Republic of Tactics

Republic of Tactics: Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I took a warm shower there, Olden patiently waiting outside as I change.

"Were you trying to kill me or something?" I ask him once I'm all dressed. He just leans in and sniffs me, trying to change the topic,

"Oh, Chamomile." He says, not sounding deliberate at all.

"I asked you a question." I say, sounding a bit too hasty.

"Alright. It was all part of the prepping," okay he's serious now ,"and that was too show how you reacted to it and so we can evaluate your relation with it. I swear, it was all ploy, honestly." He says.

"Okay." I say flatly.

We exit the training room along with the remaining trainees. I was in there the entire day.

"What if I couldn't hold it back?" I ask Olden.

"Please, it's friendly. Well how I saw it, I think he likes you." He says.

"Where do they keep him anyway. I saw him in the arena last night." I say.

"He has his own cage in there." Olden replies.

The walk back to my apartment building felt longer now on the way back. A few traces of sunset light peek out from the horizon. The homes here in Septimus are of lumber and concrete. Unlike my home in Dertus, of only wood and screws. On the contrary, the homes here have no glass windows (only flexible plastic) or chimney, and are painted hot colors for any air-assault camouflage.

"Where's Sgt.Wolace?" I ask Olden.

"He returned to Dertus to pick up any allies that might still be there." Olden responds. Olden enters the elevator in the lobby with me. His home is the building next to this one so why is he accompanying me? I guess he read my mind.

"My apartment floor has a lizard infestation," Olden informed, "I'm staying with you." He says.

"What city are you from?" I ask. Hoping I didn't sound relentless. We exit the elevator and head left for room 810.

"Um...", He's hesitating, "Dertus also." He responds. I catch a glimpse of what is likely another memory triggering in his eyes.

"It's okay. I'll tell you later." He says as he unlocks the door. The room the same as I remember. The smell of fresh cut wood and polishing liquid still there. There's a screen monitor hovering over the bed. It's illuminated in neon blue light and I say "play" and so it turns on. I see a series of clips of the burning Dertus. Transitioned into another clip.

"The destroyed sectors of Dertus are... Sector two, sector nine," the voice begins, "eleven, thirteen, twenty, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-eight, thirty," I am listening to the voice, waiting for thirty-four's fate to pop in my ears," thirty-three, thirty-nine, forty, and forty-four. Update complete."

The screens disappears. Leaving the room in silence once more. Alright, so my home isn't lying in ashes.

Olden and I address the topic of this upcoming battle while playing cards. We had nearly four hours to spare and we discussed how we were going to get my loved ones out while we create some sort of distraction from the President's troops.

Mother, Derlie, Koppe, and the rest will be transported back here minutes before any of the good stuff happens.

Olden and I finally decided to rest.

"I'll sleep on the floor." I insist. Looking at what I believed was a one mattress bed. Olden just walks over to the opposite side of the bed and pulls on a tag at the bottom of the mattress and pulls outwardly. Displaying the mattress split into another separate one that detaches with a hard yank. I assume the second mattress was somewhat under the other one in a compact storage.

"Goodnight commander Bovise." Olden says in the low dim lights. Decreasing in brightness every minute they're on after lights out curfew.

"Goodnight commander Olden." I reply. With a little joke.

Lights off.