Vitality In A Wasteland

8

Claire sat in a crowd of a dozen onlookers. Between her and her sister was a one-way glass, Sarah would only see herself in the mirror while Claire watched her be strapped to a chair by two centurions. A third wearing green badges came into the room and hooked up a line into Sarah's left forearm. The other two centurion's left. Sarah starred emptily at the glass; Claire wanted to scream out. Why was she so empty? She was sitting in the chair that would spell her certain death and she didn't even try acting fazed by it all. What about her career, who would sing the songs that she loved so much? Or worst yet who would Claire have left? Jarsley sat beside her, holding her hand gently, his embrace was warm despite the morbid sight before them. A syringe connected to a machine injected a deep red liquid into Sarah's arm. Claire should have looked away; she knew the sight of what would come next was going to be the most painful sight after what happened to her parents.... But she had to watch. Her eyes refused to turn despite her brain screaming out. Within no less than a blink Sarah's eyes grew heavy. Sleep settled under her eyelids and her firm posture grew limb. One eye blinked then the other and the two finally settled down together, she looked so... at peace. Within a single second was all it took. All it took for her to leave the world. Forever.

Claire had her gaze linger upon her slumbering sister, yet no tears dared fall unlike yesterday. It was all a blur what happened after the court sentencing yesterday, it all felt so fake what was happening at that very moment. But Claire knew it, her sister was gone. She was never coming back.

Jarsley gave Claire her five minutes to stare and freeze while the onlookers departed. When he could bare looking at her saddened but frozen eyes no longer, he pulled at her shoulder and helped her rise. He took her to a nearby tavern, one of the fancy upper city ones with bright overhanging chandeliers and red tables. A machine came over, Jarsley ordered for both, the machine scanned his barcode and drove off. Jarsley starred long and hard at Claire, it was like she died in that room instead of her sister from the way she barely even blinked.

The machine returned with a large dome and settled it on the table.

Jarsley said while smiling, "Guess what's under here, Emma. Your favourite of course, I got us both premium sodas." He pulled the lid revealing two glass bottles of diluted cola and two dishes of chips. The caps chuckled as he pulled them off and handed one to Claire. "Cost me a whole fifty credits, no way I'll be able to get some new boots this month, but the occasion called for it. I know how much you like them. Remember just before the whole Germany destroyer incident how we somehow came across one of the pre-fall tuck shops barely above the sands? We found that crate with four saved colas over a hundred years old but still as tasty as if they were made five minutes ago. We laughed and talked on the shoulder of your Corvega, Dalia. And we watched as two radiated scorpions bellow tried mating but ended fighting when one seen another radiated scorpion nearby thick with the scent of new eggs. Boy I bet the male knew he was in shit when his mate found out. Ha-ha."

Claire did not smile but her eyes did finally meet Jarsley's again. He continued, "We saved the two other bottles for later that evening remember. Just before our meetup with mean old Germany Destroyer. God we were idiots, we danced around listening to those funky electro tunes you kept dropped both our half-filled bottles. Your whole shirt was black! You looked like you were in the Duct for weeks!"

Claire gave a small chuckle, faint but true. She said, "Well your one to talk. After we got back that was the only place you could work at before you were made small time mechanic."

"Small time!" Chuckled Jarsley. "I'm a big time Corvega mechanic thank you very much. Sure, I can't stand to do it but hey I fix Dalia every time you come back from those deathly missions. My drones are part of me, you won't fight without me!"

Claire sniggered. "You nerd." She finally rolled her eyes and sipped her drink. Jarsley said, "If I'm a nerd, I'm a damn good one. Don't deny it."

"Sure. Whatever you say." Claire teased, "But don't forget that I am the one who saved your life and let you live on to become the nerd you are today."