Page 183 of Light Leech

We left the main hall, passing by a few guests on their respective panels, who didn’t even look our way as we gawked at them. I looked at Ralia, shrugged, then grabbed onto her as our panel came to a stop. I readjusted my stance and turned to see elevator doors open.

The doors started to close, so Ralia stepped forward with my hand in hers to stop it before it could. Our panel remained behind, which was a nice change to our automated tour.

She tapped the button next to the thirty-eighth floor and the elevator began to ascend. I looked around, trying to sense what was off. It was clean and white, but it matched the rest of the hotel, which should not have been as off-putting as I felt.

“Oh my,” I said under my breath.

Ralia looked at me and raised her eyebrows as if she also felt the pressure to maintain peace.

“There’re no advertisements!” I pointed at the bare door before us where a screen would have played an ad anywhere else in the world. I had to remind myself that we weren’t in the same world. This was not Republic property. No country had direct ties to the moon, which had always left me confused by its capitalist purpose as a resort, but now I knew why. Maybe the other hotels had ads, but this place was an exception. Were the other people here guests? Or were they members of the Correction as well? Their robes were certainly fitting, but then again, all we knew about the Correction was based on rumor, brief mentions, and guesses.

The doors opened to yet another silent corridor with ethereal synth music.

White. Empty of life. Violet lines of light were the only sign that I had not been sucked into some madness-inducing white purgatory.

Ralia laughed under her breath.

“Do you think this is as weird as I do?” I asked.

“Absolute zegging whack.” She looked at some of the numbers on the doors, then pointed to the right. Our room was only five doors down. She looked into the retinal scanner. The door pulsed violet. then opened for us.

At least there was furniture. I half expected to walk in on another empty room with some kind of pod for sleeping or a float pool for an embryonic sleep simulation.

“Awe, two beds?” She sat on hers. It was white, as was everything else besides the black screen on the wall and a few golden decorations. “At least I won’t have to explain anything to Naoma when we get back, right, babe?”

“Right.” I sighed as I collapsed on my bed. Despite the lack of coziness throughout the entire hotel, I knew instantly that I was laying on the softest mattress I had ever touched. I turned over to look at Ralia, who sat and looked around the room. If anyone else had made the comments that Ralia did, I would have been uneasy and in need of distance. Looking at her, I saw the same Ralia I had always known. One of my closest friends and the light amidst the darkness, Ralia was unbreakable. Aside from the slight deviation with Sha, I wondered if she was actually that happy when she was alone. Everyone has low moments, but did she experience more to compensate for her ceaseless joyful output.

Was she lonely?

Of course she had us. Friends made up for a lot of loneliness, but there was a certain hole only a closer friend could fill.

Naoma was filling my abyss.

Did Ralia have someone? Not everyone felt like they needed a companion, but Ralia’s continual flirty remarks led me to believe that she was yearning for something more. I had heard her mention dating a Finian before joining Deleon, but I leaned more on the side of believing that it was a joke.

I let my hands lay back above my head. One of my hands landed on a piece of paper.

“What is that?” Ralia stood and walked over to my bed

She grabbed it, but I kept one hand on it to keep it between us.

Welcome to Hadrian Palace,

We look forward to hosting you and hope you find your room comfortable. Please scan the code below to enter an encrypted chat with your Correction representative. We eagerly await your response and look forward to meeting you in person.

A black rectangle of pixels had been printed on the bottom. We both scanned it and entered a group chat on our neurospace.

Ralia: Hihow?

Advisor: Welcome to the moon. We hope your journey was not too fraught with difficulties. Are you ready to proceed with your membership?

Ralia: Yes.

Advisor: Thank you for your timely response. Please head to the lobby where I will meet you. Look for a red robe amidst the white.

Ralia: Then what?

Advisor: What good is a bright mind without patience?