Apex

Chapter 9

•Zoryne•

I swatted flies that buzzed around as I followed Rem through the forest. We'd been traveling for half the day, only exchanging words when necessary. Our surroundings grew darker the further we went. The flying bugs were more present in this moist part of the forest. The leaves turned from a happy yellow to dark red, mimicking the color of Rem's uniform. I shifted uncomfortably in my stiff clothes.

Rem had insisted that I change into something more appropriate for the journey and I couldn't disagree with him. A bug buzzed near my neck. I slapped at it. My new boots sunk into the moist dirt as I powered through it.

"Why is the forest like this?" I called up to Rem who was a few paces in front if me. "What happened?" He scoffed.

"Haven't been this far from your air-conditioned lab before, brainiac?"

I was beginning to understand why Kriss insisted I used her name.

"I didn't have any need to leave. All of my needs were met there," I slipped on a particularly loose section of ground, barely catching myself from falling. Rem hadn't even broken a sweat yet. My cheeks burned at my incompetence.

"Didn't have to leave, huh? You were okay with eating and sleeping and working in the same building every day?"

"We weren't prisoners," I defended. "I was free to leave the building as I pleased and scout some of the nearby wilderness for testing samples -"

"Yeah, what an exciting life you live." He paused up ahead and leaned against a tree. "You've got it better than some of us though. Lush wilderness, fresh food and water, plants that actually provide some shade, and a bed to sleep on every night." I raised an eyebrow.

"You don't get those things? It's not like we're actually at war with the R3s."

"Sure, but the ones who do fight are a pain and we're stuck out there," he pointed to the general direction we were traveling. "Where the plants reach your thighs and the buildings are as tall as you and the R3s fight until their last breath with their primitive weaponry. It's hard for them to kill us but it sucks to have your knees blown out."

My eyes widened. When I had to join the clean-up unit when we'd first started, the R3s used nothing like that. Granted, we were clearing suburban areas where the population was relatively small. I wonder if Kriss came from one of these cities. Had she fought back like these other R3s?

Rem pulled water out of his pack and guzzled it before tossing one to me. I grimaced down at it. Maybe Kriss was right and she would die of heat stroke. There was no way I could let her out with Rem here.

He dug through his pouch before pausing and frowning. He pulled out a bag was looked like dried meat. He passed it to me as well.

"You can have that if you want it. You could use the protein, but I don't care for the flavor."

I pulled a strip of meat out of the bag. It smelled okay. Did he not like meat? Getting an idea, I put piece in my mouth and hid another piece in my fist which I lowered into my pocket. I loosened my hand and felt Kriss grab the morsel.

"What is it?" I asked as the savory flavor filled my mouth.

"R3."

I jolted and spit immediately. I pinched the piece in Kriss's hands yanked it out of my pocket, dropping it in the dirt.

I chugged my water, rinsing the last of the taste out of my mouth and urging myself not to vomit. Then I threw the bag into the dirt and glared at Rem.

"Why didn't you tell me first?" I yelled at him. I expected him to laugh, to make fun of my squeamishness. Instead, he looked at me blandly.