2634: Dalmore

Chapter 4

The ginger haired bearded man stands at the entrance, a group of guards standing behind him. “Oh dear, aren’t we in some trouble?” His face is rested, almost turning into a smile. How unfortunate. “Well I think it’s time we have a conversation,” He motions to the couch. The guards move in the lead, pulling out AXT98’s, the guards never had any guns on them.
“How nice,” Ares mutters, eyeing the guns, we all stay still.
“Come on,” Feyrer plasters on a false smile, the guards aim their guns at us. We give up and drag our feet over to the armchairs, and sit down. “Now, now, you’re not in trouble. I just want to talk,” Hesitantly we take a seat on the couch. Feyrer sits across us, his smile disappearing.
“You know you can just chuck us in the Holding Center already?” Soren says.
“Now, why would I want to do that?” Feyrer asks. “Now listen closely,” I adjust myself in my spot, unsure of what he wants to say. “As you are all aware, the people who started The War were The Enders. When The War happened, you weren't born then, hell, even I wasn't born then. Not for another 80 years. The people who started The War have all passed now, whether they died naturally or were murdered. We are the people who are trying to save the world, they left it in ruins and died leaving us alone with Mutants. They were unable to control them, the Mutants went out and killed anyone they could find, the Wadger and Rootmingler being an exception. They were the only mutants The Enders were able to control. We built Veritas and Acres valley and transported as many as we could to them. However, the Mutants took over the South and a majority of people lost their lives to them. That place is called New Tyro. Even today, the Mutants are killing the people of the New Tyro, and their numbers are increasing fast,” He looks down at the floor.
He continues, “These people left over have chosen to live with them. They admire The Ender’s creations, they want to rise up and rebel against us. We are the only thing keeping them from a mass suicide, they want us to join them. They are the Rebels,” Feyrer hesitates for a moment. “You know all this stuff, it’s been explained to you. Well, apart from the Safe City parts,”
“What do we have to do?” Soren asks.
“No, there is a wide variety of jobs, all we ask is that you protect us from Mutants,”
“But you just said that they kill people,” Alec says with an alarmed tone.
“You’ll be fine as long as you follow the procedure,” He explains.
“Alec found something on your Tab, they were names, names like:-” I struggle to find the words which have been buried in my mind.
“Fabrate, Alcous, Heptation, Calux, Ninth,” Feyrer answers.
“Well, what are they?” I ask.
“There are five Sections. Fabrate welcomes those with the sharpest of minds. Heptation; For those who pride in Ambition. Alcous; Peacekeepers, who remain calm and focused. Calux; Honest and believe in balance. Lastly Niyth; For the brave and bold,” Feyrer says.
“What do they do?” Alec asks.
“The people in your Sections will train and eat together. They all have the same values and intentions as you. They will be your family,” Feyrer says.
“How do we get into one?” Soren asks.
“I cannot tell you that but know that we do not make any mistakes,” Feyrer says.
“Well, I’m definitely going to be in Niyth,” Ares boasts.
“Shut up, you’re probably going to end up in Heptation, that way you can fulfil your ambition to be a bigger jerk-” Soren is cut off.
”“We didn't give consent to doing this,” Alec says.
“Your parents did,”
“But we didn't,”
He sighs, “These circumstances are not the best, but we all have a role in this, it is a team effort,”
“Then why won’t you kill the Mutants off instead of us?” Alec asks.
“Because you- you all are special. You all have something that we don’t,”
“Which is?”
“Mutant blood,” He says hesitating for a moment.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“I cannot say anything more, I have revealed enough,” He says, looking down.
“Well what do you want from Angrove?” I ask, remembering how Angrove didn't want to see Feyrer.
“I want you to be sent to Veritas-the place you’ll stay the next few years. We’re low on numbers and we’ll need you to be sent to us as fast as possible,” This is the point which makes me doubt everything.
“Anything else?” Alec inquires.
“I need people to be an ear for me. You see there are people within Veritas that want to join the Rebels, you need to tell me who they are and come back to me,” Feyrer says, his voice dropping low. “Promise to update me if you hear or see anything suspicious,” I exchange glances with the rest of the group.
“Allright, we’ll do it,” Alec says.
Feyrer gets up from the couch and walks over to the door. “Excellent,” Leaving, the guards follow him out until we are in Angrove’s office alone.
“So we’re going with everyone else to get killed and if we somehow miraculously make it out by the time we’re seventy, we’re going to be famous, great, that’s always how I predicted my life to work out,” Alec says.
“We can’t sit here and complain about this, we need to escape, come on let's think of a plan,” Soren says.
“There is no way out. There’s only two places we can be, Veritas, killing the Mutants or the South, being killed by the Mutants,” Alec snaps.
“What about the Safe Cities?” I suggest.
“There is no way we can slip into the Safe Cities, it’s not going to be that easy! And what about everyone else, are we really going to leave them there in Veritas alone?” Alec hisses.
“Fine! If you want to be all doom and gloom, you can do that yourself. Screw you guys, I’m going,” I hiss back at him. The room falls back to silence and I get to our feet, leaving Angrove’s office. I feel like skipping all of our activities and taking a long nap, hoping that this is all a dream. My watch beeps, I look at it, Stable Cleaning- discipline order. I groan, I still have to do stable cleaning, and I can't miss that, I'm already in enough trouble. You're never allowed to miss your discipline order however sick you are. I drag myself to the door of the Main Building.
Walking outside, I spot the Wadger Stables hidden deep in the ‘forest’. It is separated from the rest of camp because of their noxious smell. Nothing could compare to the stench of the Wadgers. Trudging myself over, I glance at everyone in their classes, either bored to death or beyond excited. I know I’m neither of those things, if anyone is looking at me, I would appear regretful and displeased. Now walking down the narrow and winding path of the forest, I approach the stables. I take a deep breath of fresh air, careful not to get the stench in my nose.
Floyd is already waiting for me with his PPE on. To the left of him is a rack of PPE, I gear up faster than I have before, my air running out fast. When I put my mask on, Floyd looks to me, “Grab a hose and get rid of this mess,”  Waving his hands at the stables, he takes a seat on a chair he bought with him.
Sighing, I turn to the Wadger Stable door. I can already start to see the stink lines, even though I am wearing a gas mask, I swear I can sniff a bit of it. Swinging open the door, I notice that it is pitch black. The crack of the door sources the only light, well apart from about ten pairs of glowing blue eyes. Wadgers thrive in darkness, that is why the Wadgers begin to snarl at me. Entering in, I shut the door behind me, engulfing myself in ‘darkness’. The first thing I hear is a squelsh, I flinch as my foot sinks into the feces. That’s it, I’m not eating dinner. I reach for the lights, they flicker on and I see the Wadgers nibbling on pieces of rotten meat. Well, at least what looks like eating, their tentacles slurp up whatever it is that they eat for nutrition. The mutants gape at me, pausing from their nibbling. The mutants can’t recognize that I am a human through the PPE because the material is supposed to block infrared heat from the human body and repel any Wadger venom. I steer to the right, where fewer Wadgers stood and begin sweeping the Wadger feces forward. I think about what Angrove told us if Wadgers were controllable, how does the government domesticate them, through a device? Training or torturing them?
Finally, with only my thoughts and the sight of Mutants for company, I finished cleaning. I've already had a pretty awful day, so I am quite surprised when I call out, “I'm done cleaning,” To Floyd.
“Show me!” Floyd grumbles. Getting up, he walks into the stables. I gesticulate to the ‘freshly’ clean stables and Floyd enters. That’s when I jump on the other side of the door, close and lock the door. Stripping off my PPE, I smile to myself. I did after all have a pretty awful day.
Walking back to the Main Building, I am ready to take a long nap and an even longer shower.
Walking up the stairs, I hear whispers around the corner. Curious, I go to investigate, it is Soren, Alec and Ares.
“Ew! You smell so bad, how big of a poo did you do?” Ares comments.
Sneering at him, I ask the group “What are you doing here?”
“You know all that stuff Feyrer said?” Soren begins, “Apparently Angrove heard what Feyrer said, one of the guards snitched on him. Angrove’s pretty furious but she wants to talk with us now,”
I feel my body burn, what will happen to us now that we know all this stuff, taking a deep breath I say, “Sure, lets go,”
Hesitantly I follow the boys to Angrove’s office. The door is already wide open, Angrove is sitting at the desk. “Sit,” Angrove motions to four chairs placed around the opposite side of the desk. Once we are all seated, Angrove wastes no time explaining everything, “As you are all aware of everything Feyrer has told you and that he wants you to spy on people who you think are Rebels,” We nod cautiously, “He told you that the Rebels want everyone to die from the Mutants,” We nod again, “Look I don't know how to get you to trust me, but do not listen to a word that man tells you! I cant stress this enough. That man is dangerous, do not do what he says,” She says.
“Are you a Rebel?” Ares asks.
Angrove stares at Ares for a moment or two before answering, “No. No I’m not one. But I want you to understand that Rebels don't want to die from the Mutants. Feyrer is lying to you, what Rebels want is to overthrow Feyrer. Rebels have been left to die from the Mutants. I’m sure you have heard of the Safe Cities from Feyrer,” We shake our heads. The Safe Cities? “The Safe Cities are cities built up North from here. When the Mutants began to rise to power, the rich and talented were transported. Everyone else was sent to die from the Mutants,” 
Angrove continues “Well Feyrer manages everyone and everything that enters the Safe Cities, the cities could hold the entire population of Dalmore but Feyrer doesn't want to keep everyone in. He puts anyone that defies him in the South, New Tyro,” We look at her with black faces, “God damn it, look when Feyrer explained everything, do you notice how he made everything so exaggerated, so...cult-like? That’s because he wants you to cooperate with him. He’s going to send you to Veritas and you're going to die there because hundreds upon hundreds of people die there. And Adria you don't realize how special you are to the Rebels,” That statement puts me off.
A minute goes by when I speak up, “We’re going to talk outside, we’ll get back to you,” I stand up and head outside her office. The boys follow after me.
“You think she's lying?” Soren asks.
“No, she’s obviously telling the truth. She’s got all the right reasons. Maybe she could even slip us into the Safe Cities,” I say.
“No she isn't, she’s trying so desperately to look in the right,” Alec says.
“I think Angrove’s right, I only understand her. Feyrer seems kind of crazy,” Ares says.
“I trust her, I mean Feyrer is this stranger I’ve never heard of until today,” Soren says.
“We trust you,” Soren says when we sit back down in Angrove’s office.
“Brilliant. Now when you go Veritas, I want you to come contact me every week and I will explain everything to you,”
“So that’s it?” I ask.
“Yes, but I should like to add, you're going to Veritas tomorrow,” She says.
“What?” Alec spits.
“I think it is time we comply to Feyrer’s wishes before he sends me off to New Tyro. Besides he’s already banished Pearson today,”
“What?” I ask.
“Pearson got banished for blabbering. That is all, goodnight,” With a wave, she dismisses all of us.
Whilst everyone is at their final class, I decide to take a shower. Just as I enter the bathroom, I hear the PA system ring, “Attention Last Sector, your meeting has been rescheduled for tomorrow on Friday,” As the water washes away the grime from the Wadger stables, I think. I'm going away from here, this is a literal suicide mission, the note that I would have to kill a bunch of mutants sinks in. Who would create mutants and set them free just to win a war, apparently The Enders thought it was a good idea. Is trusting Angrove the right choice? I would much rather anything than a one way ticket to death. I feel numb, unsure what to feel. After getting dressed, I climb onto my bunk and let go of all my worries and thoughts. I don't want to wake up, I don't want to decide between two bad choices, I don't want to feel on the edge, I want to feel safe. I close my eyes, drifting off to sleep.
Voices, I hear voices yelling, wailing, crying, screaming. I am surrounded by a massive crowd, I look everywhere, ragged clothed people fight their way to the front, pushing me as they do so. The sky, hazier and a darker orange than normal. My eyes sting and burn just by looking at it. The sky has no Artificial Ozone, I can see that by the plates moving. The land is a barren desert, no vegetation is insight. The commotion drives me insane, I try to look at what everyone fights each other to reach. I reach on my tiptoes, only to find that I am unable to catch a glimpse through the taller heads towering above me. Like the others, I decide to push my way through the crowd to get a better sight. Tripping on my shoes, I fall face flat onto the dusty floor, I can feel dirt cling onto my tongue and teeth as lay on the ground. People by mistake step on me, wincing, I peer through the moving legs of everyone to see the base of a Bulk, a large aerial vehicle, which I recognize from Engineering. The words Feyrer said seem true, the Bulk which transports people to the Safe Cities. I am not sure how I know, but it is a gut feeling.
I feel a set of hands come to help me up. They all pull me out of the way, while others around them start shouting. The crowd pushes back, I attempt to move, unsure what is happening. The people holding me up, push against the thick crowd, I try to move out of their grasp, but their grip is as strong as iron. I look up at them, dressed in black tuxes and sunglasses, similar to what Feyrer was wearing today, bodyguards. I place my focus back down, noticing guns, not stun guns like the ones the guards used today, actual guns from the Shooting Range. Thrust forward, I notice I'm not in the crowd anymore, I look behind, a gate separates the crowd to the Bulk. The bodyguards let go of me and I stumble up into the Bulk, eyes fixated on the crowd, who yell out insults and slurs. The door starts closing, rising from the ground, blocking out the crowd, leaving me to focus my gaze forward to what is happening inside the Bulk.
Large glass tubes are lined up on the walls, I steer my feet over to one, a glowing substance blocked what was inside, it is filled with something that looks like blood, only it isn't blood. It's some kind of liquid or gel. A man in a white lab coat walks towards me, he stops next to me, ignoring him, I press my face to one. A tingle of fear overcomes me, an expressionless face looks me dead in the eye. My legs move me over to another tube, like the one before another face stares at me, are they dead? My focus goes to the man in the lab coat. He looks familiar, deja vu sweeps over me. He says multiple things to me, which I can't hear. I try to ask him to say it again, but I find that I can't talk either. I feel a sting on my upper right arm and an iron grip, much like the bodyguards that brought me here. I don't want to look, all I know is that I am going to be turned into one of those lifeless bodies held in those glass tubes. My eyes stay fixed on the man in the lab coat... and then he is gone, I blackout, falling unconscious.
“Is she alright?”
“Is she dead?” Voices. This time, not the wails or screams I heard before, the voices which belonged to my roommates. I sit up, looking at the three people sitting on the edge of my bunk. They stare at me with concern.
“You have been screaming and twitching ever since we got here, are you OK?” Cleo asks.
“I-I was?” I ask, recalling the dream.
“Yeah,” All three of them reply.
“Well, I'm OK, thanks for asking, is it time for dinner yet, I'm starving,” I lie.
“Yeah, see she’s fine, let's go,” Allison says, receiving a glare from the other two.“Ria, let's go eat, it'll make you feel better,” Allison says, ignoring the glares.
“I’m fine, I've just had a nightmare,” I say.
“Tell us about it, we've got all the time in the world,” Cora says.
“But I don't,” Allison whines.
“Just go Allison,” I tell her. Her hazel eyes light up as she jumps down and leaves.
“Look, you just have to trust me on this, it's just about my parents,” I lie.
“What happened?” Cleo asks.
“It’s just the same dream,”
“You know according to black magic-” I cut her off by jumping down from my bunk and leaving for dinner. I can feel the two girls exchange glances with each other before following me out.
Upon entering the Dining Compartment, I see Ares, Soren, and Alec in the corner, deep in discussion, I drift away from my roommates to where the three boys were.
“No, we have to wait and see,”
“Why don't we escape?” I ask, three heads snap up to stare at me.
“You're kidding, right?” Soren snaps.
“OK, OK, anyone care to fill me in?” I ask.
“Alright, alright, break it up kids, go eat now or go to bed, choose, it does not get with your mates time,” A guard approaches us.
I unwillingly leave to go sit at my table, taking a seat whilst the others talk about their day, I notice that Allison isn't here. I assume that she has already finished. I poke the watery soup, the last taste of this soup for dinner. Hopefully, Veritas will have better food than here, probably not, but it's better to hope. My mind moves to the dream that felt different, for one, it wasn't the same dream that constantly replayed over in my mind of my parent's supposed death. Second of all, it felt real, like it had happened. The last thing was that it felt...strange, I don't know how to describe it, but the person I was in the dream wasn't me, it was someone else, who I don't know. But the dream could have changed because the past few days have been so strange, it is so out of the norm. The dream could have been triggered by that. Only a month ago I lived with guards controlling us, rebelling was out of the question for me. I gaze around the room, I see Zion, I give her a small smile, which she returns. I get up, I know I'm not getting any sleep tonight but I'm going to try at least. I dump my tray in the collection bins and head off.
At the bottom of the stairs, I hear a commotion at the top of the stairwell. Climbing up the stairs I notice that  there is a group of girls squished together talking in a hushed whisper exceedingly panicked. This wasn't uncommon but I am intrigued so I move over to the commotion. In the middle lay a body. Not just any body, Allison’s, I push away the other girls to crouch down next to her. Body bruised, blood spilled on the ground, numerous wounds cut on her ebony skin. Her body is covered with blood and her face distorted into a pained expression, eyes are closed. She has been stabbed multiple times in the abdomen. There are no signs of trauma or anything else out of place. I take a deep breath, “Isn't anyone going to get help!” I yell, two girls run down whilst another hand me a scarf. I tie the scarf tightly around one of the bigger wounds, the blood seeping through the material. Another person hands me a bowl of water, I rip the end of the scarf and dip it into the water and wipe it onto another wound. By the time I finish this, a couple of guards show up and take her away to the Healing Chamber. A place where you are taken to be cared for by the Emphlys, but if you don't heal I don't know where they take you, but some rumors say that they take you to the Wadgers. I watch the guards take her away and disappear down the stairwell. As I do so, the majority of girls slip back to their compartments and once everyone is gone, I head back to my own.
I lay on my bed for what feels like hours when the compartment door slides open, Cora and Cleo enter.
“Where's Allison?” Cleo asks.
“She's in the Healing Chamber,”
“Huh?” Cora asks, holding what I think is a Lock Coin. I don't know what happened or how to describe it so I close my eyes ignoring her.
“What do you mean?” Cleo asks.
“She’s in the Healing Chamber,” I repeat.
“Tell us more,” Cleo demands.
“I saw her lying on the floor and she was stabbed...”
“Is she alright?”
“I don't know, it looked bad,”
“It can’t be that bad,” Cora says, “I’m gonna try this damn thing out before a guard catches me, anyone coming?”
I ignore both of them, I hear the door open and Cora rush out.
“I hope Allison gets better,” Cleo mutters but I can’t hear what else she says because I’m too caught up in my own thoughts.
Nothing had happened like this before, yes people get injured during training but not ever in the Main Building. Did Allison ever go down to dinner? If I went with Allison would she have still gotten hurt, or would we both have gotten hurt? I don't know who did it but I feel satisfied with blaming it on Feyrer. It feels easy to get angry with her, especially when she is sending us away from here. I feel a strange sensation thinking about Veritas, almost excited. It feels wrong to feel excited when Allison’s gone but I'd be leaving everything here. The roof morphs into the dark orange sky, the sky which I imagine we’d be flying through. Thoughts fly through my mind whilst I try to keep a hold of one. The night, I spent tossing and turning, unable to clear my thoughts.
After Cora and Cleo go to sleep, I begin to notice sounds, the drip of the shower, and the ventilation, my senses intensifying. My heart started beating faster than it ever had before. This must be some kind of trap. But then I hear it. A faint whisper, “Don't let them get you”. Pain sears through my head, I gasp, drenched in sweat, I have no idea what is happening. I run to the bathroom. Forest, I see a forest, lit by the moonlight, eerie and silent, I hear rasped breaths. I'm back, this time clutching the edges of the sink, I look at the mirror, I see my face, hair stuck onto it, then again into the forest. The rasping grows louder, and then a shriek of a woman’s drills deep into my mind. I punch the mirror, shards falling everywhere, I shift between the forest and reality. Blood, I see blood, Allison’s blood, my blood, the gel-like substance from the glass tubes, red. I collapse onto the ground. Pills are littered around me, the pill, I forgot to take one. I reach out for one and pop it into my mouth. My mouth is dry and unable to swallow it, I cough, and then again, and again, this time with blood. Blood sprays onto the tiled floor, I'm on all fours coughing up blood, the forest flashes back into my mind. A woman lays on the muddy ground, dead, the one who shrieked. I hiss and snarl, and look up, a monster digs its claws into a tree. Blood spills from its mouth, its eyes a glowing yellow, hunched figure the moonlight shining on its fur, a Mutant. I reach out my arm, a long bony dark shadow, the Mutant pulls out its claws and digs into my flesh. On the floor now, laying in a pool of blood and broken mirror shards, everything dims out.
I don't remember much after that. My head feels heavy as if something was on it. It hurts to move it, but I can't move. I lay there for a good minute or so when I hear a loud banging on the door.“Ria! Hurry up, you've been in there forever,”