Nukledeus

For days she had not received any chemotherapy. Chloé felt tired like never before and her ideas were confused. Was she going to die, abandoned by Nukledeus, in this hostile place, surrounded by No-Lights and without seeing her friends? She missed Gili, and Daphné of course, but she would never see her sister again unless she joined her beyond the stars, in the galaxy of gods, where Nukledeus had lived before bringing Its light to Ark City.

Chloé opened her eyes. She had slept all day; she felt weak but most of all, she was hungry. A few bits of her dream were still floating in her hazy memory: Daphné was dancing on a distant planet and waiting patiently for her sister; Chloé was lagging behind as usual, forever runner-up, the same as before they went their separate ways. She saw herself crossing the safety distance and dissolving in the divine fire of Nukledeus, then being reborn far from here. What a nightmare! The chimiocs withdrawal symptoms were beginning to give her mystical delusions. It was time to regain control.

None of the No-lights had come close to her since her talk with Fergus. He had certainly given strict orders. Even Olek avoided her, she thought with a hint of bitterness and guilt. She was already getting bored, feeling like an open-air prisoner. At least, for now, she was alive and somewhat safe and sound.

A light breeze brought to her nostrils the mouth-watering aroma of grilled meat. Chloé stood up, throwing the blanket to the side. Their hidden camp was almost invisible since their number had been reduced to a dozen people. Twelve plus her, the same size as a section of her squadron in Ark City. The former Capitan wondered if she still had soldiers and what had become of them. This uncertainty only served to reinforce her determination to return to the city as soon as possible.

She took a steaming piece of meat and sat down by the embers. The Arkian did not want to know which animal she was eating. She was too hungry. Her observations during her long hours of inactivity suggested that Fergus had told the truth. These No-lights did not eat Arkian flesh, nor human. The meat was delicious and it made a nice change in the fish-based diet they had at the beginning for every meal, including breakfast.

L.i.c.k.i.n.g her fingers so as not to let anything go to waste, she then grabbed the common cup to drink the water from the river. Her mind, now sharper, was replaying the deal suggested by Fergus and which remained unresolved. Could they cooperate to break into the city? Why did he want to go inside?

Her somewhat forced rest had not been totally pointless. During her lucid moments, when her withdrawal symptoms receded a bit, she was trying in her head to draw a map up, trying to spot the access she had taken ten years earlier with Mona. The task was difficult because she had not been out often during all these years and only near the river, i.e. at about two kilometers from here. She remembered that the access was on the other side. Was it the East Gate? She raised her head towards the city. If she could go around the walls, perhaps would she be able to recognize the path taken by the bike? Then she would have to rely on luck to get in. It was unlikely that she could do everything by herself, Fergus and his friends had to help her in this venture, she had no choice but to accept the deal, in the beginning at least.

After she roughly washed her hands, she went in search of Fergus. The camp seemed deserted. Most of the youngsters in the group had left with Torgny. Chloé regretted that he had to leave her. She had immediately felt close to the tall warrior even though she refused to admit it. Of course, this did not prevent her from cracking a few of his ribs but luckily, it turned out to be only a minor injury since he could already ride a horse.

In some ways, he reminded her of Dolick, one of the section leaders. Courageous, loyal and at the same time completely unpredictable at times. Dolick's mocking attitude was sometimes getting on her nerves, but she would have given anything to see him in front of her at that moment. She remembered sending him and his section back to the city before the water from the No-lights dam flung her into her present situation. Had he joined his comrades to fight? Were they all dead? No, she could not and would not believe it. She was alive in enemy territory, proof that the unlikely was still possible. She should not lose hope and should strive to return.

Lost in thought, Chloé wandered aimlessly and was surprised to see Olek appear right in front of her. If she'd still had her tazer, there was a good chance that the boy would be lying on the ground and in a unpleasant situation. She forced herself to smile, it was not so difficult, since Olek was gentle and pleasant by nature.

– You must hide or you'll be exposed, Miss Chloé. We've spotted Outcasts not far away. They could see you.

The Arkian still had trouble telling the difference between the categories of No-Lights of the outside. In Ark City, everyone was an arkian even the rebels, the only difference was that those who didn't believe in Nukledeus were in the No-Lights category. In the end, it was just a matter of faith that divided the arkian society.

Now that she was outside, however, she was constantly puzzled. She was just beginning to identify sedentary people and nomads, cannibal Outcasts and others but were these Outcasts sedentary or nomadic? And the fine details and nuances of the clans and the various tribes... All this was beyond her and she did not intend to linger long enough to understand these foreign customs.

Chloé ignored Olek's warning and simply asked him to take her to Fergus. The youthful face immediately became gloomy and he guided her while dragging his feet, with his hands in his pockets and a sulky pout on his lips. He was tired of being treated like a kid and every day, he was eagerly looking for the first shadow of mustache in the mirror his brother kept in his belongings.

Fergus was still chatting with Nikodem. The two leaders had not left each other since Torgny's departure. Olek and the other volunteers pretended not to see the growing tension between Fergus and his second-in-command. Still, the young Olek was starting to worry: they should have departed the day before at least and Nikodem almost no longer slept, always studying his maps when he was not with Fergus.

During the few breaks, the two men remained silent, each one was deep in thoughts to rehash arguments, develop plans or ponder over other hypotheses. Olek did not covet his brother's position even if it gave the latter all the respect and esteem he lacked.

Fergus and Nikodem turned around as Chloé approached. Olek stood back a little, hoping not to be sent away as one of the lackeys they had seen among the sedentary people. The two leaders made eye contact for a short moment, then Nikodem glared sternly at his brother, warning him, with signs, that he was not to repeat anything of the discussion that would follow. Olek agreed with a broad smile that earned him a frown but he couldn't help it, this token of trust made him happy and he took everything that concerned Chloé very seriously.

The Capitan was not surprised by the situation. When the business at hand pertained to the choice of the best strategy to adopt, she also sometimes turned to her section leaders. Upon learning that Chloé accepted his conditions, Fergus' face lit up so obviously that she was almost embarrassed. Wondering what she had really accepted, Chloé then approached the map they had been studying a few moments earlier and recognized the surroundings of the city.

Several points were marked with arrows probably to indicate enemy positions. She moved away without a word, assuming a indifferent and nonchalant air. It would take more than a few arrows on paper to find her way home.

A heavy silence had descended upon the group. Chloé felt that her presence was embarrassing for the awkward boys but no one dared tell her, so she turned around and walked away, accompanied by Olek, towards the campfire. In the end, except for telling them she had agreed to go with them in Ark City, very few words had been exchanged.

– I'm sorry I threatened you the other day. It was stupid.

– No problem. As my brother says, I should have kept alert and not let my guard down.

He had a serious look on his face and Chloé watched him for a moment. Strands of hair were plastered on his forehead by sweat and dust. She had trouble getting used to it: this hair and this body hair always reminded her of the animals penned up in the bas.e.m.e.nts of Ark City. Except that in her memory the furs of the beasts looked more like old mangy carpets than wild manes.

– My brother Nikodem says you are a bad influence on us, on Fergus or me. He says it's because of you that we're not on our way back with Torgny.

– He's right.

– No, that's not true! It's Lana's fault. If she'd agreed to marry Fergus, we'd have the pledge of alliance, supplies and wealth, new soldiers, new friends... We wouldn't be here hiding our shame. Fergus doesn't want to go home because of her.

– Then perhaps I should thank her. I would probably be dead by now if she had accepted, Chloé replied somewhat sharply.

Again there was another silence. Olek was biting his lip, wondering what he had said that might have upset Chloé. She had just learned Fergus' motivation and considered it inappropriate. Taking such risks because of a romantic disappointment was unworthy of an arkian soldier, but of course Fergus was neither one.

– I was surprised to find meat. What animal is it? she suddenly asked.

– Rabbit, did you like it? You can find them a little further along the riverbank. I caught it on purpose just for you. With Sumai, we scouted the area to pass the time and took this opportunity to hunt a bit. The Lichen is too scarce near the camp, except in the river so we can only have fish. There's nothing to eat for the other animals. Besides, we are not as good at fishing as Torgny.

The boy was smiling and chatty again. His anxiety had disappeared in a snap at the idea that he had managed to please his beautiful guest.

– We'll take you home, he said with conviction. Nikodem's in a bad mood, being difficult and all, but I know he's gonna find a way to get us through the area safely. Here he is, and he wants to talk to you.

Nikodem was indeed approaching and Chloé had seen, like Olek, that he was signaling to his brother in their own language. The young man sat down against the nearby stone and began to stir the dust with his finger, waiting for his little brother to be far enough away so as not to hear him. According to Olek, he was looking for a way to get close to the city, and that was all the Capitan was interested in.

– I need to know how you intend to get in, on which side of the city, how long you need and what equipment. In short, all the elements to plan the operation and maximize our chances of survival.

Nikodem's voice was both soft and low. He whispered more than he spoke. His hair, as brown as his brother's, was almost hiding his eyes. Chloé could, however, read the uncertainty as to their action but also a great determination to keep them all alive and she was relieved that the young man was, for the moment, intent on helping her.

As she entrusted him with a few ideas, he was nodding in agreement, looking focused, without saying a word or judging her. She knew it wasn't really much of a plan, but more than once she'd acted on a hunch and improvised on the spot, adapting to situations in the field seemed as important to her as planning the details of an operation. Her experience as a soldier taught her that it was impossible to predict everything, even with the scrupulous preparation she often entrusted her aides.

It was incredibly easy for her to talk to Nikodem. He showed an intelligence, an ability to listen and an open-mindedness that Chloé had rarely seen in Ark City. He reminded her of Noah, the owner of the Capitans' Pub. Noah wasn't his real name, of course. Like Dolick, the former agents of the Special Forces had no past and Noah had been one of their generals before becoming the leader of the Capitans. This was not very well known and had never bothered Chloé: this military corps recruited the best soldiers. However, regarding Noah, he was a born liar with his own agenda, therefore even if his advice was spot on, Chloé never dared to trust him too much.

What was less known was that anyone could enlist, anyone could spy on anyone. Without falling into paranoia, Chloé took precautions on s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e exchanges: burning any writings, using codes, hiding her face when she spoke to avoid lip-reading. She even suspected garbage collectors to be on the watch for careless people who would leave information in their trash. Noah always said they had to act like they were at war and consider everyone to be a spy and a potential enemy. Now she was about to bring a new enemy within the walls of Ark City.

Chloé once again wondered what prompted Fergus to try entering the city when he could live with his friends and family, free, without chimiocs and almost without constraint. She had decided that romantic disappointment was not a good enough reason. Fergus was hiding another, more secret, motive, she was sure of it.

The scribbling and drawing in the dust had materialized into a fairly accurate image of the map she had seen before. Nikodem must have drawn it many times and perhaps even come closer to Ark City to better understand the layout of the place. After careful consideration, the young man was currently pointing out a spot halfway between the east and north gates.

– We'll start from here. It's the ideal place to approach during the day, the wind lifting the sand will camouflage us, moreover the Outcasts have set up their camps in the more sheltered areas over there. I'll let Fergus know. We can leave in two days.

He stood up in a flowing motion and walked away quietly. Chloé was stunned: these No-lights had a very strange way of planning an operation. "That's all?" she thought, but she corrected herself very quickly, adding with a hint of self-deprecating irony, "No, that's all he saw fit to tell me!"

What else could she expect from someone who considered her a danger and an enemy and treated her like a prisoner? The Capitan could almost imagine Noah snickering behind her back and calling her an innocent little girl but Chloé had never intended to leave it at that and planned to escape in order to enter Ark City alone as soon as she would no longer need them.