It was peculiarly quiet. The jarring shift from hot pursuit in a massive semi truck to total stillness in an unfamiliar room was uncomfortable. Not to mention it was sort of cold, but she wouldn't dare mess up Tenna's bed to curl up in a blanket.

Okay... breathe. They're... benevolent. No need to be scared, for now. Janice lied down on the bed, focusing on steady breaths. Zev is fine, probably... he probably ran off somewhere, yeah. Damnit, why didn't he come with us! And... Tenna said Carson is fine; how did she even know? Damnit, breathe, breathe...

Again, she tried to focus on the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

She looked forward, gluing her eyes to the base's hidden entrance. She could just... leave, couldn't she? Simply being allowed to roam free was such a foreign concept that she had trouble registering that she was no longer a prisoner of any sort.

“You're not doing so hot, huh?” Tenna's sickly sweet voice pierced the room's silence.

“Wh– how long have you been there?!” Janice looked over to see Tenna nibbling on a chocolate bar, leaning against the far wall to the left of the bed.

“Long enough to see you writhing around in stress.” She walked over and sat down on the bed beside Janice. “Want a piece?” She handed the chocolate bar to Janice.

“No thanks.” She was hungry, but accepting food from Tenna didn't sit right with her.

“More for me! So, anyways... I have some business to take care of with Eckire shortly, but if you have any questions, now's your chance!”

“I mean... I sure do... I just... need to think.” Janice tilted her head to the side and placed a hand on her forehead. “Who are you? Not, like, Tenna... but all three of you. Who are you all?”

“You picked one of the only things I can't fully explain to you. Too sensitive! As far as you need to be concerned, we're a group of volon advocates who want stable volons like us to be free to live as we see fit.”

On the surface, it matched Janice's moral compass completely. But she knew full well that Tenna's version of “living as we see fit” meant freely preying on humanity, so she opted to drop the question. At least it got her free from Maroon.

“Right... and... what do you know about Carson?”

“I know that he and Damien are both easily manipulated by a gorgeous body~”

“You–”

Janice cut herself off. Several things clicked into place with that statement. Those e-mails, the ones between Damien and Carson, about some attractive woman... the subject “TDV”...

“It's you,” Janice looked at Tenna. “Damien and Carson... they were working for you.”

“Not bad! I'm impressed.”

“That's how you knew about me.”

“A lot more than just you. But, seeing as you were the only stable volon in there worth rescuing, you were our only priority.”

“That's not true. There was another.”

“Zev?”

“Y-yeah! And now he's just out there roaming Miyatama!”

“We considered Zev, but they were too much of a risk to bring back here. Granted, when you stepped out with them, I wasn't about to say no, but they clearly had other plans.”

Janice sighed.

“By the way, Zev is genderless. They're not a guy,” Tenna explained.

“Oh. Uh... sorry? Did you learn that from Carson too?”

“Actually, no! That's where Damien came in.”

“Wait, don't tell me... he was a hacker, wasn't he? That's how he had access to all those files...!”

“Ehhh... I guess you could say that? Well, no, not really. He was just really good at getting access to things he wasn't supposed to have access to. Among the files he uncovered, he found a bunch of logs documenting Zev during their short time in there.”

“And they're just gone out there in the city now. Zev's going to kill so many people...”

Tenna shrugged. “It's win-win as far as I care. A mostly stable volon is now free from their prison, and I don't have to deal with the risk of someone so volatile.”

“Could you at least pretend to care about humanity?” Janice huffed. “You know damn well they're just as intelligent as us.”

“Tell me, Janice, do you ever feel the urge to hunt? Have you ever killed before? Have you ever tasted human flesh?”

Janice remained silent.

“Just as well as I know humans are smart, I know the answer to all of those questions is yes.” Tenna poked Janice's shoulder. “You're a volon. Our purpose is to consume. Your willpower might be strong enough to fight off your natural desires – hell knows why you would want to do that – but you can't deny that we are on top of the food chain.”

Oh my god. She really lacks any level of compassion. Janice suppressed a glare, trying to remain calm. “We'll just have to agree to disagree.”

“Oh, you're such a cutie.” Tenna ruffled Janice's hair. “You have anything else to ask?”

“Don't... do that.” Janice tried to straighten her hair out. “So... Carson's okay?”

Tenna waved her hand dismissively. “Unless he was dumb enough to come into work today, there's no reason he should be hurt.”

“That's not exactly reassuring... you said he was fine when we were in the truck.”

“He was the one who pulled the plug and called us in. I seriously doubt he even left his bunk after giving me the signal.”

“There's no way that's true,” Janice blurted.

“Why's that?”

“Carson wouldn't have called for the deaths of so many people like that. No way.”

Tenna looked down at Janice with a tiny smile. “How come you say that?”

“Because he was friendly! He was kind, respectful, reassuring... he was one of the only people I trusted in that place.”

“Does that mean he's not capable of committing atrocities?”

“Well! Someone who's... who's so nice wouldn't do something like that...”

“You sound like you're trying to convince yourself.”

Janice locked eyes with Tenna, visibly displeased.

Tenna shrugged. “Sorry! I call it like I see it, sweetheart.”

Janice turned her head and rolled her eyes.

“I saw that!”

“Whatever!” Janice puffed.

“Anything else before I go get ready to leave?”

Tenna's overbearing disposition didn't lend well to Janice thinking up important questions on the spot, but there were two more burning questions on her mind.

“So, I can leave, right?”

“You're free, love. You can walk out that door and we won't bat an eye.”

Wow. Those words were too unfamiliar.

“And, on the other hand... can I stay here, if I need a bit of time?”

Tenna placed a finger on her chin and tilted her head. “Mmm... dunno! A couple days, if you need to. I don't see why not. But don't go overstaying your welcome!”

“O-okay. Thanks...?”

“Anything else?”

“Just... one more thing, I think. How come you're openly telling me about Carson and Damien... isn't that sensitive information? Like...what if I told someone?”

“I know you have nobody you could tell that would believe you or listen to you in the first place.”

“Geez! Mind being a bit more sensitive?!” Janice scowled at her.

“Honey, you were a prisoner in a society that detests us. If you can't handle honesty, you might not be a good fit for these parts. So, anything else on your mind?”

“Uh, no! Not that I can think of!”

“Perfect. In the meantime, I've gotta get going. Glenn's in the back room watching some TV. You're free to join him, if that's your thing. Straight down the hall.”

“Okay.”

“We can talk more when I'm back if you want.”

“Okay.”

Tenna walked past Janice and picked up her shotgun off the wall rack. “Money's on the counter, pizza's in the oven, no parties while we're gone!” She flashed a little smile.

Janice opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

“See you!” Tenna stepped down the hall, finally out of sight.

Janice breathed a sigh of relief. She flopped back down on the bed and tried to relax. Thank god. Damn, though... a couple days... should be long enough to get my bearings...

She took her time alone to go over her options and try to make sense of everything. Janice still had trouble believing what Tenna said about Carson. But, on the slim chance that it was true...

She remained still, trying to process this information and emotion overload.

I have to find out if he's alive or not. And... maybe I could find Zev before it's too late.

She looked back up at the front entrance again. Something could be faintly heard from down the nearby hallway – presumably, the television Tenna mentioned – which sparked a thought in Janice's mind. Perhaps she could use it to gain info about the nearby world.

After glancing between the hallway and the front door several times, she slowly rose to her feet and walked down the narrow, branching hall. Straight ahead, as Tenna described.

Janice peeked into the room. Glenn – still wearing his sunglasses – was idly sitting on a wide, leather couch, watching TV, in a room almost identical in shape and size to the “lobby.” The only pieces of furniture were a small coffee table in front of the couch, the flat-screen television set, and a mini fridge next to the couch.

“Howdy,” he greeted Janice.

“Hey.”

“Don't be a stranger. Take a seat.”

First impression: he didn't seem so bad. Hesitantly, Janice entered the room sat down beside him.

“Don't mind Tenna. She can come across pretty strong,” Glenn reassured her.

“Yeah... yeah.” She looked at the TV. Glenn was flicking through the channels, looking for something to watch.

“Need a drink? Something to eat?” Glenn reached down to the fridge and pulled out a canned beverage.

“Ah, I'm okay, thanks.”

He cracked the can open and took a sip.

“Um, may I ask... are you... human?”

Glenn laughed. He leaned over to her, faced her, and lifted his sunglasses. “Hardly.”

Past his meticulously airbrushed face, Janice immediately noticed his eyes. Cross-shaped pupils. He's a volon in disguise. She slowly nodded.

Glenn sat back in his seat. “It's far easier to get around this way.”

“I guess it would be. Tenna told me that humanity doesn't “officially” know about volons yet, but how can that be true...?”

“Manipulation of televised media and payoffs to high ranking government officials capable of widespread censorship. Not on our part, but that's what I've picked up through the grape vine.”

The scale of this trio's operations became much clearer to Janice with that statement.

“But we – as in, volons – we're everywhere, aren't we...?” Janice asked.

“Eh.” Glenn shrugged. “Not as ubiquitous as you might be led to believe. You just happen to be where most of us conglomerate, either in this city or down there in Maroon's bowels.” He smiled and took another sip of his drink. “I suspect things will start changing pretty damn soon. Cat's well out of the bag with that catastrophe Tenna left at Maroon. No amount of censorship is going to hide that.”

“No kidding! Is that what you're looking for on here?” Janice glanced at the television.

“Suppose so. I'm mainly hoping to see some updates on the genofexians.”

“Hm?”

“You don't know of them?”

“Not a clue!”

“Hahah. We're not the first aliens to arrive here on Hallow. 'Bout a week ago, the tube was lit up with emergency alerts and civil broadcasts about some first contact with alien life in the form of a mothership on a course straight for this rock. Meaningful updates are surprisingly scarce, given how paramount this is for just about everybody's life.”

Janice's eyes lit up as she looked back at the TV. “Other aliens, huh...”

“We know they call themselves genofexians. That's as far as the public's knowledge goes.”

“Are they peaceful?”

“We ain't dead yet.”

“Yeah... that's a good point.”

Silence briefly lingered between the two as Glenn continued surfing the channels.

“Mind if I ask just one more thing...?” Janice asked, lowering her voice.

“I reckon you just did.”

The smile on Glenn's face prompted Janice to chuckle along with his remark. “You guys are awfully hospitable to me... I... guess I still don't get why?”

“Stable volons like ourselves are few and far between. We're an exceptionally small minority out of the entire volon species, the rest of which is comprised of feral fuckwits that rely purely on instinct and have no discernible levels of intelligence.” Glenn peered over at Janice from beneath his shades. “We like people like you. Don't get me wrong – we can't keep you here for long – but you're a breath of fresh air in this wretched cesspool.”

“Thanks, I think...” Janice hardly knew how to respond. “Also, uh... on that note... didn't Tenna say that those feral volons at Maroon were hers?”

Glenn shook his head. “She raises them like animals. I'm just a driver. I want no part in it.”

“Raises them?!”

“Trains, raises, whatever word you want to use. It's weird and uncomfortable.”

“Y-yeah... very.”

“Hot damn, here we go.” Glenn leaned forward, finally parking the TV on a news channel.

A slick robotic news anchor appeared on-screen, with a smaller screen in the upper right corner showing the ruined entrance of the Maroon building.

“BREAKING NEWS: Assault on Miyatama Maroon compound by unidentifiable creatures,” the ticker running across the bottom of the screen read.

“Yup. This is it,” Glenn continued.