Chapter 2

Under the cover of night I crept into the dark city. Pax Pacis mandates that after 7 O'Clock all citizens must stay in their designated living space until 5:00am. I rarely followed this rule and on nights like tonight, where my father was in a drugged sleep, I managed to get away with it. I had never gotten caught before so I did not understand what the big deal would be to stay out late. The only people and things I had to look out for were Contego guards and the genetically enhanced Gandras. 

Despite protocol it was always surprisingly easy to sneak into the city. The paroles circle around the bridge between Technology and Agriculture once every fifteen minutes. So if I watch them pass it, I simply have to wait until they are out of sight, but not long enough that they are on their way back around, and cross the bridge. I look both ways across the lit street and notice that the guards both have their backs turned and are looking at something else entirely down the road from where we all stood. From my place in the alleyway it would take me thirty seconds to get to the bridge, I just hoped that was enough time. I ran across the light opening holding my breath trying to complete silence. I did not breath again until my feet hit the wooden boards that composed the bridge into my work place.

Behind me I could hear the Gandras sniffing the ground and air around them. Soon they would pick up my scent and the guards would pass it off as left over from today. I made my way across the bridge quicker than normal not taking any time to look at the dark water running underneath or think about the contents of Edificium, about whether or not my mother was still there.

Something seemed different tonight. I looked up at the barbed fence surrounding the Agriculture district and smiled at the familiar adrenaline rush that slowly crept into my body. I chose Ag because it seemed like the safest and more enjoyable division, however, I would have been a good protector as well. I slipped my shoes off and grabbed hold of the fence. Just like every other night I began to climb the 40 foot wall of wire in order to get into the orchards tonight. 

At about forty feet up I heard a snarl behind me. Don't look Ethne, I told myself. But my curiosity got the best of me and I turned my head toward the noise. At the other end of the bridge a Gandra stood with its teeth barred in my direction. The guard that I recognized as my fathers friend Trevor, yanked on the leash attached to the beast. It clearly did not like the action and pulled itself away from the man. Before I could blink or climb any further the creature began racing toward me. 

Reaching up to the next wire, I placed my hand on a thick barb and felt the warm blood trickle down my hand. Instinctively I let go of the wire. Bad idea. I fell back and hit the ground under me with a thud, hard enough to spot my vision and knock the air out of me. I had seconds before this creature was upon me.

I dusted myself off rather quickly and started running to my right along the gate and further into the city. The Gandra was behind me. Oh how I hated those creatures. I rounded a corner and pushed myself into the shadows trying to conceal myself from the beast, my attempt worked and it ran blindly past me. My breathing heavy I sunk down to the ground to get come air and relax. I guess tonight was not the night to restock my personal herbs. 

"Don't move." I hand wrapped around my mouth and dragged me to my feet. My eyes wide I tried to squirm out of my captors hand. I could not catch a break tonight. Whoever held me had a tight grip on my arm and mouth as the dragged me carelessly down the alley and into an even darker corridor. I'm going to die tonight, I said to myself as I struggled to catch my breath against this figures hand.

I fell limp against their body, thinking that maybe they would think I was dead and leave me alone on the ground. Then I could lay down and die for real. That sounded nice the more I thought about my aching limbs and pounding headache. I was not used to this my work in one day. 

"I know you're still alive." My captor, a man, pushed me up against a wooden door that before had been concealed by shadows. I felt some sort of cloth press against my face and cover my eyes. Everything was still dark but this was a different kind of darkness. It seemed to be a more permanent, eternal darkness. I heard the squeak of the door and felt myself being shoved inside.

I felt claustrophobic. We descended a staircase and I could smell mold and hear water dripping from somewhere around me. I lost count as how many tunnels we turned through. How anyone could keep their bearings in here was beyond me. After what seemed like an eternity however, he took my blindfold off and shoved me to the ground. 

When I opened my eyes and looked around I was in some sort of large meeting chamber. There were about fifteen to twenty people around me and candles lighting the room. I sat at the feet of a surprisingly young man. He was tall and lean, with pale skin and black hair. His deep set eyes were the color of lavender flowers. I let out a small gasp. It was the boy from the window of Edificium.

"What do you want?" He growled at me and barely missed stepping on my fingers as he began to pace the floor in front of me. I yelped and pulled my hand back toward my body. Sitting back so that I could look at him without straining.

"To leave. What do you want? Why am I here?" I give him an accusing stare. My blood is boiling under my skin. This guy was a jerk.

"I want to know why you were sitting in that alley after dark. I want to know who you are. I want to know what the hell you want." His face is inches from my own now and I can see every detail of his complexion. He has a scar over his right eye. I had the urge to reach out and touch it.

"Can I trust you?" I whisper just loud enough for him to hear. Something about this boy seemed familiar and all too appealing. I wanted to tell him who I was and why I was there, but I also did not want him to turn me in to Edificium and get me killed. That was the penalty for going against protocol. But if that was the case then who were these people and how were they avoiding that penalty?

"No."

"Didn't think so." I throw my head back and smile at the ridiculousness of my situation. 

"Leave." The boy gestures to the rest of the room, "Everyone, but you." He glares at me and the moment of relief I felt dissipates. I want to leave. I need to leave. I need to check on my father.

"Who are you?"

"Payce."

"Payce what?" I had never heard someone address themselves by their first name only.

"Payce That's-All-You-Need-To-Know." He glares at me. "Who are you?"

"Ethne Sotriell." I take this chance to stand up and head toward the exit. Then I realized that I had no idea how to get out of this place. "Why are you here?" 

Payce sighed and ran his hands through his long black hair. "It's...complicated."

"Well, I don't know how to get out of here, and you have nothing better to do then interrogate me, so start talking."

"Insurgo insurgi insurrectum, Insurgo for short. We are the Rebels. I started this group a few months ago. Its made up of people who, for different reason, defy Pax Pacis. Something that you clearly do almost every night when you sneak back into town and steal from the Agriculture district. We have been recruiting people. Trying to build up an army."

"Why?" The idea of someone wanting to overthrow the government just seemed wrong. I hated the stupid rules as much as everyone else but I was not sure I wanted to be part of a rebel army.

"Because we, like you, find it unfair. We hate that we have no freedom of choice and think that there is more to the story then we are being told. More to why we are kept dividing and why our society has to function the way that it does. Look, I can't tell you more than that until I am sure that I have your alliegence, and you have to go through a sort of 'initiation' in order for me to be sure of that. If you want to know more, come back tomorrow. " Payce begins blowing out the candles around the room and I can tell that our meeting is about to be cut short.

"And if I don't?" 

"If you don't, tell no one about this meeting, and when we make our move, don't get in the way." His tone is eerie and I know in my gut what would happen if I did either of those things. I would cease to exist.