by Nguyen,Peter
“Yes, sir.”
I hate being in the center of attention especially on the first day they are giving the tour. I look around the room again, wondering where my mom can be.
After the tour Chris takes us to our sleeping quarters and I realize I’m sharing a room with Garrett and Alex.
Even though Carter and I aren’t talking, I’m glad we aren’t assigned to the same room. I lay on my bed just wishing I can pet Kaleb like I always do. His soft fur always seems to loosen me from the stress throughout the day.
I remember the time when I was about eleven years old and my mom had left to get some medicine down at the market. Usually she would go in the morning when it’s broad daylight, but since I was sick, she stayed by my side until I started coughing up blood. She told me she’ll be back in an hour. The whole I was in that house I was constantly imaging the worst scenarios that a kid could of think of when he’s alone. Like what could have happen to my mom. The only thing that kept me comfort was Kaleb, my best friend. Now he’s gone and there’s nothing, keeping me from believing mom is doom.
“Hey Hazer, are you using that extra pillow?” Alex ask.
“Um yea why?”
“I’m use to sleeping with more than one pillow at night,” Alex says.
“Yea here,” I throw my extra small pillow upwards and Alex immediately catches it.
I guess I’m not the only one missing home right now.
“Lights out soldier!” a voice shouts outside the hallway.
Garrett walks to the door and turns off the lights. The room goes complete dark and immediately my mind falls into deep slumber, where I begin to let go the tragic thoughts that has been running inside my head for so long.
I wonder if there is a chance; another person out there in any of the other three territories, facing the same thing I’ve been through. Probably not, if anything I would assume they have it better, knowing our Realm Leader is pure evil.
VIII
The bright light turns on and it wakes me up from my sleep. My eyes lifts half way, trying to adjust my from the brightness. All I want to do is stay my bed and sleep a little bit longer, but I’m not at home.
Garrett rolls out of bed and lands flat on the ground. “It’s only 5:00” he whines.
Our door automatically opens and I hear Sergeant Chris shouting in the hallway. “Time to get up!”
I’m so use to hearing my mom’s soft voice saying that. Every ounce of torture from yesterday starts, rushing back like bad dream, but this is real, this is all happening whether I like it or not.
Alex jumps down from his bed, landing perfectly on floor.
“Damn I forgot how annoying my brother use to be, before he moved out,” Alex says.
“Let’s go, we’re going to miss breakfast if we don’t get up,” I poke Garrett.
Garrett places his hands almost in a push up position and in one quick motion he gets up and rushes out the door. Ever since we grew up I always knew Garrett would never say no to a meal.
I move the covers off me and slowly get up. For some odd reason I feel stiff and sore, probably because it’s my first time sleeping in a beds so hard and small.
As I’m about to walk out into the hall, Carter passes me. He glares at me angry eyes. Almost as if we have no connection. He’s making it clear he doesn’t want anything to do with me for what happen to his father.
I follow the crowd and we walk into the lunch room where the greasy floors look like they haven’t been clean for weeks. I can smell the rotten food from yesterday as I pass a large trash can. The stench burns my nose, causing me to almost gag. After I grab my tray of food, I sit down next to Garrett and Vera. I glance over to a table where Carter is sitting next a group of other initiates.
“You two really need to make up, it’s getting annoying,” Vera says.
“Yea, I agree with Vera. It’s making me feel like I have to pick a side,” Garrett comments.
“Pick Carter’s because I don’t blame him. He deserves to be mad at me for what happen,” I say.
“Hazer Wes?”
I look over and it’s one of the sergeants that were part of the fighting ring from yesterday, but I didn’t get a chance to see him fight. I notice he has bruises on his face covers near his left eye. Whoever he fought must be tough. Seth comes to mind.
“Yes?” I reply.
“Commander Ace wants a word with you.”
“What for?” I ask.
“Something about your mother,” he says.
My eyes widen and I jump out of my seat. I quickly follow him as my heart begins to pound faster than normal. I start to think about what’s going on. The breakfast that I was just eating, feels like it’s about to come back up and all over the greasy floors. I grip the hem of my shirt as we walk down a corridor.
“Right this way,” the sergeant says.
We walk down a stair case, and I notice broken glass all over the floor. We turn into a lab room and I see Commander Ace. She watches me like a predator observing it’s prey as I make way around the large broken glass on the floor.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“Oh you don’t know?” Ace scolds
“Know what?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. I know it was you who released her,” Ace shouts.
I look at her confusedly. How is this possible? I was nowhere near here let alone knew where she was.
“I-I didn’t do this,” I nearly choke on my words.
“I don’t believe you,” Ace walks up to me.
“Relax, it wasn’t him.”
I turn around and it’s Sergeant Chris, someone who I can trust. He’s holding a holographic screen.
It shows a camera view of the Cyto fried gate from last night, about four hours ago. All of a sudden the camera shows us a person in a black rain coat, pointing a gun to my mom. She growls at the person before he shoots the floor around her, scaring her to runs into the Cyto field.
I don’t know how to feel right now. The fact that she’s no longer a test subject for Capa’s military, or the fact that she’s somewhere in the Cyto field with a contagious virus in her system.
“How does this prove that it’s not him?”
“How was he able to get his hands on a gun or even the directions to the Gates? Besides it couldn’t have been Hazer, he was locked in his sleeping quarters.”
Ace looks at me, letting me know I’m off the hook for now.
“What are you trying to say Chris?”
“That the person who released patient zero must one of us the Sergeants.”
I look around the room and all of the soldiers are eyeing me. If Chris is right then one of these men could have released my mom, but why?
~
The training room is completely white with windows, a view soldiers marching back and forth in the hot sun. The equipment is mostly computer generated. I look over to some of the initiates who are benching a blue transparent holographic barbell. The barbell floats in midair as the person lets go.
I tightly grip the punching bag and focus all my strength into on spot. The floating hologram plate moves only four inches out. I look over to Carter who his hologram plate goes to only three inches out as he punches the plate. We still haven’t really talked and I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Garrett is also on his own because he doesn’t want to get caught in the middle of all this. I tried talking to Carter and trying to reach out to him but I can just tell everyday he’s getting more and more annoyed of my existents.
Carter looks over at my hovering plate and quickly rolls his eyes as he looks away. Vera looks at the both of us and shakes her head. I shrug my shoulders letting her know I don’t know what to do.
“Okay we’re going to do another physical training exercise to see where everyone is at in their training,” says Chris holding Alex in a head lock.
I really don’t like when we have to fight each other. Isn’t the point of this is to work as a team? I just hope I’m not fighting
Carter. Last time I had to against Vera and she was pretty easy considering I had more energy left after she exhausted all miss punches on me.
“Vera, you’re going up against Alex,” Chris pushes his little brother forward.
“Really a girl?! C’mon you know I can do better,” Alex complains.
“Oh this is going to be fun,” Vera pops her neck and fist. The initiate’s forms a circle around the two and we all watch the two as they circle each other with their fist out. Alex makes the first move, lunging in with a couple of side punches. Vera quickly blocks it, coming back with a knee to Alex’s stomach. He pushes her off of him but she spins a kick to his arm. He grabs her leg, but Vera surprisingly jumps off of her grounded foot, kicking him in the face. Alex falls flat on the floor unconscious. Everyone’s mouth drops as we’re all surprise as Alex passes out unconscious.
Vera bends down over Alex and says “try to make it more fun next time.”
“Alright, alright I think he had enough. The next fight will be Carter against Hazer.”
I glance over to Carter and the grin on his face tells me he’s ready to punch me repeatedly until my face is as flat as the hologram plates.
I walk out into the center of the circle as Chris drag Alex’s sleeping body out the way. Carter walks out in front of me and holds out his fist. I look deep into his eyes and I know now, he’ll never forgive me. Should I just stand here and let him beat me up or should I fight my best friend who I caused his father to get killed.
I take a deep breath and hold out my fists. We circle each other and Carter makes the first move. He comes with a chain of punches and I’m nearly caught off balance as I nearly block all of them.
The door opens and women walks in. “Attention!” she says. Carter glances over and drops his hands. I do the same, giving my attention to the women who is in a white uniform dress and hair in a bun. “Commander Ace has just order me to inform the following initiates who she had select to prepare for a mission in the Cyto field tomorrow morning.”
“Who are the initiates,” ask Chris who looks worried that his brother will be chosen.
“She selected only five and they are listed here,” she holds up a piece of paper that has the names of the people Ace picked. “Vera, Isaac, Carter, Alex and Hazer.”
I begin to take deeps breaths as she mentions my name. I honestly don’t know how to feel. Honor that I’m chosen for a mission or worried that this maybe the last mission. After the fight with the Gamma wolves when I tried to get the herb for my mom, what other danger may I encounter?
“There must be a misunderstanding, they only been here two days,” says Chris.
“Her commands were clear. They leave tomorrow.”
~
For the rest of the day I haven’t heard any news of Kraven nor Kala. The idea of her surviving that crash will just make me rethink the world I’m living in.
Training was hard especially with all the attention me and Carter had to endure. All the initiates would talk about how we stood up against Ace and Seth, even though we know nothing about Capa’s military.
“HELP!” says a voice outside my room.
I slowly sit up from my bed and I notice Garrett is still asleep. The loud snoring above me is coming from Alex. I should wake them up but they seem to be in deep sleep.
“Garrett,” I whisper.
“Just a few more minutes please.”
I grab my pillow and quickly hit Garrett with it. He immediately hides his head under his pillow. I feel like my mother because usually she would wake me up.
I suddenly hear movement out in the hallway almost as if someone is running across the hall. I open the door and I look out in the empty blue lit hallway. Everyone is still in their room considering all the doors are close. Just when I’m about to close the door…..
“HAZER HELP!”
I quickly turn around there is a little girl wearing a back pack. She’s wearing strange school clothes. How does she know my name? I mean I never meant this girl in my life before. She waves her hand and tells me to follow her as she runs around the corner. I look back at Alex and Garrett who are still slumbering. I quietly close the door hoping I won’t wake up anyone. I’m not even sure if I’m out here walking without supervision.
“Hazer hurry!”
I catch glimpse of the girl again but she makes another turn. I try to catch up to her but it seems like she getting farther and farther away from me.
“Who are?” I yelled.
“A friend.”
I run up the stairs and make another turn. I slow down as I see a big white door with golden design. This must be where the Saviors stay. I look around but there the little girl is gone. Almost as if I was chasing a ghost this whole time. I walk up to the door and I notice it’s already open. I quietly peek in and I quickly see a man in a gas mask. I look carefully and the man looks familiar. It’s Seth!
He’s sneaking up to one of the beds near a pillar. He has a knife in his hand! My heart start to pound as I realize what he’s about to do.
I quickly open the door; Seth looks at me in shock.
“Get away from her!” I yell.
“YOU!” Seth’s voice hardens.
“What are you doing?”
“What’s going?” a girl shouts.
It’s Leah, a Discern who has been in the military as long as Rylan. She has tan skin, jet black hair in a pony tail similar to Aces.
“He’s trying to kidnap her,” I say.
Seth picks up the unconscious girl and my eyes widen as I realize it’s the same girl from the woods. I recognize it’s her because of the same brown wavy hair, the freckles on her cheeks and sharp noise. The girl who belongs in another realm and the girl who I betrayed.
It’s Faye
How did she ended up here? He’s must be getting his revenge on her for killing his partner. Some of the saviors wake up and their eyes quickly change as they are in fear of not knowing what’s going on. Seth suddenly throws down a cylinder like grenade in the middle of the room.
Red smoke starts to fill up the room and everyone begins to cough.
“EVERYONE RUN!” Leah shouts.
I open my eyes a little and I can see Seth dashes to the door while having Faye, unconscious on his shoulder. I slowly get up and quickly run after him.
I can barely see in the red smoke but then something reaches out to my hand and pulls me forward. It’s the same little girl in school clothes, holding my hand. She’s guiding me through the thick fumes. Is this girl an illusion or real? Whatever this thing is, it desperately wants me to save Faye.
I try to hold in my breath as long as I can. The little girl pulls me ahead of the smoke and I immediately grasp for the clean air.
I realize the Redeemeds that are still in the smoke. I can hear them calling out for help so I let go of the little girl’s hand.
“I’m sorry but I have to save them.”
The young girl looks at me with confusion but then she says, “Good luck Hazer.”
My eyes widen as she slowly starts to disintegrate into purple like hexagons. It reminded me of the black wolves that appeared during the festival, when Hunter tried to scare Garret with his illusions.
Faye must have gotten the same ability as him and it was trying to protect her by using me.
I can’t think straight as the cries behind me calls out in agony. Without hesitation, I take off my shirt, placing it over my mouth. I then dash back into the smoke wall while everyone is trying to find their way out. I turn left and right but I still don’t see a thing. As seconds goes by less people are calling for help.
“RYLAN!” I yell.
“Follow me I can see the way!” says a voice
It sounds just like Leah. I know she’s a Discern so she’s able to see through the smoke. She suddenly runs pass me. It looks like she’s running to the exit with an older boy, Hunter perhaps.
I can’t hold my breath for long. I breathe through my shirt but it’s not enough. It begins
to burn my throat, causing me to gag. The sensation spreads to my lungs as if I’m being buried alive.
Finally, the fumes around me suddenly disperse, creating a small area of breathable air. I quickly inhale the clean oxygen as I look over to my right and realize its Rylan. He is escorting Tristan, a Glitch and Arlo, a Shatter. He looks at me with confusion.
“Do you have a death wish? We have to go now” Rylan yells.
“Head towards the exit. I’ll be right behind you guys” I say.
Rylan navigates his teammates towards safety. The blood flows out of his nose and the smoke slowly closes in. The shield won’t forever and I’ll have to hold my breath again.
“Help!”
I know that voice from anywhere. The soft angelic voice, it’s Arraya.
“Arraya?”
“Help me I can’t breathe.”
“Tell me where you are,” I call out
The smoke is so unbearable my body starts to go weak. My heart pounds heavier and heavier as the air in my lungs become more carbonated. I panic around clueless, waiting for Arraya to say something, but as each second that goes by I nearly faint. I place my shirt over my mouth and muffle, “Arraya are you still with me?”
No answer.
I don’t know if I can last in this smoke any longer. The smoke is endless with no direction to guild me.
Arraya must be unconscious from the lack of oxygen. I can’t lose her too, it would destroy Carter.
“ARRAYA!” I yell.
Just when I’m about to gag on the toxic air, the smoke disperses again and Rylan is right behind me.
“You’re crazy you know that?” Rylan says as he breaths rapidly and wipes the blood off his nose
“We have to find Arraya! Can you make this force field bigger” I ask.
“I can try.”
The smoke starts, getting farther apart. I quickly spot a person’s hand on the ground but the body is still in the red smoke. I quickly grab the hand which feels abnormally cold. I pull the person in to the force field.
It’s Arraya.
Her face is ghostly pale and eyes shut. I place my hand under her back and leg and pick her up.
“We have to get her out of here!” I exclaim.
Rylan nods and guilds us to the exit .She feels so cold. I don’t even think she’s even breathing and the only heart beat I feel is my own. It’s pounding so fast as we make it to the door.