“Yeah, I noticed that too, but I don’t know why.” I pick at my food, not at all interested in a conversation right now. My lack of attention does not stop Wakil.
“I don’t know how Talia did it, but I’m glad she did. Cale is dangerous. He could be especially problematic considering the coming review. Not to mention how he will undoubtedly spin the expansion team’s failure once the others are no longer distracted by Caelum’s imminent threat. You must take him seriously. Cale’s found a following in Leadership. Make no mistake, despite the lack of physical evidence, his priority is not Securus. There’s only one person he looks out for.”
“You’re right about Cale, but there’s nothing we can do,” I shrug. “And I wouldn’t call the scout team a failure yet. There’s some promising information in Taig’s Coden. We only need some time to get him better and sort the details out.”
Wakil looks at me with confusion when hearing the last part. Apparently he did not expect me to be so optimistic. He quickly shakes the surprise off, returning to his warning. “Either way, we all need to be careful with what’s to come. I’ve met with men from Caelum before. They are not to be trifled with. Their concern is only for our production, not for our lives”.
His words snap my head up from my food. I lean forward, narrowing my eyes. “Wait, when did you meet with people from Caelum?”
Chapter 5
How could Wakil have never mentioned meeting people from Caelum before? This information should have been shared during the Leadership meeting. Wakil pretends not to see the suspicion in my eyes as he explains his startling revelation.
“I meet with them when Mr. Vaden became the head of Leadership. They always meet personally with the new leaders to make sure things will move along as they wish. As Mr. Vaden’s personal advisor, I was allowed access to the visitors.”
“Why are you telling me this now?” I ask while shifting my position as my chair suddenly feels tight and constricting.
“Because I want Talia to succeed. If we ever expect to free ourselves, we need to understand the past so we don’t repeat it. You must help her stay strong in her convictions. If Caelum discovers her intentions, the consequences will be severe. She’s not the first to try to free Securus, but hopefully she’ll be the first to realize our dream.” He gets up, preparing to leave.
My jaw drops with his words. He was being intentionally vague, but the last part was not at all subtle. “How did Caelum do it?”
“The loss of a wife and threat on a daughter are more than a man can take,” he answers before walking away.
Suddenly feeling lightheaded, I rest my elbows on the table and put my head in my hands to keep from falling over. No wonder he did not mention this in front of the others. For the first time, I truly understand. Mr. Vaden had wanted to free us all along, but the price of our freedom was more than he could bear. The only way for him to keep Talia safe was to give in to Caelum’s demands. Letting her take over and try to lead us from Caelum’s grips is probably something he planned for all along, just not in the way it happened.
I manage only a few bites of my food before my stomach threatens to revolt against me. Wakil’s words have destroyed my appetite. Afterwards, I make the short walk back to my quarters in silence, thinking about what he said. The sound of my footsteps echo in the bare corridor, reminding me that not even sound escapes the confines of these steel walls. Once inside the private hallway, my legs continue marching on their own until I reach the announcement office. A conflicting thought comes to mind, this may be where Mr. Vaden was killed, but it’s also where he was finally set free.
What happened in this room not so long ago makes more sense to me now than it ever has. Mr. Vaden was a complicated man. Now I know how he became that way. He knew what we would face if we ever defied Caelum. For me, that reality is becoming increasingly difficult to accept.
Continuing on, I finally reach my quarters and throw myself onto the bed. It is too quiet in here. My mind races from the problems brewing all around us. Yet here I am in the calm of my private quarters. The stillness is broken by a footstep in Talia’s attached office. The sound sends a wave of fear through me. I pounce to my feet, prepared for whoever it is. The light turns on. Instead of an attacker, I see the silhouette of a beautiful woman. Talia leans on the doorway, watching me with an amused smile. My reaction entertains her.
Having her with me elevates my mood even with so much going on. I wish we could just enjoy each other’s company, but there are some things we need to discuss. Even though Cale’s behavior is a curiosity to me, there is something else I need to talk to her about. I motion for her to sit with me on the edge of the bed.
“About the review,” I say, doing my best to sound casual. “Your idea to survey The Caves sounds like a good one.”
“No,” she says before I even ask.
“You know it would be way more helpful if we send people who know the area,” I say, knowing that eliminates nearly everyone—everyone but me. I sit up and hold her hands in mine.
Talia looks at me with suspicious eyes. “I don’t like that idea.”
“I won’t be alone. Besides, my new uniform should keep me completely safe.” My rationalization does not remove the doubt from her eyes. I lean forward, lowering my voice to a near whisper. “Talia, I need to do this. Ever since Merrick died, I feel like we’re constantly fighting to keep up with one disaster after another. If there’s something I can do to keep us from facing another one, we have to take that chance.”
She sits still, watching me for a while before responding. “You’re right, but I don’t like it. You can go, but there are some conditions. You have to promise to be careful. I can’t lose you, Kagen.”
“Of course,” I say, raising one of her hands to give it a kiss. “I was thinking, while we’re out there, we should do a check of the fresh water and fishing pools.”
Before I can finish the thought, Talia already sees the reasoning behind my suggestion. “Yeah, if they wanted to get rid of us, poisoning the water would be a good way. I’ll make sure the outer pools aren’t used until we can clear them. We’ll have the researchers test the main pool first thing in the morning.” After finishing my thought, Talia’s eyes turn down and her voice softens. “And there’s one other thing I need you to do.”
“Just name it,” I say.
“Remember when we talked about changing the Detention Center’s invitation protocol? Wakil and some of the other council members suggested we start a few of the trials now. At first I didn’t like the idea, but it could be useful. It’ll help distract the people and some of Leadership from our current problems. That could help give us the time we need.” Talia lifts her head to look me in the eye as she continues. “The trials are going to begin soon, and my schedule’s too busy for me to be involved.”
I don’t like where this is going. It is not hard to guess what she will ask. This is something I wanted to avoid. She is right though, the trials will keep a lot of people occupied.
“We‘re going to start with the inhabitants who have been in there the longest. Most of the details have already been taken care of, except we need some help with the last two trials. My plan is to have Janae be the lead, but we need someone to oversee the information gathering for Aamon and Ardal’s trials. We have to be sure there are no surprises, and you’re the only one I trust to oversee the case,” Talia says, her eyes pleading me to agree. “Since the non-Leadership trials are going first, you wouldn’t have to do anything until after you go to The Caves.”
Aamon and Ardal. The arrogant, conniving men, who repeatedly tried to kill me. I had hoped to never see either of their vile faces again. Having to see them again is not the only reason Talia was hesitant to ask this of me. She knows preparing for their trials will require me to go into the Detention Center, and how I feel about that place.
“That’s a bad idea. We can’t risk an emotional response from our people with the review coming,” I say, thinking not only about my fe
elings but also of how the people would respond their trials.
Talia puts her hands on my shoulders, knowing her touch will melt my resistance. “I know. That’s why only the old Detention Center invitations will be reviewed before the Controllers visit. There’s nothing dangerous about those. The people will be happy we’re working to fix the wrongs from the past and Leadership will be busy preparing for the real trials. Aamon and Ardal will wait until everything has calmed down.”
My mind screams to say no, but how can I? Doing this does make sense, and delaying the inflammatory trials should keep from compromising us during Caelum’s review. Talia is right in that no one is better suited to handle this, and more than that, I could never look into those entrancing almond eyes and say no.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” I concede before lying back on the bed, uneasy with the agreement.
She lets out a relieved sigh. “Thank you, Kagen. I’ll do my best to make it as easy as possible on you.”
Allowing Aamon and Ardal a chance to spread their lies is particularly troublesome to me. At least they will continue to rot in the Detention Center until we find a way past the tenuous situation Caelum has forced us into. Even so, the thought of seeing those men eats at me. It has been challenging to deal with everything that happened to me since Merrick’s death, and this process will force me to publicly relive each traumatic detail for everyone to hear. Talia can always read my internal emotions and works to change my sour mood with a gentle kiss.
“Enough about me, how are you holding up?” I ask, thinking of how hard all of this must be on her.
“It’s frustrating to juggle so many things at once. Having you with me makes it so much easier though.”
Talia needs to know what Wakil told me about her father, but now does not feel like the right time. I hold her close as she drifts off to sleep. She always seems to be able to fall asleep no matter the circumstances. Thoughts of her father’s entangled position as well as my new burden keep me up. Mr. Vaden was unable to do what was right because of the threat of losing the last bit of joy in his life. Now I am being forced to confront the effects of that coercion by going to the last place in Securus anyone would ever want to go. The Detention Center may have changed, but just mentioning that place still summons fear from deep within me.
Being forced into situations like this is all the more reason we need to find a way to free ourselves. The pain and loss we are forced to accept for the benefit of Caelum will never relent unless we do. Eventually my mind calms and I find comfort in the warmth of Talia’s arms. I drift to sleep and, like most nights lately, the nightmares return.
I am in a large, cold meeting hall, filled with people screaming for my head. Cale stands over me with malice in his eyes, about to pass judgment. The chill in the room is replaced by the heat emanating from the suddenly real flames of the Sun in the original Leadership symbol on the wall behind him. I struggle against the restraints binding my hands and feet, unable to escape.
“You are responsible for the death of two of our people and have condemned the rest of us. For this, you will be placed in the Detention Center permanently,” Cale bellows more to the crowd than to me. His words are met with a chorus of approval from the angry mob.
Suddenly, I am no longer in the light. Darkness surrounds me. The cold creeps back into my bones as I fall through the emptiness. My body crashes to the floor, though I cannot see it. I am locked away, deprived of any contact except for the chilling screams echoing in the distance. This is where I belong.
The screams become louder and louder. The pattern of the cries goes from erratic to a rhythmic cadence. The pitch morphs and I awaken from my dream to the sound of my morning alert. My nightmare is over. Now it is time to face the mounting problems here in Securus.
I wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead, trying to shake off the empty feeling brought on by the dream. My hand reaches for Talia, only to grasp empty sheets. Turning over in bed reveals a dim light coming from her office. I get up and walk over to her. With each step the dread of the night recedes a little more. The soft floor muffles my steps. I stop at the doorway to watch her work, now feeling like myself again. Like Arluin, her ability to function in the morning far exceeds my own. I lean over and kiss the side of her cheek. Talia jumps away, almost tipping over her chair. She was so engrossed in her work that she did not hear me coming.
“Now we’re even,” I laugh as she clutches her chest, trying to catch her breath.
She gives me a weak shove and smiles. “I gotta keep my eye on you. You’re sneaky.”
“You can try.”
Talia pulls me close to her. “Kagen, I know with everything going on we’re apart most of the time, but when things settle down we need to take some time for us. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that,” I tell her before getting up to face the day.
*
The infirmary keeps me busy all morning, full of patients injured while working in the Deep Vents. I slip away at lunch time, leaving Adara in charge. Today, a pleasant change in our routine waits inside the lunch hall. We have a salad made mostly with vegetables from the surface garden. Standing in the unusually long line, the workers in front of me eagerly pick up their food. Being given tasteless gruel so often, the food is a rare treat. Talia decided this was one thing we should not delay. We are asking so much of the people, she wanted to be able to give them something in return. After getting my ration, I turn to look for my friends.
“Hey, Kagen! Did you get your herpatitis taken care of?” Hadwin shouts across the hall.
I slink over, feeling my skin warm as my cheeks blush. I ignore the stares and focus on Sayda, who sits next to him, attempting to look inconspicuous. Hadwin, on the other hand, shows no embarrassment. He has an ear to ear smile that gets even bigger when he sees my chagrin.
I shake my head at him while sitting down. At least we can always count on him to lighten the mood. With how things have been going, that is something we need. Hadwin has always been the clown of our group, ever since we were young children. No one is spared, not even himself. That is especially true when his pranks backfire. I remember him setting up a trap for me when we were teenagers. Hadwin stood on the corner of my desk, setting up a shower of a sticky, slime material to fall on me later. In the process, he walked into a spider web dangling from the corner of the ceiling. While untangling himself, he ended up falling. Hadwin’s pants were caught on his rigging in the process. By the time I walked in, he had his pants split open and was covered in slime. He could not live that down for years.
“Thanks a lot, Hadwin,” I say, giving him a menacing stare.
“What? I was just checking to make sure my friend was okay,” he protests, feigning innocence with his hands in the air and eyebrows raised up toward his thick, spiked hair.
“Why are we friends with him again?” I ask Sayda.
“Because you both know you’d be bored without me. You guys need me,” Hadwin proudly enlightens us.
I ignore his overwhelming humility and turn to my food. The fresh and crisp taste is very different from the limited vegetables we have had in the past. Despite our technological advances, we are not able to really duplicate this kind of natural food. I am not the only one enjoying the treat. Hadwin and Sayda have both nearly completed their meals, except for the piece stuck to Hadwin’s cheek. I subtly catch Sayda’s attention, motioning with my eyes to the chunk of lettuce.
“How’s the food?” I ask him while trying to hide my growing smile.
“It’s delicious,” he says, putting down his fork now that his plate is empty. I wonder how long we can go before he notices. The site of him is hard not to laugh at. When she cannot take it anymore, Sayda laughs aloud.
“What’s so funny?” he asks us, getting paranoid.
“Come here Haddie.” Sayda motions to him. When he leans over, she gently pulls the piece of lettuce off and shows it to him.
“Thanks a lot.
You were gonna let me go back to work looking like an idiot, weren’t you, Kagen?” His angry look fails miserably since he cannot help laughing with us.
“I was only doing what you would have,” I retort.
I do not mention it, but the thing that really struck me was the way Sayda helped. It looked more intimate than one would normally expect from friends. Ever since we were in The Caves, I have suspected Sayda has an interest in Hadwin, but he has always seemed oblivious to her feelings. I never really talked to her about it because every time we have a chance to discuss their relationship, she deliberately changes the subject.
“Anything new going on?” I ask them.
“Not really, I continue to rule Electronics with an iron fist,” Hadwin proclaims. Sayda rolls her eyes. We both know Hadwin is too nice to act as a dictator even with his promotion to the head of his department.
“How’s the arm?” Sayda asks. By the tone of her voice, I can tell she is still upset she was not there to help when Taig bit me.
“Just a little sore, it’s getting better,” I reassure her.
“If you had my amazing reflexes, that would’ve never happened,” Hadwin says while pretending to dodge an invisible threat.
“We may need those superhuman reflexes sooner than planned,” I say, changing the subject to a more serious matter. The change in my voice grabs both of their attention. I quietly tell them about Braeden’s upcoming visit. Our only hope is to make sure he does not learn the truth. Otherwise the Controller will eradicate the entire colony. Their responses mirror my own frustration and concern.
“So that’s why Talia put the restrictions on talking about Caelum or leaving Securus,” Sayda says, already making the connection. “Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Actually, there is. In a couple of days, Talia wants to send a scout team into The Caves to see if there are any clues to where Caelum’s review is headed. We want to see if they altered the area and if they’re still using the storage room by the tracks. That could give us some clue to what they’re thinking. More importantly, we need to see if they are setting up anything that could be a threat to us,” I tell them. “I could use some help.”
The Controller (The Securus Trilogy Book 2) Page 5