Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Arenk

As usual, Laro was being reckless.

He squirmed and struggled as Arenk tightened his grip around his neck. A tap on his elbow from Laro made Arenk ease up a bit. Laro and Raven were brave and emotional, but it was a dangerous mix.

It made them reckless.

“Everything worked out fine, the damage was minimal, and General Fleu is off our case. I thought you’d be pleased,” Laro said. “You and General Dhol always see the glass as half empty.”

Arenk’s grip tightened. “Raven getting hurt isn’t what I’d call minimal damage. And I don’t like the idea of her being on the radar of every gossip within two miles.”

Laro wriggled free and punched Arenk’s shoulder. He noticed the bandage peeking out from under his shirt. Laro opened the cloth bag on the table and started sorting through some toys and clothes.

“You okay?” Arenk asked, pointing to Laro’s shoulder.

Laro waved him off. “You’re heading back today? The kids will get sick of you,” he said, grinning.

“Don’t be jealous. There’s plenty of me to go around.”

“I’ve been trying to shake you off since I got here,” Laro retorted.

Arenk remembered the first few months after Laro had joined the military. He would wait outside his unit until he showed up.

Whenever Laro had free time, he spent it here, always pretending to be tough, always pretending he didn’t need anyone.

“I bet you have,” Arenk said, laughing. “The kids asked about you again. They miss you. You should come by and see them sometime.”

“No thanks. I don’t want to spend my day off dealing with sticky fingers and runny noses,” Laro said, heading for the door.

***

When he arrived, the kids were out in the field, their laughter filling the air. Weekends were the best time to visit since they weren’t in class or divided into their work groups.

All the little boys ran up to him, some trying to show him things, others trying to tell him about their week, the impatient ones reaching for the bag of treats.

“One at a time,” he said, sitting down in the grass.

Their numbers had been dwindling year after year. This year, only eight boys and two girls were born. As he handed out the treats, he noticed the oldest one was missing.

Arenk scanned the field. He usually sat alone by the fence.

“Where’s Ten?” he asked the group.

Most of them shrugged and went back to the bag.

“He’s in the box,” Seventeen said, his mouth full of candy.

Arenk shook his head. “Swallow first, then talk. You’ll choke. Why’s he in there?”

Seventeen wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and took a big gulp of water. “I told him not to, but he didn’t listen. He got caught with Seven. She was crying when they dragged him away. Then they put her in a truck, and she hasn’t been back since.”

Arenk followed the story well enough, but it would have been easier if they had names instead of numbers. The privilege of naming was reserved for your superior on your first day.

Ten had broken a major rule. If it weren’t for the dwindling population, he would have been killed instead of put in the box. But the box was a hell all its own.

“Lieutenant General, it’s good to see you again,” the caretaker said, coming out the side door.

“It’s good to see you too,” he said, meeting him halfway. “The oldest one is missing. Where is he hiding?”

“You know him better than anyone. He’s always breaking the rules, and usually I’d let it slide, but not this time.”

Arenk knew the rules: no visitors during lockdown, but he had to try.

Arenk rubbed his chin, thinking. “Let me see him. I’ll talk to him.”

“Seeing him today is out of the question. He should be out in a week or two.” He stepped closer. “You know I’d let you any other time, but he really fucked up this time.”

“How bad? We all did stupid things when we were young,” Arenk said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Being hormonal at his age, I could overlook, but he tried to run off with a girl. The guards caught them at the gate trying to leave the city.”

The kids’ laughter cut through the silence. Arenk pinched the bridge of his nose. Ten had some nerve.

“I talked my superior out of sending him to the mines. Lyka was able to pull some strings, so I sent the girl with her instead of to the local mating center.”

Arenk nodded. “So, his assignment has changed?”

“He either joins the military or goes to the mines. It’s a shame, really. He would’ve made a great architect.”

“I’ll take him.”

***

After sorting out the last details for Ten, Arenk headed to the lab. The smell alone made his stomach churn.

The mix of chemicals couldn’t mask the smell of death, blood, and other bodily fluids. Jars filled with a light orange liquid and body parts lined the shelves.

The bodies on the tables were cut open, wires connected to various parts, leading to different computers. There were cages filled with different species and creatures, some groaning, others rattling their enclosures.

“Are you here to pick up the results? The king wanted them ASAP.”

Arenk peeked through the slightly open door. A man with glasses perched on the end of his nose looked up from his screen. His eyes were baggy, and his hair was a mess.

His desk was piled high with papers, almost tall enough to hide him. As Arenk entered, he saw a poster of a new dirt-road wheeler proudly displayed on the wall behind the man’s head.

“No, I’m looking for Doctor Ojo. Is he here?” Arenk asked.

“He’s out. Can I help you?”

“I need this item,” he said, handing him a slip of paper.

The guy adjusted his glasses, glanced at the document in front of him, then looked up. “This is classified. It can’t leave the premises.”

“I was under the impression you guys had already extracted all the information you needed from it.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s free to leave,” he retorted, turning his attention back to his computer screen.

Arenk let out a sigh and slumped into a chair. He needed that item, and he wasn’t planning on leaving without it. Doctor Ojo had been giving him the runaround for months now. The doctor had probably gone into hiding on purpose.

Arenk’s gaze drifted back to the poster on the wall, and he rubbed his hands together.

“That’s the latest model, isn’t it?”

The guy looked up and grinned. “I’ve almost saved up enough, but for the previous model. Either way, it’ll be a blast to take it out on the dunes.”

“What if you could get the new one, and use your savings for a trip to the racetrack instead?” Arenk proposed.

The guy’s hands froze over his keyboard. “What are you implying?”

“The item disappears, and you get your dream wheeler,” Arenk suggested, holding up a card.

The guy leaned back in his chair, running his hands through his hair. After a moment of contemplation, he accepted the card and left the room. He returned shortly after, carrying a silver cylindrical container.