New Elysium: Breakout

"Terms" Part 18

*Sorry about the long wait guys! Thanks to those who are sticking it out! I had a hard time figuring how who the *bad* guys were going to be in this chapter! Or they aren't necessarily bad, just desperate. The chapter may move a little slower, but I promise to let Red open up his abilities at some point. I want to see him kick ass again! And maybe not land on his face next time! Let me know what you think?* ~Red_Leasia

Tidy.

That's all Red could think when he saw the camp. The settlement had been reduced to almost the stone age place. There were tents everywhere, hidden up vast trees brought in originally to terraform the surface. The inhabitants down to the children had weathered faces. The place was clean despite the rags the settlers wore.

Everyone stopped to look at them. It was a bitter sense of irony that even in the prison uniform, Red found himself so desperate to get rid of, they were still better clothed than these people.

Eoghan led them to the biggest tent and motioned the rest of their *guard* to remain outside. 

Upon entering they found themselves in the presence of a single woman.  She gazed at them thoughtfully from crystal clear blue eyes, graying hair pinched into a tight bun behind her head. she sat ramrod straight as she regarded them.  Authority leaked from her. There was no question here as to who was in charge. 

Eoghan made a respectful salute. "Investigated and found these people, madam."

She raised a hand indicating they should sit in front of her. Even as they placed themselves on the floor on comfortable cushions she was still slightly elevated above the rest. "Who are you?" Her voice had a rich timbre, she didn't have to raise it for people to listen. While Eoghan made him nervous with his talk of terms, this woman had a calm manner that did much to settle Red. He suspected that's why she was the leader and probably a good one at that. 

Red glanced between Dag and Ember who sat on either side of him. Both of them had turned to him. What am I supposed to say here? "This is Dag, I'm Red, She's Ember."

She waited but when Red said nothing else, she exchanged a glance with Eoghan.

"Have you no rank among you, or last names?" The woman stared at him, her tone challenging even as she tried to read him. 

Red caught the briefest fleck of nervousness. A small twitch of her pointer finger, her eyes narrowing slightly, barely noticeable, a slight flare of the nostril... His augments registered all of this, marked it as non-threatening. But he couldn't relax, distrust was second nature to him now. 

"None," Red answered. "We're all..." He paused wondering how much to tell. His eyes flickered to Dag this time, Dag nodded at him. The truth would be easiest. "We're all escapees from Helion 7."

"Augs then. Purge survivors?" The woman raised her hand and Eoghan stepped forward. "Bring us whatever beverage Vi has cooked up this week." She looked at each of them. "My name is Andrea Bustamonte. I was Governor of our little settlement until it was... Destroyed."

"How do you know about the purge if you've been here all this time? Like this?" Ember spoke up for the first time. Andrea's eyes flickered over her a moment, frowning, considering.

Red wished she hadn't spoken. Her lilted accent was unmistakable. 

"We had a radio until last year. You can always receive signals, and believe me, Neo-Tokyo still bombards its domain with its messages of power, purity, and perfection. It's when you send them back that they realize you are still out there. We've sent nothing, they've not bothered to come out to this little rock."