Bring forth the Manacite containers

“What do you mean by that?”

Asami heard glass clanking against glass when a pair of gloves passed by her before placing multiple vials on the kitchen’s counter. She grabbed one to bring at eye level, staring at it intensely. The transparent glass vial was about six inches tall. It contained a fine red powder which filled about 90% of the container. Is this…

“As you suspect, this is the powdery substance that was dropped through the air filtering system which allowed us to coat and control most of your belongings. We also learned this was called Manacite when we went to retrieve some more for your private use.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. When did you go get this, and where?”

“Do you really want to know, or would you rather stay unaware?” Asami frowned her eyebrows, not liking where this was going. “Very well. We went and collected some from the original owner during the night.”

“So you stole from someone else?”

“Steal is such a negative word…”

“You asked for his permission?” she interrupted the voice.

“Not exactly--”

“So you stole from them, end of discussion. From now on, please don’t do that again. This is morally wrong, no matter how you twist it. Follow the law, if you know what it is.”

“It will be done, Asami. What if the law has already been broken before this statement?”

The asian girl felt like a headache was coming. She pinched the bridge of her nose while closing her eyes, taking a long breath in, holding it, and releasing it through her mouth. She opened her eyes. “What exactly does that mean?”

To answer her, she heard loud squeaks coming from her bedroom, twisting her head in that direction. Deep inside, she knew this was the answer to the question she’d just asked. She left out a sigh, decided to just take the plunge, and went to her bedroom to check out what that powder ominously meant.

Once she crossed the door frame, she froze, gasping loudly with both hands in front of her jaw-slacked mouth. “Holy shit!” Asami rarely swore, but for this occasion, it came out instantly.

One corner of their bedroom was now occupied with a massive pile of deflated latex balloons, which almost went all the way to the ceiling. All colors, all shapes, all sizes were present. She obviously didn’t have such a collection, even though she often wished she had. This was overwhelming, yet the huge round orange balloon almost as tall as she was resting on the floor next to the mountain was also questionable.

“You have wonderful dreams, Asami. We thought you would love it if they were reality instead.”

Now she was panicking, her breathing accelerated, going into hyperventilation. Her legs gave under her, but a balloon swiftly caught her, with another behind her back to secure her.

“Calm down, Asami. Huge breath. Follow our lead. In… Out… In… Out…”

Following the voice’s soothing guidance, she eventually managed to get her breathing back under control. Her mind was still assaulted with questions, scenarios and consequences, but at least the panic attack subsided. At one point, she had flung an arm over her eyes, deep in the inner elbow to block all vision. Her brain was in overdrive.

“Where the… Where does this come from?” Asami dreaded the answer, but she had to know.

“From far away stores and factories. We believe they won’t care or notice the missing stock.”

“What do you mean, they won’t care or notice!? There’s tens of thousands, if not a hundred thousand dollars worth of latex piled right in front of me!” She was screaming at that point. “We’re in so much trouble, how are we going to explain this? What if the cops show up?”

“They will not. As far as the place we have hit knows, the stock just disappeared overnight inexplicably. We entered discreetly through small cracks, blocked all cameras, got our fill and got out. No sign of breaking and entering, no proof left behind, no lead to anywhere, nothing.”

“And how did you get all of this in? When we awoke earlier, this wasn’t here!”

“We have just come back and snuck through the window. The orange balloon was the noise you heard trying to swiftly sneak in while the coast outside was clear.”

Now that they mentioned it, that orange balloon was definitely out of place. Why was it blown up when everything else was piled up in the corner deflated instead?

When she removed her arm from her face for a better look, she saw two vials of Manacite floating in the room past her and towards the newest loot, carried by a glove each. “Hold on, what are you doing?” she blurted out.

“There wasn’t enough ambient powder left in the room for them.” Before Asami could ask or order anything else, the cap had been unscrewed and the first vial’s whole content was dunked on top of the pile. It created a hazy mist which drifted downwards, presumably to include the new stock to the Manacite’s network.

The second vial was opened and its content carefully poured inside the orange balloon through its wide open mouth piece. “And that one?” she asked while pointing at the orange orb.

“We filled this balloon with liquid latex from a factory. With it now mixed with a vial of Manacite, we’ll be able to create, mold and shape any balloons your mind could think of. With either another balloon or colorant, you can own the balloon of your dream whenever you want it.

Asami couldn’t believe it. Now she was the one who felt like she could faint. The sight of the newly brought in collection in the corner of the room, plus what she’s just been told… She slouched back on her floating seat, pressed both her open hands against her face hard, inhaled more and more air in her lungs as all that information swirled in her brain chaotically, holding it in, until finally…