The Sharpest Lives

Four: Don't believe what they say

The knock came at precisely 4:35, like Dusti's compound attendant said it would. She opened the door to come face to face with two Draculoids. Those things still scared the crap out of her. Ever since she was twelve. That had been when the bombs went off and BLI and the Dracs had started showing up.

Dusti breathed in once, quickly, then shut her eyes, gritted her teeth and followed them out the door. She was in a precarious position, she knew. She was not a prisoner, but she was not completely free either. As long as she remained on good behavior—or more like not too horribly bad behavior—Better Living Industries had left her alone for the time being.

But how long would that last? Something had to give either way. BLI needed to know what she knew, what she had seen. But it would also be invaluable to the rising rebel movement. If she could get out and find some Killjoys, maybe the huge war that was building in the distance like a violent storm wouldn't have to come to pass.

That was her thought process as she followed the two Dracs into the new BLI building in Battery City.

The building was tall, probably fifty stories high, and plain white, like everything else. The whole absence of color really bothered Dusti. Her plain black pants and white shirt bothered her. Everyone was so plain, so uniform.

On top of the building, there was that stupid smiling logo with "BL Industries" underneath. She hated that too. It seemed to make everyone other than her feel happy, safe, and secure. To her it just seemed a symbol of everything wrong.

She hesitantly followed the Dracs into the elevator, wondering if she should try to make a break for it. She knew the company knew she knew something. Honestly, she was surprised they had waited this long to bring her in. Unless someone, somewhere out there, was looking into Battery City and trying to figure out its secrets. Maybe someone was getting close. She knew she held the final key. And Better Living couldn't afford to let that slip away.

Dusti had to play her cards just right. She had made it five years feigning innocence. Sure she never did what her compound attendant told her too, but that wasn't anything big. As much as she had wanted to stand up the company, whenever there was a big sabotage plot, or anything that would bring higher-up attention to herself, she stayed out of it. She couldn't take the risk.

So running now would make her look guilty. If she was caught, she wouldn't be able to play it off and still pretend she didn't know or understand what she had seen. But if she went willingly, then she would lose her chance at escape, at least for awhile.

Dusti was itching to get out of this place. She hated it. It drove her crazy. The blandness, the lack of freedom. The first thing she would do when she got out was join the Killjoys. Sometimes in her free time, Dusti dreamed up what she would look like as a Killjoy, and what her name would be. But she could never come up with one. She was going to join them with her family back in 2010, but that fateful day was all it took to tear her life apart.

The doors opened, and Dusti readied herself to grab one of the Drac's ray guns and make a break for it. But then the sensible part of her that had kept her alive all those years took hold of her. She had waited five years, she could wait longer. This wasn't the opening she wanted. She couldn't kid herself; she wouldn't make it. If she wasn't killed—and she probably wouldn't be because they needed her—then she would for sure not be left alone. She knew she probably wouldn't be left alone anymore, but she was willing to wait. Because someone out there was getting close to discovering her secret. Or at least that was what she told herself to calm her nerves as she walked into the head Exterminator's office.

Korse's office was plain, like everything in Battery City, but instead of white walls, it had gray. It looked like any ordinary business office you would have found pre-blast. Something about that scared Dusti even more.

Korse was sitting behind his desk, his face plain. Everything about him and the room was monotonous, and every nerve in Dusti's body screamed at her that she had made the wrong choice. She needed to get out now. But she held strong.

"Ah, Dustyna," he said, "please take a seat."

Dusti shot sideways glances at the Dracs flanking either side of her, but moved forward to sit in the chair across the desk from the Exterminator.

"Now, we have a lot to discuss." Korse leaned forward, staring her in the eye.

Dusti leaned forward as well, returning his stare. "Oh really? Because I have nothing to say to you."

"Somehow I don't think that is the wisest decision."

Dusti leaned back. "So?" Typical teenager response.

"I think you have information that might be valuable to the company," Korse continued. "And we would very much like it if you shared that with us. You could have anything: power, money, fame, a new home. Whatever you want, it's yours. We just need you to help us out a little."

Dusti didn't say anything.

"You might not know it's important," a voice behind her prompted. A thirty-something Japanese woman with a faint accent walked in. "It might be buried deep in your memory. But we have specialists that can help with that."

The woman came and stood behind Korse. "Hello, my name is Katsumi Kouno. I am the head of the enforcement division here at Better Living Industries."

Dusti wondered why they were bothering with all these pleasantries. She was pretty sure Korse and his groupies were fully aware of the fact that she was conscious of her knowledge, and she wasn't talking.

"Why don't we just skip the bullshit and get to the point," Dusti said.

Korse looked displeased, but Kouno smiled. "I agree. Now tell us everything you know about the Black Dragon."

Dusti leaned forward, perching her head on her hands. "And if I don't?"

"Then we will have no other choice but to send you to the rebels prison," Kouno said.

"And there maybe you can be…persuaded to tell us more," Korse said, a half smile on his face.

"So are you going to tell us?" Kouno asked.

Dusti leaned back, smiled, and crossed her arms. "Nope."