“Well, I wanted to check since I’ll be unavailable for the next few days.” I instantly regret the words as soon as they come out. Arluin stops eating and locks onto me with his usual penetrating stare. This time even our mother puts her food down to see what I was implying. It would have been better if I did not let that slip out.
“I’m going to Munitus tomorrow. Hopefully we’ll gain an ally against Caelum,” I whisper to them.
“When do we go?” Arluin asks.
“Nice try,” I tell him while shaking my head. “We need you to help Seonah. Decrypting those files is more important.”
“That’s not fair. You know I could help a lot,” Arluin protests.
He is right. His knack for reading people would be useful, but even if we did not need him working on the decryptions, I would still say no. The trip will be too dangerous for me to let my little brother come along.
“None of this is fair, but we have to deal with it anyway,” I snap at him. Realizing my tone was harsher than intended, I pause for a moment to choose my words. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just, we need you here. Besides, knowing the potential danger, I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.”
Arluin takes a deep breath, ready to tell me why I should reconsider. Before he has a chance, our mother interrupts. “It’s bad enough I have to worry about one of my sons up there. Don’t make me have to worry about both.”
Seeing her nearly in tears breaks Arluin’s will to fight. I put my head down and finish eating the gruel. Seeing our mother like that almost makes me want to cancel the trip, even though that is not an option. No more words are spoken until we are about to leave.
“Be careful,” my mother says.
“I’ll have all the files decrypted by the time you get back,” Arluin says. He then waits for our mother to get far away enough so she will not hear his next words. “Then you’ll be all out of excuses for the next trip.”
If nothing else, his persistent desire to join my expeditions will keep him very motivated to finish the decrypting quickly. I leave the hall, ready to start putting my team together. Down in the lounge near the entrance to The Caves, everything looks identical to yesterday, down to the same two Guards watching the entrance. With all the workers moving about, my presence eludes their attention until I am right behind them.
“Back so soon, Kagen?” Radek asks with his back still turned toward me.
“I didn’t think you saw me. How are things down here?”
“Quiet,” he replies. “Well, except for the excited ranting of the researchers. You should talk to Fedar. He’s been itching to speak with you about that disgusting mole we brought back.”
Radek points me to one of the offices nearby. Inside stands a man holding up something to the light. His bald head and thick glasses both reflect the light from above even more than the object he holds.
“Good morning, Fedar,” I greet him while entering his work area. After rounding the table, the creature we brought in becomes visible inside a clear container that looks like a miniature decontamination chamber. Even though the animal is now dissected, it somehow looks less hideous than before. “Radek said you wanted to speak with me?”
“Yes, thank you for coming by,” he says in an overly eager tone. “Radek wasn’t able to tell me much about the mole. All he said was he saw it and killed it. I was hoping you would be able to add more to that meager report.”
“There’s not much else.” My words are an obvious disappointment to him. Still, he waits for me to continue. “There were at least ten holes in the wall where we found them. They crawled out and attacked me. I tried to dodge them, but they followed my every move. Good thing they weren’t very fast. I led them to the back of the chamber and then ran to the exit tunnel.”
“Interesting,” Fedar says. “I thought these pits may be sensory nodes. The accuracy of following your movements supports that explanation. It’s a good thing you were able to avoid them. Their saliva contains a potent toxin. I found that intriguing. Especially since none of the other moles we’ve seen are poisonous.”
“Then we need to exterminate them. We can’t have an aggressive and poisonous animal anywhere near the pools,” I tell him.
He raises his index finger, as if to emphasize his next words. “If I’m right about the sensory nodes, there may be an easy way to disorient them. One of the sterilizing chemicals burned the nodes on contact. We could use the chemical in a spray against the live ones. If it does indeed affect their sensory nodes, they’ll be unable to track your movements. That should make them easy to kill.”
“Sounds good, but I’m not going back into The Caves anytime soon,” I tell him. “Make sure Leadership knows about this so they can put together an extermination team.”
Normally, the animals would not be a priority, but if they contaminated the pools, Securus would be in serious trouble. One more problem to add to the list, I think to myself while walking out of the room. Outside the office, Radek waits for me, standing with his usual rigid, overly perfect posture.
“Ready for more?” I ask him.
“As long as we don’t have to go looking for those moles. Are we getting the rest of the boxes?” he asks.
“Not today. Talia’s assembling a team with the proper clearance to take care of them for us. We have another task. I’ll understand if you would rather sit this one out,” I tell him, intentionally being vague.
Radek narrows his eyes and tilts his head. “What do you have in mind?”
“I’m going back to Munitus,” I answer.
“Of course,” he mutters. He looks up at the ceiling and hesitates for a moment before making his decision. “When do we go?”
“First thing in the morning. Today, we need to assemble a team and get our supplies ready. The researchers are gathering our equipment in the exit chamber, but we need to make sure we’re satisfied with everything,” I tell him. “I’ve got a few other things to take care of before then. Could you get Korin to go with you to take care of the supplies?” I ask. I would prefer to bring a whole squad of Guards with us, but we can only risk so many people leaving Securus without Caelum becoming suspicious when they do their daily census check.
“Got it,” Radek answers, already heading toward the stairs.
Even if he has not regained his full strength, Radek is still in better shape than most of us. His prior injuries should not limit him. More importantly, with the sensitive nature of this trip, I want to make sure the people who come are experienced and can be trusted. Not to mention Auden has already met him, so he should not be bothered by Radek’s presence.
I follow behind Radek to the stairs. He keeps going upward while I exit on the next level. My mind fights to keep my body from continuing as I follow the corridor to the central stairwell. With each step down, my legs weaken from the sense of dread building within me. I never wanted to come back here but unfortunately our changing circumstances have forced my hand. Now at the very bottom of the stairs, a dimly lit hallway awaits me. My eyes follow the floor while I concentrate on my breathing.
“Identification please,” one of the two Guards demands as I approach the door to the Detention Center.
When they are satisfied with my credentials, I am allowed inside. Aamon and Ardal are no longer occupants here, keeping me from having to go to the lowest levels. The man I am here to see resides in one of the newer cells. On my way to the first office, I notice the Detention Center has already begun to take on a different appearance. After the trials were completed, we ordered an overhaul of the structure of this area. The cells have been enlarged, giving the occupants a basic level of comfort. They are now even allowed visitors. We cannot have another occupant conspiring against us, so all of the interactions are closely monitored. Despite the changes, the evil of this place can never be erased, although the infecting darkness does not feel nearly as overwhelming as before.
“Hello, Kagen,” the Guard, Ettor, jumps to his feet and
greets me enthusiastically. “Good to see you again.”
This is a lonely post and Ettor had nothing to do with the history of the Detention Center, so I force myself not to be too curt with him. I reach out to shake his hand. “Hello, Ettor. I need to see Wakil.”
“Of course. Shall I bring him to the activity room?” Ettor asks, already standing up from his desk. Just like before, he seems pleased to have something break up the monotony of his day.
“No, thank you. I would rather speak with him in his room,” I answer. Even though I made sure we removed the harness and other reminders of the activity room’s past function, I absolutely refuse to step foot in there again. Knowing what my father must have endured in that room will always sicken me, no matter how much we change it.
Ettor steps toward the door and extends his arm out, inviting me down the hall. “Okay, he’s right this way.”
I immediately comply. Even if this place feels less sinister than before, I have no intention of staying one second longer than needed.
Unlike the last time I was here, the inner hallway no longer looks like a dark hole attempting to swallow us. Even the temperature feels more comfortable. The one thing they were not able to change is the stale smell of the air. The taste it leaves reminds me of the tunnel for the railway and some of the deeper passages in The Caves. Ettor unlocks Wakil’s cell. After letting me in, he closes the door behind us before returning to his control room.
“Wakil, how are you holding up?” I ask. This room is much bigger than the ones from before. In fact, it is nearly as big as our standard quarters.
Wakil puts down the Coden in his hand and turns to me. He studies me from behind the haze building up in his eyes. The outward signs of his age seem to be even more pronounced than before, especially with his skin becoming pale, as if to match his white hair and beard. His outward appearance makes him seem harmless, but the physical changes only mask the sharp intellect behind them. “I’m doing as well as can be expected. What can I do for you, Kagen?” His voice remains as calm and strong as ever.
“I have some questions for you.” I sit on the edge of his small bunk.
“Will my cooperation gain me any new comforts?” Wakil asks, trying to leverage what little power he has.
My jaw clenches. His actions were directly responsible for allowing the conspirators to escape to the surface. In my mind, that makes him responsible for Nyree’s death and unworthy of any additional comfort. “Do not mistake the calmness in my voice for weakness. If you do not answer my question, I will transfer you to a cell on the bottom floor and personally reinstate the old regime’s questioning protocol.”
Wakil tilts his head with surprise when hearing my response. He knows Talia would never let me use the tortuous methods employed in the questioning protocol. Even if she did, I would not be able to bring myself to actually do it. Not after what my father went through in here. Wakil can see that even if the threat was a bluff, my anger is not.
“Fair enough,” Wakil uses his usual diplomatic tone in his voice, attempting to calm me.
“I’m returning to Munitus. Do you know anything about them that could be helpful?” I ask.
“Only that you should reconsider,” he replies. “It’s far too dangerous a trip. Not to mention what would happen if the Controller learned of your activities.”
“I know the risks, but this needs to be done. If you want to keep Securus alive, tell me what you know of Munitus,” I tell him firmly.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know anything that would be particularly relevant now,” he says. “From what I understand, the basic facility is identical to our own, though there are some significant differences in the energy generating equipment. In some of the records I read many years ago, there was mention of a population change in the past. The entry did not identify the specific reason for the change. It only stated that the census had a significant decline. ”
“Maybe they escaped,” I say, knowing how unlikely that would be.
“You know better than that,” Wakil says with amusement. “My guess is they suffered some tragedy like our flu epidemic.”
“You’re probably right.” I pause for a moment, leaning forward to watch closely for his response to my next question. “Have you ever heard of something called Methods of Guidance?”
Before answering, he holds his fist up to his chin, as if trying to remember. “No, I don’t think I have.”
I could be wrong, but there appeared to be a spark of recognition in his eyes. Unfortunately, Wakil is too clever to be forced or tricked into revealing something he does not want to. So instead of pushing too hard, I change the question.
“What do you really know about Securus’ past attempt to form a surface settlement?” He already answered this question in the past, but as is often the case, I had the feeling he was holding back.
“Like I said before, the records are gone. Though I do know the vitamin deficiency from our food had something to do with its failure,” he replies.
“We found a document from Caelum. It mentioned that along with the Methods of Guidance and Agents of Guidance. Apparently there may be more direct control than we thought. We may even have spies in Securus,” I say.
“That’s quite interesting, although very unlikely to still be in place,” Wakil says. “My friends in Caelum were quite certain there hasn’t been any other communication besides my own.”
“You’re probably right. If that’s not a concern, then we should be free to form a settlement once we get past their population monitors now that we no longer have to worry about the Pellagra,” I say, knowing the steps are not really so simple. But for all his faults, Wakil does not want to see Securus end. If he thinks we are going to do something too dangerous it might force him to reveal more.
“Really?” he asks suspiciously.
“Tailyn manipulated the poison enough to inactivate its effect,” I say enthusiastically.
“Let me ask you this,” he says, leaning forward as if his words were a secret. “From what you know of Caelum, with all their pervasive efforts to control us, don’t you think they would have considered that type of manipulation and prepared some plan for it?”
His words resonate within me. Every time we make some progress, we find another subtle way Caelum has already counteracted the effort. It does only stand to reason they would be prepared for such a way of subverting the poison. On the other hand, he could be trying to use this to conceal another concern.
“Maybe you give them too much credit,” I tell him, knowing how dangerous it would be to underestimate them. “I know they’ve had a lot of time to consider these things, but why go through that level of detail when they have so many other ways to enforce their will on us?”
“Because they understand how precarious their power really is,” Wakil counters. “The human spirit is not something easily contained. Any opportunity or hope must be crushed, or else their control will unravel.”
I call for Ettor to reopen the door. If there is nothing left for Wakil to tell me, then there is no reason to stay. This conversation has left me feeling uneasy. Wakil is the person who probably knows our situation the best. His steadfast belief that Securus’ freedom is not an obtainable goal eats at my confidence.
He stops me just before we close his door. “Kagen, I implore you to postpone the expedition to Munitus. From what Mr. Vaden used to tell me, their leader would never betray Caelum. There is no light at the end of that tunnel. For now, all of our attention should be focused on Securus. Only then do we have any chance of survival.”
Wakil sits back down and the door to his cell is closed. As I leave the Detention Center, my walk quickly turns into a trot because of my desire to get away from this place. Even if he had less information than I hoped for, Wakil has given me something to think about. His warning about the poison manipulation stays with me. We will have to make sure our testing is thorough. More importantly, when I go to Munitus, avoiding their Leadership will be an abs
olute necessity. If the head of Leadership cannot be reasoned with, then those he keeps in power will likely be equally unreachable.
My next stop was supposed to be to check on Radek and help prepare for tomorrow’s expedition, but that plan is changed when my communicator goes off. Seeing the message, I nearly throw the communicator down the stairs. My already busy day is about to get worse.
Chapter 8
The Leadership council meeting room is in disarray when I arrive. Even though these sessions often become combative, today, everyone seems unusually emotional. Figuring out why does not take long. Tailyn sits slumped in a chair not far from Talia. This has to be about the antidote she has been working on.
“We’ve been patient enough,” Janae shouts. “If we have a cure, it’s unethical to delay it even for a single day. After one-hundred years of slavery, we owe it to Securus not to waste another moment.”
Her words are met with a cheer of approval from a large portion of the room. By the look of it, there are more than enough people to overrule Talia’s better judgment if a vote were called right now. With most of the council members already having their Codens out, it appears that is exactly what they intend to do. After speaking with Wakil, seeing their intent concerns me, especially when combined with the flustered look on Talia’s face.
“You’re right,” I shout, joining in the raucous discussion. My unexpected voice catches the attention of the council. Their chatter dies down, waiting for me to continue. “Every single day we spend locked underground, forced to endure this unnatural existence is an outrage. I’m tired of it. Caelum isn’t worthy of benefiting from our pain. But more importantly, our outrage at them should not cause us to forfeit our only chance to escape. We must to be careful. Caelum has had decades to perfect their control over us. Assuming they have not considered the possibility of altering the poison would be irresponsible and dangerous. Before we move forward, we need to be sure this isn’t another one of their traps.”
The Seat of Power (The Securus Trilogy Book 3) Page 8