He was still bawling when the Rek arrived.

Abra held him, as she caressed his hair in an effort to calm him.

Dru tried to control the tears but they kept coming.

So much had happened: his sister, best friend, and everyone else he knew was missing; his home was gone; his parents had abandoned him. He was afraid and alone, and didn't know what to do. It was all too much to contain. He was embarrassed by his weakness, and that just upset him more.

The Rek waited, while Dru sobbed quietly into Abra's shoulder. Dru could tell he was impatient.

He could hear him pacing.

The officer had initially blamed Abra for the 'sobbing incident' as he called it.

"So, all you did was offer him some chocolate?"

"Yes, sir." Abra reported calmly.

"And he's been sobbing ever since?"

Abra nodded, as she made comforting noises gently into Dru's ear.

"You must have done something to upset him."

"No, sir. I did not, sir."

It was clear to Dru that the Rek didn't believe her, but he remained silent. Dru could feel the officer glaring at him, frustrated that the boy held the answers to many questions, but was unable to answer. He wanted to tell him the truth about Chocolate to help Abra but he couldn't.

Every time he tried, the sobbing welled up from within and he could no longer speak.

Five minutes later, the Rek abruptly said, "Understood" and raced out.

It was only much later, when he calmed himself sufficiently, that Abra told them that the Marines had found the Grownups.

"What about the kids?" Dru had asked.

"I don't know, sweetheart."

"Can't you use their HUDs or locators to find them?"

"Sorry. It's about as much use as a kite in a coccoon. The system's been saboed. I was a fixin' it."

"How long will that take?"

"It's been messed with real goo-" Suddenly, Abra's gaze lost focus and she nodded. "Do you feel up to a little jaunt?" She asked Dru.

"Why?"

"My Rek wants to see you again."

"Where?"

They took The Hoist

Abra made certain they were both fully strapped in before she activated the ascent, which proved to be prudent. The Cross-Over was rough.

The Hoist stopped, then nudged itself forward several times. If he hadn't been secured, Dru would have been flung about violently. He felt as though he was falling for a moment, then they passed into the Spokes and the upward pressure returned. He could still tell they had passed into microgravity.

As they ascended, Dru kept watching Abra. He could sense she was busy working, using her HUD and the virtual controls only she could see and feel.

She looked young, younger even than Manda. Dru knew that if you were rich you could appear to be any age you wanted. However there was something about the way she carried herself, that made him suspect she was only a few years older than he was. Her eyes still had hope in them. He'd seen the hope slowly extinguished from the older kids as they became Grownups.

"Have you been to the Hub before?" Abra asked him.

"Yes." Dru answered, "I saw you there."

That surprised her. "Where?"

"In the control room. I was hiding in the vent when you arrived. You were talking about rotating the Hub."

She laughed. "You're just a bunch of mischief."

"I'm a rat."

"Don't say that!" She said it more forcefully than she meant.

"Why? Have you ever seen a rat colony? I have," his voice broke as the emotion flowed, "Rats care for each other. They work as a team. They don't betray or kill one another."

Abra nodded thoughtfully.

After a moment she said, "Then I'm a rat too."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a Marine. We care for each other. We work as a team. We never betray or kill one another. We're family."

He nodded sagely. He remained silent for the rest of the journey into the Hub as he thought about what her words meant.

They made him do it. They said it was important, a part of the healing process.

The Grownups were in the forward hangar. They were having a massive feast. By the time he and Abra reached the hangar's control room, they had moved onto dessert. The remnants of the earlier courses floated in the air. Food covered much of the equipment in the bay. Someone had used green soup to write JOIN US on the observation window.

Dru watched as they gorged themselves. Dessert by itself was more food than he had ever seen before. There were cakes, pies, and squeeze-bubbles filled with custard, all bobbing or floating slowly in the enormous chamber.

He felt so betrayed. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had anything sweet. Even the chocolate was dark and bitter. Desserts had been outlawed as soon as rationing began, their patterns deliberately removed from all the Fabricators aboard.

The Grownups were in a frenzy of gluttonous consumption. They spent as much time playing with their food as they did eating it.

He watched Marg push off one of the bulkheads to approach a slab of yellow-cream sponge cake. As she passed by, she took a mouthful – although as much of the cake splattered against face as entered her gaping maw. On the next pass, she gobbled at a slice of blue-fruit pie.

They were all doing it. Galan and Gin somersaulted and twirled in an attempt to impress Manda, who was hanging upside down sucking on a drinking vessel with a purple band around the middle. She suckled the wine. her eyes closed. From the number of half-filled alcoholic flasks floating about the chamber, all the Grownups were thoroughly intoxicated.

Who were these people? They were nothing like the ones Dru knew, usually so serious and dour. Even without the wanton waste of food, their behaviour would never had been tolerated had it been performed by the kids.

Dru searched for his parents amongst the congregation. There was so much food plastered on some of them, it was difficult telling one Grownup from another. He spent a long time looking, but he wasn't able to identify anyone resembling his parents. Perhaps they had refused to participate. His father would never condone the waste.

He saw the rotund figure of Commander Goul emerge from one of the side bays. He was doing up the fastenings on his suit. A moment later, Brethren Mother Marsh emerged from the same bay. She attempted to straighten her hair.

Dru's leant forward, so he could see the area below the control room.

Ringed around the coreward side of the hangar was the platoon of half-starved Marines. The debauchery must have sorely tested their resolve.

Dru glanced at Abra. She was standing gazing out the window watching the Grownups play. Her index finger absently tapped the side of the weapon. It reminded Dru of the Vids he'd seen of cats that were about to pounce upon their unsuspecting prey.

The Rek stood beside her. His eyes were hard, lips twisted with disgust.

"Come on," the Rek said, and the three of them left the control room.

Dru reached out for Abra's hand as they descended towards the hangar floor. She squeezed his letting him know that she would be there if he needed her.

He stopped in front of the ring of Marines, and stared at the cavorting Grownups.

It took the them a moment to notice him. Then one by one, they fell silent. Some were fearful, others cold, but they all stared at the small boy glaring at them.

"Where are the kids?" Dru demanded.

None of the Grownups spoke, most looked away in shame. Some turned to the Mothers or the Commander seeking Brethren guidance.

Dru's gaze found Goul amongst the crowd. The Commander returned Dru's scrutiny. He wore a confident smile, but there was hate in his eyes. It was the look of a man watching his careful plans unravel before him.

"Dru, we're sor-" Manda burst out. Her eyes were haunted.

"Manda!" Goul barked.

The Brethren Mother fell silent and dropped her gaze to the floor her face flushing red.

Goul smiled sweetly at Dru, "Hello Dru. Come join the feast. Today is a momentous day. Your friends, they can join us too if they put away their weapons. There is plenty for everyone."

"Where are my parents?" Dru commanded.

Goul offered only a widening smile expecting that would satisfy Dru.

"There was an accide-"

"Manda!" Goul screamed.

Goul turned to Gin, who was already moving over toward the Brethren Mother. Gin leant in close to Manda and whispered softly to her. She shrank away and shook her head.

"Today is the day of Salvation, Dru." Goul announced. "Where the True Believers will be liberated. No more hunger. No more sacrifice. This feast is just the beginning. You're a True Believer aren't you, Dru? I've heard good things about your studies. The Mothers say your recital of doctrine is almost word perfect. Come join us, and be saved. We've reserved a place just for you."

Were these the lies he had told the Grownups in order to get them to commit these horrid crimes? How could anyone believe him? Dru turned away. He felt sick.

"What have you done with the children?" he heard The Rek ask.

Galan laughed. "Done? We've done nothing. They're still here with us, all around."

Dru turned back in time to see Galan push a slice of cake towards the marine officer.

"Have some," Galan said. "They're delicious"

Dru watched from the Control Room's Observation window, as the Marines filed out of the hangar. Some of the Grownups had quailed at the sentence the Rek handed down. Others had demanded a trial, but Goul had calmed them.

"This is the moment!" Goul preached. "This is the gateway to everlasting freedom. Do not give up hope now. Meet this as you have met every obstacle: with a joyful heart and a clear conscience. We are True Believers. We are at the very dawn of our destiny."

The Rek placed his hand upon Dru's shoulder. That was the signal.

Dru pushed the button. He didn't even think about it.

The alarms sounded within the hangar. There were wails and screams from the Grownups as some scrabbled desperately towards the locked exits. Yet only one way remained for them now. The hangar door opened, just a crack at first, boiling clouds forming as it widened.

Dru muted the sounds, and kept his eyes firmly on the coloured display projected by his HUD. It showed the pressure reading inside the hangar. It slowly fell towards zero.

His parents, Meri, Gar, Gren, Milly, and all the rest were gone. He was the last one left of his family. It would be his duty to remember them.

As the display reached zero, he felt the rat stir. He opened the pocket and extracted it, holding the rodent securely in his hands.

Abra laughed, when she saw it.

"What's his name?" she asked.

Dru gazed down at the rat, which was sniffing at the air. No doubt, it could smell the odour of food that had remained with them from the hangar.

"Mischief."