Nukledeus

He was standing at attention, upright and proud. The abuse by Bertille or others had not broken the man and Mona had to acknowledge that he was most likely a good soldier, strong and reliable. The only problem was that she didn't really know to whom his loyalties were. He had refused, along with the other soldiers in his platoon, to explain what had happened to dear Suzanna. Therefore, Mona knew that the Shadow Girls, at least, should not trust him.

Someone knocked at the door and the sentry let the Capitan in. Gili stopped when she recognized Dolick, standing in the middle of the room. He turned to her and a slight smile stretched his swollen lips that were cut in several places. He nodded his head to greet her. It was a respectful gesture but devoid of the military discipline that he followed meticulously and at all times. Something had changed in him. Despite her betrayal and in spite of all the wrong she had said or thought about him, Gili felt her heart sink at the sight of the almost unrecognizable face of her former temporary second-in-command.

His left cheek had caved in, his left eye seemed bulging, unnaturally oversized and lifeless. Gili could not see him blink at all, and she wondered if the wounds surrounding the eyeball indicated that Dolick no longer had his eyelids. She then remembered with horror Chloé's stories about the abuse inflicted by the No-lights outside. He must have suffered terribly, how could he still be standing?

He seemed happy and relieved to see Gili. Mona watched them in silence. He was very clever, but the Capitan meant more to him than he would openly admit. As he had predicted, the leader of the Shadow Girls was not looking for information, she needed allies.

Dolick had taken this opportunity to entrust the Capitan to Mona's care. Gili was wanted by the authorities for high treason. Only Mona could protect her. He was too smart for his own good and Mona couldn't help but be wary of him.

Somewhat unwilling, Mona had agreed to take Gili with her, hoping to convince the former Capitan to join the movement or at least to help the rebels. After a few words and many silences and observations, both women were beginning to show some mutual respect, and even to like each other. They both knew the burden of unwanted responsibilities and had a strong sense of duty. They had so much in common that words were unnecessary.

Mona could see the irony of her situation: she was seeking support among her enemies because her own generals were after her life. Bertille was dead but how many power-hungry others were going to replace this loathsome betrayer? As an experienced leader, Mona had had to smother several uprisings over the years. The rebels did not let themselves be tamed easily, their aversion to authority was not to be taken lightly. This time, however, Mona had decided to stake everything she had. Without Daphné, Suzanna and all her other friends, who had died before them, her inner circle was now reduced to Doctor Nicolas, Mathilde and Mathilde's daughter. It wasn't much, but she didn't dare trust others.

Dolick opened his mouth to speak, but all that could be heard was the dreadful gargling of the blood that gushed through his lips, mingled with what seemed like a death rattle. The panic engulfed Gili and she rushed forward as the soldier collapsed on the ground. Mona reacted as quickly, and a few moments later the doctors Nicolas and Sanders came running with Flora to tend to the wounded man.

They laid him on a stretcher. The small office quickly resumed its original function as a sick room. The drip was ready, the injection was in progress, its effects were almost immediate. Dolick relaxed a bit. Mona left the room, followed by her Shadow Girls, so as not to obstruct the treatment. When she closed the door, Nicolas and Colette were busy cleaning the wounds while Gili was helping Flora remove the clothes, cutting the uniform to gain access to the flesh.

When Gili went out in turn, she was ghastly pale and her pallor was further enhanced by the red on her clothes, Dolick's blood. Weary, she sat on the chair where Nicolas had been crying a little earlier and Mona herself came to bring her some water.

The Capitan slowly drank the precious liquid before speaking in a low, monotonous voice. The leader of the Shadow Girls listened to the whole, long story without saying a single word. In her mind, all the contingencies were spinning almost obsessively: what if she had not made the decision to leave the den? What if she'd ordered them to block the third shadow door?

According to Dolick, it was through this door that the No-lights had entered from the outside. The invaders were some cannibals of the worst kind, namely the worshipers of the Sun God, enraged by the death of a handful of them. A formidable army, though frighteningly chaotic, had swarmed through the gate, shaking even the thick wall while trying to enlarge the passage. The bulk of the invaders' troop was now besieging the temple where all armed units of Ark City were assembled.

Predicting the assault and its main target, all the Capitans and their squadrons were protecting Nukledeus inside Its Dome. Thus Noah, aka Sir N, their covert leader, had chosen to help the temple and those who had ousted him from the head of the city. He'd rather submit to dictatorship and oppression than barbarism and chaos from outsiders. "No matter who's at the helm, the Ark must endure." Mona was still hearing the words he'd uttered at their last secret meeting. The Shadow Diplomacy, as he liked to call their awkward talks.

Outside the temple district, the city, abandoned by all the law enforcement officers, had fallen prey to the attacks of small but incredibly violent groups. The citizens had taken refuge underground, in the depths of the city. The cannibal invaders, on the other hand, remained at or above ground level. The worshipers of the Sun God dreaded going into the bowels of the city, far from the light of their God. As soon as they toppled Nukledeus, everything would stop in Ark City and the hiding arkians would be trapped anyway.

This reasoning did not prevent the wanton destruction of the city. No building could avoid damage, and finally, the Shadow Girls' hideout had been discovered and plundered. The rebels' resistance had only earned them death before being devoured on the spot, whereas their prisoners still bound and chained, like Dolick, were eaten bit by bit. The camp had become the pantry of the most extremist faction of the invaders who brought their new catch there, to better monitor them and keep them "fresh" and alive.

During the attack in the Shadow Girls's den, Suzanna had regained consciousness. The infirmary where she had been resting had not been properly searched by the invaders and she had been able to hide there. She had witnessed, helplessly, the slaughter of her companions, her sisters of the Shadow Girls.

Then, in a hurry, she had prepared her revenge with whatever she could find on site, in the infirmary. She needed a diversion, she would also use chaos to retaliate. She had first decided to release the prisoners who could still escape, distributing randomly the pills made by Doctor Nicolas, that she had found in the back of some cupboards and that had been forgotten by everyone.

These pills had worked miracles and Dolick's platoon had been able to slip away with a few other arkians while doing their best to wreak havoc in the camp. However, the effects of the drugs were fading quickly. To get new pills, Dolick had entered the clinic where he had found Mona, Gili and the others. With a clear conscience, since he had been able to warn them, he nevertheless regretted not having found Capitan Chloé.

His hollow voice was getting weaker, barely a breath. At a signal from Colette, Flora had gently but firmly pushed Gili out. They were going to try a last chance operation, but the surgery promised to be a difficult one, almost hopeless.

Mona left Gili to her dark thoughts. She also needed to review the situation. Should she lay down her life and the lives of her companions for an ideal and a God-comet she did not believe in? Noah had made his choice, it was Mona's turn to take a decisive option.

For the first time in her life, she was tempted to choose to flee. She looked for the young Nikodem who was helping his friend Fergus to stand up. They were proof that people could live outside without turning into monsters.

Surrounded by a small group of Shadow Girls, Mathilde was near them and was holding Clara in her arms. The smile of the old Shadow Girl brightened her face marked by years and trials, and Mona thought that happiness, by itself, could make someone beautiful. Her lifelong accomplice was telling in great detail the verbal thrashing that Nicolas had received when Colette had declared that she was not "just a coroner dissecting corpses", but also head doctor and director of the Materna where the only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Ark City was located.

Happy that Clara was saved but pitiful because he had been so easily overwhelmed by doubt and despair, Nicolas had taken the bull by the horns. When he had walked through the door of the small office, Mona had been surprised to find him at his best, almost the same as before Daphné's death. But she had not had the opportunity to talk to him. Dolick was in great need of his talent. She now understood the doctor's rapid change of attitude. Clara, at least, was safe.

The leader of the Shadow Girls was still exploring the possibility of settling outside with the help of the two strangers. However, even before he heard the end of Mona's request, Fergus categorically refused to leave Ark City. Despite the dangers, he wanted to free Chloé locked up in penance at the temple.

Nikodem remained silent. Fergus had told him that his brother Olek had fled and had managed to get out of the city but, against all odds, the news did not make him happy. He lowered his head, looking rather depressed. He had spent so much time looking for his brother and no one had any idea where he could be, the only clue being that he was "outside". Moreover, his friend Fergus did not want to go with him because of Chloé, Nikodem had to resume his search where he had left them and without help. It was certainly already too late anyway. So much time lost and now he was back to the starting point!

Mona offered to help him, she had a motorcycle outside and they could travel a larger perimeter to increase their chances of finding the child. She did not hear the answer; Nicolas, Colette and Flora were coming, followed by Gili. The miracle had not happened, Dolick's heart had stopped beating.

The Capitan seemed determined. Only a slight tremor of her lips betrayed the efforts she made to hold back her tears. She was here to tell Mona that she was going to get Chloé back, no matter what, for her and in memory of Dolick. Flora sided with her, so did Fergus, but as he had to lean on Nikodem, the latter was therefore enlisted somewhat in spite of himself.

Without the two strangers, the chances of surviving outside became too low to take such a risk. So the leader agreed to storm the temple, knowingly heading towards certain death. As a rebel, she did not consider it her duty to defend Ark City but her ultimate mission, her personal calling, remained to protect her own, including those who would attempt the impossible and suicidal challenge of saving Daphné's sister, in the heart of the temple, in the middle of a war.

She assigned the clinic's protection to part of the group in her absence. They could not leave the wounded and the arkians of the Materna there, by themselves. The two doctors also had to stay, of course. They were needed and most useful in the clinic. The time of farewell had come. Each one had to follow his destiny.

Without a moment's hesitation, Mathilde gave Clara back to Nicolas and joined her leader, her lifelong friend. She knew Mona's doubts and knew how hard it was for her to let her "girls" go into harm's way. Mathilde then laid her hand gently on her friend's arm and smiled at her, assuring her of her unwavering support. Until the end.