Order of Magnitude

XIX. Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

     Edison stood in the corner, too afraid to speak. He watched his friend rally up the strangers of SubTerra very effectively. Every word that came out of Jacques' mouth was the truth, so why did he feel so uneasy about hearing it out loud. Perhaps he feared that any kind of attack on humans would result in more casualties than actual progress. Or maybe it was something else he feared.

      Maybe it was his horrible secret.

      The last week had been a roller-coaster for the parv. He had watched five of his friends die in front of him. Then, he was injected with the same type of solution that had killed them in the first place. Whatever was coursing through his veins right now could kill him at any second; he was truly living on borrowed time.

      But living was an even more terrifying fate.

      Edison sighed, wishing now more than ever that he had just died out in that field. Oh, how much easier it would have been if that scientist just stepped on him, rather than put him through this torment.

      "What do you think about all this?" Jean asked from alongside him. "It's a bit surprising how much these guys are eating it up. But I guess most of us feel the same way."

      Edison nodded; he didn't know what else to do. He was afraid to speak. He was afraid to even open his mouth. What would have happened if everybody knew what his situation was? They would probably shun him, or keep him locked up until his dying day. And the worst part was, he felt like he deserved it.

      "What did they do to you in there?" Jean asked for the hundredth time. "It would really help us all out if we knew what we were up against."

      Edison kept silent as he always did. Jean got tired eventually and wandered off. It didn't feel right keeping his friends in the dark, but he honestly did not have any other answer. Part of him felt like it was a dangerous thing to do, yet another part reminded him that he had no choice.

      Turner slowly made his way through chambers of SubTerra and approached his corner. He smiled softly at Edison and patted him on the shoulder. "How's it going?" he asked. Without waiting for a reply, he continued. "Look, I know you're not talking, and that's fine, but would you mind listening?" Edison shrugged. He could listen all day if need be. That didn't bother him. "Good, I like to think my secrets are safe with you," he laughed. "I mean, it's not like you are going to tell anybody." Edison forced a smile. "Anyway, looking at all this makes me a little... I don't know... apprehensive. It's all so sudden. We're all upset about the humans, but is this the right decision? I don't know." Turner sighed. "Oh well; he's our leader, right? I guess we gotta follow his play. And it looks like he's got the attention of all of the SubTerrans as well. A lot of people are waiting for his next move. I just hope he knows what he's doing."

      Chandra started walking toward the two of them. Turner nodded, and decided to make himself scarce. She was the leader of this group, so he wasn't sure if she would listen to any dissenting opinions.

      When he was gone, Chandra opened up to Edison. "Nice guy, that Turner," she said. "He's smart, I like him." She looked around. "Listen, I know Jacques' your friend and all, but honestly I don't agree with all that he is saying. It's all happening so quickly. Do things need to change, sure, but I fear for the safety of my community." She let out a sigh. "Then again, this is what everybody seems to want. How can I go against all my people like that?" Chandra brushed a lock of red hair out of her face. " I don't know; I just wish there was another way."

      After saying her peace, she left as well. Edison just stood in his corner, confused and upset. So much was going on in so short a time span that it was overwhelming. And as if he hadn't had enough to think about, he saw one more person meandering toward him. For the first time in a week, he wished he could just be alone with his thoughts, but it looked like that wasn't in the cards.

      "Alright, serious question," Miller began as he sidled up next to Edison. "Chandra or Scarlet? Who's the bigger babe?"