Chapter Twenty-Nine

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

"Hey, brother," Virgil greeted him with a smirk. "Nice face. Did you finally talk to Theo?"

"Not now," Aiden waved his hand dismissively. He looked at his friends with a serious gaze. "All of you, follow me. Now."

The three of them shared confused, fleeting glances before rising to their feet and chasing after Aiden, who had already bounded out of the dining hall in a rush of adrenaline.

"Aiden, slow down," Virgil prompted him. "You're going way too fast."

"I can't help it," Aiden seethed. "Pick up the pace. We've got to walk faster."

"The hell has gotten into you?" Zariah frowned.

"Aiden, what's going on?" Rania asked worriedly.

Virgil, Zariah and Rania all followed Aiden as he lead them down the hallway and towards his bunk. He opened the metal door with ease, ushering his friends inside.

After the four of them were securely in his bunk, he began tearing the place apart, looking for cameras and bugs. He cursed after his search yielded him with nothing.

"Fuck, fuck!" he swore. Virgil looked at him in concern.

"I think you've lost it, brother," he said cautiously. "What's this about?"

A sudden thought dawned on Aiden. He immediately paused, spinning towards his friends wildly. "It probably doesn't even matter if I tell you everything. You're all probably in the same circumstance."

"Aiden," Zariah snapped. "What's wrong? You dragged us all out of the dining hall like a mad man, and now you're acting paranoid."

"Xylem," Aiden explained breathlessly. "He just requested to speak with me. He said he was watching us. Unless I give him the data card that Agent Toryn had during the raid, he's going to kill each and every one of us."

"But you don't have the data card, do you?" Rania inquired.

"No," Aiden lied. "But that doesn't change the fact that all of us just became big walking targets. Xylem won't believe me, even if I'm telling the truth. At this point, he's just trying to get rid of us indefinitely. He's got to shut us up somehow. He probably knows we're having this conversation right now."

"Is anywhere safe?" Rania looked around with wide eyes. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know," Aiden admitted. "I had to tell you guys. There's was no way I could hide it. He's seen everything."

"What has there been to see?" Virgil argued. "We're safe as long as we can't give him any means to kill us."

"He's going to kill us regardless," Zariah hissed. "Trust me, I know Dominic Xylem. He'll kill even without a purpose."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Virgil narrowed his eyes, glancing at Zariah pointedly. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

"There's plenty I haven't told you," Zariah retorted. "Only half of it matters right now."

"Get on with it, then," Virgil folded his arms across his chest. Rania peered at her uneasily, unsure of who to believe.

"What makes you think I'd be able to tell you? It's confidential for a reason," Zariah growled.

"It'd be a stupid call if you didn't tell us. How are you supposed to sway us to your side when we don't even know the full truth?" Rania pointed out. She gazed at Zariah distrustfully.

Zariah gave in. She sighed, nodding slightly. "Fine. You win."

In a brief summary, Zariah recounted all of her experiences with Xylem and the Other Worlders in Fifth Unit. Aiden noticed that she had left out a lot of details, but it wasn't his position to add continuations to her story. Besides, he understood that telling Virgil and Rania already came at a great personal risk. She didn't mention Rhys or any of the sacrifices she'd made along the way. She stuck with her blunt, straightforward explanation, true to Zariah's nature.

"So... you're saying that Fifth Unit..." Virgil struggled to find the words. Rania stared down at her feet, her fists clenched.

"Yes," Zariah hung her head, defeated. "I couldn't say anything. I couldn't. You have to understand that."

"We do," Aiden assured her. Virgil nodded slightly, while Rania said nothing.

"Xylem's probably heard all of this by now, if he's really got bugs in here," Virgil spoke in a grim tone. "So, what's the plan?"

"I wish I knew," Aiden sighed. "I wish for a lot of things. I wish the world was normal again. I wish Jayda was still here. I wish things were different."

"We can make them different," Rania piped up quietly. "We have to. For Jay."

They stood in a circle around Aiden's bunk for a good long while, no one daring to speak. Finally, Aiden spoke up, everyone looking up to acknowledge him.

"First thing's first; Theo. We have to get him back."

"He's right," Zariah agreed. "We can't possibly do this without him."

"This?" Virgil raised an eyebrow. "What is this?"

"We have to fight back. How can you expect us to sit back and do nothing? Especially after what he did to Jay," Zariah added bitterly.

"You can't possibly be saying that the four - maybe five - of us are capable of leading a rebellion?" Virgil exclaimed in exasperation.

"Keep your voices down," Aiden warned. "We want to try and reduce suspicion."

"It might not matter. Xylem's too smart. Chances are strong that he's probably already onto us. If he killed us now, the other soldiers in the Unit would wonder why. They'd start asking questions, and that's the last thing Xylem wants at the moment. He'll only try to slow us down," Zariah's eyebrows were knitted tightly together in thought.

She had a good point, and everybody knew it. The four of them stood together, considering their options in eerie silence. It was so unlike their usual highly spirited group. Death and corrupted revelations had brought strain onto all of them. Aiden hoped that in time, things would return back to normal. Well, whatever the new "normal" would be.

"What time is it?" Virgil spoke, putting an end to the growing tension.

Zariah peered at Aiden's clock. "Twenty-hundred hours."

"Shit, curfew's sooner than I thought," Aiden's eyes widened, looking up at the clock in shock. He had no idea that so much time had already passed. He'd left Zariah's bunk for the dining hall at around eighteen-hundred hours and forty five minutes. An hour and fifteen minutes later, here he was. He felt his stomach growl at the mention of the time. Since Xylem distracted him, he'd never actually made it to the dining hall to grab dinner.

"I'm still hungry," Virgil grumbled. "You pulled me away from my dinner."

"Sorry, brother," Aiden cracked a small smile. "Head back to the dining hall and scavenge for leftovers. I'll catch up with you later."

"Alright," Virgil waved. "Anyone wanna join me?"

"I will," Zariah offered. "What about you guys?"

"Nah, I'm okay," Aiden declined politely. He had too many things to think about. Food was the last thing on his mind and the first thing his stomach needed.

Zariah glanced at Aiden quickly. "If you're not joining us, do you want me to bring you food? You haven't eaten anything yet."

"Sure," Aiden nodded. "That would be awesome. Thanks, Zar." He stomach rumbled in agreement.

"No problem," she answered casually. "Come on, Virgil."

"You coming with us, Ran?" Virgil asked as he and Zariah made their way to the door. Rania shook her head promptly.

"It's okay," she told him. "If it's okay, I wanted to have a word with you, Aiden."

Aiden felt a large lump well up in his throat. "Yeah, of course. Talk to you guys later."

"See you," Virgil said before ducking out of the bunk. Aiden and Rania waited until the large metal door was slid shut before turning to each other awkwardly.

"Hey," Rania greeted him shyly. "Sorry for doing that. I just wanted to talk, if we could."

"You don't have to apologize, Ran," Aiden flashed her an encouraging smile. "You're allowed to talk to me, you know. You don't need to feel sorry about it."

"Right," she returned his smile, but the concern was evident on her kind face. Her bright green eyes were dark with worry, casting a looming shadow across her gentle features, and making her look much older than her eighteen years.

"So, what's up?" Aiden inquired, steering them onto the subject of Rania's apprehension.

She sighed wearily. "I'm worried about you, Aiden. You really scared us today. Between you acting all paranoid about Xylem and your jaw, I'm afraid that we're going to lose you too." She paused to gesture towards his injured chin, her fingers brushing the sutures with the slightest hand motion.

He ran his hand along his jawline, where her fingers had been. "I'm not going anywhere, Ran. Like I said, we're going to bring Theo back to us. Jay might be gone, but that doesn't mean we've lost her spirit. We're not done yet."

"I know," she admitted. "But I'm terrified. How are we supposed to change anything? We're just four soldiers. Well, five, if you count Theo, but still. Five against an army? Is it possible?"

"It has to be," he replied firmly. "Can we really just sit back and do nothing after all of the crimes the Program has committed? If not us, then who?"

"I suppose you're right," Rania relented. "Just... don't ever think you're alone in this. We've all got your back. And, I just wanted to tell you that I..."

Rania's eyes wandered around his bunk before settling on something silver sitting squarely on top of his bedside table. Her eyes grew large, and she peered fleetingly at his neck before looking up at him with hurtful eyes.

Aiden turned around to find her staring at a cruelly familiar silver dog tag. With a sudden realization, he saw that his own hung loosely around his neck, immediately understanding whose the second one belonged to. He looked back at Rania with guiltily, opening his mouth to say something - anything - to defend his actions.

"Um, never mind," Rania muttered quickly. "I'll see you later, Aiden. Goodnight."

"Rania, no. Please, wait!" Aiden protested. However, it was too late. Rania was already slipping past the large metal door and swiftly entering the corridor. With that, she was gone, leaving Aiden alone with his thoughts and his remorse.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

***

The pain was unbearable.

It was so terribly unlike anything that Aiden had ever felt before.

It ate at his very being; the strength seeping away from every crevice of his body inch by gruelling inch. It took everything in his might to keep him from screaming, from tearing himself apart just to grant himself a sooner end.

He was back in the gas chamber, although this time, he was alone. The sickly gray gas crept into his lungs, setting them on fire as each second dragged on, far longer than the last. Aiden scrambled for oxygen, desperate for even a millisecond of relief. He slammed a fist against the glass wall of the chamber, holding back a bloodcurdling shriek of horror upon seeing his skeletal hand before him. He looked like he'd been dead for decades, and was rising from the grave in some sort of sadistic resurrection.

"All your little friends can be picked off one by one if necessary, if that's what it takes for you to give in to my demands. Take Sergeant Cerise as a prime example of what happens when you decide to start asking questions."

"Aiden!" Jayda screamed. "It hurts! It's killing me! You have to save me! I need you!"

"Jayda!" Aiden shouted. His vocal chords had been reduced to barely a whisper. He circled the gas chamber wildly, scouring the area for any trace of his fallen friend. "I'm coming, where are you?" he croaked.

"I'm sure Private Hope must be very devastated that it wasn't her you were kissing on your balcony."

"How could you, Aiden?" Rania's voice echoed in his ears. "I loved you. I thought you loved me too."

"I do!" he cried. "I just- I couldn't-" He screeched as searing pain gripped his legs, and he collapsed, writhing on the ground in a fit of agony. He gasped for air, finding none in his venture.

"You lied to me, Aiden. I gave you everything, and yet, you chose Zariah. Why did you choose Zariah?" Rania's voice whimpered.

"I don't know," he rasped.

"It's your fault," a new voice emerged, Aiden's fingers scrabbled at the ground, unable to find anything to hold on to.

"Virgil," Aiden gasped.

"It's your fault we're dead," Virgil said. "You've killed us all." He saw Virgil draw a gun from his left side, just as Zariah's small figure faded into his vision. She was perched on her knees, the way she had been when Eden and Maddox had abducted her from her bunk all those months ago. Virgil cocked the gun before pointing it at Zariah's head and pulling the trigger.

"No!" Aiden yelled. His voice strained against the suffering his body was enduring. He crawled towards Zariah's now lifeless body.

Virgil cocked the gun again, this time pointing it at himself and firing. Aiden grit his teeth, grunting from the effort of moving. He had to get to Virgil and Zariah.

"How's Sergeant Ines?" Xylem's voice reappeared once again.

"You arrogant son of a bitch!"

Aiden flinched as he heard the sound of something heavy hitting the side of the glass. He opened an eye to see Theo's burly body slumped against the wall, blood streaming from his eyelids. Aiden nearly vomited from the sight. What was happening to him? Everyone he loved was dying right before his eyes. He would be among them soon. He couldn't hold out much longer against the gas. He willed himself to die mercifully.

"I look forward to talking you again, Colonel. Perhaps under different circumstances, when you choose to be a little more cooperative."

Aiden's vision began to cloud over. He had failed his friends. He had failed his country. He had failed everyone who had ever depended on him. This was it.

Aiden sat up, breathing heavily. He was on the verge of hyperventilating, unable to compose himself or stop himself from shaking. Tears streaked down his face uncontrollably, and his heart pounded in his chest. His head burned with crippling pain, his rapid heartbeat the only thing he could hear aside from the incessant ringing in his ears. His bedsheets were a mess, scattered around his mattress as if he'd thrown them off in a bout of rage. No doubt he'd been thrashing in his sleep. The nightmare replayed in his throbbing head on loop, relentless in its attempt to destroy him. He wondered if the Program could control the dreams its soldiers had, although he doubted it. The higher ups would probably say that it was to make them emotionally stronger. Bullshit.

As the minutes ticked by, Aiden's body began to return to its normal state. His heartbeat slowed, his breathing steadied, and his muscles began to relax. To his surprise, even his headache was becoming more and more bearable. The terrifying ordeal was over, and all he had left were memories. He wouldn't let his friends suffer like that. He owed it to them.

Aiden glanced up at his clock wearily. Oh-three-hundred hours and thirty-two minutes. He breathed deeply, laying back down in his sweat-soaked bed and staring up at his ceiling. He was supposed to assist Alena on her morning patrol in just six hours' time. He guessed that dealing with angsty new recruits like Dax Idris would provide him with somewhat of a distraction for the rest of the day. At least he'd be caught in the real world, rather than one composed for him in another horrifying nightmare.

He considered dressing himself into clean nightclothes again, as his former nightclothes were drenched in his own perspiration. The nightmare had seemed far too real for his liking. Surely he wasn't going insane? He hoped that by the time all this was over, he'd still have his sanity. Then again, he supposed that overthrowing the government came at a great personal sacrifice. Maybe he could afford to give up his mental state. At least it would benefit the other people of Creatan.

Zariah had been accurate in describing their shared attributes of harboring guilt. The nightmare alone was proof that Aiden carried a lot of emotional baggage with him. Could he really be expected to lead a rebellion if he could barely keep it together? Maybe that was what his friends were for. They must be. There was no way he could do any of it alone.

Once he had calmed down, Aiden allowed himself to close his eyes and resume his exhausted thinking. He thought about everything from Zariah, to his early life in the Program, to all of Xylem's threats the day previous. Aiden's eyes flew open upon remembering something, and he immediately sat up and reached for Zariah's dog tag.

He wrapped the chain around his fingers, clutching it in his palm for safekeeping. Part of him missed having her sleeping next to him. Perhaps she could have pacified the torture from his nightmare. Despite being a simple object, the dog tag instantly soothed him, making him feel more safe and secure than he could have thought possible. He laid back down in his bed, peeling his shirt off his body, and draping the blankets overtop of him.

Please, Aiden begged silently, before drifting off into a restless slumber. Don't let anybody else suffer because of me. 

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net