Goal of the day: 1215 words. Written: 1227.
- Do you understand, Gil? - he said after a pause, puffing out a ball of smoke.
I just shook my head, because I couldn't see it at all. It was all one big news to me. It was like a bolt from the blue.
- Neither do I. So we, all of us around this table, will go and find out who could have done this. Because you, Gil, have been a very worthy and very useful member of our team.
Bruce looked at Atonio, who immediately nodded vigorously in agreement with Bruce. Antonio's example was immediately followed by Ruth.
"Pala. ...What? Shall we go? We?? Where???"
- The plan is simple," Bruce began to explain what I wanted to ask, before I could speak, "the five of you will go to the Citadel of the City. In secret, of course. Break into its server room. You will get the information you need. Then you'll return, regroup, lick your wounds, if any... and find your memory, Acorn. The easy part will probably be figuring out how to cram that memory back into your head. But we'll figure something out.
Bruce laughed as if it was a simple joke.
"...My head can't take it all anymore..."
- Serve... what's that? - I shook my head and asked Bruce.
- Server room. - He repeated, "The place where all the information we need should be hosted. This place is pretty well protected.
Bruce looked and pointed at my Naoki.
- I heard from Ruth that you know how to use it at least a little. It's an unusual weapon, but, well, that's the norm these days. I don't know where you got it from, but keep in mind that nobody's going to protect you in the squad - for your own fucking sake.
- From the Arena dungeons," I said, explaining.
- Hey, don't bite him! - Naoki interjected again rudely. - You'll get us both in trouble!
- I got it there. From who knows what kind of weapon," I clarified, seeing Bruce's face, which didn't understand what I was talking about.
He looked at Ruth, who just nodded silently.
- OK then," he said, "do you have any questions?
"Hm... Pala, what the hell do you need me for in the server room? What am I going to do with all of them?? Even now, when I move my arm, my ribs are still in pain!"
- 'Pala,' I said, 'WHY do I need to be in the server room at all? If it is, as you say, the Citadel of the City Council, which is probably very important and, of course, logical, protected by who knows what and how... Then how will I help?
Then I lifted my arm and slipped the sleeve to show the bandages and continued right away:
- And I'm injured. A little. A little. In a word, some. - I'm confused, I don't know how to describe it.
The pain was excruciating, but it wasn't killing. It was just very, very unpleasant and annoying. Maybe it was Gabrielle's medication, which she had somehow inserted into my body, unbeknownst to me, while I was lying unconscious, or maybe it was Naoki's painkilling and calming effect.
- I can see that you are wounded and I know it. - Bruce nodded his head. - But you'll be needed in the server room. Because only you know your memory, even if you don't remember it. Only with your help will we be able to dig through all the Servers' brains faster and find what we're looking for.
- That's because," Ruth interjected, rubbing her forehead again, "Citadel's servers work on natural brain principles. Basically, it used jellyfish thinking techniques and concentrated neurochemical functions into magic [[Heaven]] crystals, which were glued in the Citadel to the [[Earth]] crystals created by this.
"What?"
- Eeee. - she rubbed her forehead again, confused, probably seeing that I didn't understand anything she spilled, - Simply put, servers are like big brains. Not human, but still a brain. With lots of neurons and all sorts of contacts. The best way to communicate with them is brain-to-brain. So we'll connect you to the servers, disconnect or override their internal guards and walls, and then you'll just have to want to access your memory enough. I don't know if we will actually find it that way, but to my knowledge it should be the best chance. The City Council is making the mistake of storing all its information in this Brain.
"Oh... Okei."
- Of course. - I nodded my head, although maybe it wasn't entirely clear. But at least it's clearer than the first one, - Then... But... But the servers are infinitely protected if they host everything? - I raised an eyebrow.
- Oh, you're not quite so blunt," Naoki wondered. You could hear a bit of bullying in his voice.
"What about him? Is he passive-aggressive or what? What happened?"
I ran my fingers over Naoki. This one was cold for a moment, but then warmed up immediately and quickly added, along with Ruth:
- Well, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it in that voice," he explained more normally.
- Yes, they are extremely protected. They are probably as protected as the Citadel Tower and the Citadel Gymnasium - in other words, the mines underneath it.
I shook my head, not understanding what she was comparing it to.
- Have you seen such a huge building in the City, probably the tallest, in the middle of the confluence of two rivers? With what seems to be almost a woman-shaped top? The Goddess of Villapolis?
"Ai, bless, that! ...Was that protected?"
- Ah, I saw it. - I nodded my head, - ...Was that the most important building in the City?
- Yes, probably the most important," nodded Ruth, "but for its defence almost the whole City is built with forts, walls and cannons. And even the rebel terrorists can't reach it. Only to scare the crowd by blowing up the Arenas.
Ruth scoffed.
"Pala, the arena I was in exploded because some terrorists were there? Rebels???"
- Pala, so... Rebels blew up the Arena while I was in there fighting this Ovid? - I blurted it out immediately.
- Rebels, yes. - Bruce interjected before Ruth could reply. - But that's not important. You can talk about it later, but we don't have time now. We need to prepare for tomorrow. So, do you have any other questions, Gil, that are more or less relevant to your task? What is more important?
Bruce finally grabbed this crystal or whatever cigar and smashed it on the table. The ash was immediately reduced to invisible crumbs and disappeared in smoke in the air.
- Hm... - I muttered, trying to remember something, - Tell us the plan in detail, what we will do.
- Well, I'm sorry, but I've told you in as much detail as I can for now. - Bruce shook his bald pate, "I'll tell you in more detail the day after tomorrow morning. When we have a plan.
"Order? Morning? Pala, who attacks in the morning? So... Nights are best, aren't they?"
- Eee... Pala, shall we pulse in the morning? In the daytime? Not at night? - I raised an uncomfortable eyebrow.
- Only idiots attack at night and carry out covert operations. - Bruce clasped his hands together in an instructive voice, "When do you think more security and more guards would expect intrusions - on a bright day, when the Citadel is already full of all sorts of workers and the like, or when there are hardly any of them, except for the tensed guards, so eager to use their weapons and toys in the midst of empty halls, rooftops or streets?
"Ai. Exactly. Wow. I hadn't thought of that!"
- And he is smart! Sort of. - Naoki commented.
- So, you will do it in the morning, and you will do it without the guards having any idea that you are there. But I'll tell you, or Ruth will tell you," the bald man glanced towards Ruth, "tomorrow. First we need to devise a better plan, and for you, Gil, to heal.
"To heal."
I grunted. I don't know why, but it was a bit funny. It was like a bald man was telling me to go to hell or something.
- That's enough for this time. - ignoring my grunts, he continued, folding his hands and interlocking them with his fingers, leaning back so he could see all the people at the table, and then said:
- Team, disperse. Ruth, you stay with me, Elm - you know what you have to do, Antonio - escort Gilė to her resting cell, and Vytautas... Hm, Vytautas, cheer up, OK?
- OK," Vytautas murmured in a less cheerful voice and leaned back in his chair, ready to stand.
- Thank you, King of the Babkas," said Elm, standing up and nodding her head in the direction of Pliny.
- Thank you, King of Babkas," Ruth repeated in the same way, but immediately sat back down.
- Thank you, King of Babkas," Vytautas added, standing up. Just like Antonio.
The urge to repeat these words came over me again. I wasn't sure why, but I really wanted to.
- God, it's like a goddamn cult," Naoki muttered under my fingers and I felt a little flattered. It felt good to touch him.
- Let's go," Anonio said to me, standing up and extending his hand to get up. I ignored his hand and stood up myself.
- Thank you, Bruce," I said emphatically and nodded to Bruce.
- Have a good rest and see you tomorrow," he chuckled, adjusting the sleeve of his dark suit again. It didn't seem to have moved from its usual position, but he fixed it anyway.