Admiral Igor: Lieutenant Moldir, about time. What was it? Did you stop for a picnic?
A scalding comment.
Moldir was supposed to be taking care of Ms. Sotheby. It seems she has abandoned her duties.
Moldir: Admiral, I ...
Admiral Igor: Save your excuses.
Moldir: Yes, sir!
Lopera: It was my fault, Admiral. I ran into her on our way here. It's been a while since we last saw each other.
As her father glares at her, she quickly realizes that her attempt to cover for her sister is only making things worse.
Vertin: Your performance on the training ground earlier was most impressive, Ms. Lopera.
She breaks the awkward silence.
Vertin: Allow me to introduce my team. This is Ms. Sotheby.
Sotheby smiles and curtsies.
Vertin: And this is Lieutenant Lilya.
She gives a brief salute.
Lilya: How's it going? I was previously assigned to HQ.
Admiral Igor: It seems your assignment here has done little for your discipline, Lopera.
The admiral stands with his hands behind his back. He examines his undisciplined daughter, a grim look on his face.
Admiral Igor: You have new orders. I am assigning you to accompany the Timekeeper and her team to São Paulo for the duration of their mission.
Lopera nods, but Lilya still has questions.
Lilya: Me and Lopera? That's a whole lot of firepower. What are we expecting during this mission?
Vertin: Oh! Sorry, Lilya. I haven't had the chance to speak with you privately. The Admiral asked if you could stay on site to help with training their new recruits.
Vertin: What do you think? You can do as you wish.
Lilya: Training up some new blood, eh? Well, as long as you think you can handle things without me, I can stick around to lend a hand. It'll be just like the good old days back at the academy.
She knows that this isn't a request but an order.
Admiral Igor: Thank you, Lieutenant.
He nods and smiles in thanks. His smile fades as he turns to his youngest daughter.
Admiral Igor: As for you, Lopera ...
Admiral Igor: Please show our guests to their rooms, and try not to over-exert yourself.
Orders have been given to everyone present.
Admiral Igor: Lieutenant Lilya, stay for a moment.
Admiral Igor: Lieutenant Moldir will bring some documents shortly; they should prove useful for your assignment.
Moldir, briefly out of the admiral's sight, shrugs helplessly as her orders start to pile up.
Lilya gives her a knowing smile. It's always like this. It's just part of the job.
Admiral Igor: Now, I have other business to attend to. If you'll excuse me.
He turns and leaves, his imposing figure soon disappearing from sight.
Lopera exhales a long breath, snaps her fingers, and smiles as she heads toward the door. She turns to her guests.
Lopera: Come on, let's go. I'll show you around. But stay close. This base can be a bit of a labyrinth. It's only missing a bloodthirsty minotaur lurking its halls. Well, I haven't seen him yet, anyways.
Lopera: The base here has been understaffed for some time; whole sections are deserted—it can be dangerous. We don't usually allow guests to move about freely.
Lopera: Well, who am I kidding? We don't have any guests in the first place. Who'd come here for a visit?
Lopera: "Scenic views of dead gardens and overgrown brush. In the spring we have vine-tripping competitions, and in the summer you can be part of our complementary bug buffet!"
Lopera: Even the farmers back home had it better than this.
She leads the way, chewing on a piece of wolf's-tail grass.
Lopera: Before Zeno moved in, this was the fort of some Lisbon aristocrat.
The shadows of the old continent are everywhere here, the ghosts of the 18th century still clinging to every mark on the marble columns.
Lopera: There's only one place fully off-limits here: that tower.
She points to a tower in the distance.
Styled after Andalusian architecture, it stands ominously under the scorching sun, looming over the base with an eerie intensity.
Vertin: What's in there?
Sotheby: It must be the minotaur's lair!
Sotheby: Or a secret lab for super soldiers!
Sotheby's imagination is running wild again.
Sotheby: Imbued with the strength of an ox, the wits of a man, and the wings and fiery breath of a dragon!
Lopera: Miss, this is a Zeno base, not some chimera's nest.
Lopera: Besides, if there were any monsters in there, I would have heard them by now.
Vertin: Were those the Admiral's exact words? That nobody is allowed "inside" the tower?
Lopera: Yeah, that was what he said: "Under no circumstances is anyone to be allowed inside."
Then a quick peek around wouldn't exactly violate the letter of that order.
Sotheby: Ms. Vertin, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Is there treasure inside the tower?
Lopera: Let me say this again: There are no monsters in that tower.
Lopera: And I am under orders to escort you directly to your rooms.
She blinks. Clearly, curiosity isn't only in the hearts of these new guests.
Lopera: But if we were to, say, walk a bit too close, and "accidentally" provoke some nearby critters ...
Mischievous critters often wander into the courtyards, and these ones have appeared just in time.
Sotheby: Oh! How terrible! It seems trouble has found us!
COMBAT
Sotheby: They gave me quite a start! Thankfully, they were easy to handle.
Lopera: We can't let them run off. Who knows what damage they could do?
Lopera chases after the fleeing critters, who just so happen to be heading in the direction of the tower.
It is nothing more than a coincidence.
The half-hour-long game of "tag" finally comes to an end.
Sotheby: Now where could they have gone?
She searches for the colorful critters, a serious look on her face. In her concentration, she bumps into a wooden door flanked by lemon trees.
Vertin: It may well be possible they fled into the tower.
The door stands at the base of the tower.
Vertin: Is this the entrance?
Lopera: Timekeeper!
Clearly, this door is not supposed to be opened.
Lopera: My father, the admiral, he won't be happy with this.
The sight of it is tantalizing. Just a touch, and it will swing open, revealing all the mysteries within.
Sotheby: But why? Is there something hidden inside?
Claw marks line the wall, and blood stains the door—rabbit blood, bull blood, unblessed lamb blood.
The wind stirs the lemon trees, filling the air with the faint scent of bay and myrtle.
Vertin: There's an arcane array on the door.
Vertin: Is it to stop us from entering, or to keep what's inside from coming out?
The arcane array looks ancient. It has weakened with time.
She traces the markings with her fingertips. The blood flakes off, breaking a small gap in the array.
Lopera: I have no idea. We're soldiers, we "follow orders, no questions." As my father would say.
Lopera: With all the flooding we've had, they probably shoved everything they wanted to keep safe and dry in there.
Moldir: Lopera!
Moldir rushes from behind, putting an end to their little "accidental" adventure.
Moldir: You get lost on your way to the guest rooms, Pera? You know better than to be here.
Moldir: Your ship will be leaving early tomorrow morning. Please return to your rooms and get some rest.
Moldir: This is a military base, not an amusement park. Please, do not wander about, especially near restricted areas.
Vertin: My apologies, Lieutenant. Perhaps you could point us in the right direction?
She steals one more look at the tower as they leave. The fruits on the lemon trees are plump and juicy. The old beast-blood array appears dark in the sunlight.
The wooden door creaks open a little, allowing an insect to fly in through the gap.
???: The seal ... it's gone.
Inside the tower, the sole prisoner has been quietly listening to their conversation: There's a ship leaving tomorrow morning.
As the footsteps trail off, she gently pushes the door. The seal is indeed gone. She's free.