The Power of Gamemakers

Interrogation

Old Strabo resort to horror stories left me frustratingly distracted during the next days lecture. Apparently, when the man attacked her, she was stangled so bad, Mr. Plinth was surprised she maintained the ability to scream until the last of her voice ran dry. Let alone be able to speak at all after. The military medics that examined her in two were convinced she'd be mute. Other than this, something that stood out was Kallista dyed her her since she was sixteen or younger.

The lecture was on various historical wars and how it relates to human nature. The evolution of weapons, animals, and soldiers in these wars. Why they started, why they were won or lost by whom. Dull things we should already know. Once it was over, I got up to pull the chair to Kallista's desk when she stopped me, "Uhuh, Snowball. I'm taking you on a field trip. Follow me." We went out to the universities towards the Citadel.  I followed her, thinking it was a tour of more of the labs we hadn't seen yet. This woman was still barefoot for some odd reason. Once we approached the small building outside the gated military base, I knew where we were going.

"We call this portion of the labs, the museum, for obvious reasons. Mainly because it holds memorials and weapons displays. Open to the public, I'm sure you have seen it before."

Of course I have. Expected it has been taken slowly over by the Hunger Games. Weapons from winning tributes on display. Nothing about the tributes themselves, nor the Victor's. "I think it would be a great benefit to the games to showcase past Victor's more here."

Kallista nodded in agreement, "That's why I suggested the final weapons be displayed. I am a reminder of the brutality. Dull, blunt weapons wield by children. Imagine a grown adult with a decent knife."

Looking at the dull blade she referred to, I asked," What is the importance of using children, do you think? I used to think it was to display that even innocence can be moved to violence."

Kallista looked at the knife, unnaturally still as Mr. Plinth put it. I shook it off as his story got to me. Fear rubs off, another reason why it's so effective in war. "True, their are many anwsers. Like I said, if a child can use this, adults in a real war surtainly can and did."

We moved on, stopping in front of a display about a Jabberjay. I admired the stuffed bird, but the interactive display with the dial that will record the museum guests no longer interested me like it did when I was young. Sejanus voice in my ears calling for his Ma. Those birds are carrying them off. Turning to Kallista, she grimaced, "So much potential, so much wasted time. Thank you for convincing people to gather them. I hate Jabberjays."

"And I hate Mockingjays more," I thought out loud.

"Yes, the nasty things had a brain enough to breed. Not very good soldiers. A mutt has only one goal, accomplish its purpose or die. Stubborn things wouldn't do it. They are built, not born, so nothing should have been born from them, " Kallista moved on.

"You hate the Jabberjays themselves, the same reason I hate Mockingjays. They defy the Capitol? The Jabberjays had it in their minds to use the Mockingbirds..."

"Yes, but by letting the districts trick us in the first place, they defied their purpose. For us being so careless as to turn them loose afterwards. The Mockingbirds are the districts, Coriolanus, the Jabberjay is the Capitol. They are separated for a reason. There are meant no Mockingjays for a reason. The Jabberjays used the Mockingbirds to endure just as the Capitol uses the Districts. However, the Mockingbirds turned it back around by not creating more Jabberjays, but something more powerful than both of them. Something close to the Mockingbirds since once the Jabberjays die, both the Mockingbirds and Mockingjays will survive. Rebellion comes from the districts by tricking the Capitol into thinking its letting us use them until we are dying and they are getting stronger because we deviate for our purpose. That's how rebellion starts. The Capitol letting its guard down and mixing with the districts until they wonder why we separated at all."

Big reaction from a one bird. Naturally, I understood, but for me, it was our technology turning against us. "Not the Jabberjays fault we made it weak, but the Mockingjays fault for mocking us with that weakness. Remaining behind as a reminder, we failed. Yes, mixing with the districts would lead to chaos and mixed offspring with the advantages of both until on dissolves too, I guess," I shrugged. Kallista turned, and the look of annoyance on her face was enough to have me step back. She nodded and continued walking. Red hair swaying.

"Why do you dye your hair?"

"Because I like to," she stopped in front of various maps of Panem before and after the waters started to rise and the wars that followed.

"I know, but why that way. It's unnatural to..."

"Coriolanus, I'm not a display here, hence why I have no plaque telling you everything about me," Kallista didn't look at me, but I could feel her rage.

"Forgive me. It's just unusual. You are unusual. Your hair is clearly expensive but I don't know anyone in Panem who can colour it like that. No one knows your name or family. You dress rich, but Kallista, you never wear shoes anywhere like a homeless person," I asked bluntly. It almost sounded like I found her fascinating. Really, I hate not knowing my adversary.

Kallista turned around, sighing, walking back to me in front of the Jabberjay, "Then call me a rich, homeless, educated no one for all I care. That's how I like it! I told you that's only an honour for Dr. Gaul."

Before I could think about it, I was inclined to ask, "Just tell me one thing about you."

Her eyebrow raised, "What one thing?"

So many questions ran through my head. Why her hair be red, why she doesn't she wear shoes. How come no one knows her family or knows her. How impossible it is that no one has really since her outside these labs other than Strabo Plinth. Then, as I caught her glaring past me to the Jabberjay, I knew my question, "Did the Plinth's mean much to you? Since they seem to be the only people who know you outside the labs, I wondered if you maybe felt anger towards me for turning Sejanus in."

"You think I hate Jabberjays because you used one to turn him in? No, Snowball. Once, maybe I thought Sejanus was a brother and Strabo a father... but he always saw me as a bride for his son. Sejanus was so desperate for a friend that I couldn't tell if he actually liked me or just clung to me because he had no one else. You spoke to Strabo, didn't you?" Kallista ran a hand through her hair with a sigh.

"Yes, he claimed an accident happened, and it scared him. He took you back to Gaul and then told Sejanus you died. I'm sure Strabo exaggerated the story, but I felt the same way about Sejanus' claim to friendship with me so I believe you," I stood with one hand in my pocket with the thumb sticking out to seem more relaxed. I hope Kallista would be inclined to tell me more.

Kallista stepped closer, staring me in the eye, "Exaggerated? What do you think he exaggerated?"

Now I have done it. This was a look of'careful what you say or you're a dead man'. I look Gaul gave me often. A gave a safe but hinest anwser, "That you and Gaul are the only women how terrify him. True, I would dare entice you to a bar fight, but Strabo is not always such a big man as he seems."

"He told you I killed that man, didn't he? Well, I did, and you killed Sejanus. But I wouldn't tell him that. What I didn't do was make those others disappear," she started walking back to the labs instead of further into the museum. Seemingly on retreat. It's a small but satisfying win.

"He didn't think you had anything to do with that. Said you had too much first kill guilt. I get it, I had that with Sejanus," I called after her, not yet following. Stopping her dead in her tracks.

"Oh, Coriolanus... I wasn't trying to scream because I killed the man. I was screaming because I was in pain and thought I was going to die too for killing him. It's typical of a man to think I felt bad about what I did... really, I was just scared that I'd be hung for murder. For choosing to kill over being killed. A luxury the tributes have..." she confessed like she was scolding me for being so naive. I hate her for getting a hand up on me just after thinking i got one on her. Continuing on her way, she turned in the doorway to look at me. A chilling matter of fact tone in her voice before disappearing into the labs, "And no, Coriolanus, it wasn't my first kill."