RULE #13

Your friends are huffing paint… Seriously, why haven’t you ditched them yet?!

~ The Scavenger’s Handbook

In a handful of minutes, Alexis’ world had crumbled and she wished she was dead. Oddly enough, all she felt was something like fear. Not actual fear, she’d felt that before passing out. The sensation this time was different, less potent, but it still made her heart thunder in her chest. There was also the piss filling the legs and boots of her hazmat suit, which under any other circumstances would be reason enough for Alexis to be mortified. And the fact that the savage from the outside and, what was essentially her god, were conversing and determining her future as if she was a one-use wet-wipe. On top of that, the more time that passed, the more time she had to shake off the initial panic. That brought with it new problems instead of solutions.

For one, Alexis was looking far too often towards Moira’s dead body, which in turn made her recall every second of what had transpired in the moments before and during the breach. Every action played with gruesome detail in slow motion behind her closed eyes, as the Junior Technician tried to push back the tears. Secondly, it gave her sense of touch the time to return, and that revealed that in her hurry to place as much distance as possible from the terrifying barbarian, she had dragged the Directorate-issued handgun with her foot. Now the weapon was firmly dug under her left thigh. She was afraid that the simple act of trying to remove it and push it far away, would be all the excuse the large man would need to end her life. And that there was the root of one of the main problems for Alexis.

She wished she was dead, but well, not literary. Despite everything, she was very fond of living and would do anything to ensure that she remained living for the foreseeable future. In a way, this came as a shock to Alexis. During her time in the schola, and the short period spent in this forsaken place had been as obedient as they come. At least, for the most part, she was. Sure, there was the occasional act of rebellion, but even those were within what the Directorate expected of her. And the only reason she got that damn strike was because she asked one too many questions about the outside. It wasn’t like she ever planned to leave the safety of their bunker. Alexis only wanted to know what was out there, and how it was that people managed to survive on the surface. That wasn’t a crime, she had thought, after all, the Directorate encouraged scientific curiosity. But apparently, it was treated as a crime, just because she hadn’t followed the proper procedure.

However, that incident paled in comparison to the realisation that she would do anything to survive. That scared Alexis because it meant that she was ready to sell her own people, at a chance to buy herself a few more hours. And she had done so, without hesitation at that. The moment the savage asked, she could hardly stop speaking, and it was only the pointed gun at her, that made her keep her mouth relatively closed. Something that proved very hard to do as the outsider declared that he would have use for her.

“Come on, get up.” The man commanded, and Alexis could feel the disdain in his voice.

Her attempt to stand as fast as possible was met with disaster when her foot slipped in the puddle of Moira’s coagulated blood. Plunging face-first into the ruined mess that was her senior’s head, Alexis couldn’t help but feel sick. Bile raced up her throat and the remains of last night’s dinner required an emergency release. The filled her throat, but through enormous effort, and a lot of fear that doing so would be a crime on a new entire level, she managed to push it back. Still, now she was faced with a different problem – how to get up without touching Moira’s corpse. There was also the issue with her bodily fluids, sloshing through the lower portion of her suit, which, due to Alexis’ new position were currently situated around her waist. Overall, her situation was turning from bad to worse with every passing second.

A strong hand grabbed her left arm and pulled her up as if she weighed nothing. Before she could get her bearings, Alexis was looking directly at the worn gas mask of the intruder. The fear that controlled her a handful of seconds ago returned with a vengeance. This close, the Junior Technician realised how big and strong the man was, towering over by a head and almost twice as wide as her. Alexis couldn’t get a good look at his body, because of all the dirty washed-out clothing, but the strength she felt from his grip was enough to tell her all she needed to know. The man was strong, very strong. She couldn’t be completely sure, but it was safe to guess that he was more physically capable than anyone else in the facility. For a moment Alexis wondered what kind of life the man was forced to live. How could he survive on the outside without proper protective gear? The collection of patched, stitched and outright torn old clothing on him provided hardly any protection against the radiation and pollutants in the atmosphere. At least, that’s what the readings she monitored told her. Alexis’ imagination was about to go wild, however, the savage pushed her towards the door with an angry grunt.

“Move.” His muffled voice, made her skin crawl, and she hurried to obey the command.

A blink of the eyes later, and she was standing in the transit chamber, surrounded by more death. It was the first time Alexis saw the infamous security guards, and to see them all dead and lined up, their equipment stripped and piled next to their still-warm bodies, was like a cold shower. All her life, she was taught that they were highly trained, unstoppable killers, who followed the Directorates laws like religious fanatics. It was because of this, that the security teams had their own section of the facility, separated from other people. For our safety, you see, that’s what Alexis’ parents used to tell her when she was growing up. To see them like this, shattered more than one conviction. They didn’t appear threatening or imposing. On the contrary, they looked deflated, almost pitiful. Especially when compared to the other two men in the room.

Now, those two looked the part of how she imagined survivors to look like. High-tech combat protective suits, and laser-based weapons, which Alexis had only seen in her textbooks. Somewhat rough-looking, but otherwise clean. They were almost exactly like the theoretical renderings, James did back in the schola. God! She hoped he was okay. Sadly, any thoughts regarding her first love were cut short, as the savage spoke once more.

“Leave everything as is. Take her top side and wait for me to return. While you’re at it, gather everyone else at the camp,” he paused for a moment before turning to the intruder who still had his helmet on. “Keep the noise to a minimum and shoot anything that isn’t human. I don’t want us attracting the attention of the local fauna.”

“And what about you Mr Grey? I have orders to not leave you out of my sights…” The helmeted one began.

“Where am I supposed to go?” Alexis shivered as the man, who now she could identify as Grey, barked. “I’ll wait for Cake and join you in a few minutes.”

“Let’s get out of here, Mike,” the one without the helmet, pulled on his companion’s shoulder, as he took an unsteady step towards the emergency exit. “Please come with us, Miss. There’s been enough senseless killing today…”

“Less talking, more walking,” the savage with the gas mask spoke softly, although there was no doubt that he expected his words to be followed as if they were commands from the Directorate. “Oh, right. Give her one of the spare protective masks you’ve hidden in your luggage.”

At the last comment, Alexis’ knees nearly buckled. She was really going out there, into the ruins. For a moment she weighed her options, but when the alternative was an expedient death, a slow one out there was preferable. After all, people survived out there, and they were less educated than she was. How hard could it be? Alexis felt confident for the first time since this nightmare had begun. That particular feeling lasted until her foot stepped through the threshold of the emergency exit.

Backtracking was far more easy, now that there was no one shooting at her, or trying to jump her from every corner. Still, it didn’t sit well with Cake that Grey had ordered her back. She was happy that he had, and it had surprised her t hear his voice coming from nowhere, but she didn’t like it. This was a House of Venus, after all. That’s why she had used all her ammunition, and resorted to picking more from the freaks she’d killed. And there were so many of them left. True, Cake’s memory of that dreaded place was fragmented, because she was too young when Venus tried to take her. But it was there, and she couldn’t just let another Venus rise. However, neither would Grey, if anything, he hated that place more than her.

So, the biggest question going through Cake’s head was: Why? Why would he tell her to get back? Well, because he was Grey. Before she knew it, he had come after her, taken control of the bunker’s systems, and was, without doubt, preparing to destroy it with one press of a button.

“That’s it, you idiot!” She exclaimed, hitting herself on the forehead. “And here you are, messing up his plan, by putting yourself in harm’s way. I can’t wait to tell No-eyes about this! That’ll shut him up.”

Her sprint came to a slow jog, as a new thought entered her mind. Could Grey have called her back because of what happened with Joshua? No, it couldn’t be. That wasn’t her fault. The damn Axion brat tried to jump her after she’d done so much to keep him safe, to give him a fighting chance. Instead, the tourist had shown his true colours. He was nothing more than a whiny, naïve, backstabbing asshole. If not for Grey’s explicit orders, she would’ve put the bastard down, like one of the rabid mutts that roamed the area around Véi Dron. But she’d promised Grey that she would behave.

“Man… A fine mess, isn’t it?” Cake reached for the backpack that wasn’t there and the faint smile on her lips turned into a scowl. “I really wish you were with me, No-eyes… I could really use your advice right now.”

Well, Cake could hear her new favourite companion’s voice, but she didn’t listen to it. She wasn’t crazy, and only crazy people talked with voices only they could hear. And she wasn’t crazy, because No-eyes was real, he just wasn’t with her, so she was thinking that she was hearing him speak. Yes, that had to be it.

“Shut up!” Cake snarled as the voice demanded her attention. “You keep quiet while Grey’s around, or I swear, you’ll regret it!”

“And what if he does?” She came to a halt, turned around on her heels and pointed at the air. “Nothing, that’s what!” Slowly the features of her face began to twist with anger, as the voice continued with its absurd ideas.

“I’m sure because he said it himself! I’m the only one that slurring matters. You were there when he said it, or have you forgotten?” The raw emotion faded from her face, replaced by confusion, as her mouth hang open.

“It is a word. What do you mean what it means? You know… The same as fucking, but a hundred times worse…”

Cake’s cheeks turned scarlet, as doubt made its way. “Nah, it is! It totally is! ‘Cause there’s a word slur, right? Like, remember how Grey beat that Scav and warned him not to use that slur when talking about me? Therefore – slurring.”

“What do you mean, you don’t remember?” She began to bite the nail of her thumb. “It was back when. I don’t know… Six or seven years ago. Fuck it! It doesn’t matter. I say it is a word and that’s final!” The girl stomped her foot and placed her hands on her hips. “Besides, you’re not here, so, you can’t be speaking to me because I’m not crazy!”

With that argument settled, Cake’s confidence returned. Still, she couldn’t quite shake off the feeling that Grey might be angry with her. She knew she’d messed up. Falling in that hole, was an amateur’s mistake. They were in the bloody Park, for crying out loud. A part from all the nasty animals and shit, especially those disgusting foot-long string-like pale worms that swam in the festered waters, the place was full of sinkholes, flooded tunnels and the likes. Cake tried to suppress a shudder, at the thought that they might encounter some of those God-forsaken kittens. Grey adored the nasty beasts, but they freaked the hell out of her. The way they stared at her, shrieked at her and demanded her attention. Worst of all was how they constantly tried to get close to her only to bite at her fingers or maul her exposed arms.

And what was with all that? Grey always teased her and made fun of her, when they encountered the horrible little monsters, to the point where he was shoving them her way. But the one time she brought home a puppy, he’d gone ballistic, shooting the poor thing while still in Cake’s hands. And then he had spent the next two days yelling at her and barking about how stupid and dangerous her actions were.

“Hey, Grey! Why the fuck did you shoot the puppy?” Cake demanded the moment she stepped into the spacious room.

She nearly stumbled, when she tried to both look as serious as possible and rush to hug him at the same time. At least that was her original plan, but her mind had taken her to a different place, and now Cake was supposed to be outraged about something that had happened a long time ago. But the thing was, she was more interested in turning this argument into a game. One which ended with Grey saying that she was the most important person in his life again. That was step one in her plan, and step two, was him telling Cake that he loved her, as much as she loved him, and that he couldn’t spend another minute away from her. Well, she wasn’t sure how to get from one to two, but she’d figure it out somehow.

That delusion didn’t last long, as Grey moved away from the body he was inspecting. He was angry, very angry. Actually, Cake had never seen him this angry before. It wasn’t one thing that gave it away, but a long list of small gestures and unintentional ticks, as well as his entire posture. The girl noticed it all in the few seconds it took Grey to cross the distance between them and slap her. It wasn’t as strong as some of the punches and kicks, she had received from him in the past, but this single slap on her cheek felt immeasurably more painful.

“Watch your language. I’ve taught you better than this.” This wasn’t the first time he had made a big deal of her cussing, but also it wasn’t the first time she’d done so in front of him. However, this was clearly an overreaction on Grey’s part, and Cake’s hands instinctively went for the riffle dangling from her shoulder.

Before she could get a hold of the weapon, Grey wrapped his arms around her, and pressed her tightly against his chest, in the most loving hug she could recall. He used to do the same thing, when she had nightmares as a child, and it always made her calm. These rare hugs were the only times, Cake felt truly safe.

“Don’t you ever do that again,” the large man rumbled in her ear, his distorted voice spreading through her like a calming balm. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” he continued, pressing her even tighter against his chest. “And Cake, you ever get me into a mess like this one, ever again, I’ll fucking break your head open.”

She was officially lost. How was she supposed to interpret his words? Was he angry with her? Or was he worried about her? Cake had no idea how she was supposed to react. As a result, she stood there, her arms dangling limply next to her body, as she contemplated her option. One thing was clear, though. She had done something really bad. However, she had no clue what it was. A moment later, her blood froze, as she thought she heard the distinct whine of Warden’s servos, coming from the adjacent room. Several dozen thoughts fought for attention in Cake’s head, at the sound, and they all ended in a single realisation. Grey had done something impossible to save her from a threat she hadn’t noticed.

She wanted to say something, anything really. But everything she could come up with felt inadequate. The point was made mute anyway since the man released her from the embrace and shoved a small case in her hand. It was large enough to resemble one of the rare handgun cases she’d seen in faded pamphlets at some of the derelict shops out in the ruins. This one wasn’t empty and had some extra weight to it, which immediately caught Cake’s attention. Without thinking, she reached to open it, however, Grey grabbed her wrist and looked her directly in the eyes, something he avoided if he could help it.

“Don’t open it. Keep it safe, as if my life depends on it. Got it?” Cake nodded, too afraid to speak, in case her voice betrayed the strange mix of emotions currently tormenting her heart. “Head topside. I’ll join you in a few minutes, once I’m done here.”

“Will you be, okay?” It was hard, but she managed to squeeze the words out through the lump in her throat.

She was feeling something that she hadn’t felt before and as such, it was impossible to properly describe in words. But one thing was certain, Cake didn’t want to feel like this, and more than that, she didn’t want to see Grey like this. She didn’t want to hear the resignation and disappointment in his voice. It was enough to spark the fear that he might abandon her any second now. Worse, Cake feared that he might give up on her completely. The former, she could deal with in a manner of speaking, but the latter, that was a fate worse than death for her. Quietly, and with new dread, the girl made her way to the tunnel leading out of this place. She dared a last look back at Grey, only to see the man, had directed his attention to the dead bodies at his feet. For the first time, Cake was terrified that she had done something unforgivable.

There was so much Grey wanted to say and do. He was furious, disappointed and worried, and the blame was solely on Cake and Joshua. While he couldn’t give a rat’s ass for the Axion pretend-soldier, the girl which he had raised as his daughter was a different matter. The experienced Scavenger was horrified senseless when she entered the room without a single care in the world. She behaved as if nothing of importance had happened. It was at that exact moment realised that this was the manifestation of his mistakes, of his failure. For far too long he had been turning a blind eye to the fact that he had created a monster.

At that moment, Grey had wanted to punish Cake, to make her understand that what she had done had been wrong. Instead, he felt relief that she was not hurt. Perhaps punishing her was the wrong approach. That’s why he had gone against his instincts and embraced her. Instead of showing any emotion, the mutant girl had remained limp and cold, and Grey’s heart broke. The best thing he could do was to keep her at an arm’s length for the time being. At least until he could figure out how to deal with her. All this time, Grey pushed himself beyond what was reasonable, endured hardship and pain, because he wanted Cake to have a better future than the life he was currently living.

“Your chances of success would improve by a significant margin, if you explained our deal to your partner,” Caesar’s synthetic voice was a most unwanted distraction. Although the machine might be right, that was not an option for the veteran.

“It doesn’t concern her. That deal is between you and me.” Grey responded tersely, unwilling to engage in further conversation.

“And yet, you entrusted the drives to the young female,” clearly the thing wasn’t going to leave it that. “You are a fascinating specimen to observe.”

“Right…” He let out a sigh and turned towards the gloom of the tunnel outside the emergency door. “One last question, if I may.”

“Of course.”

“The young woman – Alexis. She looks almost identical to Cake. How is that possible?” It wasn’t all that important if he was being honest, but Grey knew himself well enough to be sure that the question would plague him for months.

“For each accepted explanation, there are an extremely large, perhaps even incomprehensible, number of possible and more complex alternatives. Since failing explanations can always be burdened with ad hoc hypotheses to prevent them from being falsified, simpler theories are preferable to more complex ones because they tend to be more testable. As a result, the most plausible explanation is: coincidence.”

“Occam's razor,” Grey let out a frustrated chuckle at the overly complicated answer Caesar had provided.

“You are far more intelligent than you appear. I will make note of this for our next conversation.” There was obviously more to that statement than the machine wished to say, and Grey could make a guess as to what it was. However, he was more than happy to end the conversation there.

“Let’s hope there won’t be a next time,” he couldn’t help himself, as he left the underground bunker and made his way back to the surface.

What waited for him in the clearing, after he crawled out of the claustrophobic hole, was pretty much what Grey expected. He was surrounded by a group of agitated moody teens and a very bitter-looking Cake. It almost made him miss Caesar’s company. Almost. No point in wasting a good opportunity, no matter how little he looked forward to what was about to happen. But first, he was going to let them stew for a little longer. Without saying a single, he pushed past the closest pair of Axion brats and moved towards the improvised shelter, where he had left his backpack and rifle.

Of course, they tried to stop him and bombard him with questions. However, Grey was in no mood to entertain them. Not yet, not ever. A single rise of his finger and a loud exhale was enough to silence them. Yep, kids will be kids, he thought to himself. It might be a good idea to add that to the rules. Then again, anyone who had to deal with children knew how quickly they quieted down and were on their best behaviour the moment they were confronted by an angry parent. What surprised him, was how quickly the Axion brats had reverted to that state.

Once he’d made sure that all his gear was untouched and his bag was safely secure on his back, Grey returned to the sombre gathering. Deliberately slowly, he pulled out a copy of the mega-city’s map, and examined each of the kids, before clearing his throat.

“Elisa and Heather to my left. Joshua and Maité to my right,” his command was obeyed in silence. Grey then pointed at the confused Alexis. “You join the girls. Cake – right side.”

Without hurry, the middle-aged man pulled out a torn, dirty piece of paper and began writing on it. As he did so, Grey began to speak. “I don’t care how you do it, but the eight of you divide into two groups. Chose left or right. By the time I’m done with this, I want to see seven people on each side.”

Less than a minute later, the veteran Scavenger folded the note and was glad to note that now there were two groups of seven people. Silently, he moved and stopped in front of Elisa. Now came the difficult part.

“You lot are going back to Véi Dron,” Grey stated flatly, grateful that his gas mask was hiding his expression.

“What? You can’t be serious? Why?” and a few more questions and angry outbursts were directed at him, as the tourists spoke at the same time.

“Shut it!” He barked to silence them. “How many times did I warn you? But you didn’t listen. Well, the time for warnings is over. If you want to reach Sector 7 in time, you will do as you’re told.”

“You can’t be serious!” Elisa was the first to try to challenge him.

“I can, and I am,” he moved a step closer and shoved his finger in her chest. “You are a cripple. In other words, you’re as good as dead.”

To illustrate his point, Grey grabbed the stump where the girl’s wrist used to be and squeezed hard, forcing her to her knees, as she screamed in pain. He then pointed at Alexis with his free right hand and continued, not giving the other any time to voice any other stupid objections.

“She’s useless in the ruins in so many ways, I don’t even know where to start.” He turned his head towards Heather, who had the bright idea to move toward him. “As for you… You’re far too kind to continue forward.”

It was a flimsy excuse, and Grey knew it, but it was the best one he could come up with. In reality, it didn’t matter who he sent back to Véi Dron, apart from Elisa and Alexis. His current choice was based on the premise that it would be the one the tourist would argue the least. Satisfied that he had guessed correctly, Grey retrieved the map from the ground and pointed at the area they were currently in. It wasn’t as detailed as the digital once Axion’s pretend-soldiers had, but it was good enough.

“Now, you better listen carefully, Sargeant. You follow the wall southeast, towards Sector 4. When you see the big sign on the wall, you continue for another two or three kilometres. There’s a bridge connecting the Park with number 4. The gate separating the sectors isn’t fully closed there, so you can just walk through. Usually, that’s shrimp-hound territory, but this time of the year, it is mating season, so they won’t be there.” Grey paused and turned his attention back to Heather. His opinion of the girl wasn’t great, but he felt he could trust that she would listen to his advice.

“Keep to the shallows and avoid the deep water. That’s where the bugs will be. Stay away from any of the local wildlife and move only during the day,” he was happy to see that she was listening carefully. “Do this, and you’ll be back at Véi Dron in about four days.”

Grey took the folded note and made to give it to Alexis. He thought better of it and handed the item to Heather instead.

“Give this to Leeroy, and leave Miss Pierrot to him. If he knows what’s good for him, the little twirp will make sure she remains safe. If he gives you lip or tries to demand any sort of payment, feel free to take her back to Axion or whatever. It’s up to you.”

He meant that. The moment the Junior Technician was out of his sight, his conscience would be clear. Grey grabbed the map and stuffed it into the inner pocket of his leather jacket and turned towards Joshua. The last thing he wanted was to give the pretend-soldiers the time to process what was happening.

“As for you lot. Grab your things. We’ve wasted enough time in this place.”