The Defectors

Chapter 37

"I understand you, Dylan. We all are," Barry said, and I think he's trying to ease the situation but my mind and what I feel wouldn't be satisfied just by saying that it is okay. "It also happens to our batch when it happens..." he said, "when the time of our process, most of us are experiencing glitches on their tracker that somehow after few months they ended up dead. It also comes to some speculations that their tracker is bearing some technical defects which attacks everyone's nervous system that causes at the end were their life... they are all dead. I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't have the defect tracker but also I'm one the few who didn't make it to Rebirth... I was almost there."

"We don't wanna hear your life story, Barry." I said, "we just want to know about the tracker."

"Sorry for that, I just think everyone should hear what I have experienced before. But now the tracker isn't good for everyone. A risk for every life."

"Wait, I just thought," Brighid raised her hand. "Barry, you just said that manipulations were one of the coping strategies uses by the High Council on the participants. Maybe that's what they're doing to Dylan's tracker."

"What do you mean?" I asked her, everyone listen to her words.

"Barry said the tracker has been transmitting messages through Dylan's tracker. And the message might have been delivering false messages which make our existence falls at risk. Don't you guys think about it? His tracker should also be pulled out."

"I agree on her," J said. "Who else, raise your hand?" he said as he convinces everyone in the small room. A followed him, Brighid as she stated isn't favor to it and raise her hand. Cha does too. I look at her but she just looks away, she must have been confused at the moment. "So, Barry, I think we all come into the decision."

"I think we don't," Barry firmly said. J gave him sharp looks, A couldn't believe how Barry stood up his decision at all the risk that has been serving to us. Brighid just lost her hope. Cha doesn't know what to do. She's just following what orders have been taken. "I build this group, I sustain the purpose of the movement and whatever risk comes to us, we don't run from it. We bound to fight to it. And in the end, the decision you have made couldn't define my decision. And I don't want Dylan's tracker to pull out. He's a great accessory to the movement and I'm not taking away the chances we hold right now."

"The movement has lost its way," J said.

"Good thing we still had a good plan." A uttered.

"I gotta go, I need to check the others." Brighid said, "are you coming with me, Cha?"

Cha simply nodded to her, "sure." When she looked back to me, "I'll be back Dylan later." She said and I nod to her.

J and A left the room, followed by Cha and Brighid. Barry remains in the room with me.

I placed my hand under my head and stare at the blank ceiling. "What are you still doing here?" I asked him.

"I just wanna have a talk with you, Dylan."

"I do think we're over with it," I said with finality but I don't think he would accept it. He pulled out a chair, sit on it directed on me. "If you're not gonna be anywhere, speak up now."

"You know what Dylan, I have been trying to reason out things to make this movement go. I don't want everyone to feel upset just because they just knew things now. I don't want them to turn their back on the movement. They are the future of the movement and you are too, Dylan."

"And does your story what you were talking earlier were all true?"

He nodded, "it is, Dylan. I wouldn't tell a lie to everyone who's been relying on my truths."

"How did you fail the rebirth, Barry? Gladly you survive but you didn't get the life you deserve... that's awful to think."

"I know," he said. "On the nine months, I have been on the field, trying to do my best and to survive. Even the friends I gain there I had to leave them. I need to sacrifice some things. I need to be on my own. And as to what my purpose upon entering the rebirth, I take it all in my head but in the end, I failed to do it. I fail everyone. Do you know how that feels when everyone is looking at you, hoping that you will step a foot on the Noble Land and make a greater movement in which there will be no more boundaries, process on further years."

"You failed... and maybe, you'll it again this time."

He smirked, "I don't think it will be, Dylan. I am so sure that this time is different. We'll win against the High Council."

"Don't you think that the High Council has more army than us? They all had the power to end us, how in the world did you come up fighting against them?"

"Freedom and justice, Dylan." He said, "it's all we longing after all."

"I just hope the movement was in good hands."

"I bet it is," he said. He stood up from the chair and patted my shoulder, "see you later Dylan, I'll give you some rest for now. And Brighid also tell me you would teach some young people with your knowledge, right?"

I nodded.

"Good to know that, see 'ya around."

When he left the room, the silence covers up the room. My mind has been going around for a few days. Since the day the process started, my goal to survive the nine months of rebirth has always been the path I choose but drifting away from it clearly makes my head in a blur and gone to the path I should take.

But I'm still trying to believe them, seeing my brother is real to me. I wanna believe it is just all my hallucinations and what makes them right are things that happen to us. I don't know whom should I believe in. Myself or them?

When I'm about to close my eyes, I felt a soft trigger on my neck which is transmitting a new message.

Be safe.

I took a deep breath to keep myself calm. I still have no idea what are all the messages for. I'm still blind into it. If the person behind it were trying to help us or remind us of what's coming, then we should better prepare for it but for now, there's a thin line between trusting it again. I don't wanna be deceived again. I couldn't just forget how Manny and Dilly did that to me.

Not that long when I felt a small vibration on the pocket of my jeans when I pick it up. It is coming from the earpiece Brighid gave to me. When I slowly put it on my ear, there's an inferring signal account to it. When I listen abruptly to it, the shallow noise coming from it were releasing some voices.

"Dylan! Dylan!" after that, the earpiece shut down. Out of battery.

I don't know where it is coming from, or whose voice it is. I don't think that it is from the movement cause how the earth would they use it to call me when they can see up anytime? But I remember one person who could manipulate technologies. My hopes lift up by believing he is alive. And where in the world he is now?

There are reasons why I keep moving forward,cause I know in the end, there is a family and friends whose waiting for me.