Chapter 220

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Early Thursday morning Eve was told that Hamilton wanted to see her in his office. It didn't escape her attention that he had two armed guards in the room with them.

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Hamilton: Six soldiers desserted last night. Three of them were on guard duty in your section. Is there anything you want to tell me?

Eve: I take full responsibility for my carelessness sir. I never heard anything.

Hamilton: Okay. Is there aything that you don't want to tell me, but which I should know?

Eve: No sir, nothing comes to mind.

Hamilton: One of the desserters was your friend Jacob. Jacob was seen talking to you in private. What did he say?

Eve: He just told me his cartoon jokes. In hindsight, maybe he was saying goodbye. I didn't pick up on it at the time.

Hamilton: So, that's your story? Or do you need time to come up with something better?

Eve: It's the truth sir.

Hamilton: So be it.

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Hamilton nodded to his guards. They grabbed Eve, who suddenly became very frightened.

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Hamilton: Private Eve Thompson, you're under arrest for suspicion of aiding and abetting dessertion. A special military tribunal will be convened today. If you are aquitted, no harm will come to you and you'll return to your duties. If you are convicted, you will be executed.

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As Eve waited in the tent she thought about the choices that she'd made, what had brought her to this momet. Should she have iformed on Jacob, or gone away with him? She didn't have to join the collective army, but what else was there for her after Amy's death? Maybe being Burkle's informant was a mistake, although the Brotherhood was committing terrorism. Then there was escaping from Park's prison, but at the time it seemed like the only way to save Amy. Ofcourse, Eve wouldn't have been in prison had she not murdered Karen, whom she had called a friend two years ago. Eve knew she deserved to be punished for that. It seemed ironic that Eve might be executed for helping her friend rather than committing murder. But Eve wouldn't have done that if Karen hadn't informed on her. A part of Eve was angry at Karen, she blamed her for all of this. But Eve had given Karen information to feed to the cops, being involved in the black market, selling illegal contraband, ciggarettes to minors. That itself was caused by the food shortage, people hi-jacking food from New Jersey for their own states. All this logic, cause and effect, led to exactly where Eve knew it would. To ELE, and to Mason's announcement two years ago. Eve wished he'd never told the world about this asteroid. Right now she would've loved nothing more than to go back. To her parents, to Adam, to Cujo. Maybe if the world was ignorant, people could just live normal lives. And on July 20th next year, ELE would come, and it would be over. They could've been spared all of this.

All day Eve paced nervously in her tent. They had brought her lunch, but no word on when this tribunal would be conducted. Around susset a collective soldier came into the tent. He had a sad look on his face that was far too common these days.

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Soldier: The tribunal has concluded.

Eve: I haven't even testified.

Soldier: They had the statement that you gave to major Hamilton.

Eve: Well, what did they say?

Soldier: They found you guiltyof aiding and abetting dessertion. I'm sorry, but you are to be executed immediately. Come with me, we'll get this over with. Please don't make this harder than it has to be.