The Program [COMPLETED]

Chapter Forty-One

The image of Roman's thin figure standing proudly over the helicopter wreckage left Aiden stunned.

What if he and Virgil had been inside? Would Roman have so eagerly taken them down too? Aiden had known that the rebel threat was one not to be easily reckoned with, but he wasn't aware that Roman was practically pioneering the cause. Why would he agree to meet with Aiden if he knew the risks? What did Aiden have that Roman needed?

And then it hit him.

Just like Xylem, Roman could have the potential to use Aiden as a catalyst in order to rally the people to battle. If a sole rebel were capable of slaying one of the Program's finest and most valued colonels, what would be holding back the rest of the nation from formally taking up arms against Xylem and his troops? Aiden was almost tempted to let Roman kill him. He knew that the people were in the right. Xylem was bloodthirsty and ruthless. He'd forced these people to give up their children to him so that he could build his own army of super soldiers. And did the people he commanded know any better? Of course not. Xylem had even given them the courtesy of stealing their memories away from them, making them the perfect puppets for him to control. Much like desperate men, not a single person in the Program had anything left to live for.

No families, no past lives, no connection to the civilians whatsoever. The perfect recipe for an extensive army of contract killers.

The other notable source of the people's weakness was the fact that Xylem was knowingly starving them to death. How could the people of Creatan build an army when they were tearing one another apart for scraps? Now that Xylem had halted the Consignment Days, how were the civilians expected to survive? Not even the CO's were on their side. Bribed by Xylem's luxuries, anyone of importance was at the General's beck and call, eliminating anybody who dared to cross him or defy his plaintive, prospective rules.

The only thing that held Aiden back from sacrificing himself for Roman's cause was the fact that he knew that the people couldn't win. Not without Aiden, and the help of his friends back at Second Unit. If they were going to take down Xylem, they would need to work together. Even if it meant that in the end, Aiden would meet his ultimatum.

"Here's where the two of you will be staying for the duration of your visit," Officer Tiernan announced, swinging open a thick metal door to reveal a set of worn bunk beds in a windowless room. Despite the lack of natural light, the small space was still remarkably bright, lit solely by a pair of fluorescent light tubes dangling from the ceiling. Oddly, they didn't seem that out of place to Aiden, considering all of Second Unit was lit by the same industrial bulbs. He and Virgil thanked the Official before entering the room and throwing their knapsacks on their beds.

"It may be a tad bit dingy, but it's what we've got. Usually we keep important individuals like yourselves in the nicer, luxurious part of town, but that wasn't an option, I'm afraid." The CO nodded to them curtly before closing the door shut securely behind him.

Once Officer Tiernan had left them to settle in, Virgil shot Aiden a skeptical look.

"Looks awfully like a prison cell to me," Virgil pointed out diplomatically. "They sure trust us."

"Be careful. There might be cameras lying around," Aiden reminded him.

"What? So they can hear me call them out on their lack of hospitality?" Virgil recovered smoothly. "I'll keep that in mind the next time General Xylem gives us the short end of the stick. I'm sure Colonel Asphodel gets breakfast in bed and complimentary candies."

Aiden tossed the remnants of his things on the bottom bunk of his bed. While Virgil had claimed the left side of the room, Aiden sat wearily on the top of his own bunk bed, rubbing his hands together. They were smeared black with oil and char from the dirty street he'd been thrown to following the helicopter crash.