Editing HEAVY OBJECT:Volume9 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 8===

A group of Faith Organization soldiers known as the Clovers witnessed the blackout too.

They had originally been naval experts, but the reliance on Objects could be glimpsed in the fact that they were simply guarding a harbor. They seemed to have some interest in the distant Island Nation because their name was a pun on that nation’s words for white clovers and the white collars they wore.

They were meant to protect the Object construction and maintenance facility at the southernmost point of the city, but the Sarasvati had requested that they all move outside of the Great Fence three kilometers to the north.

Also, the naval Clovers were not the only ones to receive that request.

Everywhere they looked, the cafes and donut shops near the Great Fence were packed full of men and women in lab coats and work uniforms. They had all settled down here until Pilot Elite Putana Highball finished her meditation.

A young white collar who was really only a boy gave the foggy sky an annoyed look.

“What are we even doing?”

“Don’t let it get you down, youngster. We wouldn’t get any money without the Object.”

“I don’t know what this ‘scopophobia’ is about, but I can’t believe she had even her personal bodyguards leave.”

The too-young white collar glanced over at the Great Fence.

The fog kept him from seeing the details of the Object, but its dark silhouette was more than visible. A lighthouse on a small island provided a backlight for the Sarasvati and the Object’s shadow was displayed on the screen created by the fog.

“You can complain if you want, but don’t look back at the base. She’ll read the emotions in your gaze.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. The Elites are manmade espers, after all.”

That was of course untrue, but it was the view held by normal soldiers who knew little of Objects.

“Even the full security network of the base can’t hope to match the Object’s sensors. If she’ll do our job for us, that’s fine by me.”

“That may be true, but…”

He trailed off as Lost Angels was suddenly wrapped in pitch darkness. Even the lighthouse went out.

The too-young Clover pulled his visor down over his eyes and started to raise his carbine, but…

“Put down your gun! Panic and you’ll shoot one of us!”

Someone grabbed the gun from the side and pointed it straight up.

“Calm down, youngster. These blackouts happen all the time on hot nights. It’s because of all the air conditioners. This is a part of being ecological. The young wives who are so obsessed with the World Clock will be rejoicing.”

“But…”

“It doesn’t matter. Either way, the Sarasvati has power from its reactor, so its sensors are up and running. Crossing the Great Fence in the dark will only get you vaporized.”

The city was not even wrapped in darkness for a full twenty seconds.

The power soon recovered, beginning with the most important regions. Fortunately for the donut shop, the lights came on just in time to reveal a young man preparing to break the register, so the workers were able to gang up on him.

“A toast to night in Lost Angels,” said the older white collar.

The lighthouse on the small island seemed to have recovered as well because the Sarasvati’s silhouette appeared on the fog once more.

“Let’s call a '''Pizza Deliveryman''' and get something to eat. I hear they’ll deliver anywhere in the city as long as you give them a GPS signal.”

“Isn’t that one of our researchers being attacked in that donut shop!? We need to help him!!”