she asked, or to put it bluntly, she didn't care enough as Rhyme was free to do whatever she wanted after work, and Discord needed the rest.

"Well, come in, then, make yourself at home..." Rhyme gleamed while unlocking her door with her fingerprint, before putting her finger on her chin, gesticulating her thoughts, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name...?"

"It's Aria...Aria Densia."