Project Death: Resurrection
Page 15
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"Tamesis."
My eyes snapped open and I looked over to the doorway. Samuel and the other four Leaders were standing there, just feet away from me and none of them looked very happy. I steadied my breathing; I had nothing to hide from them as I really didn't know what was going on. I would make them understand that somehow. We would clear up this whole matter together. "Yes, sir."
"It is time for your questioning. We will take you back to our quarters and begin."
I nodded and then tested my body, now finding that I could lift my hands and feet. They still felt slightly tingly, as if still asleep, but I knew that getting up and moving around would clear that feeling away in a matter of minutes. At least I was moving better than last time I woke up, and that was a drastic improvement. Slowly I sat up, noting that I still felt a little out of it and my brain still felt as if some secret memory was hiding in the background, staying fuzzy and keeping me from full access, but at least I had basic motor functions back. Swinging my legs around, I stood up and moved over towards the Leaders. One held my robe in their arms; I wasn't even paying attention to which one of them it was, with my focus solely on remaining upright and hiding any signs of weakness. "Thank you," I said as I slipped it on, thinking that the garment seemed far heavier than it had before. That had to be due to the fatigue I felt in my own body. Every movement seemed to take more out of me than I thought.
They said nothing, just gestured out of the room. I started walking out of the room and then down the hall, and the Leaders surrounded me, making it feel as if I had actually done something wrong, something that meant that I required an escort. It was as if they thought I was a danger to their facility, and I was no longer being seen as one of them, but as an enemy. I did not like the feeling at all.
No one watched us as we proceeded down the hallway, which just showed how much things had changed recently. Before all of the Resurrectors started disappearing and turning up dead they would line up along the hallways any time a Resurrector went under review or were being reprimanded.
However, now there was nothing. It was dead silent and I felt even worse about that, because if the other Resurrectors lined the hallway then I would at least get to see Sitara, Alaula, Kiran, and Damir, and know that they were behind me. Unless things had changed and they weren't there to support me anymore. Then again, Alaula had been considerably distressed over everything that had happened, and Sitara was probably just as upset. Kiran and Damir could have been somewhere comforting them…or the most likely scenario was that our numbers were so depleted now that they were all out healing a charge. I had no idea what was going on now with this meeting where the Leaders were going to question me. I could only hope for the best, that they would see how much dedication I put into my work and how much time and effort I put into learning the most effective and efficient ways to heal.
The procession was silent and somber as we reached the Leaders' quarters. The doors opened quickly as if someone had pushed them, even though nobody else was there, and we all walked inside. They left me standing in the middle of the room as they made their way around the table, each standing at their respective positions.
Samuel cleared his throat and then motioned that everyone could sit down. Well, everyone except me. I had no chair. Instead I stood, hands folded in front of me, waiting for them to say what they needed to. It was only right that they speak first since I really didn't know what to say, what they wanted to hear from me. For the most part it seemed as if none of them even wanted to look my way. Umi had his gaze pointed firmly in Samuel’s direction, as did Annelise. Danica seemed intensely focused on the papers on the table in front of her; she did not meet the gaze of anyone else at the table. Josiah had looked at me briefly but now even his gaze was turned down towards the table, and while he seemed upset about the situation, I also wondered if his eyes had a certain glimmer of hope in them.
Samuel glanced at the others before he focused his gaze on me and cleared his throat. I guess I should have expected that he would be the one to do most of the speaking. "I must say that we were quite troubled by the scene we encountered two days ago. This kind of betrayal has only happened once before and we thought that we would never have to worry about it again. Your fate will be decided during this hearing."
Betrayal? Hearing? Did they mean that they were holding a trial? But I hadn't done anything to them! I wouldn't have harmed my fellow Resurrectors and they all had to know that. They had been found lying around me but that didn't mean that I had anything to do with their deaths. Wasn't it possible that I had passed out from exhaustion and then all of that had happened? Still, the fact remained that I could not remember the events after my encounter with Thanos in the mall. I felt so incredibly helpless in that moment, but at the very least they would have to listen to my story here. I could only hope that it would be enough to exonerate me, because I was certain that I was just as much of a victim as the other Resurrectors, with the obvious exception that I had survived. Then again, hadn’t I also been the only one to save a charge when up against the Angel of Death?
If I couldn't remember anything then how could I even hope to prove that I was innocent? All I had was the thought that I wouldn't be able to harm my comrades. It was never a thought that had crossed my mind, even after all the taunting I had received from them, and I thought that said a lot about me. Yes, their constant sneers and the years of being treated as inferior had been difficult, but I had always been aware of my record as a Resurrector, and I knew that I was one of the best, if not the absolute best, Resurrector at this facility.
"What do you have to say about the charges?"
Samuel’s words broke through the silence and I realized that we had all been silent for several moments. Honestly, I still felt shocked that they were charging me with what had happened, that they thought I was capable of doing harm to my own allies. I looked at Samuel, truly wishing that I knew more about what was going on. "What charges, sir?" It was obvious that they were talking about whatever had happened in the field, but I wanted to hear them spell it out specifically in the hopes that it would spark my memory. If I knew more then maybe I would actually have answers to give.
"You are being charged with the endangerment of us all, and the death of the eighteen Resurrectors in that field two days ago."
Eighteen? I couldn't imagine harming or killing one Resurrector, let alone eighteen. "That is ridiculous. What reason would I have to harm anyone here? I have done nothing but my best in the years I have been a Resurrector. Through it all I have saved so many charges. What makes you think I'm capable of killing anyone?"
"There was a witness, Tamesis. You were seen killing the Resurrectors as they came to answer a charge's call. Many of those involved were ones who had been reported as making snide comments towards you during your training and especially after you were kept from graduation. Of course, that being said, you also showed no mercy to anyone. Kiran’s burial was yesterday." Samuel stared at me disapprovingly, like a father would to a child who had just broken the law. "I would like to know how you managed to call other Resurrectors to you. There was no charge there."
I didn’t feel that I could hold myself upright after all of the accusations given by Samuel. Using the reports my friends had submitted on my behalf because of how everyone else seemed to treat me did seem to indicate that a number of Resurrectors were due for some sort of punishment, but I had never wished harm on any of them. I internalized all of their taunts and used them to fuel my work ethic even more. But…Kiran…how could I have done…? I shook my head. There was no way I was responsible for the death of one of my closest friends. "I…I don't know how this happened. I don't know how to call Resurrectors. I went to the mall and then…"
They all looked at me, waiting for me to finish. Wouldn't admitting that I didn't remember any of it make me seem guilty? I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I couldn't see any way to get out of this. I had nothing to say in my favor. It was not even
possible for me to ask them to question my friends to help my cause. After hearing that Kiran was dead, I had no way of knowing how my friends would respond. At least it explained why Alaula had seemed so distant and distraught earlier. Kiran had been very dear to her, and we all believed that someday they would form a dynamic partnership for creating a new generation of Resurrectors. Without my friends even, I thought my work would speak for itself and they would see just how devoted I was to the cause, to saving lives. Clearly that did not seem to be the case.
It was that thought that snapped some sense into me. This hearing was clearly just a formality so they would feel better about the decision they had already made in regards to the whole situation. I did not want to go through the motions to make them feel better about themselves. "There's nothing I can say to change what's going to happen, is there? You all have already made your decision about what will happen to me. I can see it in your eyes. What was the point in this hearing, then? Why didn't you just sentence me already? It would have saved you a lot of time."
"We want answers."
"Well so would I," I shot back, actually feeling myself get angry because of their disbelief and accusations. "I would love to know what's going on now and what has been happening lately. All I seem to get is more questions and no answers. Where were you when all of this was going on? It seems to me that you guys have only been hiding in your quarters, trying to wait until this is all over. We Resurrectors have been going out and doing our job and some of us haven't come back from that. Have you done anything to stop it?" Okay, angry was not the right word to use. I was actually livid, and I knew I had a point with my retaliation. At one point in the history in the Resurrectors, the Leaders probably had joined the rest of us in the field, but I knew from the records that for at least the last one hundred years, they had stayed holed up in their quarters and issued orders from there, becoming the puppet masters controlling the rest of us, and it made me wonder what had scared them enough to make such a decision.
Samuel stood up, clearly not liking how I was reacting. Too bad. "That is enough. You know nothing about what is really going on around here."
I took a step towards the table, keeping my eyes focused on Samuel. If the other Leaders were not going to join in on the conversation then I was going to ignore them. They all seemed to be nothing more than figureheads to me anyway. "And you won't tell me, either. You want to keep us in the dark while trying to convince us that everything is fine, and that you're doing something about it but you aren't. It is ridiculous.”
"I said that is enough. It would be in your best interest to not say anything else."