The Last Red

Chapter 26: Purpose

Morning Sun wakes me and I open my sleepy eyes.

There's a second where I try to decide whether I dreamt all that has happened in the past few days or was it reality.

Still squinting, I look around me. 

There's no doubt about it - Quira and Salvatore are asleep next to us.

Us?

Oh my God. I've only just noticed. I was asleep with my head over Koben's upper arm.

So, that part wasn't only a dream, either.

So much for one of us always keeping guard.

We're lucky Rooster hasn't killed us all.

I slowly sit up, but I must have stirred Koben, because now his eyes are open, too.

"Good morning," he smiles at me, stretching. "Did you sleep well?"

I nod, then quickly turn away to check my wound. 

The fact we slept hugging each other makes me feel a little ashamed.

The Aloe Vera and cactus juice I placed on it yesterday helped. It doesn't hurt as bad anymore and the infection's gone now.

I turn my head towards our allies and swallow hard seeing Salvatore's skin. His condition looks even worse in the Sun.

Poor guy...

"Wake up, guys," I crawl towards them a little to nudge Quira gently. "It's time to leave."

The two of them wake up immediately.

Salvatore's lips stretch into a smile. It lights up my mood. He looks like he cannot believe his luck.

He just lies there, gazing at the Sun, taking it all in.

I can only imagine how awful life used to be for him, waking up in a cage every day, wondering what horror he will go through that day.

Or even worse, waking up to new pain and realizing his eyesight's almost gone.

People have done the same thing to animals for ages.

How ashamed I feel sometimes to be human... But I am so happy he is finally being given a chance at life. He will appreciate every day more than the rest of us.

"Crap," Quira sits up. "The Sun's almost high. It must be close to noon."

"Yep. We better hurry," Koben gets up. "I wanna reach as close to the Wall as possible today."

"You haven't changed your minds," Quira says as if asking.

"No," I stand up and we start collecting our things.

We all stayed awake long last night, talking.

I couldn't fall asleep for hours after.

My brain wouldn't let me relax. I can't even tell what time it was when I passed out, but I bet it was close to dawn.

"We're lucky we're alive," Koben tells me. "After your shift ended, I only managed to stay awake for an hour or so," he looks to the ground where we were sleeping. "You were cold," he says. "And it looked so tempting to hug you."

I give him a small smile. 

"You were the one who took my arm to sleep on it," it sounds like a justification. "After that, I passed out in a matter of minutes."

"It's okay," I nod. "The important thing is no one got hurt," I put my rucksack on. "But we can't allow it to happen again."

He gives me a strange look I can't decipher. Hurt?

"Well, it was nice meeting you both," Quira announces.

I look at Salvatore, that wonderful creature. "What direction's your house in?"

"We're headed South-East," she says.

The Original City's North-East. "I guess we're splitting ways, then." 

That makes me sad. I wanted to see what the houses in the East looked like.

And to make sure Salvatore was taken care of.

But Quira does seem to genuinely care about him. After all, she risked her life to help him.

"All packed," Koben throws a backpack over his shoulder.

"I wish you had a chip of sorts so we could stay in touch," Quira says.

"I'm sure we'll get a software when we reach our destination," Koben says. "We'll call to check up on you."

"You sure I can't talk you out of going to Kennel City?"

I simper. "We are." I know I speak for both of us when I say it.

Koben approaches Salvatore and lays a hand over his shoulder. "Good luck, Salvo," he taps his other shoulder with his hand. 

"I hope you have a good life, my man."

He smiles shyly, his face immediately lit up.

"It's us really who should be wishing you good luck," Quira takes Salvatore's hand. 

"You're gonna need it."

Koben and I exchange a long stare as the two of them start their own separate way, headed South-East. 

"Bye!" Salvatore turns once more to greet us. 

My heart aches for him.

He's so... pure-hearted.

I wonder if I can still say the same for me...

"We should get going as well," Koben nudges me gently.

I can tell he's testing the waters.

But I still haven't made my decision about us. I don't think it's smart to create a romantic relationship with him. 

Then again, it's not something the head can decide - the heart wants what it wants. I guess we'll find out soon enough what it is.

I nod. 

"The coast seems clear," I look towards the NPS block.

* * *

After what seems like four hours of walking, I decide it's time to take a break. 

"Let's rest," I stop, letting a deep breath out.

"No, c'mon," he crouches down to pick me up. "I'll carry you. We should see fruit trees any minute now."

I dodge him. "Why won't you just let us stop for a minute?"

"C'mon, Red. Don't give up when we're near the finish line."

I let him pick me up and narrow my eyes looking into the horizon. I see some tiny dots that should be trees at the end of it. "There's at least two miles to those trees."

He nods, smiling victoriously.

"Finish line, Red," he says and I swear it seems like he even increased the pace.

"Yeah," I scoff. "Half an hour of walking left's not what I call the finish line..."

"Should I run, then?" he asks playfully as I roll my eyes.

No wonder he was the Block's number one - I've never met someone with his determination.

"How long till the Wall, you think?" he asks.

"Well, the circumference of Mars's around 13 thousand miles," I say. "Means East should be some 4 thousand miles wide. KTL's somewhere in the middle," I say doing quick math in my head, "we should have around 2500 miles left to reach its border."

"Wow," he twists his lips in admiration. "Now I know which block would claim you at your Ability Screening."

I shake my head, chuckling. "Yeah, definitely not acing the Physical test with this leg."

He glances at my bandage. "We're not covering much ground at this pace. Once your leg's fully healed we'll be able to cross forty-fifty miles a day."

I nod. "Means we could reach the wall in two months if everything goes right," I observe his face.

He says nothing, keeping his eyes on the horizon.

That's a lot of bonding time, I conclude, watching his features in silence.

"What did you mean by wanting revenge?" he bursts out of nowhere.

"Exactly that," I say simply.

"No," he looks at me, "I mean... what's your plan?"

"No plan," the corner of my lips curls. "You know I'm more of a spur-of-the-moment type of a girl."

Silence.

"I feel like you're hiding something," he says, not looking at me.

I laugh. "Welcome to my life. I feel like you're shadier than a set of trees."

He chuckles. "That's 'cause you keep on searching for reasons to doubt me."

I look away.

Is he right - am I only doing this so that I would keep myself from falling in love?

No - he's shady.

"I'm on your side, Red," he says matter-of-factly. "That's all that matters."

I look at him with narrowed eyes. 

"My plan's to discover who runs these blocks."

He bites his lip, brooding. "Say, hypothetically, you make it. Then what?"

"Then spur-of-the-moment kicks in," I tease. "Then I see what's at my disposal, Bradley. I can't make a good plan in the dark. I'll devise one once I know more." I know I can - I always have.

He gives me a look of admiration again. "Well, whatever it is," he says, "count me in."

Our eyes lock.

See, this is what I meant by things escalating quickly. Someone I'm gonna spend a month with all alone can't keep saying things like this.

"See?" he yells, excitedly, looking towards the trees we're nearing. "We're gonna have a feast, Red," he almost runs now.

I get a little surge of energy myself. The fruit looks so tempting to my growling stomach.

When we approach the first set, he lets me down and I walk to pick up a pear. The moment I sink my teeth into it, I'm enchanted by the taste.

"This is... breath-taking."

He nods. "I know," then reaches for one himself. 

I observe it in my hand as if it was magic.

It tastes even better than the cherry I've had from Quira's bag.

"We never have to kill a phigee again," I say, breathless.

"Don't know about that," he chuckles. "They sure taste good."

I shake my head. "I've bloodied my hands enough times. I took so many of their lives," I finish the pear then reach for another.

"This...hurts no one," I bite into it. Nutrient pills and fruit - what more does one need?

"The stronger one survives. It's the law of nature."

"I know," I say, chewing. "But even beasts used to kill the prey only when hunger threatened their lives. I now have a choice."

He looks at me with curious eyes.

"And what do you choose?"

"Mercy," I say simply.

Koben shakes his head. "You have a soft heart, Red. It's not good for you," he picks another pear, then stuffs his backpack with more.

"Life's cruel - it only makes things harder if you worry about others more than yourself."

Don't I know it...

"It's not like I enjoy killing phigees. But I was raised a survivor," he says. "We do what needs to be done to survive."

The curiosity kicks in.

"Who were you raised by?"

He takes a pause before replying.

"My grandfather mostly."

"What happened to him?" I ask. I barely know anything about his childhood.

He shakes his head. "I don't know. We got separated a long time ago."

I can tell it's a painful topic, so I won't push him into talking about it. 

"I don't blame you for anything," I say. "It's not on me to judge - I've done many things I'm not proud of myself."

"Haven't we all," he mutters.

Once I feel full, I sit down and lean onto the tree that fed us. Now, it's also providing us with cover from the Sun.

It's so peaceful in its shadow.

"I could stay here for days..."

Koben sits down next to me, throwing only a short glance my way.

"We could," he says. "We can stay here until your leg heals."

I look at him in surprise. He's suddenly willing to delay reaching the Wall?

"What?" he shrugs. "We've got food," he gestures, "we've got a place to sleep," he taps onto the ground, "what else do we need?"

I shake my head. Nothing. We're free. Free... and dangerously falling in love, if I may note. That's the scary part - this has got to slow down.

"I'm glad you forced me to continue our way, Brad," I tap his knee in a friendly way. "Well, carried me, really."

"Forced?" he chuckles. "I prefer motivated."

I laugh. 

"If you say so."

"Also," he scratches his head a little, "I prefer the name Koben," he states cautiously.

I frown, not having expected this.

"But... Bradley's your name. Your real name."

He nods. "It's my original name. But I haven't been Brad for a very long time, Red."

I still don't understand. "So? No one called me Gina ever since my parents died, but I still am Gina."

He purses his full lips, deep in thought.

"Maybe that's the explanation then," he says. "I'm not Brad anymore. And I never want to be him again."

I swallow hard - what happened to poor Brad?

"Fine," I nod once. "I'll call you Koben," I lift a shoulder. "No problem for me."

He nods, seemingly relieved. 

"Thanks for understanding," he lays his hand over mine.

My heart races immediately. It feels so... good to feel human touch.

I involuntarily lean into him, my lips parting.

He clenches his jaw, staring at my lips, then brings his other hand to my face.

"Now you suddenly do want to kiss me," he smirks. "What changed?" he whispers.

So he did notice I was keeping a distance.

"I don't know," I shake my head a little.

"I guess... nothing at all," I whisper, then press my lips against his.

I could definitely stay here for days now. So much for slowing things down.

But I love kissing him. I truly get lost in the moment - everything around us disappears and I feel at peace, but alive at the same time.

I feel protective. Of him. Us.

Of what we have.

I know why I fear him - when you have something you cherish, you wish to keep it forever. And if it's taken away, you'll always know you've had it better. You know you had it good, and then without it won't be good anymore - a downward spiral. It's easier living in the straight line.

We part and he lays a kiss on my forehead, cupping the back of my head.

"Don't be afraid," he whispers as if he heard my thoughts.

"Aren't you?" I ask, looking into his deep blue eyes.

"No," he says in all sincerity. "I don't know what's gonna happen from here on, but... Something's happening at least. We're not rotting in place. And for me that's enough," he presses his lips. "To know that I'm fighting back."

That much I can understand. After learning so much about the outside world, living in the Wild doesn't seem tempting to me either anymore. No matter who I'm with. 

Because now I know the Wild isn't the only option out there.

It's only a bad option - for those living in the dark. 

The outcasts.

And the acknowledgment pisses me off.

"It's time we go," I say.

* 2 MONTHS LATER *

We get out of a river, and lay on the ground to let the Sun dry our wet bodies before putting the clothes back on. 

"Ugh, can't we just spend one day lying here, doing nothing?"

He chuckles, "After 65 days of walking, I think we've officially earned ourselves a break," he puts his hand around me. "Even by KTL standards."

I shake my head looking at a tall hill in our horizon. "No way. I'm too curious to see what's behind it."

"Careful there, Red," he leers over me, "I think my motivation speeches have finally rubbed off," he gives me a quick kiss.

I chuckle. "What can I say? I learn faster with my leg healed."

It's been a long journey, but we're finally at the finish line. I can feel it - the water's been so abundant these past few days. There were so many more plants, more greenery...

We even saw fish in the rivers. 

"Ok, you've dried now," I push him away gently.

"No," he protests sticking his hand into the river then spraying some water on me, "I'm not done yet."

I can't help laughing. 

I haven't laughed this much in years. Not even with Keet. I guess he was right about always striving to fall in love - it does make life so much more beautiful.

"O.K.," he stops abruptly, "now we can go."

We get dressed and pick our backpacks that are now constantly filled with various types of fruit.

Then we start our hike to the tall hill in front.

When we reach its bottom, the Sun's almost set.

I stop to look at him. "You think we should climb it or better to sleep here until the morning?"

He looks at me in shock. 

"I refuse to answer this question," he says playfully. "Of course we're climbing it now. All the way, Red. This is the finish line."

Of course he's gonna say that. Mister Motivation. I shut my eyes in irritation - ever since my leg healed, he's been merciless with the daily mile-count. I take a deep breath and continue my hike of t*****e.

"If it's placed on top of a steep hill," he pats my back a little, "it must be important," he leads the way up. "Be careful, it's steep."

I'm using the last atoms of my strength, but I've acquired more stamina in this past month than I've ever had.

I make an off step - slipping down.

"Damn it," I hiss, catching onto a rock.

I look down the hill, hundreds of small gravel stones falling down it.

"You good?" he checks up one from above.

I nod, looking up.

"The top's so near!"

"I know," he offers me a hand.

"No," I shake my head, then give it my all to make the last few steps. And then...

I'm finally on top.

"Oh my God..."

500 feet beneath us is a huge fortified zone, so spectacular that I haven't seen anything like it, even in hologrammed Omnia projections.

Above it, hundreds of small drones flying, all contained within the fortified walls.

This is definitely the East front.

Half-a-mile long valley stands between us and the rock wall at around 20 feet tall.

We lock our eyes, our lips stretching into a proud smile.

"We're here."