The Rejects

Chapter 10 - Aidan: June 22, 3032

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My heart is pounding so intensely that I can feel it's pulse ricochet through my entire body. My sweaty palms grasp the cool concrete corner of the building. I've been waiting in this alleyway for nearly 30 minutes now, ducking down as the occasional citizen passes by.

It's Rest Day, which means Reb will be back from the outer fields. He always goes to the Exercise Center in the mornings to workout (his parents still insist that he does this, despite his recent behavior), and I'm standing here, waiting for him to finally pass. I need to talk to him, I really need to talk to him, and this is the only way I know how without my parents catching me. After the arrest incident and Reb's choice to work in Wildlife, my parents sat me down and ordered that I wasn't to see him anymore, and I wasn't to be seen with him anymore. So much for childhood friends.

A few minutes feels like eternity, and I begin to wonder if I'm being irrational. Maybe even worse, this is all a trap! Maybe it was planted there to see if I'd remain loyal to Imperium, and I failed. Maybe now they're coming to arrest me like that girl and who knows what --

I see a quick blur of yellow, but it's gone. Wasn't the girl arrested wearing yellow?

Thankfully, a familiar figure passes and snaps me out of my spiral. I peer out on the street just to confirm, and then burst out of my hiding space, running to catch up.

"Reb," I breathe, grabbing his arm. He whips around, but then relaxes when he sees me. He begins to smile, but that quickly disappears.

"Aidan, what's wrong? Are you okay?" he asks in a hushed voice.

I nod and then quickly say, "Nothing happened to me. But... but I found something and I don't know what to do with it and..."

I'm at a loss for words, a rare occasion for me. I can't figure out how to tell Reb how serious this report is, how much classified information it contains, how it changes everything.

We begin to walk again, careful not to draw too much attention to ourselves.

"Reb, you're the only person I trust," I begin again. "I'm telling you this because I don't know who else to tell, but something needs to be done."

I take a deep breath, praying my decisions are the right ones.

"I found a document during Policies that talks about... arresting... and killing... and, and I can't even say Reb, all I know is that this isn't what we ever learned about in the Academy and I don't know what to do about it but--"

"A, you have to calm down," Reb says in a hushed tone, grabbing my wrists.

I'm nearly in hysterics, overwhelmed by the weight of information I've been carrying around for days. When we get the chance, he ducks into a small alleyway and I quickly follow.

"Listen, what you have to do is write all of this down in a letter. I will get it to the right people, I promise. But don't put any names on there, lest someone gets their hands on it. And meet me at the Exercise Center tonight, on my second trip down, and pass it discreetly. Got it?"

I nod, unable to form a response. Reb smiles.

"This is what we needed. God Aidan, you're amazing. Thank you."

Then, as quickly as he came, he ducks out of the alleyway and becomes one with the population of Imperium again.

I sit at my desk. It is now after dusk -- I know because I sat here and watched the sun set, unable to write my thoughts down. Surely this should be easy. It's like writing a report for school, something I've done countless times. But here I am with the worst writer's block imaginable, and writing probably the most important report imaginable. What a wonderful combination.

I hear my parent's door close, and the lights begin to slowly darken, telling me to sleep. But I cannot until this is done.

Well, just start at the greeting. You can at least write that, it's easy. All right Aidan, you got this.

I take a deep breath, and my pen touches the blank paper.