Chapter 11: Veiss

“Father. I need. To rest,” Tomas said between deep breaths. Leaned against the rusted railing, body wet with sweat.

Dan peered up the dark tunnel of stairs. Light radiated at the apex, the Incline’s exit.

“Come on Tomas.” Dan grabbed his arm, urged the boy along. “Were almost there.”

Tomas stumbled trying to catch his breath. “I’m. Not. Like you. Father,” he managed between breaths. “Let me rest a moment.”

Dan didn’t hesitate long. “I’ll carry you then.” He motioned to lift the boy. Stopped and glanced back into the darkness below.

The pattering echo of unhurried footsteps bounced off the tunnel walls.

“Oh. He finally noticed us,” Veiss said.

“Did you have to bring me along?” Diaby asked through a dust mask, his curly dark hair whizzing back against the cold draft blowing down the tunnel. “They’re just two No-chips without any upgrades.”

Veiss didn’t reply. The newly inducted agent had been brooding alongside him the entire climb.

‘How a lazy brat like Diaby became an agent is beyond me,’ Veiss thought.

“They’re here,” Dan said through grit teeth.

He bit his thumb, smeared blood over Tomas’ forehead in a circle then an F within the circle and recited a short prayer.

“Saint Oracle, Judge of law and order, Blood enforcer of righteousness. Please protect my son from these unjust beings who would take away our freedom. Ancestors of Fate, Rulers of life and death, please guide my son onto the path of prosperity that he may live a long fruitful life.”

‘They always pray.’

Veiss shook his head, his ascent lethargic. Diaby beside was just as unhurried with a looped EM Chain in hand, jingling ever so faintly with every slight movement.

“Run Tomas!” Dan croaked, unmoving.

The boy quivered, eyes filling. “I won’t go without you.”

Dan beamed with tears held back. “Please Tomas don’t deny this old man his dying wish.”

‘How heart-warming,’ Veiss thought.

Tomas opened his mouth to respond but received a shove up the stairs. “Go Tomas, be free.”

With tears streaming down his face, Tomas ran fast.

‘Well as fast as can be expected from someone with no upgrades.’

“Please let us go. No one will know. We won’t talk, I promise,” Dan pleaded as Veiss and Diaby sauntered within thirty meters of him.

“No one leaves until we can all leave,” Veiss recited almost robotically. As if he’d said the same words a hundred times over.

‘Because they always beg.’

“Please Veiss.” Dan regarded him with wet eyes, making strong eye contact. “Please I came willing you can’t force me to stay.”

“No one leaves until we can all leave.”

The No-chips under their protection weren’t allowed to leave. They couldn’t have them leading the other clans or worse the federation back to their hideout. No matter how good their intentions, the AoF wasn’t taking the risk.

And he hated people like Dan for even putting them in this predicament. Dan had known the terms and conditions when he was taken in because he didn’t want to be chipped. Spent years within the clan, even had a kid but now their humble loggings were no longer good enough.

Veiss had seen it countless times.

Those who weren’t willing to sacrifice for the struggle. Those who changed their minds. Those who concluded being forcefully chipped and having no privacy wasn’t so bad compared to their poor lives in the Scorchedlands. Those who wanted to abandon their underground life for the federation on the surface, were they could complain about mandatory chipping but never do anything about it.

Dan’s head tipped back. Tomas was nearly at the top. “At least let Tomas go. He’s just a boy.”

“No one leaves until we can all leave.”

“No exceptions,” Diaby said, chain rattling by his side.

“Please!” Dan pleaded but the two agents refused to halt their advance.

“Take him,” Veiss said. “I’ll get Tomas.”

Dan clenched his teeth. Spread his arms. Intent on blocking the narrow stairway.

‘He wants to stall us?’

Veiss shook his head but then again, foolish as it was what other choice did he have?

Diaby unfurled the EM Chain and it clanked to the ground.

A radiant lustre shrouded the chain as it excited. Diaby flicked his wrist, the chain rattled, split air, whipping toward the resolved father.

Dan didn’t move to dodge. With grit teeth, he reached for the lashing chain.

‘How brave.’

The chain came alive, dodged the outstretched arm, snaked around him in two quick loops, shrunk in with rattling clinks, squeezed and bound his torso.

Diaby yanked back the chain and the deserter plunged. Cracked into every concrete stair as he barrelled down the dark tunnel.

Diaby stepped into a stomp, throwing his weight into it and caught Dan square in the abdomen before he could roll through them.

Dan whimpered, the wind bashed out of him, eyes disoriented, swelling face covered in blood and coal dust. Diaby twisted his foot for good measure. The pain jolted Dan’s eyes to focus as he croaked and squirmed under the size ten gumboot.

Diaby let go of the chain and that end slithered toward the deserter. Wrapped itself around his ankles, coiled up and bound the rest of his lower body.

“You’re a No-chip with no upgrades,” Veiss said. “What made you think you could slow us down.”

He didn’t wait for a reply and ascended with a shake of his head.

“Please Veiss.” Dan flailed pointlessly under the embrace of Diaby’s EM Chain. “He can have a normal life up there.”

Veiss paused and snorted over his shoulder. “Since when has tolerating corporate greed and all the minor evils it comes with become a normal life.” He glanced back forward again. “Besides, no one leaves until we can all leave.”

Not many clans lasted as long as the AoF had and their formula for success was a simple one. Make no exceptions to the rules because their rules were designed to ensure their preservation. Hence the enforcement of those rules was conducted with the greatest of prejudice.

How could they allow selfish turds like Dan and Tomas to have their own way? How could they let them jeopardize their entire operation? Risk the future of an entire clan all so Dan could take his son to live on the surface.

‘Not on my watch.’

The AoF and the underground clan by extension were his inheritance and he would ensure their safety by any means necessary.

The bound Dan with a bloody pulp for a face sobbed. “Please Veiss, please Veiss, please don’t do this. He won’t talk. I promise he won’t betray the clan.”

“Perhaps,” Veiss said. “But it doesn’t stop him from getting captured or accidentally leaving a trail to us.”

Veiss adjusted his shades and resumed his slow march up the coal dusted stairs. “Off to the cells so long. I’ll meet you there.”

Diaby nodded, a hint of relief his work was complete. He gestured and Dan’s body lifted, floated mid-air. Diaby swirled, strode down the stairs with purpose. No doubt eager to return to his virtual games. Dan’s bound body followed close behind him.

“Please. Please Veiss.”

Noticing Veiss had no intention to stop. Dan flexed trying to rip free from the chain but it barely bulged under Diaby’s magnetic control.

“Argh!” Dan roared. Struggled again but he couldn’t free himself of the energized chain.

‘Not something one can overcome with zero years of cultivation and no upgrades.’

Yet the middle aged man fought and thrashed and bellowed.

“Veiss!!!”

Dan called out at the top of his lungs. However his anger and will refused to translate into any actual strength.

“Veiss! Don’t you dare?”

Veiss raised an eyebrow without looking back.

‘Oh, that’s new. He switched from begging to empty threats.’

Veiss scaled the steps unworried. The boy had long cleared the Incline even so he wasn’t rushed and the father’s screams didn’t bother him one bit.

‘Acting like he didn’t know the rules.’

Even as he was pulled away, Dan didn’t let up, making his voice heard.

“Veiss Morrow!” Dan bellowed. “I curse you and all who carry the same blood. The souls of my ancestors will not rest while you or any descendants of Morrow live. I will make it my after life’s work to torment you from the Ancestral planes. You and your descendants will know despair as I’ve known on this day. If I should meet any of your line in the Ancestral planes I will bring fire and death to their doors—”

Dan croaked, gasped for air and went silent. Veiss reckoned Diaby’s chains had choked him out.

‘Too bad. I’m not religious.’

The AoF practiced the old religion. A religion passed down to them through the Encrypted Scriptures but just like in any society there were practical individuals. Such talk of fate, curses and whatnot wouldn’t keep him up at night. Nor stop him from bringing in Tomas.

‘Father and son would both be reunited.’

Veiss cleared the last step and was bathed in brightness. His sunglasses took the brunt of the light so his eyes didn’t have to readjust much.

A paved pathway lay before him, protea flowers littered on either side. The path extended about a 100m, to small gate, with a tall fence that enclosed the flower bed in a half-circle perimeter. Beyond the fence, what looked like lush forestry stretched out as far as his eyes could see.

To the left a trail of trampled flowers and boot prints.

‘They never go for the gate,’ Veiss thought. ‘Must think its guarded or something.’

His shades zoomed in on Tomas in the distance, leaned against the fence. Chest heaving and taking laboured breaths.

‘He hasn’t cleared the fence yet, so slow.’

How the No-chips survived without a chip or any upgrades was beyond him.

Veiss cut into the sea of flowers, following the trail.

Tomas raised his head. Their gazes locked over the distance. The boy scrambled, reached for the black bars and made haste over the fence.

Tomas crashed down on the other side and dashed for a gap in the trees. He seemed to harbour hope he’d lose Veiss within the forestry.

Tomas’ head smacked back, tilted his balance and he crashed into the earth.

“What happened?”

Tomas sat up, massaged the bruise on his forehead. The forest before him flickering distortion.

“A screen,” he mumbled, the confusion in his voice apparent.

“Were still underground,” Veiss said, loomed over the boy.

“Underground?”

“A small section mined open within the five seam strata, just a few meters below the surface. Oath Keeper thought it a good idea to turn the place into a garden of plastic flowers. The ceiling and walls are layered with screens to project this fake environment. There are also micro-speakers scattered around the place to simulate animal noises,” Veiss explained, in no rush to apprehend the boy.

“I see.” Tomas fell to his back. Moist eyes regarded the virtual birds flying over in a V formation and squawking distant cries. “So it was all a lie.”

“No, there is an exit. It’s just well hidden. Even if you knew where it was and exited, the shaman secretly keeps watch on the surface and she would’ve captured you.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

Veiss shrugged. “Not sure really, perhaps to make you understand, that no one leaves until we can all leave.”

“Am I going to die?” the boy croaked, threw a hand to cover his watering eyes.

“You’ll receive fair trial in open court,” Veiss said but thought.

‘You most definitely won’t live out the week. I’ve yet to see a deserter not sentenced to the furnace.’