Finding a New Earth

Chapter 10: The Dead Man Breathing

We were still hidden behind one of the work benches as they entered the room. I didn't dare breathe in fear.
"Miss Kensly."  A man addressed the woman so famous in our community.
"Yes Smithy, you better have brought me here at this ungodly hour for a good reason." She spoke in an acidic tone and I could almost smell the fear from the man named Smithy rolling off of him. Alpha held my eyes like they were glued to mine and with his intense gaze came a promise for protection.
"Despite our great efforts we have been unable to come up with a way to reproduce experiment 77... However! We found an anomaly and I think we should contain him. The boy is showing signs of rebellious nature and we have heard he is actually in possession of an electro gun."

"That's preposterous! How would he get such a thing?" Sarah stomped her foot like a five year old in a tantrum before snapping.
"We shall get him Tuesday morning. For now I need my beauty sleep."
(A lot of it) I thought rolling my eyes. Eventually the sweet sound of retreating footsteps met our ears and the light were out. I was up in a flash and headed to the computer they were near, seeing they had left it on. On the screen was none other than Twist, his name: Colin McLaren. His face cheerful smiling as he sat with me and Raven a couple of weeks ago. His hair was slightly messy having been hit around the head by my best friend and I remembered that moment. With a bun in my hand ready to throw it at him I felt like a dam inside of me had just broke and it took all the strength I had to hold myself up. Why him? It could have been anyone else on this stupid ship! What was so special about him me and Alpha that made us able to see? To have that first spark of curiosity and rebellion which led to so much more...

My hand ran over the smooth bottle of pills again the metal surface cold on my fingertips. The door to my cabin opened and I quickly slipped it under my pillow lying back on my bed to look like I was asleep. My mothers head peaked in to the room along with a slither of light from the main room. I heard the door click shut and breathed out in relief.
"I know my daughter and when she's troubled." Came her voice right beside my bed in the dark, I jumped up in shock my hand clutched to my heart.
"You scared me half to death!" I whisper yelled feeling the bed dip as she perched on the edge.
"I'm sorry." She paused. "Please tell me what's happening."
I put on my best confused look extremely aware of the pills pressing in to my head from under the pillow.
"Nothing."
I knew she didn't believe me. My Mum was loving and knew me so well, she only wanted the best but I needed her to leave this to me.
"I am just stressed with exams." I lied. "So it would help if I get to sleep now." I told her almost bitterly as I stared pointedly at the door. Understanding what I wanted she kissed my forehead and bid me goodnight before leaving.

The next morning I knew I had to come up with a plan. I put my putty in to my school bag and headed to the breakfast hall. Looking among the sea of faces I spotted Twist with Raven. They smiled happily to me but as I got closer I spotted a purple bruise on the side of his face.
"What happened?" I gasped taking a seat. Twist gave a forced laugh.
"I tripped and hit my head on my table." He replied robotically like he had practiced that excuse. I knew from my history of close combat and war on Earth that the bruise was no table corner but a fist. This drew in my curiosity and I wondered what they did to him when they found his electrogun. What was his plan in the first place? I would have talked to him through the day but to do so would be far too suspicious. -They would be watching him.
I pulled out the putty and began fiddling with it. Sure enough the others asked to see it and I handed it to Raven first then Twist. He kneaded it pushing in his thumbs. Quickly I took it away carful not to move it further, now I just had to wait.

I went the whole day without seeing Alpha. It was starting to worry me, the table he usually sat at in the dinning hall with his mates held an empty chair.

That night I lay awake for the next hour making sure I didn't fall asleep. I knew where Twist lived and had to warn him about the people. What I would do after then I don't know... The morning and its actions seemed so inevitable. Slipping out of my room with the bottle of pills in my pocket I climbed the stairs to 22139. Wearing all black including a mask, I couldn't have the people on the cameras recognising me. The walls had small lights planted on the floor and were flashing white. The flashes lit up pictures of the hall way, daunting shadows and rows of doors. I counted down the numbers my heart drumming. I whispered them allowed:
"22137, 22138, 22139..."
My feet stopped. Quickly I reached in to my small bag and brought out the putty which still held Twists fingerprints, pushing it gently on to the panel. I held my breath in anticipation and sighed in relief when the green light came up and the door clicked open. As quiet as I could I entered his room, it was completely dark.
"Twist." I hissed in to the darkness fumbling over to his bed I reached for the customary bed light all cabins had. It flooded the room and Twist bolted up whacking his head on the low ceiling over the bed.
"Jesus Christ!" He rubbed the place he hit. "Sky?"
"Shh" I hushed him worried his parents might hear.
"What the hell are you doing here? What If you get caught?" He hissed "You shouldn't be around me."
"Yeah because you stole a gun and now they plan on killing you, in..." I looked at the clock "about eight hours!"
His mouth dropped open. "How did you know?"
I began the story of everything I knew talking fast as the minutes slipped past. When I mentioned his death sentence he paled in to a ghostly figure. "But what do you know?" He paused, clearly wondering what he should or shouldn't tell me. "You have to tell me everything. So many lives are at stake including your own." I pointed out.

"The Relinqui is what they call themselves 'remaining men.' You think they haven't found a new Earth yet but they have. My Dad told me this information he got from work. This new Earth they call Renata is only a few light years away only problem is the pressure is too high and temperature too low. The Government are looking for a person who is able to evolve in seconds. These experiments are only possible on people from 17-19 due to the development rate of the brain. I have known this for a while but only recently stopped breathing in sleeping gas. One day the people..." His voice broke as he talked, his fist clenched tightly. "The men came to our Cabin and they shot my Dad right in front of me. They gave me a pill but I slipped it down my sleeve and didn't swallow it. I remember, my Mum... She doesn't. They said he let out too much information and the person who killed him was called Spike; he is head of security and has no mercy. One day in revenge I got in to a fight with him, that's how I got this." He pointed to the bruise. "I took one of the electroguns and still have it. But now they know..."

I put my hand over his fist trying to comfort him and gave a nod.

"There's no where to run in their own cage. There's no where to hide from the Relinqui' rage." He whispered in to the dim light rocking back and forth. I wanted so much to disagree but his words rang true.

He was a dead man breathing.