Chapter 14

“Where are you from, Lena?” Moja asked her.

The question caught Lena off-guard.

“Duskrider.”

“Never heard of it. What sector’s that in?” Jazun asked.

Lena met his gaze for only a moment. His eyes made her uneasy knowing there was a murderer behind them.

Lena looked over at Moja. She looked just as clueless as Jazun.

“The ship?” Lena reiterated.

They were both silent.

“The colony ship... from Earth?”

“You... come from Earth?” Moja asked, curiously. She jumped down from the vehicle’s hood.

Lena looked at her, surprised at the wonder in her tone.

“I don’t really remember it. I’ve spent the last twenty years on the Duskrider.” Jazun and Moja exchanged glances.

Jazun spoke again. “Lena, I don’t know what you’ve heard about Verus since you left the Duskrider, but we don’t exactly have the best reputation.”

Lena stewed on the statement. The news outlets had certainly exaggerated the numbers of the organization, but she was still unsure of where the lies ended and the truth exposed itself. She attempted to hold her tongue for a moment.

“The bodies,” she finally said, “The synth corpses that were found the other week.” She waited for an answer, her arms crossed.

“What...bodies?” he asked, sounding genuinely confused.

Moja spoke. “When Kenny returned from his recon in Vogt, he spoke of many discarded synth cells found in the wilderness north of Rhod. They were buried face down with our symbol carved into their backs. Amateurly, I might add.”

“Fenix bastards,” Jazun cursed. He spun in frustration and punched the spare tire on the hood.

Lena looked to Moja for an explanation.

“You have been made to think that the war is against synthetic humans,” Moja explained.

“Rian’s only out for himself,” added Jazun.

“Rian? Who’s Rian?”

“What? Have you been living under a rock?” Jazun remarked.

The irony of the question made Lena chuckle. “You’re one to talk!” she shot back. Lena silently scolded herself for not paying

attention to the current events sooner. She sunk deeper into herself.

Moja contined. “The man behind synthetics as we know them today. Synthetic option has obviously been around for years, but only recently has Rian’s business has made them affordable for nearly everyone. Most would applaud his business tactics. He aims to offer his product to those less fortunate, so they too might be saved from death itself.”

Lena still failed to understand Jazun’s frustration.

“Ok, so you believe people should just...die naturally?”

Moja looked at her. “One should have the choice to do so.”

Lena fell silent at this, wondering what she meant.

Moja stood. “Vogt is not much further. We must find a spot to station our vehicle before we enter the city,” Moja stated. She circled back around to the passenger side of the vehicle. “According to Kenny’s recon, there is an underground waterway near the river’s northeast entrance. It leads directly to the Undercity. My only concern is the current inhabitants.”

“You mean like... vagrants?” Lena found it peculiar that someone who lived in an abandoned mine would be so cautious of people living in a utility tunnel.

“Not the people. The Contagion.”

Jazun rummaged through one of the packs on top of the car. He pulled out a small, rectangular container. It rattled with the sound of many smaller objects.

“I have enough to last us a few days,” he said. “I’ll keep ‘em handy. Remember to take one every twelve hours or so.”

Moja held out her palm and Jazun poured a single capsule into it. She tossed it into her mouth and swallowed. Jazun handed her a bottle of water.

Lena held her hand out. It took him a moment to notice the gesture.

“Sorry,” he said, quickly spilling one of the capsules into her hand.

Lena glared at him angrily. She swallowed the pill and took a gulp of the water Moja handed her.

After a brief meal, they checked the vehicle and prepared to continue their journey.