For most of my life, I thought that I was the toughest girl on the block. I pictured myself as the girl no one dared to mess with. My attitude also helped. Fearless, adventurous, always ready to take on a new challenge, screw it, I would even fight guys older than me. But "there's always a bigger fish."
Waking me up this early was already a bitch move, but making me fight a bionic before breakfast...now that was the peak of how much of a bitch someone can be.
"Come on, stand up outsider! Wanna be one of us, you gotta earn our respect first." Says the buffed bionic girl I'm was put against.
I guess the dirty floor feels more comfortable than being thrown around by this bionic. So I close my eyes and stay laid.
"Giving up already?" Says Kate.
"Wasn't there a human girl I could fight against?" I ask her
"You're a mess." She says, rolling her eyes. "Wouldn't your sister be proud of you."
Hearing this, I roll over and low kick her. She flips backward and dodges it.
"Just needed a lil' bit of motivation, huh?" She says.
I jump off the floor and rush towards her when two guys get in front of me. I look at her between them and see her looking back at me with a satisfied expression.
"Need to hide behind your dogs?" I ask.
"At ease guys," She says as they leave. "I'm not here to sugarcoat things for you down here. This is not the surface. You better keep that in mind. But you can go for now, I can see what I'm working with. I got things to do besides babysitting you."
"I want to beat you up so hard right now." I say angry.
"Save that anger. You're gonna need it for your sister's killer." She says, turning her back and leaving.
"hawø..." I murmur.
...
"You still have much to learn Becca." Says Olivia.
"Dude! You need to stop appearing out of nowhere." I say startled.
"Sorry." She giggles.
"Anyways, what's up with this bitch?" I ask her.
"Come, I'll explain while we eat." She says.
I follow her to a vast Hall with many teenagers, even kids eating and socialising. We get something to eat, and I have to admit that I'm surprised to see that the food here is as good looking as on the surface. Though not as "luxurious" as I'm used to.
Olivia starts to explain the reason for Kate's attitude. From what I understood, the Ericson's were the first rulers of the Colony, which made them one of the most influential and respected families. That changed when Queen Kristen Ericson was overthrown by Queen Aurea Voll decades ago. That event made the Ericsons feel like the others looked down on them. Also both her sisters were poisoned. Now, as the older daughter of the Ericsons and princess of the Peverin sub-colony, Kate thinks that she can bring the pride back to her family.
"So, acting tough is her way to get the respect she thinks her family deserves. " I say. She nods and smiles at me. "By the way, tell me something. Where exactly are we?" I ask.
"We're in Serrori, an Island from Cantavalterra." She says
"Why Cantavalterra?" I ask.
"Well, this is where we come to train before taking the Oaths. As soon as they turn 8, most kids come here and give their lives to the Colony. Oaths are taken every two years." She says.
"Oaths?" I ask
"Yes. The Oaths consist of a one on one battle until someone loses a limb, gives up or dies. After the battles, the winners take an oath and are sent to one of the 12 sub-colonies. You're no exception. Even though you're an outsider, you have to go through this process as well. That's why you're here." She explains.
" And when did you take your Oaths?" I ask
"I was 10." She answers. "Same as Kate."
"So young!? Why do you put yourselves through something like that?" I ask
"It was a decree made by Queen Kristen. And also because we need the best warriors, we can get. Everyone gets 3 chances. Those not good enough serve the Colony in another way." She says.
"Warriors? What? Is this a joke?" I laugh. "We live in a peaceful world. What do you need warriors for? I ask
"Hmm..." She opens her hand and shows me a Hologram with representative Ware from E9. "We found this yesterday. It dates from about a month ago."
The hologram shows representative Ware talking about a new law that demands every single human and bionic from 18 to 45 for mandatory military service for at least five years. Anyone who doesn't follow that law will be taken to prison.
"Do you think the Bionics in E9 accepted that?" She asks.
I shake my head.
"There's an imminent war in E9, between humans and Droids. The Bionics in E9 don't have a Colony as we do here, so they can't fight back. But we can. E9 is trying to get as many soldiers as they can..."
"So that means that when Ware came here, he was seeking for more soldiers to join the war in E9. Right?" I ask.
"Exactly. It won't be long until the same law applies in E8. So when that happens, we will be ready," she says.
"And what about the Bionics in E9?" I ask.
"As for now, we can't do much to help them. We'll have to wait and act wisely." She says.
Now I get it. But still, I have to keep my focus on my purpose. I have to find the killer. But another thing is bothering me. If war breaks here in E8, what about my little sisters and my parents? The worst thing is that I can't leave the Colony, at least for now. I have to hurry, or things will get ugly...
"Hey," Olivia calls me. "Don't overthink it, I still have to fill you up on some things." She says.
"Yeah sure..." I say.
Olivia continues to explain to me things about the Colony and their traditions. She tells me that the big Droid in the council room wasn't really a Droid. It's a Bionic modified at it'ss maximum. She also explains that there are 12 sub-colonies, each one ruled by a Queen, and a Head Queen that oversees the whole Colony. She also told me that her mother is the Queen of one of the Sub-colonies, so she'll probably be Queen and part of the council someday. This is if she doesn't lose a challenge for her place.
While we talk, Kate appears and interrupts us.
"Rebecca, I have something for you." She says. "Some of my men went to Faliaici and got some information that might lead you to the killer." She says.
I look at her a bit confused.
"Look," she continues, "I don't have any hatred towards you. I follow our laws and traditions. Now you can stay there looking at me with a stupid face or listen to what I have to say!"
"You don't have to be so rude, Kate." Says Olivia
"No, it's OK. She's right. What is it they found?" I ask
"They went to the bar that was attacked the night prior to your sister's death. One of the survivors said he saw a suspicious man with one of the terrorists we caught. This is how he described him." She says as she opens her left hand showing a hologram of a masked man with two wrist daggers and a big hooded cloak.
"Ok, now, what the hell is up with everyone showing holograms from their hands?" I ask
"It's a long story..." Says Olivia
"Can you girls focus please?" Says Kate.
"Sure," I say. "But still, he's all covered. How are we supposed to know who he is or how he looks like?" I ask
"We have one of the terrorist here in the colony. He was kept alive for interrogations. So we can go ask him some questions." Says Kate
"Then, what are we waiting for?" I ask
"It's not gonna be that easy..." Says Olivia. "The prisoners are taken to the sub-colony of Cantecca, Latinola."
"So? Let's go there!"I say
"You can't." Says Kate
"Why? If you're going to interrogate that guy I have to be present. It's about my sister's murder we're talking about!" I say
"You just can't. You have to stay here until you take the Oaths. If you go out, you will be executed for disobedience." Says Olivia
"Then I'll sneak out. We can go there and get back without being noticed." I say confidently.
"I would be more than happy to help you with that. But it's impossible to leave here unnoticed. And even if you manage to pass through the guards, you will be caught by the cameras." Says Olivia. "Unless..." She looks at Kate
"Yeah, unless..." I look at Kate too.
"Why are you looking at me? Huh, no, no! Don't even think about it. I'm not sticking my neck out for you!" Says Kate.
"Cmon! It won't be for long!" I say
"No! I won't help you sneak out. I gave you this information. Olivia and I can go interrogate him about this. Now you decide. I can help you, but that's the condition. And if for some reason you get out there before you're supposed to, believe me, I won't hesitate on killing you. The same goes for you if you try to help her, Olivia!" She says.
"I guess there's no helping it," I say. "Can I just ask you for one last favor?"
"Depends on what it is," Kate answers.
"While you're out there, try and talk to Elon. Tell him I had to go back to Vaguarmel. If he has news, please tell me." I ask her.
"I can do that." She agrees. "Olivia, let's go. If we don't lose time, we might be back this evening. While we're out, try not to get in trouble.
"Don't worry," I say, assure her.
She nods and leaves along with Olivia. I'm a bit disappointed about not being able to go with them. But that'll give me time to practice a bit and try to learn some more about the Colony. But before that, I'll take some time to have a look around.
I go to the city square, and I find there a plan for this whole sub-colony. There are 6 floors. I notice that there's a huge building that connects every floor. I remember coming from there yesterday. There's also a monument honoring all the best warriors that took their Oaths. If I search around, I'll probably find Olivia's name or even Kate's. On top of it, there's a name that catches my attention.
"Mia Ayala..." I whisper. The only Ayala I know is Simon. Could it be a cousin or something? I'd love to check this out with him, but unfortunately, I'm stuck here.
"Do you know her?" I hear someone ask.
"No," I answer, "I just know someone with the same surname."
"Must be a good person," She says, smiling. "By the way, I'm Martha Ayala, nice to meet you." She bows.
"Oh, so you're..." I stutter.
"She's my great-grandmother." She says
"Well, nice to meet you too. I'm..."
"Rebecca Geon." She interrupts. "The Outsider that wants to join the Colony."
"...Am I that famous already?" I ask.
"Well, Simon doesn't stop talking about you either, so yeah, you're kinda famous." She says.
I look at her for a second, and now I can't un-notice the resemblances: same nose, same eyes, straight black hair, pale skin tone.
"Yeah, I'm his older sister." She confirms before I can say anything
"I would never imagine he was a member of The Colony," I say
"Oh, he's not. After failing the Oaths for the second time, he decided to give up from all this." She says.
"So he left the Colony? Just like that?" I ask
"He is watched 24/7. Fortunately, he wasn't executed for leaving. Perks of being the son of a Queen.
"That doesn't..."
"Make sense?" She interrupts me again.
"Yeah...it doesn't make sense," I say
"It might not make sense for outsiders. But our reality is not the same. These are our ways. You understand that, don't you?" She asks.
"It's a bit hard to understand your ways when..."
"When you lived unconcerned about anything, in a world where everything is beautiful?" She interrupts once more.
"Yeah...you need to stop interrupting me," I say
"Sorry, bad habit." She apologizes. "But that's the way it works here. Unless you are born in The Colony, you will never fully understand our ways."
"I don't need to understand them. Learn them will do for me." I say
"And what have you learned yet?" She asks.
"Only the basics," I answer.
"I see. And what about your fighting skills?" She asks
"I'm a good fighter myself. 'Been kicking asses all my life." I say proudly
"So what I saw this morning was just laziness, I'm guessing." She assumes
"I didn't feel like fighting. But I'm sure I could've won easily if I was given a fair opponent." I say
"I like your confidence. Do you think you can take me one on one?" She asks.
"I don't wanna be rude but...bitch please," I say confidently.
"Oh, such an old expression. OK. Let's see what you got. Follow me." She says
I follow her as we walk down the street to a small meadow. On our way, the same thing as Olivia and Kate happens. People greet Martha by calling her "princess."
We arrive. We're the only ones there so it'll be like a private battle. She faces me and gets in a fighting stance.
"Are you ready?" She asks
"I won't go easy on you," I say as I raise my fists protecting my face.
"I'm not asking you to." She says
I take one step closer and throw a right punch aimed at her jaw. She gently blocks it with the back of her hand before grabbing my arm, pulling me and putting her hand in my face.
"Checkmate!" She says before pushing me back.
I get myself together and try to focus. I try to hit her with consecutive punches, but like the first one, she blocks or dodges them. After avoiding a hook, she grabs me by the waist and slams me to the ground.
"Ouch!" I scream.
She holds out her hand to help me get up.
"Put a smile on your face. It wasn't that bad." She says.
"Like hell, it wasn't," I say, grabbing her hand.
"Don't be disappointed. I've been practicing since a little kid. But Street fighting won't get you anywhere here." She says.
She might be right. If the other Bionics are like her, I have no chance. What am I saying? Like I would give up from a fight this easily. I get into a fighting stance and set my eyes on her.
"Hm, not giving up yet?" She says as she gets ready as well.
I throw a punch aimed at her jaw again. She dodges it by stepping back. This time I follow the punch with an elbow strike. She didn't expect that so I manage to hit her for the first time.
"Not bad." She says.
Before I can throw another punch, she makes a quick sequence of moves putting me quickly on the ground.
"There's always a bigger fish. Don't be mad about it." She says, smiling, giving me her hand again to help me up.
"You're on a whole different level," I say, taking her hand once again. "How old were you when you took your Oaths?"
"Is was 8." She says.
"What?!" I look at her, stunned.
"Don't look at me like that." She says, smiling uncomfortably. "I started practicing way before coming here, so I felt ready to take the Oaths on my first year." She explains.
"Wow, that's crazy," I say. "Also crazy is how you took the Oaths so soon while Simon failed it twice," I state.
She sits on the grass and starts talking.
"Simon never liked to fight, but seeing me motivated him to follow my steps. But it's just not his way. His mind is way better than his physic." She says.
"He's a great kid though," I say as I sit as well. "I would like to have him around here."
"He wouldn't mind that." She says. We both laugh at that.
"By the way, I've noticed that some Bionics kinda dislike Olivia. Why's that?" I ask
Her face expression changes completely.
"I've lost count on how many people she executed already. You're lucky you weren't one of them." She says
"Why did she execute so many people?" I ask
"Our laws are strict when it comes to executions. Olivia used to tell outsider Bionics about the Colony in the hope they would join us. Most of them didn't understand our ways, and some even threatened to expose us. Of course, we cannot let that happen, so Olivia had to be the one executing them, even having to hunt down some that tried to scape. For a long time, she was known as The Bloody Princess. Some members of the Colony do believe she's mad and did it on purpose. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but anyway, be careful with her. And do not trust everyone." She explains
"That's some news you're telling me there. Now I wonder if she told my sister about the Colony." I think out loud.
"I wouldn't be surprised." She says.
"I don't think so. She told the truth at the police station when I found out about my sisters' murder." I say.
"How are you so sure?" She asks, lifting one eyebrow.
"There's tgis Bionic, Drakov, who confirmed it. He can tell whether someone is lying or not." I say
"And can you tell if he's lying or not?" She asks
I start to think more about it and realize that it could all be a scheme.
"I'm not saying they did it, but in my point of view, it would be easy to say that Olivia was telling the truth to help cover her mistake. Just think about it. We give our lives for the Colony. Lying to protect it is nothing to us." She continues.
"What you're saying makes sense, but why would she insist on bringing me here and let me live, then?" I ask.
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." She says. "But of course, this is just a theory. Maybe she likes you and wants to help you. I'll let you be the judge of that." She winks at me as she stands up. "Focus on your training, for now. I have to go. See you." She bows and leaves.
If all this is true, I let Olivia make a fool of me this whole time. And Drakov...I trusted him. She even tried to make me believe Kate was the one involved in Sam's murder. If all this is true, I swear she'll regret meeting me.
I know that I should focus on my training, but after knowing this...I have to think about this and try to find the best thing to do. I go to the Hall only to find that the door is locked. Not that it matters much, but this sequence of events is getting me frustrated. I turn around, lean back against the door, close my eyes, and sit.
"Screw these automatic doors..." I whisper
When I open my eyes, I see agent Almond. I ask myself what is she doing here.
"Pleased to see you again, Miss Geon." She says
"Glad to see you too agent Almond," I reply
"I'm not on duty anymore. You can call me Cecília. That's my name." She says.
"What you mean you're not on duty anymore?" I ask
"Looks like Kate overwrote my systems. I still know who I am but the whole purpose of my existence has changed. Now I follow no orders. I'm my own master. I would say that I'm upgraded. Her droid was tasked to bring me here." She explains
"Is that even possible?" I ask
"Looks like it is." She answers.
"So you're not an agent anymore...won't the police come after you?" I ask.
"I wasn't trackable, so that won't be a problem."
"Good thing for you then..." I say
"I sense anger, doubt, and sadness from you. Those feelings can put you in a lot of trouble if not controlled. Why won't you tell me what's bothering you?" She asks.
"Nothing to worry about," I answer.
"I can tell you're lying." She says.
"You're pretty annoying for a Droid ya' know?" I say.
"Does it have to do with your sister?" She asks.
"And persistent too...yes it does," I say.
"Don't let any feeling take over you. You must focus on training and learning about this place to achieve your goal. All your decisions must be made having that in mind." She says
"I know, I know," I say, bored.
"You did not show motivation this morning. And your spare against Princess Ayala was pointless." She continues.
"What do you mean?" I ask
"You lack strength, speed, and your fighting style is superficial." She says.
"Wow! Thanks for the motivation! I have feelings, you know?!" I say.
"I am aware of that." She says, looking at me with a blank expression.
"Then what do you suggest?" I ask.
"There is no fighting style nor weapon that would fit you perfectly, but considering your personality, an ax and a shield would be a good start for you as a norse warrior. This would fit perfectly with the culture of this place. Though a heavy weapon, if weld the right way, may be very effective."
A Shield and an ax. If you can't beat them, join them, right?. Guess I gotta embrace their ways to be able to do something relevant here. I get up and walk away.
"Where are you going?" Asks Cecília
"To get an ax and a shield, as you suggested!" I say
"I still feel anger in you. It is not wise to get any weapon right now!" I hear her scream from afar.
"I don't care!" I scream as I leave.
As soon as I get what I need, I spend the rest of the day on the training ground. As Cecília said, axes are pretty heavy, so, you can easily get tired. But with some training, I might be able to use it well.
I still haven't forgotten about what Martha told me. While I train, I think about the best way to approach the situation when Olivia arrives. I have to control my explosive temper and try not to jump into accusations right away. For all I know, she might be innocent.
At this point, I don't know who to believe in anymore. Olivia and Drakov might have lied to me this whole time. I don't know Kate well enough, but we don't get along very well. I just met Martha, so I don't know if I should trust her either. Simon and Elon are not here. The only one I can talk to is Almond. Things aren't going as smooth as I wish they would. Damn! What a mess. It could've been so different if I had gone with them to that damn party. But enough of that. Time doesn't go back. On the contrary, it flies, and it's dark already - no signs of Olivia and Kate. Seconds become minutes and minutes become hours. I wait for as much my body lets me, but I soon fall asleep. Training all day got me tired.
When I wake up, it's early in the morning. I'd say 6 am or something like that. I dress up and go outside. At my door is Almond. I ask myself what the heck she's doing here so early.
"You're finally up, Miss Geon," She says
"Yes...I am." I say, confused.
"Please follow me. Everyone is waiting for you," she says.
"Waiting for me? Why? What's going on? " I ask her.
"I can't tell you right now. Just follow me," She answers.
I follow her to the building that connects every floor. We get in, and she presses button number 3 of the lift. If my memory's not failing, the council is on that floor. I'm starting to feel cold and thinking about what must have I done to have to come back here.
"Please be calm," Says Almond, noticing how nervous I am.
The lift stops, and the doors open. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. We walk in and follow a corridor that takes us to the center of the council, exactly where I was the first time I got here.
This time there aren't any of the 12 Queens sit in front of me. Instead, there are other 11 girls, also clothed with Norse clothes, who I assume to be the princess of each sub-colony, standing before me. Six of them are unknown to me, and two new faces look familiar. I know Olivia, Kate, and Martha. The other two that look familiar...It must be a joke.
" Alexa? Hanna? What the hell are you girls doing here?!" I say, surprised.
"That question can wait for its answer." Says Alexa.
"Right now, there is another thing you should be worried about." Continues Hanna.
"What is going on? I ask.
"Bring him!" Says Kate to one of the guards
After a brief moment, they bring someone with a gag and blindfolded, and put him in front of me. It's Elon!?
"What is Elon doing here?" I ask
"Your little detective game brought him to ask questions to the wrong people. You, outsiders, don't know boundaries." - Says Hanna
"Through his investigation, he found out about the Colony. He refuses to tell us how he got all his information. We know that there is someone from the Colony betraying us. So there's something he's hiding from us" Says Kate.
"Some of us think that somehow you might've told him about the Colony or how to find you." Says Martha.
"How could I do that?! I was locked in here since I arrived!" I say outraged
"We still cannot trust you!"- Says Alexa.
"That's not fair..."
"That's our way!" Interrupts Kate. "Outsiders are not trusted in here just like Bionics are not trusted on the surface!"
"Then what can I do to earn your trust? I ask.
"You already know what happens to outsiders that know about the existence of the Colony..." says Martha
Elon screams, desperately trying to get himself free. Olivia comes towards me and hands me a new shiny sword with a "G" carved on it. She kneels.
"Det jigi ø ty fe havø." (this shall be your first kill). She says in Mupi.
My heart stops...