Project HALO

Chapter 35

"Niemand ist mehr Sklave, als der sich für frei hält, ohne es zu sein.

None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Mikey comes up to me seconds after I've sat down on the railing surrounding the roof. He joins me and rests his elbow on my tense shoulder. Our feet hang off of the edge and the salty air strokes our cheeks. The calmness of this summer night annoys me. I want vicious thunder and heavy rain, not clear skies and soft waves. For once, the typical Bergen weather would be preferred.

"So... this is more complicated than I thought," Mikey says and glances at me. "And that's coming from me. I can't imagine how you feel."

I don't return his gaze.

I'm too busy processing everything. It's all catching up to me now. Mikey is right. This was already crazy, but now it's ridiculous. I knew something was off all along, but hope was still there. Hope that everything would turn out fine, somehow. Hope that this was nothing but a big misunderstanding and they'd let me go. As much as I still want to believe that, reality has hit me like a speeding truck, and it keeps running me over, grinding me into the dirt.

How could I have been so stupid?

To think that Phantom actually wanted me to stay to get to know me? That I'd make friends here? That we would help each other?

"Yeah," I say, speaking out loud in an attempt to quiet my thoughts.

Mikey tries to give me a comforting smile, but right now nothing feels comforting.

"What do we do?" He asks, as if he has to do anything. He's not the one with a chip inside of him.

A chip that can determine the fate of humanity.

The fate of my life.

"What are you thinking?" Mikey says after a while.

"Nothing," I mumble. "I don't—I don't know." I sigh. "I'm so fucking confused, Mikey."

"Me too," he admits. Not good. "But I don't think Phantom would ever hurt you. They obviously think the biochip is important, but if they didn't think you were important as well, they would've just taken the chip and let us be... Don't you think?"

He's trying to convince both me and himself, but I can hear the same doubt in his voice that curses through my entire body.

"I don't know," I say and groan, rubbing a hand in my healthy eye.

I want to shove the thoughts out of my brain and send them away with the wind, as far away from me as possible. I keep my functioning hand clenched and lean back on it, tilting my head upward. The weak winks of the glittering stars taunt me with their perfection.

"We'll figure it out," Mikey says. "I'll figure out a plan."

I nod, but I'm not sure if I believe him. Not this time. This one seems too far-fetched to get out off, even with Mikey's help. Not even my father can buy me out of this chaos. No matter what I do, Regina will win.

"I suggest you at least let them explain themselves," Mikey tries, his voice lowered as if he doesn't want me to hear him. "If we find out that they're lying about more stuff, we get out of here. Deal?"

"I guess."

My head is pounding and my hand is sweaty from clamping it shut. Adrenaline bounces off my tightened muscles, ready to erupt at any second, at any wrong comment or suggestion. I swing my feet back and forth to get rid of some of the pent-up energy. I have to remain calm. This is not worth fighting over. Not before I know what I'm fighting for.