You take a deep breath. Hopefully, getting close to Cinza doesn't make anyone touchy. You head up above the city to the air ballasts: giant bulb-shaped domes of buoyant gas located just above the city's highest structured dwelling but anchored to the city's core far below. The bulbs are large enough that several people could climb up the stem and lay down in the lower curve of the air bulb. Most people don't enjoy that, but Tamru actually likes walking around in them. It's a little odd that you don't find him here.
A guard's on duty, doing his best to keep an eye on both Cinza and the gawking crowd that's all secretive glances and hushed whispers. You do your best to ignore them and head up to the guard. He holds up his hand at your approach. "Sorry," he says. "No access to the air ballasts while Cinza's being held there. No exceptions."
You hold your own hands up in acknowledgment. "I'm just here because I wanted to get some work done," you say. "I just need to make a few adjustments to the northern ballasts." You point at the ballast opposite Cinza. "I won't get close to Cinza, I promise."
The guard narrows his eyes at you. For a moment, you're not sure he's even going to answer you at all. Then he sighs. "Yeah, sure. You can make the adjustments."
"Thanks!" you chirp as you swim up and over to the northernmost ballasts. Cinza doesn't look over at you, and you do your best to avoid staring at her limp figure. Unlike most of the crystal structures in the city, the bulbs are perfectly clear, and up close it's very easy to see every shiver of sadness as she lies trembling on the floor of the bulb. It's strange; up there, her skin looks almost as pale as Flynn's.
You focus on your task: just release some of the air from this ballast. Releasing air is always easier than turning on the pump to add air, and you don't want to make any extra work for yourself today. You grab a waterproof bag, swim up the ballast's stem until you break the water's surface, and scoop the bag full of gas. Then you drag the balloon down and out, releasing the contents to an explosion of rising bubbles.
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