The Significant

by Kyra Anderson

  “I didn’t,” Remus murmured. “You never told me to stop, you never said no. You told me to keep going.”

  Isa shook her head, staring at Remus, trying to show with her eyes how truly sorry she was for what she had said. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes.

  “Just leave, Remus.”

  “No, Isa, you are not going to accuse me of rape and then tell me to leave!” Remus snapped. He loomed over her once more. “Is that what it was to you?”

  “Remus, get the fuck out of my house.”

  “No.”

  “You asshole, I’m trying to protect you! We’re ending this! It’s over! Get out!”

  “What do you mean you’re protecting me?!” Remus snapped.

  “Get out, Remus!”

  “No!” Remus barked. “You can’t protect me when you can’t even protect yourself! And it’s clear you can’t protect the people either, since you disappeared on them when Saera was destroyed and one-hundred thousand were killed!”

  Isa’s fists balled and she threw a punch at Remus, connecting with his jaw and causing him to stumble. As he straightened, he lifted his hand and struck her across the face with his palm.

  “Stop!” Rayal bellowed, running forward.

  Remus grabbed Isa’s shoulders and pushed her almost violently against the wall.

  “You’re going to tell me what the fuck is going on, Isa!”

  Isa did not have time to register how quickly the situation changed.

  Rayal leapt on Remus’ back and wrapped his arm around the Elite’s neck, pulling him backward quickly, forcing him to release Isa.

  “Stop it! Both of you!” Isa cried.

  Remus turned around and forced his fist into Rayal’s stomach before tossing him carelessly to the ground, looming over him as he coughed, trying to scramble to his feet.

  “Remus! Enough!”

  The Silver Elite rounded on Isa and was about to push her against the wall once more when Rayal shoved all of his bodyweight into the Silver Elite’s side and both sprawled to the ground. The caretaker lifted his fist and punched the Silver Elite twice in the face before Remus fist raised and he punched Rayal.

  Remus felt his fist connect with the high part of Rayal’s cheekbone, the bone giving way under his altered strength and collapsing inward, blood immediately erupting from his eye as he let out pained cry and rolled to the floor, his hands going to his face.

  Remus scrambled to his feet, looming over the groaning caretaker, his fists still clenched in anger.

  “Stop!” Isa bellowed, leaping at Remus. However, the Silver Elite swept the Golden Elite aside, causing her to collide with the wall with an audible thud, disorienting her.

  Seeing Isa hit the wall caused Remus to return to his senses slightly. He turned away from Rayal and went to Isa, fear consuming him.

  “Isa!”

  However, a figure darted between him and the recovering Golden Elite. Both Isa and Remus stared in surprise at Rayal, who stood on shaky feet, his arms spread to shield the Golden Elite, his breath heaving as he cringed, copious amounts of blood pouring down his face.

  “Don’t you dare touch her,” he growled.

  Remus looked over the damage he had caused Rayal and then turned to Isa.

  “Isa, I didn’t mean—”

  “Get out, Remus,” Isa said, standing, her expression cold and pale. “Get the fuck out. If you ever touch me again, I will kill you myself.”

  Isa reached up to her ear and told the phone to call an EMU. Once she had placed the call, she rounded on Remus again.

  “I told you to get out!” she bellowed, shoving Remus. “Get out!!”

  Remus left, though he stood in the hallway for several long moments, his eyes distantly lost in the floor, trying to recall how things had escalated so quickly.

  Isa ran back to Rayal, who had collapsed to the floor and pulled him into her lap, holding his head gingerly and trying to assess the damage, pressing her hand gingerly over the wound.

  “Just hold on,” she whispered. “The EMU will be here soon.”

  Six hours of reconstructive surgery and Isa finally received the news that Rayal was going to survive. They were not sure if the original eye, which they managed to save, would ever be able to function properly again, but they would reconstruct his eye at a later time, if he wished.

  The doctors also told her that Rayal’s internal organs were under an enormous amount of stress. They were worried that he was suffering from an autoimmune disease and his body was attacking itself, but they had to run more tests before they could determine the problem.

  Isa stood outside Rayal’s room, watching a nurse take notes on a few of the monitors hooked to the unconscious caretaker through the observation window. It was very early in the morning, so the hallway was deserted apart from the Golden Elite.

  When the door opened at the end of the hall, and Isa heard boots approaching, she closed her eyes and suppressed the shiver that ran through her body.

  “What an impressive show,” his cold voice said at her ear, his breath fanning over her skin. She turned her head away from him, cringing as he stepped behind her.

  “How did you get in here?”

  “You underestimate me, my dear,” he breathed. “He showed such loyalty to you,” Colonel Amori said, glancing in the room. Isa turned her eyes back to Rayal. “It is a rare trait to find. Aren’t you fortunate.” He chuckled. “I wonder what he would do if he realized that you were the one who actually put him here in the hospital with his face nearly destroyed.”

  Isa stared at Rayal, recalling all the times that the caretaker cared for her, being sure to pick up the sleeping Elite when she pulled all-nighters at the Syndicate, or bringing food to be sure she ate when she was working. She recalled the late nights when he would just sit with her and talk about mundane things to help her unwind. She remembered the jokes and the shared dinners. Rayal had become a very important part of her life.

  “To think,” Colonel Amori continued, “had you not upset Remus, this might not have happened.”

  Isa felt her body tense, but she did not turn to look at the Colonel.

  “Of course, we could go so far as to say that, had Remus not been degenerate, he would not have the temper to do so much damage. Oh, but wait,” Isa could feel the smile in the Colonel’s voice, “you saved his life, didn’t you? So, had you let him be executed, he would not have done this, either. It really does come back to you in the end, doesn’t it?”

  Colonel Amori pressed his cheek to the side of Isa’s face.

  “You are doing beautifully, my dear,” he said. “You’re tearing apart the Syndicate without my guidance, and everyone is losing faith in the Elites after the extended period of silence when Saera was destroyed. You are so predictable. Trying to keep up appearances when the truth is, you’re no longer running Tiao—I am.”

  Isa closed her eyes, her stomach flipping.

  “And I plan to rip this planet apart and show the Altereye System what true power is.”

  The Golden Elite swallowed hard, staring into the room once more. Colonel Amori, seeing her unwavering gaze, turned to Rayal.

  “The poor boy is going to be in pain for months, if not years, after that. And just in time to see you fall as you tear the Syndicate further apart.”

  “I’ll kill you for this,” Isa whispered.

  “You can try,” Colonel Amori said. He pressed his body to her, and she choked back her disgusted response. “You forget who has the power here.”

  He pressed his hand against her hip, holding the handle that controlled the microbionic cells.

  “Should I do it?” he breathed. “Should I save him from suffering?”

  Isa did not respond, acutely aware of his hand as he pressed the handle to her buttock.

  “No…not yet,” Colonel Amori said. He kissed her cheek. “But soon, my dear. Soon.”

  For three weeks, the Syndicate limped along with Isa not speaking and Remus angrily avoiding everyone. The
Bronze Elites did their best to keep the affairs of the planet in order and fend off questions from other planets about Saera and how it would affect trade, taxes, and a slew of other problems.

  There were rumors flying around about Isa losing her mind, suffering from dementia or some other mental disorder that had her jumping at every sound, appearing so sickly, and pushing them away whenever they tried to ask what was going on.

  But Dr. Busen could not get her to come in for an examination. Nor could Paul.

  Instead, the Bronze Elites felt like the planet was entirely on their shoulders. When strange codes and files began appearing in the mainframe, causing viruses to put down the Syndicate for several days, they were sure that things were on the verge of total collapse.

  They all knew that Isa was hiding something.

  One day, at a meeting, Isa collapsed, which gave the Elites an excuse to call the hospital and have her admitted.

  Dr. Busen ran every test he could while she was unconscious, finding her severely malnourished, her heart beating irregularly, and her blood pressure so low she had passed out from staying upright so long.

  Once she awoke, she demanded to be let out of the hospital, and despite everyone’s protestations, Venus granted her leave from the hospital because another virus had ransacked the Syndicate communications board, making it impossible for them to contact any foreign planet, though other planets could contact Tiao. Venus needed Isa back at the Syndicate to work on fixing the problem.

  However, Isa seemed to be unable to figure out the virus.

  Rayal was released from the hospital three weeks after his surgery. He was still weak and tests were still being run to determine what illness he had, but he was allowed to return to Isa’s service.

  When he appeared in the house, he was startled to see Colonel Amori in the living room with Isa.

  “Welcome home, Rayal,” Isa said, forcing a weak smile.

  “Forgive me for disturbing you,” Rayal said, glancing at Colonel Amori. There was something about the man that disturbed him greatly, but he could not determine what. He recalled—what he assumed was a hallucination—seeing Colonel Amori standing behind Isa when she was looking in on him at the hospital. Ever since, he could not stop thinking about the cold eyes of the Gihoric leader.

  “Are you feeling better?” Colonel Amori asked, as though he had known Rayal for years.

  “Yes, thank you,” Rayal lied. He bowed his head and walked to his room, but stopped on the other side of the door to the guest hall. Something felt very wrong about having the other planetary leader in the home.

  He pressed his ear to the door, but he could not determine their conversation. However, he did hear the tone of Isa’s phone. Her muffled voice sounded once more and then the sound of footsteps coming toward the door.

  Rayal ducked into his room, glancing at the security monitors as Isa walked out of the living room and down the guest hallway, through the pool area and making her way back to her office to receive a call.

  Rayal turned to watch Colonel Amori, who was sitting in the living room, bored. He glanced at his wrist several times and then pulled out his phone, staring at it intensely for several long minutes. Rayal watched every movement, waiting for something, though he did not know what.

  For the first time in months, Rayal did not feel like he was walking around in a fog, and even though he was still getting used to barely being able to see out of his left eye, his mind felt clearer.

  He watched intently, never tearing his eyes away from the Gihoric leader.

  After ten minutes of sitting in the living room, looking at his phone, Colonel Amori groaned and stood.

  “Where the fuck is she?”

  Rayal tensed.

  He watched Colonel Amori walk across the living room toward the guest hall, as though he had lived there his entire life.

  Rayal walked out of his room, stepping in front of the Colonel, his eyes sharp.

  “Out of my way,” Colonel Amori ordered.

  “No,” Rayal said. “You are not permitted into the rest of the home. It is custom.”

  “Fuck your custom,” Colonel Amori snapped, trying to push past him. Rayal was startled by his demeanor, but he jumped in front of the foreign leader once more.

  “I must insist.”

  “You?” Colonel Amori scoffed. “You insist when you couldn’t even stand up to Remus?”

  Rayal’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know about that?”

  “Get out of my way.”

  “No,” Rayal snarled. “You stay away from her. You even think about harming her, and I will kill you.”

  Colonel Amori laughed, the sound sending chills down Rayal’s spine.

  “That’s quite the joke,” he said. “Hate to break it to you, kiddo, but it’s a few months too late for that.” He reached up and pat Rayal’s cheek. “But it’s cute that you think you can stand up to me.”

  Rayal smacked his hand away and pushed the foreign leader back.

  “You stay the fuck away from her, you asshole.”

  Colonel Amori reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small blade, grabbing Rayal’s shoulder and pulling the caretaker onto the knife.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that,” Colonel Amori said. He removed the blade and stabbed Rayal again, causing the caretaker’s body to slip into shock. There was no pain, yet. Rayal could only take in the situation with wide eyes. “Did you say to stay away from her? You clearly don’t know who you’re talking to.”

  He dropped the caretaker unceremoniously to the ground and stood over him with the bloody knife.

  Rayal, with one arm wrapped around his stomach, lifted his hand to his ear and pressed for his phone.

  “Isa!” he gasped. “Get out of the building! Now! You’re in danger!”

  Colonel Amori chuckled and crouched next to him.

  “You’re a bit slow,” he said, smiling darkly. “Isa is under my control now,” he stated. “She listens only to me.”

  Rayal cringed, trying to stay conscious as his body began tingling. He groaned and closed his eyes, pressing his finger to his phone once more.

  “Emergency,” he hissed. “Anon Tower…Golden Elite…”

  “What a pesky little thing you are,” Colonel Amori groaned, lifting his knife again.

  The door opened on the other side of the hall and Isa darted forward, immediately grabbing the Colonel and pulling him backward, away from Rayal.

  The Colonel turned and his fist and the handle of the knife connected with Isa’s cheek. The Elite fell to the ground, the Colonel, kicking her in the stomach again.

  “You want a repeat of this? Fine.”

  He kicked her several times, Rayal’s eyelids fluttering violently as he slipped into unconsciousness, the automated voice on the phone telling him that they were locked onto his location and they would be there in three minutes

  Isa did not fight back as the Colonel rained blows on her body. She was tired, and merely happy that the Colonel’s temper was directed to her and not Rayal. In her mind, she deserved the beating, for not doing her duty and protecting the planet from Colonel Amori. She felt helpless and powerless, unable to help those in her close circle, let alone those who looked to her for guidance and protection, such as those in Saera.

  A soft chime went off at the door and Colonel Amori quickly went to his knees next to Isa, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  “Elite Isa? Can you hear me?” he called, gently shaking her.

  She wanted to spit at him for pulling such an act.

  The door to the guest hall opened and Officials and EMU team members swarmed forward.

  “Elite Isa? What happened?”

  Isa was too tired and in too much pain to answer.

  “I found her like this,” Colonel Amori said, his eyes wide and frantic. “I don’t know what happened. First she walked back here and then Elite Remus, and the caretaker. I heard noises, but…” He shook his head, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly.
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  “Where is Silver Elite Remus?” one Official asked.

  “I don’t know,” Colonel Amori said, shaking his head.

  “Okay, back away from her,” the Official said. Colonel Amori obeyed and Isa closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep to escape the hell that had become her life.

  When the Syndicate was notified of the attack, and the statement from Colonel Amori about what had happened, panic and confusion set in.

  Chronus went to Maki’s office, finding Anders, Aolee, and Hana already there.

  “What the hell is going on these days?” Chronus murmured. “Rayal just got out of the hospital today, and now he’s back in because of multiple stab wounds?”

  “Isa was beaten as well, though it seems the knife wasn’t used on her,” Maki added. “Colonel Amori found them. He was over there discussing terms.”

  “Like he’s been doing for the last how many months?” Hana groaned.

  “He said Remus was there as well,” Anders said. “After the rape accusations last month…I’m starting to wonder if they’re both losing it.”

  “You think he did it?” Chronus asked.

  “I’m just saying that he was the one to put Rayal in the hospital to begin with, and he and Isa did get into a heated argument to the point where he struck her.”

  “But it’s Remus,” Aolee murmured. “He would sooner kill himself than beat Isa like that.”

  “It doesn’t make much sense,” Maki agreed.

  “But you saw the footage from the night Venus said he raped Isa. He hasn’t been gentle with her lately.” Anders pointed out. “I don’t know, I’m just thinking that maybe we shouldn’t allow Remus near her for a while.”

  “He’s the Silver Elite. We can’t exactly tell him to stay away,” Chronus said.

  “Do we have any proof that he was the one who did this?” Maki pressed. “Did we trace him? Where was he when this happened?”

  When no one answered, Maki turned to his chair and did a quick search. When he saw the answer, he showed it to everyone else.

  “He was here…” Aolee murmured.

  “Who else has access to that level that could do this?” Hana asked, confused.

  Chronus looked thoughtful.