Chương 2: Securing Strategic Assets

The convention floor was loud, not just in volume, but there was an overwhelming undercurrent of tension that felt like it might snap at any moment if it was wound any tighter. Scarlet strode forward anyway. Tilting her head down, she murmured, "Yeah, buddy, I feel it too." The shifting of a small body nestled against her collarbone was all the response she needed. The light press of paws grounded her as she made her way through the river of people. She wasn't wandering aimlessly.

As she moved, her gaze cut across the vendor's hall, cataloguing the locations of everything she could see. Props were here. Decorations were there. Materials, booths and people – so many people – turned the floor into an ever-shifting labyrinth. Some vendors she glanced at and dismissed just as quickly. Others she made sure to memorize. That one was a no. That one was a maybe. That one seemed like a good option. Of course, she also noted where the exits were. It was always good to know where the exits were.

If only she were taller, she thought as she solidified her best approximation of a floor map in her head. In her mind she traced out a path of least resistance, but most efficiency. With her chosen destination in mind, she adjusted her path without breaking her stride. She had long become a master of weaving unobtrusively through a crowd. Occupational necessity as it were. Her cane tapped a steady rhythm against the floor. It was louder than it had been before.

That was on purpose, as was her limp being just a touch more pronounced. The minute shift in posture and pace created a subtle effect around her, giving her a bit more breathing room even in the chaos. People moved out of her way subconsciously, opening space without even realizing they were doing it. It was a neat trick she'd been forced to learn after the doctors had informed her she would never properly heal. A faint soreness in her leg and lower back told her she'd overdone it already.

Then again, when had that ever stopped her? The thought of slowing down never even crossed her mind. Scarlet didn't stop moving until she was at the first stall she'd marked on her mental list. The space around the weapons stall was busy but not chaotic. That was good. It meant she had breathing room and moderate privacy for this interaction. She reached out and picked up one of the knives that was resting on the table.

Turning it lightly in her hand she acted like she was testing the balance, an action she had no idea how to actually do. Of course she'd mostly only held blades meant for cooking. Then again, there was that weapon throwing club an acquaintance had dragged her to in university. The guy had needed to 'pad out the numbers Scar' to which she'd responded, 'don't call me Scar.' He hadn't appreciated that. She'd attended the club anyway. He really hadn't appreciated that. It all worked out in the end.

She'd learned a cool skill, and he'd found a new hobby. A win-win in her books. Of course, she'd never much considered the knives they used past making sure they were free to use. Some of her inexperience must have shone through because the vendor eventually approached her.

"You know a lot about knives?" The woman asked. She gave off a friendly if serious energy. Scarlet glanced up, a small, easy smile slipping into place like a well worn mask.

"Not really. Do you make these or resale?" she asked. The woman behind the stall gave a short laugh.

"I make 'em. Well, some of 'em. Some are my dadaji's. Most, are actually," the woman said with obvious familial pride.

"Does that make me a reseller?"

"No. If I'm not mistaken that would make you a family business," Scarlet smiled.

"Oh, he'd like that." The woman grinned, and she was telling the truth. Scarlet could feel it.

"I'm Rajveer, by the way, but everyone calls me Raj." The woman held out her hand to shake.

"Scarlet," Scarlet responded, closing her fist for a bump instead. Raj laughed good naturedly. The woman had an ease to her, a lightness and a gentleness that contrasted with a steady presence. It made sense considering her work. Her gut feeling told Scarlet this was a decent person, and she was never wrong about these things. Hopefully she got out of the convention safely. Scarlet could feel the tension ramping up in the venue, and it made her antsy to leave herself.

Scarlet was considering how to give her a nudge in that direction, when the young woman provided her an in.

"I wonder what my grandfather is thinking about all this," she said. She waved her arm about, her hand moving vaguely through the air in front of her. Scarlet followed the motion with her eyes.

"Yeah," she said, deliberately pitching her voice slightly higher. Just another interested conventiongoer chit-chatting with the metal smith vendor about the doom countdown the entire world was collectively hallucinating. Girl talk, right? Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"It's curious the convention organizers are just acting like none of this is happening."

"Curious?"

"Yeah. No announcement, no notice, no acknowledgement at all. People are freaking out and it's just, crickets." She let the sentence trail off and watched as the woman mulled over her words.

"Yeah. Well. The'll probably say something soon," she said, her gaze looking towards the increasingly agitated crowd and then back. Scarlet nodded before she smiled and got back to topic.

"So, do you have anything here that's actually practical?" The woman's expression shifted immediately to business mode.

"Throwing knives?" she asked.

"Concealed, if possible." The woman raised an eyebrow, and Scarlet just smiled. The woman laughed as she ducked under the table.

"Yeah, give me a second here." When she came back up, she was holding a rolled-up black leather strip. When she unrolled it, twelve incredibly uniform, incredibly sharp, and obviously well-crafted blades were revealed. These had none of the filigree or decorative flair of the other weapons on the display. To Scarlet they were no less beautiful.

"Oh, I do like these," Scarlet breathed, her fingers hovering just over the set, a silent question.

"Go ahead," Raj said, obviously pleased. Scarlet picked one up, and despite not being an expert, she could immediately feel the difference. These were working blades. They were a matte blue back with a polished edge that clearly reflected the light. She didn't dare try testing the sharpness.

"How much?" she asked, sliding the blade back into its slot. The vendor and her haggled a bit back and forth before finally agreeing on a price. Were they worth it? Yes. However, if this whole 'initialization apocalypse' thing ended up being some mass delusion, or a hoax, Scarlet would be out a hefty sum. She paid, tucked the set away into her pack, plucked a business card from the stand at the very front of the stall, and moved on.

Studying the card, Scarlet's eyebrows rose as she read some of the provided details.

"Curious indeed," she murmured. Her tiny companion nosed at her in response. The sensation both familiar and slightly ticklish. Scarlet got the impression of curiosity.

"Nothing to worry over right now," she assured. [71: 15: 23] She continued weaving her way through the convention. People shifted, adjusted, and gave her space as she moved from stall to stall. Mostly she bought the things she thought might be useful that she wouldn't find at a regular store. In between stalls she was online, ordering fast delivery for things like tactical gear, and modern lightweight body armor. Turns out those don't really come bespoke on short notice… She ordered a custom fitted pantsuit anyway.

It would take a while to arrive, however shipping was insured, and even if the world didn't end, at least the thing would look good, and she'd be slightly safer when wearing it. Win-win as far as Scarlet was concerned. As she made her way through the hall, she noticed a shift happening. It wasn't all at once, and there wasn't anything she could point to directly, but the energy in the room was souring, and fast. Conversations were less curious, more pointed.

Opinions were becoming facts and disagreements became attacks. The movements of people around were not as coordinated, and not nearly as considerate. What had once been a din of conversation started to fracture into something sharper and louder. If Scarlet had wanted to leave before, now she knew she needed to, and fast. Her eyes made a circuit around the room. It was somehow more packed. So many people, so many opportunities for things to go catastrophically wrong.

With tensions so high, it would only take a single person to set things off. She needed to hurry up and get out of there. Her gaze swept the crowd again; less appraising and more searching. She'd seen what she'd been looking for when she first entered the room. Now, where had they gone? Her eyes caught on to motion across the floor. The guy was hard to miss. He was animated, talking quickly, his hands moving in excited motions as he explained something to a small group gathered around him.

His costume was recognisable enough as a character in an anime franchise that, paired with what she was wearing, they wouldn't look too out of place walking together. Most importantly, though, was that the vibes she got from this guy were enthusiastic, a little scattered, but entirely well meaning. The closer she got, the better she felt about her choice. [71: 09: 23] The guy didn't notice her approach at all. He was entirely absorbed in what he was saying, and eager for anyone to listen. He was perfect.

Scarlet adjusted her path and kept going until she was just behind him. She stopped and tapped her cane lightly against his back. The guy jolted and turned, looking down to find her smiling up at him, her head tilted just so, her eyes large and fixed on his own.

"Hi," she said. He gaped for a second before choking out his own greeting.

"Hello,""I've been looking for you," she said. The reaction from his friends was immediate. A chorus of teasing and jeering. One person shoved the guy gently from the side, while someone else made an okay gesture and nodded enthusiastically. The guy himself blinked rapidly, clearly trying to catch up to whatever situation he'd found himself in. It was obvious he wasn't prepared for whatever this was.

"You what?" Scarlet tilted her head slightly the other way, her smile softening, her tone shifting into something warmer and more inviting.

"Well, aren't you going to escort me?" she asked, holding out the crook of her arm.

"Guys, maybe you were right. We're all hallucinating." He said, his face serious as he turned to the group of people he was with. This time when his friends broke into laughter Scarlet laughed along, and she didn't even need to act. These people were a bubble of sanity in a sea of chaos.

"Don't leave the lady waiting," said one of the young women in the group. That was all it took before he straightened out instantly. The guy was obviously flustered, but he eagerly handed his bags off to one of his friends before he straightened. Mimicking Scarlet's earlier gesture, he offered her his arm as if he'd just been waiting for the opportunity. She laughed lightly as she slipped her hand through his arm, settling into place beside him as naturally as if they'd done this countless times before.

"Okay. Hello. I–" He turned, looked at his friends, and then turned back to her, before looking at his friends again.

"I guess I'll see you guys later? Yeah. Later." Just like that, they were off.