S1E5: The Fool’s Gambit
Last modified 3 months, 1 week ago
The tension in the lab hangs heavy, but before we see the fallout of Selene's discovery, the story takes us back in time. We flash back a few months to see the hidden lives of the Kelvarus siblings—the secrets they kept even from each other.
Selene, usually the picture of Gold perfection, is seen slipping into the Violet District. The streets are alive with music, musicians tapping on instruments on every corner, a stark contrast to the uniform silence of the Gold District. She is disguised in a long dark overcoat—fashionable for this district, but designed to hide her identity. She keeps her head down, avoiding eye contact with a drunk couple in the elevator as she ascends to her sanctuary in a high-end hotel where she doesn't even need to check in.
She taps a secret code on the door of Room 511: three knocks, two knocks, then one. She waits, heart pounding, until she hears the exact same rhythm knocked back from the inside.
It opens to reveal Kaelle, a Violet artist with dark brown skin, light brown eyes, and a symmetrical, charming face. He has high cheekbones, full lips, and a well-groomed goatee to match his short faded hair. Dressed in a dark purple silk two-piece set and holding a book of poetry, his charm disarms the Praetor instantly.
"Hi, K," she whispers.
"You're right on time," Kaelle whispers back. "Why don't you take that jacket off, kick off your shoes, and tell me about your day."
Here, away from the eyes of the city and her mother Lucinda, Selene sheds her armor. They talk about the pressure of her legacy. Selene mentions her mother took her on a walk around the quad—specifically around the statue erected in Lucinda's honor.
"I've always wondered if she liked the statue," Kaelle muses. "If being around herself for so long is a treat or a curse."
"She was proud," Selene admits. "I remember the day they erected it... But then I got another lecture about promotion and leveling up."
"You all try to lift everyone else up and be this shining example," Kaelle observes gently. "But you yourselves are just as afflicted with pride as anyone else."
"You think I'm stepping down?" she asks.
"No, you're not stepping. You're swan diving. Fearless, bold, ambitious."
"You don't have to pepper me with compliments. That's not what I come here for." Selene says.
"Oh, I thought you liked the words."
"I like action more than words," Selene says, stepping closer. She reaches out, undoing the top of his silk outfit, letting the tension of the Gold District fall away as they move to the bed.
Later, they relax in a private hot tub on the balcony, illuminated by floating orbs that resemble fireflies. Selene admires them but notes they aren't real. "Have you ever been to the beach off-world and seen real fireflies?"
"I can see them on the inside when you describe them to me," Kaelle says. "I have not been able to have such a gift."
Selene feels a pang of guilt. "I could take you. You'd be able to feel it yourself."
"I would love that," he beams.
"I'm sorry, I suggested it… but now I'm thinking about the logistics of it all," she quickly retracts, her Gold conditioning kicking back in.
"Logistics? Come on. Dreamers don't worry about logistics," Kaelle chides gently. "Not everything has to be planned, Selene. Sometimes you can just take each other's hands and jump and see where you land."
"When's the last time you did something without overthinking it?" he asks. "Instead of walking past that ledge and wondering what's on the other side?"
"You have the luxury to think like that," Selene counters.
"The luxury or the curse," Kaelle muses. "If dreams are a curse, I think we're all caught in them. It's what makes us human."
"I don't think you would want to hear about my dreams," Selene says softly, looking away. "It's childish."
"The best imaginations start in childhood. I won't tell anybody. I promise."
Selene hesitates, then speaks. "When I was ten years old, I saw one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I didn't think I was supposed to see it, though."
"Doesn't that make it all the more incredible?"
"It was a Sable," she says, staring into the water. "My parents had a Red retired—the one who caused my brother's trauma. The way they retired him... they used a Sable. It was like watching the ballet at its best. A silent death."
"You saw one of them?" Kaelle asks, stunned.
"I did. And it was beautiful. Their movements, their silence... I've never seen anything like it since. I dream about being like that Sable. Being so good at what you do, no one notices. Until you're gone."
Kaelle listens without judgment. "So you wish to be unburdened from everything and just be able to dance to your own music?"
"I do. But don't you think part of it is is DNA?" Selene asks, splashing the water lightly. "I can't become a Sable. I can't become a Violet and suddenly have your abilities and strengths."
"Nor could I have yours," Kaelle replies softly. "But... we can always aim to be the best that we can with the cards that we're given. And maybe pick up some cards along the way."
He gestures to a floating tray delivering a bubbling violet drink with a bendy straw.
"What is this? This is new," Selene asks, taking the glass.
"Just some champagne with exotic fruit," Kaelle explains. "I paid very well to have it made so that when you take a sip, I'm going to see Selene Kelvarus smile."
"Challenge accepted," she replies, already smiling before she takes a sip.
"Now that right there," he says softly. "No Sable could have nearly a perfect smile as that."
The relaxation hits Selene hard, her eyes drooping as the night wears on. "I'm supposed to go back home tonight," she slurs slightly, fighting sleep. "I told Dorian that I'd just be here for a few hours."
"Why don't you stay?" Kaelle suggests softly. "He's a big boy. He'll be all right."
"He's watching Dex, that's why."
"Dex is far more capable of taking care of himself than any of you," Kaelle counters with a smile.
"You're right," Selene admits, her resistance fading. "Just wake me up in a few hours. How about that?"
She moves to the large, star-shaped bed, resting her head on his chest, using him as her pillow as the floating lights dim around them.
As the night winds down, Selene drifts off to sleep, completely at ease for the first time in ages.
Maia rolls Oracle (D100) to see if Selene snores -> Chance: 50% -> Result: 69 (Yes, she snores lightly)
Kaelle watches her rest, a soft smile on his face, guarding the Monarch while she finally lowers her guard.
Meanwhile, in a timeline parallel to Selene's respite, Dorian is on a very different journey. He takes a transport deep into the Red District, far from the pristine towers of the Gold sector. The district is an industrial maze, a "sci-fi shanty town" of rusted metal and dirt roads. He arrives at the Pulse Lounge, a gritty dive bar wedged between factories, where he is greeted not as a superior, but as a friend.
Sitting at a back table is R0-55, known to him simply as Ross. The Red is dressed in a refined work shirt and apron, with spiky black hair he actually styles.
"My friend is here!" Ross beams. "Come, sit down."
"I'm so sorry I'm late," Dorian apologizes, pulling up a chair. "My father called... he's working on these new Titans, large construction bots. He lives in grandeur, head in the clouds."
"I would love to meet him one day," Ross muses.
"I think he'd like you," Dorian admits. "Despite everything."
"That day might come sooner than we think," Ross says ominously, playing with a coin on the table.
"I think your perspective would be of great assistance to my father," Dorian says, ever the optimist. "If we had a hundred minds like yours, the city would be a better place."
"I didn't want to be too selfish," Ross smiles, but the humor doesn't reach his eyes.
They set up a complex, multi-tiered holographic strategy game—a ritual they have shared for years. It's a mix of chess, chance, and deception. For a moment, the world falls away. There is no Gold technician or Red worker, just two friends playing with blocks.
But as the game progresses, Ross begins to dominate. He pushes all his chips into the center of the board.
"Are you baiting me, old friend?" Dorian asks, sipping his drink.
"No, my friend," Ross says, his voice dropping. "I fear I am quite serious. I am going all in this time."
"The Fool's Gambit?"
"It has to be done. At least once in a lifetime."
Dorian looks at the board, then at his friend. "I was thinking the same thing. But I have so few pieces to lose. You have the entire pot."
"You have no idea how nervous I am," Ross admits.
"But sometimes we are the anvil, and sometimes we have to be the hammer. So come swinging down, my friend." Replies Dorian.
Ross makes his move, and despite Dorian's best efforts, he wins again. But there is no celebration. Ross powers down the game, the holographic light fading to reveal his steely expression.
"You know we cannot dream," Ross says quietly. "But if I could dream, I would liberate every single Red in this room and in this city."
Dorian leans forward, sobering up instantly. "Ross, I know we've mused about the what ifs, but without the cards..."
"I'm going all in, my friend."
"Please tell me you're joking," Dorian says with a nervous laugh, trying to break the tension. "Look, I want this to be better for you... let me talk to my father. I could find a way to fix the corruption in the neural networks..."
"I fear the time for talking is done," Ross interrupts gently. "You don't want it like I do. You haven't lived my life. I've seen too much suffering for too long. While you talk with your father, I have a friend who comes in beaten, brain dented in by a Gray."
"But if you fail the Fool's Gambit..."
"Then I will need your help, Dorian," Ross says, leaning in and taking his hand. "Please. You're one of the best friends I've made in this city. I will need your help when the time comes."
"You do realize that puts me between you and my family," Dorian warns.
"I understand."
"All right, Ross," Dorian sighs. "If I beat you this time, we table this talk. If you beat me... you have my word. I will help you in any way that I can."
Michael rolls Oracle (D100) to determine the winner -> Odds: 30% for Dorian / 70% for Ross -> Result: 69 (Ross wins)
With a flick of his wrist, Ross shatters Dorian's defenses on the board, securing the victory. The game dissolves, the pieces disintegrating into light.
"Well played, friend," Dorian says, the weight of the promise settling on him. "There's a really good chance this doesn't work. And we both face retirement."
"But since when has that stopped dreams, huh?" Ross counters. "I'd like to see us all have them. Everyone in this room to be liberated."
Dorian stands to leave. "I have a seminar in the morning... but these were some great games for us."
"The best I ever played." Ross says, a sadness in his smile.
"Please be careful."
Ross stands and pulls Dorian into a tight hug. "You're one of the best friends I've made in this city. I do not regret meeting you."
"Likewise," Dorian whispers.
They part ways, unaware that this promise—made over a game in a dive bar—will eventually lead to the explosion in the lab and the fracture between Dorian and his sister.
Small note from Maia: Me and Michael both rolled 69 in this episode, we are too in sync!
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