Of Gears and Humanity

| 07.2

His answer wasn't one I'd expected to hear. Narrowing my eyes, I shook my head. "Ill qualities?" My tongue pressed into the side of my cheek. "Do you mean human qualities?"

Eon traced the other side of her face, nudging at the plastic frame of her hair before he looked at me. His smile still remained, even if it was a little weaker. As his gaze dropped to the floor, he placed both of his hands behind his back. After, he straightened, then held a strong gaze while looking at me. "What I mean to say, Arvon has deleted the characteristics that destroy civilizations. Attributions have sustained long lives, solidifying our time on Earth without the fear of extinction. By doing so, we have outshined the lives of humans—"

Outshined the lives of humans. The lives Attributions failed to acknowledge. I saw a human the other night. They exist. We exist.

Holding my breath, I took a small step towards him, closing the space. He had to look up to keep his gaze held on my eyes. "Outshined? Don't you mean out-lived? Considering, you know, there aren't any humans left?"

Eon blinked, smile fading completely. He stepped back to place the space between us once again. He even cleared his throat as he looked at me. "You're here, aren't you?" he asked.

My eyes widened. I wasn't sure how to take that answer. Was it meant to be some underhanded compliment? I was the last human alive, I preserved the existence of a disastrous species. And because I was alive, no Attribution can outlive a human. Or was it, truly, because Attributions were fully aware of the existence of humans and the lives they have opposite of the Gate?

He insulted my intelligence. I wasn't a naive child. I wasn't blind.

"Damien, I understand you're upset." Eon looked down at his shoes as he traced them over the smooth lines of the tiled floor. "I simply arrived to check on Unique's status. Arvon's request."

Arvon requested him to check on Unique. Not me. I had always been the one to check on the status and updates of repaired Attributions; I had been the care and compassion needed for them to heal.

But no. Not for Unique. Blood boiled in the pit of my stomach.

"And where's Arvon anyway?" I asked, scanning both ends of the hall. "I haven't seen him all morning."

Eon turned to look back at the entrance. "He arrived at the garage when the sun started to rise. He has been there since I left my quarters." He turned, looked at me, his smile returning. "The vehicle you both will need for today's deliveries is a little wounded. Repairs are needed."

"Repairs," I brushed past Eon as I stepped out into the hall, "it seems everything is in need of repairs these days."

I had intended on leaving without another word; how I felt, the anger, the betrayal, told me Eon didn't need anything else from me. But the thought of Unique made me look back towards the blond Attribution. He smiled at me as I did.

I clenched my jaw before I nodded and said, "Please watch after my mother. I won't be long."

Eon gave me a small respectable nod. "Of course, Damien. You know she is well in my care."

Chewing on the insides of my lip, I quickly turned back towards the building's entrance, hurrying past the Attributions who nearly blocked my way. What Eon said should have given me peace of mind. Instead, I couldn't trust his words. Just like I knew I couldn't trust Arvon's.

*

The main garage was the second largest building in our Sector. Placed not too far from the Sector's metal entrance, the wide structure had room for over a hundred scavenger vehicles. When I walked through the already opened double doors, I found Arvon had placed our vehicle in the garage's center.