The Purge
Chapter 12: Bri

“There is nothing to fear. Nothing to worry about. Grieve nothing in this transitory world.”

Ignite Me; Tahereh Mafi

I wanted to get mad at the world. But what for? It will only turn a dumb ear at me. It has been that way ever since they came. They’ve crashed so many lives. And now, they’ve found a way to kill us once again.

The Gates could not be breached. The Barriers are weak, yes, but that doesn’t mean they had found a loophole to attack us.

Images of my dying family course through my head. One by one they died right in front of me. I saw Conleth’s dying state in my head as clear as crystal. Halley’s deafening screams echoed in the background. And yet, I still stood. I still relied on to people’s lives to save mine. That’s the truth and some truths are too painful I wished them to be lies instead.

“You can let go of the gun, Bri.” Agatha had finally said once we turned the corner and Con disappeared from my view. My heart ached. What had happened to my soldiers? They were my responsibility and I failed to protect them. I gripped the handle of my gun tightly. I didn’t even notice bringing it with me even though the magazine was empty. I might have been holding on to it after Con was brought to the infirmary.

“Bri,” Agatha chastised. I gritted my teeth as I reluctantly let go of my gun. She outstretched her arm toward me and she opened her palm. I hesitated at first. But what’s the use of an empty gun to me? I handed it over.

“You know it’s against the rules to carry a gun out of the Training Room, commander.” She chided.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “If I had obeyed the rules, my body might have been lying in the morgue right now, Major.”

“You have your powers, Bri. You could rely on them. You’ve been trained to use them to protect yourself.”

I sneered at her. “Well I couldn’t, just as I don’t trust you and the Zenith right now.”

“Bri—”

“My powers have its limits, Agatha. I don’t want to rely on it. I don’t want to trust it. My life will be of no use if I lose it. I cannot allow myself to succumb on to it because when it’s gone, I don’t want to look for it.” I looked away to the narrowing hallway. “Besides, what more of use will I be without it? I doubt the Zenith would still keep me.”

She sighed. That indicated that she doesn’t want to argue with me anymore. She knew me too well that bickering would not resolve anything. I’d still get the last word.

“Which Gate?” I dove into the question straight to the point.

She looked straight ahead. “The Gates haven’t been breached.”

I raised my eyebrows, feigning disbelief. “Really?” I chuckled. “You are such a terrible liar.”

Her lips thinned into a tight line. It was a very lame lie. A lie that would have made a child believe. Yes, I’m still a child but I’m not as naïve as anyone else and she knew that—she knew that because she raised me.

The Barriers are still up. They give my ears a faint buzz but I know they are still standing. There’s a little truth in Agatha’s answer. Only that a lie hides beneath the cape.

“You can leave me here, Agatha.” I said. She paused for a moment before she caught up with me. “I know how to find my way to the Colonel. I’m the one he wants, right?”

“Bri,”

“I’ll take it from here, Major.” I said with finality in my voice.

They’re hiding something from me. Whatever that is, they’re sealing the information only to themselves. That made my head burn. That sealed information had killed my kind.

As the doors to the Colonel’s Office neared, I willed the doors to show me what’s behind it. I strengthened my ears so that I’d be able to hear the people inside.

“The Eastern Gate has been locked for years. It’s completely impossible that the aliens breached it. Aren’t the Barriers holding up?” A man in a blue general’s uniform said. He sat at the far corner of the room with Colonel Black. A sudden flash of memory from years before came forth. Even without a virtual display, I’d recognize his bald head and goatee anywhere. Arthur McDavis; the General of the Argos’ Strategos.

“The Initiators are fast learners, General McDavis.” Colonel Black said as he maintained a calm expression on his face. “They’ve become more unpredictable than the last time we’ve fought them. My team has found the Middle Guards of the East Gate dead and chopped into pieces.”

“So, does this mean that we’re losing the war, Colonel? Don’t tell me my money was wasted in vain by taking in useless Addonexus.” The general had said. I felt the tension rising up my throat and it was choking me. Yeah, I remember you. I remembered you very well. Ever since, he was one of those who opposed the Zenith of bringing in Addonexus. For him we are part of a life force that shouldn’t have existed in this world. A lousy experiment that couldn’t be put to use.

“According to the reports I have gathered, there had been an electricity malfunction in the Eastern part of the Barriers before the attack.” His cold eyes darkened as he took in the pleasure of humiliating Colonel Black in front of him and his guards. But Colonel Black had regained his composure. He sat perfectly calm as if the general’s words didn’t stung him. “Enlighten me, Black, how did the Barriers stopped functioning for a whole ten minutes? That was just enough time for them to enter our premises!”

I slowed down as I find a security camera lurking at a corner.

“In great need, where were your precious Addonexus?” acid leaked in the general’s words.

“They will fight. But in the right time.” Colonel Black answered.

“But the Gates—”

“Are still close.” Colonel Black had cut him off. The irritated general stood from his chair.

“33 of your Addonexus had been killed during the surge, Colonel. Almost half had been wiped out. How will you manage to protect the state during the Dark Hour?”

“If we put them on field now then we’ll all be lost. We shouldn’t be making rush decisions. Raging into battle will only eliminate more numbers of my soldiers.” Colonel Black retorted. “They sent us a message by attacking us. They wanted us to bite their bait.” He stood up from his seat. “I’m sorry. But I won’t take that risk of putting my Addonexus in danger.”

“Addonexus.” General McDavis spat. “They are monsters hiding under the curtains of innocence. They will be the death of us.”

“I’m not gonna let you kill the salvation of humanity. Right now they are our only hope. What more can we humans do against the enemy? We barely saved ourselves from them earlier. We had to build those walls in order to keep us alive! Now, tell me, General McDavis, with all due respect, how will you save what’s left of humanity?”

“If you can’t risk anything then humanity will truly be annihilated.” The general said. Hatred was clear in the burning of his eyes. “You have completely forgotten that these children aren’t just children. They are part monsters. Monsters that threatened to kill us all, Colonel.”

Colonel Black straightened his back and tightened his jaw. “Call me selfish and murderer if you like but my decision is final. I won’t let those kids run right out of the Gates and die for nothing.”

“You’re gonna kill us all!” the general shouted.

“No, General McDavis, I’m saving us all.” Colonel Black retorted.

“You have completely forgotten who you are talking to.” The general said. “I am your general and you are under me! You will follow my orders whether you like it or not!”

I found myself heading towards the door. I know I shouldn’t have listened but I have every right to know when the topic concerns my kind. We’re not just ordinary species. We are still human just like them, only extraordinary. Sometimes being a freak comes with too much consequence.

I knocked at the door and I clicked it open. Both of them turned to face me. Colonel Black was expecting me to show up but the frown on the general’s face had given me the impression that he’s already leaving.

“Should I come back later?” I asked, feigning innocence.

“No, that wouldn’t be necessary, commander.” Colonel Black said. “General McDavis and I are done talking.” He turned to the general and he executed a perfect salute. “Thank you for dropping by, General.”

The general ignored him and he went straight to the door with his guards. I walked out of his way; I don’t want to hurt him even if I wanted too. His eyes made it clear that he hated us. There’s no point of posing for a salute when I knew it wouldn’t even matter to him. I will treat people the way they will treat me.

The moment the general had left, questions started to lurk like flying bugs in the air. I wanted to know why the Eastern Barriers has been breached. Why was there an electricity malfunction? How could there be an Eastern Gate when the Argos map showed only three consecutive ones? Has the Zenith been lying to us?

“Take a seat, commander.” Colonel Black waved his hand over the empty seat that the general has vacated.

Looking at it made me want to kick it out of the room. There is no way I am sitting in a chair of a mad and pruritic man.

“Thank you, but I’d like to get back to my soldiers as soon as possible.” That was true. I wanna know if all of them were all right. Athren and Sigourney had been out of my sight. I wanna know if all of them had been safe.

He placed his hands behind his back. “All right then. I’ll be brief as you wish.”

The moment he said that, I noticed the tense muscles returning on the set of his jaw. Suddenly, I felt like I don’t want to hear what he’s about to say.

“It’s your brother.” He said. “He has escaped.”

And I felt the whole world collapsing on my feet.

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