“Even if we somehow get clearance, the bath operators won’t be pleased with us tagging along pointlessly during emergency protocol,” Darcy said as they started their brisk journey.
“I don’t care,” Julien replied.
Cinn slowed his walk. “So, just to clarify, when we saybaths…”
“Oh, yes! Sorry Cinn. We’re going to travel via the Displacement Baths.” Darcy’s eyes danced withdelight, of all things. The snippets Cinn had heard about these strange devices did not make him jump for joy at the prospect of using them. “Elliot uses them all the time for work travel.”
They cut through the centre of Auri, past the ruin of the Cerulean Auditorium, past St. Caelum’s, with its towering spires, past the library’s cobbled courtyard, until they were a few steps away from a modern-looking building, all shiny metal and gleaming glass, the faint scent of chlorine wafting out from its edges.
Abruptly, Cinn halted his following of Darcy’s rapid pace and slowed to a crawl.
Julien grabbed his shoulder. “You okay? Have you changed your mind?” He seemed rather hopeful.
“Do I have to…swimin the baths?”
“No. They’re not that big at all. You couldn’t even if you wanted to.”
“Will I have to go underwater?”
“It’s not water exactly… you’ll see. But, yes, you’ll need to be completely submerged.”
Cinn worried at his lip. Would he actually be able to cope with this without having a public meltdown? Although, he supposed he’d gone all the way under the water a few times in his fancy bathtub at his house, andthathad been fine.
Julien’s grey eyes turned oddly tender—for him—and he used his thumb to nudge Cinn’s bottom lip out from his teeth. His warm hand remained on Cinn’s cheek when he said, “Let me tell Eleanor maybe you’ll go next time. This is all too sudden.”
At a more appropriate time, he’d have to instigate a no-touching rule, as his silly little brain couldn’t cope with any level of contact and traitorously craved more and more of every morsel Julien gave him.
“I want to do it,” Cinn said with as much conviction as he could muster. And a large part of himdidwant to—he was becoming increasingly curious about these so-called ‘umbraphages’ that were terrifying the moteblessed community with their existence.
“Are you coming in?” Darcy called from the revolving-glass entrance, with clear impatience.
Apparently, yes, he was.
The Displacement Baths were a… process.
First, they’d been in a crowded lobby, cramped, with dozens of people jostling each other to be further ahead in the queue for the check-in desk. The no-nonsense receptionist took Cinn’s name first, then pointed to a metal turnstile gate. He’d hovered to the side, waiting for Julien to finish his long ‘explanation’ of why he and Darcy weren’t on today’s access list, but then was called through the barrier by a woman in a white lab coat and a clipboard.
Julien, noticing that he’d passed through without them, shouted after him, but all Cinn could do was give him a helpless shrug. Hopefully, he’d find Elliot on the other side of the Baths, wherever that even was.
Marched to a changing room, the woman ordered Cinn to strip completely naked, slip into the provided robe, and put every single possession in a locker. After eyeing the cabinet unhappily, he wrapped up his headphones and buried them deep in his bag before carefully folding his new green beanie, pushing it down securely so that it wouldn’t catch in the bag’s zip.
The woman closely scrutinised Cinn’s earring and eyebrow piercing, holding several metal bars to them in a series of tests. Whatever she was doing, they appeared to pass the checks.
Next came the inspection of his golden bangle, which he warned her was not coming off, in the hope she wouldn’t question it too closely. The way the woman kept glancing at her clipboard clued him in to the fact she was prepared for this, however, and she made no further comment.
The emergency code on the top of his form warranted Cinn be sent straight to the front of the queue for transportation, and this displeased the attendant, who could see from her notes that it was Cinn’s first visit. The name ‘Madame Sinclair’ was muttered unpleasantly under her breath.
When she informed him that the usual process involved watching a one hour instructional video, but that he wouldn’t be doing that today, it didnotmake him feel better.
“I’m going to quickly break down the procedure for you. When called, you will enter the chamber number stated. Place your feet on the markers on the tiles. The chamber will fill with Aerofluid. The rising liquid will pause at your neck. The operator will confirm you are happy to proceed. Next, the Aerofluid will rise above your head, fully submerging you. Keepverystill. Oh, and don’t forget to take a deep breath beforehand—deep as possible, until your lungs are filled to bursting.”
He gave her alook.
“You’d be surprised at how many people forget. There’s a red panic button within arm’s reach. Pressing it will empty the chamber within five seconds. If it’s not pressed, shortly after the chamber’s capacity is reached, you’ll be displaced.”
And what exactly does that entail?he wanted to scream at her, but she was already gesturing for him to follow. Keeping his thin white robe—would there be clothes on the other side? Surely there would be?—firmly wrapped around him, he followed the stern lady down a corridor, joined by other robed people coming out of changing cubicles. Combined together, he was struck by the uncomfortable sensation that the lot of them were sheep being herded.
He swallowed.
