Twell and the Rebellion (16 page)

“
And there’s nothing wrong
with that!” the girl snarled. “It’s called smart genetics and we
need it to ensure our survival. Wisen up!”

“
Survival is important,
but is it really living?” Talon jumped in, his amber eyes suddenly
fierce. “I have nothing against the partner chosen for me, but we
don’t connect and we’re not attracted to each other. How can you
force a union?” Talon met Surina’s eyes, his face regretful but
unwavering. She blushed deep red but nodded in support. I realized
with a jolt that Talon and Surina had been partnered. I hadn’t even
picked up on it because they showed no sign of intimacy or
connection.

“
Some things in life are
necessary and it’s our duty to ensure we keep thriving,” the girl
retorted mechanically, as if she had memorized the phrase. She had
of course; we’d all heard it, at school, in the media controlled by
the G.B. We’d grown up with the mantra and for some it seemed to
have sunk so deeply into their minds, it had effectively repressed
our own thoughts on the matter from a very early age.

“
We haven’t been given a
chance to see how we can survive any other way.” I stared evenly at
the girl who glared menacingly back. “How do you know we won’t
thrive with free will?”

“
I don’t, but I trust the
G.B. wouldn’t have made it law unless it was totally necessary,”
she snapped back. “You’re rebellion is traitorous to our
people.”

“
Your oppressed mentality
is exasperating.” I threw my hands up in frustration.

“
Don’t you dare call me
oppressed, you moga!” The girl’s face scrunched up in fury and
everyone scattered out of the way, as my body awakened in defence.
I felt her telekinetic push connect with mine, slamming somewhere
in between us with a force that made me stagger. Then we were both
circling, the girl shaking with self-righteous rage as I blocked
her. More cadets came running to see what was happening as we held
each other back. An excited circle formed around us as our powers
crackled against each other.

“
I don’t want to fight
you!” I warned. “But I have a right to my opinion.”

“
No you don’t, you’re
breaking the law! You should learn to keep them to yourself before
you poison the whole camp you dirty tra—”

I didn’t give her a chance to
finish as I swiped her feet out from under her. She hit the sand
with a heavy thud, and I immediately pushed my power against her,
my mind buzzing so hard with energy a dull roar filled my ears. My
body shook with the effort of pinning her to the ground while she
flailed.

“I said I don’t want to
fight!” I roared. But it was clear that she did. Her features
twisted, ugly with rage as she struggled to her knees and I knew if
she got near me I’d be in trouble because she was twice my size.
Redoubling my efforts I pushed her back down, forcing her deeper
into the sand as my head thrummed in retaliation. Sand sprayed up
like a wall on either side of us as she screamed in fury, her voice
blending with the mixed cheers of the crowd around us.

“
Go Twell, squish
her!”

“
Get her, Braveen, shut
her up good!”

“
I’ll back off if you
will,” I tried to bargain as the sand whipped around us in a vortex
of wind. The girl struggled and bucked; glaring at me with hatred
so blatant it was frightening.

“
You need to be locked up!
You’re a threat to all of us.” She spat in my face. A moment later,
a super-sized hand grabbed the back of my shirt and yanked me right
off my feet, high into the air.

“
TWELL ANAR!” The boom of
his voice nearly popped my eardrum as I dangled helplessly in his
clutches. Brazin shook me until my teeth rattled in my head and the
girl scrambled to her feet, her chest heaving, as she gasped for
air.

“
She’s trying to start a
rebellion! She attacked me!” she screeched before I could defend
myself. More officers appeared, quietly but effectively surrounding
us as Brazin dropped me so unexpectedly I fell onto my
knees.

“
That’s not true officer.
She attacked Twell.” Shanna’s careful expression of horror barely
concealing her glee.

“
And why would that be,
Twell?” demanded a voice brittle with displeasure. With a groan, I
turned to the unwelcome sound of her voice. Brazin we may have been
able to convince, but not Maza.

“
Get up.”

She seemed to despise me just
about as much as the hater blonde who was still panting and glaring
in front of me like a ticked off wildebeest. I rose to my feet,
looking from her disapproving eyes to the disappointed gaze of
Brazin and then at the ground. There was nothing I could say that
was going to dig me out of the moga poo this time.

“
Nothing to say now?” Maza
sneered. “Perhaps a few days in solitary confinement will give you
time to work out your excuse.”

“
No!” Shanna stepped
forward, the grin sliding off her face as she realized the
situation was fast becoming out of her control. “It was my fault. I
was just talking it up and started the argument… but it was just
that, talk.”

“
Talk? What about?” Maza
demanded. She turned and her beady eyes roved the crowd, her eyes
landing on a small timid looking girl. “You girl, tell me what
happened right now.”

“
I…I’m not sure…” the girl
stammered. “I just heard yelling and came to see what was
happening…”

“
She’s defying you!” the
blonde girl persisted. “She’s resisting the partnering and trying
to influence us!”

Thick silence filled the arena
as Maza stared at Braveen thoughtfully. A deadly smile grew on her
thin lips and when her gaze returned to me, my chest squeezed tight
with dread.

“
Is this true, Twell?”
Brazin asked in a voice full of warning. I looked at him
helplessly, not wanting to lie to him. “ANSWER ME!” Every cadet
flinched as his powerful roar filled the arena.

“
I…I can’t,” I whispered
hanging my head. I couldn’t even look him in the eye. Brazin stared
at me for a long moment before he sighed in resignation. “If you
won’t answer me, I have no choice but to put you in confinement.”
He looked so disappointed, tears stung my eyes. “Attacking another
student, no matter the reason, is a punishable offence.”

“
But!” Shanna
whined.

“
Enough! Or do you want to
go to confinement as well?” Maza turned on Shanna, her beady eyes
daring her to utter another word. Shanna fumed silently, her face
such a picture of outrage I would have laughed if the situation
hadn’t been so serious.

“If you are deliberately
disobeying Comian laws and resisting your partnering then we will
seriously have to consider if there’s still a place for you in the
Army of Powers,” Maza continued as she spun back to glare at me.
“We don’t need disloyal cadets representing our people.” Her words
were directed at me with such force it felt like she’d punched me
in the stomach. Speechless, I watched as two officers who’d been
standing with Maza came towards me. I knew there was no point
fighting. It would only make it worse for me and then things really
would be over before they began. I felt my legs start to shake, but
I refused to crumple, holding my head high as they took my arms and
escorted me out of the hall. I looked back over my shoulder
once,
catching Shanna’s gaze. Her face
told me without a doubt she was sorry for the trouble I was in, yet
it was little comfort as the officers led me away from the arena
and out towards the edge of camp.

My heart lurched with fear at
what was coming. I’d been in solitary confinement when I’d been
naughty as a child and a few hours in a plain room with no
stimulation was all it took for me to see the error of my ways. But
it was not the same as adult punishment in the real world. I could
be locked away for days. Worse still, I wasn’t sorry for what I’d
done and knew I would never be.

My stomach tightened with
trepidation as they marched me towards the vast desert stretching
around the camp. Would they dump me out there with no food or water
and make me walk back? Would they even let me come back? I
swallowed, my throat dry at the thought, but they suddenly swung
around the back of the officers’ quarters and walked me towards a
very small building separated from the rest. It was barely the size
of a walk in closet, with no windows, or light. It didn’t look
ominous and I knew I wouldn’t come to any physical harm in that
room. But I would have preferred to be left in the desert, because
it was the perfect place to punish someone who did not like to feel
trapped or closed in. Someone like me.

One of the officers pushed me
firmly into the small narrow room, and before I had time to turn
around the heavy door swung shut behind me. I couldn’t even hear
their footsteps retreating as the sand took the sound from their
feet. Surveying my prison, my heart sank in dismay. There was
nothing in the room at all, not a bench to sit on, nor a clear roof
to gaze out of. There was also no food or water, and I fervently
hoped this meant I wasn’t in for a long stay.

I paced the tiny cell back and
forth in a few steps, so angry I was shaking as I ran the events of
the last few days and my actions over and over in my head. I tried
to imagine doing things differently and avoiding all the trouble if
I could go back and do it again. I found I couldn’t bring myself to
think that way. I understood why I was being punished. It was
un-Comian to go against the Governing Body and disloyal to oppose
the good they were trying to do for us. But their best intentions
were affecting people’s lives in devastating ways. I couldn’t
pretend I hadn’t seen the suffering and heartbreak it caused.

I recalled the way my old
head mistress, Ms. Zarian, had appealed to each student from my
school when we’d joined the training program. She’d presented it
cleverly, in a way that made us all feel we were ungrateful
traitors to Como if we resisted. I’d been bothered by it at the
time, but because I didn’t want to be judged, I’d reluctantly
agreed to the training. Even though I was now convinced I wanted to
fight, I resented that she’d made it seem like a choice, when
really what she had meant was we had no choice. I was supposed to
be in here reflecting on the error of my ways, but instead I found
their punishment further fuelling my desire to oppose them. What
had lingered uncomfortably at the back of my mind previously was
now fully awakened. I was so aware now of their restrictions and
level of control over us, I couldn’t go back to willingly obeying
their every order.

Time stretched on in silence
inside my cell and I grew tired. Sinking into a corner, I leaned
against the wall and tried to ignore my growing thirst and the way
my stomach growled. Instead, I attempted to change my thoughts to
things that made me happy. I wondered how my best friend Meela was
doing with her chosen career as a water protector. She had such a
short attention span. I smiled as I recalled a memory of her
fiddling and sighing through lectures on Comian environment. I
pondered which training camp Dash might be at and if he found the
training, the reality, all he had hoped.

The day wore away and the light
in the room became dimmer as the temperature dropped. Shivering, I
lay on the floor and curled into a ball to keep warm. When it fell
dark, I fought to stifle the panic beginning to mount inside me,
the irrational fear that I would be forgotten and no one would let
me out. Because I had no control over my situation, I closed my
eyes, exhausted even though I’d done nothing but sit in this tiny
room and stew. I felt my mind begin to drift and despite my anxiety
and discomfort, I must have finally drifted off to sleep.

The next thing I was aware of
was muffled tones of anger and then the door creaking open.
Blinking points of light appeared above me before I felt strong,
warm hands reach down and hook deftly under my arms. Then I was
being lifted as though weightless and carried from the cell. The
world tipped and spun momentarily before it stopped and I found
myself cradled firmly against a broad hard chest that was heaving
with anger.

I recognized him. Already. I
could recognize his earthy scent before he even spoke. “Twell,”
Avin whispered as I met his eyes. I was too tired to understand why
my body went limp with relief. I was too overwhelmed to speak, my
head spinning with fatigue. Instead, I grinned wearily while he
gazed back, his eyes blazing with too many emotions for me to
unravel at that moment. Vaguely, I became aware of two other
presences, standing a little way back from us. Lifting my head to
peek over Avin’s shoulder I saw it was the same two officers who
put me in confinement. One officer starting forward, reaching out
to offer me a vial of water.

But Avin whirled around to face
him and snatched the vial from his hand. “Don’t touch her,” he
snarled. The officer blanched and took a wary step back, but the
other officer stepped forward. His expression was anything but
sympathetic and his tone was unarguable.

“Maza has allowed you to
see your match, due to witnesses vouching it was the other girl who
actually started the fight. But I suggest you adjust your attitude,
in light of your partner’s disloyal behaviour.”

Avin didn’t answer; instead
turning his back and lowering me to my feet. I breathed in the
fresh air, Avin keeping a tight hold of me while I took a moment to
collect my bearings. Then, with his arm wrapped firmly around my
waist, he began to walk me towards my quarters. The night was still
and silent and the officers followed behind at a respectful
distance yet close enough to hear anything we might say. I was
puzzled. It seemed so humane to let Avin see me now, but what if it
wasn’t so much a kindness, but a deliberate attempt to reinforce to
me that I was partnered to Avin? It saddened me that I doubted the
former thought, but I was too upset and exhausted to try to make
any sense of it.