Chapter 25
The guard is pulled out of the room and two more come out to clean up the remains. Tesler and Torkel lean in to converse silently while the three commanders watch from their positions, with Pavel opposite Paige and Kir.
After a moment, Torkel looks up and beckons Kir with a finger. He doesn't even think twice before complying. He comes to a stop before the two generals and lowers himself beneath them with arms in a neutral pose. "General?"
"Tell me." He nods to the pile of cubes. "What do you think of the demonstration?"
Kir glances in that direction and pauses as he process everything carefully. Torkel gives Tesler a look of patience when the latter seems to wish to outburst his impatience.
"As Commander Pavel said, it shows great improvement in speed and strength." Kir says finally, looking to the small space the two generals share. "No hesitation was made when he killed his fellow soldier.
"On the same note, he will also take no hesitation in killing an innocent citizen. There needs to be restraint, or this will cause another reason in the eyes of the public to hate us. Not only that, but he seemed reluctant to return the weapon. If we are to use it and make more, if that is Clu's desire, then we'll need to rule tighter discipline on the troops."
"There's more, isn't there?"
"Yes. Have you got the area surrounded?"
No one says a word.
"We'll need to. Knowing the patterns of the Renegade and…others, they will come after the weapon if they as much as catch a whiff of news about it. The best thing to do would be to not tell anyone and for extra safety, put a guard of soldiers with an extreme amount of self-control on guard constantly."
One could hear a pin drop in the moment of silence that followed his final words. Everyone straightens before the clapping that make Kir stiffen and turn. Clu's applause is short, not more than two beats before he strides to the center of the room, directly in front of Kir.
"Very good. I take it you know all this from tracking the Outsider this long?"
"Yes sir." Kir remains as is, staring straight ahead. "And also from looking at the Renegade's movements, sir."
There's one glance over the commander, before Clu nods. "Good. I expect all of your recommendations to be put into place immediately."
With that, he walks back into his quarters and the door slides shut behind him. After a couple moments, Torkel glances over to Kir and nods.
"All three of you are dismissed."
Kir nods and leads the trio out of the room.
"How did you know that?" Paige asks as soon as they are out of earshot and the door closes behind them.
"It's my job to think that way. I was in charge of tracking criminals down back in Kailsburg, and pick up on their patterns. Main thing is to place any personal attachments below strategy and the well being of all programs"
"Really now?" Pavel joins the conversation very much uninvited. "Seems like that's something Paige needs to work on." Paige glares at him
"From what I hear, you are not any better." Kir glares firmly at Pavel. "So I would watch it."
Pavel says nothing, and Kir returns to Paige. "Continue, please."
"Did you really track the Outsider back in Kailsburg?" They step into the catwalk above the port where prisoners were being unloaded. "Some say you didn't truly, and I was curious."
"Of course I did. I was the first willing to confront her, so I was given the task of stopping her."
"Do you think she's in Argon?"
"There is a criminal in Argon that fits her behavior, though on a slightly tamer level, similar to that of when she first began. She has not confirmed herself as the Outsider, but she hasn't denied-"
An ear-splitting scream halts the conversation. Kir looks out over the rail to the scene below. A program, though of small stature, struggles against the sentry holding them back, reaching out as across the way, another sentry drags a second program. Their screams curse at the sentries, demand to be let go, and cry to their friend.
"Prepare for-"
"Kir NO!"
"KIR!"
"Kir?"
He starts at the touch. He snaps to the source to meet Paige's gaze with emotions he can't quite read.
"Are you alright?" She mutters the question lowly, close enough that Pavel can't hear. Kir glances down to see his tight on the bar. With a sigh, he forces himself to let go of the bar. A dull throb begins in the back of his head, quickly reaching the unbearable as his senses return.
"I need to go." He responds on the same voice level, before breaking away quickly. She doesn't call after him, and he's relieved he doesn't have to deal with more pounding noise to go with the beating pain. He needs to hurry back.
He makes it just in time, as he begins to feel sick and wobbly and like he's going to combust. He manages to lock the door behind before he sinks to his knees.
Rough hands grab his wrists, tugging him back. They bind him. He can't understand what the voice near his ear is saying; it's too muddled and everything blurs in an angry red.
"Kir NO!"There's the scream again. Just like before. Fingers scrape against his arm, but lose their grip as he's dragged away.
"KIR!"
Suddenly, the screams halt as soft hands wrap around his waist. The bonds disappear so he reaches his arms around the other program. They giggle, but when he looks down to the identity of the program, they had already disappeared.
More blurs take over. Something pushes him forward and his hands catch against a flat surface. He immediately reaches out to the opposite end only not to be able to stretch out his arm. He feels himself stiffen, breath catching and shortening in response.
I'm trapped.
I can't move…breathe…
I have to get out of here!
I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!
All training, all the time preparing for this moment flies out of the window as he finds himself slamming his fists against the walls, and his throat hurts from screaming. When that fails, his hands go to his ears at the loud whirring noise that replaces the screams.
Remember it's not real. It's not real.
It's. Not. REAL.
His eyes snap open with a gasp. He can feel the cool surface underneath his face as he pants. After his breathing slows, he pushes himself up to his knees.
I'm on the floor…
His face feels cool. With two fingers, he reaches up to his cheek, and his fingers come back with a slight shine. Quickly, he uses his arm to wipe away the remaining tears, before pushing himself back against the wall.
I know that ending well, I approach it every time.
But what were the other memories, if that's what they are?
He scans his own memories, wondering where had the beginning come from.
They aren't mine. For almost as long as I can remember, I worked for the Occupation.
But how did the program know my name? And why was I so...intimate?
What does it even mean?
There's a knock at the door and Kir starts. He settles though, pulls himself together enough to seem completely stable before standing to face his duties again.
"Coming!"
Kira slips out of the closet quickly, slamming it shut. At that moment, Raquel blearily stumbles into the main part of the room. She sways and closes her eyes for a moment, giving Kira enough time to bolt to her desk. Raquel finally looks to Kira, who makes herself look busy at her desk.
"Sleep well?" Kira says as she looks to Raquel.
She nods silently and Kira smiles, "Good. I'm glad."
Kira leans over to glance out the window. Outside, programs are leaving their homes and making the commute to work.
"Looks like the heat's died down." She straightens, and looks back to Raquel. "You're in luck."
"Oh," she sighs and closes her eyes for a moment, "thank the Users."
She then looks down to see her faded injuries. When she looks back up, her eyes have a spark in them. "I'm healed!" She rushes forward, and Kira stumbles at the force of the embrace. "Thank you!"
After a moment, Kira accepts the hug, leaning into the taller program's shoulder. "Anytime."
They break with Raquel grinning as she finally looks to Kira. It fades only slightly as she looks over Kira's face. However, she says nothing, that smile returns, and she slips past the glass table to sit down on the arm of the couch. She jumps with a small gasp when the blanket shifts as Beck turns in his sleep.
"What the_?"
Kira shushes Raquel before she can finish the statement. "He's asleep."
"What is he doing here?" She obeys and lowers her voice to a hiss, but keeps one eye on Beck.
"He's from last cycle."
"I remember that."
"There's no need to worry about him then; he's a friend of mine that works here. I had gone downstairs to fix your bike and told him to make sure you were okay and when I came back, he was asleep! I didn't move him because I'm not that strong."
"Did you rest at all?"
"No." Kira lies through her teeth. "I wasn't tired, so I got some work done."
Raquel's expression says she isn't buying it, but she says nothing as Kira leads her by the arm to the desk chair. She sits. "How do we wake him?"
"Wake him?"Kira turns back from where she had begun to mindlessly pace. "I don't know."
"Well, we might need to. Doesn't he have to work today?"
"Oh yeah. Try nudging him."
Raquel leans over and shakes him gently. "Hey." she hisses, "Time to get up."
Beck groans and turns in his sleep.
It's her turn to head over. Kira leans over him as he sleeps. "Beck!" I say loudly. He ignores her.
Well.
There is one way to wake him up.
Sighing with a small smile as the idea pops in her head, she crosses over to the other side of the room, where her energy is stored. She picks up a glass, one she had intended to drink earlier but failed to return to. She looks back over her shoulder.
"Which way is he facing?"
"Towards the couch."
"Turn him around."
A poke. A sigh and a shift.
"Done."
She turns around fully with the glass and returns to the couch and Raquel.
"What are you_?"
She kneels down next to him. Tilting the cup, she splashes the remaining energy in his face.
His eyes snap open and everything is suddenly a blur. Her back hits something and it shatters beneath her. A flash of pain, and then nothing but silence.
After a couple moments, she opens her eyes to see Beck's hand is grasping one of her arms...while the other one is at his throat.
He opens his eyes and they stare at each other for a beat. Quickly, he gets off her and helps her to her feet while sputtering apologies.
"I-It was an accident I didn't mean-"
"It's okay." She dismisses quickly, waving him off with a sigh. "I kinda deserved that."
She looks to the remains of the glass table underneath her. "I hated that thing anyways."
Carefully, she brushes her hand down my back and feel that some of the glass is sticking out of the skin. She winces at the touch.
"Oh Kira…I'm so sorry-"
"Stop apologizing!" She snaps, before taking a shaky breath to compose herself to a level voice. "You can help pull out the glass."
Beck nods, and moves out of her eyesight. Raquel follows after.
"Okay." Raquel says in a level voice. "Hold still."
There's a sharp prick in her lower back. She cries out and out of instinct, her hand shoots down. A strong hand grabs her wrist, though.
"Don't." Beck says in a measured tone. Though no one can see her expression, she nods and bites her lip to keep from shouting her pain. The next moments pass in silence, only with the occasional stiffen in Kira's shoulders.
"And…done." Raquel says finally, having cupped her hand to hold the glass. She studies it as she leaves the other two to dispose of it. Beck lets go of Kira's wrist and she steps away, holding it close.
"Thanks." She finally mutters, not looking up to see Beck nod. An apology hangs in the air, but he doesn't voice it and she's glad for that.
"I must be going." Raquel returns, wiping her hand down the her leg. "I have to open shop soon."
She looks up again, sending Kira a small smile. "It's good to see you again."
"You too." She waves and feels herself mirror Raquel's smile. "Bye!"
Raquel nods again, and picks up her baton from the desk. She opens the door, and in moments, she's gone.
When the door shuts, she looks down to the floor. "You should probably go too." She says finally. "Your shift is about to start."
Beck nods, saying nothing. Finally he decides with a sigh. "Thank you. For um…for not waking me sooner."
She looks up to him, and after a moment, nods. "You're welcome."
He smiles once before backing out and exiting as well.
Once he's gone, she sighs, taking lazy steps around the small bits of remaining glass to plop down on the couch. Her eyes begin to close on her, oh how she could use a good nap right now...and yet she still pushes herself to her feet.
No time to sleep, I have too much to do!
Still, she allows herself the time to stretch before snatching her baton and taking off out of the apartment.