The Chapters

Chapter Eight

It's the blindfolded man. He's standing there, a bit of a wry twist to his face as he faces the crowd. He isn't wearing the coat Karla had him wearing when she was morphed as him, but he still has the same cloth tied over his eyes. I guess it's thin enough for him to see through.

The people around me seem stunned for a moment. I think they're just letting the fact sink in that another Chief appeared, just like they wanted, but it's the other Omega Chief, which they don't like. Boo-hoo for them.

"No objections, then?" The man asks. "Good. I think it's pretty clear - Wing C is under attack and you're here for your own safety. Please remain here until the hostile are apprehended unless you really want to die. Which we don't advise. That's all."

There's another click over the speakers as the blindfolded man turns off the microphone. The crowds start talking again, quietly at first, until it becomes a jumble of voices that you can't even hear in front of you. The man disappears from view and I'm left by myself in the swarm of pushing and chattering people.

He should've dropped the mic, I read your writing with difficulty.

That might have broken it and just made more trouble for any AV crew there is.

To my surprise, I see Keon jump down from the platform a bit to my left and look around. When he spots me, he makes his way over and grabs my arm. "We're going up," he says in my ear so I can hear him. "We're giving the debriefing. Hopefully we'll find Isak, too."

I nod in response, not trusting my voice to be loud enough to do the job, and follow Keon as he climbs up the platform again. It's made of soft wood and put together with nails and glue, so it's not the easiest thing to ascend.

On top of it, sitting cross-legged and staring straight ahead with the microphone beside him, is the blindfolded man. Keon sits down in front of him on the left, and I sit down on the right, forming a triangle.

"Mica," Keon begins. "This is Rey."

"I think he knows tha - " the blindfolded man starts with a grin, but Keon cuts him off.

"He has amnesia."

The man (Rey) looks at me in confusion. "When did this happen?"

"We found out when he woke up. Obviously. "

"I think he can talk for himself, Keon."

I shake my head. "I just woke up today. I can remember almost nothing before that."

Rey nods. "That's okay. What do you remember?"

"When I woke up, nothing." I hesitate. "But I guess you could say some things are stimulating my memories."

"Well, that's good news. What happened with your head? Is it still as bad as it looked? "

I wince, remembering the pulsing exposed flesh on my head. "I hope it looks worse than it is."

"I don't think nows a good time to talk about those details," Keon adds, giving Rey a pointed look.

"That bad, eh?"

"With the Death Tower Kin, it always is."

Rey's face becomes closed off suddenly, and Keon is quick to speak up. "It was that Albin kid. Playing us all along, ever since he showed up. They were out gathering materials and didn't come back until a week later, but we didn't suspect a thing, remember?"

"Is that kid still around?"

"Still in Containment where we put him. He was moved to the Psych Ward a few days ago."