Wasteland: Rebirth, page 9
“I will not allow our hard work to be overshadowed by cowardly acts. We have a traitor among us and this will not be tolerated. As we speak, my high commanders are landing on the helipad to take control of the Barracks. All personnel will be searched, questioned, and if need be, sent to the Tyre Reformatory for further interrogation. Now, because of the increased hostile actions taking place at the Barracks, I’m forced to move up my schedule for taking the top ten Antaeans on a tour of the country. The remaining Antaeans will be relocated to the Tyre Barracks where the security is much tighter. I will be landing at the Acheron Barracks in a couple of days to begin the tour. Instructors, I expect you to have everything in order when I arrive, including having located and dealt with the enemy assailant.”
The monitor shuts off and rises back into the recesses above the stage. Commander Caderyn takes the floor and instructs everyone to get into place, as the battles will begin shortly. The lights come up as the instructors responsible for scoring the fights leave to take their seats up in the box. Latro joins them, which I find odd. He’s watched every contest from his seat at the front by the arena floor. He breaks apart from the group, heading behind the last row of seats, disappearing suddenly.
I tell Reider I’ll be right back and follow Latro. There’s a crawl space under the last row of seats that I have to bend down to enter. The space is so small I have to walk hunched over, slowly. In the distance, I hear the Commander announce the first pair over the speakers: Mair and Thane. The deeper I go, the darker it gets. I catch something up ahead. It’s small, just a red dot, but after a moment I realize what I’m seeing. Detonators are attached to the supports holding up the stands. I turn around and see the lights flicker, then a Cruor Burst strikes me in the stomach. I’m on the ground in seconds, and see Latro slowly walking in my direction.
“I was hoping you would follow me,” he says, kneeling next to me. “I was quite surprised when the battle droid failed to kill any of the trainees, particularly you.”
I want to respond, say something, but I can’t move.
“Too bad your boyfriend didn’t come along. I wonder what kind of explosion an Antaean makes when they die.” He fires another burst into me, close range.
The pain is excruciating. He sets a detonator on my chest, but doesn’t get far. A Levin blast flies over my head, along with flecks of burned skin. Reider comes up to me, but I can’t move. With that close of a shot from the Cruor, it’s immobilized me longer than ever before and I don’t feel it wearing off. He notices the blinking detonator on my chest. The rhythm of the flashing has increased, which means they are about to explode. He takes the one from my chest, throws it down the crawl space, and covers me with his body and shield.
The blast is bright and fierce. Neither of us feel it. The integrity of the stadium begins to fail, and screams fill the air as another series of explosions erupt towards the left. The seats above us begin to cave in. Reider grabs me and drags me down the space, back to where we entered. By the time we reach the entrance, the Cruor has worn off, and I can walk on my own. The building is full of smoke, and people are trampling each other trying to escape. A third set of explosions ignites the other end, sending flames up to the ceiling. Reider and I help people to their feet and get them out as quickly as possible. Mair is screaming from the arena floor. Reider and I go to her.
“I can’t move it,” she says, trying to get Thane out from under a display that collapsed from the blast.
I pick Mair up, carrying her away as Reider works on freeing Thane. I get her outside then go back in. Water starts to rain down on us as those outside try to extinguish the blaze. I hear moaning off to my right, follow the sound and come across Jin, legs crushed under a beam, a piece of metal sticking out of her side. I begin to cough as smoke takes the place of air in my lungs. She gestures for me to leave, but I’m not going to leave her here. I manage to move the beam enough where I’m able to slide her out, and pick her up, cradling her as best I can, then put the shield around us, and head outside. I set her on the ground in front of the medics who tend to her as Reider emerges with Thane. He places Thane next to Jin, but it’s too late for both of them. The arena groans as the metal bends and falls. Tyrean soldiers, along with survivors not too badly injured, are dumping water onto the structure as quickly as possible. Jin and Thane are covered and moved off to the side.
Once the blaze is under control, Commander Caderyn orders us back to the housing unit. He tells the senior staff to meet in the media room on the first floor. Reider and I are also told to join them. We all sit in silence, too stunned and shocked to even look at each other. Reider goes off to the bar, bringing back two shot glasses and a tumbler filled with a caramel colored liquor. He fills them both, hands me one, and we drink. I feel disgusting inside and out. I desperately want to take a shower, as I’m sure we all do, but there are several Regulators standing guard at the door, making sure none of us leave. We’re half way through the bottle when the Commander comes in, with Dr. Hersher following. The two step to the front of the room, but the Commander is the one to speak first.
“We’ve lost eight Antaeans and ten staff members, including two instructors,” he says. He’s visibly shaken, but seething at the same time. “Fourteen people are being treated in the medical ward, and two are in critical condition. This incident has been communicated to the Premier, but due to the late hour, he won’t be arriving until sometime tomorrow.” Commander Caderyn takes a deep breath, holds it for a few seconds, and then exhales. “We’re still trying to piece together what happened, but I have good reason to suspect that the spy from Eretria that the Premier talked about was responsible for this attack.”
“It was Latro,” I chime in from the back. “He set detonators all along the sub-level of the stands. I tried to stop him, but I was too late.”
The Commander stares at me. He looks perplexed by what I just said. “All right then, since the assassin is dead, that gives me some relief. We have a lot to do in a short amount of time, so everyone get as much rest as you can. It’ll be an early and long day tomorrow.”
We’re dismissed. As we head for the lift, I ask one of the instructors which rooms Latro and Jin were in. She hesitates, but finally tells me after my continued stare.
When I’m freshly cleaned, I curl up under the covers and try to sleep. Reider is snoring softly on the couch. I give up after only a few minutes, go out into the hallway, and down to Latro’s room. I want to get in there and check things out before any of the soldiers do. There isn’t anyone standing guard, and the door isn’t locked. I slip inside, turn on the lights, and lock the door.
The room is small, only large enough for a bed, six-drawer dresser, and desk. The walls are plain, no pictures. Nothing describing the young man that lived here. I rummage through the desk first, followed by his dresser, trying not to disturb anything, but nothing of importance is jumping out at me. I move onto the bed. The sheets are scrunched in the center with the pillows tossed off to the side. I look under the bed, but it’s empty. I decide to lift the mattress from its springs. Several pieces of paper lay scattered about, but all contain the same drawing. I remove one of the sheets before placing the mattress back down. An intricately scrolled half-moon with a sword thrust through it, and what appears to be some sort of red jewel in the center.
Where have I seen this before? This looks very familiar to me, but how?
I tuck the paper in the waistband of my pants and head to the arena. Commander Caderyn is overseeing the recovery of the dead. He doesn’t say anything when I approach, he just stands there in silence. Black bags are being lifted from the remains of the arena, and passed down through a chain of people before being placed on the ground. Each one has a code which is scanned by a medic, and the information of the deceased is documented.
“Are you sure it was Latro?” the Commander asks, almost a half-hour later.
“Yes. I followed him down a crawl space under the stadium. He placed the detonators. Almost killed me as well.”
We stand in silence until dawn. The bodies are moved to a shed behind the medical ward to be disposed of later. I meet Reider in the dining hall for breakfast. The mood in the entire room is somber. No one is talking, or even really eating. All training has been cancelled. Everyone is to focus on packing for the move which will begin in a couple of days. I tell Reider I’ll meet up with him shortly. He kisses me and leaves. I sneak my way over to the shed and make my way inside. The smell is overwhelming. I try and breathe through my mouth, but I can taste the burnt flesh. I cover the lower half of my face with my shirt, trying to filter out the decay. The small digital tags at the bottom of each bag tells me who they all are. Jin and Thane are the first ones I pass. Latro is towards the middle of the row on the right.
I bend down and unzip his body bag. I’m not sure what I’m looking for, but something is telling me I’ll know it when I see it. Since he was lying on his back when he died, the concrete of the arena floor protected it from the fire. I open the flap of the bag, lift up his left side, and roll him over. I peel away the burnt shirt from his shoulder, and find an intricately scrolled half-moon with a sword thrust through it, and a red jewel in the center.
How did I know this would be here? What drew me to it?
I touch the gem and it begins to glow. I place my palm over it, apply the stream, and it breaks. I bolt to my feet. This all feels too familiar to me. Anxiety sets in and I begin to panic. I feel myself suffocating. There isn’t any air in the room. I stumble to the door, falling out as it swings open. Two medics round the corner, carrying another bag with the Commander behind them. He sees me and rushes at me, grabbing my shirt collar, and hoisting me into the air.
“Find anything of interest?” he asks, bringing my face close to his.
I can’t find my voice. My mind is on overdrive, trying to piece together what I just saw and how I knew it would be there. The world between us begins to swirl. I can’t tell what’s up or down. The Commander’s grip gets tighter, cutting off my air. It finally clicks. I know what that symbol is, and where I’ve seen it before.
“Keons,” I say before everything goes black.
When I come to, I find that my body won’t move. I can feel metal around my wrists and neck. Muffled voices talk softly at a distance. I strain to try and make out what is being said.
“…a blast to the head, that’ll cure her,” the Commander says.
“It would kill her,” Dr. Hersher argues.
“Then what do you suggest? Your other techniques obviously aren’t working. Why is it so important to keep her alive? She’s already done her part. Reider is by far the stronger Antaean. You don’t need her anymore.”
“He’s not there yet. Next time you injure him, make sure you actually do kill him. When she goes to resuscitate, he’ll drain her completely. Then he’ll be the most powerful and she’ll be dead.”
I involuntarily moan. Cruor Bursts are emitted from the rings. I feel a needle being stuck into my arm, followed by two more. Everything distorts. I’m twisting into a mental void that has no bottom. When I wake I’m in my room, Reider by my side.
Was that all a dream? How long have I been asleep? Why does my head hurt so much?
“What time is it?” I ask, rubbing my eyes.
“I was wondering if you were ever going to wake up,” he replies, pulling me into his chest. “That fire must have taken a lot out of you. You’ve been out for almost two days.”
I lean into him, worried about why I slept so long. I remember the fire and the bodies being removed, but after that everything is fuzzy. We lay in bed for only a few minutes before getting up, taking our showers, and getting dressed. After breakfast, we’re each given one duffle bag to put our belongings in. It only takes me a few minutes to pack my room. I really don’t have a lot, and whatever I forget, Reider will pack. I tell him where I’ll be, kiss him, and leave
I ask one of the instructors about Jin’s room. He says that’ll be handled by a senior staff member. Since she was responsible for me, I feel I should be the one who packs her belongings. A few minutes later, the instructor comes back and hands me a duffle bag with Jin’s name on it.
Jin’s room is only a few doors down from mine. The door is unlocked and the lights off. Her room smells of lavender, and drawings cover the walls — detailed sketches of a far-off world with lush landscapes, large lakes, and tall buildings. I place the bag on the bed and start to empty out drawers from the dresser. She didn’t have many clothes, just the normal regulation uniforms. Once the dresser is empty, I move on to the desk.
The top drawers are empty and there are only a few items in the bottom ones. I look down into both drawers and notice a difference in depth between the two, so I push down on the panel of the right drawer, which causes it to pop up. I take the corner and lift, and inside is a hand-held display and what looks to be a transmitter, along with a thin tube filled with pebble-sized cameras. I pick up the device, slide the button on the side, and it turns on. An image of the destroyed arena appears on the screen. I go over to the window by the bed and look out. The image is a live-feed of the activity going on right out the window. Soldiers are carefully removing debris, sifting through the rubble as if looking for something. A small icon is displayed in the lower corner of the screen. I tap it and the image changes to the live-round field, but the view is from the watch tower. I tap the icon again and my room appears, showing Reider emptying out the closet.
“What the hell?” I say out loud.
I turn the display off, shove it along with the transmitter and cameras under her clothes in the duffle, and move onto the bed. I strip the sheets and put them in a pile in the middle of the room. I look under the bed, but it’s empty, so I decide to check between the mattress and the spring. Pictures lay scattered all over. I pick them up into a pile, set the mattress down, and look through them. The first few show a young girl of about twelve with braids. She looks like the child Commander Caderyn had me looking at when they were working on restoring my memories. With the duffle at my feet, I set those pictures inside and move on to the next ones. These show me fighting in an arena.
But I’ve never fought in the arena — at least not that I can remember. When could this have taken place? When I was kidnapped perhaps?
I tuck those into my waistband. The rest of the photos show a large city with buildings made of blue glass, all circled by a rail line. At the bottom of that is a single photo of Jin with an older man. Father or brother perhaps? They look very happy. Something in the background catches my eye. A small sign, no bigger than a postcard, sits behind them on a ledge. The lettering is bold, yet simple, stating “Eretria Commons”.
Was Jin the spy and not Latro? If that’s the case, then why would Latro set the blaze? Who was Jin really?
Chapter 7
Braxton
Lark and Neo have left to fetch Artemis. I’ve returned to my room to wait, as it will take some time for them to return. Vier and Lehen have elected to stay in the conference room to work on a strategy. The monitor and phone have been replaced, so I’m able to make and receive calls now. Caitrin calls me just after lunch. She, Grainne, and Kash are in Shern for a music festival. She tells me Grainne is having a lot of fun and that they’ll be back in Ankar two days from now. I tell her to give Grainne a hug for me and hang up.
It’s nearly night-fall when I hear commotion in the hallway. My guard has been relieved, so I’m able to leave my room. Neo and Lark are shoving a very drunk Artemis out of the lift and through the glass doors. Lark takes the door while I grab Artemis by the arms, and Neo takes his legs. I ask which room and am directed to the one across the hall from mine. Lark unlocks the door while we carry him in and toss him on the couch.
“I was perfectly content at my place,” Artemis says, slurring his words and obviously trying to start an argument. “You all can go to hell.”
Thankfully he passes out. Neo rings down to the front desk and asks that two guards be placed outside of Artemis’ door at all times. He’s to be confined to his room and only escorted by either Neo or myself. Lark rummages through the cabinets, removing all liquor bottles she sees. I lock the door as we leave and I go back to my room.
It takes several days for Artemis to sober up. He’s cranky and irritable, swinging punches at both Neo and myself when we come to get him. A guard tries to place him in binders, but I wave him off. We escort Artemis to the conference room and he fights us every step, but in his weakened condition it doesn’t take much to subdue him. We throw him out of the lift when we reach the top floor.
“What the hell is wrong with everyone?” he says, getting to his feet. “I was perfectly content at my home, but no, you all had to drag me here. And for what?” He tugs on his shirt to straighten it, then runs his fingers through his hair. “Why the hell am I here?” he shouts.
“I told them to bring you,” Waller says, walking into view.
“Great, just perfect,” Artemis grumbles, kicking at an invisible object. “Well, what do you want? You’ve already taken everything away from me, why not my freedom?”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Neo says, taking Artemis by the arm and leading him over to the table, shoving him into a seat.
“We need some information from you,” Waller begins. “In order for us to stop any further advancement by Sirain, we need to know your father’s weaknesses. What can we use to exploit him to his people, or cause him fear?”
Artemis begins to laugh. He holds onto the table, trying not to fall out of his seat from hysterics. “You honestly think I know anything about the man? He barely talked to me. I only found out about his being kicked out of Eretria by accident. He abandoned me when I was young. Left me to be raised by a family in Tyre.”
