BREATH . OF . LIFE . ~ { ReGenisis Chronicles Book I }

Chapter Ten [Part 3/3]: Fog Of It

                      -Jake Aylesbury-

I felt heavy, guilt had come down on me like a sledgehammer. Swan, even when clawing for power, was loyal to the last, but had been betrayed many times. Perhaps she knew what was happening around her, or perhaps she was a blind puppet. It was a burning in the pit of my stomach, that I too was going to have to make an enemy of her at some point.

She was this companies perfect little soldier. Everything that they wanted. Did as she was told, loyal to the last, willing to give every piece of herself over to the service of this place. Built out of its betrayals,  willing to turn a blind eye and cut any doubt out of herself like it was a tumour. Trinity Sciences greatest soldier, and it's greatest victim.

          *

"I looked into some things whilst you trained," I muttered as Kate prodded me for information. Mostly about my melancholy as we walked through the halls. She seemed stronger, despite the beating she'd just received. The reasons for taking a bruise making it more bearable, as her skin turned yellow in patches and then peaches and cream as it should be. She was walking differently, confidence that came from facing a fire by choice and not because you were put into a compressed tube and forced to endure it.

"Define things, Mister Aylesbury?" She said lightly, feigning a playful salute with a giggle.

"The strings that link missing serums, someone wanting a mission to fail, simply to make it seem like a onetime thing and close the case before it could be opened and...just..." I was rubbing my temple, as if I had a headache. I did, too much light, not enough sleep and way too many things on my mind. I'd referred to us as monsters before, those made into Nocturnals. We had stretched consciences and blood on our hands and abilities that came out of some mad mans creation. But it was what we were going to be used for one day that made my mind twist on itself. The slow warp towards that purpose had already begun.

"And a missing body?" Kate had overheard Swan and I talking. I tried on a smile, but I probably looked like a dog when it pulls its lips back. Mimicking a smile, but teeth too sharp to be anything other than threatening.

"It all connects, the thing is lack of proof and also lack of a perp." I admitted as we went into the old lab. "Just checking on Tryst," I mumbled.

Skinner and Hudson were both on duty with Martello still in Lab Two working out the results of Kate's testing. Rodriguez was present too, just monitoring things from his seat, safely this side of the glass. I waved in at my team members and they both repeated the motion with little enthusiasm. "How is she?" I asked.

"She seems a bit hung over." Hudson grinned from ear to ear, arms crossed making him look like a large night club bouncer where he leant against the counter near the door.

"How's Miss Andersen?" Skinner peered up from the bench across the room where he was once again reading a report of some kind. It was recreational for him now, I suppose.

Kate stepped out from behind my shoulder timidly, waving like a child. "Hey," She gave them a toothy smile, nervously looking them over. "You carried me out of Ides," She'd pointed at Hudson, "and you carried... um," She looked towards the glass screen, on the other side of which in the dimmed observation room, Tryst groaned.

"Tryst," I filled in for her softly.

"Yes, Tryst, out." She had pointed at Skinner. "I owe all of you my thanks for getting me out of there at such risk to yourselves."

"No problem," Hudson had bellowed at the same time Skinner chimed, "It was our pleasure."

I went over to the observation room, opening the door quietly and slipping in. Tryst was curled in a ball on the tabletop, her hands clung round her skull. Her moans timed to each step I took. "It gets better,"