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Authors: Maya Shepherd
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don’t. “Finn” would behave like that—not me.
“How do you think the Legion treats its enemies? They kill them without hesitation. They only made the mistake once of sending them into the desert with no food or water. They won’t do that again. Anyone not for them, they shoot in cold blood.”
Adamant, I shake my head again and refuse to believe him. “You’re a liar!”
He blows out a breath and falls back into the chair. Then he shakes his head, disappointed. “I understand that you don’t believe me. You’ve never known anything else but the safety zone. If it was me, I’d probably feel the same. But think about what I’ve said. I’m sure you must have doubted the Legion at times. Not all of their decisions are right.”
He stands up and leads me out of the cell, back to F701. But when he opens the door, she’s not there.
“Where is she?” I cry out, alarmed.
“She’s being questioned, just like you, that’s all.”
“Will she come back after that?”
“Who knows...maybe she’s a bit more trusting than you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You have the choice. To live as a human—or keep playing robots and labourers for the Legion.”
Another lie. They won’t just let us go, if we decide against them. I’m their prisoner until I agree with them or I die. I don’t have any other choice.
Paul notices my hesitation and reads it wrongly. “Are you afraid to be alone?”
“No.” I press my lips together bravely. Now that he’s said it, I realise he might be right. When the door clicks closed, I flinch once and wrap my arms around myself. It’s warm in the cell, warmer than anywhere in the safety zone, whether day or night, but I’m still freezing. Maybe these are the first effects of the radiation, if it even exists any more.
I don’t know what to believe any more. Who’s lying, and who’s telling the truth? Since I was a small child I’ve been used to the Legion telling me what’s right and wrong. It’s not necessary to think about things yourself—it’s even counterproductive. Too many different opinions could lead to conflicts and war. What should I do when everything I’ve always resisted is the only way to survive here? I know one thing for sure: I’m not ready to die.
Weak, I lean against the rough stone and realise how heavy my legs are, and my eyes, and my whole body. I feel so, so tired. Thinking is torture. Maybe I should just rest for a moment, just a little break. My eyes fall closed and I am carried into a restless sleep.
Lifeless ash-pale bodies are stacked in piles. All the life is gone from them, leaving grotesquely disfigured shells behind. They are naked and cold, lying on the sandy red earth. Their light blue eyes are wide with horror, reflecting their fear of death. There’s a hole in each forehead and the last few drops of dark red blood are seeping out. They’ve been shot. All together, sparing none.
I want to scream, but my mouth remains silent. I can’t even feel it. Am I dead, too? I lift my gaze and see the white suits of the Legion commanders. They’re holding guns, aiming at me. A shot pings close by my head, another hits the ground by my feet and makes the red dust twirl upwards. I can’t move. The Legion commanders approach—I can look into their eyes. It’s a lie. Their eyes aren’t like mine, but full of light and shadow. They’re so angry. The Legion commander looks right into my face as he presses the gun against my head. It’s Finn.
I scream as I wake, and scramble around. What happened? Did he shoot me? In a panic I prod at my stomach, but the blood and the wound are gone. Only the red sand remains, making me cough.
The door is jerked open and I flee to the back corner of the cell. It’s him again—except he forgot the gun.
“What are you screaming for? You got a problem?” he growls at me.
“You want to kill me. I saw you!” I try to see past him into the little hallway. Maybe he’s too cowardly to
“How do you think the Legion treats its enemies? They kill them without hesitation. They only made the mistake once of sending them into the desert with no food or water. They won’t do that again. Anyone not for them, they shoot in cold blood.”
Adamant, I shake my head again and refuse to believe him. “You’re a liar!”
He blows out a breath and falls back into the chair. Then he shakes his head, disappointed. “I understand that you don’t believe me. You’ve never known anything else but the safety zone. If it was me, I’d probably feel the same. But think about what I’ve said. I’m sure you must have doubted the Legion at times. Not all of their decisions are right.”
He stands up and leads me out of the cell, back to F701. But when he opens the door, she’s not there.
“Where is she?” I cry out, alarmed.
“She’s being questioned, just like you, that’s all.”
“Will she come back after that?”
“Who knows...maybe she’s a bit more trusting than you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You have the choice. To live as a human—or keep playing robots and labourers for the Legion.”
Another lie. They won’t just let us go, if we decide against them. I’m their prisoner until I agree with them or I die. I don’t have any other choice.
Paul notices my hesitation and reads it wrongly. “Are you afraid to be alone?”
“No.” I press my lips together bravely. Now that he’s said it, I realise he might be right. When the door clicks closed, I flinch once and wrap my arms around myself. It’s warm in the cell, warmer than anywhere in the safety zone, whether day or night, but I’m still freezing. Maybe these are the first effects of the radiation, if it even exists any more.
I don’t know what to believe any more. Who’s lying, and who’s telling the truth? Since I was a small child I’ve been used to the Legion telling me what’s right and wrong. It’s not necessary to think about things yourself—it’s even counterproductive. Too many different opinions could lead to conflicts and war. What should I do when everything I’ve always resisted is the only way to survive here? I know one thing for sure: I’m not ready to die.
Weak, I lean against the rough stone and realise how heavy my legs are, and my eyes, and my whole body. I feel so, so tired. Thinking is torture. Maybe I should just rest for a moment, just a little break. My eyes fall closed and I am carried into a restless sleep.
Lifeless ash-pale bodies are stacked in piles. All the life is gone from them, leaving grotesquely disfigured shells behind. They are naked and cold, lying on the sandy red earth. Their light blue eyes are wide with horror, reflecting their fear of death. There’s a hole in each forehead and the last few drops of dark red blood are seeping out. They’ve been shot. All together, sparing none.
I want to scream, but my mouth remains silent. I can’t even feel it. Am I dead, too? I lift my gaze and see the white suits of the Legion commanders. They’re holding guns, aiming at me. A shot pings close by my head, another hits the ground by my feet and makes the red dust twirl upwards. I can’t move. The Legion commanders approach—I can look into their eyes. It’s a lie. Their eyes aren’t like mine, but full of light and shadow. They’re so angry. The Legion commander looks right into my face as he presses the gun against my head. It’s Finn.
I scream as I wake, and scramble around. What happened? Did he shoot me? In a panic I prod at my stomach, but the blood and the wound are gone. Only the red sand remains, making me cough.
The door is jerked open and I flee to the back corner of the cell. It’s him again—except he forgot the gun.
“What are you screaming for? You got a problem?” he growls at me.
“You want to kill me. I saw you!” I try to see past him into the little hallway. Maybe he’s too cowardly to
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