Oath of the Survivor

The group approached the walled city, and Kyle felt a strange twinge of disappointment that there wasn’t a gate from the direction they approached.  It made sense – but it felt a little anticlimactic to walk the perimeter of the city for over a kilometer to find an entrance.  When they found it though, Kyle’s disappointment faded.  The walls thickened near the gate, and Kyle saw guard posts set several meters back along the top of the walls.   They were being watched as the approached, and that was affirmed as C.H.A.D.D. floated closer, quietly speaking. 

[DR. MAYHEW, OVER A DOZEN INDIVIDUALS ARE SUPERVISING OUR APPROACH.  MANA DENSITY WOULD INDICATE THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR AWAKENED AMONG THE GROUP.]  

That was certainly quite the welcoming party, though to a degree this was more in line with what he had expected.  He’d learned more about Councilman DeRosa over the past day, and while he sounded like an objectively terrible manager, he also sounded undeniably competent and thorough.  And honestly, Kyle felt that was a fair trade-off given the end of the world and all. 

Garth signaled for the team to stop, and sent Thomas to the rear of the group to speak with Kyle as he stepped forward to introduce themselves to the team guarding the gate.  Kyle was most interested in what was happening with Garth, but forced himself to focus on what Thomas had to say.  The other man leaned in close and spoke quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. 

“Garth thinks if the captives are going to try something it’ll be right about now.  He wants you to be ready to do what you have to.” 

That was a bit of a shock to hear, but as Kyle considered the words, they made a lot of sense.  If he was taken captive by a group of hostiles and was about to enter the belly of the beast, he’d probably try to get out before crossing that gate too. 

“Thanks for the advice, Thomas.  I’ll keep a close eye out in case they do.” 

Thomas nodded and shook Kyle’s hand before making his way back to the front, leaving Kyle and Gleason in the rear.  The captives milled nervously as they waited, which only increased the level of concern.  What kind of play could they make?  Were they going to try to make a run for it?  Possibly try to take Gleason’s gun?  The nervous thoughts continued to race through his head until finally, blessedly, Garth finished his conversation with the gatekeepers and turned back to the group. 

“They’re going to be coming through soon to do a scan and get you all registered for entry.  They’re going to start with our guests and get them sorted first, then they’ll work on the prisoners before wrapping up with the original group from Duilleag.  This is Porter Rathman, he’s the E grade who will be taking point on the entry procedures.  Treat him like you’d treat me and we’ll be through before you know it.  It’s been an honor traveling with you all, and I look forward to working alongside you again as we rebuild.  Porter, they’re all yours.” 

Contrary to Garth’s travel-worn and rugged look, Porter Rathman wore a neatly pressed Central Defense uniform, his perfectly coiffed and oiled black hair matched by the shine on his perfect black combat boots.  He was clean shaven with piercing brown eyes, and though he carried no weapons that Kyle could see he had an aura about him that indicated danger.  He made his way to the back where Gleason clutched the rifle, holding out his hand to take the weapon. 

Gleason seemed less than excited at the prospect of handing it over, but with a gentle nod from Kyle he passed the firearm over and walked towards the gate with the others from the Albaum group.  Kyle watched Porter as he brought a C.H.A.D.D. out from the gatehouse to scan each of the survivors as they walked up, after which they were permitted to enter the city. A contingent of Central Administration staff were already prepared to guide them to their next destinations.  Graham was the last of the contingent to enter, turning to give Kyle a warm smile and a wave as he entered in. 

Next was the group of captives they’d taken, and Kyle found his body tensing, ready to take action if they tried to make a move.  Once again subverting the expectations, they went in silently, sharing looks with one another but otherwise following orders without issue. 

Kyle identified a man in a Central Administration uniform speaking with a member of Central Defense, with the group’s ragged cloth bindings being replaced with mana-reinforced steel cuffs.  Kyle felt relieved as they went, the potential for violence averted.  He was still curious what their plan was now that they had been captured, but a part of him hoped that they’d taken some of his words to heart.  If they realized that their leadership would just have soon have killed them, there might be hope for rehabilitation.  Either way, he felt a burden lift off of his shoulders.  Him choosing not to let these people die had caused a rift to form between himself and Garth, and having them dealt with would hopefully leave room for reconiciliation.

Next was the group from Duilleag, starting with the children.  Gwen waved to him again as she went in, and the relief on her mother’s face was palpable.  She looked back as well, mouthing a quick “Thank you” as she went in, her blonde hair in a tight braid falling down her back.  The rest of the group continued to make their way in, and to Kyle’s surprise Thomas, Amir, and Dalen all moved to the back of the line to express their thanks. 

“You guys realize I’ll be seeing you in there in just a few minutes, right?”  Kyle said, trying to ease the tension he saw in the men. 

“Hey, you never know exactly what they’ll do with a fancy E Grade like you.”  Dalen said, a smile on his face. 

“In case I don’t get the chance later, I wanted to say thank you again.  You were a real godsend for us, and especially for me.  I have no idea where they’ll put you to work, but you’ve done right by us.  So thanks.” 

Kyle smiled as he took the man’s hand, Amir nodding his agreement. 

“You’re good people, Kyle.  Thanks for the stories, and, well, everything else.” 

Thomas just snorted and tossed his flask to Kyle, smiling as he turned his back. 

“Just don’t get too bogged down in the paperwork.  Have a drink on me, then you’ll be responsible for the refill.” 

Kyle frowned as he shook the flask, feeling no liquid sloshing inside. 

“Thomas, this is empty.” 

The man laughed heartily as he made his way towards the gate.

“Then don’t make us wait too long!”

Kyle watched his friends enter, with Porter coming out to speak with him and Garth after the rest of the unawakened had been processed and were waiting for their Central Administration guides. 

“Mr. Bolstbury had you watching the captives, so despite the redundancy I’ll share the process.  You’ll be scanned by our C.H.A.D.D. and any credentials you have will be reactivated.  From there you’ll go to a processing interview with Central Administration, who will find an appropriate place for an Awakened with your skill set.” 

Kyle nodded his understanding, as a question came to his mind. 

“I’ve actually been traveling with a C.H.A.D.D., I was with Central Health in Newton.  Would its credentials suffice?  It’s been tracking our journey, but for some reason it hasn’t been able to establish a connection with the mana network.  If there’s a way to firm up the connection it’d clear up any questions in no time flat.” 

Porter considered for a moment before shaking his head. 

“We’d have to get an exception for either a mana network connection or repairs, both of which would take you or the drone into Nierburg.  We’ll do verification, and then process from there.” 

Kyle shrugged, walking over towards the significantly shinier C.H.A.D.D. and smiled, preparing for the scan. 

“My name is Dr. Kyle Mayhew, Central Health Newton.  Employee Code AIX-6599877.”   The drone scanned him once over, and after a few agonizing seconds passed it spoke. 

[BIOMETRIC MARKERS AND MANA SIGNATURE DO NOT MATCH RECORDS FOR DR. MAYHEW.  UNKNOWN E GRADE, SUSPECTED ILLEGAL PROCUREMENT OF EMPLOYEE CODE.]  

In the blink of an eye, Porter raised his left arm palm-first towards Kyle, mana crackling like lightning from his shoulder to the tips of his fingers. 

“It would seem that there’s more here than meets the eye.  Don’t move a muscle.”

~~~

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