The Radix
Chapter Nine - Painful Confessions
Cipher found Lex sitting in one of the caged containment rooms in the basement of the compound building. A leftover remnant of the Techno occupation. He was on the floor, knees drawn up, black head against the wall. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the one who had betrayed him. Despite having been there for nearly two hours, Lex didn't seem to have cooled off much and Cipher wouldn't have been surprised if his friend charged at him.
"They told me you had an incident... with Taisan."
"What's it to you?" Lex spat out. "Last time I checked she was my wife."
"Is that how you treat your wife?" Cipher's voice was calm, almost friendly but it awakened fire in Lex's eyes.
"What do you know?!" He shouted and stood up quickly. "You who commit to no one! You've never stood and swore to the whole world that this girl, this woman was the one you would love forever. No not you Bray." He shook his head in disgust. "No you... you had to have them all. The ladies man. One baby wasn't enough for you huh? You could have anyone and you went after her!" He stood against the cage and glared hatefully at one he considered to be a brother. "You and me, we've had our differences but I would never go after your girl. Let alone take what should have been your child!" He finished in a dark whisper full of the deepest hurt.
Cipher looked at him with pain in his eyes. Lex's words struck him deeply and there was nothing worse than his friend, with whom he'd gone through so much, thinking he'd betrayed him on the lowest level. Despite Lex's anger, Cipher could see the heartbreak just beneath the surface and was saddened for his explanation would bring little comfort.
"Lex," He started slowly, clearing his throat. "it's not my baby." He didn't wait for reaction before continuing. "Taisan and I are not together. We're close, we take care of each other. But trust me when I say that the love between us is one of genuine friendship and respect. Neither she or I would betray you in such a fashion." His words hung in the air and sunk into Lex's mind slowly. He blinked as though coming out of a hateful trance and stared at his friend in amazement. "Unfortunately," Cipher went on. "the truth isn't much better and you wont like what I have to say. It would be best for the both of us if you didn't interrupt." Lex only nodded too shell shocked to even think of finding words to say.
"When the Technos brought us here they put us to work building this camp. For the most part we were treated well, aside from random V.R. experiments. They didn't bother us and we kept to ourselves. A comradere formed within the village and the one thing we all wanted was freedom. But we couldn't risk the Technos lashing out on the city because of our actions. We learned how they were communicating back and forth and thought if we could stop messages from being sent, we could take the camp. So we planned a revolution. But the Technos attacked first, so to speak.
“Several months ago their behavior started to change drastically. Instead of leaving us alone, they lashed out. Sometimes beating kids for sport. The experiments were crueler, more frequent. They withheld food and..." He paused and stopped his pacing as he stared at the floor. "they started going after the women." Lex and Cipher's eyes met in bitter understanding. "One of them, the leader, had taken a particular interest in Taisan. He decided he was going to have her and one night went after her. She... she tried her best..." Cipher stopped finding it difficult to go on, though it was unnecessary. Lex had fallen to his knees in distress at the thought of his lovely wife's cruel violation.
"Why didn't you stop them?" He spoke in a desperate whisper.
"I tried." Lex looked up as Cipher turned around and lifted his fitted shirt to reveal a litany of scars against what was once smooth skin. He winced at the imagined pain. "I fought my way inside but they beat me down. Jaffa didn't fair much better. They beat him within an inch of his life. He never woke up again."
"Jaffa?"
Cipher turned to face Lex. "The Guardian. He held Taisan in high esteem and gave his life to protect her. I guess there is such a thing as redemption. The revolution started that night and by morning we'd taken the camp. Unfortunately it was too late for Taisan." Silence filled the cell and Lex tried to regain his bearings with this harsh news. Taking a deep breath he managed to stand and looked at Cipher with painful eyes.
"What did you do to them?"
"I killed them." He said unflinchingly. "Shot them with their own lasers."
Cipher's words bit through Lex and he stared at his friend. There was no emotion emitting from his stony expression. Only a slight flickering in his brown eyes as the memory played before them. That was the day when Cipher ceased to be Bray. The day he turned his back on his past. By killing those young men, Cipher killed the last of what was left of his humanity from before the virus. He had officially become a casualty of Tribeworld.
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When Cipher and Lex rejoined their friends, the Mallrats were engaged in a loud and joyful brunch. Lex and Taisan made immediate eye contact and the expression in his frightened the Asian beauty as he strode toward her. But as he stood before his wife, Taisan could see that Lex was full of guilt ridden remorse and hurt. There was the deepest apology on his face as he shook his head searching for words. Taisan gently caressed his cheek and pressed her lips to his. Lex sighed, grateful for her silent forgiveness. They finally embraced leaving their friends to wonder at the wordless conversation. Few understood what had just happened but thought it best to leave it alone. All except Gel who stared at Taisan with irritated and jealous eyes.
"And who is she?" She cried incredulous and might have addressed the couple directly if Amber hadn't grabbed her arm and sat the girl down firmly.
"Leave it Gel." She spoke sternly to which the fashion diva replied with a withered frown.
Alice waited for the intimate moment between husband and wife to pass before approaching her old mate. "Hey there Lexy baby."
"Alice?" Lex was surprised as she gave him a big grin and hugged him tightly. "Good to see ya."
"You too babe." She slapped his back and winked at Taisan. "Told ya he'd make it alive. He's like a cockroach."
"Har har," Lex smirked at Alice's familiar sarcasm as the rest of their friends laughed.
More friendly conversation was exchanged while Alice showed off her adorable boys. She'd discovered her pregnancy only weeks after the Techno invasion. The thought of Ned's child inside of her was exactly what Alice needed to get over her depression. It gave her reason to live and hope. She was the main driving force behind her fellow captives, always reminding them not to give up and to keep fighting. As she had been in the Mall, Alice was one of those who carried the true spirit of the Radix. The reason they were able to exist in the first place.
Tally and Andy also wanted their side of the story to be heard and insisted they be called by their new names. Like Cipher, the twins had chosen new identities when the Radix was formed. Andy was now known as "Colt", which he proudly explained meant fast boy. Tally had gone for something far more feminine and her new title, "Bird" was an Indian name for beautiful girl. There was a lot of joking and some teasing and finally Jack cleared his throat and asked the most pertinent question.
"Okay, am I the only one here who is dying to know how this happened?" He looked around at the reunited table of friends. "How'd you guys get here and how did this whole... Radix thing form?"
All eyes turned to the five whom had been taken. Alice gave Cipher a look. "You wanna take this?"
Glancing around Cipher finally nodded reluctantly. "Alright, here goes..."
As he began the tale the table fell silent. When the Technos attacked they positioned themselves in a fifteen mile radius around the city and anyone within that vicinity fell victim to them. Those who fought, ran or posed a threat were shot down and made the trip in an unconscious stupor. Cipher and Alice were both among this group. Neither could remember anything of the day and a half drive but they'd been informed by Taisan and others that it was a cramped and very uncomfortable trip. They were placed in armored trucks and in the darkness it was impossible to tell if you were among friends or not. It wasn't until they arrived that they were able to find one another. There were people taken from nearly every tribe in the city and several from tribes in the country.
In the beginning the compound was empty and neglected from years of vacancy. The prisoners were kept in the lower rooms of the compound building while their Techno captors lived in the levels above. Once the generators were running and equipment set up, all the captives were scanned and their information put in the system. Cipher explained that they were never told what the Techno purpose was. Just that they were to obey or their remaining friends in the city would pay the price. The building of shacks began immediately, their purpose seemed more of an excuse to keep the prisoners busy rather than to be living quarters. There were at least fifty kids, the girls living in a cramped cell while the boys made due in another down the hall. Animals were gathered, wells dug, gardens planted and the compound developed it's own Eco system. It became clear to many of the captives that their prison was being prepared for something, only they didn't know what.
They were of course forced to participate in V.R. experiments, most mild and leaving no lasting effects. But sometimes after spending an hour or more in virtual reality, kids became delusional and lost the ability to decipher between the computer and real life. They made claims of seeing lost friends or enemies not at the compound. It became difficult to trust one's eyes or thoughts or memories. These statements had the Mallrats looking at one another in recognition. Other experiments caused bigger problems and once in awhile someone's memory would be affected. The "patient" would wander the compound sometimes having forgotten the last week, month, year or even worse remembering nothing at all. They were eventually taken care of, their memories miraculously restored behind closed doors. The threat of losing one's identity weighed heavily on the prisoners' minds.
At first those taken segregated themselves, forming smaller versions of their original tribes. Around this time the captives were moved into the shacks where there was endless fighting and quarrels. If it wasn't between rival city tribes it was between country tribes and city kids or the whole group against those who had once been Chosen. There were several ex Chosen among them. The most hated being the Guardian himself. For months they were at one another's throats while the Technos watched on amused. It was made even more complicated as new prisoners trickled in every few weeks. Still there were some who simply wanted to survive and managed to create small alliances with others they had once fought against. Friendships were made and bonds formed. It was agreed that the Technos were their main enemy now and unless they united as one they would never defeat them. One of the first to address the whole group with this thought was Brock. Having been a Demon Dog and patron of violence, it was a shock to seem him rallying for peace. But others like Jet, Cipher, Alice, Taisan and Dozer stood beside him.
Slowly a change spread over the compound as the prisoners chose to unite and embrace those they once hated. It no longer mattered if you had been a Chosen, a Loco, a Mallrat, a Countryman, a Stray... they were now one with a common goal. It was Taisan's influence and endless faith in Jaffa that helped him become one with the others. His gratitude toward her was boundless for she refused to give up on him. He was no longer seen only as the Guardian with more and more people daring to reach out to him. There were of course others who would never be able to forgive him for the awful crimes he committed and lives which were destroyed in his short reign. Cipher and Alice to name a couple but they and the others did manage to act civil for the sake of harmony.
But it wasn't until Brock himself lost his memory after a V.R. session that change truly came. The Technos allowed him to wander this way for a week before restoring his mind. Afterward Brock swore it would never happen again. Who was to stop the Technos from wiping the memories of everyone there? He refused to sit around and wait for his life to be stolen from him. It was time to fight back. A rebellion was planned and weapons were made on the sly. Because they had started to behave so well the Techno guards grew lax in their watches. It became quite easy to sneak away into the forest to gather wood and stone for arrows. In fact the guards believed their prisoners were beginning to see the light which was the Techno way and granted them special privileges. The prisoners ran the gardens and looked after the animals and were able to cook for themselves. In this way the Radix village formed under Techno supervision. There were even hunting trips where the capture of a wild boar was reason to feast and celebrate. The captives were allowed their joy while the Technos watched on believing they were in complete control.
Then something went wrong. The leniency and predictable pattern of their captors changed drastically. Within a month the prisoners found they were now unwilling participants in a cruel game of torture. As Cipher explained the awful crimes committed Lex felt Taisan tense beside him and pulled her into a close embrace for reassurance. The storyteller was careful to leave out painful specifics though some around the table still winced in remembrance. Colt especially hated hearing it having been one of the children ruthlessly beaten for no reason and his sister placed a comforting arm around his shoulders. Cipher, had his own hurtful memories of that time and quickly moved on to after they'd managed to take the camp. The liberated prisoners celebrated their victory with more pride than they'd ever experienced in their petty wars for territory and power. The realization of their accomplishment opened many eyes to a new future.
There was talk about returning to the city or staying and preparing for an impending Techno attack. It wouldn't be long before the messenger who connected the compound with the city would come and discover what had happened. When the messenger did arrive he was hauled in for questioning. He called himself Fish (Both Ram and Lex narrowed their eyes at the name) and had been sworn to secrecy but claimed his master was dead. Mega had betrayed him and since taken over and the young man had no qualms with telling his captors everything about "site B". His only job was to keep communication between the site and the city and if anything were to go wrong to deny any and all knowledge of it's existence. He had no intention of returning to the city and telling Mega of what he'd witnessed. Since his job was now done he planned on leaving the Technos for good and starting a new life. There was no lie in his eyes and he was finally allowed to go. But not before he informed them what he knew about Mega's maniacal reign.
After they let him go plans for rescuing the city from it's fate were discussed. In the end the idea was vetoed. Those at the compound felt as though what they had built was far too important to abandon. In a way they now had their own tribe to look after. There were children to protect and a new life to forge. It wasn't worth throwing away on a futile attempt to take the city back. Most of them had had enough fighting and looked forward to a new type of existence. So they decided to set it in stone and officially became a tribal village choosing the name "Radix" for it meant "new beginning". Four leaders were selected: Jet, Brock, Lyric and Cipher. Beliefs and lifestyles were adopted from all of the different tribes and laws put in place. There was a ceremony where each member was inducted, the symbol painted on their forehead and their old lives left behind. A great number of kids chose to change their names to further escape the past. It was a time of rebirth and celebration as well as sadness for some. It meant accepting the loss of loved ones and going onward with life.
It was now five months later and the Radix would be celebrating their fifth moon festival to mark the date of their liberation. About a week ago their scouts received info that the city had been abandoned with the release of a second deadly virus. All the village could do was mourn those they'd lost and pray that their friends had made a safe escape.
Cipher finally finished somewhat out of breath and was surprised to see the reaction before him. Most of the Mallrats looked disturbed at best while a few appeared downright angry. Ellie's face was so red it looked as though she might explode. Amber sat beside her shaking her head in disgust. It was taking all her willpower not to look at Ram and even more strength not to leap over the table and strangle him. What had he hidden from them? If Cipher and the others were brought here in the beginning it had to have been under Ram's command. So why did he pretend to have no knowledge of their whereabouts? Why hadn't he said anything when they arrived? Amber had always thought it impossible that the leader of the Technos could not know what was being done with his very own captives. This vague thought ran through nearly everyone's mind and Ram could feel the tension as he stared at the table.
Cipher looked around. "What's wrong?"
"You!" Ellie suddenly growled unable to control herself any longer. Cipher was startled until he realized that the blond was staring at "Gabe" with daggers in her eyes. "You lied to us!" She stood abruptly disturbing the contents on the table. "You told us you didn't know where they were. You knew we were looking for them. You knew I was looking for my sister!"
"Ellie," Jack calmly reached for his girlfriend's arm only to be shoved aside.
Slade then stood in attempt to stop the ugly confrontation about to happen. "Ellie calm down."
"No!" She screamed and even Ebony was stunned into silence. "We protected him and he knew where they were the whole time!"
"Ellie," Alice stood and placed a concerned hand on her sister's trembling shoulders. "What are you talking about?" For a moment Ellie was quiet as if remembering the vow of silence she'd agreed to and Alice looked to the others for an answer. "What is she talking about?"
A painfully tense silence reigned at the table and Ram felt the urge to make a run for it. In a dark corner of his mind he found the irony of the situation somewhat amusing. After going through so much trouble learning to walk again, he was about to become a cripple once more after being beaten by this angry mob. If they didn't kill him first. Cipher slowly stood and stared at his friends suspiciously before resting his eyes on "Gabe". He'd sensed from the moment of their arrival that they were keeping something from him.
"What's going on?" He demanded in a tone that commanded obedience.
"Well," Ebony cleared her throat as she stood up. "I guess we can't keep it a secret any longer." She glanced at the others before smirking dangerously at the man of the hour. "Time for your reckoning Ram."
In seconds a flood of thoughts and emotions were felt through the group like a shock wave. Some of the Mallrats were regretful it had come out this way. Others were just as angry as Ellie and wanted to see the Techno leader squirm. The five Radix members were in horrified shock to have the man responsible for their pain within their midst. Whatever their emotion, everyone wanted an answer. No one more than Cipher who crossed from his side of the table to Ram's and had his hands around the young man's neck faster than anyone else could react.
"You!" He spat in angry as he dragged Ram and slammed him against a tree.
The table erupted with noise and movement as everyone jumped up and had something to say. There was a verbal medley of shouting, some begging Cipher to stop, others encouraging him to break Ram's neck, and a few simply in a panic. The sudden commotion drew the attention of a few young men standing around and they ran over to see what was the problem.
"I should kill you right here!" Cipher shouted as Ram fought for air.
"Bray don't!" Amber pleaded. Not that she wanted Ram to live. She simply couldn't condemn him without hearing his side. As always justice was her greatest weakness.
"Cipher sir?" Two of the young men joined the crowd in surprise. "What's going on?"
"Get the other leaders." He ordered them. "Get my men!" Without nodding the boys ran off.
In minutes the picnic area filled up with several of the same young men who had assisted in the earlier hike, weapons poised and ready. With them were Jet and Lyric. The Mallrats, in their frenzied state were impressed with the efficiency of these people. The female leaders were astonished that the Mallrat reunion had gone awry and even more concerned that the fight involved a Techno.
"Cipher what's going on?" Jet came through the group with Lyric at her heels. "What's this about?"
"This man," Cipher growled through clenched teeth. "is the one responsible for everything that's happened. This is the all powerful and mighty Ram."
"What?!" Lyric snapped, pulling a small knife from her robes and held it toward Ram's neck. "What is he doing here?! He's supposed to be dead!"
Slade realized that now there were two people who at any moment just might end Ram's life and found himself stepping in the path of Lyric's blade.
"Hold it. I can't let you do this." He met Cipher's steely expression with determined sincerity. "I'm not going to let you kill him."
"You stand with him, you die with him."
The tone of Cipher's voice caused ice to flow through the veins of all who heard him and before Slade could make a move he was grabbed by Rider and Zeal. Suddenly Ebony was no longer enjoying Ram's torment now that it involved her lover. Even her amusement with this new and much more interesting side of Bray had faded. She took a protective step toward Slade.
"Wait a minute Bray..."
"Do you defend him?" Cipher glared at his circle of friends in resentment. He still couldn't believe they had brought Ram to his home, not to mention kept his identity a secret. No one answered as Ram's coloring took on a sickly shade of blue and he pulled at the hands clamped to his neck. "If so you're free to be executed along side of him."
"Bray!" Amber could hold back no longer as she ran to the tree. She had never seen this side of him and it frightened her to think the Technos had truly killed the man she once loved. "Stop this please! I know you're angry. We're all angry. He betrayed us all and you're not the only one who wants vengeance." Amber's eyes began to blur with tears of fury as she touched his tense arm. "But we deserve to know why. I want to know why." She finished in a fierce whisper.
Something in her voice caused Cipher to finally meet her eyes. For the first time since her arrival he could see what she was really feeling. Despite being with Jay she did care. He now knew Amber was full of the same pain, anger and loss he kept buried deep within himself. Just like him, she was still hurting over their separation and was begging for an explanation from the only one who could give it to her. To the surprise of those around him, most of all Ram, Cipher's grip loosened and the ex Techno leader choked for air as he collapsed.
Seeing that Cipher was more calm Jet took a step forward and narrowed her eyes at the man on the ground. "Take him to the meeting house. We'll deal with him there." Her order was immediately carried out and she nodded at Rider and Zeal who in turn released Slade. "As for the rest of you," She eyed the Mallrats. "why did you lie to us?"
"I asked them to." Slade quickly took the blame. "Ram helped us in the end and I believed he should be given the benefit of the doubt."
Jet sighed and exchanged looks with both Cipher and Lyric who was clearly livid. If she didn't already know the Mallrats and their annoying pension for justice, she might have been furious herself. But after learning that they'd even fought for the life of the Guardian, nothing they did surprised her anymore. While she didn't like being deceived by those she was helping, their reasons were valid.
"Cipher, Lyric..." She said their names simply, a silent question lingering in the air.
Looking around as he attempted to reign in his emotions Cipher swallowed bitterly. "We'll hear his story."
"And it better be good." Lyric finished before turning with a flourish of her robe and stomping off toward the meeting house.
chap eight <------> chap ten