Chapter 4

It’s bright and hot out today, the sun shamelessly beating down on me while I watch Corey prepare our meal. His movements are methodical, and not even a single muscle moves without intention. He looks over his work, until he’s satisfied that it’s done properly, then tosses it in the small fire-lit grill. My stomach protests the wait, but it isn’t that long until it is done cooking, and my hunger is sated. He does even let me enjoy being full for a few minutes. He just wipes his fingers off on his pants and gestures for me get moving. His gaze stays fixed ahead, almost like he’s making a point not to look at or talk to me, but for the first time I am okay with that. My attention is instead on all of the things living in the city my entire life has deprived me of. The forest is even prettier, more peaceful in the daylight. Everything smells earthy, and a little musty, but not in a bad way. The trees provide shade, and the slightest breeze ruffles the leaves all around us just enough for them to sway delicately on their branches. Sticks crunch beneath my feet and the dirt beneath them looks like it’s never been touched before, even thoguh I know it has. The only footsteps, though, anywhere in my line of sight, have come from me and Corey. Despite every hardship I’ve endured this week, I suck in the fresh air for what feels like the first time in my life. The air in Humnus tastes like workshops and salt, but here it tastes like tree bark and rain. I decide right here and now that this is my favorite smell and taste in the whole world, and find myself breathing it in deeply, relaxing just a little more with every passing second.

When I tire of gazing at the surroundings, I start to imagine what the lost lands look like. Is the ground barren and orange? Is all of the wildlife deformed? Do people get devoured by bears, who outnumber humans 20 to one? I picture skeletons lining the border from those too weak to walk the distance into the city, after all, who other than a criminal would choose the life of suffering over the easygoing life in Prommius? My imagination is doing little to calm my nerves, and every rumor I have ever heard is running through my head.

“Can you protect yourself from two-headed bears as well as you can hunt birds?” I ask, finally giving in to the desire to grill him about the way of life on the other side.

He chuckles, for only the 2nd time since I met him. I smile at the back of his head, picturing his face lighting up.

“I’m sure I could. Why?”

“I heard that in lost lands the bears have 2 heads and are a full foot taller than even the largest man. I heard they weigh 400 pounds and are so hostile that they attack on site because their appetite is insatiable.” He stops, turning to me with a look of pure amusement.

“Have you ever even seen a bear?”

“Yes. I did have a proper education you know.”

“I mean in person.”

I realize he’s actually expecting an answer. Instead, I make a face at him, as I am sure he already knows I haven’t. Now that I think of it, other than a few species of bird (never up close, but they do fly high over Prommius pretty regularly), I’ve never really seen any animals before in person. I hear them in the distance in the early mornings but there’s never been a single wildlife creature anywhere in Humnus. We learn about them in the younger years of Science in Primary Ed, and instead of answering his question, I quote what I learned in 4th year.

“Animals don’t breach the civilized areas of Prommius.” It sounds silly to use that as an explanation when saying it out loud. I pause, realizing he probably knows the real answer. “Do you know why?”

. “The city is protected by a pulse – one that is undetectable by humans. It keeps large predators away. Any mosquito or bug that bites is taken care of by the shots you get as a child – your blood is pretty much poison. As for everything else? Well, enforcers aren’t put there to protect citizens from each other - you people are like sheep. One of their primary responsibilities is to dispose of anything considered undesirable that actually makes it over the border and past the secure zone.”

“What’s a sheep?” I ask. His responding laugh is almost a giggle. It’s a teasing, heartwarming sound that both makes my blood rush, and has me glaring at the back of his head for laughing at my expense as if I’m an adorable toddler and not a grown sixteen-year-old.

“So much for your proper education,” he finally says. “Anyways, it was a figure of speech. I meant that you all do as your told. Do you actually think they recruit so many enforcers to apprehend the – what – two criminals you have a year?”

I had never considered that. They’re putting in more and more enforcer stations, and of course my friends and I comment on how unnecessary it seems, but nobody (myself included) ever questions why. Everything, and everyone has a purpose in Prommius. Nothing is done without reason.

I’m suddenly acutely aware that with all of the time I spent at the EC, usually at the top of my class, I still don’t really know much about anything. I know the laws like the back of my hands. I know the snippets of history the archeologists and historians have pieced together. I know that there are several other cities all over the continent just like Prommius, but that Prommius is the biggest and most productive of them all. I know the right things to say in polite conversation, where everything goes and what days to recycle. I know calculus and astronomy ... but I know nothing about the how the world actually works, or the reasons the NOC make certain decisions. I’ve never really had to think about much it before.

“So what is it like in the Lostlands, then?” I ask, steering the conversation back to what I was originally wanting to ask him. He stops, once again turning towards me, only this time he’s not amused. He looks stiff and stern, like I hit a nerve again.

“Listen to me. When we are out there, you can’t mention being from a city. Not this one, or any of the others, do you understand? And do not ever refer to the area as the lost lands. The people there aren’t lost, Riley. They’re not broken, they aren’t all criminals. Nothing you think you know is true. The real Lost lands are behind you.”

I’m taken aback, once again, by Corey. His mood can flip at any moment, and I never know what the trigger will be. Still, I feel the urge to apologize.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you, it’s just the only thing I’ve ever heard it referred to as. I don’t know of any other name to call it.”

I see him relax, his features not quite as soft as I know they can be, but not hard and unforgiving either. He lets me catch up, and once again we continue on our way to the not-lost lands.

“It’s different depending on which area you find yourself in. The community we are stopping in first is called Liberty,” he says quietly.

“But, like ... the whole area. Back home the whole area is Prommius, the towns are different, but the city is the same.”

“Stop thinking like a city dweller. Just follow my lead and you’ll be fine. Besides, the people at our first stop know who you are anyways, so you’ll get to practice without any real consequences when you mess up.”

“Such faith you have in me, Mr. Miller,” I mock, not willing to admit that his comment stung a little. He just shrugs his shoulders and keeps marching on, not slowing or caring one bit that I have feelings.

Humnus may be the last town on your way out of Eastern Prommius, but that doesn’t mean the border is close. The city is surrounded by miles of forest to keep room for expansion as the population climbs. While you are free to leave whenever you want, the trek to the border isn’t a quick one. So, after a couple of hours my throat grows dry. I consider voicing my complaint to Corey, but don’t want to sound like wimp. He’s strong and at home and doesn’t look bothered at all by the lack of water. I don’t know why or when it happened but, more than I want hydration, I want him to accept me - to look at me as if I am strong and useful, too.

It’s quite a while later before he holds his arm out in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. I’m grateful for the break because my legs and throat are burning at this point. I don’t think I’ve been on my feet this long in my life, so I take the moment to rest, sitting on the dirt and sighing in relief.

“Why are we stopping?” I ask, even though I really don’t care as long I get to keep sitting here.

“The Border is guarded. This is where I’m going to need you. I can find where they are, but I don’t have offensive abilities. It has to be you to take them out.”

“Way to warn me. Besides, You know I can’t. You said yourself that I’m weak.”

“You managed just fine the other day.” The reminder is a punch to the gut, but he either no longer has any sympathy left to give or he’s really good at hiding it because when I flinch, his expression stays as stern as ever.

“I will not kill anybody. For any reason. Ever again.”

“They’re just Subsids. They’d kill you in an instant if they knew what you are. It’s us versus them, Riley.”.”

“What if I choose not to fight for either side?” He looks at me like that’s the most absurd thing to ever come from my mouth.

“Don’t be stupid.”

“Is it really stupid to think twice before jumping into a war I didn’t even know existed? You seem to keep forgetting that I don’t live my life like you, willy-nilly offing people when they don’t get out of my way – and by the way my family is full of subsids, and they’re the best kind of people this world has to offer, so don’t you preach this us versus them crap to me.”

Angry, I stand up and stomp ahead for a few paces before I remember that I need him to tell me where the border guards are patrolling. I think I know a way to avoid seriously injuring anyone, but if I fail, we get taken by a group of people that even Corey is afraid of, and if I succeed someone is at best temporarily injured – at worst dead.

I wait for him to catch up and then walk alongside him, doing my best not to fall behind. I’m determined not to embarrass myself after my outburst, so I pretend I am every bit as capable as he is, even if I know it isn’t true.

“There are 3 of them. Work quickly because their Solar-Coms are programmed with video surveillance. The minute they point their coms at you, the entirety of the N.O.C and the A.C.F will know where we are.” This is just getting better and better. Yet another thing I could have used some warning about.

When we reach the edge of the forest, I’m momentarily distracted by how vast it is. It’s like we entered a whole different world. There are fields upon fields of open space, all covered in tall, yellowish grass. It is a shock to my system seeing something so vastly different from both what I am accustomed too, and what I thought I would be running into. Remembering my mission, I shake off the awe and hone in on my targets. They are looking away from us rather than towards us, which definitely makes this easier. Swiftly, I un-holster the e-gun and fire three shots at them – at the lowest setting. I hit two on the first attempt and let out a loud “whoop!”, but miss the third and need to shoot again. All three are down, convulsing, but alive. I don’t know how long the effects last, so I collect their weapons from them and fire one more shot into each of them – just in case. I’m such a badass, I think, laughing out loud as we flee. Not everything has to be handled with murder – or by using our abilities. It feels good to know for certain that I made the right decision for once. I throw Corey a pointed look. He’s not impressed, but the expression on his face tells me that he didn’t even consider using conventional weapons. I hand him one, and keep moving, dropping the other two looted e-guns when I think we’ve run far enough away. They disappear into the brush nicely, and I know that nobody is going to be locating them any time soon.

I physically feel it when we are passing the border, like we’re swimming against a strong current or something. I can’t exactly describe what the pulse field feels like, other than that every one of my molecules feel as if they were trying to separate from each other. The moment both feet are on the other side, the uncomfortable feeling dissipates, and it’s like it never happened at all. Thinking back to what Corey told me earlier, I can see how that might keep the majority of the wildlife outside, because I wouldn’t want to experience it again either. It’s also possible that it effects differently sized animals more or less strongly, but I don’t know. It’s the most recent in a series of foreign experiences for me. Corey barrels through next. His reaction wasn’t as strong as mine – I thought I was going to throw up for a second there – but it wasn’t a happy experience for him either. He points in the direction we are headed, and without a word, stalks into the Lostlands like he owns it. I thought the days I’ve spent stuck with him have given me a good feel for his demeanor, but everything about him is different on this side of the border. He’s not stomping along like the dirt offends him, his steps are light and careless. He breathes easier, his spine is less stiff, and while his lips aren’t smiling, they’re not set in a semi-permanent scowl either.

I fall in behind him, not quite able to match his long stride. It’s partially because my legs are shorter, but also because now that we’ve past the last obstacle (that I know about) my body thinks it’s safe, and starts to protest against the constant movement. To add to the discomfort, the tall grass is rubbing against my legs, making them itchy as well as sore. I am becoming too aware of how thirsty I am, how much my muscles ache, and the sweat that is covering my entire body, soaking my shirt and dotting my forehead. Even my hair is drenched in it. We drank the last of the water on the last break he let us take, right before attacking the men guarding the border, and haven’t eaten since before we left the cabin.

“I need to stop. If I go any longer I’m going to collapse” I complain, unable to keep it to myself any longer.

“We are still too close to their border to stop now. Keep moving,” He grunts back to me, panting. I’m not the only one running low on energy, but he’s determined to keep going and if he can keep moving, so can I – right? My muscles are protesting, my legs screaming for a break, and before long I can’t fight it anymore. I slow to a walk, practically shuffling my way forward, incapable of doing any better than this even if my life depended on it.

“Corey! I need to rest for a minute.” I call to him, panting between each word because my throat is too sore and dried out to speak properly. I can see his body sagging as well, and I know he wants to stop moving. What I don’t know is why he’s fighting it so hard.

“Fine,” he responds, “but we can’t stop for long.” He makes his way back to me, and plops down a few feet from where I’m laying.

“We need water,” I say, looking in his direction while I claw at my legs, “and what is in this grass. My legs itch.”

“That is called being unfit. You’ll be cured of the affliction in no time living with us.”

I pause for a second, taking in the full weight of that statement, and also noticing he ignored the part about water.

“Do you think I’ll ever see them – my family – again?” I ask, afraid that I’ll get moody- Corey instead of the semi-bearable Corey that I need right now. He seems to understand that I am conflicted, because he makes a deliberate effort not to be offensive.

“Honestly,” he finally says, looking for a way to say something we both know I don’t want to hear. “For their sake, I hope not. This is a dangerous game you’re involved in now. They are better off without you.”

It wasn’t the answer I was hoping for, or even close to the answer I expected, but it still calms me to know that wherever they are, Corey thinks they are safe. If I can’t be with them, I at least have that.

“Thank you,” I blurt out.

“For what?”.

“I don’t know ... Saying that? Not leaving me behind?”

“Yeah, well – Marcus would kill me if I did.”

At first I think he’s serious - Marcus seems like the type who would really do that - but then I get a good look at his face, and we both have a small laugh at my naivety.

“Don’t joke like that. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to hear the words ‘kill’ or ‘dead’ again without getting a panic attack.” I say, realizing too late that I turned a lighthearted moment into a serious one. He observes me for a minute before responding.

“You will.” He says simply, and lays back. I follow his lead, careful to leave a generous gap between us. There are only a few moments of silence before I feel the need to talk again. I am too tired to move, but too awake to sleep.

“Hey, Corey”

“Yes, Riley?” I ignore the annoyance in voice.

“What did you do before you started working for Marcus?”