Her Divergence [3] // Divergent// Eric Coulter

Eric Coulter

SIXTEEN✧

He had been whining for hours.
"Why do you think she didn't tell me? I had a right to know my bloody mother was alive -"
The same sentences are worded ever so slightly differently.
Four looked up from colouring with Ronnie and Sophie with a raised eyebrow at Peter sitting on the frame of Vessa and I's living arrangements.
"If you are that pissed off about it, go see her." Four said before going back to the colouring sheet.
"No, as that looks like I'm desperate."
I tilted my head a little and nodded in agreement," You are."
I should have shot him when I had the chance. I squinted my eyes a little as I imagined the peace shooting Peter Hayes could give me. 

"Here we go!" A voice of authority shouted from the far end of the barracks.
Around us, soldier-like figures started filtering through, many holding weapons in their hands or grabbing jackets from their beds.
"Fall in People! Weather is clear we are free for a run."
Four and I stood up, walking down the steps of the cage, part of me was curious about the firepower this place had as over half of the Beuru's population power walked to the hangers.
"Come on," Juanita called as she passed us, not so much as glancing back to see if we followed.

Turning to Ronnie, I grabbed my belongings from under the bed," Keep an eye on Soph till Ves returns from being with her Mum?"
She nodded," Yeah, find out what's happening?"
"I'll try," I confirmed resting the drone headset around my neck, I kissed Sophie's head as I left with Four.

We followed the crowd to the hangar where officers were calling names out of personnel and what craft they would be on. Each of the aircraft was like the ones that brought us in, bulking and geometrical in shape angles and flat sides. The engines were placed at the front with tank-inspired landing gears and a nose that contained a windshield made of triple plates glass, allowing one pane to be removed if cracked.
"Four Eaton, Christina Conti, Eric Coulter!" Our names echoed around the Hanger," Craft Two."
At the back of the ramp going into Aircraft Two, our barcodes were scanned, our names flashing up on the black background in white lettering. Around us, the engineers who scurried around preparing for departure, Juanita had vanished, getting lost in the crowd, but it didn't matter - the answers to what this place is on this craft and where it's taking us.

I sat down, the weapon resting over my knees and I rested my head back and closed my eyes. If humans were meant to fly, we would have wings. Maybe my first experience of flying was being stuck to the side of the aircraft in a slim bubble that put me off the idea of being in the air.
"You ok?" Four asked," You worried about Nessa and Sophie?"
I shuck my head," No, Vessa can look after herself, I know that much cause I helped train her, and I know Ronnie will throw herself in front of anyone trying to get to Sophie."
"Then what's up?"
Cracking an eye open, I looked at him," There is something about this that seems off."
Four hummed in agreement, ending the conference as other soldiers sat down and Juanita sat between Four and Christina.

The take-off was better than the previous time. We were jolted in our seats as the force produced by the heat engines lifted us off the ground. I still however kept my eyes closed will the vessel had reached a smooth cruising altitude.
"Alright!" The commanding Officer spoke up from the cockpit," Here's the deal, listen up! This may be a humanitarian mission, but the Lindale Settlement is very dangerous. Everybody clear?"
An echo of "Yes" echoed around me, I was curious to see what made these settlements dangerous. It was clear that the deeper levels of soil weren't contaminated as they could grow food to survive, they had found a way to filter contaminated water to make it drinkable - they had shelter for it to be a settlement and if they weren't asking for help, why are we interfering?
"What's the lifespan out here?" Christina asked.
Juanita looked over at her," Twenty-five to thirty years, if we get people early then they can live up to fifty or sixty."
Twenty-five was a short life span, almost unnaturally short. My finger tapped on the side of my gun as I tried to work it out in my head. The radioactive material wasn't airborne anymore otherwise people in Chicago would also have short life spans. Could be the water that causes this, but the natural water ducks would also be the same in Chicago. However, depending on the radioactivity, that should only last up to a hundred years, meaning that the water shouldn't be a factor anymore.
Something wasn't adding up at all.
"Dauntless -"
Dickhead.
"If it was up to me, you would not be out here," The Commander spoke loudly at us," I know you think it was held in Chicago, but this is the Fringe -"
I kept my face neutral, was he serious? Chicago, in the last two months, has had a Genocide, Public Exclusions and A Civil War. What is in the Fringe that is worse than that?
"Is that understood?" The Commander looked at each of us in the face.
"Yes," Four spoke for us.
No, that was the answer that made the most sense.
The Commander kept his eyes on us," The Mission is to save as many kids as possible, they've grown up in Hellish conditions. But you have your weapons handy, you stick to protocol, I don't want to lose anyone."
Just the kids. My fingers started tapping again, what about parents, do they come with? Are we knowingly separating families?