Ambivalence
Chapter 26: Cure
By: Knowledge Eater
Disclaimer: Ubisoft owns Far Cry 5, I just like to play with their world and characters.
Faith couldn't help but curse at herself mentally. The very last person she would care to save would be Jess. Her body aches and bruises were a constant reminder of the woman's beatings she inflected when she was incarcerated at the county jail. But in the end Jess saved Aiden's life when she was too weak and powerless to do anything but stand by and watch. For that she was grateful, especially with how much she came to appreciate Aiden even more when he constantly shielded her from harm from his own people. No one ever protected her like that, not her parents, not Tracey, not even the Father.
It was because of her appreciation, and ever constant growing feelings for the deputy, that she got lost in the impulse to promise him she would save Jess. The display of fear and grief Aiden showed as he held the hooded woman in his arms ripped a hole in her chest. She couldn't stand to see him appear so sad she just immediately promised him she would save his friend.
The memory of their kiss flashed in her head and she wasn't sure if she should correct herself to refer to Jess as Aiden's lover.
Faith had told the truth when she admitted she was working on a cure to reverse the Angel process. The Father expressed no interest in a reversal, but he hadn't directly forbidden her from researching it either. Regardless of everything they owed to the Angel's labor, and how well the Father convinced her that the Angels were serving their purpose to God, there was still a small part of her that hated to have no reversal for something she helped create. At least for the rare Bliss overexposure.
So Faith had secretly researched for a way to bring an Angel back to how they were before. Most of her notes were lost at her Gate, but she had most of the information stored mentally. Now she had the added pressure of figuring out the cure before the resistance confronted the Father or before Aiden lost his trust in her.
For now, they had to move fast before Jess succumbed to her wound.
"There is no way you're turning her into a goddamn zombie," one of the men blurted. Faith looked for the speaker and wasn't surprised to see it was the one that exposed her identity. He glared at her with obvious hatred in his dark brown eyes.
Aiden climbed to his feet, Jess still in his arms, and headed for the building. Faith followed close behind him.
"You have a better idea to save her life?" Aiden challenged the man. "We owe Jess a lot for turning this war into our favor. She's saved my life more times than I can count, including right now. If there is any way to save her then I'm all for it." He shoved himself passed the man and thumped his shoulder with his own. "If you don't agree with it, you're welcome to leave. Return to the jail. Go to Fall's End or with the Militia. I don't care. But do not get in the way."
He paused at the building's doorway. "Faith is my prisoner, she's free to roam this building freely. No harm is to come to her, otherwise she won't be my only prisoner."
To avoid any further confrontations, Faith placed a hand on Aiden's arm. She could feel the bulge of his tricep. "We need to hurry."
She led him towards the section of the brewery that served as a bar. Her stomach flipped at the sight of her brothers and sisters that were strewn across the floor in puddles of their own blood. It was one thing to hear and read reports of the violence that spread across the county, it was another to see it and smell it. It was easy to feel angry to see her people dead on the floor, but a small voice in the back of her head reminded her that her people started the violence. And usually against people with no means to protect themselves.
Faith kept her focus on their destination and continued to lead Aiden into a back room that led them down into the basement. The place was still the same as she remembered it, barrels and metallic kegs were stacked against the walls, all stamped with the Projects cross symbol. Before her Gate was constructed she purchased the Brewery, she needed the equipment to create liquid Bliss. She frequently created Angel's in this very basement.
The only sound to cut through the silence of the cellar was Jess' weakening wheeze. She had to hurry.
Faith sighed in relief when she spotted the large metal bucket on one of the barrels against the far wall. It was once used to keep bottled beers in ice for customers. It was big enough to sit a person in it and deep enough to accommodate the amount of liquid Bliss that would be needed.
She pulled the tub off the barrel and set it on the ground. "Place her in this."
Aiden obeyed and gently placed Jess in the tub, he had to hold her in place so she wouldn't slump over.
Thankfully there were smaller wooden kegs that were light enough for Faith to carry. With Aiden keeping Jess in place it would be up to her to pour the Bliss into the tub. To be safe she placed the keg down before she pulled out two more syringes from her satchel and injected herself and Aiden.
"Careful that you don't breathe in the fumes," Faith warned. "I need you to talk to her."
Aiden looked at the woman with an eyebrow raised. "What?"
"While her body absorbs the Bliss you need to talk to her so she'll recognize your voice once she becomes an Angel."
Faith removed the keg's cap and began to fill the tub with liquid Bliss.
Aiden lowered his head so he was as close to Jess' ear as possible. Her lips were a darker shade of blue and her breaths were weak and shallow. The green Bliss liquid turned brown when it mixed with her blood.
The deputy kept his voice low but his voice still carried in the silent basement. His gaze was focused on Jess' face and the movement of her chest as if afraid she would cease to breathe.
"Remember that time we had to go get those bull testicles for that faire? When we released the cows to...mingle with the bulls remember one was attracted to me for whatever reason? You just sat there on the fence laughing your ass off as the bull chased me."
The Bliss was up to Jess' waist. There was a loud scratch and then a thump as Faith pulled the empty keg away and onto the concrete floor. Aiden's story would have normally made her laugh, but the current situation was too grim for her to even crack a smile.
"Keep talking to her," Faith said. "Until...until she turns just keep talking to her."
Aiden nodded, his attention on Jess' face. Faith recognized the fear in his eyes. "And-and then when we attended the faire itself you challenged me to a drinking contest and I lost. I blacked out and was utterly confused why I woke up the next morning with a bunch of pigs in party hats."
He chuckled but it almost sounded like he did it to avoid sobbing. Seeing the unshed tears in his eyes tore at Faith's chest. She wondered how it would feel to have someone cry over her nearing death. Did the Father grieve over the news of her supposed death?
"And you left me there all night! It took days for the stink of the pigs to get out of my hair," Aiden continued.
Jess was unresponsive but her breathing steadily improved, she was no longer wheezing.
"How long will this take?" Aiden's voice was rough.
Faith observed Jess' face. Color was now returning to her pale cheeks. Her face was originally scrunched with pain but looked to slowly slacken. "Not long now. She'll wake up when it's...done."
A minute of silence passed and the only movement from Jess was when she suddenly twitched. And then she took a deep, audible inhale as if she was underwater for too long. Her eyes opened. Her eyes were no longer blue, instead they were milky white. Her irises were so small it was easy to miss them.
Aiden exhaled loudly as if he were punched in the gut. His face scrunched with a mixture of emotions; sorrow, anger, and grief.
Jess twitched again and she let out a loud wail. Faith was on her feet, took a step back, and placed her palms over her ears by instinct. She watched as Aiden tried to keep Jess from struggling out of his grip.
"Talk to her," Faith instructed. "Your voice will calm her."
"Hey, Jess, it's me," Aiden cooed, "you're-you're okay now."
The hooded woman was quick to calm. She sat eerily still, her eyes never wandered to look around the room or to the two people around her.
Without Jess' wails, Faith removed her hands from her ears. "Careful not to touch her soaked clothes," she warned. "There should be clothes in one of the offices. The owner kept spare clothes." Faith headed for the stairs. "She won't think for herself, but she still maintains the motor skills for everything she was able to do before. You can command her to undress, just leave the clothes on the floor, please. I'll be right back."
"What about her wound?"
"It should have stopped bleeding. The wound is there, but isn't life threatening. When she gets out of those clothes you can patch it up." With that she climbed up the stairs.
Faith was glad that the bar section of the brewery was abandoned, but she was able to hear the others in the other part of the building. It sounded like they were cleaning up the aftermath of the shootout.
The office was left exactly as she remembered. The only furniture was a desk and a bookshelf. A large pile of clothes laid in the corner of the room, they most likely belonged to the previous people that were turned into Angel's. She did her best to find something that would fit Jess. She would need a bag for her current Bliss soaked clothes so she resorted to using the small unused bag in the trash can that stood next to the desk.
The man that exposed Faith seemingly waited for her outside of the office. He was tall with short dark brown hair and a beard. He was leaning against the bar with his arms crossed over his chest, his glare drilling a hole into her head, but he said nothing. Despite his lanky frame his tattooed arms bulged with muscles. Faith really hoped he would return to the jail. Or perhaps not, she feared what would happen if he spread the word of her survival to the rest of the resistance at the jail. The last thing she needed was more people showing up eager to kill her.
Ignoring the man, she returned to the basement and placed the clothes and bag on the floor in front of a still fully clothed Jess.
"Take off everything you're wearing and put them in the bag. Then put on these clothes," Faith instructed.
The newly turned Angel promptly began to undress. Aiden's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. He cleared his throat and quickly turned his back.
"Why is she obeying you? I thought that's why you wanted me to talk to her," Aiden asked.
"She heard my voice as well. She'll listen to us both."
"So because she heard us while she was in the Bliss, she'll obey only us?"
"Yes, but if we tell her to listen to someone specific she'll obey."
"Is that how the Peggies are able to command the Angel's to do anything?"
"Yes."
While Aiden respected Jess' privacy, Faith didn't care to avert her gaze. She was too used to dealing with newly turned Angel's and the nudity that came when they were changed into recognizable clothing .
She didn't know why she half expected Jess to have flawless skin, but in reality the other woman was littered with scars. Her arms, legs and torso held numerous scars that looked to be caused from a variety of injuries, slashes, burns, even one that looked like a stab wound rested on a thigh, and her back had several small spots that looked like a result of shrapnel. Despite the scars and a few fresh looking scabs and yellow bruises, the woman's arms and legs were well toned with muscles. It was no wonder she was able to handle Faith with ease.
Aiden Jared her from her thoughts. "So what's next? What do you need to find the cure for her?"
Faith glanced around the basement, there was more than enough liquid Bliss for her to work with. "I'll need some lab equipment. There should be some here, but if I'm missing anything I'll let you know."
When Aiden hummed in response Jess had finished dressing. The jeans she wore were a bit baggy, but were kept in place with a belt and she garnered a plain black long sleeved shirt.
"It would've been better to have her rinse off the Bliss. I would avoid touching her if I were you," Faith explained.
Aiden peeked over his shoulder and turned once he saw Jess was clothed. She remained standing in place, she stared straight ahead. He continued to look conflicted each time he looked at her. "Anything else I need to know about...handling her condition?"
"She won't do anything on her own unless you instruct her to do so."
The deputy frowned. "Such as?"
Faith lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Everything. She won't eat, drink, or even sleep unless you tell her to do so. That includes bathing and even using the restroom."
"Seriously?"
The Bliss Herald nodded. "Of course she won't be able to help whatever her body needs. She'll still get hungry and thirsty and will tire. If she overexerts she can pass out. She'll still starve or become dehydrated. And...her body will naturally rid of its waste if she goes too long without tending to her needs."
Aiden sighed. "But she can do those things on her own right? If you or I tell her?"
"Yes, give her food and tell her to eat and she'll do it on her own. Tell her to bathe or use the toilet and she'll do it. She just won't do anything unless she is told."
The frown on Aiden's face quickly turned into anger and his eyes hardened. The muscle on the side of his jaw clenched. Faith could only guess what he was thinking. He was probably repulsed by the state Angel's succumbed to.
"She isn't suffering at least," Faith tried to comfort him. "They-they enjoy being busy."
Faith felt her heart drop when Aiden turned his angry gaze towards her. "How do you know they aren't suffering if they don't have the free will to complain?"
She scrambled for an answer. "They may not have the free will to complain but they are still expressive. When they're hurt or angry you can see it on their face. Most of the time you can see that they're calm and happy, they're at peace."
"Sharky is right," Aiden muttered to himself. But with how quiet the cellar was Faith was able to hear each word clearly. "They're brain dead. It's like saying a dead person is at peace. How are Angel's any different?"
Aiden looked at Jess for a long moment before he rubbed his eyes. "Are you sure you can reverse this?"
Faith felt her heart beat faster. "I'm confident."
The taller male looked apprehensive.
"I will reverse this, Aiden."
He was silent as he studied her. Faith fought the urge to look away and squirm and kept her gaze on him.
"Okay. Guess you should get to it then."
True to her word, Jess was very expressive physically. Even though her wound ceased to bleed he still had to treat it. When he poured peroxide on her wound to clean it, a weak whimper escaped Jess and her face contorted in pain for a brief moment before she returned to a stoic expression.
"How was the Bliss able to save her life," Aiden asked as he stitched Jess' wound. It wasn't his first time he ever had to stitch her up.
Faith was seated behind the desk. She and Aiden sat in the office. While Aiden tended to Jess Faith was assembling the lab equipment she found.
"Think of the Bliss as a way to boost our circulation, energy and cell production. Jess' lung was compromised and the Bliss gave her body a boost to fix the damage rapidly," Faith explained.
Aiden whistled. "The Bliss can really do all that?"
"Only in large quantities. It's a drawback, enough Bliss will boost a person's body but at the cost of destabilizing the chemicals in their brain which leaves them...unresponsive in a way."
Aiden finished patching up Jess' wound and removed the latex gloves he wore. There was so much Bliss radiating off of her he could feel the edge of his vision clouding ever so slightly.
"So then to reverse it…"
Faith glanced up at him. "I have to figure out brain biochemistry?" She asked dryly before she collapsed on her chair behind the desk and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I was close to figuring it out. And all of my research was at my gate," she sighed. "I just need a little time, Aiden."
The junior deputy nodded. "Again, if there's anything you need just let me know." He glanced back at Jess. "If I gave her a bow, would she know how to use it?"
"Yes," Faith muttered as she began scribbling on paper. "It's a skill she possessed beforehand, she retains it. If you command her to shoot someone she'll do it."
"But she won't use it on her own, like if it came down to protecting herself?"
"You can order her to harm or kill whomever is trying to do the same to her."
Aiden rubbed his chin in thought. His attention diverted back to Faith when she abruptly stood and began to pace. Her face displayed a mixture of worry and pain.
"Everything okay?"
She paused to look at him. "I need my notes! But they're gone and I thought I memorized most of the material. But I'm starting to second guess some things. I can't afford to make a single mistake."
Aiden blinked. Faith said everything so quickly she was able to mutter it all in a single breath.
"Can we retrieve your notes?"
The shortener woman's blue eyes narrowed in a glare. Aiden couldn't help the way his heart beat faster in apprehension. His last memory of such a fierce glare from her was before she attacked the jail.
"They were at my Gate. They're lost! Days, weeks worth of research are gone and I only have a few hours to pick up where I left off."
"Hey," the junior deputy approached the panicking Bliss herald. When he got closer to her he noticed her breathing was on the verge of hyperventilating. He had never seen her react this way before. "Let's work backwards. How did you make your notes? Test results?"
Faith shook her head. "My research was from medical books."
Aiden felt his heart sink. In all three major resistance factions they always had the hardest time locating any books relating to medicine.
"Okay. So where can we find the books you used?"
Faith seemed to realize the way she was acting and closed her eyes while she took deep breaths. Her ribs were probably still tender based on the few times she grimaced mid inhale. When she opened her eyes again Aiden could see the fear in her expression. He carefully rested a palm on her upper arm. She didn't stiffen at the contact.
"We'll figure this out together. Okay? I mean, I can offer no intellectual input about all this sciencey stuff, but I'll help you get the information you need."
His words were quick to calm her. She nodded and sat back behind the desk and began writing. Aiden peeked and saw she wrote a list.
"These were the books I hid somewhere close. Your-the resistance took control of the place, but I'm hoping they're still there."
"Which place is that?"
Faith inhaled deeply before she answered. "The conservatory that's due South-South East from here. My...old home."
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Where will I find these books?"
"My room. I hid them in a box in my closet. I...boarded off my room and restricted anyone from going in. I don't know if it hasn't been broken into since the resistance took over."
The taller male nodded. He didn't need to ask why she would block off her room. His father did something similar to the sun room his mother was fond of occupying. His chest clenched in pity at the thought that Faith harbored such painful memories of her own room she physically shut out its existence.
"Why would you hide the books there?" The question was out of his mouth before he could help it.
Faith didn't seem to mind the question at least. "My home is where the Bliss was first created. It just seemed fitting to hide some of the knowledge that could lead to a reversal of Bliss overdose there as well."
Aiden picked up her list and folded it before he stuffed it in his jeans back pocket. "I'll get someone I trust to fetch them for us."
He paused before he left the office and glanced at Jess and then to her equipment that was kept nearby. He made up his mind and instructed Jess to put on her quiver and to hold her bow.
"While I'm gone you'll protect Faith. If anyone comes in looking to harm her or you, you'll shoot an arrow through their arm. Never aim to kill them though."
Aiden had to swallow his disappointment. He would have done anything to see Jess scowl at the order to protect Faith. Hell he wouldn't mind getting into an argument about it with her even if it resulted in a painful headache afterwards. Instead she continued to sit in her chair and stared straight ahead, she made no acknowledgement of her order.
He turned to Faith who was looking at him in confusion, but there was also a tenderness in her eyes. Then there was that ever growing feeling of guilt. The affection she felt for him was plain on her face each time she looked at him and there was nothing he could do to prevent that. As much as he wished they met under different circumstances it hurt him to know they didn't have a future together, maybe not even as friends.
"I'll be back," he told her before he stepped out of the room.
It didn't take him long to hunt down Sharky and give him the list of Faith's books. Aiden didn't like the idea of sending his only remaining friend in the general area off, but he didn't trust to leave Faith alone among the resistance even with Jess protecting her. He instructed Sharky to take another person or two with him so he chose two of the four others that were grouped with Jess' group.
Not wanting to cause any more animosity between him and the others in the brewery, Aiden set out to help with the cleaning and organizing of their resources. They were quiet as they all fell into the familiarity of work and Aiden thankfully never saw the guy that wanted to shoot Faith. His absence caused him to worry a little, however.
It took about an hour to move all of the corpses outside and another hour to dig out graves. Despite everything the Peggies did, Aiden was glad the resistance had the human decency to give them proper burials. They did take a few moments to honor the three men they lost. By the time they cleaned the blood and gore from inside and out of the building, the sky turned orange as the sun began to hide behind the mountains.
With the good news about the Father's location, everyone was in good enough spirits to celebrate. Ever since they started cleaning the brewery two people left to hunt and returned with a buck. Without any spices or barbeque sauce the meat wouldn't be the tastiest, but it still improved everyone's mood. They made due with canned beans and vegetables the Peggies kept in the building.
Aiden took some food back to the office where he found Faith tinkering with some lab equipment and Jess remained in her chair. She was unmoving, but her eerie white eyes watched him intently. He was only able to carry two plates so he ate with the others before he arrived to bring the women their meals. Once commanded to eat, Jess dug into her food. For a moment it almost seemed like she was normal if it weren't for her empty gaze that continued to watch him and the office door. Faith ate absentmindedly while she continued to study over her notes.
"Hey," Aiden called her. She hummed in response, but her attention remained on her papers.
The older male approached her and purposely sat on the desk, covering most of her notes. Faith finally tore her attention away from her work and glared at him. Aiden offered her an innocent smile.
"Why don't you take a breather? Rest that big brain of yours while you eat," he told her.
The younger woman sighed and relented. Aiden noticed she was sweating even though the room was relatively cool. Her cheeks weren't flushed so he doubted she was feverish.
"Have you been researching all day?"
Faith nodded. She finally sat down and focused on her plate.
There was a knock at the door. Aiden answered it and found Sharky on the other end. He breathed a sigh of relief, the other male looked unharmed.
Sharky unshouldered a backpack and handed it to Aiden. "Special delivery." His gaze slid over to Jess and his eyes narrowed. Aiden was aware of the man's detestment for Angels.
The junior deputy accepted the bag and placed it on Faith's desk. "No peeking at those books until after you finish dinner."
Faith rolled her eyes and continued picking at her food.
Aiden motioned Sharky out of the office and he followed him. Ever since Jess was turned into an Angel she was kept inside the office. Aiden didn't want to stir any further anger with the others by having her exposed to everyone.
"How...how is she?" Sharky asked.
"She's alive which is more than what I could have hoped considering her injury."
"I don't know, man," Sharky sighed, "do you really trust her to bring Jess back?"
"I do," Aiden replied. "She gains nothing by helping us. You should've seen her stressing about her research earlier. She truly seems genuine about figuring out a cure."
"I hope so," Sharky shrugged. "I took a peek at those books. I couldn't understand a damn thing, they may as well have been written in Chinese or somethin'."
Aiden grinned. "I felt the same when I looked over her notes."
"How long do you think it'll take her to figure it out?"
"I don't know and I'd honestly prefer she doesn't rush. I'll wait however long it takes to bring Jess back."
"Hopefully not too long before Joseph Seed is arrested. The sheriff says the national guard will move into town to finish cleaning out the Peggies."
Aiden nodded. "When we arrest Joseph we'll have to take Faith in as well. Who knows if she'll be allowed to finish her research in jail. I do hope she'll finish before that happens, but at the same time I don't want her to rush. Mistakes happen when we're rushed."
The two men were silent as they absentmindedly walked towards the bar. Sharky tried all of the beer handles but they were all dry, his face fell in disappointment.
"I know the people here aren't happy about Faith still being alive," Aiden kept his voice low. There didn't seem to be anyone else in the bar with them, but he didn't want to risk someone eavesdropping. ""Have any voiced plans to hurt her?"
"Nah," Sharky began searching every cabinet and crook and nanny for any trace of alcohol. "They're just glad she's not running around turning people into Angels. Accepting her help is like a double edged sword for them, they're relieved to have her helping us, but they know not to trust her. Guess they're just waiting for her to make a move."
Aiden sighed in relief. He was worried about more people trying to harm Faith while he had his back turned. He slapped Sharky on the back.
"Thank you for getting those books. Get yourself some grub and rest." Aiden took a few steps away before he paused. "Oh and the place has already been checked for alcohol. The Peggies tossed out everything."
Sharky cursed.
When the junior deputy returned to the office Faith was hunched over the desk, one hand against her forehead to support the weight of her head, her nose glued inside a thick book. There were numerous other open books that were littered on the desk, dozens of papers filled with chemical formulas rested on the desk, floor and some were even taped to the wall.
Jess was still in her chair, her milky eyes observing Aiden.
It was uncomfortable to be watched so intently, even if it was from Jess, but Aiden did his best to ignore it. Then he realized Jess held an empty plate. He took it from her and sought out Faith's among the litter of books and papers and eventually found her plate still with most of the food he served her.
"Didn't like the food?" He asked the Bliss herald.
"Hmmm?" She didn't lift her gaze from one of the books she paged through.
Now that night had fallen, the lights were turned on which were a lot brighter than the light provided from the sun earlier. Aiden was better able to see how much Faith was sweating. She had ditched her hoodie and garnered a gray long sleeved shirt, the neckline appeared much darker with her sweat.
Unable to help himself, Aiden rested a hand on Faith's forehead. The contact jarred her attention away from her book, she looked at him with slightly wide blue eyes from the sudden touch, but she didn't pull away. Her skin wasn't warm, instead she felt cold and clammy.
"You sure you're okay?" He asked.
Faith finally pulled away from his touch and wiped a sleeve across her forehead. Her movement was quick, but Aiden noticed the shiver of her hand.
"I'm fine." She offered a small smile. There was a soft redness among the whites of her eyes.
"You didn't touch much of your food," Aiden argued and lifted her plate to demonstrate the little that she ate.
Faith sniffled and rubbed her nose before she looked back to her book. "I'm just not very hungry. I still feel sick if I eat too much and meat is very heavy."
Aiden wanted to keep arguing she should eat, it would help her body heal, but he couldn't force her past her limit. And he was worried she would fall ill again if her wound became infected again. Now that he thought about it he didn't know if the sheriff continued to give her the antibiotics she should've been taking while he was gone.
"Okay. I'll find some snacks in case you get hungry later. You need the nutrients." He stood up and looked at the cramped room. Without beds they had to use sleeping bags and only about two would fit. He'd rather Faith get as much sleep as she needed, he could probably take shifts with Jess.
He left to retrieve the sleeping bags and laid them in the center of the office. "Jess, you get some sleep. I'll wake you in a few hours and you can take over guard duty." As usual the woman made no comment, but she immediately obeyed his command and settled into one of the bags. "Faith, you sleep whenever you need to."
She nodded. "I'll turn in a little later. I want to get some more work done first."
Leaving them to their rest and with nothing else to do, Aiden decided to explore the brewery. He hoped he could find whatever supplies the Peggies may have hidden. With any luck maybe he could find a hidden stash of alcohol, no doubt it would greatly improve everyone's mood.
The first place he decided to search was the basement. Seeing the large bucket they used to turn Jess into an Angel made his skin crawl. How many unwilling people did they turn? They were thoughts he didn't want to ponder right now so he set out to search behind all of the barrels and kegs of Bliss that were lined along the basement's wall. After he found nothing hidden he decided to knock on the barrels. It wasn't until after he knocked on a small amount that he felt stupid for doing it. He was acting like he was searching for drugs.
Just as he decided against knocking on the barrels there was finally one that sounded hollow. Curious, Aiden pulled out his knife and pried the top off. Of all the things he was expecting to find inside the last thing he expected was a recorder. The buttons were smooth and worn from use. When he played it his eyebrows lifted in surprise as Faith's voice filled the silent room.
"Have you seen their faces? On the Pilgrimage? Oh, you should see it. To see the sin fly from their heads and their faces slacken to peace."
Aiden felt a chill crawl up his spine. As he heard Faith's voice he recalled the image of Jess' face when she was in that large bucket as the Bliss slowly filled it.
"The vanity shaved from their heads, evil taken from their lips. Never to speak a sinful word, any word, again. It gives me life. Every time a bell rings…"
The little light on the recorder turned off and nothing else erupted from its speaker. There was something off about Faith's voice, her tone was soft and airy. The way she described the Angels and removing their ability to speak was incredibly creepy. And the last thing she said there was something vaguely familiar about it, but he just couldn't remember.
He shouldn't have felt so shocked, but he did. Faith sounded so different. He wondered why the voice recorder was hidden and what the purpose of it was. There was only one way to find out, so he returned to the office. He half expected to find Faith conveniently asleep, but she was behind the desk, pacing as she mumbled to herself.
"Faith?" Aiden called. He knew she would be distracted with her research so he stepped beside her and pulled the book out of her hands.
The shorter woman huffed and looked at him with that intense glare of hers again. "What is it, Aiden?" Her tone was tense and clipped.
A surge of annoyance struck the male and he quickly swallowed his outburst. He extracted the voice recorder from his pocket and showed it to her. She didn't have to listen to it. There was a knowing look in her eyes the moment she saw it. She sighed and sat down.
Aiden glanced at Jess. He was worried his entrance would have woken her and she would've mistaken his approach to Faith as hostile, but she remained asleep on the ground.
"I always wondered why all the Angels had their heads shaved and their mouths were covered." He tore his gaze away from the sleeping woman and to the one before him. "You're not going to do the same to Jess, are you?"
Faith frowned and scoffed softly. "Of course not. Why would you think I would do that?"
Aiden shrugged. "Why not? You set the standard for the rest of the Angels."
The Bliss herald closed her eyes and sighed. "Angels did most of the work for us. They worked the fields, they worked the construction of our Gate's and the Father's statue. It was easy enough to keep them fed and allow them to rest, but something like showering was more of a luxury. When we had to deal with lice it was easier to shave their hair."
"And their ability to speak? What did you do to silence them?"
"We'd cover their mouths with masks."
Fury ignited within Aiden's veins. "Don't lie to me, Faith!" He kept his voice low, but the anger was clear in his tone and it surprised Faith. Jess grunted, but remained asleep. "I came across some Angels that had their mouths sewn shut. Some people told me they noticed a few even had their tongues removed."
Faith looked surprised by his news, but Aiden dismissed it. It only angered him further. How could she act so surprised when she implied it in her message?
"Why?" He asked. "Why would you mutilate these people?"
Her surprise melted to guilt. Aiden could only feel confused by it all.
"When I recorded that message, the Angel process was still very new. We...I thought that Angels were incapable of speech. To honor their loss of humanity we painted a picture that the Angels were ascending to a higher purpose. They truly do act like they are at peace. You've seen how stoic Jess is. I only meant that their silence was a result of their new purpose." Faith explained.
"Then why mutilate them?" Aiden pressed.
Faith grimaced. "It's rare, but...sometimes Angels do speak. The first time I ever heard one speak she...she begged me to kill her."
Aiden felt his eyebrows raise in surprise. "So what you silence them just to appease your guilt?"
"Something like that," Faith whispered. "But I never wanted them to be permanently silenced! Sewing their mouths is a death sentence if they can't eat and maintain their strength."
"And removing their tongues?"
Faith shuddered. "I never condoned that. That message was like a ritual each time a person was to become an Angel. They needed to be able to obey me as well so they needed to hear my voice as they absorb the Bliss."
"So the Peggies just play this recorder to ensure that happens. And they're free to perceive your ominous message about their silence as they see fit," Aiden wondered aloud.
"Yes," Faith sounded relieved. "You can understand that I can't be everywhere to make sure that everyone didn't...take advantage of others."
Aiden was silent as he thought it over. Part of him didn't believe her, Faith was good at pretending. She admitted it herself. But another part of him was willing to believe her. Despite her willingness to do whatever it took to prove her devotion to the Father and the cult, she wasn't malicious. He may not know Faith well enough, but Tracey confirmed that she was too nice for her own good.
In the end, regardless of how Faith truly felt about Angels she promised to find a reversal. That, at least, he trusted to be true.
With a deep exhale, Aiden tossed the book he took from Faith onto the desk. "Get some rest, Faith. It's been a long day. A fresh mind is probably all you need to figure out the cure."
He was glad she didn't argue. With a subtle nod, she stepped past him and slowly climbed into the vacant sleeping bag. Aiden turned off the light and stepped out of the room to burrow in his thoughts. He really wished the Peggies didn't throw out all of the alcohol.