First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed. Thank you
so much! I promise I will continue this fanfic for as long as I can, but
there may be long periods of no updates because of my lack of time or muse,
so please bear with me. This is also the end of Volume 1. Each volume will
have three chapters; although I honestly don't know if there will be a
volume 3...we'll see.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own these characters, and I am not making a profit off of this. The only characters I created were Seamus' family, other than Brendan, and I stole the names Siobhan and Declan from one of the episodes.
Pronunciation: The Irish names, meanings, spellings, and pronunciations are all correct, as far as I know.
Bronagh (Bro-nah)
Kaleigh (Kay-lee)
Eoin (Owe-in)
Declan (Deck-lawn)
Siobhan (Shiv-an)
Volume 1: Chapter 3
Cruel Dependence
Age 13-16
Seamus was paralyzed with fear the entire trip to the labs, which were on the other side of the city. How had they found him, let alone heard of him? Surely a few repaired heaters and other small items weren't such a big deal! He didn't voice these questions aloud though, and none of the Nietzscheans said anything to him. People stared as they walked through the streets, and Seamus knew they were all thinking the same thing; 'Better him than me,'
At last they reached the labs; a tall heavy gate surrounded the area, and the head Nietzschean had to scan his fingerprints and eyes for the gates to open. Seamus couldn't stifle a gasp when he saw the building; it was the strangest thing he'd ever seen. There were three large, pure white domed buildings in a triangular patter. They were all about the same size, and there were Nietzschean guards stationed outside the exits.
"What's with the kid?" One of the burly guards asked as he opened the door for the Nietzscheans holding Seamus.
"The kid's a worker," was the gruff reply, and Seamus' heart sank at the sinister laugh of the Nietzscheans.
"Welcome back Caius, is this the kludge?" A tall female Nietzschean, pretty as most were, asked. She was dressed in a long white coat, and her black hair was tied back into a bun.
"Yeah, where do you want him Felise?" Caius, which Seamus realized was Nietzschean in front of him, answered. Felise sighed and shrugged.
"He's not going to my department, let Kylie deal with him," She turned away, Caius shrugged and turned back to the two holding Seamus' arms.
"Someone go find Kylie," With a curt 'Yes sir,' the one holding his left arm quickly went down a hallway to his left. Meanwhile, Seamus was staring at the strange room it was in. He didn't like it, not one bit, and he was busy trying to memorize all the hallways that seemed to lead to this entrance. There was no way he would stay here for long, he wasn't going to let the Nietzscheans use him as a guinea pig until one of their experiments failed and he was the one to suffer for it.
"There you are Kylie, here, take him. He's new, and he'll be working with you and Germanus, go get him settled in." Startled out of his thoughts, Seamus turned to see who Caius was talking to—and froze. A pretty girl about his height was staring up at Caius respectively, hands clasped in front of her.
"Yes sir, come with me," Her red hair-red hair, his mother's hair! Seamus found himself staring at it as she motioned for him to follow. Apparently the Nietzscheans didn't fear that he would run away; probably there was no way he could run away, not yet at least. In any case, he was too busy staring at the girl to pay attention. She was a kludge-a human, he corrected himself mentally. Yet she didn't have the wasted, starving look of most girls his age. Nor did she seem hard, like the girls in the gang he had been in.
Remembering the gang, he thought of Brendan, and his gaze fell to the floor. Would he ever see him again? Even if he managed to escape, something no one else had ever done before, what if Brendan died before he found him again? Did Brendan even care about him anymore? After all, no one had come to look for Seamus since his attempted escape on the ship.
"What's your name?" Kylie asked him, waiting for him to catch up so they could walk side by side. Seamus didn't trust her; she seemed too close to the Nietzscheans, but it couldn't hurt to tell her his name.
"Seamus Zelazny-"He almost told her his last name too, but for some reason he stopped, and went back to staring at the ground.
"Don't worry Seamus; it's not so bad here. I've been here for ten years! As long as you work hard, you'll be treated all right," She was smiling at him, and her voice was kind, but Seamus didn't want any of it. She wasn't a worker; she was a pet! He had no desire to be taken care of by Nietzscheans, and he certainly had no intention of befriending this ally of theirs. So instead of answering, he merely glared at her, than at the ground.
Kylie took him to a small room, instructed him to remove his clothes and to clean himself up, which he did. His hair was cut by a robot, and new clothes, a white tunic and pants like those Kylie was wearing, were given to him. They ate dinner, and while it was obviously the healthiest thing Seamus had had in awhile, it had no taste to it and his thoughts turned wistfully to fresh meat. After the meal, Kylie than led him to a large open room, which she called 'The lab'. Two other boys were there; the short, dark one was called Brad, the other, taller and with blonde hair, was called Rhys. Seamus didn't want to know their names, he didn't tell them his, but Kylie introduced him anyway. Brendan's first rule of survival was to never make friends. They slowed you down; the only person either of them could trust was each other.
Luckily, neither Rhys nor Brad seemed very eager to talk either. All four of them waited in silence, for what, Seamus didn't know. Then a door hissed open and a tall, yet thin, Nietzschean entered.
"Hello Kylie, boys..." His brown gaze ran over everyone's faces, and Seamus felt sick when he saw Kylie's blue eyes sparkle as she replied "Hello Germanus sir!"
"And what have we got here? Another worker?" Before Seamus could snarl a response, Kylie piped up,
"This is Seamus Zelazny sir, he's another worker!" Seamus glared daggers at the girl, but Germanus nodded with a faint smile.
"Good good, we can always use more help, can't we?" Rhys and Brad did nothing, but Kylie nodded eagerly. "Well then, let's get to work. Seamus, you just pay attention for today, but don't worry, you'll catch on soon enough," It was probably the worst thing the Nietzscheans could have done to him; he would have preferred being beaten to this, this, condescending attitude! They were nothing more than slaves, at best pets, and Seamus was expected to be grateful for being taken in off the streets!
The work didn't make sense either; Seamus had a feeling that they weren't told what the real 'project' was; all that the kludges were expected to do was to follow instructions in reading charts, handling a few small harmless tool, and to run errands for Germanus. After his first week there, Seamus had turned to Germanus with hard, cold eyes, and asked,
"What exactly are we doing this for?" This was the first time he'd spoken out loud to anyone after he'd told Kylie his name, and the scientist was visibly startled at it.
"Why, we're doing research Seamus. You're helping us to create advancement in technologies that will better the universe for all," Seamus sneered; he didn't even have to ask what they meant by 'all'. Most likely they were creating some type of weapon, and that thought hurt more than he could bear. All he could do was push that thought out of his head and continue on.
He knew that it really wasn't such a bad life; Kylie had been right, there were no random beatings, and Germanus treated them like harmless children. Technically his life hadn't been much better when he was on his own; they were given two meals a day, and Seamus had once gone a week with no food other than some wild plants. Still, no food or clean clothing could ever compare to what he had had before; his freedom. He couldn't believe the others didn't want the same thing, so during the hours when they were in their bunks, the door securely locked, Seamus started talking to the others.
"Don't you guys wanna get out of here?" He asked once. Rhys shrugged, and Brad glared at him.
"How stupid are you? You think we could escape with our lives? Just shut up man," Brad snapped, then hopped onto his cot, facing away from the others. Rhys merely looked at them with widened eyes. Seamus was disgusted with them, but it wasn't like he needed their help anyway. He'd been memorizing the codes to all the doors, the numbers made a sound when pressed, and since the codes were short, it was fairly easy to remember them.
"But why would you want to escape?" Kylie's small voice broke the silence, and to Seamus' surprise, she looked hurt and baffled.
"Let's see; cos the freakin' ubers own us here, and we can't do anything!" he hadn't expected to have to give reasons, thus his answer wasn't as convincing as he'd have liked it to be.
"But it's not a bad life, think of all the things we're learning!" Kylie protested.
"What do you mean it's not a bad life? We're not even living Kylie! Don't you remember what living is like?" Sure, it wasn't great, but Seamus missed the sky, even if it was rarely blue. He even missed the watery sun, and the dirt, the air, the wind! Things were clean here, yes, but they were sterile as well. There was no life. With a dejected sigh, Seamus climbed onto his bunk, leaving Kylie to her thoughts.
While he didn't agree with her on the living aspect, Kylie had been right when she said they were learning. Oh, they weren't supposed to be of course. There were no lessons; nothing except their tasks were explained to them, but Seamus hardly required a teacher. All he had to do was watch Germanus, and soon he figured out how to work almost every machine. He knew what it could do and how to do it. Kylie apparently knew as well, and Seamus began to have a grudging respect for her. She was obviously as smart as he was, but she had never been able to simply use her intelligence.
Still, with no one but her, Rhys, or Brad to talk to, Seamus found himself talking with her more. He'd never been good at being silent, and when his comments made Kylie laugh, he couldn't help but warm up to her some. They ate meals together, and Seamus asked her about how she had come to live in the science lab.
"Well, my parents worked here when I was young. I don't really remember them, but I guess they made some sort of deal with the Nietzscheans so they wouldn't have to work in a more dangerous place. Anyway, they died when I was four, and the Nietzscheans have let me stay here." When she asked him about his past, Seamus at first was reluctant to tell her more than the raw details. As weeks and months passed however, he found himself confiding more and more to her.
"Do you miss the outside world?" Kylie asked him once, as they were trying to sleep.
"Yeah, but it's not so bad here," Actually, he felt like he was suffocating in the place, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. She reminded him of his mother, and when he told her so once, she had beamed. His brief time of happiness didn't last long though; pets or no, they were kludges working for Nietzscheans.
"All right everyone, today Caius and Felise; you remember them, don't you? - are going to be stopping by to see how we're all doing. Just go about your work and you'll be fine." Seamus glanced at Kylie, but she was staring at the floor. The morning passed quietly, as it always did, but Seamus could almost feel the tension. Even Kylie seemed to grimace at her work. After a few hours, Caius and Felise entered, exchanged pleasantries with Germanus, and began walking around the lab. Sometimes they asked Germanus about the work or the machines, but most of the time they simply watched the children.
"Boy, what are you doing?" Caius barked at Rhys, who was struggling with a heavy tray of equipment. Rhys didn't say anything, he never did, and Seamus had begun to suspect that something was wrong with his head, but Rhys did give Caius a scared look.
"Hang on a sec," Seamus said to Brad, whom he was working on charts with. He rushed over to Rhys to try and help him carry the tray.
"Get back to your own work!" Caius spit out, and pushed Seamus heavily back towards the charts. He crashed into the cabinets, and everything seemed to spin. Then he heard a loud crash, and a scream. Rhys had dropped the tray, startled by Caius, and all of the glass had shattered. "Idiot kludge!" Caius yelled at Rhys, and he struck him. Kylie ran over to him and Brad as Caius continued to beat Rhys, while Germanus and Felise watched indifferently, chatting about the research. At last Felise grabbed Caius' arm.
"Come on, we have to get going. Keep up the good work Germanus." She glanced back at the limp form of Rhys, who was lying on the broken glass in a pool of blood. "Oh, and don't worry, we'll find you a replacement," With a smile and a wave, they left. Germanus dismissed them, telling the three that they had done a good job, and then he left.
Kylie was crying into Seamus' shoulder, and he was shaking. His resolve to escape renewed with a force equal to that of when he first was brought here. Silently, the three walked back to their room. On an impulse he couldn't explain, Seamus turned around and dashed back to Rhys' body. He knelt, as if to say a prayer, and grabbed a long shard of broken glass. Slipping it into his sleeve, he followed the other two to their room.
That night, while the others were sleeping, Seamus took the shard of glass out and looked at it, wondering why he had taken it. Of course, the easiest escape would be to simply kill himself. The glass could cut; all he'd have to do was either cut his wrists or his neck. His neck...suddenly Seamus knew why he had grabbed the glass. The chip at the back of his neck, that was what kept him from escaping the planet. If he got that out, all he'd have to do would be to escape the lab. He'd been able to find ships twice; surely it wouldn't be hard to find another such opportunity. Of course, it would be difficult; he couldn't see the back of his neck, so he'd have to do it by feel alone. Grimacing, he remembered the pain last time he'd tried to get on a ship. It hadn't been on his spinal bone, it had been lower, near his right shoulder.
Hesitantly, he placed his hand on the spot where he thought the pain had been sharpest. It had been nearly a year, but the pain was still sharp in his mind. All he had to do was suffer a little more, and then he'd never have to experience such pain again. His mind decided, he wadded up some sheets and stuck them in his mouth to muffle his screams as much as he could. He would try to not make any noise at all, but he really wasn't sure how much it would hurt. With one last deep breath, his left hand marking the spot where he thought the chip was, the other holding the shard like it was a knife, he started.
If he thought the pain the chip caused was bad, this was almost worse. Tears ran freely down his face, and his breath came out in sharp grunts, muffled by the sheets in his mouth. He could feel the blood streaming down his back, but he held his hand steady. It was awkward in such a position, but soon he felt it; a small square metal chip. He knew what he was doing was practically suicide, but the thought of having no hope of ever leaving Earth made him want to die anyway. So he continued, slowly, hoping he didn't pass out from lack of blood before he was finished. His arm began to ache, although it didn't match the pain in his neck, but after many hours, he felt his hand grasp it. His hands dropped onto the cot, and he stared at the little metal chip. Then he crushed it, watching the pieces fall to the ground. His vision swam before him, and he fell back onto the cot into darkness.
When Kylie awoke the next morning, she sprung out of her cot and turned to wake Seamus up. He slept on the cot above hers, and it had become their ritual for her to wake him up. When she saw him though, covered in blood, she screamed. Brad woke up, startled, and Kylie, hysterical, pointed at Seamus. Brad paled but jumped onto Seamus' cot. It was covered in blood, but Brad didn't care. He dragged Seamus off the cot and set him on the floor.
"He's dead Kylie," He said quietly. She dropped to her knees to look at Seamus, shaking her head.
"No! No he's not Brad! He's still breathing, see?" Much to his surprise, Brad saw Seamus' chest move slowly up and down. Turning him over, Brad looked at his neck and bit his lip. Kylie turned away as though she were about to be sick.
"Kylie he needs stitches and bandages if he's going to live," Brad didn't particularly care about Seamus, but he was a decent boy who didn't like to see others die. Although he knew little about healing, he could tell that the blood wouldn't stop in time for the wound to heal. "Kylie, you know how to sew right?"
"A-a little," Kylie stammered, staring at the ugly wound on the base of Seamus' neck. "But, but I don't have any thread!"
"Then go get some! We'll skip breakfast, hurry!" The door opened at a certain time each morning so they could go eat breakfast, but Kylie as allowed certain privileges. Her parents had left her a few belongings, and they were kept in a separate room, but she was allowed access to it during her free time. She ran now, only walking calmly in front of Nietzscheans, a pleasant smile on her face. Then she frantically searched the room for the sewing packet her mother had made for her to repair her clothing with. Kylie hadn't used it in years, but she had to try and help Seamus.
***Three Days Later
"And you who are my parents to church you may me bring, but unto Lord Sultan I'll never bear a son. To a son, or a daughter, I'll never bow my knee, and I'll die if I don't get, my love, Annachie..." Kylie's voice was choked with sobs, but Seamus smiled, although his eyes remained closed. He'd taught Kylie his mother's song weeks ago; he was amazed she remembered it, but then, she was a genius just like him.
Some genius, he thought to himself. If it hadn't been for Brad and Kylie, he would have died. He was allowed to skip work the first day, but the past two he'd been struggling through his work at the lab. They'd been frantic on how to hide his wound; if the Nietzscheans found out what he did, he'd be killed for sure. It had been Kylie's idea to tie a scarf around his neck.
"It used to be a fashion," She explained. Although he felt like an idiot, Seamus hadn't complained. They'd all been pensive, afraid that Germanus would demand that Seamus take the scarf off. He had merely said that he was glad to see Seamus was back, and that had been it.
After the first day, when Seamus had nearly collapsed in the room, Kylie had disappeared for a few minutes. When she returned, she pressed something into his hand.
"What is it?" He asked groggily, staring at the object she'd put in his hands. It looked like a round cylinder.
"I got it from the dining room; one of the Nietzscheans had it and didn't want it any more. It's a drink, some kind of cola, Sparky.." She kept babbling, but Seamus tried it, hesitantly. It was good, and soon he finished off the whole thing.
"Thanks Kylie, that was delicious," He'd whispered, feeling much better already.
"You're welcome," She whispered back, watching him apprehensively.
Kylie had watched him nervously the whole day; Seamus had been sweating with the effort of remaining conscious. At the end of each day, he'd followed them back to their room and collapsed onto Kylie's cot, not having the energy to climb up to his own. Slowly, his wound was healing. There was still a chance of infection, but Kylie cleaned it for him everyday. Now she was singing to him, something that she insisted upon doing despite his protests.
"Seamus, why did you do something like that? You could have died so easily," Kylie whispered, not realizing that he was still awake.
"I can't stay here Kylie, it's driving me insane," he said softly. Startled, she accidentally jostled him, and he winced.
"Sorry—but why Seamus? Is it so bad here?" She asked, tears filling her eyes. He couldn't look at her like that, so he closed his eyes.
"Look Kylie, as soon as I'm better, I'm getting out of here or I'm going to die trying," Kylie drew a shuddering breath.
"No Seamus! I don't want you to leave! You're the first real friend I've ever had, and, I love you," She said the last few words so softly he almost didn't hear them. His eyes snapped open again and he struggled to sit up. With her help, he turned to face her.
"Come with me Kylie! We'll find my cousin Brendan and we'll all get out of here! I can get your chip out too, and his." He was smiling, his face flushed with excitement, and Kylie couldn't help but smile.
"Ok Seamus, if you want me to, I'll help you escape."
"And you'll come with me?"
"Yes, I'll come with you," Seamus smiled and kissed her freckly nose without thinking, then lay back down. Kylie blushed and lay down to sleep beside him.
Although the wound left a scar, it wasn't so noticeable if he kept his shirt collar up. It also wasn't as big as he had feared it would be; not that he cared too much, he had plenty of small scars in various places, he wasn't even sure how he had gotten most of them, but he was still a little vain about his looks. Especially since Kylie had confessed that she thought he was cute.
A few more months passed, and Seamus regained his strength. They had talked to Brad about escaping and he had only shaken his head. He wouldn't help or hinder their escape, but he didn't want to leave with them. Neither was very surprised, Seamus hadn't thanked Brad for saving his life since he hadn't asked him to do so, but he knew Brad was more concerned about surviving than he was about being free.
So Kylie and Seamus planned together, casting each other significant glances whenever Germanus mentioned something they thought might help them to escape. They planned to do it in the morning, when they were first allowed to leave for breakfast. There were always guards, but this was a time of shift changes and the guards ate their meals at this time as well, so things would be more confusing. They would go the bathroom, Kylie a few minutes after Seamus, and they wouldn't return to the dining room. Instead they would sneak through one of the restricted hallways Seamus had learned the codes for. There was also an underground escape route that led to just beyond the gates, this would be trickier, but Seamus would have to hack into the computer to learn the codes for it. Kylie had known about the escape route since she was little and there had been an accident. No one had thought to bring the kludge, but she had followed the Nietzschean workers to the entrance. She had forgotten about it until Seamus had mentioned how much easier it would be if they didn't have to run across the open space between the door and the gates.
At last, everything was in place. Despite his misgivings, Brad had helped Kylie to distract Germanus so that Seamus had been able to get into the computer. He prided himself on how quickly and subtlety he'd been able to get the codes. Germanus hadn't suspected a thing, and if anyone else had found out, Seamus would have been dead by then.
The morning of their designated day, Seamus and Kylie roused each other, and then dressed silently. They hadn't told Brad what day they were escaping; there was less chance of him being endangered if he didn't know. They exchanged nervous smiles. Impulsively Seamus leaned over and kissed her on her cheek, then blushed, looking away.
"Seamus," Dammit, now he had made her cry, he could hear it in her voice. Prepared to apologize, he turned back and then she was kissing him- on the mouth. Dumbfounded, he stared at her when she pulled away, brushing a few tears from her eyes.
"Hurry up," she whispered, then left. Still trying to collect himself, Seamus followed her, casting one last look at the room where he had spent the last year. He wouldn't miss it.
Although both were nearly numb with fear, everything went according to plan. No one gave them a second glance when first Seamus, then a few minutes later Kylie, asked if they could use the bathroom.
Once they were together, they snuck to the restricted hallway, neither daring to talk. Now came the moment of truth, as Seamus had put it. With a deep breath, and a mental double-check, he punched in the code. He glanced at Kylie; her eyes were squeezed shut, and her hands were clenched.
"What, don't you believe in me?" He whispered mockingly, she only opened one eye and smiled. The door made a clicking sound and then it slid open. They both breathed a sigh of relief and then began running through the hallway. It was really so simple, Seamus was amazed that no one before them had escaped before. Of course, there were few kludges their age equal to his and Kylie's intellect. That was why the Nietzscheans used children; they needed workers who were capable enough to not blow the lab up, but they had to be expendable if something did go wrong, which was why kludges were used, and children could learn fairly simple tasks without actually catching on to say, how the main computer system operated. Luckily, Seamus and Kylie weren't ordinary.
His heart pounding so loud he couldn't hear anything else, Seamus led the way down the passage. Once they reached the end, all they had to do was to make it to the escape entrance, and they were free. A moment of terror occurred when a Nietzschean guard passed them by. He looked at them, but Seamus and Kylie stared at the ground and walked slowly and purposefully, and somehow managed to get by without any questions.
"Thank God," Kylie breathed once they had accessed the escape panel. Seamus glanced up at her. God? Since when had she become religious? He didn't say anything though, he simply typed in the code. This one was longer, and he had told Kylie it so that if he forgot, she could remember for him. At one point he froze, suddenly he couldn't remember what the next number was, and if they didn't press something in the next five seconds, the computer would know they weren't authorized. Seeing him freeze, Kylie quickly leaned forward and pressed the button for him. He remembered the rest, and once the door was open the crawled inside, then turned and shut the door.
It was the longest ten minutes of his life, of that Seamus was sure. They crawled as quickly as they could. Kylie had said that she didn't think there were any cameras in the tunnel, because they would serve no purpose, but how could you rationalize Nietzschean thinking?
Then, at last, Seamus felt the cold hit his face and he nearly yelled for joy. The air was bitterly cold, but it felt so good that he didn't complain. They were on the other side of the gates, and helping Kylie up, he grasped her hand and they ran.
The farther they got from the lab, the more Seamus' heart lightened. It had worked! He was free! Kylie was free with him! He burst out laughing, stopped running and hugged Kylie tightly. She hugged him and laughed too, although Seamus knew she was nervous about living outside. She had known nothing but roughly twenty different rooms for most of her life. The feel of fresh-if not clean-air was but a memory, and a distant one.
"It's so cold!" She exclaimed as they continued to the main city. Her teeth were chattering, and Seamus knew they would have to get some new clothes. They were not out of danger yet.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," he told her smiling. If only Brendan were here, then everything would be perfect, he thought dejectedly. For now, his cousin would have to wait. Looking around, Seamus realized that the streets were unusually deserted. Luckily, he had had enough foresight to grab some food before he had left the dining area. Running up to an elderly woman, he held out the squashed piece of bread. She stared at it, confused.
"Ma'am, do you know where we can find some clothes?" he asked quietly. The woman looked him and Kylie up and down, and then nodded. "And where is everyone?" he asked, handing her the bread as she led them through the streets.
"The magog have been attacking more recently, most people stay inside when they can," She said, her voice dry and cracked. Kylie looked at Seamus with alarm; she'd never seen or heard about the Magog, but Seamus had told her about his experience with them.
"How can the magog attack here? This is the city!" he said, confused. The old woman shrugged, eating the bread quickly.
"They've grown in numbers, and the Ubers can't fight them off completely." Seamus gave Kylie a weak smile as the woman led them to an old crumbling building.
"You can take whatever fits," She said, and then quickly she walked away, disappearing into the shadows. Kylie clasped her mouth; there were dozens of dead bodies lying on the ground. The flies were thick, and the smell atrocious, but Seamus' heart didn't skip a beat. He started searching for clothes, whenever he found something that would work, he pried it off the body it was on and handed it to Kylie. She didn't complain, not even when he explained that he didn't know what they'd eat, or even when, but that he'd do his best to take care of her. She smiled at him, and somehow he didn't care if he didn't get to eat for a week, as long as Kylie stayed with him.
He had contemplated his options; should he try and find the gang in case Brendan was still with them? Should he go back to one of his old hideouts? With remorse, he decided that the dump was too dangerous; if the Nietzscheans looked for them that was where they would search for him first. So he found a new spot, far away from the part of the city where the lab was. He and Kylie spent their first few weeks of freedom living in a deserted train station. Despite their lack of food and warm clothing, they delighted in each other's company.
"Seamus, is this how married folk act?" Kylie had asked once, giggling as they huddled together with an old blanket wrapped around them.
"Nah, they kiss more," He replied, smiling. "Like this," and he'd kissed her. Brendan had explained about girls to him, some, but he had never thought he'd enjoy kissing a girl. When Brendan had first confided his feelings toward some of the girls they'd met, Seamus had laughed and said he was crazy. "You'll understand someday," Brendan had said, and now he did.
Kylie was every bit as innocent as he was, both having been rather unusually secluded to the ideas and acts of love, but they liked to think of themselves as married.
"I mean, we're probably too young, you know, but what does it matter?" He'd said once, and Kylie had agreed, saying it was their feelings, and not their ages that mattered. They set up a cozy, if dirty and ugly, nest in the train station. A few rotted benches were still there. The ones that were still together they used as beds, the others they chopped up for firewood. All in all, both were happy. Seamus had started spending the days searching for news of his cousin, and had come back once, laughing, to tell Kylie that he had heard people gossiping. Apparently two kludges had escaped from some Nietzschean dungeon or such thing, and a reward would be given to whoever found and killed them. Kylie had been worried at first.
"But what if someone finds us out and kills us for the reward?" She'd asked.
"Don't be silly. Everyone knows that the only reward Nietzscheans will give us is a quick death," He had been right, people sometimes cast odd looks at him if he let his name slip, but other than that, he'd never had any trouble.
Until the day he came home and found Kylie doubled over, coughing and retching on the ground. He'd rushed over to her side, and despite her protests that she was fine, he could tell that she had a fever. Seamus didn't understand; surely he would have gotten sick before Kylie! She'd had a much longer time of healthy food and surroundings; she claimed that she had never been sick in her life, while he had been sick too often for him to count. Frantic with worry as she steadily grew worse, her already pale skin growing sickly, he bundled her up in blankets and ran through the streets, trying to find some type of doctor. At last a man, whose little remaining hair was completely white, stopped to listen to Seamus' hysterical cries for help.
"All right, I probably can't do anything for the girl, but I'll take a look at her," Seamus had led him back to the station and the man looked Kylie over. She had slipped into unconsciousness while Seamus had been gone, so she couldn't answer the doctor's questions of what felt wrong. Seamus tried to explain as best he could, but Kylie hadn't told him much. Holding her desperately as the man sighed and shook his head; Seamus protested that she couldn't be so sick. He explained everything, where they had come from, how Kylie had grown up in such a healthy area. At last, the man nodded in understanding.
"I'm afraid you're wrong young man, she's much more likely to become ill than you," Wide eyed and white with fear, Seamus stared at the man in disbelief.
"What are you talking about?"
"Germs boy! She's never been exposed to them, I'd bet. Or if has, it wasn't for long. She's got no immune system if she ain't ever been sick, and she probably can't handle the food neither. Shoulda left her where she was," The man sighed again, and patted Seamus comfortingly on the back. "Maybe she'll pull through; it's up to her now,"
"No!" Seamus cried, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Kylie wasn't able to eat, and as the days passed she drifted in and out of consciousness. Seamus refused to leave her side, and he grew weak from lack of food or sleep. Then one morning, a week after she had first fallen ill, Kylie opened her eyes and stared up at Seamus.
"Sing to me, please, Seamus," Her voice was so dry and parched, since Seamus hadn't been able to find any clean water or even any alcohol, that it nearly broke his heart just to hear her.
"I'm so sorry Kylie! You'd be fine if it weren't for me," He sobbed, and her eyes fluttered closed.
"It's ok Seamus; I got to live with you. Please sing," Cradling her in his arms, Seamus started singing the only song he knew, and although he sang it the best he could, his voice was too choked and shaky for it to sound pretty.
"Jeannie was married, from church was brought home...when she and her maidens so merry should have been...when she and her maidens so merry should have been, she goes into her chamber and cries all alone....Come to bed my Jeannie, my honey and my sweet, to style you my mistress it would be so sweet...Be it mistress or Jeannie it's all the same to me, but in your bed Lord Sultan I never will lie." He knew she had stopped breathing, he could feel it, but still he kept singing, his eyes shut tightly, trying to deny the reality of the world.
"And down came—her father, he's spoken with renown, saying 'You who are her maidens, go loosen up her gowns, and she fell down to his floor, and straight down to her knee, saying, Father look I'm dying for my love, Annachie....The day that Jeannie married was the day that Jeannie died, and the day that young Annachie came home, on the tide...and down came her maidens all wringing of their hands, saying, 'Oh you've been so long, you've been so long, on the sands, so long upon the sounds, so long upon the floods, they have married your Jeannie and now, she lies dead. You who are her maidens, come take me by the hand, and lead me to the chamber where my love she lies in...and he kissed her cold lips and his heart it turned to stone, and he died, in the chamber where his love, she lies in,"
Seamus could barely speak the last words; his own throat had been sore the past few days and he knew he was getting a fever but he didn't care. He kissed her one last time and silently wished for death.
End of Chapter 3
End of Volume 1
Well, how was it? Horrible? I hope not. Anyway, PLEASE write a review, or I won't add anything! If you prefer, write to me at Runicprincess@aol.com Any thoughts, known facts, or ideas are welcome too. Thanks,
Luna Sealeaf
Disclaimer: No, I don't own these characters, and I am not making a profit off of this. The only characters I created were Seamus' family, other than Brendan, and I stole the names Siobhan and Declan from one of the episodes.
Pronunciation: The Irish names, meanings, spellings, and pronunciations are all correct, as far as I know.
Bronagh (Bro-nah)
Kaleigh (Kay-lee)
Eoin (Owe-in)
Declan (Deck-lawn)
Siobhan (Shiv-an)
Volume 1: Chapter 3
Cruel Dependence
Age 13-16
Seamus was paralyzed with fear the entire trip to the labs, which were on the other side of the city. How had they found him, let alone heard of him? Surely a few repaired heaters and other small items weren't such a big deal! He didn't voice these questions aloud though, and none of the Nietzscheans said anything to him. People stared as they walked through the streets, and Seamus knew they were all thinking the same thing; 'Better him than me,'
At last they reached the labs; a tall heavy gate surrounded the area, and the head Nietzschean had to scan his fingerprints and eyes for the gates to open. Seamus couldn't stifle a gasp when he saw the building; it was the strangest thing he'd ever seen. There were three large, pure white domed buildings in a triangular patter. They were all about the same size, and there were Nietzschean guards stationed outside the exits.
"What's with the kid?" One of the burly guards asked as he opened the door for the Nietzscheans holding Seamus.
"The kid's a worker," was the gruff reply, and Seamus' heart sank at the sinister laugh of the Nietzscheans.
"Welcome back Caius, is this the kludge?" A tall female Nietzschean, pretty as most were, asked. She was dressed in a long white coat, and her black hair was tied back into a bun.
"Yeah, where do you want him Felise?" Caius, which Seamus realized was Nietzschean in front of him, answered. Felise sighed and shrugged.
"He's not going to my department, let Kylie deal with him," She turned away, Caius shrugged and turned back to the two holding Seamus' arms.
"Someone go find Kylie," With a curt 'Yes sir,' the one holding his left arm quickly went down a hallway to his left. Meanwhile, Seamus was staring at the strange room it was in. He didn't like it, not one bit, and he was busy trying to memorize all the hallways that seemed to lead to this entrance. There was no way he would stay here for long, he wasn't going to let the Nietzscheans use him as a guinea pig until one of their experiments failed and he was the one to suffer for it.
"There you are Kylie, here, take him. He's new, and he'll be working with you and Germanus, go get him settled in." Startled out of his thoughts, Seamus turned to see who Caius was talking to—and froze. A pretty girl about his height was staring up at Caius respectively, hands clasped in front of her.
"Yes sir, come with me," Her red hair-red hair, his mother's hair! Seamus found himself staring at it as she motioned for him to follow. Apparently the Nietzscheans didn't fear that he would run away; probably there was no way he could run away, not yet at least. In any case, he was too busy staring at the girl to pay attention. She was a kludge-a human, he corrected himself mentally. Yet she didn't have the wasted, starving look of most girls his age. Nor did she seem hard, like the girls in the gang he had been in.
Remembering the gang, he thought of Brendan, and his gaze fell to the floor. Would he ever see him again? Even if he managed to escape, something no one else had ever done before, what if Brendan died before he found him again? Did Brendan even care about him anymore? After all, no one had come to look for Seamus since his attempted escape on the ship.
"What's your name?" Kylie asked him, waiting for him to catch up so they could walk side by side. Seamus didn't trust her; she seemed too close to the Nietzscheans, but it couldn't hurt to tell her his name.
"Seamus Zelazny-"He almost told her his last name too, but for some reason he stopped, and went back to staring at the ground.
"Don't worry Seamus; it's not so bad here. I've been here for ten years! As long as you work hard, you'll be treated all right," She was smiling at him, and her voice was kind, but Seamus didn't want any of it. She wasn't a worker; she was a pet! He had no desire to be taken care of by Nietzscheans, and he certainly had no intention of befriending this ally of theirs. So instead of answering, he merely glared at her, than at the ground.
Kylie took him to a small room, instructed him to remove his clothes and to clean himself up, which he did. His hair was cut by a robot, and new clothes, a white tunic and pants like those Kylie was wearing, were given to him. They ate dinner, and while it was obviously the healthiest thing Seamus had had in awhile, it had no taste to it and his thoughts turned wistfully to fresh meat. After the meal, Kylie than led him to a large open room, which she called 'The lab'. Two other boys were there; the short, dark one was called Brad, the other, taller and with blonde hair, was called Rhys. Seamus didn't want to know their names, he didn't tell them his, but Kylie introduced him anyway. Brendan's first rule of survival was to never make friends. They slowed you down; the only person either of them could trust was each other.
Luckily, neither Rhys nor Brad seemed very eager to talk either. All four of them waited in silence, for what, Seamus didn't know. Then a door hissed open and a tall, yet thin, Nietzschean entered.
"Hello Kylie, boys..." His brown gaze ran over everyone's faces, and Seamus felt sick when he saw Kylie's blue eyes sparkle as she replied "Hello Germanus sir!"
"And what have we got here? Another worker?" Before Seamus could snarl a response, Kylie piped up,
"This is Seamus Zelazny sir, he's another worker!" Seamus glared daggers at the girl, but Germanus nodded with a faint smile.
"Good good, we can always use more help, can't we?" Rhys and Brad did nothing, but Kylie nodded eagerly. "Well then, let's get to work. Seamus, you just pay attention for today, but don't worry, you'll catch on soon enough," It was probably the worst thing the Nietzscheans could have done to him; he would have preferred being beaten to this, this, condescending attitude! They were nothing more than slaves, at best pets, and Seamus was expected to be grateful for being taken in off the streets!
The work didn't make sense either; Seamus had a feeling that they weren't told what the real 'project' was; all that the kludges were expected to do was to follow instructions in reading charts, handling a few small harmless tool, and to run errands for Germanus. After his first week there, Seamus had turned to Germanus with hard, cold eyes, and asked,
"What exactly are we doing this for?" This was the first time he'd spoken out loud to anyone after he'd told Kylie his name, and the scientist was visibly startled at it.
"Why, we're doing research Seamus. You're helping us to create advancement in technologies that will better the universe for all," Seamus sneered; he didn't even have to ask what they meant by 'all'. Most likely they were creating some type of weapon, and that thought hurt more than he could bear. All he could do was push that thought out of his head and continue on.
He knew that it really wasn't such a bad life; Kylie had been right, there were no random beatings, and Germanus treated them like harmless children. Technically his life hadn't been much better when he was on his own; they were given two meals a day, and Seamus had once gone a week with no food other than some wild plants. Still, no food or clean clothing could ever compare to what he had had before; his freedom. He couldn't believe the others didn't want the same thing, so during the hours when they were in their bunks, the door securely locked, Seamus started talking to the others.
"Don't you guys wanna get out of here?" He asked once. Rhys shrugged, and Brad glared at him.
"How stupid are you? You think we could escape with our lives? Just shut up man," Brad snapped, then hopped onto his cot, facing away from the others. Rhys merely looked at them with widened eyes. Seamus was disgusted with them, but it wasn't like he needed their help anyway. He'd been memorizing the codes to all the doors, the numbers made a sound when pressed, and since the codes were short, it was fairly easy to remember them.
"But why would you want to escape?" Kylie's small voice broke the silence, and to Seamus' surprise, she looked hurt and baffled.
"Let's see; cos the freakin' ubers own us here, and we can't do anything!" he hadn't expected to have to give reasons, thus his answer wasn't as convincing as he'd have liked it to be.
"But it's not a bad life, think of all the things we're learning!" Kylie protested.
"What do you mean it's not a bad life? We're not even living Kylie! Don't you remember what living is like?" Sure, it wasn't great, but Seamus missed the sky, even if it was rarely blue. He even missed the watery sun, and the dirt, the air, the wind! Things were clean here, yes, but they were sterile as well. There was no life. With a dejected sigh, Seamus climbed onto his bunk, leaving Kylie to her thoughts.
While he didn't agree with her on the living aspect, Kylie had been right when she said they were learning. Oh, they weren't supposed to be of course. There were no lessons; nothing except their tasks were explained to them, but Seamus hardly required a teacher. All he had to do was watch Germanus, and soon he figured out how to work almost every machine. He knew what it could do and how to do it. Kylie apparently knew as well, and Seamus began to have a grudging respect for her. She was obviously as smart as he was, but she had never been able to simply use her intelligence.
Still, with no one but her, Rhys, or Brad to talk to, Seamus found himself talking with her more. He'd never been good at being silent, and when his comments made Kylie laugh, he couldn't help but warm up to her some. They ate meals together, and Seamus asked her about how she had come to live in the science lab.
"Well, my parents worked here when I was young. I don't really remember them, but I guess they made some sort of deal with the Nietzscheans so they wouldn't have to work in a more dangerous place. Anyway, they died when I was four, and the Nietzscheans have let me stay here." When she asked him about his past, Seamus at first was reluctant to tell her more than the raw details. As weeks and months passed however, he found himself confiding more and more to her.
"Do you miss the outside world?" Kylie asked him once, as they were trying to sleep.
"Yeah, but it's not so bad here," Actually, he felt like he was suffocating in the place, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. She reminded him of his mother, and when he told her so once, she had beamed. His brief time of happiness didn't last long though; pets or no, they were kludges working for Nietzscheans.
"All right everyone, today Caius and Felise; you remember them, don't you? - are going to be stopping by to see how we're all doing. Just go about your work and you'll be fine." Seamus glanced at Kylie, but she was staring at the floor. The morning passed quietly, as it always did, but Seamus could almost feel the tension. Even Kylie seemed to grimace at her work. After a few hours, Caius and Felise entered, exchanged pleasantries with Germanus, and began walking around the lab. Sometimes they asked Germanus about the work or the machines, but most of the time they simply watched the children.
"Boy, what are you doing?" Caius barked at Rhys, who was struggling with a heavy tray of equipment. Rhys didn't say anything, he never did, and Seamus had begun to suspect that something was wrong with his head, but Rhys did give Caius a scared look.
"Hang on a sec," Seamus said to Brad, whom he was working on charts with. He rushed over to Rhys to try and help him carry the tray.
"Get back to your own work!" Caius spit out, and pushed Seamus heavily back towards the charts. He crashed into the cabinets, and everything seemed to spin. Then he heard a loud crash, and a scream. Rhys had dropped the tray, startled by Caius, and all of the glass had shattered. "Idiot kludge!" Caius yelled at Rhys, and he struck him. Kylie ran over to him and Brad as Caius continued to beat Rhys, while Germanus and Felise watched indifferently, chatting about the research. At last Felise grabbed Caius' arm.
"Come on, we have to get going. Keep up the good work Germanus." She glanced back at the limp form of Rhys, who was lying on the broken glass in a pool of blood. "Oh, and don't worry, we'll find you a replacement," With a smile and a wave, they left. Germanus dismissed them, telling the three that they had done a good job, and then he left.
Kylie was crying into Seamus' shoulder, and he was shaking. His resolve to escape renewed with a force equal to that of when he first was brought here. Silently, the three walked back to their room. On an impulse he couldn't explain, Seamus turned around and dashed back to Rhys' body. He knelt, as if to say a prayer, and grabbed a long shard of broken glass. Slipping it into his sleeve, he followed the other two to their room.
That night, while the others were sleeping, Seamus took the shard of glass out and looked at it, wondering why he had taken it. Of course, the easiest escape would be to simply kill himself. The glass could cut; all he'd have to do was either cut his wrists or his neck. His neck...suddenly Seamus knew why he had grabbed the glass. The chip at the back of his neck, that was what kept him from escaping the planet. If he got that out, all he'd have to do would be to escape the lab. He'd been able to find ships twice; surely it wouldn't be hard to find another such opportunity. Of course, it would be difficult; he couldn't see the back of his neck, so he'd have to do it by feel alone. Grimacing, he remembered the pain last time he'd tried to get on a ship. It hadn't been on his spinal bone, it had been lower, near his right shoulder.
Hesitantly, he placed his hand on the spot where he thought the pain had been sharpest. It had been nearly a year, but the pain was still sharp in his mind. All he had to do was suffer a little more, and then he'd never have to experience such pain again. His mind decided, he wadded up some sheets and stuck them in his mouth to muffle his screams as much as he could. He would try to not make any noise at all, but he really wasn't sure how much it would hurt. With one last deep breath, his left hand marking the spot where he thought the chip was, the other holding the shard like it was a knife, he started.
If he thought the pain the chip caused was bad, this was almost worse. Tears ran freely down his face, and his breath came out in sharp grunts, muffled by the sheets in his mouth. He could feel the blood streaming down his back, but he held his hand steady. It was awkward in such a position, but soon he felt it; a small square metal chip. He knew what he was doing was practically suicide, but the thought of having no hope of ever leaving Earth made him want to die anyway. So he continued, slowly, hoping he didn't pass out from lack of blood before he was finished. His arm began to ache, although it didn't match the pain in his neck, but after many hours, he felt his hand grasp it. His hands dropped onto the cot, and he stared at the little metal chip. Then he crushed it, watching the pieces fall to the ground. His vision swam before him, and he fell back onto the cot into darkness.
When Kylie awoke the next morning, she sprung out of her cot and turned to wake Seamus up. He slept on the cot above hers, and it had become their ritual for her to wake him up. When she saw him though, covered in blood, she screamed. Brad woke up, startled, and Kylie, hysterical, pointed at Seamus. Brad paled but jumped onto Seamus' cot. It was covered in blood, but Brad didn't care. He dragged Seamus off the cot and set him on the floor.
"He's dead Kylie," He said quietly. She dropped to her knees to look at Seamus, shaking her head.
"No! No he's not Brad! He's still breathing, see?" Much to his surprise, Brad saw Seamus' chest move slowly up and down. Turning him over, Brad looked at his neck and bit his lip. Kylie turned away as though she were about to be sick.
"Kylie he needs stitches and bandages if he's going to live," Brad didn't particularly care about Seamus, but he was a decent boy who didn't like to see others die. Although he knew little about healing, he could tell that the blood wouldn't stop in time for the wound to heal. "Kylie, you know how to sew right?"
"A-a little," Kylie stammered, staring at the ugly wound on the base of Seamus' neck. "But, but I don't have any thread!"
"Then go get some! We'll skip breakfast, hurry!" The door opened at a certain time each morning so they could go eat breakfast, but Kylie as allowed certain privileges. Her parents had left her a few belongings, and they were kept in a separate room, but she was allowed access to it during her free time. She ran now, only walking calmly in front of Nietzscheans, a pleasant smile on her face. Then she frantically searched the room for the sewing packet her mother had made for her to repair her clothing with. Kylie hadn't used it in years, but she had to try and help Seamus.
***Three Days Later
"And you who are my parents to church you may me bring, but unto Lord Sultan I'll never bear a son. To a son, or a daughter, I'll never bow my knee, and I'll die if I don't get, my love, Annachie..." Kylie's voice was choked with sobs, but Seamus smiled, although his eyes remained closed. He'd taught Kylie his mother's song weeks ago; he was amazed she remembered it, but then, she was a genius just like him.
Some genius, he thought to himself. If it hadn't been for Brad and Kylie, he would have died. He was allowed to skip work the first day, but the past two he'd been struggling through his work at the lab. They'd been frantic on how to hide his wound; if the Nietzscheans found out what he did, he'd be killed for sure. It had been Kylie's idea to tie a scarf around his neck.
"It used to be a fashion," She explained. Although he felt like an idiot, Seamus hadn't complained. They'd all been pensive, afraid that Germanus would demand that Seamus take the scarf off. He had merely said that he was glad to see Seamus was back, and that had been it.
After the first day, when Seamus had nearly collapsed in the room, Kylie had disappeared for a few minutes. When she returned, she pressed something into his hand.
"What is it?" He asked groggily, staring at the object she'd put in his hands. It looked like a round cylinder.
"I got it from the dining room; one of the Nietzscheans had it and didn't want it any more. It's a drink, some kind of cola, Sparky.." She kept babbling, but Seamus tried it, hesitantly. It was good, and soon he finished off the whole thing.
"Thanks Kylie, that was delicious," He'd whispered, feeling much better already.
"You're welcome," She whispered back, watching him apprehensively.
Kylie had watched him nervously the whole day; Seamus had been sweating with the effort of remaining conscious. At the end of each day, he'd followed them back to their room and collapsed onto Kylie's cot, not having the energy to climb up to his own. Slowly, his wound was healing. There was still a chance of infection, but Kylie cleaned it for him everyday. Now she was singing to him, something that she insisted upon doing despite his protests.
"Seamus, why did you do something like that? You could have died so easily," Kylie whispered, not realizing that he was still awake.
"I can't stay here Kylie, it's driving me insane," he said softly. Startled, she accidentally jostled him, and he winced.
"Sorry—but why Seamus? Is it so bad here?" She asked, tears filling her eyes. He couldn't look at her like that, so he closed his eyes.
"Look Kylie, as soon as I'm better, I'm getting out of here or I'm going to die trying," Kylie drew a shuddering breath.
"No Seamus! I don't want you to leave! You're the first real friend I've ever had, and, I love you," She said the last few words so softly he almost didn't hear them. His eyes snapped open again and he struggled to sit up. With her help, he turned to face her.
"Come with me Kylie! We'll find my cousin Brendan and we'll all get out of here! I can get your chip out too, and his." He was smiling, his face flushed with excitement, and Kylie couldn't help but smile.
"Ok Seamus, if you want me to, I'll help you escape."
"And you'll come with me?"
"Yes, I'll come with you," Seamus smiled and kissed her freckly nose without thinking, then lay back down. Kylie blushed and lay down to sleep beside him.
Although the wound left a scar, it wasn't so noticeable if he kept his shirt collar up. It also wasn't as big as he had feared it would be; not that he cared too much, he had plenty of small scars in various places, he wasn't even sure how he had gotten most of them, but he was still a little vain about his looks. Especially since Kylie had confessed that she thought he was cute.
A few more months passed, and Seamus regained his strength. They had talked to Brad about escaping and he had only shaken his head. He wouldn't help or hinder their escape, but he didn't want to leave with them. Neither was very surprised, Seamus hadn't thanked Brad for saving his life since he hadn't asked him to do so, but he knew Brad was more concerned about surviving than he was about being free.
So Kylie and Seamus planned together, casting each other significant glances whenever Germanus mentioned something they thought might help them to escape. They planned to do it in the morning, when they were first allowed to leave for breakfast. There were always guards, but this was a time of shift changes and the guards ate their meals at this time as well, so things would be more confusing. They would go the bathroom, Kylie a few minutes after Seamus, and they wouldn't return to the dining room. Instead they would sneak through one of the restricted hallways Seamus had learned the codes for. There was also an underground escape route that led to just beyond the gates, this would be trickier, but Seamus would have to hack into the computer to learn the codes for it. Kylie had known about the escape route since she was little and there had been an accident. No one had thought to bring the kludge, but she had followed the Nietzschean workers to the entrance. She had forgotten about it until Seamus had mentioned how much easier it would be if they didn't have to run across the open space between the door and the gates.
At last, everything was in place. Despite his misgivings, Brad had helped Kylie to distract Germanus so that Seamus had been able to get into the computer. He prided himself on how quickly and subtlety he'd been able to get the codes. Germanus hadn't suspected a thing, and if anyone else had found out, Seamus would have been dead by then.
The morning of their designated day, Seamus and Kylie roused each other, and then dressed silently. They hadn't told Brad what day they were escaping; there was less chance of him being endangered if he didn't know. They exchanged nervous smiles. Impulsively Seamus leaned over and kissed her on her cheek, then blushed, looking away.
"Seamus," Dammit, now he had made her cry, he could hear it in her voice. Prepared to apologize, he turned back and then she was kissing him- on the mouth. Dumbfounded, he stared at her when she pulled away, brushing a few tears from her eyes.
"Hurry up," she whispered, then left. Still trying to collect himself, Seamus followed her, casting one last look at the room where he had spent the last year. He wouldn't miss it.
Although both were nearly numb with fear, everything went according to plan. No one gave them a second glance when first Seamus, then a few minutes later Kylie, asked if they could use the bathroom.
Once they were together, they snuck to the restricted hallway, neither daring to talk. Now came the moment of truth, as Seamus had put it. With a deep breath, and a mental double-check, he punched in the code. He glanced at Kylie; her eyes were squeezed shut, and her hands were clenched.
"What, don't you believe in me?" He whispered mockingly, she only opened one eye and smiled. The door made a clicking sound and then it slid open. They both breathed a sigh of relief and then began running through the hallway. It was really so simple, Seamus was amazed that no one before them had escaped before. Of course, there were few kludges their age equal to his and Kylie's intellect. That was why the Nietzscheans used children; they needed workers who were capable enough to not blow the lab up, but they had to be expendable if something did go wrong, which was why kludges were used, and children could learn fairly simple tasks without actually catching on to say, how the main computer system operated. Luckily, Seamus and Kylie weren't ordinary.
His heart pounding so loud he couldn't hear anything else, Seamus led the way down the passage. Once they reached the end, all they had to do was to make it to the escape entrance, and they were free. A moment of terror occurred when a Nietzschean guard passed them by. He looked at them, but Seamus and Kylie stared at the ground and walked slowly and purposefully, and somehow managed to get by without any questions.
"Thank God," Kylie breathed once they had accessed the escape panel. Seamus glanced up at her. God? Since when had she become religious? He didn't say anything though, he simply typed in the code. This one was longer, and he had told Kylie it so that if he forgot, she could remember for him. At one point he froze, suddenly he couldn't remember what the next number was, and if they didn't press something in the next five seconds, the computer would know they weren't authorized. Seeing him freeze, Kylie quickly leaned forward and pressed the button for him. He remembered the rest, and once the door was open the crawled inside, then turned and shut the door.
It was the longest ten minutes of his life, of that Seamus was sure. They crawled as quickly as they could. Kylie had said that she didn't think there were any cameras in the tunnel, because they would serve no purpose, but how could you rationalize Nietzschean thinking?
Then, at last, Seamus felt the cold hit his face and he nearly yelled for joy. The air was bitterly cold, but it felt so good that he didn't complain. They were on the other side of the gates, and helping Kylie up, he grasped her hand and they ran.
The farther they got from the lab, the more Seamus' heart lightened. It had worked! He was free! Kylie was free with him! He burst out laughing, stopped running and hugged Kylie tightly. She hugged him and laughed too, although Seamus knew she was nervous about living outside. She had known nothing but roughly twenty different rooms for most of her life. The feel of fresh-if not clean-air was but a memory, and a distant one.
"It's so cold!" She exclaimed as they continued to the main city. Her teeth were chattering, and Seamus knew they would have to get some new clothes. They were not out of danger yet.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," he told her smiling. If only Brendan were here, then everything would be perfect, he thought dejectedly. For now, his cousin would have to wait. Looking around, Seamus realized that the streets were unusually deserted. Luckily, he had had enough foresight to grab some food before he had left the dining area. Running up to an elderly woman, he held out the squashed piece of bread. She stared at it, confused.
"Ma'am, do you know where we can find some clothes?" he asked quietly. The woman looked him and Kylie up and down, and then nodded. "And where is everyone?" he asked, handing her the bread as she led them through the streets.
"The magog have been attacking more recently, most people stay inside when they can," She said, her voice dry and cracked. Kylie looked at Seamus with alarm; she'd never seen or heard about the Magog, but Seamus had told her about his experience with them.
"How can the magog attack here? This is the city!" he said, confused. The old woman shrugged, eating the bread quickly.
"They've grown in numbers, and the Ubers can't fight them off completely." Seamus gave Kylie a weak smile as the woman led them to an old crumbling building.
"You can take whatever fits," She said, and then quickly she walked away, disappearing into the shadows. Kylie clasped her mouth; there were dozens of dead bodies lying on the ground. The flies were thick, and the smell atrocious, but Seamus' heart didn't skip a beat. He started searching for clothes, whenever he found something that would work, he pried it off the body it was on and handed it to Kylie. She didn't complain, not even when he explained that he didn't know what they'd eat, or even when, but that he'd do his best to take care of her. She smiled at him, and somehow he didn't care if he didn't get to eat for a week, as long as Kylie stayed with him.
He had contemplated his options; should he try and find the gang in case Brendan was still with them? Should he go back to one of his old hideouts? With remorse, he decided that the dump was too dangerous; if the Nietzscheans looked for them that was where they would search for him first. So he found a new spot, far away from the part of the city where the lab was. He and Kylie spent their first few weeks of freedom living in a deserted train station. Despite their lack of food and warm clothing, they delighted in each other's company.
"Seamus, is this how married folk act?" Kylie had asked once, giggling as they huddled together with an old blanket wrapped around them.
"Nah, they kiss more," He replied, smiling. "Like this," and he'd kissed her. Brendan had explained about girls to him, some, but he had never thought he'd enjoy kissing a girl. When Brendan had first confided his feelings toward some of the girls they'd met, Seamus had laughed and said he was crazy. "You'll understand someday," Brendan had said, and now he did.
Kylie was every bit as innocent as he was, both having been rather unusually secluded to the ideas and acts of love, but they liked to think of themselves as married.
"I mean, we're probably too young, you know, but what does it matter?" He'd said once, and Kylie had agreed, saying it was their feelings, and not their ages that mattered. They set up a cozy, if dirty and ugly, nest in the train station. A few rotted benches were still there. The ones that were still together they used as beds, the others they chopped up for firewood. All in all, both were happy. Seamus had started spending the days searching for news of his cousin, and had come back once, laughing, to tell Kylie that he had heard people gossiping. Apparently two kludges had escaped from some Nietzschean dungeon or such thing, and a reward would be given to whoever found and killed them. Kylie had been worried at first.
"But what if someone finds us out and kills us for the reward?" She'd asked.
"Don't be silly. Everyone knows that the only reward Nietzscheans will give us is a quick death," He had been right, people sometimes cast odd looks at him if he let his name slip, but other than that, he'd never had any trouble.
Until the day he came home and found Kylie doubled over, coughing and retching on the ground. He'd rushed over to her side, and despite her protests that she was fine, he could tell that she had a fever. Seamus didn't understand; surely he would have gotten sick before Kylie! She'd had a much longer time of healthy food and surroundings; she claimed that she had never been sick in her life, while he had been sick too often for him to count. Frantic with worry as she steadily grew worse, her already pale skin growing sickly, he bundled her up in blankets and ran through the streets, trying to find some type of doctor. At last a man, whose little remaining hair was completely white, stopped to listen to Seamus' hysterical cries for help.
"All right, I probably can't do anything for the girl, but I'll take a look at her," Seamus had led him back to the station and the man looked Kylie over. She had slipped into unconsciousness while Seamus had been gone, so she couldn't answer the doctor's questions of what felt wrong. Seamus tried to explain as best he could, but Kylie hadn't told him much. Holding her desperately as the man sighed and shook his head; Seamus protested that she couldn't be so sick. He explained everything, where they had come from, how Kylie had grown up in such a healthy area. At last, the man nodded in understanding.
"I'm afraid you're wrong young man, she's much more likely to become ill than you," Wide eyed and white with fear, Seamus stared at the man in disbelief.
"What are you talking about?"
"Germs boy! She's never been exposed to them, I'd bet. Or if has, it wasn't for long. She's got no immune system if she ain't ever been sick, and she probably can't handle the food neither. Shoulda left her where she was," The man sighed again, and patted Seamus comfortingly on the back. "Maybe she'll pull through; it's up to her now,"
"No!" Seamus cried, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Kylie wasn't able to eat, and as the days passed she drifted in and out of consciousness. Seamus refused to leave her side, and he grew weak from lack of food or sleep. Then one morning, a week after she had first fallen ill, Kylie opened her eyes and stared up at Seamus.
"Sing to me, please, Seamus," Her voice was so dry and parched, since Seamus hadn't been able to find any clean water or even any alcohol, that it nearly broke his heart just to hear her.
"I'm so sorry Kylie! You'd be fine if it weren't for me," He sobbed, and her eyes fluttered closed.
"It's ok Seamus; I got to live with you. Please sing," Cradling her in his arms, Seamus started singing the only song he knew, and although he sang it the best he could, his voice was too choked and shaky for it to sound pretty.
"Jeannie was married, from church was brought home...when she and her maidens so merry should have been...when she and her maidens so merry should have been, she goes into her chamber and cries all alone....Come to bed my Jeannie, my honey and my sweet, to style you my mistress it would be so sweet...Be it mistress or Jeannie it's all the same to me, but in your bed Lord Sultan I never will lie." He knew she had stopped breathing, he could feel it, but still he kept singing, his eyes shut tightly, trying to deny the reality of the world.
"And down came—her father, he's spoken with renown, saying 'You who are her maidens, go loosen up her gowns, and she fell down to his floor, and straight down to her knee, saying, Father look I'm dying for my love, Annachie....The day that Jeannie married was the day that Jeannie died, and the day that young Annachie came home, on the tide...and down came her maidens all wringing of their hands, saying, 'Oh you've been so long, you've been so long, on the sands, so long upon the sounds, so long upon the floods, they have married your Jeannie and now, she lies dead. You who are her maidens, come take me by the hand, and lead me to the chamber where my love she lies in...and he kissed her cold lips and his heart it turned to stone, and he died, in the chamber where his love, she lies in,"
Seamus could barely speak the last words; his own throat had been sore the past few days and he knew he was getting a fever but he didn't care. He kissed her one last time and silently wished for death.
End of Chapter 3
End of Volume 1
Well, how was it? Horrible? I hope not. Anyway, PLEASE write a review, or I won't add anything! If you prefer, write to me at Runicprincess@aol.com Any thoughts, known facts, or ideas are welcome too. Thanks,
Luna Sealeaf
