Vestige Chapter 12 - New People

After the battle, we walked back to the cabins, which were about a five-minute walk from the field. There, we went into the mess hall and cleaned the place up, as Han ordered us to do. The place was pretty empty and easy to clean up so we finished quickly. Afterward, we had some leftovers, as we had missed dinner, and split up. It was late so Jean and Gray went back to the boy's cabin and Aurelia and me to the girl’s cabin.

“Oh, welcome back!” Fay greeted us as we walked into the room. “You two were out for a while.”

“Yeah,but we managed to make it into the advanced class!” Aurelia announced as she climbed to the top bunk.

“That’s great! So did Ophelia and I!”

“Wait how did you get in if you weren’t out that late?”

“We were defeated in the first half-hour, but we managed to take out five other nightmares in that time.” Fay closed the door and sat down on her bed. “Ophelia’s got some great aim.”

“Whatever, just shut up and go to sleep already.” Ophelia rolled over on her bed.

I crashed onto my bed. The room was dark and quiet, yet the others were still awake. Two girls we hadn’t met this morning sat on the other beds that were vacant this morning.

“Oh you haven’t met each other, have you?” Fay pointed out.

“Hello, my name is Genesis.” The girl across from me introduced herself. She had long dark hair and an eccentric style.

“I’m Yoko.” The other girl, who had the bed across from Aurelia said. She also had long dark hair, yet had pale skin and a plain aura about her.

“It’s nice to meet you. My name’s Aurelia and that’s Lulu!” Aurelia beamed.

“Both of us also managed to make it into the advanced class as well so I hope we can become great classmates.” Yoko positively offered up.

I sunk my head into my pillow. I started to feel my eyes close and my body become weightless. I could hear Aurelia and the others talking yet soon their voices faded away and I feel asleep.

“Lulu!” Aurelia shook me awake.

“Hmm.” A ray of light shone straight into my eyes as I woke up.

“Come on. We’ve got to get going.”

I felt rejuvenated yet still tired. Nonetheless, I got up. I don’t have time to just lie around. I’m here for a reason and I’ve got to keep that in mind.

Aurelia and I went outside. We followed the crowd until we reached one of the buildings which was labeled ‘Advanced Class’. It seemed the majority of the other kids were heading towards the other building labeled ‘Standard Class’.

I wiped the gunk out of my eyes and walked inside. The log cabin was small and housed three rows of tables with chairs behind them. In front was a large board covered in illustrations and diagrams of the nightmare unit with explanations of its parts and such.

About fifteen other kids were sitting around inside the building. Many of which I recognized. Yoko, Genesis, Ophelia, and Fay sat near the front of the room. Aurelia popped a sit next to Gray behind them. I walked over and sat down with Jean in the back.

“How you doing?” He asked.

“Good.” I replied.

“You know. I was thinking about yesterday right.” Jean began to move his hands back and forth to gesture something. “We work pretty well together.”

“Yeah.”

“So like I was thinking. Maybe we could keep working together, as a team you know? If you want, that is.”

“Sure.”

“I mean only if-. Wait you’re convinced that easily?”

“Yeah, I don’t see why not.”

“Really? In that case, why don’t you and I go-”

Suddenly the door to the classroom burst open and Han stood there in the entrance. “Miss me yet? Whether you like it or not, you maggots in the advanced class are stuck with me.” Han walked up to the front of the class.

“The ferrets in the standard class are lucky enough to get Ms. Merabiz. I called her in to help around here. She’s an absolute wonder with repairing nightmares! On the other hand, you lowlifes are stuck learning how to master using these things with me. Anyways y’all, let’s get started.”

Han began to pace back and forth in the front of the room. “Any of you bugs know why I had you fight each other in the nightmares without any training yesterday?”

“You didn’t have enough time to teach us?” A built muscular kid from the middle row answered.

“Good. You paid attention, Rocky. Nonetheless, that was a lie. I have more than enough time here to make you cockroaches into absolute gods at driving those things, but that’s not enough to succeed on the battlefield. Your knowledge will do nothing to help you survive. What does, is your ability to adapt to new situations. You’ll never know what the enemy will throw at you next, and the only way to overcome that is to be ready for anything.” Han turned to face the class.

“All of you are here because you proved to me that you can do that. With zero knowledge of the machinery or the battlefield you were forced to use, all of you either survived for a long time, defeated many of your enemies, or both in these harsh conditions. This phenomenon is key to being great soldiers and by the end of this goddamn camp, I’m going to make this second nature for all of you.”

The rest of the day, Han yelled and preached us things like this. Despite what he was saying, he gave us some actual knowledge of how the nightmares actually worked. He taught their control schemes and internal parts. Many of this I had already figured out, but it furthered my understanding of it nonetheless.

“Each nightmare is equipped with three fuel batteries.” Han pointed at a diagram of one. “These are powered by electricity and are rechargeable.They give you enough time to drive a nightmare for three days on end. Afterward, you’ll need to spend a day recharging. The stations we use to recharge are stationary and in high demand though. With that in mind, you’ll be unable to make much distance on the battlefield or have ample opportunity to recharge. Transporting them out here is easy so we have plenty for you to use while you’re here, but out in the battlefield you’ll have to optimize your charge as much as possible.”

“Any questions?” Han asked the class.

Several hands were raised into the air.

“Well, you’re not getting any answers. Figure it out yourselves.” Han looked down at his watch. “Looks like it’s about time we break for the day. Y’all are dismissed.”

People began to file out the room. I followed the crowd outside. It was about sunset and people were out and about doing their thing. It seems the standard class got out before us.

“Hey, Lulu.” Jean walked beside me. “Wanna grab something to eat?”

“Okay.”

Jean and I walked into the mess hall. We entered the line and waited to get our food. The mess hall was student-operated so the quality of the food there was all over the place. Nonetheless it was good enough.

We were all given a task by Han that we were to complete each day. Jean and mine were to clean the kitchen after dinner every night. We would start that after eating.

We got our food and sat down at the same table we always did. “That was pretty boring.” Jean started. “He just lectured us the whole day.”

“Then what would you rather be doing?”

“I want to get out there, you know. Learn by doing.” Jean shoved a spoonful of gruel into his mouth. “Anyways, about earlier. I wanted to talk to you about-”

“Hey, Lulu!” Aurelia yelled as she sat down at our table. Gray followed behind her. “There you are!”

“Every time.” Jean murmured.

“You mind if I sit here?” Aurelia asked.

“You already have.” Jean responded.

“Anyways, I think I finally understand how the nightmare works now.”

“Yeah, the guns are way easier to use than I thought they were.” Gray explained.

Gray and Aurelia went on and on eagerly about what they had just learned.They positively reminisced about the past. “ Oh man, I wonder what Mother would say if she saw us right now?” Gray asked as he finished his piece of bread.

“She’d probably be really proud.” Aurelia replied.

Those words that I had just heard triggered a familiar response in me. The anger I had expressed towards Aurelia yesterday resurfaced. The rage I felt towards their innocent misconceptions surged through me, yet I did my best to keep it under control. I can’t ruin their fantasies, can I?

“She wouldn’t say anything at all.” I offered.

“What?” Finished, Gray placed down his silverware. “Why?”

“What do you mean, Lulu? Why wouldn’t she say anything?” Aurelia asked.

“Because she’s dead of course. Don’t you remember?”

“When?!” Surprised, Aurelia stood up. “You’re doing this again, Lulu?!”

“I thought you remembered everything that happened before we came here.”

“Of course I do! I told you I remember everything from the orphanage!”

“Then why don’t you remember when we killed her? Why don’t remember crying for help over her bleeding body?!”

Aurelia sighed and picked up her tray. “Please Lulu, stop this. It isn’t like you.” She returned her tray and left the mess hall.

“Hold up!” Gray stood up. “Look what you’ve done, Lulu.” He angrily responded as he ran after Aurelia.

After they left, I sat there in silence and finished my dinner. That wasn’t the best response, was it? It doesn’t change the fact that this pisses me off. I can’t just explain things and ruin their innocence, yet I also can’t just sit here and listen to them happily reminisce about fallacies. We were the ones who killed our Mother and we need to accept that.

“What was that about?” Jean asked me.

“Nothing.”

“You sure? You seemed pretty upset.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“If you say so.”

Dinner was just about done, so Jean and I began to clean the kitchen. Solemnly talking we finished quickly and I returned to our cabins. The room was empty beside Ophelia and Fay who were playing a card game on the top bunk. Ophelia seemed extremely uninterested in it.

“Oh hey. Welcome back.” Fay greeted me. “Where’s Aurelia?”

“I don’t know.” I laid down onto my bed and stared blankly at the wooden frame above.

“Is she not with you?”

“No.”

“Oh okay.”

I’ve decided to tell Aurelia the truth. Even if she’s happier not knowing it, she has a right to know it. That being said, how do I tell her? Her fake memories seem so contradictory to what the truth is. If this was their purpose, then they’re really effective. I’m lucky that I was able to convince Seymor I had already done the procedure, even though I hadn’t completely finished it.

“What!” Fay exclaimed. “I lost!”

“Yeah, whatever.” Ophelia scooped up the cards and put them back into the box.

“You’re pretty good Ophelia.” Fay hopped down from the bunk bed. “I’m gonna go find the others. It’s getting late, and they should be back by now.” Fay left the room, leaving Ophelia and me alone inside.

“What’s your deal?” Ophelia unethusicatically asked me.

“Huh?”

“Everyone here is so over eager and cheerful. You’re not like that.”

“Yeah, and?”

“It’s refreshing, stay that way.”

“Okay, but then what’s your deal. Why aren’t you over eager than?”

“Because I’m not a pitiful orphanage child.” Ophelia sighed.

“What? You’re not-”

Suddenly the door burst open and Fay and the others entered the room. “Found them!”

“That was fast.” Ophelia responded.

“Yeah, we were just outside.” Genesis laid on her bed.

Without a word, Aurelia crashed on the bunk above me.

“Hold on. Ophelia what you were you talking about just now?”

“Whatever. I’m too tired for this.” Ophelia rolled over away from me.

“Wait a minute.” Fay’s smile turned into a big grin. “Were you two getting along while I was away?”

“No.” Ophelia muttered through her pillow.

“Hehehe, whatever you say.” Fay laughed as she turned out the lights. “It’s a long day so let’s get some sleep.”

With darkness flowing through the window and silence in the room. I fell asleep to the sound of crickets echoing somewhere outside.

When I awoke, no one stood above me this time and Aurelia had already left. Yoko and Genesis were getting ready on the other side of the room.

“You’re finally awake.” Genesis finished getting ready. “We’re almost late, let’s get going.”

“Yeah.” I left outside with them and walked to the advanced class building. Han and the rest of the class were standing outside of it.

“Is that everyone?” Han made a quick headcount. “Alright! I know how much you maggots must enjoy the air conditioning inside the classroom, but today you don’t get any of that. We’re going to be doing a little bit of serious field training instead.”