The Boy from the Bunker - Season 8

Episode Four, Part 1:

Episode Four, Part 1:
Small Sacrifices

I live my life in years to come to prepare myself for sorrow. 
So I won't worry when I crumble at your feet. 

Wynn shared a worried look with Chessca, trying to figure out if what Kodiak had told them was as terrifying as it had sounded. The mind trials... The Pain trials... Whatever it was, he knew it wasn't good news for his people.

"What are they?" He asked, sitting next to Chessca on the bed and facing opposite Kodiak.

"Think of it like what happened to Elara when she and I were at the labs with Rhea and Kane," he said, shuddering at the mention of their names alone. "But worse."

"Worse!?" Wynn exclaimed. How could anything possibly be worse than what he saw his sister have to through because of The Alteration - not to mention the debilitating withdrawals she suffered from the serum and the lifetime of trauma!?

Kodiak looked down, suddenly wiping under his eyes. "I know it's hard to believe; I went through the first phase of The Alteration so we could figure out what was going on with Elara when she wouldn't tell us, remember? I'm sure Riv and Chess could testify to how horrific it was, as well."

Beside Wynn, Chessca nodded sorely, having a hard time to reflect back on what she went through, let alone trying to imagine something worse than that.

"But I mean it... It's worse. And two of our people have already face it-"

"Who?" Wynn interrupted, already feeling his heart pulse in fear at his people being harmed.

"Dante and Luca," he said. "The boy and his friend from the mess hall."

"Are they..." Wynn was almost too afraid to say it. "Are they alive?"

Kodiak nodded, though it looked as though he was regretful about his answer. "They don't usually take the trials to the extent of letting it kill someone, although they've done it plenty of times before. We've done it," he corrected himself, suddenly remembering that he had been a part of the problem.

"You had no choice," Wynn told him. "We all do things to protect our people. This was one of them."

Kodiak tried to force a smile his way but nothing came out. "If you've been able to hear the screams inside this place, that was them," he said.

Wynn felt a shiver run down his spine. Surely every single person on the damned ship had heard those screams; it was impossible not to; but for Kodiak's shake, he simply shrugged, not wanting him to delve too deep into the burden of their people's suffering.

"Dante and Luca are in the recovery wing at the moment; they'll probably be back in the mess hall in a night or two, but it's only going to keep happening to more of you unless I figure this out soon."

"Let me help," Wynn said without missing a beat.

Kodiak shook his head. "It's too dangerous. I'm not risking it."

"Kodiak-"

"If my position as a guard is jeopardised, then we're all stuck on this ship and that's because of me. I've already done enough by moving you two down here and changing Dreea's cell and giving unauthorised visits. I have to slow down or my entire plan will be for nothing... I've made it this far on my own, I can go a little longer. We just need to be patient."

"Back to the trials," Chessca shifted the conversation. "What happens?"

Kodiak let out an awful sigh, forgetting the fact that he still needed to tell them what was more than likely about to happen to them.