by Jay Riverton
Pirelavs moved forward and kicked one Scout’s leg out from under him, while Kakine tripped the last. Martia ran to her luggage and dug through it for what Lycanere assumed were her tools. Benjamin looked on, confused. When his eyes hit Lycanere’s, he bolted out of the room.
“You stay— Shit!” Pirelavs ran after Benjamin.
Genevieve and Kakine dealt with the other two Scouts as Lycanere delivered heel after heel into his now moving Scout’s head, stomping on it and smearing the wooden floor with the man’s blood. Once the Scout went still Lycanere looked at what he’d done.
He glanced up at his friends and saw fear in their eyes. He’d killed another human being and felt dirty, disgusting, and deplorable because of it. He wanted to cry.
“Got it!” Martia yelled, pulling out a small tool wallet. Lycanere watched her slip it into her back pocket. She turned and looked at the three Reformed Scouts on the floor, one whose blood was forming a puddle under Lycanere. They locked eyes.
“Let’s move,” Lycanere said.
They emerged from the cabin to see another couple cabin groups doing the same. Genevieve’s friends, including Madison, were amongst them. They were all in this together.
Lycanere looked around for Pirelavs but saw him nowhere. There was no time to wait. Lycanere hoped he’d come back quickly.
“Genevieve, get as many others as you can and revolt. I don’t think we have time to go to the Center,” he told her. “We need to make a break for it now. If Benjamin got to Mike or anyone else we’ll be in big—”
They heard the cock of a shotgun. “Lycanere. I told you not to do this.” It was Scout Master Mike. He’d emerged from the path from the Reformation Center with a whole group of Scouts and Benjamin, all armed. Pirelavs was in their custody. Mike aimed the shotgun at Lycanere.
“You’re not gonna shoot me, are you, brother?” Lycanere said.
“Brethren don’t turn on each other,” Mike replied. He looked at everyone who’d already turned and revolted. “I was told that you all were coaxed into doing this by a certain group of individuals,” he said. “I will give you all one chance to turn back around. You were misled and do not deserve punishment, unlike the ones who spearheaded this disgusting plan. Go back inside your cabins now and continue your consummations or go to the Reformation Tank with these buffoons.”
No one moved. Lycanere was proud.
“This is your only chance. Continue your revolt and maybe you won’t even see the Tank. Maybe the last thing you’ll see is a gun aimed at your face,” Mike said. “We had them just in case of an emergency like this.” He looked at Lycanere, a smile on his face. Those words again: In case of an emergency. Lycanere felt stupid. There’s guns in that room, he knew at once. Mike had already hinted to it back on the ship. There was no way they could ever have won. Not unless we’d gotten to the guns first.
Lycanere glared at Benjamin who was not smiling like he thought he’d be. Instead, his face was plastered with a frown as if he despised what he’d done.
Mike put the barrel of the gun to Lycanere’s head after no one moved again. “I guess your leader’s life it is then.”
“No!” Kakine yelled. “Turn back, everyone. Please. If we lose him, we’ll be sure to lose more.”
“We don’t want children,” Madison said. “We don’t want this.” Her voice was strong, demanding… and manly. Lycanere admired her already. But he didn’t want her to die.
“None of us do,” Lycanere said. “And that’s why we did this. But your lives are much more important than this. Don’t give them up fighting a battle that we’ve already lost. Don’t be thrown into the Tank to become like these mindless drones. With or without children, at least you can still be yourselves. At least you can still be alive.”
They hesitated, but listened to him. They turned around and went back into their cabins. Scout Master Mike removed the gun from Lycanere’s head.
“You too, Genevieve,” Mike demanded. “Go inside your cabin.”
“But Pirelavs is my partner,” she said.
“Benjamin is now. These four are our problem, not you. You only made a stupid mistake. They made a horrifying decision.”
“Mike, please—” Genevieve cried.
“They planned this and believed it would work. You joined only because it would’ve been better for you. Trust me, I know none of you want this. Hell, I don’t want to see you guys do this. But this is my job. Our job. Now go back inside and consummate with Benjamin. Your new life is coming soon, and you better prepare for it.”
There were fresh tears on her face as she went inside. Scout Master Mike glanced at Benjamin and nodded. Benjamin handed his gun to a Scout and walked towards his cabin. Lycanere and the others watched him. When he reached the door, he turned and locked eyes with Lycanere. There was something in that gaze; not mockery, but sympathy. As if to say, ‘I’m sorry.’ But why would you be sorry?
“You four,” Scout Master Mike said, pulling Lycanere’s attention back to him. “Come with us.”
The Reformed Scouts surrounded them, and they began their walk down the path, Lycanere beside Scout Master Mike. Mike pointed his gun at the ground as they walked, no longer posing a threat.
“I hate doing this to people,” Mike said.
“Then why do you?” Lycanere said.
“It’s my job. I have to.”
“You don’t have to do anything, Mike,” Lycanere said.
“Yes, I do. If I let you go, the Reformed Scouts will snitch to Corporate and I can’t handle that. Then, they’ll make me into a Reformed Scout just because ‘they can’t waste a body.’” He sighed and shook his head. “What were you thinking, Lyc?”
“That I could free everyone from a life no one wants to live.”
“No one ever wants to live. You’re born into this world with genetic faults and societal pressures and must live a life you never asked for. Luckily for you, you were able to use your unwanted life to help the universe by coming here to spread more life and continue on the human legacy.”
“I didn’t want to come here.”
“No one does. Not even Benjamin. Everyone was sent here by someone who didn’t want them and didn’t think they were adding anything sustainable to life. A parent, a teacher, the government, maybe themselves, whoever. They were all sent here to go to their own isolated places far from society in order to help our kind flourish. Yet you decided to revolt to try to find your own place in a universe that sees your existence as worthless instead of fulfilling the role Corporate wanted you to. And, honestly, I admire you for that.”
Lycanere paused. “I was doing it for the betterment of people like me.”
“And that’s where you and I differ. I wish I had the balls like you, Lyc. I wish I could’ve led people to fight against ‘the Man’ and try to live the lives they wanted to.”
“You can,” Lycanere said. “What’s the point of life if you can’t be an individual? Why just be another undistinguishable bee in the colony?”
“Because every colony needs those bees to keep it going.”
They passed the Reformation Center and headed down the path to the Reformation Tank.
“Listen, Lyc. Before we get here, I just want to tell you that I’m sorry for this. I would’ve never sent you off like your parents had, regardless of our shared origin. I think you’re a great kid, but because of your own decisions you may be about to lose everything that makes you that. And I’m sorry for that.”
Lycanere nodded. There was no more fighting back. They lost this one. “I’ve always respected you, Mike. I’m glad we met.”
“Me too, brother.” He gave Lycanere a fatherly side hug. Lycanere smiled, though he knew he shouldn’t be.
They were nearing the Tank. Only a few yards away. The time had come.
“I just want to know a couple things before I lose everything,” Lycanere said.
“What?”
“Why are you here? And why’d you choose Kakine for me?”
Mike went silent after a few seconds. “I was about your age when I started having a problem with younger boys. My father was a Scout Master then and he decided that I would not be coupled, but instead be a celibate Scout Master for the betterment of society. I had to sign a document and everything… If I’m ever caught doing anything with anyone, they have the right to turn me into one of these guys.” He pointed at the Reformed Scouts with his gun. “He wanted to make sure that I never touched anyone again. And I’m glad he did it. I understood my problem and knew it was wrong even back then. There’s just some problems medicine can’t fix. At least not yet.” He shrugged.
They reached the Tank. Scout Master Mike walked up to it and unlocked it with his handprint. He walked back to Lycanere and looked at his Scouts.
“Bring the others in and go back to the Center. I’ll meet you there. If you see any of these four out there before they’re reformed, shoot. Keep your guns on stun. I don’t want you killing anyone.” They followed his orders. Kakine looked back to Lycanere as they led her inside. He faked a smile as if to tell her everything was okay, though he knew it was far from that. Mike continued to talk once the Scouts were on their way back to the Reformation Center.
“I knew you’d never consummate, so I chose Kakine. Tricked Corporate and everything. She’s pretty, but, as I’m sure you know, she’s not what she seems. She’s like you. Kinda. And neither of you deserve to be here. Unlike me. I did that for you.” He smiled and hugged Lycanere.
They separated, and thoughts slammed through Lycanere’s head.
“You knew all of this was going to happen,” he noticed.
“Those Reformed Scouts would tell on me in a heartbeat,” he said. “You were never going to be a Scout. I knew it from the moment I saw your name on the list to join us. You’re not like that. You wouldn’t just change because everyone wants you too. You wouldn’t just take everyone’s bullshit. You’re different. You’re the change we need. But I can’t just let you change us or I’ll lose this job and never have the chance to get another one. You need to do this yourself.”
“How the hell do you expect us to get out of this then? You can’t just bring us in here and expect us to—”
“Either you’ll find a way or not. If you do, as I believe you will, expect me to act against you to the fullest extent that I can. I must do my duty no matter what you do. Without this job, I am nothing. Society already wants me dead.”
Tears came to Mike’s eyes and he exhaled. “I just want you to know that I love you… I wish you good luck in there.” He patted Lycanere’s back and led him up to the Tank. He opened the door and walked Lycanere inside.
There was nothing different inside this cabin from the others except for the lack of windows and a pipe coming down from the ceiling. There were the three beds like in the others, and it looked more comfortable than terrifying.
Scout Master Mike stood at the door, ready to run out, as they looked around. Lycanere thought of bum-rushing Mike and taking him down. They could do it right now, and they should do it. But we won’t make it far, he remembered. The Reformed Scouts would be at the Reformation Center waiting. With their guns. Unless we tricked them. But Mike had a gun too. It wasn’t safe. But maybe we should try.
Mike took a step outside and began to close the door as if he sensed Lycanere’s dissension.
Lycanere grabbed the door. “How does this thing even work?” He was trying to stall to think of a way to trick the Reformed Scouts or to just escape. He was hoping the others saw his plan too. Now was the time for action.
Mike pushed Lycanere away with the barrel of his gun. “It’s a switch on the other side of the cabin. I flick it on, gas comes in, you change. It’ll go off after thirty minutes, but no one’s lasted more than ten.” He paused.
“I’m sorry that I have to do this. Even if I faked this, Corporate would find out and I’d lose my job. Good luck, guys.”
Scout Master Mike quickly closed the door and they heard it immediately lock. There was no lock on the inside, but instead a metal cover exactly where the hand-scanner was on the outside. It would be impossible to try to kick down the door. They’d be stuck in here, sealed inside only to become mindless.
Lycanere turned to his friends. He was sure they all could hear Mike walking around the cabin and then… FLICK. The switch was on. A green gas slowly started to roll out of the pipe above their heads.
Pirelavs plopped onto one of the beds. “I’m sorry, guys.”
“It’s not your fault,” Lycanere said.
“I couldn’t catch Benjamin. He’s fast for a little guy.”
Kakine sat on a different bed and looked down at the ground, sadness covering her face. Martia put her ear to the door and closed her eyes. Lycanere examined them all. He went to take a deep breath in, then stopped and looked up at the green gas etching across the ceiling. It wasn’t moving down, but across, as if it was trying to feel out the dimensions of the room before going any further.
“This is it, huh?” Kakine said.
“It was fun,” Pirelavs said back. “I guess. I mean, it was up until the explosion.” They said nothing back. “It happened in my lab. This girl and I were working on something, but then we started to fool around. We ended up knocking over some stuff and then the explosion happened. I became this fucking half-lizard looking creature, and she was obliterated whole. I was lucky.” He shook his head. “I just feel so—"
“Shut up, please,” Martia said. She looked to Lycanere. “You think Scout Master Mike is gone now?”
Lycanere shrugged. “I can only assume.” He looked back up at the green gas which stuck to the ceiling and finally began to move down as if it was more gelatinous than gaseous.
Martia took her tool wallet out of her back pocket and smiled. “They didn’t even bother to check us.”
Lycanere smiled back. “They probably didn’t expect us to have anything.”
“Even if they did, I’m sure they doubted it’d help us,” Martia said.
She opened up the wallet and began to go through the tools. Lycanere looked over her shoulder at them. They were all small and silver, and each one looked like it would break if too much force was exerted onto it.
“Can you break us out of here?” Pirelavs said.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen this type of lock before. I’m gonna need to burn through it.”
“How?” Lycanere said.
She pulled out a small rod with a circular top to it. She pressed a button on its side and a blue laser of fire emerged from it, standing three inches from its circular top. Lycanere saw Pirelavs lean up and gaze at it. The laser was hot just to look at, singing Lycanere’s nose hairs even though he was a few inches away. Breathing near it made him feel as if fire was rushing down his throat. He looked up at the smoke it gave off.
“I don’t know if that’s smart,” Pirelavs said, “Gas and fire—”
“It’s our only way out. Either we break out this way, or we lose ourselves,” Martia said. “Trust me, this is why I’m here. They were just lucky I couldn’t find a way off of the ship.”
Lycanere nodded to her and she moved to the door.
Lycanere sat next to Kakine as Martia worked away. He heard the scream of the metal as the laser dug into it. He stared up at the green gas above them. It was moving a lot faster now, already half-way down the room. It’d be on them soon. He tried to stay calm, though his insides already wanted to scream in fear.
“Lycanere,” Kakine said.
“Yeah?”
“If we don’t get out of this, I want you to know that I’m very happy to have met you. I think you’re a great guy and, I just never thought I’d meet someone like you.”
He smiled and side-hugged her, feeling her warmth against him. He looked at her and noticed she was beaming. Someone will truly love you one day. I’m sorry that can’t be me, he thought.
But he couldn’t tell her that.
“And you’re a wonderful woman… You all are great people. I’m happy we met each other. Just think, if we survive, we’ll have a great story to tell the future generations.”
The three, excluding Martia, awkwardly chuckled together. Martia sawed through the lock carefully. Lycanere tensed up as the gas got closer to them. If it hit them or the fire, they could be nothing within seconds.
“Do you need help?” he asked Martia.
“Don’t talk to me right now,” she demanded. The gas was billowing down now. If they had been standing, their heads would’ve been in it. It was only a few inches away. What had once been slow and steady was now fast and overcoming.
“I should’ve just slept through this,” Pirelavs said.
Lycanere motioned for them to get onto the ground. He led them, laying on his stomach on the hardwood floor and sliding over to Martia who was on one knee. She wasn’t even half-way through the lock, but the laser was working. The green gas was about a foot from her head.
“Martia—” Lycanere went to warn her.
“Shut up.”
The metal screamed as the laser ripped through it. The gas above was coming down in puffs that moved like groups of bees towards them before rejoining back up into its mass collective.
She was half-way through. The gas was a few inches above her head. They all watched it except for her.
“Martia, we’re not going to make it,” Kakine said.
“Save your breath,” Martia commanded. The laser ripped through the metal. The gas reached her head. She stopped. Lycanere knew she felt it on her.
She immediately went back to dismantling the lock on the door.
The gas reached her eyes when she was three quarters down. She started crying, and the veins in her head throbbed. Lycanere watched as she closed her eyes and continued. He felt her pain.
She unconsciously inhaled when the gas reached her nose. Immediately, the laser turned off and she fell over. Pirelavs reached out and caught her body, but her head still hit the ground. She was out cold.
“Is she one of them now?” Kakine asked.
