The Vortex: Killjoys, Book 1

Chapter Eight.

When we sat down, and Mara strode into the diner with Val behind her, we had just gotten our drinks. The rebels stood from wherever they were seated or stopped what they were doing to stand at attention once again. We didn't. Mara motioned for them to sit as she walked to us, wearing a similar outfit to the day before, but this time, her hair was in intricate braids. She smiled softly at us as I watched Iris sit up straighter when Mara sat at the seat at the other end of the table, directly across from mine. I returned her small smile with one of my own.
  "They have a whole garden out back!" Vamos exclaimed, and that caught my attention. It was nearly impossible to grow fresh food in the zones due to the lack of rich soil, but it could be done with certain fruits or even by the chance bags of soil were found on looting missions.
After eating the fruit that I ordered I thought I'd never tasted anything so good. It's amazing what years of eating canned products and dog food does to you. Iris then insisted that we try a delicacy they adopted after adjusting to the sparseness of wildlife, aside from the ever-abundant desertserpant. The desertserpant was an animal that had mutated after the wars. It was a giant rat, a little under six inches in length when full grown, that had developed the scales and fangs of a snake, but I would never think to cook it. The thing was hideous. Against my better judgment, I was the only one amongst our killjoy group that agreed to try the desertserpent steak, and I was glad I did. It was incredible next to the dog food we'd become accustomed to in the zones. "I thought desertserpants were kind of small," Vaya said, finishing off what I couldn't eat. The steak was massive, at least 14 ounces, and with how we ate, my stomach wasn't used to being so full. Mara spoke up then, "They are in the zones, not in the Aberration," I met Mara's eyes as she smiled as if she hadn't said what she just did. The Aberration Zone was full of mutated creatures post-wars and fires. There, the oxygen was thicker, as if you hit a wall, and things just seemed to get, well, bigger. The desertserpants would be the last thing to worry about if that were the case. Iris looked from Val to Mara and back down at her plate.
"You actually send people to that god-forsaken forest?" I heard Val say. I mirrored Iris's movement and looked down at the table. "Would you rather my people starved? Zone three borders the Aberration Zone, and with it, we have access to all kinds of protein to keep our town thriving," Mara said. I could feel the heat radiating off of Val, even from here. He seemed to be one to know that sacrifice was necessary in a war like this, but he had never asked someone to do something they may not come back from, especially for a luxury like this. "On average, how many people do you lose to even going near that area?" He asked, throwing his fork down on his plate, causing the entire diner to quiet.
  I turned my head to the twins as they did the same to me, eyes widening. "It is a necessary sacrifice for the greater good—" Mara was cut off by Val interrupting her "Bullshit. A necessary sacrifice is getting used to the taste of dog food, not sending your people on a suicide mission so you can reminisce about the good old days before the war with hybrid rat meat," Val said, snapping back at her. Mara chuckled, but it didn't sound genuine. The sound coming out of her was dripping with sarcasm and annoyance. The next time she spoke, her voice was quieter, "I understand you believe you know more about running a civilization in these times than I do. I felt the same way when I was your age, but you are young and have a lot to learn," she said. I dared to glance up at her, only to find her staring in Val's direction. The comment reminded me more of a mother chastising her child rather than a leader talking to another leader. I could practically feel the heat radiating off of Val now. Mara's stare seemed to hold more weight to it now. He still didn't back down. "But now isn't a time for fighting, Val, try not to ruin today with your attitude," Mara said, taking another bite from her almost-finished plate.
The sound of a fork forcefully hitting a plate followed. Now she'd done it.
"I will not be disrespected like this again Mara, you owe me, if you want us to help your people you will show me some respect," the twins now had a watchful look, hands casually at their sides, but one move they would be able to draw their weapons. I had done the same out of instinct. His statement, of course, didn't imply anything about our numbers dwindling and BLI's only increasing. However, the Rebels would've had to be experiencing similar, only they stood less of a chance.
Mara's eyes briefly shot to Vaya and Vamos, then raked over me, eyes more venomous than judgemental, moving back to Val's. "You are right, of course, my apologies, Killjoy leader. Let's not fight on the day our two people become one," she said, smiling. He just motioned with one finger to us to stand down while not looking at any of us.