Stargazer - Segregation

Chapter Sixteen - Ksitron

Aryan, one of the engineers, has made his way to the center. For the past couple of weeks, they worked on the utmost limits.

"Riley, Wylie. We really need the Ksitron. There is no way we can continue to work if we don't have it," he says, holding his cap with his stained oily fingers onto his belly.

"Wait a second? Weren't their fuels below seventy? Enough to, at least fight ten more fights?" he crosses his arms.

"Yes, about that—" his guiltiness moves his eyes to the wall. "We initially thought that the other three would have enough. But as it turns out, the older the particle gets, the less you can use it, meaning it just vanished. I don't know-how or anything but, the fuel is completely empty on all three."

"How can a goddamn particle just vanish? I never heard such bullshit before!" Wylie snaps out of nowhere.

"I don't know. We were just doing our work!" he shouts back at him.

Wylie frowns, ready to blow up., both stare at each other equally angry.

Riley puts her arm on his cramped shoulder. "It's okay, Wylie. If you don't want to go, I will. Okay?"

He looks at her and releases a sigh of relief. "Okay, fine."

Aryan leaves the room immediately. If he were to stay, he might end up being the one selected to go. No one wants to do that—the place is hazardous.

"I got an idea," she says and smiles.

"What kind of idea?" he looks at her with open eyes.

"Follow me."

She walks energetically towards the training room, and he follows her, asking several questions, but she doesn't answer any of them.

"Alright, guys!" she says in a louder voice, lifting both of her arms to the sides, opening the door widely. "You just won the best prize of your life. A trip to the Jack Ketch Fair!"

Logan and the rest look at her with questioning faces, except for Henry. He seems to like it. "Really? What is that?" he questions with a joyful tone.

"Glad you are asking. The Jack Ketch Fair is the place to get the one, the only, the one and only Ksitron!" she claps, and Wylie follows.

"What is that?" Michael shortens his eyes to her.

"As you all know, your machines do not work magically. They need a specific fuel called the Ksitron. It's the only particle that helps them moving the way they do, fast and steady. But I don't want to bore you with stupid science talk," she explains with her index finger moving around.

"But I want to be bored with stupid science talk," says Henry as he looks to the frowning group.

Mayumi shakes her head, "No, you don't, Henry. Trust me. Once they startin', they ain't stopin'," she high-fives Darryl, both looking seemingly unimpressed.

"Why is it called Jack Ketch? What is this name?" questions Michael in a harsh tone.

"I will explain once we will go there. Since we need the fuel ASAP, we are going to head out in two days. You don't need to prepare. We will do that for you this time," reads Wylie.

"And who's going?" Galina looks around.

Riley looks at Wylie with a devil smile. He doesn't know what she wants to tell him until she smiled.

"Of course, you guys. It's your very first mission," says Riley pointing at the middle of Henry and Michael.

"So, just us?" Michael raises an eyebrow.