“I went underground, as did many of the other survivors,” Devlan’s voice begins. No images this time. “We were fearful of the cities because we thought they might hold us responsible for the deaths. The children were sent off with protectors - those we felt would make sure the safety of the children was their main priority.
“You were sent off with one of the nurses, placed into her care until you were older. The High Rulers went scouting the country, looking for the Nuceiran troops that carried out the massacre. Their leader denied having any part in the destruction, but said he was glad it occurred. He stated that he wished he had thought of it himself, even though that would have meant the death of some of his own people, who had stayed to work on general research after the initial project was scrapped and the Antaeans created.”
I feel Quin nuzzle closer to me, trying to help control the shaking from my fear.
“Six years after the event, I learned that you had been located. I came out of seclusion to go and retrieve you, to hide you again. I’m sorry I wasn’t successful.”
The tablet shuts down.
I hand the device back to Quin as tears stream down my cheeks. He stuffs the tablet into his rucksack and pulls me closer, wrapping his arms around me. We stay clutched together for quite a while before crawling under our bedrolls to try to get some sleep.
We start late the next morning as the sun begins to crest over the peaks. It takes us all day to maneuver over the jagged face. We locate a pass about two hundred feet up. Chunks of black rock line the wide trail.
“Looks like it was a road once,” Quin says, as he examines the odd stones.
We continue down the path, keeping as close to the rock face as possible finally emerging several hours later where we begin our descent. As the sun fades, we huddle under an outcropping of trees close to the base of the mountain range. Rain begins to pour, and Quin wraps his arms around me to help warm me up. I nuzzle my head into his shoulder and fall asleep.
We reach the wire fencing surrounding Oasis Two in the late afternoon. Quin has me wait inside an abandoned home just a few yards from the fence. He takes my Levin gun and disappears. I wander around the house rummaging in cabinets looking for anything useful. From the looks of everything, this home was raided years ago. After I pilfer a few remaining supplies, I plop down on a sofa, curling myself into a ball.
I must have dozed off as I hear Quin whispering for me to wake up. The sun has just about set, so there is little light to see with, but I can make out his features. He hands me a pair of white linen pants and a long sleeved, thick black sweater. He has also snagged an outfit for himself. I look up at him and grumble at the selection of clothes he picked for me. I hate sweaters, but the long sleeve was a smart choice as it will hide my Quantum Stream.
I go into one of the bedrooms and change while he dresses in the front room. My socks are dirty, but he didn’t provide me with a clean pair so I will have to put those back on as well as my boots. I decide to leave the top portion of the fighter’s uniform on, as well as the glove Vladim had given me.
As I exit the bedroom, I notice Quin’s back for the first time.
The Levin gun left a large hole between his shoulder blades and down to his lower back which glows a soft blue. Small lines of clinging flesh make a unique pattern, breaking up the Quantum Stream slightly. He puts on three layers in order to cover up the brightness. I walk across the hallway and go into the bathroom, closing the door silently behind me. Taking my sleeve, I try to rub off the dirt that is caked onto the mirror hanging over the cracked sink. I’m not sure it’s worth the effort; the reflection is still me, only tired and worn, the effect being made dramatically worse by the fading light.
I begin to rethink my idea of going to Acheron.
Perhaps we should just rejoin those in the Wasteland. Go back to the Refuge and help Rena with supplies, and forget the other Antaeans. I think of Devlan and his sacrifice to keep me out of the hands of the cities. Flashes of my past dance behind my eyes. The Dormitories burning as I was carried away into the forest that surrounded the complex. People screaming and dying as the place crumbled. The four of us children clinging desperately to our rescuers as the others perished before our eyes; Devlan scooping me up and then handing me over to a woman. A woman I would call my mother for six years before he reclaimed me.
The knock at the bathroom door brings me back to reality.
I open it to find Quin is standing there, grinning at me. He looks more tired and worn out than I do. He gestures that it’s time to leave, so I follow him into the living room. The light that had been filtering in through the holes in the roof is now completely gone; there is only darkness outside.
“What about my hair and face?” I ask him, as he picks up his rucksack.
“It’ll be dark in the oasis. The shuttles don’t run at night, so we will be able to sneak on board one as it sits parked. There will only be a couple of Regulators
