VIBE,Ch.21: A Long Heist Begins

The Sentient Ledger's Exhibition/Floating Gallery/Grey Verse

The Curator pushed at invisible doors with both hands.

"The impossible is happening. This node is black, on a private chain. We're forked in the Grey. We don't 'exist' on the Verse. And yet, we've been found."

The Artist and Ledger follow the Curator's hand-wave towards the open invisible exit, with a view of the Gallery's beach cove.

"Right after you remembered who you are, someone, or something, has come, I think for you, maybe both of you.

Each day is filled with coincidence, we only find out afterwards if it was by design or dumb luck.

We can't take a chance and wait to see if that's good or bad."

The Curator, after pushing the Ledger and the Artist out of the exhibit, pulls out a card from one of the invisible doors, and hands it to the Ledger.

"Time to go. Take this, the card has been updated with the Gallery's memories of your exhibit. I'll buy you time."

The Floating Gallery continues repeating a string of alerts:
"ATTENTION. FIREWALL BREACH. OUTER PERIMETER. UNKNOWN NODES NEGOTIATING CONNECTION WITH GALLERY. ULTRAADMIN PRIVILEGES."

"Gallery, this is the Curator. Prepare to burn the exhibit."

Alberto and Zephyr look through the narrowing opening as the doors close. The Curator smiles, "Good Luck. Zephyr, look after your friend, he's only just remembered who he is."

"Thank you, Nguyen." said the Artist, who turns to the Ledger, "Let's go, there's our ride."

Back on the beach of the Gallery's island interface, they walk away from the shack, towards the pier. The Curator's boat, modeled after an Italian Riva, turns itself on as they get close.

The wall of rock pillars surrounding the private cove of the Gallery "island" begin cracking, small rocks begin to fall into the waters. The Artist steers the launch past the opening in the rock wall.

The Ledger turns to look back at the island and the shack, which begins to burn. The Gallery's island avatar begins its collapse.

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