He watched the cars passing him on the streets. It was a slow day with very little traffic, which was basically unheard of in New York City. The gloomy skies did this, though. People didn't like to go out when there was a dreadful aura surrounding the city. The skies as plain as possible, as dull as possible, the morbid feeling taking over the city kept many off the streets. It was as if it was a true representation of what was happening on this day, yet no one out on the streets knew about what was happening underground.
He saw Peter walking down the block now. Nick smiled and got up. He didn't want to be alone anymore. When he was, the thoughts of failure crept into his mind. Little did he know all three boys were having similar thoughts.
“Hey Pete, how ya doing?” he asked as his friend approached. As usual Peter kept up a blank appearance not showing any emotions. Nick confused it sometimes as a cover or wondered if that was how he actually operated.
“I'm fine. Any word from Carl?”
“Nada. I heard to meet here from Jin and that's all. I hope Fred's doing okay.”
“I doubt they would mistreat him.”
“Yeah...I can't believe it. Why did they go after him? Did he really flip out or something?” Nick couldn't understand it. Fred was the most stable in the group. He was a happy-go-lucky person who just liked to have fun. To imagine him attacking his fellow Exterminators, almost killing her, just didn't seem logical to Nick. He couldn't comprehend it.
Peter could answer the first question. He knew why they went after him. Did he really change into a monster though? Peter saw a slight hint of something hidden beneath but was too preoccupied by other things to really take notice. Now he wanted to know more. “I-” he began when Marshall came up from behind.
“Hey,” he said. He looked whiter than usual. The cold air mixed with the gut wrenching knot in his stomach.
“Hey. Are you doing okay man?” Nick asked.
“I'm fine. Any word from Fred?”
“No,” they both answered. Marshall nodded.
“Peter, did you read anything about these trials?” Marshall asked. Peter turned to him, surprised he actually asked him a question.
“I don't know much. I've read a little and Jin mentioned how they are run, but that's about it. A few judges on the bench while he pleads his case. The majority of votes wins. There'll be stands for us to watch so we can see the trial.” Peter placed hand on the bottom of his chin, rubbing it while thinking of the what was to come. “I don't know who the judges are. They may be random for all I know.”
“They are,” Jin said from the doorway. They looked up at him. “It's time to go. We gotta get to the trial sector. Let's go.” Jin turned around and the boys followed. They could feel the pressure more now than ever.
They made their way through the Station, going through the gym and passing the double doors on the other side. The boys had never been to this area. When they entered, they were amazed. The room was huge. Blue in design with two huge computers on both sides of the room. They lit up like a Christmas tree. Green, yellow, and red lights going off on them. In the center of the room were ten pods. They had an oval shape, all linking up to dark tunnels in front of them. “These are transporters. They take us to other Stations and sectors,” Jin announced. They looked on in amazement.
Marshall went up to one and touched it. A cold chill from the machinery greeted his touch. It was massive. Able to easily fit him and give him enough wiggle room. “We ride this thing?”
“Yep,” Jin said happily.
“Man, I thought the horror ended with the elevators,” Nick said laughing. The boys all had a good laugh then. The tension in the room lifted some.
“Need me to ride with you?” Marshall grinned.
“Uhh no, I think I'll survive.”
“If you’re scared though I can be there for you,” Marshall said in a high pitch voiced. “Don't ever be scared, sweetie.”
“I will punch you if you keep talking,” Nick said with a dry smile. He touched the pod's glass. It slid open quickly. “Do we really just hop in?”
“That's right,” Jin opened his own and jumped in. “Once in hit the blue button. That will close the top. Hit 331. That's the trial area. It's a fifteen minute commute. So just stay calm and relax, it'll be over before you know it.
All three boys got in their own pods. They did as they were instructed. The pods closed and they began moving forward slowly. Nick grabbed tightly on the sides of the pod. He was worried how fast they would go. Surely not much faster than the elevators. He bit his lip. The pod shot forward. He was pushed back with such force he could feel his upper lip lift. He already hated the trip.
A screen projected on the pod's glass. It was Jin who looked very comfortable sitting in his seat opposite of Nick. “This is the fastest way of transportation. You could get to another state in less than thirty minutes. I prefer it to cars.”
“Yeah, this is pretty fly!” Marshall said excitedly. He was projected on another screen, looking around his pod enjoying watching all the lights blinking around him.
“I'll take my chances with my test in the summer. I want a car. This is horrible,” Nick said gritting his teeth. The pressure on his body was more annoying than anything else.
“Oh you big old baby. This is awesome!”
“Shut up, Marshall!”
“No, you shut up!”
“Both of you shut up!” Peter now screamed as he was also brought up on the screen. They both went silent. Then all three broke out into a laugh. Jin watched them laughing for a moment and joined in. With all the tension there had to be something to break it. Acting like kids wasn't a bad idea.
They arrived a few minutes later at a new Station. As they got up they looked around the room they had just arrived in. It was very similar to the pod room at their base. “Did we just travel back in time?” Marshall asked.
“Why would we travel back in time?” Nick shook himself. He still felt some effects from the pod trip.
“This room looks the same as the one we left from.”
“It's the pod Station. They won't be vastly different,” Peter informed them. Jin nodded to show he was right.
“That's stupid,” Marshall said waving his hand. “They could have at least put a new coating of paint or something. People will get confused,” he said as he walked towards the doors. The boys followed. Jin looked back at the pods watching them close automatically. They had finally arrived, yet none of them wanted to be here.
As they walked through the doors they could hear the chatter grow ten times louder. There were easily over fifty people in the room all talking at once. The stands were set up like a gym stadium with eight rows going up. A bunch of people, who the boys assumed were Exterminators, sat on the benches talking. Some people stopped to look at the boys then pointed and began talking again. “Seems we're popular here,” Marshall whispered to his friends.
“This trial must be big news. This is a lot of people,” Nick said, both worried and sad. If the story spread this quick through the organization it meant bad news for Fred. He must have broken the rules so bad people had to see the outcome.
“Let's find seats.” Jin walked forward and the boys followed.
The room was brightly lit. It was as clean as it could possibly be. As the boys shifted and began to climb the steps Nick took a look around the room. In the center were three chairs. A few feet in front of that was a huge table which contained six chairs. “That's where the judges sit?” he asked Jin. Jin looked and nodded. “So why are there three seats in front of the table?”
“It's for Fred,” Jin answered.
“Why are there three though?” he asked. The doors opened and Fred walked in. Nick and Marshall stood up. They could see his face looked a bit better from yesterday but he kept his head lowered. The blabbing dropped to a very low volume yet everyone kept talking. Nick could feel his heart pounding as he watched his friend walking towards his seat. Carl walked right behind him.
“We'r
e right here man! Don't worry!” Marshall yelled from the seats. Everyone looked at him, pointing and talking. “What the hell are you all looking at!?” he yelled. They all kept talking about him, now looking the other way. He sat back down, pissed off. “These people act like he's an animal or something, getting ready to put on a show.”
“Just ignore them and keep calm,” Nick said sitting back down. He felt nervous. He was watching one of his own being put on a trial for something he knew he couldn't have done. He had a lot to learn about his teammates, his friends, but they were not betrayers. They wouldn't hurt their own unit. That's what he kept reassuring himself with.
Carl let Fred sit down. He put his hand on his shoulder and pressed in. He bent down and whispered, “It'll be okay. Keep calm. I will vouch for you here.” Carl then went around and took a seat himself.
The room was still chattering, though a lot lower. “It's like a sport to these idiots!” Marshall roared. “They’re being disrespectful. That's one of their own up there!”
“They are curious Marshall. No need to get upset,” Jin said calmly.
“That's a human being!” he yelled.
“That's your best friend,” Nick said softly. They looked at him. “So, it means a lot to you. You want nothing more than to run down there and take him out of here. Save him from all this. You still sit here, though. Upset you can't do just that. Isn't that right, Marshall?” Nick now looked at his friend. Marshall felt a tear forming. He looked away and rubbed his eyes.
“I just want to get this over with.”
As if it was on command the doors on the far side opened. Everyone went silent as the judges walked in. In the lead was the Gada, Ross. She led the group, closely followed by her Protector. Three older men followed and one young girl coming up last. They all sat in their respected seats and began shifting themselves to get comfortable. Fred looked up from his chair, his stomach feeling empty despite eating less than an hour ago. He could feel a ringing in his ears from his heart pounding so hard making it so he couldn't hear.
“Today we are here to place judgment on a fellow Exterminator. Fred Sinco, please stand,” the Gada ordered. Fred got up slowly. He felt as if his insides we're going to come out of his mouth. He looked up at the judges, scanning each one.
“My name is Fred. I am an Exterminator under my Bora, Carl. I am-” he lost his train of thought. He wasn't sure where he was going with it. He looked around the gym to see dozens and dozens of faces looking at him. He felt he was about to throw up. He sat down, his legs shaking violently. “-I...I...” He didn't know how to continue. He sat there looking at his Gada wondering if she took pity or was disgraced. Yet she sat there with no emotion on her face.
Carl stood up. “He's only a boy. I will continue for him, if that pleases you Ross,” he said firmly. Ross nodded, Carl continued. “Yesterday, we were to bring Fred in for questioning. Some questionable events have been happening as of late. We figured going to him and talking would help us to determine what to do. When we got there Fred got nervous and ran. Only natural for a boy to be scared when he is told he was being taking into custody.”
“Why did you run?” she asked. Fred could feel all the eyes in the place on him now. He looked back up at her.
“I...was scared,” he said in a low voice.
“You thought you're own Bora would hurt you?”
“No.”
“Then why did you run?”
“I was afraid I'd hurt him.” The gyms chattering exploded as everyone began whispering. The Gada watched Fred flicking his fingers back and forth.
“Did you know at that point that you were dangerous?”
“I didn't know what I was capable of,” he said sadly. It was true. At that point he didn't know what was happening to him. Just something was changing and not for the better.
“So you ran and Maria was able to catch you.”
“I hid out of sight. So they split up. She came my way. She heard me behind the garbage can. I told her to stay back. I told her to stay away from me! I could feel it! I could feel whatever it was wanting out! Why didn't she listen!? Why...Why?” He began crying. He hadn't cried at all the night before. The whole time before the trial he felt his body was in a shocked state. As if he didn't know how to deal with the situation he was dealt with. Now, as he told his story, he felt the events happening again in his mind. The terrible feeling of anger. The feeling of clawing someone’s face and tearing it apart. He wanted to vomit right there.
“You gave her warning and she still continued?” the Gada asked. She hadn't heard this part.
“What does that matter?” Now Aric walked into the room from the pod section. He made his way towards the final free chair. The voices grew in volume as he made his way forward. Nick watched him. He wanted nothing more but to jump off the stadium and attack. He felt nothing but hatred towards him.
“This man attacked a fellow Exterminator. He dug his claws into her face and swiped. She didn't even have time to react. She could feel her face getting torn apart, losing complete sight in her right eye.” He looked around the room. “We made rules. If you attack an innocent or a fellow Exterminator you are guilty. You must be held accountable for your actions. We cannot let him go simply because he says he doesn't remember.”
“He wasn't himself. It's different than claiming he doesn't remember.” Carl now stood up.
“You believe he's some kind of Unknown then? Isn't that even more reason to put him down?”
“We don't put down our own. We don't know what happened to him but we're gonna figure it out.”
“We figured it out already. He attacked a fellow Exterminator. Judgment is plain as day now.” Aric sounded smug while saying it. He felt like he was in the total right. He wouldn't even listen to what Carl was saying.
“It isn't your decision. It is the judges,” Carl said firmly. He turned back towards the Gada.
The Gada looked at the judges who sat by her. She could feel the sudden pain of placing judgment soon. As a Gada, it was always her obligation to see things fairly. She looked at Fred. “Please continue, young man. After you gave her warning, she still came towards you.”
Fred took a moment to remember. The part after that became a blur. Flashes of what happened came up yet he couldn't see them clearly. As if it was watching a fuzzy old movie. “I...I think I turned to her. Struck forward. She tried backing away. I was far too fast for her. There were claws digging into the side of her face,” he said. He felt he would throw up at any moment. He could remember her eyes widening right before he swiped. “I swiped....I...I cut...I cut her face right across...I...” He got up and vomited in front of him. He stumbled backwards as he heard the crowd giving disgusting grunts. He was beginning to feel dizzy. Carl grabbed him by the shoulders.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
“I remember...I remember it...it was horrible,” there was pain in Fred's voice. Carl heard it as well. It pained him to see his student like this.
“He's not doing too well. I think we need to rest.”
“What? Rest!? This is a trial. He doesn't need rest he needs to be convicted!” Aric stepped to the side of the vomit and faced the crowd. “Do you believe one should be set free for his actions? He remembers the events clearly! If it truly wasn't him, how could he remember!?” The crowd roared in agreement. Only a few shook their heads. The boys sat there, stunned.
“We must place judgment on the ones who do wrong. It's that simple.” Aric faced the Gada. She was displeased by his performance, but the crowd wasn't. They agreed with him. How was she to pass judgment against her own people? She looked at Carl, she could see the sadness engulf his face.
“We will decide that together. It is not your choice Aric. Now sit down before I have you removed.” The Gada wasn't playing favorites. She simply didn't like people rallying up everyone and getting them into screaming matches.
“Oh, I will stay quiet.” Aric sat down. “I have already shown that everyone thinks this
man deserves death. He has done wrong. He now must be held liable for it.” The crowd nodded in agreement.
“This is an organization!?” Marshall rose from his seat. “We're supposed to work together. Fight together. Stop the Unknowns from coming into our world. We stand here now convicting someone who didn't do anything.” He put out his hand. “He said multiple times it wasn't him. Don't you understand that?”
“If I kill someone, boy, can I say it was me sleep-walking? I wasn't aware I stabbed something? I mean honestly, if we believed everyone's murder stories there would be no judgment to pass,” Aric said smugly from his seat. He laughed. Some of the people in the crowd followed his example.
Marshall felt so angry. So upset. Yet he didn't know what to say. He wanted to yell at them all. Tell them how stupid they were being. He instead sat back down looking at his friend watching him. He could feel tears falling down his cheeks but didn't make a move to wipe them away. He could feel the sense of loss.
“I am the leader.” Nick stood up. He began walking down the steps. People moved out of the way so he could make it to the base floor. Everyone in the gym kept quiet. Not a word was spoken. They were all focused on Nick.
“Young man, please remain in your seat,” one of the old judges ordered. Nick ignored him completely and walked over to Aric. Aric sat there staring up at the young Exterminator.
“Do you lead anyone Aric?”
“As one of the head Protectors, I lead over thirty people.”
“And when one of them is out of place, do you yell at them?”
Aric shrugged. “Of course I do. It's my job. What are you getting at?”
Nick walked over to Fred. He lifted his head and looked at him dead in the eye. “Did you intend on hurting Maria?”
“What?” Fred didn't know how to answer.
“I said. Did you intend on hurting Maria?”
Exterminators Infected (The Exterminators Book 1) Page 31
