<div style="width: 100%; height: 550px; font-size: 12.5px; line-height: 23px; text-align: justify; box-sizing: border-box; background: url(https://wallpapercave.com/wp/HUODHX7.jpg); background-size: cover; background-position:center; padding: 15px; color: #fff; font-family:times;"><div style="height: 450px; overflow-y: auto;"><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"><span style="font-size: 26px"><span style="font-family: 'Lobster Two'">Emmy</span></span></span><br/>
<span style="font-size: 26px"><span style="font-family: 'Lobster Two'">Mid June 2022<br/>
Early Afternoon<br/>
Location =&gt; Operations Room, The Blockhouse. <br/>
(direct) -&gt; Everyone<br/>
(indirect) -- Everyone<br/>
The Reunion. </span></span><br/>
<div class="bbImageWrapper lazyload js-lbImage" data-lb-caption-extra-html="" data-lb-sidebar-href="" data-single-image="1" data-src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2F64.media.tumblr.com%2F3ac96c09d2139207d227067c8ca75a7b%2Ftumblr_nlmoir603s1so2m4no1_250.gif&amp;hash=f964b5dd3d8801e3dead59c1c74b0594" title="tumblr_nlmoir603s1so2m4no1_250.gif">
<img alt="tumblr_nlmoir603s1so2m4no1_250.gif" class="bbImage lazyload" data-src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2F64.media.tumblr.com%2F3ac96c09d2139207d227067c8ca75a7b%2Ftumblr_nlmoir603s1so2m4no1_250.gif&amp;hash=f964b5dd3d8801e3dead59c1c74b0594" data-url="https://64.media.tumblr.com/3ac96c09d2139207d227067c8ca75a7b/tumblr_nlmoir603s1so2m4no1_250.gif" data-zoom-target="1" height="" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" style="" title="" width=""/>
<noscript><img alt="tumblr_nlmoir603s1so2m4no1_250.gif" class="bbImage" data-url="https://64.media.tumblr.com/3ac96c09d2139207d227067c8ca75a7b/tumblr_nlmoir603s1so2m4no1_250.gif" data-zoom-target="1" height="" src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2F64.media.tumblr.com%2F3ac96c09d2139207d227067c8ca75a7b%2Ftumblr_nlmoir603s1so2m4no1_250.gif&amp;hash=f964b5dd3d8801e3dead59c1c74b0594" style="" title="" width=""/></noscript>
</div>
<br/>
<div style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'"><br/>
In another life Emmy would've likely praised Addy for being the sister anyone would want. In another life, the redhead's words would've brought a huge smile to the yearning teen's face and reciprocated with joy and glee. In another life though, they wouldn't know one another at all. She was delighted that even in a brief moment she could be granted respite, it had shown the brunette that was she wasn't too far gone... not yet at least. She hadn't numbed herself beyond all capability of reproach, there was still a small of emotion that felt good whirring around somewhere in her deep &amp; vast abyss. Emmy met AC's eyes with a mutual respect, and though she didn't fully feel the power and grip behind Addy's surge of support, it did leave enough of an impact in her to not succumb to anymore despair for the time being. Emmy did titter in humor however at Addy's sarcastic sass, something the teen definitely mirrored and picked up from her as she was being raised in the manor with everyone else. <br/>
<br/>
The hand on her shoulder was a nice gesture. Emmy didn't really need it, or maybe she thought she didn't. It was was hard to tell nowadays. She did feel a slight surge of awareness and zest as she took a deep breath and focused on finishing everything for when the gang all arrived. It was almost done now, and the closer they got towards that moment, the more Emmy's heart pounded faster and faster. The doors slide open and Emmy instinctively looks to see Tris enter, with him appearing just a tad irate and nervous. However, him being him he still put others first, coming over and placing a hand on Emmy's other shoulder, to which the girl placed her hand on his and warmly leaned her head onto his arm, nodding with a silent affirmation. When he found his corner and started to play his guitar, she immediately recognized the tune he was playing. It was secretly becoming her favorite song for her to hear him play. The melody, the lyrics... it was a song she cried to many nights listening to him play. She never told him that of course, not wanting to bring his mood down or trouble him with her trauma more than he already had himself, especially having sleepless nights worrying over Alissa. The song soothed Emmy as she closed her eyes for a moment. Inhale. Exhale. <br/>
<br/>
When Kenji walked in, Emmy delivered a mild smile that he'd made it. She was just grateful he showed, she knew he had every reason to not do so. Whatever lack of acknowledgement they had beforehand could be tabled for another day, she was just happy she'd at least get to inform everyone on what she found so she didn't feel as stir crazy. She'd seen that Idris also decided to stay, almost stalwart in her solemn support. Emmy felt a brief period of remorse, before it was replaced with the memory of seeing Idris leave all those years ago after she knew what Emmy told her. Again, another day. Her attention was briefly taken away once she saw a shaggy  shell of muscle follow in behind Kenji. It was a man she'd awaited many days for many months on end. They locked eyes in a bout of response as she wondered what he'd say, or even do. Once she saw they both were at an unspoken impasse, she simply tilted her head in focus and shifted her eyes on Chris' cigarette. Her recall knowing the small trash bin that rested by the door, Emmy's pupils dilated for a spark of a nanosecond before swiftly taking a nearby pen and throwing it with precise force and accuracy at the cigarette, just enough to knock the rising cinders from the cigarette itself, the momentum snuffing the cancer stick out of Chris' grasp and gracefully into the trash, with the pen's force smacking against the wall and swimmingly landing on an old police scanner as it rolls itself to a halt. Emmy's stare bore past Chris' eyes and directly into his soul. The retribution stare he had loathed so much from them growing up.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"><i><b> <br/>
<br/>
"No smoking." </b></i></span><br/>
<br/>
Emmy also watched as Terry showed an unusual amount of expression towards her siblings. Like a big happy family reunion. Emmy didn't feel that happiness was the most acute word from her point of view, but a deep part of her would be lying if she said it wasn't a sight to behold. Picturesque even. She saw how the cop switched demeanor altogether, assuming the whiskey had loosened her up pretty well. This was more evident by her embraces to Idris and Addy, before turning her own affections to Emmy with a smile. Even sitting beside her? A comfortable uncomfortability. She could only watch as Iris motioned herself in the room and found an open chair to twirl in, again choosing to focus on the task at hand. And while she tried her absolute damndest to resist shooting daggers into the soul of Alissa, she couldn't help it. The girl who talked to herself managed to piss off the only other girl who wouldn't readily wince or unease at the sight of her speaking in multitude out loud. Emmy clinched her jaws at the sight of Alissa, taking a deep breath as she did. Alissa's comments were not lost on Emmy at all... the audacity was actually impressive. If Alissa only knew how accepting Emmy truly was of her otherwise unorthodox ways, only to have the German girl chastise her at every chance she got, only futher affiriming the sage council she'd taken up with Addy just moments before. She missed and loved them all so much and this is how they repay her? Even after all these years of having left her in the first place? Emmy felt that volcano waking once more. <br/>
<br/>
She redirected her focus. Addy's words came at the perfect time of her being loved just the way she was, but instead of the grounded response of the wisdom that came before, only the indifferent look of Emmy resulted as an effect of trying to keep the lava contained. It wasn't about Emmy right now, in fact it was frankly about none of them; but it would take all of them if she wanted to try and make sense of things. She wasn't going to admit to them that she needed them specifically, only that she needed them to come home. Now that they were here, it was time to show them that she wasn't their adopted images of a Baby Gem anymore. That girl had long been buried for a while... and while some would see the more fiery side of that notion in the near futures to come, what mattered now was making sure they saw a refined and revised <i>Gold</i>, not just<i> little brat Keylee Emerie</i>. They needed to understand the gravity of how implicative this next moment was. <br/>
<br/>
<i>Okay Emmy. This is it. Breathe. <br/>
Let go.. for now. <br/>
Focus up, Mother prepared you... all of you for this. </i><br/>
<br/>
She stood up from Mother's old chair, looking down at it. She stared at it for a moment before gaining the confidence and courage to look her family in the eyes. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)">"Thanks for coming. All of you. I know it's been a while, and I know you probably all have some other places you'd have rather been but... I feel like this was necessary. Hopefully you'll empathize and see why. And if not... <i>fuck it</i>."</span> Eight pairs of eyes looked at her with all varying emotions and thoughts behind them. No matter, Emmy's look back was one of a resolute power of indomitability. There she was, and there she is. A culmination of Mother, and every single person in the room wrapped up all in one. <br/>
<br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)">"Two days ago The Matrix came back on. How, why, what... I have no clue. I've slept maybe 7 of the last 48 hours, trying to understand. I did the usual readings, tests, cross referenced for any sort of abnormalities or energy spikes in or around the city, ley lines... all of it. Nothing. It's exactly as it was four years ago. Mother never could conclude if it was sentient or not, or if its paracausality simply made it unpredicatble to our standards but... it's activated again."</span> Emmy says throwing her hands up in relented contemplation. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)">"But that's not the weirdest thing. <i><b>This </b></i>is."</span> Emmy slaps a manilla folder on the table. THE manilla folder. <b><u>Restricted </u></b>across its contents, the likes of which literally no other document contained in The Archives nor Mother's library upstairs. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)">"I don't know if it was conincidence, or impetus... but the contents of that folder synced with The Matrix's pulse awakening again... there's only eight brains in the world that could help me figure it out." </span><br/>
<br/>
Emmy slides the folder over to Terry first. She figured Terry's profession and abilities both would bring the most salience to kicking off what the contents could mean.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"> "Pass it around after you're done. But no worries, I've already uploaded everything into the system. Here it is."</span> Emmy then takes a holgraphic icon of a file and expands it with her hands, to which the full contents of the dossier becomes visible to The Nine. The Nine... a term Emmy hadn't even thought about in so long. </span></span>​</div><br/>
<div class="bbCodeSpoiler">
<button class="bbCodeSpoiler-button button--longText button" data-xf-click="toggle" data-xf-init="tooltip" title="Click to reveal or hide spoiler" type="button"><span class="button-text">
<span>Spoiler: <span class="bbCodeSpoiler-button-title">Dossier - Restricted</span></span>
</span></button>
<div class="bbCodeSpoiler-content">
<div class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--spoiler">
<div class="bbCodeBlock-content"><i><b><span style="font-size: 18px"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'">Recorded by: M. </span></span></b></i><br/>
<span style="font-size: 18px"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'"><i><b>Clearance Classification (Level 1-9): 10 - Only to be logged and accessed by M. <br/>
Time: --:--, --/--/---- [redacted] </b></i><br/>
<b><i>Subject: Restricted.</i></b><br/>
<br/>
This dossier is strictly and purely for notary, review, and advisement of myself and will under no circumstances be logged in any of the CoU's databases, logs, systems, servers, networks, or archives. This will be the only chronicle of this matter, as the risk of exposure even on the most microscopic of scale is far too great and could exceedingly result in the immediate or subsequent reveal of The Cabal, its resources, and more importantly... its members. My Children. A threat to all sake of life that I have acheived to build in way of security, righteousness, and salvation would be compromised if this dossier (and its knowledge thereof) falls into the wrong hands. Even the most ignorant of hands would still possess a piece of information more valuable than military and intelligence secrets from the beginning of the age of man for one simple reason: Access to not only the cognizance of The Cabal's Operations and Members, but dominion into the power it holds in essence. Furthermore, the risk of The Matrix and its true location being discovered would impose serious federal, military, private, and even global contempt that could very well lead to the full exploitation of The Matrix, The Cabal of Unity, and its inhabitants/powers in one fell swoop. I will not let that happen. I will not allow The Other to destroy the singlemost and onlymost beacon of metaessential preservation in the universe... maybe across <i>all </i>dimensions. <br/>
<br/>
The Other must never know of these entities of power, nor the knowledge contained derived from The Matrix and The Cabal. Their presence presents a threat that I cannot hope to mitigate, yet my will &amp; inclination are being challenged on a scale I couldn't have ever foreseen. I have prepared them for so much... to be operational on independence from every facet of life from emotional, mental, physical, spirutal, situational, financial, etc... how then could I not attune myself to the very standard I hold my precious children? I had to, and so I did. <i>To lance the head of the dragon after it spews its flames, is lunacy</i><b>.</b> I could see it the moment I confronted The Other for the first time... it was never going to result in an outcome that kept them safe. That kept the world safe. So I did what any logical person carrying the weight I carried would do. I did what any Mother would do. I protected the world.. I protected my children. And they will never have to know it. I took care of a dragon before it had the ability to breathe its flames upon the world that I know now. And a hope I birthed into this new era of life and reality that flows through nine beautiful potentials. <br/>
<br/>
I made sure The Other could never grasp that fire, placing them in ---------- [redacted]. They must never know about it, let alone ever go there. It was originally supposed to be dubbed as The Safehouse, a remote location the Cabal could rendevous in the event of critical compromise or subjugation of the world, including foreign agencies as well as our own domestic military, enforcement, and intelligences. I always think ahead for them, to the world I'm just an unassuming (but respected) scientific doctorate... but I myself know to be much more. A secret that must be heralded in ignorance for all time. A sacrifice I gladly make for my family. The irony. Maybe in the end, by protecting them I will learn to take care of myself as well. Even though they do a wonderful job enough of doing that for me. So for all time I will remain the dark figure among a community's shadow, and for all time The Other will remain a fire that never burned. It has to be that way, for Earth... for them... and quite possibly for the very fabric of the universe. Intervals will be made to ensure that no risk was, is, or will be propogated. I have developed countermeasures in the tiny fraction of a percent chance said risk has leaked through hidden or unknown channels, and a contingency is in place to ensure all remains in place. <br/>
<br/>
The dragon will not burn the world we live to save and protect. I have nine wonderous flowers growing in a garden of light &amp; life. They will never know this darkness. And it will remain that way. <br/>
<br/>
M. </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div><br/>
<div style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'"><br/>
Emmy loops the dossier on repeat for them if they wished to re-read, but it was clear as day. She knew Mother had her secrets from them, and definitely her. There were some that all of the siblings knew, and there were those that she revealed only in her recorded log after her passing... but this felt different. This was one that she didn't want anyone to know nor <i>ever </i>know. Emmy must've read the dossier over 100 times in the last two days, and she still had to wrap her mind... even her <i>souped </i>mind around one dominant basis: <i><b>Who in the fuck was The Other</b></i>? It was enough she had to live with the misery of Mother being taken out by some random intruder, but knowing there was something that the ever-composed, genius minded, <i>dangerously </i>clever Mother was this succumed to trepidation over!? This wasn't just nothing. And whatever secret was locked away... Emmy had to be sure it had nothing to do with a foreboding message about The Matrix activating or anything to come. Now everyone would understand why Emmy expressed to them two days ago she didn't think they'd just up and leave so easily. This had a weighted merit that applied to each and every one of them.<br/>
</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'">"I've read through this over 100 times. I've done everything from cryptic rendering to cross-reference deep web and blackhat tracing of anything related to The Other, The Safehouse, and any sort of governmental or military intelligence across the nation... there isn't anything. Mother had access to it <b>all </b>on these servers... she didn't store anything on it. With intention. But why? What was so dire that she had to hide it from the nine most capable people on the planet? Not to mention nine people she loved so much?" </span></span></span><br/>
<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'"><br/>
In hindsight, Emmy was glad Addy gave her a boost. She started to rub her temples from lack of sleep and racking her brain over this. But, at least she didn't have to do it alone anymore... however temporary that may be. She took another deep breath... time to show them she wasn't a baby anymore. Even before Mother had died she'd cleared Emmy for two Expeditions as a early teen. Who said she ever stopped preparing? <br/>
</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'">"<b>Terry</b>, you're the detective mind here. And your brain... you have the encyclopedic knowledge and experience of eons of generations... what are we most likely looking at here? Is it related to The Matrix or likely something else?" </span></span></span><br/>
<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'"></span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'">"<b>Idris</b>. The dragon references, the metaphors. You know as well as I do Mother leaves nothing without intention. Last I heard you were a historian... any reference to a culture or folklore or quote in particular?"</span></span></span><br/>
<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'"></span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'">"<b>Chris</b>, your time in the military... hell even now with your... <i>private work</i>.. have you heard about any organization, cell, or entity called The Other? Most wanted lists? INTERPOL... anything?" </span></span></span><br/>
<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'"></span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'">"<b>Addy</b>. Growing up you were the one always in the Archives and Study. Those nights you couldn't sleep and you were just reading and researching... did you come across anything that could be related to The Other? A safehouse? dragons..parables?" </span></span></span><br/>
<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'"><br/>
<b><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)">"Kenji</span></b><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)">, when you used to drive Mother around did she ever mention anything like this in confidentiality? Maybe even things in secondhand? Did you guys ever go anywhere that you didn't recognize but she seemed to?" </span><br/>
</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'">"<b>Tris</b>, what about you? Think you could shrink down and analyze the ink-strokes &amp; detail in her writing? Was she calm? Frantic? Scared? Is the ink faded in age? Or still unsmudged?"</span></span></span><br/>
<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'"></span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'">"<b>Alissa</b>. Do you still draw? Maybe you can get with Terry and have her provide you an emulated description of what a remote Safehouse would look like and consist of from Mother's mental perspective? Maybe I can generate a topological image to compare to some across the city with your sketch." </span></span></span><br/>
<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'"></span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'">"<b>Iris</b>. You're the only other person in here aside from me that's adept with electronics and electrical operations. Do you think you could map out any comparable power surges that match the energy signature of The Matrix when it shut off four years ago and when it came back on two days ago? Maybe if we can find any other occurrences in The Matrix's history besides those two moments we can narrow down on a time frame." </span></span></span><br/>
<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'"><br/>
And then there was Emmy, she wasn't sure what much else she could do. Unknown to her, the entire time she read and delegated questions and matters to The Cabal... she had an extra zest of energy, way past what Addy boosted for her. And also unknown to her... she displayed motivation and enthusiasm for the first time in... <i>years</i>. A waking subconscious that she had completely been unaware still existed in her. She didn't realize that she was projecting all the feelings she'd wanted to say and show for so very long. But her expression still remained focused and locked. Because she also had to remember she called them here, and they all came. It was up to them if they stayed. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)">"Oh, right. I already know let me guess... there goes Emmy tryna' boss around again. Let me make it clear. I have no intention of keeping anyone here that doesn't want to be. I just wanted you all to know... to do what I felt was right. That being said, if you don't want to be here... now's the time." </span><br/>
<br/>
<i>Please stay...<br/>
Please..</i><br/>
<br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(163, 143, 132)">"I'm not goina' beg you all." </span></span></span><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>​</div></div></div>