Children's Games: A Story of Modern Consequence

Chapter 13

~Joshua~

Joshua knew that he was twenty-four years old. He knew that they were part of Unit 352 and he had completed his ten months' worth of training in the Western Military District in Saint Petersburg. He knew that his mother Irina urged him to enlist in the war before dying of TB84, and his brother Alexei joined him when they fought for Russia.

However, Joshua didn't know Irina's face. He didn't know what happened to Alexei. And he didn't know what he did before enlisting in the military when he turned eighteen. Everything that he knew about himself were only words that he could recite.

He knew nothing of the scars that covered his body, and nought of the pain he had endured getting them. He suspected that the others were under similar circumstances, though no one spoke of it, and he was therefore reluctant to speak of it. Maria had been the first to start remembering and the first to be silenced, to which they sent Emilia, who was already silenced.

"Alright, let's go. You've done well."

Cedric was pleased with how quickly the new girl had picked up on how to operate the hologram device. He wasn't the usual tech guy, but Matthew was off on another assignment with Eleanor cracking the security system in the council buildings. The system reset every four days, so whenever they planned something new they had to recalculate their pathway in. Cedric was the next adequate person for the task, but he didn't enjoy doing it, so he started showing Emilia the ropes when he realised that she stopped asking questions. Before long, they were ready to start their descent back into the pit.

Joshua observed Emilia from a safe three paces behind. She would have to be in her early twenties, 170cm of forgotten strength, and a defensive attitude that he wasn't ready for. He had assumed that she would be just the same as the rest of them, perhaps even a little more reserved. A complete memory reset was something new. He didn't know how to approach her, and the way that he had confronted her seemed like a mistake from the way she freaked out. He was confusing her too much to assume that she would trust him just like that.

Nevertheless, he couldn't believe his luck with what Emilia had been hiding. Thoughts of possibilities exploded in his head, new ideas and different scenarios of how a military base could possibly fit undetected in Fimiston, unnoticed. However, they disappeared from his grasp as soon as he realised how unrealistic the thought was. How did she even know about the base? Should I have pushed her for more?

Down the tunnel, Emilia kept glancing over her shoulder, discretely trying to catch glimpses of Joshua behind them. He knew that she was still trying to decide on what he'd told her. How could I have fucked up this chance so quickly? He felt like punching a wall but knew that that wouldn't result in her believing his theories. I shouldn't have played those games with her so soon... but how was I supposed to know they would actually work so quickly?

He shook his head. It was no use trying to find the answers now. The day Maria died he had given up trying to find answers. It was time he needed to accept what he was dreading; that the memory alterations were just a result of trying to make them better, compliant soldiers. But why does that sound so wrong?

All he knew now was that he needed to find a way for Emilia not to tell any of the others. But by the time they arrived back at the stupid pharmacy, he didn't have any ideas. She seemed pretty determined to stay within Dominik's order. How will I show her to trust me instead?

"They're not real, dumbass!"

"My father says they are!"

"Your father is a dumbass!"

Two boys had their heads locked in the street, holding each other's shoulders and threatening to wrestle. They couldn't be older than ten, though they had straight backs and spoke loudly, puffing out their chests as if to support war medals.