This was certainly a common possibility as well, but after being repeated so many times, its credibility had subtly declined.
As Hesta thought about these things, she suddenly checked the time. It was not yet six in the evening. If everything went smoothly later, perhaps she could return to the square early.
She seemed to have grown curious about Tie Xi again.
Emangria's Reserve Base looked much the same as Tanyi's.
Even though this was Hesta's first time here, she easily found the administrative staff's ground-level office building, the reservists' dormitories, and the training grounds.
These aboveground buildings were no different from how they had been ten years ago. In a place like Emangria, where old buildings stood everywhere, they did not seem out of place.
Hesta circled the training grounds, then wandered around the dormitory and administrative building areas. Every entrance was locked, and she had not yet obtained the keys—though, in theory, these buildings with their windows still unsealed could not stop her. Still, Hesta merely stood before them and looked up for a while before heading toward the underground entrance.
The Reserve Base was empty at dusk, silent in every direction save for the wind.
Hesta stepped into the elevator and watched the last sliver of natural sunlight vanish through the narrowing gap between the closing doors.
Why did Reserve Bases all over the world look so alike? It was practically as if they had been mass-produced from the same blueprint... That seemed somewhat absurd, since AHgAs's Quicksilver Needle apartments around the world each had their own distinctive features. It was obvious their local architectural styles had been specifically considered.
The elevator stopped on the third underground level. From here onward lay the base's underground hospital.
Hesta re-entered her biometric information at the access control point.