by Marc Mulero
Victor wiped his nose and nodded, looking up at Briggs with his bloodshot eyes. “You’re a good man, Briggs. I hope to pay back your kindness one day,” Victor said as he gathered himself and took a seat. Briggs smiled and looked down, happy that he could help. “Ok,” Victor said, “I’m ready for the evaluation.”
“My intent is to inform the people of Senation of our current situation and continue to let them decide what course of action to take,” Blague said calmly to Jeck. “You see, this benefits you too. I'm giving you an opportunity to speak on behalf of the Hiezers.”
“Hah,” Jeck mocked. “I'm a prisoner in my own place of work. Forgive me if I don't perceive this situation as beneficial. Your little group of savages will claw my eyes out the second you allow them to,” Jeck said with malice in his voice.
Blague stared at him for a moment, not reacting to his response. “That mode of thought makes it all too obvious that you barely regard the Sins as people,” Blague replied, as he paced around the room.
“Oh, they're people, Blague. Uneducated, lawbreaking, uncivilized people. They deserve every bit of this hellhole,” Jeck said while jerking in his shackles.
Blague pulled over the chair Lito was sitting in. “You’re so quick to generalize. Your macro level outlook will make this debate a landslide,” Blague explained confidently.
“Enough about your nonsensical plan. You seem educated about the situation at hand,” Jeck said as he leaned forward, to the point where his shackles pressed against the back of his chair. “You're after the Ayelan for yourself. Playing as noble Robin Hood, but underneath your cloak, you just want to preserve your own life.” As Jeck leaned back, the black orbs in his pauldrons reflected the light around him. He looked at Blague suspiciously, but with a smirk. “I've got you figured out,” Jeck said.
Blague leaned forward with an unchanged expression, “You’re as misguided as your black-cloaked brothers, Jeck. Has it become so cloudy at the top that the only conceived thoughts are of personal gain?” Blague questioned as his stare intensified, watching Jeck nod in a mocking expression.
“Alright, almighty Blague, basking in your ideals. Unlike you, my 'brothers' live in the real world, which if not for them, would be post-apocalyptic. We restored order on a global scale within six months of the quake.” Jeck said while shifting to a confident demeanor.
Blague sat back, “Does the one great deed accomplished justify the tyranny that you've built? That's a little narcissistic, wouldn't you say?” Blague asked.
“Hah,” Jeck scoffed, “We've made this world prosper. Unfortunately, there will always be a lower class, filled with a false sense of entitlement.”
Blague got up and slowly walked behind Jeck's chair. “Jeck,” Blague said as he unlocked his shackles, “you've grown so weak.” Blague began walking toward the door with a smirk on his face. “I'll release you after you speak for the Hiezers.” He shut the door and locked it. Jeck remained in his chair to reflect while rubbing his freed, achy wrists, confused by the last few sentences Blague spoke.
Lesh ran for what seemed to be hours. A dust storm enveloped the city, causing her to reduce speed. She approached the inner city, Clestice, where Nemura was supposed to keep watch for Hiezer activity. The huts were multicolored, scrapped together with the most durable metals available. Each hut was about ten feet away from the next, each ranging from fifteen to forty feet in height. The pathways were an unpaved mix of sand and dirt. The streets were populated, but not overwhelmingly crowded. Dust storms were generally a great time to loot in Senation. Everyone wore a hood to protect from the dust or to blend in while they robbed their neighbors blind. Clestice was one of the harsher cities, with less guard patrol than the rest. Lesh paused for a moment, clenching one of her throwing knives in the pocket of her hooded fleece, annoyed that the knife ring on her back was covered. Her brown hair creeped out of her hood and blew in every direction with the wind. Her face remained serious, as she analyzed her position and tried to determine the best place to start her search.
Nemura was stationed in a silver hut east of my location. My best bet is to interrogate anyone that has remained there. But surely anyone involved wouldn't be dumb enough to stick around. Unless, of course, they think us all to be dead. If Nemura is with the Hiezers, then he has definitely heard the status of the situation by now.
Lesh leaped to a crease in the side of one of the taller huts and quickly began to scale it, searching rapidly for the next spot to grab. After about twenty seconds, she grabbed hold of the roof ledge of the hut. She swung around with her back to the wall and with both arms, flipped herself to the top of the roof. She walked to the eastern edge of the hut and crouched down, waiting for a moment of clear sight. When she got it, she paused and let out an uncontrollable laugh.
“Of course all of the huts in sight have been spray-painted silver. Well at least I have my answer. Nemura, you fuck,” Lesh said to herself. She began her way back down the hut, when she heard a gunshot coming from the northeast.
That sounded like a high caliber weapon. Anyone with that kind of gun must have connections in this city.
She sprinted off. In the distance, she saw a man with curly hair with a gun pointed at the head of a teenage girl, who had her hands over her head, trembling in fear.
“You little bitch,” the man snarled. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to get a decent gold watch into this store? How dare you.” The older man's face was shaking in anger.
“I gave it back,” the girl said in a petrified tone, “I'm sorry!” she pleaded.
Lesh dashed into the vicinity of the man, shrouding her figure by the surrounding scene, listening to the conversation.
“If I pierced a hole in that thieving brain, no one would ever know,” he said as he spit on the girl.
The hooded citizens of Clestice didn't even turn their heads for a second look. The man's pistol hand began to shake, as his anger became exacerbated. He held an old magnum pistol that could pierce three skulls with one shot. Lesh realized it was time to jump in. She dove toward his back at an incredible speed. She knocked the man in the temple and quickly spun to his other side to maneuver his gun to point straight at him, cracking his fingers in the process. He let out a grunt without knowing what hit him. When she realized he was dazed and at gun point, Lesh stood up straight and spun around to face him, gripping his hand with the magnum. She flipped her knife around with her free hand and pointed it to his groin while staring into his eyes.
“I don't think this is where you want to die, old man,” Lesh's voice cracked as the words came out. The man looked stunned, releasing his grip on the gun, surrendering to her.
The teenage girl put her hands on the floor and stared at the mysterious woman who may have just saved her life. “Thank you, miss,” she said.
Lesh turned her head, “Stay put for a moment,” she said.
The man flinched. Lesh lightly pierced his skin with the knife. He cringed and instantly backed down. Lesh turned her head back to stare the man in the eyes.
“Did you not hear me the first time?” Lesh's voice echoed.
The dust was whirling around them and the wind was howling.
“What's your name?” Lesh asked.
“Morn,” he revealed weakly.
“Is this your store, Morn? May we go inside?” Lesh asked rhetorically.
He nodded. Lesh stripped Morn of his gun and shoved him toward the door so that he could open it. All three of them entered. He flipped on the lights. The displays surrounded them with makeshift jewelry, most of which looked like cheap silver.
“On the floor, Morn,” Lesh said.
He sat down, muttering slurs under his breath. “Listen lady,” Morn said in a southern drawl, “unless you’re robbin’ me, you best be on your way. This girl over here attempted to thieve my most precious item. She needs to be punished.”
Lesh pulled out a knife and stared at it, but didn't respond. Morn had curly grey and black hair, a strong nose,
and a sunken in, chiseled face, with a black goatee. He wore a tanned trench coat without a hood. Lesh removed her hood. He stopped talking for a moment, a bit startled. Lesh's slim, fierce face, coupled with strangely attractive dark circles under her eyes, made her a unique sight.
“I'm not going to take any of this material from you,” she riddled.
“What do you want then, sweetheart?” Morn asked.
She smirked and walked over to him quickly, placing the point of her knife under his chin. “Tell me what you know about Nemura,” she said in a chilling tone.
The teenage girl reacted with a shift of her weight and a slight twitch. Lesh quickly turned her head.
“Am I interrogating the wrong person?” Lesh asked herself out loud.
The girl shook her head fearfully. The silence was eerie. Information was obviously being withheld.
“I'm not known for my patience. I'll flip one of these silver coins,” she said as she stood up and plucked one from a display. “Depending on the landing, one of you is about to lose a finger, after I pull out the nail of that finger,” Lesh threatened.
The girl hesitated, “You must be with the Sin movement. Everyone in this town knows that Nemura is with them, too,” she said. Lesh looked over, unconvinced, as she flipped the coin. As soon as it landed in her hand, she closed her fist.
“Now, now hold on a second, sweetheart,” Morn said in a nervous tone. “Nemura went AWOL from Clestice and had a new group of goons cover his tracks.”
“Oh?” Lesh challenged. She slowly opened her fist.
Morn started moving toward Lesh, to beg. “I'm being true to ya! My sources tell me he skipped town or went underground. No one’s heard or seen that snake since that explosion a week ago.”
I don't sense that this hothead is lying. Nonetheless, I have to find out if he knows more.
Lesh took a few steps back over to Morn, knelt over, and grabbed his hand. “It landed on tails, so you're up first,” she said. Lesh didn't remove eye contact with him as she slowly aligned the knife where his chosen fingernail rested.
“Lady, I told ya everything I know. Information about him ain't worth any pain!” Morn pleaded.
Just then, the lights flickered and four hooded figures rushed past the main glass window of the store. Lesh looked down and noticed a blinking red dot coming from the teenage girl's jacket.
“You little bitch,” Lesh said.
The girl got up and ran toward the back of the store, taking cover. Lesh swung off her cloak, exposing her knife ring. The main glass shattered as two hooded figures jumped through it. Another kicked open the front door. Lesh jumped and perched on top of one of the displays. She flung the knife in her hand in the direction of the first attacker she laid eyes on. The person quickly shut the door, letting it catch the blade. Lesh unsheathed two more knives from the lower portion of her ring and flung them toward the two covered figures charging from the glass, while propelling herself backward onto another display. One of the knives pierced an attacker in the abdomen causing him to drop to the floor, screaming in agony. The other knife struck another attacker in the throat, who was now bleeding out face down on the floor. The door swung back open with two more attackers charging at her. Another one slowly entered from the broken window. Morn crawled frantically behind a corner display. The teenage girl charged Lesh and tried to grapple her from behind. Lesh spun and jumped at the last second, with one foot trailing the other in midair. She kicked the girl twice with one spin. Blood from her mouth splashed the ceiling and a tooth fell to the floor. Lesh spun back toward the two assailants right in front of her, who were swinging blunt metal poles toward her face. She unsheathed a knife from the top of her ring. She ducked one swing and slashed open one attacker's gut and spun a third time to cut the other’s neck. As soon as the knife pierced his neck, someone grabbed her arm. The last thing she saw was the figure of a woman, right before a pole was used to jab her in the temple.
Chapter 6
Eugene looked more solemn than usual, as he led a group of six scientists to search for the hidden Ayelan chemical. They analyzed every inch of the underground research facility that rested directly below the main floor. Sabin frequently checked in with Eugene to follow up on the progress of the searches while they were in session. Although they were assigned to work collaboratively to recover the chemical, Eugene didn't mind that Sabin's presence was spotty.
I can't believe how long it's been since I lost Jen. And the news, the news that she died that day on the boat to Senation. Why am I rehashing all of this now? These goddamn dreams are recurring way too often. Eugene held his head. I failed her when she needed me most.
One of the scientists beckoned the group over. In the furthest corner of the room, he stared intently at an object. “This has to be it,” Endok shouted. When Eugene walked over to see, the other scientists cleared a pathway for him. “Eugene,” Endok said as he leaned in to inspect his findings, “look at the points in the wall glimmering with light. If you pass by from different angles, you'll notice the shades of orange turn to gold.”
Eugene raised his eyebrow. “That sounds like the chemical’s unique characteristic, but I have a feeling breaking through the wall isn't the answer. How would the Hiezers access the chemical for testing?” Eugene questioned.
The other scientists started thinking out loud. Endok remained quiet for a moment, standing there with thick glasses and a lab coat that was much too short. An idea immediately came to mind and he pointed to the mid-section of the facility.
“It's over there. There has to be a code that unlocks the Ayelan. It's the only part of the facility that has a database mainframe,” Endok explained.
Eugene looked convinced, “Let’s get Briggs and his team involved to crack the code and extract the chemical.”
Endok looked over to Eugene, “And what do you plan on doing with it if we can extract it?” Endok asked curiously as he pushed his glasses up to his face.
“What's your concern, Endok? Do you think we're going to chase immortality like the rest of this wretched world?” Eugene questioned, sounding impatient.
Endok looked down, “No, I spoke with Blague many times and I believe in his vision. He's a just man,” Endok explained.
Eugene sighed, “Then what’s the problem?”
Endok regained his posture, “You must understand, Commander, from the perspective of a scientist like myself, the discovery of Ayelan and Cryos is brand new. The possibilities are endless. The Hiezers haven't even begun to see its potential.” Endok caught the attention of the other scientists that were gathered around.
Eugene raised his hand. “Enough, Endok,” he commanded, “Let's get our priorities straight. We have to maintain custody of this mansion. The first step in doing so is to extract the chemical and let Blague hide it. At that point, we will no longer have to bluff. The Hiezers won't invade if we threaten to destroy the chemical.”
Endok pondered, “I understand, I'm just curious if we will eventually conduct our own tests, in a controlled environment of course.”
Eugene lowered his tone, “My assumption, if all remains settled for our group, is yes.”
This conversation sparked excitement among the scientists, and so they began rattling off different theories to each other. Eugene dismissed himself and called Briggs on his radio.
Jeck strolled behind Blague as they walked toward the northern pathway on the first floor. Blague didn’t even glance over his shoulder to check on the uncuffed prisoner that he had taken.
“Are you ever going to decloak, Jeck? That outfit must be getting rather disgusting at this point,” Blague mocked.
“Hah,” Jeck yacked, “Well according to you, I'll be walking safely out of my old fortress unscathed in a few hours. Isn't that so, Blague?”
“Depending on your behavior, potentially,” Blague said.
The gold, ornate swirls decorating the walls danced as they passed the rooms. Both of the opposing personalities approached the present
ation ledge with confidence. Blague's vision of creating a community, in which information flowed transparently, was about to be underway.
This is an essential step for our group’s growth. I'm already perceiving team-oriented divisions within the population. They’re collectively forming a functioning community without even noticing it. Confidence is growing as a result of our victory. I want to make the growth rapid, by instilling choice and free will. Implementing change with as little bloodshed as possible may seem like a laughable thought, but I will still strive toward it.
“Alright everyone,” Blague boomed, with an echo to follow, “gather up and inform anyone working to cease for a few hours. Jeck and I will present our positions in thirty minutes, without holding anything back from you.” Blague looked at his watch and turned back to Jeck.
“Your Cryos mark is different,” Jeck said, curiously.
Blague looked up, “It differentiates me, doesn't it?”
Jeck looked confused. “All of the marks are designed to be uniform. It's a stamp. Yours has slight imperfections and a unique shape,” Jeck continued.
“Let that tunnel-vision mind of yours try and muster why that may be,” Blague riddled back.
Jeck scoffed, “You're nothing but a jester masking the same ambitions as the Hiezers.”
Blague turned away, realizing the conversation would go nowhere.
“You ever get those moments, Eugene, when your past hits you like a ton of bricks?” Briggs asked.
Eugene sighed, “Yeah, now more than ever.”
“You think it’s because we found a moment that we’re out of harm’s way and our bodies now have the time to catch up with all the shit we’ve been through?” Briggs continued to question.