Nukledeus

Nikodem was following closely behind Flora. He kept their goal in mind: first, they should save Fergus from this Penance – whatever it was – and between the three of them, they might be able to find Olek. The young man had pinned all his hopes in the skills and instincts of his leader. As for Flora, she knew the city well, she could provide them with invaluable assistance.

Despite the urgency of the mission, Nikodem's eyes did not leave the young woman in front of him. He admired her speed, her grace, the fluidity of her movements. This presence reassured and heartened him more than he would have dared to admit.

They had shared moments of complicity when despair and loneliness were threatening to sweep his mind away. He would cherish these fleeting instants until the end of his life. He was glad that she had not abandoned him in that strange underground place, even though he was still curious about it. He was also relieved: she had not been offended or angered by his confession, and most importantly, she had not laughed at his clumsiness.

They returned to the surface to continue their race. At a crossroad, the young woman stopped abruptly. Nikodem had to press himself against the wall, almost crashing into it and grazing himself, so as not to pull her away due to his momentum. A patrol passed by them at a brisk pace, following the road Flora and Nikodem were about to cross in order to reach the Materna. The two remained silent and motionless while the soldiers walked away quickly, without deviating from their path, their boots slamming on the overheated pavements.

Once the danger had passed, Nikodem realized that he was holding Flora against him, leaning against the wall. Instinctively, he had taken her in his arms to protect her. A little fl.u.s.tered by his own boldness, he didn't dare to move. He was breathing the scent of her hair in, could feel the warmth of her body through their clothes. It was intoxicating, he wished time would stop. However, Fergus was in danger, and Olek might be as well.

He felt a hand against his c.h.e.s.t, gently pushing him away. Flora easily freed herself from his embrace and gestured for him to give her a leg up. He resented her a little for ruining the moment, and for behaving as if it were an everyday occurrence. Inwardly, he admonished his confused mind for going astray and silenced the tumult in his heart, it was necessary to be rational.

With his help, Flora slipped inside a pipe high up above their heads, after forcefully removing the gate that protected the entrance. Nikodem took a short run-up and in turn, lifted himself by the strength of his arms. His tense muscles seemed to protest and voice their disagreement but he persisted and managed to hide with Flora. Just in time as he heard the steps of a new patrol hastening in the same direction as the first one.

The pipe was dark and narrow. It was probably some kind of ventilation duct. The air inside the duct seemed scorching hot and reminded him of the furnace of the previous day. He started to sweat and his shirt stuck to his clammy skin. Resigned, he began to crawl in the pipe to follow Flora who was already disappearing in another conduit. He was used to large wide-open spaces, so he felt this confined place was unbearably suffocating. He was anxious to get out.

A short distance away, the ventilation duct led to the open air. Flora was waiting for him and helped him climb on the roof of a walkway connecting the building to a larger one, the Materna. She then showed him how to walk, or rather run, on the slippery path at the top of the rounded roof. The walkway was not very high but the crossing still felt like an impressive tightrope walking show. Flora was now waiting for him on the other side. He rushed towards her.

When he arrived, he was rewarded with a quick hug, their lips touched ever so lightly and Flora disappeared inside the Materna. Nikodem wondered if this kiss was just an accident or if he had dreamed it. Maybe she just wanted to help him and prevent him from falling, and unintentionally touched his face. Perplexed, frustrated and a little disappointed, he entered the Materna.

Everything was incredibly clean. Not a speck of dust disturbed the atmosphere. He found Flora and followed her at a distance. The young woman found her way easily in this maze while remaining on guard. The corridors were silent and empty. As they walked across the rooms, the light hum of the machines was barely disturbed by the echo of their muffled footsteps. Everything seemed so quiet that Nikodem felt oppressed by so much silence and by the air conditioning, cold, sanitized, devoid of the slightest smell.

Together they reached the s.p.e.r.m-factory. The Shadow Girls had already gained control over the place. Mona was leaning over a map, listening to reports of the troop movements in the city while Mathilde supervised the team seizing the rest of the Materna.

The elder woman turned around, with a broad smile and a triumphant air on her ugly face. Nikodem was getting used to this look. After all, the elders of his tribe also had wrinkles, a deformed mouth in which teeth were missing, and hideous mimics, sometimes involuntary. Mathilde's flexibility and athletic body would make a lot of people envious outside of th city. Her personality and humor were a fresh and likable side of her but, as with Torgny, it was difficult for the overly serious Nikodem to understand all the banters and subtleties of the old Shadow Girl.

Something in her gaze seemed to pierce the secrets of the soul and have fun toying with them, and the young man did not like that at all. Even if it was benevolent, he felt violated in the depths of his being. Rejecting this intrusion, he averted his eyes.

"The sweethearts are back! You're a little late."

Flora wanted to retort with an apt sarcasm, but once again, she couldn't find any comeback. Her mind was struggling in a sea of confusion and chaos. Her cheeks were flushed and she didn't know if it was anger, embarrassment or shame. She felt fl.u.s.tered and attracted to the stranger like a magnet. She didn't even know his name. She had almost tasted his lips and stopped just in time.

She glanced at him. Was he going to react to this taunt? He had gotten mad at her a little earlier, he would probably not let Mathilde get away with it! But the young man had forgotten the old Shadow Girl. He was gaping at the s.p.e.r.m-factory facilities, even forgetting his friend Fergus still tied to the operating table.

Hundreds of whitish p.e.n.i.ses, swollen with aqueous solution stood more or less proudly in the booths, waiting for a last manual stimulation to release their fluids. The trainees assigned to this task stood in a corner under the close supervision of some Shadow Girls. On the other side of the production line, discarded tubes, some of them broken, spilled their samples on the tables or on the ground.

Nikodem was not overly prudish but this display made him uncomfortable. Suddenly, the clothes that covered him seemed very thin. His modesty was not the only one to be shocked by the show, he also found it revolting that all the women here, namely everyone but Fergus and himself, could see these rows of aligned s.e.xes without realizing the horror of the installation. It was not only a question of reducing men to objects, but a matter of removing their organs to industrialize the s.p.e.r.m production. Nikodem couldn't help but wonder if this was the only useful part of a man in the eyes of the arkian women.

Deep down, he hoped that Flora, at least, did not share this opinion. He looked for her and found her deep in conversation with a little arkian woman (bald, white lab coat, glasses), who seemed to give the instructions to release Fergus.

Nikodem moved slowly towards them. His friend Fergus was n.a.k.e.d, lying on a table surrounded by multiple machines that hummed with an almost angry whir. Tubes of all sizes connected his body to the various devices, some of those contained liquids, others were used to take measurements. His eyes were closed and he wore a mask, probably to breathe better.

Nikodem was greatly relieved to find that Fergus was intact. Just the idea that his friend had almost been mutilated for the purposes of the s.p.e.r.m-factory horrified him. His legs were like jelly and he probably would have fainted if the ablation had been performed.

Slowly, he put his hand on the bed, not daring to touch his still inert friend. The latter must have fought again and again, with the strength and courage that Nikodem knew well. The bandages on Fergus' wrists were smeared with blood and he was still securely bound. He was indeed dangerous and the small arkians couldn't let their guard down since he would surely struggle as soon as he woke up.

Doctor Nicolas, in turn, approached the arkian woman in a white coat.

"You injected him with a sedative?"

"Yes. He was very aggressive."

She stayed quiet for a moment and then carried on, muttering to herself.

"He shouldn't have been there. I signed all the doc.u.ments to forbid the removal."

She raised her head and stared at the doctor straight in the eyes.

"It seems that my authority over the members of the Materna is insufficient against an order from the temple."

He simply nodded his head and lifted Fergus' eyelid.

"He will wake up soon. It is better to cover him", he said.

"You're right, but it's even better if he get dressed by himself."

Doctor Nicolas looked at Colette Sanders in a new light as the latter placed a blanket on the bed. He was even a little surprised to see her gently stroking the patient's hair before checking the bindings. She then spoke slowly to Nikodem, the other young outsider, who nodded several times.

Clara, snuggled against her father's c.h.e.s.t, started to stir and Nicolas went away to take care of her. In the future, he would tell her how she had taken part in the capture of the Materna, the most vital institution of Ark City, according to him, and the second in authority, according to its director, Dr Sanders. There had been almost no fighting. In greater number and highly trained, the Shadow Girls hadn't met any resistance.

The soldiers had all left in a hurry to defend the besieged temple, protecting Nukledeus was of the utmost importance. In the Materna, Colette Sanders had somewhat welcomed the rebels in order to limit losses, whether material, human or merely biological. Nicolas had thought for a moment that Colette Sanders and Mona knew each other, as they seemed like longstanding acquaintances almost like old friends who were reunited after an absence. He could not deny that he was intrigued. Colette, Daphné's best friend, was as always shrouded in mystery.

Nikodem waited silently for Fergus to wake up. The white-clad arkian woman had asked him to stay close and in sight of his friend, and to talk to him from time to time in order to reassure him. She had patiently explained that the patient would slowly regain consciousness, but several hours might be necessary for him to be fully awake.

Fergus might open his eyes and then go back to sleep, it was nothing unusual. She hoped that a familiar and friendly presence would be enough to calm him. He was still restrained as a precaution until his mind was clear enough to understand that he had not suffered any damage and that he could leave freely.

Nikodem was more interested in asking him about Olek but he had realized that he would not get satisfactory answers as long as Fergus was in this state. While waiting, he stopped looking around and watched his friend carefully. He would not have traded places with Fergus for anything in the world, and this was not the first time this thought occurred to him. He also tried his hardest to erase from his mind the horrors surrounding him.

He had made the decision to flee this city with Fergus and Olek. He was afraid he would waver or even change his mind and go back on his decision if he saw Flora, so he did not raise his head, ignoring the growing pain he felt in his c.h.e.s.t. He would never be able to understand the arkian rebel and would rather give up before it was too late. It was the best choice, the most reasonable.

However, Nikodem felt like he was about to choke and this sensation kept growing. He was suddenly so hot that beads of sweat appeared on his brow. His heart rate was getting irregular. His heart, overflowing with hope a moment ago, had expanded to accommodate this new love but now a merciless noose was tightening around it, crushing it ruthlessly. He knew that reason and feelings were often at odds but did not expect such a physical reaction. It hurt so much, even more than an anxiety attack.

He felt an icy hand on his forehead and then heard orders coming from all sides. Some people lifted him up. He no longer had the strength to move but noticed that the white-clad lady was yelling like crazy and was busy, with other people, tearing off the binds and the tubes still attached to Fergus. Something serious was happening but a black veil enveloped the thoughts of Nikodem who lost consciousness.