The Chapters

Chapter Ten

We eventually found Amias, who was underneath a huge vehicle and surrounded by tools. That vehicle was Last Orders, a sort of truck with a whole load of functions that I won't go into detail about right now. I'll just say that it doesn't have wheels. After meeting up with Amias, we found Isak in the rec room playing some sort of one-player video game and ran into Karla and Zahara coming back from some type of 'group session'. Keon and Rey didn't show up for dinner, but Ruka did, looking much better after she'd cleaned up during the day. She'd then left early, claiming she had work to catch up on. The food wasn't the grey stuff this time, it was some sort of soup and bread. It's funny, I didn't see anything that resembled wheat in the greenhouse earlier.

Now everyone has settled down for the night after a lot of rough housing and the lights are off for curfew. Ivo and Amias are both silent, probably fast asleep in the cots next to mine. There's no one above me. Some people are snoring, but it's mostly quiet.

And yes, I can't sleep.

I figured. Even though it's pitch-black, I can read your writing. It's like there's an illuminating halo around each word, making them glimmer in the dark. So did you go through every room before curfew?

Well, that time I used to read probably didn't help matters much, but no. I only went through Wings A, B, and parts of C. Well, I went through all the wings, but I only really focused on those three.

Oh well, I guess you can't go on your mission now!

You probably can't see it, but I'm rolling my eyes right now. You didn't think Rey was serious, did you?

You can never be too careful. He's an important man. I can almost sense the switch in your mind from joking to serious. But you know enough to get around, right?

I know a bit less than the average Kin-dweller. I know a lot less than I should. But I think I know enough for one day. Amias showed me Last Orders's controls, so Rey can't say I won't be able to drive it anymore. I know a lot about how the Kin works, though I think I'm supposed to know a lot of names that go with positions. I still don't know a lot about what I did before North Titanium, and quite frankly I'm not sure I want to.

So it's still on.

Of course.

There's more silence and I stare at the frame above my head.

If everyone's asleep, why are you still being silent?

I'm supposed to be silent. Who knows how much noise might wake someone up? In fact, I'm pretty sure someone around here has to be a light sleeper. There's been arguments after lights out about being quiet.

Things are quiet tonight, though. Why's that?

Maybe because of what happened today. The attack and all that.

Right. Any news about that?

No. Rey might tell us something in the morning it he gets any information from Legend. If the Omegas say anything.

Speaking of Legend, do you know who that is yet?

God, it hasn't even been a day since I heard of... Him? Her... Them. I just heard of them today. You think I'm going to remember that quickly?

You remembered tons of other stuff.

I'm bad with faces and names.

I noticed.

There's more silence. I draw the thin sheet close to myself as I turn on my side. For you it must be daytime, right?

The struggle of time zone differences. Except our difference isn't constant.