Douglas had a weird look on his face for a second, but then he nodded. "Don't know what kind of answer I was expecting," he said, relaxing in his chair a little.
"I guess anything that sounded not human would've been the green light, but that's a teenager's answer if I've ever heard one," he added, before pulling out a blocky device from his right pocket.
"He's clear. Over," he said, clicking a button.
On closer inspection, Gray realized it was a walkie.
"Withdrawing. Over," a static-filled voice called back.
~So the walkies still work.~ He hadn't expected devices like that to work on a different planet, though he supposed radio waves wouldn't magically disappear just because they weren't on Earth.
~These would definitely come in handy,~ he thought, staring at the walkie. They were cheaper than the system store alternatives and had the benefit of not needing cell service. Something he was certain would disappear after a few days in the apocalypse.
Douglas tossed the walkie on the bed and fished through his pockets. He pulled out a packet of cigarettes, before retrieving a lighter from his front pocket. "Mind if I?" he asked, already popping out a cigarette.
Gray stared at him for a moment and then shook his head.
"You want one?" Douglas asked, after he had lit the one in his mouth, offering Gray the last one in the box.
"I don't smoke, thank you," Gray replied. He hadn't expected someone from the military to be this casual.
"Yet, you mean. It's the beginnings of a war, soon—," Douglas muttered, shaking his head before blowing out smoke. It had a sweet nutty scent.
"You said you were 17. So what, twelfth grade?" Douglas asked.
"Eleventh," Gray replied.
"You know a kid called Mason? Scrawny boy with glasses, football team," Douglas asked, blowing out another stream.
"I know a senior called Mason, captain of the football. But, he isn't scrawny," Gray replied.
"Captain of the football team huh?" Douglas whispered. He went silent for a moment, staring at the lighted tip of his cigarette.
"Was he there with you? Wherever they took you... special ones," he asked, there was something in his tone, Gray couldn't decide whether it was sadness or anger.
"I don't know. But if he survived, he's probably up there," Gray replied.
~So he has a general idea of what's going on huh? I guess they're not completely clueless,~ he realized.
"Where are we? This place... the mountains look American, but—" Douglas said, shrugging, before tapping on the butt of his cigarette. Ashes fell onto his lap, but he just stared at them.
"I don't know, right now I kinda think we're on a moon called Acolynth. Can't be too sure though," Gray replied, adjusting himself on the bed. It was awkward, having an old man look at him so intently.
"Offworld, huh," Douglas whispered, before clearing his throat.
"You guys already finish the reckoning, or was it trials? Can't remember what it was that alien said," he added.
In that moment, Gray could kind of understand how it must've been for these soldiers the past few hours. Some of their men, and even civilians, had been chosen to fight for Earth. They weren't a part of that, they were effectively called useless, and now all they could do was twiddle their thumbs whilst others fought a war for them.
"No... or at least I don't think so."
"Hmm..." silence filled the room. And for a while, there was only the soft sound of Douglas's cigarette hissing as it burned.
Once the cigarette was halfway done, Douglas snuffed it out on the back of his palm and tossed it to the side.
"What are you doing here Gray?"
Douglas sat up straight and picked the walkie off the bed.
"I'm here for a boy named Joshua, but... there's also something I want from you. I'm willing to offer you more information, if you can help me get what I need," Gray replied, sitting up straight as well.
Douglas stared at Gray for a moment, as if trying to read something in his eyes. "I can't promise that I'll be able to do it. But I always try to keep my word," he said.
Gray hesitated for a moment. "I need you to find and extract two people from the Amazon."
"That's a bit..." Douglas whispered, before rubbing his hands. "You think what information you can provide is worth that much?" he asked, louder this time.
Gray stood up, and in that instant, Douglas was on his feet as well. He towered over the boy, but didn't move to do anything else.
Gray looked up at him for a moment, before turning towards the bed. He gripped the frame as tight as his strength would allow, causing it to splinter a little, before slowly lifting it off the ground. With effort, he raised it above his head; he had done all this with but a single hand.
Douglas's eyes went wide as he took a step back. But then, he nodded, and all the shock left him all at once.
"So that's why you guys were chosen. Can all of you do that?" he asked.
"First, I need that promise," Gray replied, placing the bed back down.
Douglas sighed. "Look, what you're asking for, its too much. And as nice as it would be for you to tell us what you know, we're going to find out either way," he said.
"We have men on the inside too. I'm sorry kid."
~Fuck, I need this to work,~ Gray thought to himself, trying to keep an outwardly composed demeanor.
Just then, he thought of something. It was a risk, but it was the only real trading chip he had. If the military didn't help him, there was no way he'd be able to bring his parents back home. Unless of course he hijacked a plane, and learned how to fly it, hopefully before they died... if they weren't already dead that is.
"I have something that your men don't," he said finally.
Douglas remained quiet, staring at him.
"I'm special... even among the others. A Unique rank. The information I'll be able to give you... won't be something your men can imitate," Gray continued.
Douglas looked interested at this, and sat back down; dropping his walkie on the bed and pulling out another cigarette.
"I hope you aren't just desperate," he said, before lighting it. "Go on."