Simon opens his eyes. Groggily he rolls over, a hand rising to wipe at his face.
"Kenny?"
Silence. He sits up, trying to fight through the haze of sleepiness.
"Ken?"
Nothing. The bed next to him is empty.
He slides of the narrow mattress, and walks slowly out of sickbay. The lady on the office's front desk turns around as he approaches.
"Simon, has Kenneth woken up?"
"He's not in there Miss. I thought he left already."
The secretary frowns. "He would have come through here, but he hasn't." Briskly she goes into the white room and looks for herself. "Odd."
It was as if he had just vanished. Simon felt something like a cool breath at the back of his neck.
(do you ever wonder if the world isn't real?)
No. It's not possible.
~~~
Nuala picks up the shirt. After spreading it out on the rock overnight, it's drier, but still damp. It's the only spare she has; it will have to do.
Looking across to where the boy, Raven, is sleeping, she gives him a grim smile. They're at least a 24 hour walk from Zion, but he can barely stand. It's a maximum of five degrees C, and all the clothes she has to give him are a shirt and a pair of trousers that will not be big enough.
Not to mention that she has no idea where they are. The closest she can guess is 'underground'.
(what were you thinking?)
Shut up. Things are bad enough without you.
She walks back over to Raven. Her jumper has been strategically placed over him but this is still rather awkward.
Here goes nothing.
She crouches beside him and touches his shoulder. "Hey. Wake up."
He makes a sound, his eyelids flutter -
"Raven."
- and open. Brown eyes search hers.
"I know you."
"I'm Nuala. Now come on, get up."
He raises himself up on his elbows, slowly. Every movement is slow, and appears painful. When he notices the dozens of metal holes on his arms and chest he raises his eyebrows, but doesn't comment. She has to help him, taking his hands and pulling him up, to his knees, to his feet. Once standing he doesn't move, just struggles to stay upright. He doesn't notice that the jumper has fallen. Nuala has to lead him to the ledge where she spread the clothes out to dry, and he sits.
"I'm sorry," he says quietly.
"It's alright. It's not your fault Raven."
"It hurts . . . " but that's the only complaint he makes.
Somehow she dresses him. Somehow she makes him drink a little water. Then she gets him up again, and with his arm around her shoulders and her arm around his waist, they walk in the only direction available to them, following the underground river downstream.
He asks no questions of her. Which is just as well, because she has no answers for him.
~~~
"People don't vanish. I've worked in the missing persons unit for fifteen years and I know people don't vanish. There's always some evidence."
Simon tries not to yell. "Well officer, you've searched the whole school. You've interrogated every teacher and student who saw him today. So by now you should have some evidence, right? You should know what has happened to him."
"What exactly was your relationship with Mister Jackson?"
The boy stops, glaring. "He was my best friend. You can read that any way you want to."
With a frown the officer jots something on his notepad. "As you say Mister Walker, we should have found some evidence by now. As we obviously haven't, one might conclude that evidence is being withheld."
"What are you saying officer?"
"You were the last person to talk with Mister Jackson. You were the last to see him. Surely you realise that makes you a very important person to us."
"I did nothing - "
"Don't be so quick Mister Walker. You may regret it later."
Simon clenched his hands so hard he thought his bones might snap.
"We'll be in touch."
And the police leave him sitting alone in the classroom. He bows his head, and silently begins to pray.
~~~
Several Days Later . . .
~~~
"Nuala?"
"Hmm?"
"When are we going to get to Zion?"
She looks over to him. Side by side they sit with their backs against the rock wall, resting after a day's walk. Raven is feeling stronger, and no longer needs to lean on her when he's on his feet. They've left the waterfall far behind, but the tunnel is still as large as it was when they first met it, the far side and roof fading into blackness. Something like pipes seem to line the walls at times, but it's too dark to tell.
"I'm not sure."
He looks away and stares at the running water. "There's barely any food left."
"Don't think about that. Talk about something else."
"Like?"
"How long were you in that pod?"
He breathes in slowly. "All my life. But I didn't know it until you came."
"What do you mean?"
"I was asleep. And I was dreaming."
"About what?"
"Being awake. I lived a life in there. I had parents, friends," he looks at her. "You probably don't believe me, but it was real. While I was in there, I knew it to be real."
"How do you know that this isn't the dream part?"
"I have a good imagination, but not even my mind could come up with this," he touches a metal ring.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course not. Nothing's for certain. The only thing you can know beyond a doubt is the fact that you doubt in the first place."
"Cogito, ergo sum," Nuala whispers softly. Raven looks up at her sharply. He stares, and she frowns, "What?"
"Nothing," he raises a hand to his eyes, wiping away tears. "It's nothing."
She is about to reply but stops, as she hears something. A rumble, like an engine.
"Oh no. Quick, get up!" She scrambles to her feet, grabbing her backpack and Raven's hand. "In here." They duck into a side passage, a narrow tunnel sloping up from the main one.
The rumble grows louder. Silent, they don't dare breathe. Louder, and louder, echoing off stone and water and distorting the sound.
A beam of light probes into the darkness, slicing it apart like a surgeon's knife. Nuala dares a peek around the corner, then she yells in surprise and joy.
"Yes!" she leaps out into the open, Raven following after a moment's hesitation. The girl stands on the narrow ledge beside the water, dancing and waving her arms.
"Skat! Skat!"
It's a ship. A huge thing of metal, covered in dirt and mud like camouflage. As high as a two story building, and three times as long, it hovers just above the greasy river.
Hovers?
A hatch opens low on the side and someone jumps out, just clearing the water. Nuala runs forward, throwing her arms around the newcomer. Raven follows her.
"Skat, you have no idea how happy we are to see you! Another day and our food would've been gone - "
"Whoa coz, slow down. You're alright now, it's all okay."
"I saved someone Skat, I really did! They said no one could, but I did!"
"What?" looking over her shoulder, the man sees Raven for the first time. "Who's this?"
"Oh, Skat, this is Raven. Raven, this is my cousin Skat."
"Hi." He sizes up the man. He's tall and lanky, with light brown hair and blue eyes, like Nuala.
"Hi. Uh," the man hesitates, then he shrugs. "Come on, you'd better come aboard. We've got to get back."
"Back where?" Raven hangs back.
"Zion my friend. Home of the brave and land of the free."
~~~
The ship seems even bigger on the inside. Raven stares, eyes wide as he tries to take everything in. He doesn't notice the other people appearing around him looking down at him over railings of catwalks and elevated walkways. At least until Nuala brushes at his arm, then she points his gaze up.
A young woman with a red ponytail swings over a rail and drops down in front of them.
"So what washed up this time Skat? Another stray?"
"Nuala said he's from the plant."
"No way." The woman laughs. The rest of the crew make derisive sounds.
"Really, he is," Nuala insists, her hand protective on Raven's shoulder. But none of the others seem like they're going to accept the story. Raven looks them over, noting the smooth skin of their bare arms, the back of the neck of a woman with a shaved head.
And he steps away from Nuala, then pulls off his shirt.
They stare. And he stares right back.
"I don't think they do body piercing quite like this," he says softly.
"Okay then," the redhead finds her voice first. "We believe you."
"Good," Raven shivers in the cold, feeling it go through him. And slowly he folds to his knees, feeling weak and dizzy.
Dimly he hears Nuala call his name, distantly he registers being lifted, and then he passes out. Again.
~~~~~
Okay, very short, but there'll be more soon. Promise.