16

The Sphere: Phase 2 Test

There was not much time to learn to swim, when you had no money. Most of your days were spent working. It was a lesson you could put aside for better days… which ultimately never came. But for the first time in her life, Rayne regretted that she hadn't made the effort to at least learn to float.

They had been trapped on this islet for several hours already and still did not know how they were going to leave it.

Kieran had of course initially offered to swim across even though he couldn't see land. According to him, his vision was so blurred that it should not be trusted. There was a good chance that land was near.

Unfortunately, he had to give up on his plan when he entered the water and Rayne didn't follow him.

"How come you can't swim?" Most of this damn planet is now covered in water! he shouted.

"Did I have other priorities?" she replied, avoiding adding more details.

But now they were stuck, hoping against hope that the prairie they hated so much would return.

Suddenly Rayne grabbed his head vigorously and cried out in pain. Only the whites of his eyes were now visible, as a thin trickle of blood flowed from his nostrils.

"It was painful," she muttered when the fit had passed, "As if someone had hit my skull several times with...

"a hammer finished Kieran, I know" he said.

"We can't stay here, we're in danger."

The vision I was sent showed me that most of the people in CR hold hatred towards us. Many of them were against liberation. But the ultimate vote fell to the Brotherhood. It is to them that we owe this chance. This test has become at the same time a means of knowing if we are worthy of the citizenship of the CR, but also a way of appeasing the peoples of the Confederation. This Sphere will quickly turn into a real hell. The 116 planets of the CR each sent a representative to earth as judge and executioner. They were scattered in the different spheres present on Earth in order to track down and eliminate the candidates for three days. Our only chance is to find another shelter before dark.

I saw three men heading towards us in a boat. We must hurry.

“But there is still a problem. How are we going to cross? Kieran said.

“We don’t have much choice, I will try to float as best I can and you will guide me. I think the worst thing about all of this is that I'm still blind. she said anxiously

“I'm sure you'll get your sight back. If I got mine back, there's a good chance

I'm sure you'll get your sight back. If I got mine, chances are your blindness is only temporary, he said before dragging her into the water.

Do you trust me?"

“I trust you when it comes to trying to keep us alive. You don't really have a choice, if I sink, you will follow me right after" she said as if the answer made sense.

But at Kieran's sigh, she wasn't sure that was the answer he was expecting.

"I promise you, I'll do anything to make sure you don't drown," he said in a determined tone.

She smiled slightly at those words

"I hope so, I've heard that's not a very pleasant way to die..."

Kieran entered the water first, it was now ankle deep. He advanced slowly followed closely by Rayne. After a hundred meters, the water reached the young woman's knees, but it was as if they had reached a limit.

"The water doesn't seem too deep right now," Kieran said.

"I wouldn't have made a very good lifesaver, so that reassures me," replied Rayne.

They continued on their way, but still did not see the end of this crossing.

When Kieran felt his arm tense, he decided it was time for a break and turned to indicate that they could stop for a few minutes.

But there was nothing next to him and the next second he disappeared under the surface of the water.

He felt like he was in the open sea. Rayne struggled and in her panic dragged him with her. He tried to pull her to the surface by the wrist, but she continued to struggle and her body became heavier and heavier, then she stopped. he realized then that she was no longer conscious. He then seizes her by the waist to push her to the surface.

Kieran struggled up onto the sandy plateau.

He hadn't realized how narrow the path was. Now he understood better the situation in which they found themselves. They were surrounded by deep waters and in the end it was only this sandy path that allowed them to move forward. They still risked being taken by surprise as had just happened.

He managed to get Rayne back on the set. But she still hadn't regained consciousness.

"Come on, Rayne, wake up! Rayne!" he said completely panicked. They were in the middle of nowhere and no one would come to help them.

But the young woman remained motionless.

You can't leave me here alone! Wake up ! He cried, shaking her.

I refuse to drag a corpse around for three days! Rayne! Please ! You're mysterious, sarcastic, and stubborn, but I need...

"I didn't know we were already into confessions in our relationship," a hoarse voice said.

- Rayne! he shouted

"Yeah...that's my name. She was seized with a fit of coughing and rolled over to vomit copious amounts of water.

Thanks for the rescue, she said after catching her breath, I really thought I was going to make it this time.

Kieran sighed in relief.

“Me too,” he said.

"One minute, I had the water at my knees and suddenly nothing, just this darkness and the silence" she explained, trembling

“I didn't realize that from the start we were going through a narrow passage. On either side of this path, the waters are deeper…

“You can drown in a few minutes… I understood. she replied sarcastically.

"We're going to have to take our precautions, what just happened to you made me realize that this path isn't even straight."

"So you mean there's a good chance of losing the way and ending up in this situation again?"

“It won't happen again…you stay behind me and I'll keep you on track. We'll walk slowly, but we'll go all the way, Kieran said with conviction before helping Rayne to his feet.

He was about to start moving again, but a hand on his wrist stopped him.

"Can't you hear? Rayne asked

"Hear what ?"

“The sound of an engine…” she replied before turning around. She had become particularly sensitive to this type of noise since Ryan's death.

"We have to leave! quickly! They are here!"

Kieran didn't need more details to realize that the trackers were close.

They resumed their journey through the cold water with more determination, and a fierce desire to survive.

Their race lasted well an hour, Kieran took every precaution, as soon as he felt a slope under his feet he turned around to find the passage. But he still couldn't see the land. There was no chance of finding shelter here and he heard the sound of the engine getting closer and closer.

The energy of desperation pushed them forward, but when the boat was only a hundred meters from them, they knew that the situation had become delicate.

"We don't have a choice anymore. We'll have to dive in and hope they don't locate us, Kieran exclaimed.

Rayne was horrified when she realized what he had just said. It was as if she found herself back in darkness and silence. She couldn't breathe anymore. She felt herself sinking and disappearing into the abyss.

A sharp burning on the cheek made her snap back to reality.

"Did you just slap me?" she cried

"We don't have time for that," he said, seeing the trackers getting closer and closer.

He hugged Rayne to him with his free arm.

I hold you, I won't let go. Take a deep breath and hold your breath for as long as possible. You can do it, you will do it, he asserted hastily.

But Rayne shook her head in denial.

Listen to me ! Listen to me ! he said holding Rayne's chin.

You can do it. Take a deep breath. Hold your breath. I've got you; until the end, he says before plunging them again into the depths.

Kieran kept Rayne close to him. They stayed close to the sandy slope so as not to lose the path which was their only way out.

He saw after a few seconds the hull of the ship, it was approaching slowly. As if that might hide them further, he leaned against the slope.

That's when he felt her. Their deliverance.

He had found shelter.

He put his hands on the opening to examine it. It had the same characteristics as the previous one. He was about to pick her up when suddenly he felt his wrist being tugged by Rayne. She held a net in her hand.

They were trapped.

They made desperate gestures to get out of the mesh. But the net that held them inexorably continued to rise to the surface. They found themselves thrown onto the deck at the feet of three men.

"Well! look at the nice catch we made" sneered one of them.

"We're going to have fun with you" he continued before pushing them with the others into the hold of the ship.

Rayne and Kieran then heard nothing but the sound of boots on the deck.

"I'm sorry, we wouldn't be here if I had realized earlier that the shelter was so close to us," he whispered.

“Save your strength for later. After everything I've been through in the past few days, I can assure you that I don't mean to get killed so easily, Rayne said before closing her eyes, hoping that when she woke up she would see again.

They didn't know how long it had been since they had been dumped in the hold. But the hunger they felt, let them suppose that it had been several hours and that night would soon fall.

They were leaning against a bulkhead and Rayne had her head on Kieran's shoulder when one of their jailers came down a ladder and told them to climb up.

Arrived at the top, they were greeted by weapons pointed at their chests.

"If I were you, I wouldn't try to escape. This little gem is one of the most advanced weapons in CR. It was given to us free of charge before being sent here. One shot from me and a toxin will hit your brain directly and your nerves will be stuck in pain mode. For you, it will be as if you had just been thrown into the lava of a volcano. For us it will be just one more bet on whether it will kill you and in how long says the skinny one

Now you are going to get off the boat quietly" he continued

Kieran then realized two things, they had reached the shore and his vision was finally back to normal.

The relief he felt was short-lived.

"Ah, one last thing... you will be executed tomorrow morning. »