Triplicity

Chapter 3 - VALERIE

ONE WEEK LATER

"The Chancellor will now address you."

The man who stood at the podium was a stranger. Isaac was still in the infirmary. For the citizens, it might have been an almost welcome change. I had a feeling they were tired of seeing his face.

I took a deep breath and walked out the Center doors. I'd prepared myself for the piercing stares of the people, but even then it took a lot of willpower to keep my confidence up. I reached the podium and forced a smile. "Good morning," I began, as usual. "I know many of you must be questioning the incident at the Center last week."

No one responded. I didn't expect them to. Speaking in my presence without permission was not recommended. A cold breeze blew into the city square, making everyone shiver. I drew my new cloak a little closer around myself before continuing. "About a hundred rebels broke into the Center and attempted to steal government files. They did not succeed. We killed them all."

When did I get so good at lying?

"We are working on locating their base. I will admit that these rebels have courage. But they are weak. We, the people of Apex, are stronger."

The crowd let out a halfhearted cheer. I ignored their lack of enthusiasm, smiled again and held up my hand for silence. "I will also remind you that we will treat any other criminals within these walls no better. Remember your place in this city. If you hear any rumors about rebellious actions, please—alert authorities. We do not tolerate disorder."

The crowd had gone silent once more. I knew I had been basically repeating the same message over the past few speeches, but it was the only way to prevent rebellion.

I thanked the crowd and, as forced applause broke out, I went back into the Center. I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon in my private quarters, waiting. (The high officials all lived in the Center, since it was the most fortified building.)

Hours passed. I heard that on Earth there were twenty-four hours in a day. Waiting must have been easy. I looked at the thirty-two large notches on the clock that was attached to my wall and sighed, thinking back to the attack.

Had it been a mistake to let the rebel commander go? It would have been so easy to just aim and fire. Kill the entire Apex rebellion. But it was never that simple.

I reclined in an armchair, watching the seconds tick by on the clock. A speaker buzzed above my head. "Chancellor, Officer Wilborn demands to speak to you. He says it's important."

At the mention of Isaac's name, my spirits lifted a little. I became alert enough to realize I hadn't eaten in five or six hours. I pushed those thoughts aside and tapped the screen of the cuff I wore around my wrist, activating the microphone. "He can come in."

The door slid open with a soft whoosh. Isaac stood at the doorway. His cheek was bruised from where he had been hit. His curly brown hair was messy. I resisted the urge to stand, cross over and fix it for him. Instead, I sat up straight and cleared my throat. "Hey—"

"We need to talk," he said, interrupting me.

Behind him, the door automatically shut. I gestured for him to sit in the chair next to me. "So," he said, crossing his arms once he was seated. "Why'd you let her go?"

I knew from his tone that he was talking about the commander. I let out a small, breathy laugh and looked down at my hands. I was surprised to see that they were trembling in my lap. "I wasn't thinking," I began. "I guess, with the smoke and—"

"Don't give me that, dammit," he snapped. "I heard your conversation. Who is she?"

I froze. No one but him ever dared to speak to me that way. If Isaac had been anyone different, I would have had him arrested at once. However, I trusted him. He was a loyal friend.

I took a few seconds to gather my thoughts. "Her name is Resalia."

I could feel his gaze on me. "And?" he prompted.

"She's my younger sister."

Silence. You could hear a pin drop. I glanced up to meet Isaac's eyes. They were wide with shock. "How old is she?"

I didn't like being interrogated this way. I wanted him to leave, but at the same time, I couldn't bear the thought of being alone now. "Eighteen," I answered. I looked off into the distance. "She stole files from the archives and escaped Apex a couple years ago."

"You have a sister," he said incredulously. "Valerie, I've known you for thirteen years and not once did you mention you had a sister."

"I couldn't." I pursed my lips. "No one wanted anything to do with her. She said...bad things about the government. I had to keep her quiet, but she wouldn't listen."

Slowly, I told him the story. Resalia and I started working in the Center from very young ages. My mother, who was then Chancellor, had ordered it. Resalia never spoke her opinion in front of her for obvious reasons. After my mother was voted out of power by a unanimous decision from the officials, I became ruler of Apex at age twenty. Resalia, then fourteen, was working as a guard for the archives.

She stopped talking to me shortly after my rise to power. I supposed it was because she was scared. Less than three months after I was sworn in, I received the news that hundreds of files had been stolen from the archives. Five guards out of the six who volunteered to investigate later were found dead. One was missing. Her guard patch was found torn off from her uniform and thrown into a corner, the initials R.C. still visible beneath the grime.

When I'd finished talking, Isaac stared at me, trying to determine my feelings. I remained where I was, not moving. When he spoke at last, his voice was tinged with concern. "What are you going to do?" he asked gently. "She leads the Apex rebels. The people depend on you to eliminate her."

A coldness spread from inside of me, covering my weak self. I raised my head to meet his eyes. "She's not my sister," I said quietly. "Not anymore."

He looked at me for a few seconds, then stood from his seat. Before I could react, he came over and took my hand. It was impossible to look away from his eyes. "Valerie, as your best friend, trust me when I say you don't know what you're dealing with."

He released me and left.