Of course, Aileen came running as soon as she heard the awful news.
“So… you thought the most sensible way to get out of this situation would be to… volunteer for a potentially lethal battle royale?!” Aileen asked, her jaw hanging wide open in disbelief. "I mean, seriously, Coda?!"
The pair stood in the main hall, waiting for the elevator. Once inside, they would part ways— Aileen trudging back to her usual post on the Prep Level, and Coda going off to… well, wherever she wanted to go, it seemed. She was off the hook until the competition began, according to her manager. Being a contestant kind of rocked!
“For the last time, yes. At least things are on my terms, now,” said Coda, adjusting her brand new bow tie in the reflection of the elevator doors. It matched her usual tie’s navy blue color, with delicate floral patterns etched into the fabric—roses, of course. “Say, is it just me, or do the collars look kinda… different this year?”
Aileen snorted, reaching into her pocket for her beloved tobacco pipe. While she was banned from lighting up inside the facility, she usually settled for simply chewing on the bit and stem, which seemed to do the trick in staving off any cravings. “Yeah, yeah, they’ll inhibit your capabilities a lot more than last season’s did. You… you feeling any different? Sick or something? You don't look it.”
Coda thought about it. In fact, she did feel a little different. A definite chill had run down her spine as the inhibitor collar was first fitted around her neck. Almost immediately, her body had begun to feel heavy, her muscles weak, as if all the energy had been sapped from her frame. She felt powerless, her muscles like ice and her movements sluggish— a caged bird with clipped wings. But after a few minutes, that cold feeling had gradually faded, replaced by a general... benumbed sensation, like a faint radio static running through her limbs at all times. It was easy enough to ignore, all things considered, even if it wasn't exactly pleasant.
“I guess,” Coda shrugged noncommittally, just as the elevator arrived with a cheerful ding! In what seemed like the longest three seconds of their lives, the doors eventually opened, and the two women stepped inside.
Settling in against the far wall, Aileen closed her eyes, her chest heaving as she let out a deep sigh. She ran agitated fingers through her long maroon ponytail, the unkempt strands nearly standing on end like a distressed porcupine.
The elevator lurched into motion, throwing the two women off balance and causing them to stumble awkwardly inside. Aileen grasped at the wall, bracing herself against the impact of the sudden shift in gravity. Coda, on the other hand, stood in the middle of the car, willing herself to remain completely still as the elevator's upward momentum built.
Aileen slowly opened her eyes, glancing over at Coda. The older woman had a haunted look to her, Coda thought. The creases of her pale face appeared more pronounced than usual, making her seem aged beyond her years, and her eyes... well, the darkness in them wasn't all down to their natural coloring. Her gaze traced over the contours of Coda's face, seeming to drink in every detail.
This keen inspection soon became suffocating for Coda, and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, unable to meet Aileen's eyes. She tugged at the hem of her shirt and rolled her coat's sleeves, feeling increasingly uncomfortable under the scrutiny.
“What?” asked Coda, feeling defensive. Did she have something on her face?
“Just etching your mug into my memory,” Aileen drawled, turning back to face towards the front. She gnawed on her pipe with an audible chomping sound, the wood grating under her teeth. “Y’know, before you go off to die horribly and in pain.”
Coda sniffed daintily. “Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence. Real encouraging. I appreciate it so much.”
Aileen's lips curled up ever so slightly as she glanced at Coda out of the corner of her eye.
“Well, I could also just have a nasty case of poor judgment. I hear that’s going around...”