Pax Pacis: A Dystopian Shortstory

Letum

Ch. 7

Payce pulls me along behind him as we race up the ramps toward the roof. The moment the shot went off that killed Zane, Kevan Lesterium fled. Insrugo rebels filed in and blocked all of the exits. Loyal Contego members began firing their guns and laser machines at everyone they could trying to contain the fight. I never got to see where my father ended up and if he was the one that killed Zane. I wonder how much he knew about the rebellion. He seemed to know something when we talked this morning. 

Payce is limping slightly and I have so many questions for him. "Zane betrayed us!" 

"I noticed."

"Payce look, I wanted to tell you."

"How did you know?" He stops running and turns to face me. I can see rage boiling behind his eyes.

"He-he told me."

"When?!" Payce grabs me by my shoulders and shakes me.

"Last night, after we kissed. I went to my clearing. And I met with Zane, like I told him I would. And he told me things. He said you were jealous of him. He told me that he chose Pax Pacis. He said he wanted to rule." It was hard to get those words out. To say them aloud.

"Why didn't you tell me?! Why?!" 

"Because I couldn't!" I scream at him. His anger is not meant for me and I am not in the mood to deal with it. "I didn't have the time. And speaking of time. We should go." I nod toward the roof and Payce sees what I see. The hovercopter that belongs to Kevan is about to take off. I rush ahead in front of him and start running. As I get past Payce I take his beautiful dagger and take off. He can not follow me. His leg hurts too bad. I know how it feels, my arm is also in agony. But that is not slowing me down like it is him. 

I reach the roof just as the hovercopter lifts off. I jump and manage to grab on to the bar on the bottom of the thing. The heat radiating off of it is almost unbearable and I can feel my flesh burning the longer I hold on. But I couldn't just let him get away. When I decided that I would do anything to kill this man and help Insurgo, I am not quite sure. I think it was when I saw the bloodlust in Zane's eyes and reazlied what power could do to a person. I needed to stop that power and keep it from destorying the rest of our society. 

My hands ached and I slowly slid across the bar. The way the bottom of the hovercopter was set up reminded me of monkey bars. It was in the form of a grid and all I had to do was not look down, and swing from one bar to the other. Eventually I would get to the side with the door and be able to pull myself up. If I make it that far.

I wiggle my fingers to get a better grip on the railing and begin swinging forawrd and backward. I let go with one hand and reach for the bar in front of me, but I miss. My hand dangles above empty space and I know that I am fixing to die. It takes all of my self control not to look down. This can not be the end. 

I grit my teeth and pull my arm up back to the bar that I am currently suspended from. I try again this time I swing even harder. When I think I have enough air I reach for the other bar again. This time I make it. My other hand is sweating though and my arm is on fire. I can not keep this up for much longer, and it just started. 

I take a deep breath of steaming hovercraft air and pull my right arm to meet my left on this bar. Now that I have managed to do one, I get through the other fairly quickly only missing once or twice across the expanse. 

Once I reach the far side of the hovercraft I manuever my hands to the outside and reach for the step. There is a small ladder here to allow entrance and I wiggle over to it. I am glad that I am smaller and that my father was a Contego member. Having his blood and his life lessons in me helps me to push myself harder despite the pain in my arm and my draining strength.