Ch. 1 The Purchase

"Go down to the trade!" Professor Ashcom yelled to his son.

"I'm on my way!" Logan, his son, replied with the same amount of force. Logan was supposed to be going to the slave trade so he could buy a RIAS, or a revolutionist in apologetic slavery. After "the revolution" a slave trade was very common. "The revolution" as it was referred to was a revolution of people from all over the word against the World Government System established in 2069. The revolutionists gathered together in what used to be the United States and attacked the main office of the world government. In two days all the revolutionists were brought into slavery and a nuclear winter that destroyed almost everything except for the United States as a warning had started and finished. Although the nuclear winter was quite real and horrific many people survived due to the "forgiving" nature of the government. Along with the government came a stupid nature also in which they destroyed all modern items on "accident" and the world had to start over from scratch. It was horrendous in the first couple years but over the last one hundred years things started to thrive again.

This is why young Logan Ashcom was on the way to the slave trade to buy one of the revolutions prisoners. He had just turned 17 and his father was going to buy him his own personal RIAS, or rather give him the money to do so. His father was a highly esteemed Science professor at the newly established Kartof University. He was able to do this because before "the revolution" Professor Ashcom was filthy rich, and somehow his riches followed him through the nuclear winter. Logan was against the whole idea of slavery but he had to go and buy one so his father wouldn't beat him. That kind of stuff is allowed in this "new society".

Logan tensed up as he approached the run down slave trade building and got a shiver down his spine. It was a regular square building with a rusty tin roof and the sides were made of a dirty wood of some kind. Logan didn't really care though. He just wanted to get in and get right back out. He walked in and the place was pitch black. He looked around and hollered "Hello, is anyone here." That second out of the shadows came a very fat and extremely dirty man.

"Whaddaya want" he half grunted half snarled at Logan, "I don't got time for no stupid kids".

"Ummm…" Logan started not sure what to say "I would like to make a purchase" and held his money up so the man could see.

"Hahahaha why didntcha say so" the man laughed as his bad mood vanished "this is what scum we got for ya today" and he led Logan into a room in the back.

Logan stood there horrified. There were three children, two teenagers, and four adults. They were categorized in cages on a platform. He looked and saw the anger and humility in all of their eyes. All of them looked dead inside and Logan felt like he was going to cry. Holding back tears he went straight to the teenager's cage. He couldn't even look at the children or he would bawl on the floor. In the teenage cage there was a girl and a boy. There were two cards sitting at the bottom of the cage and he picked them up.

The first card read:

Gender: Female

Age: 14

ID: 15985

The second said:

Gender: Male

Age: 16

ID: 80497

Logan looked at the teens in front of him. They were both chained to the bars with rusted handcuffs, and they both didn't move. They just looked at him. The girl had eyes full of hatred and anger. They were like two black holes sucking in Logan's soul. He then turned to the boy, his eyes were a bright green, and they looked full of hope and longingness.

Logan couldn't help it. This boy was almost the same age as him and he was living like this chained to a cage and dressed in the grimiest clothes Logan had ever seen. He looked at the longing green eyes again, and Logan let out a wail. He had to help this boy anyway he could. He knew if he chose the boy that his father would expect him to beat and hit and curse at the boy at any chance he got. On the other hand he could not just let the boy rot in here like this. Logan had felt something when he looked into the boys green eyes, a weird feeling, an almost attraction to the boy.

Logan took the boys card and handed it to the man who ran the trade. The man looked at logan and told him" That one is 50 geos" Geo was the currency. Logan handed the man what he asked for and he walked to the front of the building while the fat man got the boy "prepared". Logan had felt sick and heartless. He had just bought another human being. This was wrong, but he was going to help the boy so it would be alright. He hoped.

The man came to Logan and he handed him a chain that was attached to a metal collar on the boy. Logan was used to seeing this, it was common. None of them said anything, but it was uncommon for a RIAS to speak at all let alone right after a purchase. Logan led the boy outside and they walked to the Ashcom mansion.

As soon as Logan got inside he whispered to the boy" follow me and try to be as quiet as possible". The boy just nodded while he stared down at his feet. Logan led the boy up a flight of stairs into a hallway, up a spiral staircase, and into his bedroom. The boy kept his head down the entire time so Logan could not see his face but the boy had had beautiful sandy blonde hair that stuck to his forehead from sweat and grease. Logan sat down on his bed and motioned for the boy to sit next to him. The boy looked at Logan wide eyed, and Logan knew why. None of the RIAS were supposed to touch furniture unless they were cleaning it, and sitting anywhere but the floor was unheard of.

"C'mon over here and let me get that chain off your neck" Logan said as sweetly as he could. The boy looked at the spot Logan was motioning and he took one step and then he covered his face.

"Don't worry" Logan said reassuringly as he got up and stood next the boy. Logan went to rub the boys back but the boy flinched and fell to the floor with a whimper. Logan sat down Indian style next to the boy and rubbed his back successfully this time.

"It's ok" Logan assured "I'm not going to hurt you, I'm actually disgusted by this whole system and I just want to try and help you". At that point the boy looked up with hope in his lovely green eyes and allowed Logan to remove his chains. Logan stood up and spoke softly again "and also you can talk. What's your name?"

The boy whispered something inaudible, and looked at Logan. Logan just said "could you repeat that, and don't be afraid. As long as you're around just me you can talk and sit and do what you should be able to do. I won't let anything bad happen to you. This whole thing is ridiculous. The only reason I uh… chose you? Was so that I could help you and because of the fact my father forced me and you were the only person who looked like they didn't want to kill me. Sorry im ranting, so what is your name?" Logan asked hopefully, praying that his rant could prove to the boy that he was sincere. "Kendall" The boy replied in a hopeful tone.

"I'm Logan" he replied and he stuck his hand out for a handshake. Kendall looked at Logan's hand and weakly matched him with his own. This was going to be a long and very hard journey for both of these boys, but both felt they were up to it.