Surface R: Reunion

Part 03.4

::SEAN::

There are times when I could almost let my emotions get the better of me, and hate Thomas. This is one of them. Everything was bad enough, and then he comes along and now I don't know what to think anymore. It's all I can do to make sense of Trey's words.

Either stay here and wait for them to come get you or come with us

But I don't know what to do! A choking sound comes from beside of me, Cody is wiping away his tears. I'm glad he's stopped crying, I didn't know what to do when he started.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, a little upset is all. I've let everyone down." Cody sniffles. "you?"

"I don't know, I've never had to make a decision like this before-"

Why am I even reconsidering it? Staying here is asking me to stop believing in everything I live by-and yet-I can't tear myself from how much I'd hurt Cody if I did leave. And I'm still shaken up. What they said before-the kid, killed-I don't want to believe them. But Cody wouldn't lie to me or let anyone else lie, that I'm sure of. So when he didn't make a protest...

He's the only one that cares. Trey doesn't care so much, so long as I don't endanger anyone else. Thomas doesn't like me, so-

"Sean, do you still want to sleep?"

I shook my head. "No, you can do anything you want with me now."

"Okay!" He takes my hand and pulls me off the bed. "Let me show how we live up here, and later, I've got a place to show you later that you might like."

As Cody shows me around and explains things to me, I realize these people aren't as savage as I first thought. They have a system, and while different from below, it was practical and organized. They have different duties assigned to appointed individuals. It wasn't fixed, there is a rotation and, as Cody would put it, they all take turns.

Sentry, similar to our Surface guards, keep watch outs. The shifts changed for morning, noon, and night. There were also Scouting duties, and while Cody tells me that they also take turns there, some of them are consistently scouts. Thomas's brother, Kytes, seems to specialize there, as well as the guides of Lindsay and her company. Then there were gatherers, with two categories below it. Hunters, obviously, hunt their meat supply by killing non-polluted animals. Scavengers explore new areas and other ones for materials they need for Rhys to use in his innovations.

There are fixed jobs, as well. Since Cody tells me, and I don't have trouble believing it, Rhys is the most intelligent person there is up here, he has a special unit called Rhys's Corps where they craft weapons and develop devices such as the Red watch to help in survival. Aside from him, Corrin is obviously in charge of medical issues, with Jenny assisting him for especially painful issues, since her ability was to numb the pain of the patient. Whoever was available and not clumsy could help out. Again, this was through appointment.

His sister, Lexie, is their head tailor. She measures the girls annually and Lori, the one who is currently residing in the medical bay, measures the boys. But Lexie does the designing. She and other selected individuals sew their garments whenever needed.

Kitchen duty, as the term suggests, goes by rotation too. But Cody tells me Thomas might be a permanent. It makes sense, he's was a talented cook... That's a fact, I'm not complimenting him.