Falling Skies

Four

Though the pit has nearly cleared out, a few men remain to tidy up the last of the deliveries. They wave here or there as December makes his way to the truck that once housed the human boy. Standing by the open loading end of the truck is a man who pays no attention to the approaching boy, whether intentional or accidental December does not know.

As he's nearly on the delivery man's tail he turns around and allows December a full up and down survey of him. He stands tall, a little overweight it seems from the way his coat is missing a button, almost as if it were thrown on with a false hope of fitting correctly. The sterile white coat he wears clings snug to his upper arms, a loose thread sticking out here and there and the left arm stitching appearing stretched out and distorted from the ill fitting garment.

His sparse beard is peppered with gray hairs and a dirty baseball hat with the name of an old sports team covers up what is sure to be a balding head. The man finally takes note of December's presence and stretches out a dirty and calloused hand towards him, a wide smile flashing across his bright features before he removes his hat in respect.

"December, ain't that a surprise! I didn' expect to be seeing you down here doin' deliveries." He starts, the slightest of a southern accent rolling off his tongue. "Figured that was for a lower pay grade than Head o' Lab and heir of Haven but I'm not complainin'!"

His smile is complimented with a blush on each cheek, the sight of the nineteen year old clearly overwhelming to the man as he nervously tugs at his hat, rocking on his heels as he awaits an answer in awe.

December isn't phased by the star struck man's demeanor, however, as he directs his focus elsewhere. The young boy rather turns to the last few cages before lecturing, "At Haven it's everyone's responsibility to make sure our operations run smoothly. As heir to the facilities, it's my duty to make sure I understand how every aspect of Haven is ran and how to improve on these departments."

December finishes off with a sprinkle of a smile, unimpressed with his talent at reciting the words his mother has practically drilled into his head since youth. He's proud to be the heir to Haven, to continue their best work, but sometimes the workload can seem a bit...tiresome?

The worker is clearly impressed, ignorant to the conflict bouncing within December. He absentmindedly plays with the hat in his hands as he nods in full agreement, soaking up the corporate speech December spills to him.

"Ever since you were a kid I knew you were gonna make Haven somethin' great and you really have, December. Y'know it was a tragedy what happened out there an' all but you and your mother have really made a difference bout it. It may be above my head what y'all do up there but whatever it is, it's changin' the world."

December merely smiles at the speech, mind too far off to really focus on the substance of it. "Thank you, but it's simply God's Work Through God's Creation." He repeats the company mantra, all the while scanning the room for the caged boy from the sides of his eyes.

Almost as if summoned by the thought, the cage appears in a corner of the room, tucked beneath two other cages with creatures pulsating inside. Their slime covered skin seems to breathe on its own as liquid drips down into the boy's cage. His body instinctively pulling away from the thick, mucus-like substance that has began to puddle in the corner of his inhabitance.

December can't make out much of the situation from a distance, just the general shape of a human curled in on itself like a dog, body rising and falling with the steady breathes of a sleeping boy.

"Hey..." December starts, voice nearly as distant as his racing thoughts. "Mind running me through the shipments over there?" He points with a nudge of his head in the direction of the cages as he awaits an answer from the peppered man.