The plan of destruction

We're on Elysium.

Cletus was walking backwards and forwards in the room, his arms behind the back and a thoughtful look.

-Cletus, you're making me nervous, would you stop?- said a voice nearby him.

-I can't, I'm worried-

-About who? Your girlfriend?-

-You'd understand if you had one-

-C'mon, we all know you're only marrying her because she's the general's daughter-

-The general is going to kill you too if we don't find her alive!- said Cletus fazed –So shut your mouth-

Then the young boy stopped and looked at what seemed to be an armored soldier with a helmet that didn't allow to see his face.

Argus, that was the name of the man standing there, and it was hard to know what was going on in that head of his, since it was covered.

The door opened.

-Sir- a soldier dressed exactly like Argus, but with a smaller helmet and a robotic voice, came in and gave a salute.

-What's up?- asked Argus.

-We found the girl, sir-

-See, Cletus? Patience is the virtue of the strong- he said to the boy.

Cletus frowned, he seemed really annoyed about the calm Argus used to deal with problems.

-She's not alone, though- added the soldier.

-What?- exclaimed Cletus –Who's she with?-

-A Deponian-

-Bloody garbage- said Cletus making a fist and gnashing.

-Where are they?- asked Argus.

-They're headed toward the north communication tower-

-She'll want to contact you- said Argus to Cletus.

-I'll go alone- said Cletus –If Goal finds out why you're here…-

-She'll break up with you? Are you afraid of that?- laughed Argus.

Cletus shoot him a dirty look.

-Sooner or later, when she sees the planet falling apart, she'll understand on her own we were planning on destroying it, won't she?- concluded Argus.

Cletus looked away.

-Soldier, warn the brass- said Argus firmly –Say that…there's no life on Deponia-

The soldier gave once more a salute and left.

Night had already fall on Deponia.

-I'll admit, it looked closer- said Goal, exhausted because of the long walk, then she looked behind, where Rufus was limping.

-Everything alright?-

-Yes…yes, don't worry, why don't we get to know each other better in the meantime?- said the young boy, reaching her with a sudden movement.

-What would you like to know?- she asked.

-Like, how were the towers used to communicate with Elysium and it seems that you know more things about this planet than I do-

She raised her head.

-We study it in school, Rufus-

-There's a school on Elysium, too?-

-Well sure, first we learn how to write, to read and…- she stopped for a moment.

-And?- asked Rufus intrigued.

-Ten years ago, we started studying the history of your planet again, that's why I know so many things-

-Didn't you study it before?- he asked.

-No one cared before- she shrugged.

He raised his eyebrows, she had a point, who could ever care about that stinking planet?

-What about you?- timidly asked the young lady.

Rufus bent his hands behind his head.

-Bah, I've got nothing interesting to tell-

In that moment, the boy's eyes looked melancholy. Then he looked at her as if she understood his mood.

-Yes, well, a normal deponian life, between school and garbage- he said, trying to break the increasingly heavy atmosphere.

-Ah, look, we're here- he said, running toward the entrance.

Goal stopped for a moment to think about what was holding back Rufus from telling her about his past. However, now she had other things to think about, she lightly patted herself on the face twice in order to drive away superfluous thoughts and she reached Rufus.

Getting close to it, the building was really high.

-Now the problem is to get in…- she said –it's night, no one will be here-

-No problem, I got it- said Rufus, who had no trouble at all opening a locked door.

He pulled out of his pocket a bag with black powder into it.

-Is that…gunpowder?- the young girl asked.

-Sure, it's always useful to carry around-

The girl looked at him in confusion, then sat on a pile of garbage nearby and watched him at work.

The boy started collecting junk scattered all around, old aluminum mugs, nibbled ropes. Goal had only seen pictures of objects like those and sometimes she found herself wondering what they were used for.

-What's that for?- she asked when Rufus picked a rusty crank handle up.

-You'll see- he said, busy tying, tethering, attaching the pieces he found.

Every now and then Goal would move her head in an attempt to figure out what it was and she was extremely astonished by the boy's agility in thinking and reasoning about how to unite those pieces.

-Done!- said Rufus and he moved to let Goal see.

At the front door's feet there was a container of some, from which came out a long rope and, on one extremity, the crank handle he picked up before.

-Its name is Dinarufus!- he said, proud of his action.

-Is it…dynamite?-

He proudly nodded while charging it by the crank handle.

-You see, the crank handle, once charged and released, will have enough strength to turn the gunpowder on and cause an explosion- and he finished charging.

-And what's the rope for?- Goal asked –I thought we would have turned that on-

-Ah that's just for aesthetic, we don't have fire for the fuse- he said.

She held a laugh back.

-You're so funny- she said.

Then Rufus let it go and he and Goal stepped a few meters away, waited for it to arrive at the end of the rotations…

-Nothing's happening- Goal commented.

-Uhm…it may have not rotated enough- Rufus touched his chin –I'll go check-

-No wait- said Goal.

And in that moment there was the long awaited explosion, maybe even too much explosive, so explosive that the door was completely shuttered and piles of garbage within 5 meters were scattered all around.

The two were terrified, a few meters more and they would have flown away due to the shockwave.

-Ok…maybe too powerful?- said Goal, petrified.

-I may have used too much gunpowder…ah ah…- he defended himself.

-C'mon hurry up…let's go up- said the girl and went on –stay behind me, it's pitch black on the stairs-

The tower was…circular, with a high staircase that reached its top. Once they reached it, there was a room full with commands and a terrace so big the Elysium shuttles could land on it.

-What now?- asked Rufus while looking around.

-We're looking for the power generator- she said.

Luckily the light of the moon coming through the window illuminated just enough to look around, at least until Goal stumbled and Rufus fell on her.

-ouch- she said.

-Couldn't you be more careful?- he said.

-I'm sorry, you can't see anything on the floor- answered Goal –Did you get hurt?- she then added.

-Ehm…no I'm really fine actually-

A passing cloud diverted the light of the moon, so the two were able to look at each other in the eyes. She was lying face up on the ground and he was on top of her…Rufus blushed and looked away, she smiled, in that moment the light was turned on and the door to the outside opened.

-GOAL!- said a familiar voice.

-CLETUS?!- said the young girl, surprised.

-RUFUS?!- said Rufus in return.

-And him?! Who the hell is this guy and why's he touching your boobs?-

-RUFUS?- said the girl, who hadn't notice until that very moment.

-What?! I fell on them- he justified.

The young girl suddenly stood up, making Rufus roll away.

-It's not what you think, Cletus, I have been looking for you-

Cletus moved closer to her and glared at Rufus, who was now up.

-I'll pretend nothing happened, Goal, but let's go, we have to go back to Elysium- said Cletus.

-No wait, we have to bring him too-

Cletus smirked with disapproval.

-Deponia is habitable- said Goal elated –he and plenty of other people are proof of that-

Then Cletus gave Rufus a disgusted look.

-Yes…- he looked at him up and down –I see-

-What are you looking at, you're dressed like a clown- burst Rufus.

He already found that Cletus unpleasant, in fact he was wearing a suit very similar to the one Goal wore, but, in Rufus' opinion, it really didn't make him sexy like her.

-If we bring him to the council…- continued Goal.

-Goal- interrupted her Cletus –do you know who made you shuttle fall?-

Rufus was startled.

Cletus smiled viciously.

-It was no accident, someone sent a rocket to your shuttle-

-What?!- said the girl.

-And that someone- he pointed toward Rufus –is this Deponian!-

The girl suddenly turned towards him.

-Cameras filmed the rocket departing near the spot you fell on- concluded Cletus.

-No…No Goal it's not true- Rufus' voice was shaking a bit –I mean-

-Oh so it is true, you admit it was you- said Cletus with a malicious smile.

He had only blamed Rufus to make him confess, a sly and cunning move.

-You ugly…- Rufus grinded, looking at him threateningly.

-Is it true or not, Rufus?- Goal approached him.

Rufus looked away from the Elysian and glanced back at her.

-it was…and accident…- he eventually admitted.

-Deponians are just a danger- intervened Cletus while the two kept staring at each other –C'mon, Goal, let's go home, let's use the old cable car outside- incited Cletus while he walked away –I asked to reopen it just to come get you- he concluded.

-I trusted you- said Goal, truly sorry.

Then the girl left Rufus there and followed Cletus outside.