Chapter Text
"Wolfie, if you don't wake up now, you'll be late for your flight."
Awoken by Kafka's voice, Silver Wolf groggily opened her eyes.
"I get it, stop knocking already."
Dragging her tired body out of bed, she looked into the mirror to see eyebags so large they made her look like a panda. It seemed that new gacha game she tried yesterday was a bit too engaging. She stumbled on the myriad of dirty clothes strewn haphazardly on the floor of the room, as it was illuminated only by the still lit monitor.
After quickly dousing her face in ice cold water, her mind was finally active enough to remember her plans for the day.
"I have a ship at 7:30... Can't the HSS peeps think of normal people?"
"Wolfie, come eat your breakfast."
Kafka's current languidity was a far contrast from the fierce criminal depicted on her bounty, yet her words still had a hint of sharpness, a silent warning to not skip the most important meal of the day again.
Thus, Silver Wolf downed a glass of juice and some cookies before moving forward with her morning preparations.
Finally, at 7:20, she was ready to go. As she was to leave, Kafka interrupted her.
"Be careful not to get caught by that genius, we wouldn't want to reveal ourselves too early. Teleport back at the slightest hint of danger."
Nearby, Blade handed her a bag.
"Lunch, take it."
Digitalising the bag into an app on her phone, she opened a portal.
"Bye."
___
The Herta III Spaceport was one of the busiest on The Blue, as well as the only one from which passenger ships for the Herta Space Station departed. Silver Wolf's ticket was for one such flight. Usually reserved for high level researchers, she had to forge herself an identity, a trivial task for a hacker as skilled as herself.
Even at such an early hour, the spaceport was bustling, people walking at high speeds, drones zooming above. It was said that ten thousand people took off each minute. But among such a large volume of passengers, the group she joined was made up of only twelve.
She arrived at the terminal precisely as embarking began, allowing her to enter without wait. Sat next to her was a young woman with an energetic air. She had shoulder length hair, glasses and a bright smile that practically radiated energy.
"Hi! I'm a new researcher at Herta Space Station like you! You look so cute, what subject is you research about? What department will you join? Oh, and what's your name? You can call me Eliza, by the way!"
Suddenly submerged in questions, Silver Wolf blanked out for a second before slipping into a role and answering.
"I'm in the IT dep, cybersecurity and all. The name is Cioara, nice to meet you Eliza."
Such a high energy person would usually be difficult to handle for an introvert like Silver Wolf, but thinking of her as an NPC in a galge instantly made it significantly easier.
As for the fake name, she usually wouldn't bother but since it was an infiltration in a genius' territory, she had decided to be thorough in her preparations.
"IT? I'll make sure to call you for tech support then! I'm in the Astronomy department, under acting director Asta!"
At least that newbie researcher could be a source of intel.
"That's impressive. Do you know if Herta comes often to the space station?"
"It's been years since she came in person, but she sometimes connect to her puppets. Did you know the puppets were designed after her younger self? No wonder they're so beautiful. But there are rumors her true self is even prettier, can you believe it?"
Silver Wold couldn't help but retort.
"Is she an emanator of the Beauty or the Erudition? The way you hype her up, are you really here to do research?"
"I mean... Madam Herta's intellect is just obvious. Between being number 83 of the genius society, creating de-aging technology, the Solitary Waves Theory, and so much more. What's there left to praise on her mind when the achievements speak for themselves?"
"I guess that's one way to look at it."
"I've heard rumors that Madam Herta was working on a project with three other members of the Genius Society, what do you think it could be?"
Now that was interesting information.
"Do you know anything more about it?"
"One of my seniors said it would be installed at the HSS and that the computing power required is absurdly high, maybe you'll get to help, being IT and all. Other than that, not much."
"Maybe I'll get the chance to take a look."
Enduring the ceaseless chatter from her side, Silver Wolf was finally relieved when the ship arrived at Herta Space Station. Finding an excuse to leave the group of newly arrived researchers, she walked around the station, mapping what she saw. Still, all the praise had made her curious, she had to see one of these puppet for herself.
"I'll find one before I TP back."
Taking over the entire station's system would typically be the move to go, but against a genius, or maybe four if the rumors she heard from Eliza were true, she couldn't take the risk. Compromising the script at this time would cost too much.
Still, she had an almost official researcher badge, she could connect to the station's database and look through a lot of information. Downloading whatever she found interesting, like the catalogue of the station's Curios or 'A guide to the Genius Society from an insider's perspective by The Herta'. Although that last one sounded a little pompous, it could be useful, one day or another.
Finally, once she had gathered what data she could and mapped the security systems, it was time to go see the rumored puppet. She had seen a few from a distance on the way but hadn't lingered to observe them. As she approached one, she saw the long, ash brown hair, the glimmering purple eyes, the masterfully crafted face. Although it was currently inactive, it only added to its charm, giving it a certain languorous fragility.
"Pretty good. About four star character level, but the praise made her sound better."
Touching the puppet's cheek with her finger, she was surprised by the springiness. What she expected would be hard like porcelain was soft like real skin. Although the temperature was slightly lower than a real person's, the warmth she felt was real.
Who would have thought Herta's attention to detail was this high?
Once satisfied with her poking and prodding, she left, returning home.
At that moment, the puppet came alive, a hint of amusement in its eyes.
"Not bad for a Silver Puppy."