Hiss of the Steam

Hiss of the Steam Chapter 10 - The Meeting

I woke up with a shooting pain in my head and people yelling. I sat up and shook my head hoping to clear it from the groggy state it was in. I finally looked around the room to get my bearings. Only to find, it was my old room! From back when I was under Gericks care! I recognized the voices too. Gericks and Ambers. I stood up and walked over to the door, opening it just a crack.

"We aren't kids anymore Gerick! I'm 21 and he is going on 22!" I heard Amber yell.

"Yes I know that Amber but this is not something anyone of any age should do! I understand what happened to you is hard and," Gerick scoffed, "I fully agree! The government needs to be stopped, but for god's sake girl, let someone else do it! I don't want to lose you two to some harebrained scheme!" He yelled back to her.

"Well Gerick! We've already started it in motion and so we can't just quit. Not now." She looked at the ground but her head snapped right back up. "So if you won't join us then stay out of my way. I need to do this, for my parents." Her eyes turned cold. "For my father."

This struck a nerve in him. However he kept his voice calm and level. "Amber, I won't pretend I am or even ever was your father. But I did watch you grow up and I did care for you like one. So don't act like I don't belong in this. I doubt you'd understand what it's like to watch someone grow up... or even have a family for that matter, but for the one who is caring for them, they become everything. And I don't want to lose you." He said with sorrow. Amber couldn't think of something sharp to come back with to a statement like that. So she gave huff and walked off, most likely to her old room. I decided to step out now that the argument was over. I quietly approached Gerick, hands in my pockets, and looking at where Amber had left the room. The room we were in was the main entrance/workshop. It was the same as always, granted... the roof looked like it had been put back together by a 1st grader with glue. Surely not Gerick's work.

"That kid has always been like that." Gerick sighed. "She gets it from her father. Never followed the rules." He chuckled. "Ohhh I remember when he would sneak onto the airfields and shoot small rocks at the sides of ships to distract the crew. Never got caught. Not to mention he was one hell of a marksman."

Amber never talked about her family much, I suppose for obvious reasons. But I could see where she got it from.

"So, your turn. What in gods name are you thinking?" He asked getting serious again.

I however had the response. "Tell me who else you really think is going to take a stand. Nobody. Because they don't know the full of it. We do. We've experienced the atrocities they've committed firsthand." I turned to look at him. "Gerick, Amber is right. We've grown up. We need to do something and I trust she can do it." I pumped my fist next to my chest and look at Gerick.

He stayed silent and stared after her. Finally he let out an exasperated sigh and turned to me arms folded. "Well. You rarely open your mouth this much unless what you have to say is set in stone. What do I need to do?" He said giving up on arguing.

"Well...." I briefed him on the plan to take Walter tower and hopefully gain more support from the middle city. Gerick told me he knew of a few veterans who would be more than happy to take out the corruption. He gave me some suggestions as to how to bring the tower down without any friendly casualties and even do it from the outside.

"You want some explosives for that?" Me and Gerick jumped and looked up at the ceiling where the voice had come from. Up in the rafters was a red cloaked man. He was eating an apple with his left hand and his other was behind his head.

"Yames! How long have you been there?" Gerick asked the man named Yames.

"I climbed up here after I dragged him in." He pointed to me with his left hand. "Then you had that argument with Amber after patching up her burn wounds. Then she stormed out. And he walked in. And he convinced you to join a revolution. And then I asked if you wanted supplies. And you got all confused. And then I explained and now we are here."