The Elites

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I woke up and went about my day but that note from Iver was never far from my mind.

Today was tomorrow.

I was not sure what to expect and it was... disconcerting. The Elites always knew what to expect and were prepared accordingly for every situation. This feeling- no, situation, was not what I was prepared for. I didn't know my opponent's moves. I didn't know what was happening today. Thoughts raced through my mind. Maybe Derrick found out about my rooftop shenanigans or maybe the Elders did. I wasn't sure which was worse.

Mind-numbingly, I stared at the board which was about a new style of fighting. I should be concentrating on that. I needed to. There was war on the horizon and the humans were not to be underestimated. They may be weak but were unpredictable. That made them dangerous and us, unprepared.

We had gone over many ways in which the humans may attack and had learnt to combat against it. This new style of fighting I was sure was another way to counteract the human's style of fighting. We knew they came from different lands, had different languages, different styles of clothing from each other and different forms of fighting. The Elites wore different clothes to humans, more practical, prepared for any situation. We learnt the different languages to avoid any surprises and learnt the different forms of fighting and their counter-moves.

But today, today which was tomorrow, I was physically there in class but not really. I heard the words Derrick spoke but did not really take in. All because of Iver.

I hadn't realised class had ended until Nate shook my shoulders. I focused on his face twisted in confusion.

"Are you okay?"

I looked around the room and found everyone had vacated and were all walking through the classroom doors. Only Nate and I were left behind.

"I'm fine. You go on ahead," I told him. He stared at me for a few seconds but then shrugged his shoulders and made his way out. I followed behind and as I stepped outside the door, I saw Iver standing by their classroom.

I froze.

The last of the people rounded the corner and disappeared from view until it was only Iver and I. I wasn't sure how long we stood there staring at each other. His intelligent blue eyes scanned me from head to toe.

Was he looking for something?

Without saying a word, he swiftly turned and headed to that door and disappeared behind it. The door that led to the rooftop. Was I supposed to follow him? I looked around and quickly made a decision. No one could say I wasn't fearless and as I ascended the spiral staircase, I wondered what Iver wanted.

The cold breeze slapped against my face and I closed my eyes, embracing it. I missed this. I missed coming up here and just enjoying this view, the wind, the cold. The coldness did not affect us as much as it did humans. They were so... breakable.

"Why did you bring me up here? Is this so you can hand me over to Derrick again? Or the Elders this time?"

I knew I was speaking in a tone not to be used with the leader of The Intelligence but after Derrick's punishment, he owed me. It was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"What is this?" he pointed to the radio by his feet.

"It's a radio."

"I'm aware." He turned to face me. Of course he had figured that out by now. The Intelligence had communication devices that based off of radio waves but were a lot more advanced than this chunky radio device. "What I meant was why does it look like this? I cannot use it to send any information or deduce any information from it. There's strange voices that come from it where I can hear someone communicating. They seem to be aware I am listening in, that others are listening in, but I cannot communicate with them. There's also... other strange noises, some mixed with the banging of drums, others..." he frowned as though he could not describe it. I knew what he was going through.

"It's a radio," I repeated. "A human radio."

Iver's whole demeanour froze. His eyes widened and he took a large step back from the device as though it was the plague. He looked up at me as though he could not believe what I had said.

"But...but how can that be possible? What is a... human device doing here?"

I shrugged. I didn't know the answer myself.

"And the voices?"

"It's a radio for entertainment purposes, I think. They- the humans- talk about news from their world and play music that is broadcasted to listeners. The only way to communicate with the people on the radio is via telephone communication."

"Music?" he mumbled, mystified.

"it's... nice," I said softly but he heard me over the wind. Again, he stared at me as though he was seeing me for the first time.

"This is the reason I found you here that day isn't it? The day... " he trailed off, both of us recalling that night where Derrick took that whip to my back.

"Did Derrick-"

"Yes."

He was quiet for a moment. "If I knew, I may not have told him."

"Of course you would. You hate him and could get the upper hand in showing your Sector is better. That you are better."

Again, there was silence. I walked over to the radio, feeling Iver's eyes on me and sat down next to it. Switching it on, I looked out over the horizon and sighed. After a few moments, I felt Iver sit down next to the radio on its' other side, still a little away. It made me smile.

"It won't bite, you know." Iver looked at me as though I'd lost my mind. "They fascinate me. The humans." I looked over at Iver to see a horrified expression. Looking away from him, I focused on the horizon again as I continued, "I don't know why but they just do. They always have."

This admission would have gotten me punishment from Derrick. Maybe the Elders would lock me up and give me an Elder's punishment. But for some reason, I wanted to tell Iver. We listened as another melody blasted through the speakers. Iver concentrating on its tunes, his brain probably working to decipher some sort of code held within its' depths.

"Will you tell me about them?" I met his gaze. There was something in those blue eyes I could not decipher. "About the humans?"

"I don't know much, only what I know from the radio," I said, nodding towards it.

"I would still like to gain whatever little knowledge you have on them."

"Why?"

"I am not sure. I would like to learn more about... this music."

And so, I told him about the different tunes and how there were different singers for almost every tune. I told him about how they never discussed us in their news reports which Iver found bewildering.

"-ldwin's wedding. Kylie Jenner is facing backlash for her dress being too sexy!"

Both Iver and I looked at each other in confusion. I had explained that humans had famous people who were superior to other humans and other humans held these famous people on a pedestal, worshipped them. But what had the both of us confused was that word.

Sexy.

Having learnt the languages, we had not been taught this particular phrase. Iver did not seem to know either. Had they invented another language? If that was the case, us Elites may be unprepared!

As darkness clouded over the setting Sun, I switched off the radio and placed it back in the shed to protect it. I made my way over to Iver who was stood at the top of the stairs and we both made our way down as quickly and quietly as we could. Iver opened the door slightly, peering out to see if the coast was clear before I made my way out.

"Tomorrow?" he asked softly.

We stared at each other from our respective sides. There was something weird. I could almost feel a heat rising from the inside. Wanting to get away from this feeling, I responded with the only thought in my head.

"Tomorrow."

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