Reddened Wasteland (4 page)

Still,
Alerik left the office with a heavy heart. He had possibly stopped an attack,
but what would it cost the others? At the very least, security procedures would
be obnoxiously strict in the days to follow. He reasoned the miners would be
better off uncomfortable than dead.

He
had to get to Velar, give her a warning about possible things to come. He just
with he had more information to give her. Until his new buddy Bragog filled him
in, his understanding of the situation would be limited. He knew it was bad,
the question was
how
bad.

***

The
bar had more activity than usual, people were crowded around the main counter
watching the single tiny television in the room. On the fuzzy, barely-in-focus
screen the leader of The Union, Aldain Denamu, was addressing the settlement as
a whole. Alerik slid in between a couple of patrons to catch a glimpse of what
was going on.

“…so
the new curfew will be set for nine pm. This is for the safety of the
residents, and the guards that put themselves on the line each and every single
day to ensure our lives here are as comfortable as possible. We hope that you
all can learn to understand why this is necessary, and that you all continue to
fall in line, to help us through these troubled times. Thank you,” he finished
his speech and the station immediately cut back to an “I Love Lucy” rerun.

Alerik
had apparently just caught the end of the announcement and he started to wonder
if his discovery from earlier instigated the tightening of restrictions. He
didn’t have too much time to mull it over. After a quick moment, he felt a tug
on his arm and turned to see Velar’s tiny frame trying to pull him from the
crowd. It was so noisy in the bar – people were agitated at the new
restrictions and were letting everyone around them know it –  that Alerik
almost didn’t hear Velar say, “Let’s get out of here. Now.”

He
followed her out of the bar and into the light of the path. They were moving at
a brisk pace and she finally let go of his arm. She looked beautiful as always,
but her striking features were marred with obvious panic. It was a look that
was becoming more frequent in the days that had passed, and that broke his
heart. She was too young to be dealing with this shit already.

“We
need to get back to your apartment, I think something big is going down,” She
sounded frantic.

“Ya
think?” Alerik barked sarcastically, “I am a little confused. I just caught the
end of that broadcast. Fill me in.”

“What
do you think I’m trying to do?” she huffed in frustration, arching a brow as
she glanced over at him, “For someone so old and wise, you sure have a hard
time following along.”

“I’ll
try to do better,” he chuckled. They walked in silence for the remainder of the
trip back to his apartment.

By
the time they arrived, Velar had grown more frantic. She began pacing back and
forth, even looking through the cracks in the siding in case they received any
unwanted company.

Alerik
couldn’t stand it anymore. He approached her from behind and put a hand on her
shoulder to calm her down. She was so wound up, he hoped everything was alright.
The news was upsetting, but didn’t warrant this kind of a reaction. Just The
Union flexing its dick again. Nothing they weren’t already used to.

“Velar,
why are you so wound up about this? What am I missing here?” he asked in
concern as he turned her around so that she was facing him. Her doe eyes were
misty and it made him pause for a second. Maybe this was serious.

“Alerik,
they found the guy that was doing the etchings. He is going to be
executed
.
They led with that in the broadcast. Don’t you see? If there really is a
massive conspiracy or terrorist group, he just became a martyr for their cause!
They will feel justified in any attacks. Not to mention, now The Union can
tighten their grip on our lives, as if it wasn’t tight enough already! Bad times
are ahead now, and there is nothing we can do about it,” she buried her face in
his chest.

Alerik
wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to comfort her, “We have to think
logically here. The Union wouldn’t risk so much backlash from the settlement
unless the threat to all of us was valid. They don’t want to lose their
workforce,” he said dryly, “Besides, this is all temporary, just until the
people responsible are caught. We can help speed it along. If we find out who
is behind it and why, we can pass that information along to The Union and they
will make our lives a lot easier, and the lives of the rest of the people in
the settlement.”

“No,
Alerik. Listen to me! I was talking to one of the older women in the mines, the
terrorist attacks from two hundred years ago are
why
the city is the way
it is now. Once those bombs were set off in the aluminum mines, The Union was
formed as a way to keep people under control. Not saying we didn’t need a
little guidance, but with every little attack, with every act of defiance,
their choke hold grows stronger and becomes law. Worse yet, we demand it for
the sake of safety. People have become so blind to what this world really is.
I’m scared Alerik. What could come next could be far worse than how we are
already living, and we can’t afford it,” her tears were soaking into his shirt,
“What kind of life will that be? They already control so much.”

“Velar,
who did you speak to? Who is filling your head with this nonsense? Bragog was
genuinely upset by what we had found. He wasn’t stoked to enforce more rules,
he was upset that this group might be the real deal,” he said with a frown as
he rubbed his hand against her head, petting down the loose strands of her
hair.

“It
was Embyr. She said her grandparents passed down the story to her from theirs.
She said this place used to be comprised of scientists, and great thinkers. The
best of humanity as you put it yourself. Over time, these brilliant minds
became stir crazy and home sick. People started behaving oddly and grouping up
and finally these factions were formed, all with very different ideas. The two
biggest groups were Liberty’s Flame and The Union. It wasn’t an act of
terrorism – not like you’re thinking. Not like they’ve told us. It was an
attack in a full-blown war. After The Union won, they labeled opposing groups
‘terrorists’ and began imposing their restrictions and laws. Over time, it has
become what it is now, all we have ever known.”

“A
war? Are you sure that Embyr isn’t just passing off some old tale to scare you?
Sure sounds like a legend. I mean, how could something like that slip through
history? It’s just…” he trailed off as a flash of memories raced through his
mind.

The
radio station, the guards, the restricted television channels, the isolation.

Maybe
she was onto something. But what would that mean? Could things actually get
worse? This whole time Alerik thought the worst that could happen might be a
terrorist attack taking thousands of lives. The thought of war was scary, but
the idea that their lives never belonged to them in the first place was a far
scarier thought. With that sudden shift in thought, paranoia began to scratch
the back of his mind.

He
shook the thoughts away. This was all speculation and until they had more
information, there was no point in getting upset.

“Hey…
Let’s not get carried away. I am meeting with Bragog in the morning. Let me
talk to him, see what I can find out. Armed with more information, I think we
can do more. How about tonight, you stay with me? You seem pretty freaked out,
and I don’t want you out in the settlement while tensions are this high, okay?”

“Sure,
I will stay. Thank you,” she pulled away and smiled up at him, “But, Alerik…
tomorrow, after you find out a little more, we have to come up with a plan. We
are too far into this now. I think we need to do a little investigating on our
own, away from the prying eyes of The Union. I would like to get the uncensored
version of this story, and I think I might have an idea of where to start,” she
said as she wiped her eyes with her shirt.

“Of course. You know that I’m with you all
the way. So let’s get some sleep, and tomorrow we will check out your lead
after I hear from Bragog,” he gave her a reassuring smile and cupped her face
with his hands, using his thumbs to wipe the rest of her tears from her soft
skin.

Velar
finally smiled back at him, “You know, you can be sweet when you’re not being
so rigid.”

She
stared back into his icy blue eyes and her mood did a shift. Suddenly she found
herself nibbling on her bottom lip as she admired his masculine arms stretched
out to hold her face. She didn’t bother trying to hide it this time. Part of
her wanted him to see it, she had always had a thing for him and if it wasn’t
obvious at this point then he was too clueless to be in charge of investigating
anything. She really cared about him – he was all she had, really – and lately
he had been there for her more than ever. She fought the urge to kiss him and
it became harder and harder to restrain herself the longer they lingered in
that moment.

“Rigid? Oh come on, I’m not that bad am
I?” he said with a light chuckle, “Okay, maybe a little bit.”

His
smile grew as he watched her bite her bottom lip. Her lips had always been
distracting. They were full and pouty and had to be tempting to almost anyone
that caught a glimpse of them. She was irresistible and though there was an age
difference he was finding it more difficult to ignore the attraction. Sure, she
was an adult… but she was still so young and full of life and his cynical and
tired life-view could ruin that. Plus, he was her superior. Fraternizing in the
workplace always went over so well. It would be stupid to go for it. He almost
stopped himself. Almost.

“Maybe I need to work on it, how is this
for a start?” he leaned in, tentatively pressing his lips against hers. They
were as soft as he had imagined. He hoped he hadn’t just seriously fucked up
and he braced for rejection.

At
first Velar was stunned, her eyes widened with the sudden feeling of flesh on
flesh and she almost recoiled. But something about it felt right, so
comfortable and natural… and hot. She never thought Alerik would actually make
a move, but she was glad he finally did. She settled into the kiss, fighting
the smug smile that wanted to creep onto her face.

The
kiss was soft and hesitant at first, then grew more confident and passionate as
time stood still around them. She began nibbling his lip instead of her own,
and she felt the entire room warm up as his tongue began sliding against hers.
He was an excellent kisser, who would have thought? He broke the kiss and
backed away from her slowly.

“How
is that for rigid?”

She
leaned against the wall for support. Her tan face was surely a vibrant shade of
red. She was a bit flustered by what had just happened.

“That
is improvement if I’ve ever seen it,” she breathed, absentmindedly twirling a
strand of hair around her finger while she watched him.

“I’m
glad that I’m making progress,” he winked.

Alerik
then pulled off his shirt to reveal his muscular frame and moved quickly back
into place in front of Velar. He reached towards her face and pulled her into
another kiss as he used his other hand to turn off the lamp.

It
was different, waking up with her at his side – but it was the good kind of different.
He’d never really put much thought into how lonely his apartment was until he
had something to compare it to. Velar’s presence filled the room, even when she
wasn’t making a sound. It gave him this foreign sense of optimism while
simultaneously scaring the shit out of him. He had to keep her safe. Needed to
protect her. He just didn’t have the slightest clue on how to do that. He hoped
his involvement with The Union and this mess with Liberty’s Hammer wouldn’t put
her at risk. If something happened to her on his account… he couldn’t live with
that.

The
pair traveled to work together, and it was a relief that current events hadn’t
corrupted their friendship. He liked walking together in the morning, it
temporarily made him forget about all of the concerning developments at the
mine. Up until the jobsite came into view, at least.

It
wasn’t surprising that they were greeted by even more strenuous security
measures at the jobsite. The mine had double the guards camped out in front and
already The Union had erected an extra layer of fencing around the area. It was
obvious that tensions were at an all-time high. The guards were being pushy and
downright hostile as people poured in from the settlement. As the miners filed
through the turnstiles, some were pulled to the side and handcuffed. They were
dragged off by Union guards, kicking and screaming the whole way. The place had
become a warzone of confusion and hysteria.

Alerik
made his way through the ruckus while holding onto Velar tightly. He needed to
speak to Bragog. He would take whatever tidbit of information the man was
willing to pass on. He hoped Bragog would be forthcoming, the information would
likely decide his next move.

Inside
the mine itself, they found that not much was different than on the surface.
People were being ushered around and lined up against the cold stone walls to
be interrogated. He kept his head down while they navigated the tunnels, but in
his peripherals he could see guards shoving people to their knees, handcuffing
and blindfolding them before carting them off to some unknown destination. It
was a dangerous place to be, the mine that day. He thought about the girl that
he was dragging through the chaos and he made a judgment call.

“Velar,”
he stopped and turned to face her, “Go back to my place. It’s not safe here.
I’ll cover for you. I am going to find a guard and get to the bottom of this.
Just get back safely and I’ll be there shortly,” he tried to hide the panic in
his voice.

When
she turned without protest he breathed a sigh of relief. She could be stubborn
when she wanted to be. He watched her head back towards the surface and hoped
she would make it through the mines without incident. He wasn’t too concerned
about it. Velar was a smart, charming girl. If the guards tried hassling her,
she’d figure something out.

Once
she was out of view, he turned to a guard and said he needed to speak to
Bragog, which prompted the usual clearance and confirmation song-and-dance that
he was becoming all too familiar with. Moments later, he was on his way to
Bragog’s musty office again. He was looking forward to some answers. He was not
looking forward to the smell.

The
hall leading to the office was no longer occupied by just the two guards as
before. This time, there were dozens of them, all armed with that new style of
firearm. They were practically bouncing off the walls, everything seemed
completely frantic. Alerik had to duck and squeeze through the group of people
that had amassed there just to get through to the door to Bragog’s office.

He
opened the door without knocking and to his surprise Bragog wasn’t there. In
his place was an athletic framed man with dark features and a pale complexion.
He appeared to be in his forties.

“So,
you must be Alerik!” the man’s grin was more of a baring of teeth, “Welcome
back. Sorry your friend Bragog could not make it, but do not worry. I am here
to help along your mission!”

“What
happened to Bragog? I’d prefer if I could work for him directly, we have built
a bit of a rapport,” Alerik eyed the man suspiciously, trying to mask the
disappointment in his voice. Who the hell was this guy? Sure, Bragog worked for
The Union, but something about him seemed reasonable at the very least. Alerik
didn’t trust the eerily cheerful demeanor of this new guy. Had he even seen
what was going on just outside his office?

“Ah,
no need to alarm yourself. Bragog has simply been transferred. He did such a
good job at investigating this faction that he was moved up in the world, so to
speak,” the man said with a wink as he leaned back in his chair, “So, Bragog
tells us that it was you who found this person of interest, Arstloa I believe
his name was?”

“I
am not sure. I was never given the details of who he was or what his
involvement in all of this was. All I know is that I did what was asked of me
to stop an attack. Nothing more. My only concern is for the safety of the
people below, not some ancient war between two factions vying for power,”
Alerik said flatly as he took a seat in front of the man. 

“Oh,
where are my manners? My name is Aemon. I will be your new go-to guy,” he said,
smiling back at Alerik from across the table. The man was odd, he wore a gray
robe with The Union’s insignia embroidered over the chest. Unlike the other
Union lackeys, he wore no armor.

Why
didn’t he?

Alerik
looked down at his own synthetic leather coat, threadbare shirt and worn out
jeans and suddenly he felt underdressed for the occasion.

“Well,
I don’t really need a go-to guy anymore. I did what you all asked of me, and
the job is done. The people of the mines are safe again, and now you lot have
even more control than before. Everyone is happy except the actual people that
live here, like always. So it is a win-win for your organization,” Alerik
frowned.

Aemon
shook his head as Alerik spoke, “You see, Alerik… your work has just begun.
Just because you stopped one person does not mean the infestation is gone.
Otherwise it would hardly be an infestation. We are proud of the work you have
done for us and want to use your face for our campaign to unite the people here
within the settlement,” he finished with another unsettling grin.

“The
face of your campaign? What exactly do you mean by that?” Alerik was
bewildered.
What the hell was this guy on about?

“Well,
we will use you face and turn you into a beacon of hope within the settlement.
Show the people here that The Union is only out for everyone’s best interest.
We need someone with a bit of regard in the community vouching for us. Someone
who was instrumental in helping The Union stop a terroristic organization
before they attacked. This shows that we are all in this together, and working
towards the future. This shows them all that united, we can overcome anything
for the betterment of our people, the human race,” he leaned forward, “Also, we
have another surprise for you. When you arrive back to your home tonight, you
will want to pack quickly. We have fulfilled Bragog’s offer to you. Your new
home is in the Ruby District.”

“You
can’t be serious. I could not afford that area if I worked without spending a
single credit for five lifetimes,” his eyes widened in disbelief, “Look, I’m
not for sale and I have no plans of profiting off of the suffering of others. I
was simply doing a job to help the people around me and keep them safe. If you
say there are more of them, then I will find more of them, but I’m not doing it
for you. I’m not doing it for The Union,” he shook his head.

Aemon
smiled and crossed his arms, “Then don’t do it for us, do it for yourself. But,
take the home. You’ve earned it. It’s our token of appreciation and it shows
everyone that good things come to those who choose to be a part of the team,
instead of fighting against us.”

“What
if I don’t want to be the face of this campaign? I mean, it is going to make my
job very difficult. Why would anyone talk to me ever again if they see me on
television in cahoots with The Union? Logic would dictate that anyone in
Liberty’s Hammer would avoid me like the plague.”

“Alerik,
no need to refuse and become a martyr. Life can be so much simpler and easier
if you go with the sands, instead of against them. People will want to do good
things, and will see you as a representation of that good. They will come to
you just to be on your good side. They will come to you just for a place up in
the world once they see what doing the right thing can earn them. I suspect
that even some will defect and give us secrets. People are always looking for a
way out of a hole. You’ll see, this will be good for all of us and the
settlement itself,” he stood up from his chair, “You are doing the right thing,
don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. Even yourself.”

Alerik
stood as well, eager to put some distance between himself and the
inappropriately cheerful man. It didn’t seem like he had much of a choice. So,
a typical Union offer. He couldn’t help but assume the martyr comment was a
thinly veiled threat. At least he had the opportunity for some inside
information if he worked with them, and hopefully that information would help
him keep Velar – and the rest of the common folk – as safe as possible.

“Okay
I will do it. But only because I can’t allow another attack to happen within
the settlement. There are too many innocent lives at stake. That is the only reason
I am helping. Just so we’re clear. I am not trying to get involved in a pissing
contest between two shadow governments,” Alerik started to head for the door.

“Well
there is only one government, Alerik. The other group is nothing more than a
terroristic organization. We may not be perfect, but at least we have the
interest of future generations as the foundation of any decision we make. You
should start seeing it that way as well. It is the only logical way to be,”
Aemon clapped his hand on Alerik’s shoulder.

“Try
telling that to the people being cuffed and dragged away in the mines,” Alerik
grumbled as he shook his hand off of his shoulder.

“Well,
as always, safety first,” Aemon grinned as Alerik exited the room.

***

Velar
gave Alerik a half smile when he arrived back at the apartment. He wasn’t
looking his best. She remembered they’d skipped breakfast so she handed him a
Life Bar. They were these cleverly named soy bars, complete with dried fish,
oats, kale, and blueberries all ground up together and neatly packaged. They
were utterly disgusting. Though, as advertised, they kept you alive.

“Things
were getting kind of crazy out there Alerik, are you okay?” She asked with a
sympathetic look on her face.

“Yeah
I’m fine. Bragog wasn’t there. I have no idea where he is. I spoke with his
replacement,” his dislike for the new guy was apparent in the way he bit out
the words. He shook his head and chomped down on the Life Bar, grimacing at the
taste.

“So,
what did he say? Is the violence going to stop now that we found the suspect?
Or is it as I feared?” she furrowed her brow.

Alerik
sighed, “Since
I
caught the suspect, now they want me to become the face
of their campaign to put us commoners at ease. They’re trying to regain the
trust of the people in the mines. They say it is for the good of the
settlement, but I know they have their own motives,” he slid down to the cold
floor, “Were they planning this from the start? Wouldn’t put it past them.”

Velar
sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder, “You can’t be serious!
They are only going to use you and throw you away! It’s what they
do
. I
feel like this is a trap. Plus, do you realize how people will treat you in the
mines if this actually happens?” She flopped back onto the floor.

“I
know. Trust me, I know. This is the only way I can get closer to the action,
though. We can try to stop any attacks while figuring out what The Union is
really
planning. This is my only play. If I don’t comply with them, things could get
worse for all of us. I will play their little game, and meanwhile, learn
everything I can about them and their agenda,” he said as he laid back, propped
onto his elbow, and looked at her.

She
frowned, “I suppose you’re right. Just promise me that you’ll be careful. I
don’t want anything to happen to you.” After a moment, she leaned forward, “So,
are we going to talk about last night? We don’t have to if you don’t want to. I
completely understand.”

“Well,
I’d love to – except, I have to pack. Turns out they have upgraded me to the
Ruby District as a reward for my help,” he gave her a halfhearted smile.

Velar
gasped, “WHAT? That is insane! Why didn’t you lead with that? I think I might
have said yes to them, too, with something like that on the table.”

“Well,
nice, that works out. Because I was going to ask you to pack your stuff too,
since you know… We are never really apart. So if you were to move in with me,
you’d have more room, and neither of us would have to travel to see each other.
Also, safety in numbers. You don’t have to agree right away but please just
think about it,” he was rambling.

“Always
a romantic, Alerik,” she beamed, “Of course I will. Who would turn down an
offer like that? An awesome place with a really hot guy, I’m all in.”