The Eye

7|The Outcasts

As the adrenaline started to wear down, Cora could feel her excitement deflate giving rise to doubt. It seemed easy, almost too easy, for her to escape not only the guards stationed at every nook and cranny of HL TECH but also the intense surveillance system. The both of which she had taken part in testrunning and had not discovered any flaw. And that was saying something as she was no James Bond.

Had she been allowed to go only to be used as a deterrent to others? Were they watching her right then, through the eyes of their security cameras and the people that shuffled all around her, laughing at her ignorance?

Self-consciously, she tightened her hold on the bag strapped to her shoulder and her  shoulders sagged with the burden she carried. Not the physical burden, no her leather bag was lightweight. It was the emotional burden that weighed her down.

She was tired of being cautious, of looking over shoulders, of caring about punishments. It was draining to always be wary and she was sure that she was reaching a breaking point.

She wondered what would happen if she fell over the edge. She wondered what would happen when she got to that point, that point of no return. When exhaustion overwhelmed her, pushing her to insanity. Would she be headstrong and go against HL TECH openly like she had always wished? or would she be broken so much beyond repair that she would bend to their every whims no matter how twisted they were? 

Cora was always a pessimist but she didn't like where her thoughts were straying to. She shook the chilling thoughts from her mind and focused on mundane things. Things that were so frivolous that they took her mind off the gravity of her mission.

Like the lavish mansions that towered creepily over her smaller frame and the odd engravings on the walls of the buildings. She had once lived in one of these mansions. She could remember the extravagant lifestyle and the entitled mentality that she survived on. But one thing she couldn't recall every being present were the strange etching on the walls. The marks were symbols that she had never seen before written in black. The symbols seemed to change as the passed them and she wondered what kind of technology it was. Another dark thought crept in, what if it wasn't technology?

She realized that her thoughts were about to go astray again and she focused on the journey. She got there without incident which only seemed to fuel her anxiety.

The mansion before her was coated in obsidian tiles with whit swirls which glittered like stars. The property had no fence; no building in Sheol had any property demarcation. It just stood a breadth away from another building with marvelous architecture. She rang the doorbell and waited patiently.

As soon as the doorbell rang, the doors opened smoothly and she was crushed into a very uncomfortable hug.

"You're alive. I almost didn't believe Zelda". Her assailant said, relief coating his words.

"It's good to see you too". She squeaked.

He released her but still held her arms in disbelief. Cora noted that he looked far different from the last time that she had seen him. There was a weariness in his expression that didn't match the carefree man that she once knew. What had happened to him.

"Alex, I hope your chip is disabled". She said, tensing as she awaited his reply.

"Not disabled, more like overridden". He said smoothly and she nodded slowly.

She would have to remember how to trust him like she used to.

Alex ushered her into his house, locking the door behind her. She roamed the perimeter of his living room checking for cameras. There wasn't much that her survey could prevent seeing as HL TECH could get evidence of her visit no matter what she did, but it helped her relax a little when she saw that all of them had been disabled.

"What can I offer you?"

"Nothing".

Her guts were already rolling as they were and she knew that food would only make it worse.

"Are you sure?".

She hummed in response.

"Last I saw you, you hated my controversies as much as you hated peanuts". She asked once she was settled comfortably on a red couch.

"It's a long story". He sighed.

She raised a brow.

"I met a few of the Rebels some time ago. I was trying to free some of the patients. At the time, my loyalty to HL TECH was floundering. I was questioning what was right and what was wrong. So as I was at the control room, two of them found me". He gave a short pause. "I thought that they were going to report me and I would end up like the Mitchell's but they helped me release them. After that, they introduced me to the others". He shrugged

Cora could feel her judgement bubbling to tip of her tongue but she managed to push it down. She had always thought of the Rebels as a bunch of hypocrites and cowards. In the secret, they helped the Outcasts and supported their cause but in the open, where actions had repercussions, they condemned their comrades. However, she could see that Alex was struggling with his allegiance and she didn't want to ruin anything for him so instead she nodded.

"So, what do you do for the Rebels and how in damnation did they manage to operate right under HL TECH?"

"I'm more of like a guide to taking people to the home of Outcasts". He said wryly.

Cora was sure that her jaw had unhinged.

"No one knows where Outcasts stay". She whispered through tumultuous emotions.

"No one except the Outcasts themselves".

"But ... How?"

Alex leaned in and lowered his voice.

"There are Outcasts right here in Western society. They help to transport people to their fortress".

"A fortress?" She asked rhetorically but he nodded anyway.

She supposed it made sense. She had always wondered how the Outcasts survived cut off from Western society. Many years before, they had established a system called monocratism where there was only one government ruling over the whole world and all resources where controlled by the government. But with Outcasts estranged from the system, Cora was left wondering how they survived. They had no access to technology, no access to food or water and she doubted that there was much in the sands that made up Northern society or the ruins that made up Eastern society.

"You already know why I'm here".

He watched her intently, searching for any indication that she was unsure of following up with her assignment but when he didn't see any hesitation, he sat back satisfactorily .

"What's in it for you?" He asked carefully.

She shrugged but she knew that it was useless. Alex knew her probably more than she knew herself.

"Many things". She paused to toss a scrowl at his eager expression. "I want to satisfy my curiosity about the outcasts and I want to get revenge".

Alex's eyebrows disappeared into his curls of blond hair.

"I didn't peg you as bloodthirsty". He teased.

"Neither did I".

Alex studied her again in that thoughtful way of his.

"I'll help you".

"I don't remember giving you a choice". She said sternly.

He grinned.

Fun fact:
In the original draft of this story, this chapter wasn't there but here we are. Me looking at this chapter like how on earth did you get here, the chapter looking back at me like what you gonna do about it and my readers hopefully clueless and thinking that this chapter fits wonderfully into the story.

Till the next time I have inspiration to post.

Much love,
Your author.

P.S Feel free to vote or comment. I would love to know what to think of the story and a little star would help brighten up my day. And if you're a silent reader, you can pray for me. I appreciate that too.

Goodbye, again.