Imperfect Freedom

Six

Elle looks stunned. "De-Dead? How can he be dead?" She asks, breathless.

"People die kid. Either get used to it or leave the Complex." Colonel Howell says to her. His voice conceals no annoyance. "Now, if there isn't anything else you would like to ridicule my time with, please leave."

Elle drops the stunned look. Now her face is a mask of anger. "Ridicule your time?" She repeats. "Ridicule your time? Guts is dead. Dead. And you think we are ridiculing your time? Well, I don't care who you are Colonel, but I would like to know how Phyre is dead." Even though she is 3 feet smaller than him and less than a quarter of his age, she still manages to look him in the eye and sound intimidating.

"Fine then kid. I'll tell you the story of how Evan Phyre died." He pauses. "But you aren't going to like it."

He sighs and beckons us into the office and we willingly follow. He gestures for us to sit down and we do so, then he looks out the corridor one last time and closes and locks the door. I hear a hiss and the room is suddenly completely silent. The only sounds I can hear are the sounds that Elle, Howell and I make.

"Your room is soundproof." Electra states pointedly to Howell who just nods.

He takes a deep breath then exhales.

"Alright. Let me just start by saying, Phyre was a nice guy. He was always joking around, kidding even with his students. The only problem was that that was a problem. He was a nice guy. Nice guys aren't capable of hatred, or even if they are, it isn't deep like it is for someone who isn't a nice guy.

If you hate something or someone, others can direct that hate and use it. But if you are a nice guy,"

"Then they can't use you." Electra finishes, a look of understanding crossing her face.

Howell nods. "So neither the complex or the CD could use him. The CD tried to make use of him, but of course, he already knew too much. Another thing about nice guys is that they can't keep secrets." He pauses and looks to see that we are following. I'm really not, but he continues anyway.

"So of course, Phyre spilled. And unfortunately, it was to the wrong person. The CD was jeopardised, so they took measures to extremes."

"And killed Phyre." Elle nods.

"Yes, they killed Phyre and four others, only one of which was a Complex Loyal."

"Only one?! Why the heck did they kill three, no FOUR including Phyre, on their own stupid side!" Elle shouts, but her words die off as soon as she says them.

"Scream all you want kid. It's a soundproof room, so the only one that can hear you is yourself."

"My. Name. Isn't. Kid." She hisses at him. "It's Electra."

"Ok then Electra, who's this." He eyes me.

"My name is Maedana." I tell him, pretending to act like Electra and intimidate him. I end up just looking more silly. He looks over me and then at Electra.

"You nursery kids?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." I answer and Elle clenches her teeth.

He considers this. "Funny. You," he points to Elle, "seem like an outsider. And you," he points to me, "seem like a child of a black."

A child of a black? An outsider? These terms confuse me but Elle seems used to them.

"Well no, we are children of whites and live here, inside the dome." She says to him sharply.