Awaken by the morning hustle and bustle, I was the last one up. Eli and Meyer were all cleaned up wearing clothing a few sizes too big. Eli had on a white blouse with delicate pink flowers and a pair of pink leggings. Meyer had black pants with a black sweater reaching his knees. They both had a serious look on their face as they quietly discussed whatever it was, they were looking at on the computer’s screen.

I joined them. The screen had a collection of maps, blueprints, and satellite images.

“Good morning,” I casually threw in.

“Good morning Fenn,” Meyer cheerfully replied.

Eli ignored me.

She huffed.

“That’s where Control Island B is,” Meyer said, pointing at the screen.

“It’s a long way,” Eli mused.

Meyer nodded in agreement.

Yuki joined us. They looked much better.

“That’s where we need to go,” they said over a steaming cup of coffee.

“Everything is ready. We can leave within the hour,” Meyer said with assurance.

Fiori and Doran walked in together, both had also cleaned up. Fiori’s hair was neatly brushed and tied back. He was wearing an untucked black oxford shirt and black pants. Doran had on a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He seemed relaxed.

Their conversation broke as Fiori noticed me.

“Good! You’re up! Get in the shower and get dress. We are leaving shortly.”

I got up, uncertain, feeling like I had missed something. Decisions and plans had been made, once more, without my knowledge.

“Mrs. Fairfax pulled out some clothing for you, wash up and get dress. Don’t take too long if you want to have time to grab breakfast.”

“Where are we going?” I risked myself asking.

“We are leaving Antarticum.”

“Leaving Antarticum? Wait, what about Evian. I though we were going to rescue him!”

“Yes, that was the original plan, but the destruction of the signal was not nearly as successful as I had hoped. We’ve lost Arno and Doran will not be continuing with us. We need to regroup, we need to find allies, we need to leave this forsaken continent and plan our next moves. I’m sorry for Evian. But we don’t have any proof that he is alive. Meyer spent all morning hacking into different servers, gathering as much information as possible. Rex is helping us; he can get us out of here. Evian is just going to have to wait. Trust me, Fenn. It will all work out.”

“You always go on about trust… I’m sorry, I have none left.”

“Go take a hot shower. Clear your mind. We have to be rational.”

“You heard Eva. Him and I together are dangerous. We need him! I need him! Together we can take down the government!”

“On Control Island B, there are people who can help us.” Yuki had just walked in. “I understand your feelings. Evian is an asset. But we’ve taken too many casualties, we need to regroup.”

“I don’t understand. What is Control Island B?”

“Yuki, you explain, I have some details to discuss with Meyer.”

Fiori put his hand on my shoulder before leaving: “It’s ok, I have a plan.”

I watched him cross the room before sitting with Eli and Meyer.

Eli smiled. It hurt my heart.

Yuki noticed. “She’s a special girl. But you both have a lot of growing up to do before you can ever hope to see eye to eye. She has a lot on her mind. A lot she needs to figure out. The same goes with you.”

“She hates me,” I said.

“She loves you. But right now, there is only place for hatred in her heart.”

I quivered.

“You love her too, but right now is not the right time,” Yuki added throwing a side glance at me.

“There will never be a right time. There is now, and there is death.” I had no idea where these words came from. My lips had spoken quicker than I could think.

Yuki changed the subject.

“Control Island B is one of 4 Islands that were established as research centers for Senex Centralis. Dr. Bari was the current leader of the project, but it started well before her time. About a hundred years ago, four colonies were created on South Orkney Islands as control group to better assess the developmental changes in all species of humans. Group A, consisting of pure Meliors, was settled on Coronation Island, the main island. Group B, consisting of Aethereusians, was settled on Laurie Island. Group C, consisting of unaltered humans harvested from the scorched continents were settled on Signy Island while Group D, an equal mix of Meliors, Aethereusians and unaltered Humans, was settled on Powell Island. All four colonies are entirely self-sufficient and have had very little any contact with the rest of the world. They live on a walled island under strict supervision assuring that none of the control groups get contaminated. Inside, each colony has self governance, the groups are free to administer themselves as they please. They submit medical and social data at the end of each year. The data guarantees their peace. It is an exchange that benefits both sides. Senex Centralis has access to valuable information while the control groups have a certain freedom.”

“If that is the case, then why would these people help us?”

“Because it is them, in the first place, that requested our help,” they whispered in my ear. “Now, go take your shower.”

There was no room for questions. I knew Yuki would not answer them anyway. I walked past Meyer and Eli and caught a quick glance of the screen: a full map of Laurie Island. So that was our destination after all. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were making a mistake. Evian had knowledge we didn’t have. Evian had had a plan. Evian was powerful. But more importantly, I was nothing without him. I needed him, I believed together, him and I could be unstoppable.

But it would have to wait. There was no standing up to Fiori.

I discreetly tucked the picturebook under my pillow and headed to the washroom. As I entered the room, I ran my fingers on the clean tiles. The washroom at the orphanage was tiled too. Slimy, filthy tiles. Stagnant water. Cold water, in a bucket on the ground. The stench, I remembered it. It caught me by surprise and sent me throwing up in the toilet. I started shaking. What had happened over the months? Had I forgotten these awful memories. I wiped the sweat off my forehead. I could still taste the puke in my mouth. I turned on the faucet and cleaned my mouth. The water running was clear and tempered. Is that what we were fighting for? Clean water? A shower? Human decency?

It took me a while, but I figured out how to turn on the shower. Hot steamy water came out. I undressed and stepped in.

I had never felt hot water running on my body. It felt so good. I looked up, water pouring straight into my face. It was hot, almost too hot, but I didn’t care. The water just kept coming down and down, a nonstop waterfall of goodness.

I had no idea. I had only imagined the quiet life, but this by far exceeded my imagination. I started sobbing uncontrollably. I had no idea. I wanted this. I wanted this life. I wanted a shower everyday. I wanted water from a faucet. I wanted a cute little cottage on the outskirt of a town. I wanted a wife. I wanted a life with teacups and wine, with clean clothes and piano. Maybe, even, a few kids running around. Happy kids. Loved kids. I kept on sobbing until gunshots suddenly pulled me out of my misery.

More gunshots rang. I could hear things or people being tossed around. I turned off the water and quickly dried up. I didn’t know where the clothing had been left for me, but it wasn’t in the washroom. I quickly grabbed my old pants and threw them on just as the door to the washroom burst open.

A flow of cold air rushed in, dissipating the steam. Eva stood in the doorway with her gun aimed right at my head. Behind her, a path of destruction.

“I found you!” she cheerfully exclaimed.

“Yay,” I answered, like a child who had just been caught stealing a cookie.

“Put a shirt on, will you!” she said with noticeable disdain.

“Yes!” I said as I scrambled to put my shirt on. It was inside out, I noticed too late. I rubbed my forehead.

“Gosh Fenn, you will forever be pathetic,” Eva mumbled totally unimpressed.

“Can I put my socks on,” I implored, trying to buy some time. Surely Fiori or Eli would come storming in. But Eva saw right through it.

“No one’s coming to save you Fenn. You are done. You are all done.” She said with a smile.

“But it doesn’t have to be over, for you,” she added. “You’re on the wrong side of the law, Fenn. Come back to me, come back to Project EDEN where you belong. You and I are on the same team.”

She said these words like she really believed them. I decided to play along.

“And what if I come? What happens next?”

“What happens next is up to you… and Ted. I don’t make decisions, I execute orders. But I can assure you, you will be welcome back into Project EDEN with open arms. We need you, but more importantly, you need us. You don’t have to run anymore. You don’t have to hide. You can have it all. You can be one of us, at the top, eating meat, taking hot showers, enjoying privileges beyond your wildness dreams…”

“Then why were we both in an orphanage, scrambling to stay alive! Why couldn’t we have it all from the start, if you and I were part of Project EDEN?”

“We had to prove ourselves Fenn! We had to prove our worth to Ted.”

“Our worth?”

“Yes! Our worth! But forget about that. You proved yours, a long time ago when you murdered your father’s entire team. As for me, I am proving my worth right now.” She smiled.

“Ted is patient. Ted doesn’t give up. Ted is good. These past few months have been an entertaining game of hide and seek. Ted enjoyed himself. But now is the time for you to come home. You have a home waiting for you. I am waiting for you!”

The sincerity in her words was heart warming. Enough to make me question my own resolve.

She lowered her gun. Her stance relaxed. A sad smile took hold of her lips.

“What do you say, Fenn. Can we end this already?”

I wanted to scream “YES”. I wanted to run with her, to leave this whole mess behind. I wanted to. I wanted to with all my heart. A dizzying feeling, freedom at the tip of my fingers.

A way out, I thought.

I took a step forward. Extended my hand towards Eva.

I think I smiled too.

All this could end right now. That promise alone, was enough to make me throw away everything that had ever happened to me. I took another step forward and hugged Eva.

“Thank you,” I whispered in her ears.

“Thank you,” I said again, as I sucked the energy out of her.

Her body hit the ground with a look of surprise still on her face. I hadn’t sucked enough to make her unconscious. I wanted her to see me leave. I wanted her to watch as I turned the table on her. I grabbed her gun.

“Who’s pathetic now?” I asked as I took a step over her body and walked into the hallway.

“Wait,” she screamed as I left her behind. “Wait! Don’t go. Don’t leave me! I need you! I need to prove my worth!”

Her voice was still resonating as I entered the living room. The place was riddle with bullet holes. Mrs. Fairfax laid in a puddle of blood. Doran was on his knees by her side. He was injured. How badly? I couldn’t tell.

I quickly searched around. Where were the others. How many men did Eva bring? The air was thick, smelling like sulfur and blood. I walked into the kitchen. Something had caught fire on the stovetop. The flames were shooting up towards the cupboards. No one was around. I started to have a weird feeling about all this. I made my way back into the living room.

“Doran? Where’s everyone?” I asked, dreading the answer.

Doran did not speak right away. I noticed foam coming out of his mouth. He was rocking his dead mother starring into the emptiness. His shirt, badly stained, let me see the extend of his wound. He coughed. Blood jerked out of his mouth.

“It’s Eli,” he finally slurred.

“It’s Eli?” I repeated in a daze.

The silence was frightening.

The front door was wide open. I made my way towards it. On the front porch, Mr. Fairfax’ body laid in an awkward position. It made my stomach turn. Outside, Eli stood covered in blood. She was holding Fiori by the throat, a gun pressed against his temple. Yuki and Meyer were both unconscious on the ground.

“Where’s Eva?” she screamed.

“Let Fiori go!” I demanded, ignoring her question.

“Where’s Eva?” She asked again, pressing the gun harder against his head.

“It’s all good Eli. I’m fine,” Eva said, as she appeared behind me.

“Eli?” I pleaded.

She pushed Fiori to the ground and shot him once in each leg, the same Eva had done to Evian.

“I see you learned from the best,” Eva triumphally smiled.

“Fenn, you need to come with us. Stop being stupide. Following Fiori will only get you killed.” Eli’s voice was taunt.

Eva walked over to join Eli. She leaned over Fiori and grabbed him by the collar. She lifted him off the ground and spit in his face before letting him flop to the ground again. He wasn’t fighting back. What was wrong with him?

“Eli! You can’t possibly be thinking of joining them! Not after everything we’ve been through!”

“What exactly is it that you think I’ve been through? Fiori has no plans. You killed my parents. We are on the run because your sister thought it would be fun to blow up a whole city. We killed innocent people! This is our chance Fenn! We can make it right! My brother is alive! My brother didn’t die at Nova Cibus! My brother is well and alive!”

“I can’t believe Fiori withheld that information from you! What else has he been lying about?” Eva chimed in, fuelling Eli’s revolt.

“I will get to see my brother. I will be safe. I won’t have to run anymore. I will have a family! And you can too Fenn! Evian is still alive! You can finally be reunited with him. C’mon Fenn.”

Something didn’t sound right. If she hated me this much, why was she imploring me to join her?

“Drop your gun,” I said. “And kick it away from you.”

“It’s ok Eli. Do it,” Eva ordered.

Very cautiously, Eli put her gun down and kicked it forward.

Eli continued talking. Her voice had softened quite a bit. “I’m tired of running,” she said. “I want to be on the winning side, just once. I want my family. You found your siblings. I want to find mine.”

I very slowly made my way towards Meyer and Yuki to check on them. Neither of them had gun wound, but they were heavily bruised and battered.

“You are the devil, Eva!” I mumbled between my teeth.

Meyer was faintly moaning. I turned to examine Fiori. Our eyes met. His lips moved but no sound came out. There was pain and suffering in his eyes. His lips moved again. He was trying to tell me something. I leaned closer.

“RUN,” he whispered with a quiet strength.

I stood erect. Eli was within arm reach. If I could just touch her. I could…

She was the one that laid the first hit. A right jab sending me crashing to the ground. Before I could even stand up, she was on top of me pinning me down with one hand and punching me with the other.

In the distance I heard a gun shot. It came from inside the house.

Doran?

Another punch crushed my nose.

I was scrambling to get her off me.

Another one cracked my eye socket.

I was kicking the air.

In the background, the cottage was now fully engulfed in flame.

Another punch sent an explosion of pain to my jaw.

“Eli….” I moaned.

Why?

I didn’t feel the next punch. I passed out right as her fist was about to connect again.