The Citadel (Master_Germish X PressHeartToStart)

[Master_Germish]

"Good Morning Mr. Rosenthall. It is six thirty am, July 17th, Year 3124 A.D." The smooth electronic voice rang out over the apartment as the shades on the high rise window began to rise automatically. Revealing the sprawling city scape below the building. Kale groaned and rolled over to avoid the bright red light of the dying sun from piercing into his eye lids and disturbing his restful slumber. "Good Morning Mr. Rosenthall. It is six thirty am, July 17th, year 3124 A.D." The voice rang out once more. Reminding Kale that he had set an alarm the night before. While he did not want to start his day, he knew he had to. Perhaps just another hour of sleep before he began his trek to the outside. "MAIA, snooze." He called out from his bed with his back to the windows and his eyes still sealed shut. "Good Morning Mr. Rosenthall. It is six thiry am, July 17th, Year 3124 A.D." MAIA (Multi-com Artificial Intelligence Assistant) repeated despite the snooze command. Kale sighed as he realized that he had specifically disabled snooze for this alarm. Today was quite important to him. He was going to The Outside and could not be spotted. With a deep breath he flipped back over to face the bright red light beaming in from his window before throwing the covers off the bed and setting foot onto the cool metallic floor. Once both feet were on the ground a soft chime was played throughout the apartment. "Glad to see you awake Mr. Rosenthall, shall I get the coffee started?" MAIA asked as Kale stood up from the bed and moved to his wardrobe. He stood in front of the opaque white doors before calling out. "No thank you MAIA, just get the suit ready please." With that a mechanical hum could be heard behind the closet door for a few moments before the door silently slid open revealing a sharp black and white suit with a bright red tie being displayed for Kale to grab. He quickly pulled the suit from the closet and the door slid shut before he dressed himself. Sliding into the suit with ease, he moved through the apartment and went to the door. "MAIA, full security today, only my biometrics are allowed in." He called out before slipping into his jet black loafers and approaching the door. A small metallic arm appeared from the ceiling and slid down before sweeping around kale. "Biometrics confirmed Mr. Rosenthall, security is enabled. When do you expect to return?" MAIA's cold voice echoed throughout the large empty apartment. "Late." The only word that left Kale's lips before the entry door slid open silently and kale stepped out into the city known as the Citadel.

The Citadel was a technical masterpiece of mankind. Surrounded by its own atmospheric shield the climate inside the walls was perfectly regulated and therefore there was no bad weather despite humanities destruction of the planet. It had occurred five hundred years ago when humanity learned how to harvest energy from the entirety of the planet. What mankind did not realize at that time was that it rapidly accelerated the lifespan of the planet and now most scientists forecasted that earth would be uninhabitable in the next 100 years. Of course, the rapid onset of the great desert was entirely unforeseen up until the last thirty years. The rapid acceleration of the planets aging went almost entirely unnoticed until the climate changed drastically in a short period of time. Covering the earth in a huge desert with unbearable heat due to the collapse of most of the ozone layer. Humanities response was The Citadel. However, maintaining a perfect city on a dying planet was not cheap. As a result the average worth of a Citadel Citizen was around five hundred billion. Money did not matter once a person was declared a citizen of the Citadel. The economy ran on merit and the fact that all citizens of the citadel paid an exorbitant tax to live there. Any job that was unsightly or deemed inappropriate for the citizens was completely automated and as a result life in the citadel was all about luxury. There were no jobs, only hobbies and interests.

Kale walked out of his Apartment, known as Apt 54, one of the newer buildings in the citadel with state of the art security and technology throughout and began his journey to what he liked to call the gate. As kale walked he was careful to avoid the paths of the patrols of the Citadel's guard. That was one thing that The Citadel could not fix, humanities desire for corruption. While The Citadel was a utopian society to all its citizens it was often the target of outsiders. They despised the luxurious life of the citizens and often sought to bring it down. This was a common theme since The Citadel's inception. The Council had gotten the issue under control by using extreme surveillance technology and superior weaponry and infantry to keep the citadel extremely well guarded. It was unheard of to leave this perfect place. Due to this Kale was discreet and made sure to double back at least twice on his path before reaching the gate. A small air vent that was responsible for the climate control system of the city. Kale quietly slipped between the large metal grates, being careful to avoid the large metallic blades of the ventilation fan before reaching a quiet little shaft where a bundle of rags lay. Kale slowly and meticulously undressed before putting the rags on, being sure to put the gas mask on last to ensure his identity was hidden and that the dangerous air of the outside did not interfere with his sensitive biology of being a born citadel citizen. Once he was dressed in the outsiders rags he began his trek through the air vents before finally coming to a small crack in the shaft and squeezing through it. Kale was quickly submerged in complete darkness for what seemed like a good ten minutes before he emerged on the other side of the wall. A huge megalithic structure that stood thousands of feet tall and was virtually impenetrable save for the large gates that the guards used for their attacks and patrol of the surrounding area. Kale took a deep breath and began his trek to what looked like a rock formation, but as he got closer he smirked, seeing that his grav-bike was still parked there and camouflaged well. He jumped on, kick started the bike and took off towards the nearest outsider city, a mere hundred miles west of the citadel.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

RE: The Citadel

“You said three caps yesterday, and now it’s eight?!” The voice rang out over the small marketplace, the woman speaking pulling the scarf that had been covering her mouth as she spoke. Addison did not resemble the average citizen of New Haven. Fair skin and bright green eyes were both uncommon features, along with her auburn hair. Even through her layers of clothing, most of which was ragged and well worn, the curve of her body was evident. It was as though she weren’t built for her station, yet here she was in the morning sun...arguing with a shopkeep. “This is fucking bullshit, Moris! And you know it!”

“Supply and demand, sweetheart.” The elderly man, who was missing more teeth than he had left smiled at her. It was enough to make her skin crawl, and it was taking everything she had to not leap over the makeshift counter than had been thrown together.

“What demand?” Addison pulled her arm out, motioning to lack of line behind her. Nobody was waiting to buy anything from the man, although a crowd was starting to gather due to the commotion. “Give me the damn bobby pins, or I swear I will-”

“What? What are you going to do? Look, I offer you fair price. You don’t like it, you go somewhere else.” It was obvious he wasn’t scared of her, and maybe it was because even though he was old...he was still a rather sizable man. Had probably also been in a few scuffled throughout his lifetime. “You want to make a deal, maybe we can discuss some...other form of payment?”

“Pfft. Get bent.” The last thing she wanted to do was walk away, but this conversation was obviously pointless. There was no way he was going to bend on the price, and there was no way she was going to bend over for him. A hand moved up to run through her long auburn locks as she turned to walk away. People were staring, a few whispering, but she did her best to ignore it. Seeing as how her temper was already flared and the last thing she needed was to get herself into more trouble.

As soon as she had made it a good distance away from the stand, the crowd started to disperse, a little disappointed that nothing eventful had really happened. Addison simply tried to forget about it, as she knew that if she didn’t...she would be irked by it all day. The market stretched out a ways, before opening up to a large campsite. There were tents and small shacks littered about. The fires from the previous night had already been put out, but the smell of campfire still hung heavily in the air. This was where ‘the squatters’ stayed. Travelling merchants or nomads. People who didn’t stay in one place too long, but stayed long enough to need a shelter.

Further down was the actual settlement. Old houses that had been pieced back together lined the street. They weren’t pretty, and 90% of them looked like they might collapse at any moment, but they were certainly better than a tent. Especially when night came. Addison lived in one of the homes with her mother and older brother. A few years ago they had lost her father, some kind of infection. It wasn’t uncommon out here, as they weren’t well equipped with doctors or medicine. Still, they made due with what they had. It didn’t mean everyone was cured though.

The young woman kept walking past her house, knowing that her mom had been in a mood this morning, and not wanting to break the news that she hadn’t managed to procure the bobby pins just yet. No, it seemed more logical to break the news later in the day. Maybe after her mom had partaken in a few drinks down at the pub. Which seemed to be a more and more common occurrence ever since her father had passed.

So instead of going home, she simply kept walking, heading to the outskirts of town. There was an old swingset there, which was where Addison often went when trying to kill time. The metal groaned as she took a seat, but there was no sway or hint that it might collapse. With a soft sigh she simply started to swing, losing herself in thought, and replaying that stupid argument with the shopkeep over again in her head.

 

[Master_Germish]

RE: The Citadel

Kale's grav-bike roared through the desert. The boring scenery of sand and dust flying by as he rocketed towards the city of new haven. He often went here to see how the locals were living. Their lives always seemed much more interesting to him. Out here people lived every day like it was their last. There was so much tension, confusion, and misery out here that he couldn't get enough. Granted he knew it was sick and twisted, but this is what it took to give him a thrill. Plus, the beer out here had a much better taste than the vaporized liquor served in the citadel. Liquor was used as a medicine in the citadel. To lower inhibitions to partake in other activities while out here beer was enjoyed and liquor was cherished. As he got within a mile of town he slowed the bike to a stop before letting it come to rest on the ground. He reached into his rags and pulled out a little black disc. The letters C.A.S. could be seen in bright red along the perimeter of the disc. He set it down and pushed the center button before the camouflaged auto sentry deployed and hid his bike as well as electrified the shield so anyone not of his biometric would be fried upon touching it. He then took a deep breath and made sure to pat himself down. Ensuring that he had enough oxygen for the day under the rags, enough outsider currency to partake in a few leisurely activities as well as his G-31 energy pistol in case something got hairy. Feeling that all of his supplies were on him he set off towards what he thought was a swing set on the outskirt of town.

As kale walked towards the swings he saw a girl sitting there swinging. Clearly lost in her own thought. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Fair complexion, beautiful red hair, and despite the rags, quite the figure. He wanted to get to know this girl. There was no way she was an outsider. As he approached he made sure to raise his hands to show that he meant her no harm. "Excuse me!" He called out from behind his mask. The mask distorted his voice electronically, giving it a strangely robotic tone. "Excuse me!" He called out again as the girl apparently did not notice him the first call. Despite her obliviousness to his presence he continued to move towards her. "Hello? Can you hear me?" He asked as he was now only twenty or so feet from her. His eyes could not leave the beautiful image of this girl in front of her. She was gorgeous, even for citadel standards.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

RE: The Citadel

Lost in thought and assuming she was alone seemed to drown out the world around her, it wasn’t until the stranger had made it closer and called out for about the third time that she actually heard him. There was a little yipe of surprise as her hands released the chains of the swing, and the redhead fell backwards onto the ground below. It wasn’t a long fall, but there was a soft little thud as her body hit the dirt.

It didn’t take long for her to get to her feet though, scrambling up quickly and peering at the man who had been trying to get her attention. “What are you doing? Don’t you know not to sneak up in people?”

It was a bit of a ridiculous question, seeing as how he had been trying to get her attention long before she had noticed him. It was her own fault she had been surprised. Addison wasn’t paying much attention to logic though, adrenaline surging through her body and causing her heart to pound incredibly hard inside her chest. The man wasn’t familiar to her, but that wasn’t uncommon. There were a lot of people who moved in and out the of area. All she could say for sure was that he certainly wasn’t local...and something about him was...different.

“Who are you? What do you want?” It wasn’t rude, but it was a bit defensive. The world that she lived in wasn’t a safe one, and strangers were something to typically be avoided. Especially when there were no witnesses around.

 

[Master_Germish]

RE: The Citadel

Kale couldn't help himself but chuckle under his breath when the girl finally realized he existed and fell off the swing. Though judging by how quickly she got to her feet he knew that she was a seasoned outsider. She knew that it was dangerous to be out here and was most likely on edge. He lowered his hands once she got to her feet and gave her a quick smile, though it would go unnoticed behind his gas mask. "Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you. I just haven't seen you around." He spoke, pretending to be a local as he assumed that was the best way to lower this girls guard. He moved closer to her, stopping a few feet away. "Do you live in New Haven?" He inquired as his eyes continued to move over her body. He hoped the mask hid his greedy eyes as he was curious about how this beauty even existed out here in such a cruel world. "Would you like to get a drink with me? I've been travelling for awhile and could use the company?" He asked politely as his eyes came to rest on her own.

Kale was intrigued by this women immensely. How could she even be allowed out of her home out here. How did she survive? From what he learned back in the citadel about the outside most girls of this beauty were taken as slaves and sold or smuggled into the Citadel to become house servants. Although this girl looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. Way past the age of typical abduction. What was her secret?

 

[PressHeartToStart]

RE: The Citadel

There was obvious confusion on her face as he mentioned not having seen her before, as her mind raced and tried to place him. Which was difficult, considering the gas mask he was wearing. If it wasn’t something he commonly wore, there was reason to doubt that her memory was trustworthy. After all, he could look like anything beneath his face covering. Then the questions started, and her head canted to side in contemplation.

“Yea, I live here. I’ve lived in New Haven my whole life.” It was obvious she was suspicious, speaking as though this was something he should know if he truly was one of the residents. Eyes never leaving him she reached for her scarf and quickly moved to wrap it around her face, covering up every soft and delicate feature of her face, save for those burning green eyes. “Drink sounds good though. Feel free to lead the way.”

It was a test to see if the man truly knew where he was going, or if he was trying to pull one over on her. Addison was clever and quick on her feet. It was one of the reasons she had survived this long, and how she managed to not be torn from her home. The face covering helped as well, and was usually a constant staple. Long ago her mother had warned her that her beauty would be a seen as a commodity, and it was something to hide away and keep secret when out in the world. “You’re buying.”

The redhead would walk with him, but made sure to keep him out of arm's reach. The stranger was curious to her as well, and she watched him carefully as the two started moving back towards the town. “What’s your name? I swore I knew everyone in New Haven.”

 

[Master_Germish]

Kale watched as she covered her face and answered her questions. He could tell she was on edge and hoped that a few strong drinks would ease her a bit. He chuckled to her comment about him buying and responded. "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't going to buy. I am a gentleman after all." He teased her as he swept his arm in the direction of the bar. A common motion to signal that she should begin walking. He began to walk as she turned in the direction of his arm. Looking around the town as he moved. "Interesting that you say you live here. I personally am not a resident, though I do make quite a few trips out this way. You see, I'm in the business of trade. Always looking for a rare item to pick up cheap and move a few hundred miles only to sell it at mark up." He said as walked into what was considered the nomadic area of the town. His eyes moved quickly from tent to tent. Always on the lookout for danger, Kale had learned this lesson the hard way a few years ago when he came to this place for the first time. He had been robbed of all his possessions and had to cut his first trip short. However, since then he always carried his pistol with him and hid his money deep within his rags. There was no reason to let the terrible experience repeat itself. As he moved through the tent village he began to chat with the girl. "So, do you have a name? I'm Kale." He teased as she had yet to say a word to him as they walked. "You said you've lived here your whole life but i've never even see you on the streets or heard of a beautiful girl such as yourself in my travels." He complimented as he continued to walk towards the bar.

Finally the pair emerged from the tent camp and was greeted by a large merchant hut where a majority of the trading took place. Kale wondered if it would be worth it to take a quick peek inside to see if there was anything of interest. Perhaps on the way out he would stop by. Once in the merchant district of the city Kale took a hard left and then almost an immediate right heading down a small alley before emerging into a large plaza where a sturdy yet run down building lay in front of them. A sign with white paint hung overhead that simply read 'Drinks'. Kale turned to the girl and motioned for her to enter first. He followed in behind her as his eyes moved over her fantastic shape. Finally he took a seat next to her at the bar and ordered two tall beers. He reached into his rags and procured two coins before setting them on the table and giving a nod to the bartender before turning his attention back to the girl. "So, what keeps you here?" He asked casually as the two waited for their drinks.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

The word ‘gentleman’ wasn’t one she heard very often, and she tried her best to not to chuckle at the notion. As the pair walked he asked his questions, and she found herself actually blushing at the compliment he offered. Of course he wouldn’t be able to see the reaction his words had on her, as the scarf was effectively covering her reddened cheeks. “My name is Addison, and...I try my best to stay under the radar. Not a lot of people know me.” It was a sad truth. The young woman didn’t have friends, only family.

The pair continued to walk, the redhead just as cautious as her new acquaintance as they made their way through town. It wasn’t long before they reached their destination though, and as soon as they arrived Addison couldn’t help but wonder if she was making a huge mistake. It was something she shouldn’t be doing, that much she knew. It was risky and dangerous. Kale seemed nice enough though, and it wasn’t like they were wandering off to a secluded area. Surely she would be fine, right?

Taking a seat the bar drinks were ordered, the young woman watching as the man produced two coins from his rags and set them on the counter. It was rare to see actual currency, most people bartered. It was curious, but he had said he was a travelling merchant though, so it wasn’t that out of the ordinary given his trade.

“What keeps me here?” Addison chuckled as she repeated the question he had asked, shaking her head lightly as she contemplated an answer. “Where else would I go? Unless you know of some magical place that doesn’t suck, I think I’ll stick with the familiar.” The smile on her lips would be evident as she once again pulled the scarf away from her face, just in time for the beers to arrive.

Before anything else was said Addison brought the glass to her lips, taking a few deep pulls of the frothy liquid before setting the glass down on the bar once again. It had been a long while since she had a drink, and to say it was amazing was an understatement. “This is delicious. Thank you.” The words were sincere, even if it was obvious she was still a little uncomfortable. As if waiting for him to flip a switch and turn on her. It was a dog eat dog world after all.

“So, Kale...do you always take strange girls out for drinks? Or am I just special?” Addison was back to teasing, the sincere thanks having made her feel a little more vulnerable than she would have liked. “And what’s with the mask?”

 

[Master_Germish]

Kale smirked behind his mask as she quickly took the drink and had a big gulp. He heard the small sigh of satisfaction and knew that this was a good brew. He slowly pulled the mask off knowing that he couldn't keep it off too long otherwise him and MAIA would be spending a nice long weekend together as she corrected his biology. He looked over the girl once more and chuckled at her questions. "No, only the pretty ones." He teased back as she asked if he asked strange girls for drinks often and when she asked about the mask he hesitated for a second. Glancing down at it. "I have very sensitive biology and so the air out here doesn't play well with me if I breathe it in too long." He explained as he reached for his beer, while doing so the rag got caught on the bar and exposed his pale forearm. A bright green glowing number could be read, 10473. Kale swore under his breath and quickly covered the mark, hoping that Addison did not notice. He brushed off the move as simply readjusting his rags before his gaze returned to hers and said. "Well, there are tons of places to see out here. There is a town a few hours ride to the west, a town that is a day or two to the north and then there is The Citadel to the east, but I don't think we could ever get in there. Hopefully one day I can find my way inside. I hear its perfect." Kale spoke as if he didn't live there. Trying to make it seem like he was an outsider though he doubted it would come across as very genuine. Honestly, this was the first outsider he had even bothered to ask for a drink or get to know. He usually just stuck to the crowd and people watched, but for some reason this girl drew him out. He wanted to get to know this girl, wanted to save her, but he did not know how to get her to come with him. So he figured his best bet was to befriend her.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

Thankfully for Kale the slip up with his wardrobe was missed. Addison had sworn she saw something, but had caught it too late, and was only left with a blur of fabric being pulled over his flesh. Any questions she may have had were forgotten as he started talking about the neighboring towns...and then the Citadel, which caused her to scoff. “Yea, perfect.” The words were dripping with sarcasm, and maybe a hint of jealousy. Which shouldn’t be surprising. Living out here, the Citadel was a source of contempt for most. Struggling to survive while the ones behind the wall were just handed everything.

“You know, I doubt it’s all it’s cracked up to be.” There was a long sigh before she took another sip of her beer, watching the bubbles rise up from the bottom of the glass for a moment. “What’s that saying? If it seems too good to be true, it probably is?”

It was easier to pretend it wasn’t that great. Everyone on the outside did it. Even if the reality was...they would all move there in a heartbeat if given the option. Some girls even offered themselves up as soon as they came of age, despite knowing they wouldn’t really be...citizens. Addison had considered it once, but decided against it. Not sure she could be obedient or play by the rules. As her mother often said, she had ‘too much spirit’.

Green eyes lifted from the glass and focused in on Kale, her face softening as she took the time to actually look at him. Honestly she hadn’t expected him to be handsome, part of her thinking he was wearing the mask because he was deformed in some way. To say it was a pleasant surprise what had been lurking under the gas mask would be an understatement. Kale was quite handsome. “I had a friend when I was growing up who used to brag about being able to sneak into the Citadel. We all knew he was full of shit, but we played along. I think it was because it was nice to imagine it was true. Made it obtainable. Funnily enough he just disappeared one day, never to be heard from again. Maybe he wasn’t full of shit after all?”

It was then that Addison realized she was opening up...sharing. That was something she rarely did, especially with a relative stranger. Something about Kale made her comfortable enough to let her guard down, and that worried her. Maybe it was just the beer hitting her? “Anyway, I wish you all the luck with the Citadel plan. If you make it, be sure to send me postcard or something.”

 

[Master_Germish]

Kale listened to the girl talk about how she viewed the citadel and how she had a friend who disappeared. He chuckled and took a sip of his beer. "Maybe your friend was right. Perhaps, I've heard rumors of a passage into the city as well." Kale teased as he took another big gulp of the drink and let out a soft sigh. "Damn, New Haven has the best brew around." He took another swig as he set his glass down. As soon as he set his glass down a loud screeching could be heard from outside the bar followed by an ear shattering boom. Kale looked to Addison in shock. He knew what that was, he had seen it played in the citadel during his education. It was an A.E.B. This town was being wiped out by the citadel. Perhaps they were expanding there dead zone, or perhaps someone on the council had a grudge, but regardless he needed to leave quickly. He looked at her and brought his beer to his lips and drank the whole glass. "You need to come with me. Now. That was an A.E.B. The Citadel uses them to eradicate towns. Everyone in this town will be dead in the next hour." He said as he threw on his gas mask and looked to the girl. "Follow me." He said as he drew his energy pistol. At this point he didn't care if she realized he was from the citadel. He needed to get out alive. The A.E.B. would not check biometrics, it was a sentry that was designed to kill anything with a biometric. Hence why The Citadel air dropped it in. They really were marvelous killing machines. Perfect exterminators and when there was nothing left to kill in the predetermined radius its small nuclear bomb in its body exploded, essentially preventing any inhabitants from settling in the area for centuries. Mankind was indeed ruthless.

He grabbed Addison by the arm and dragged her to her feet. Pulling her out of the bar and throwing them into a scene of chaos, the loud whine of the energy machine guns being fired could be heard not too far off. He tightened his grip on the girl and took off towards his grav-bike. He moved quick and at some points felt like he was dragging her along, but he liked her and realized that his plan may have to move a bit quicker than he originally thought. He wasn't concerned how he was going to get her to his apartment right now, only that they made it out alive. Kale continued to run until he got to the swings. Feeling that they were out of immediate danger he slowed to a brisk jog. "My bike is just up the way here. Stay close." He said as he released her arm and jogged over to the camouflaged bike. When he approached he raised the rags and revealed the glowing number once more. The camouflage field hiding his bike lowered and he jumped on. He kicked the bike into start and looked at the girl. This was her choice, she could get on and come with him to the citadel or she could find her own way. He looked into her eyes and said. "I can take you to safety, or you can stay out here, its your call."

 

[PressHeartToStart]

Addison didn’t recognize the sound, but it certainly grabbed her attention. The redhead ducking as if the sky were falling down on her. Kale seemed to know what it was, what was happening, and as much as that made her suspicious of him...she couldn’t question it. If he had a way out, if he could keep her safe, how could she really deny him as he asked her to follow? Everything was happening so fast, and fear was throwing all logic out the window, not even questioning as the man she had been having a drink with pulled out a pistol.

The pair started moving, the redhead able to keep up pretty well, obviously not a stranger to running. Which made sense given where she lived. As they reached the swings she started to get a little more nervous. They were leaving her comfort zone, but if Kale was right...her comfort zone...her home, was going to be nothing more than a memory in a short amount of time. It wasn’t until she saw the grav bike that all the pieces started to fall into place, and she took a step back. “You’re from the Citadel? You said…but…”

A million thoughts raced through her head, and she could feel the panic rising in her chest. This moment, this choice, it was going to change her life. That was a lot to take on, when there was only so much time to choose. There was one glaring truth though, and that was she wanted to live. If he could offer her safety, how could she turn that down? Not to mention, she had felt some kind of spark with the man, some connection.

“Okay, okay…” Nodding her head she stepped forward and situated herself on the back of the bike. It was hard to ignore how close she was to him, especially as she wrapped her arms around him in order to hold on. It wasn’t often she was physical with anyone, and as strange as it felt...it was nice. It gave her a sense of comfort she hadn’t had a moment ago. Still she felt guilty, running off with a stranger when her family was in danger. It wasn’t enough to make her turn back though. “This can’t be happening. Fuck…”

The words were muttered under her breath, but being pressed against the man like she was, it was likely he could hear her. Squeezing him a little tighter as another loud bang rang out into the air. “Who are you? The truth this time. Why are you out here? Why are you helping me?” There were so many questions, but no more words would come out, the redhead needing to take a moment to focus on her breathing, starting to feel like she might actually have a panic attack.

 

[Master_Germish]

Kale was not surprised at all by the reaction the girl had nor was he shocked when she climbed onto the back and held on tightly. He was listening carefully to the sound of the A.E.B moving through the town and exterminating all life. He needed to know how much time he had to explain. Hearing the screams of the residents moving closer to him than he was comfortable with he turned his head so she could hear him and said. "I'll answer your questions when we are near the citadel. There isn't time right now. I don't know what this things kill radius is." He explained before turning his head back around and revving the bike into full throttle. The bike immediately took off east, back towards the citadel. Back towards home.

Kale was silent the entire ride home. He needed to focus on driving the bike, they were moving at full throttle which was insanely fast. To someone standing still they would simply be a blur and a large plume of dust before they were over the horizon. The near hundred mile journey was reduce to a mere ten minutes. He began to slow as the great wall of the citadel began to come into view and he finally stopped the bike at his hiding spot and took a deep breath before shutting the machine off and patting the girls hands. A sign for her to release her death grip on him. "Yes, I'm from the citadel. I come out to the outside because it can be quite boring inside and the beer is better out here." He explained simply as he looked at her and said. "So it looks like your going to have to stay with me while I work on getting you papers." He said as he stepped off the bike once she had gotten off and he put the C.A.S down and once again hid the bike before he looked at her and said. "Do you have more questions or should I sneak you into the city? There is a way in right up here on the wall. It's how I move between the outside and the citadel without the guard noticing." He explained as he pointed towards the small crack in the wall that could be seen a few hundred feet in front of them.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

All she could do was hold on, and that much she did, only focused on holding on and not the actual gravity of the situation. That everything she knew and held dear was gone. The bike stopped, but she didn’t move, it wasn’t until the tap to her hands that she finally released her grip on the man who had saved her life. Something she still didn’t completely understand. They were still relative strangers after all.

Slipping off of the bike and onto her feet her knees almost gave out, but she recovered quickly. The sound of Kale’s voice was welcomed, giving her something to focus on other than the horrible thoughts rushing through her head. Even if what he had to say sounded ridiculous. Maybe she had fallen off the swings, bumped her head, and this was all some kind of crazy fever dream?

“Of course I have more questions!” There was a slight scoff at the idea that he could think her curiosity and concern had been satisfied. Still, she knew there probably wasn’t time to just stand outside and discuss everything. What he was asking of her though...going into the Citadel...living with him. It was so much, so fast. How did she know he wasn’t some crazed serial killer? “I just..I mean...what…” Words weren’t happening, her head was a mess. “Never mind, just...I'll follow you.”

This was crazy, she knew that. Where else would she go though? This was her option, and she was going to have to just roll with it and hope for the best. As they started moving she tried to gather her thoughts. “You’re not going to chop me into pieces, are you? Or...do something terrible to me? You seem nice and all, but I don’t know you...and...this is insane!” There was a nervous little laugh, hands running up into her hair as she continued to walk. Thankfully she was smart enough to keep her voice down, not much louder than a whisper. “What..what if they find me? What happens to me then?”

Addison knew it might be too much, that her questions were coming out at rapid fire pace, but her own nervous energy was such that she felt like she herself might explode.

 

[Master_Germish]

Kale wasn't surprised by the rapid onslaught of questions that Addison had for him. He knew she was going to be confused and knew that she was going to have very little idea of what was going on. It would be hard for her no doubt, but he was sure she could adapt and he was quite sure that he would be able to get her papers. He let her take a few breaths before calming and then began to lead her towards the crack in the wall. "No I'm not a murderer, if I was that I would have killed you a long time ago. Your gorgeous and I saved you because of your beauty. That and you were the closest person to me when the A.E.B came. Your welcome by the way." He teased as he reached the crack and said. "If they find you, they'll probably kill you at best...I've heard stories of despicable things, but lets not focus on that. They won't find you." He said as he looked at her once more before grabbing her arm and pulling her through the small crack. "It's a tight squeeze but hold on." He said as he continued to shimmy his way into complete darkness. He continued to drag her through the darkness before emerging in the maintenance tunnel. He looked over towards the fan and saw that his suit was still neatly folded where he left it. He looked at her and swore. "Shit, you can't be seen in your rags. I'm going to have to go get you some clothes." He explained as he lead her over to where his suit lay. Kale began to undress from the rags. He first removed the mask entirely and took off the hood covering his hair. He had short dirty blonde hair and dark brown eyes. Next he simply pulled the rags off himself, exposing the bright glowing number again as well as his athletic figure. He was now down to his underwear. He blushed softly in front of the beautiful girl before sliding into the suit. He straightened himself out and turned to her. "So? How do I look?" He teased her as he was hoping a little humor might lighten the situation. He reached down into the rags and handed her his pistol. "Do not use this unless you absolutely have to. I'll be back in an hour or so. Stay quiet and stay here." He explained before turning and walking towards the large fan, sliding between the blades and disappearing from view, leaving the poor outsider girl there in the maintenance shaft all alone.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

Tight spaces was something that Addison wasn’t fond of, and as they shimmied their way through the wall all she could focus on was her breathing. Trying not to imagine all the horrible things that could happen, like getting stuck and then trapped. No, that was a thought she needed to desperately avoid. By the time they reached an opening she felt as though she might collapse, not able to do much but simply keep moving at this point as her head was a mess.

Kale continued to speak, and then undress. The redhead tried to be polite and turn her gaze away from the man, but it would be a lie to say she didn’t sneak a peek at his nearly naked athletic form. Which was a nice distraction from the craziness currently taking over her life. The mention of her needing clothes caused her to furrow her brow. “Wait? What?! You’re going to leave me here?” There was a squeak in her voice, the young woman obviously not fond of being left in the strange place by herself.

It didn’t seem to be up for discussion though, as Kale handed her the pistol, her eyes growing wide. The only noise she could make was a stuttering protest, but before she could really attempt to make her case, the handsome young man was gone from her sight. For a moment she considered making her way back through the crack in the wall, just chance it out on her own...but she wasn’t sure she could mentally do it. Just the thought of that small space making her skin crawl.

So, she began to pace. It was all she could do with all the nervous energy built up in her system. Addison wasn’t paying attention, honestly wasn’t expecting visitors. It wasn’t until it was too late that she caught onto the fact that she was no longer alone. An arm reached around her neck, pulling her close to a body behind her with a strength she could only manage to struggle against. “Well, well...what do we have here?”

The voice came from behind her, as another man appeared in front of her, a wicked grin on his lips as he looked the young woman over carefully. Both surprised and pleased at what he saw. “Oh, I think the Captain will be quite pleased with this one. I don’t think we’ve ever gotten our hands on something like this before.” Addison couldn’t help but notice the way they were referring to her, as if she was some kind of product or property.,,it made her all the more nervous.

The pistol had been dropped in the initial surprise, falling to the ground the moment she felt the arm around her neck. “Let me go!!” Legs kicked up, Addison desperately trying to break free, which she knew was unlikely. Still, she couldn’t just let them take her.

“Shut it up would you? We don’t need to make a scene.”

And with that everything went dark for the young girl.

 

[Master_Germish]

"Sir, we found something out on patrol. We're coming in early to show you, we think your going to like it." The voice spoke over John's headset. He smirked and wondered what this patrol had found. It certainly had to be something truly extraordinary for them to come in early and to cut their route short. "Patrol, which route were you on?" He asked as he looked up from his desk to the hologram display of the Citadel and began to move through the hologram, using the guards gps position to narrow down to see where they were. A maintenance shaft? That seemed odd that they would be patrolling back there, but the council had raised concerns about rumors of a breach in the wall, perhaps the general had ordered a special route in order to investigate said rumors. Regardless he was curious about what they were going to bring him. John got up and moved to his office where the patrolmen would meet with him and sat down behind his desk, waiting to see what was so important.

A little later a knock was heard on the door. "Enter." John commanded as he saw the patrolmen bring in what appeared to be an outsider, though she was quite an attractive one. Even under her rags he could see the curves on this girl and it made him smile. He knew exactly what he was going to do with this. "What is this?" He asked the patrolmen. "Its an outside girl, we caught her in the maintenance shaft pacing around. It looked like she was waiting for someone." The patrolmen responded before stepping to the side. John got up from his desk and moved to the girl. He pulled the rag off the top of her head and smirked at her. "Well aren't you a little cutie. How did you get in here? Who were you waiting for?" His eyes moved over her slowly, clearly taking in all of her curves.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

By the time Addison came to they were already in a different location, a hallway that was completely unfamiliar to her, and unlike anything she had ever seen. When they reached a door her breath caught in her throat for a moment, terrified that something horrible was on the other side of it. There was a breath of relief as it appeared to be little more than an office, a man sitting at the desk looking her over in a way that made her skin crawl.

The scarf was pulled from her head and around her neck, long strands of fiery red hair falling loose and cascading over her shoulders. “Fuck off, I’m not telling you jack shit.” It wasn’t so much that she wanted to protect Kale, even though she did feel she owed him that much for saving her. Although right now she wasn’t positive that he had been successful in that...given her current situation.

“I got lost, that’s all.” There was a spark to her, that was for sure, a fire that matched her hair. This certainly wasn’t the first time she had been in a tough spot, and she doubted it would really be the last. “So, how about we just call this a misunderstanding...and you let me go on my way?” There was a knowing little smirk on her lips. Addison wasn’t stupid, she knew that it wasn’t going to be that easy.

 

[Master_Germish]

John looked carefully over the girl as she spoke. It was all too obvious that this girl was an outsider. Though she spoke incredibly well and had the beauty of some of the best pleasure clones in the city. He looked over her carefully as he listened to her basically tell him to screw off. He chuckled softly as she tried to pretend that this was something she could get out of. "Sure, we can call this a misunderstanding." He teased as he turned around and walked back to his desk. He turned to face her and leaned back onto the top of his desk as he crossed his arms and smirked. "If you undress and crawl on your pretty little hands and knees and beg." He teased as his eyes moved over her. He had already decided she would be his pet. After all, she was not supposed to be in this society, she was an outsider, she wasn't even human, her life as a pet to a citadel citizen would be much better than her life as an outsider. Though he doubted she would see it that way. He even hoped that she would be stubborn as it had been a long time since he had to resort to recalibration.

John was truly a sadist at heart. Recalibration was a brutal process of destroying the subject's sense of reality and rebuilding it to fit the calibrators narrative. It was an old tactic that was used to try and control populaces when the climate began to change, but since the citadel was the only city left it made little sense to keep it around and so it had been outlawed against citizens, though luckily for john this girl was not a citizen and so he could use all the techniques the military taught him as well as the old devices that the citadel guard was responsible for archiving. Recalibration of this girl would be a fun little hobby of his for the foreseeable future.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

The sigh of relief was short lives. Watching as the man crossed to room over to his desk, leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest. Before he even started speaking she could sense some kind of catch, but never in a million years did she expect him to say what he did. For a moment she just stood there, lips parted but no sound coming out. After the third time of replaying it in her head, the young woman just started to laugh. "You're fucking insane if you think that's going to happen."

Addison was starting to get nervous, despite her posturing. What was she going to do? Sure, she was scrappy and tough for a girl...but there was no winning in this situation. Still, she took a step back, tempted to run. Or try to at least. Surely there was a chance she was faster than these guys, but at the same time...she had no idea where she would be running to. This place was completely foreign to her, it would probably be a lot like running into a maze.

"C'mon...let's not do this. Just let me go. I haven't done anything, I haven't hurt anyone...and I sure as shit don't belong here." Instinctively her arms moved to cross over her chest, as if it would stop the obvious leering. "You don't want me anyway...I'm...sick." The redhead even coughed a little to try and sell her story, not that she was convinced it would work. Simply grasping as straws.

 

[Master_Germish]

John watched her begin to squirm as the terms of her capture were beginning to set in. He chuckled softly at her retort to his request and then did not move. He cocked his head and continued to look over her body. He watched her cross her arms and chuckled as it pushed her ample chest into her body, accentuating her curves a bit more. He took a deep breath and looked over her. "It is in your best interest to behave. You behave and you'll be fed and trained, you misbehave and you'll be beaten and trained. It's really a simple choice for you." He said as he uncrossed his arms and walked over to the girl. He moved so his lips were inches from hers. "I've been to the outside, you should be grateful that I am giving you this offer. It could be much worse. I can report you to the council and they would love to torture you until you can no longer think. I'm offering you a life in the citadel." He said before planting a kiss on her lips and extending his hand to the guard next to her. "Shock baton." Was all he said before a black stick was placed into his hands. He smiled at her and said. "I can show you the other option." He said nonchalantly as he turned around as if to walk back towards his desk but he turned quickly, his arm swinging low as the shock baton made contact to the girls right knee. As soon as the black material of the baton made contact with her knee it glowed bright green and administered a strong electric pulse. The goal of the motion to bring the girl to her knees as he was certain the move would lock the nerves and force the knee to buckle. He stood up as she fell and cocked his head to the side. "Your choice is simple." He then slowly walked back to the desk and leaned against it. Clearly expecting his previous request to be filled. Waiting to see just how strong of a will was he working with.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

As he came closer Addison's eyes narrowed, heart pounding in her chest but trying to look as stoic on the outside as humanly possible. The whole time he spoke, mind racing to piece together exactly what it was he was planning on 'training' her to do. There were so many terrible rumors as to what happened to outsiders in the citadel, it was hard to know what it was this man was driving at. None of it was good, that much she was sure of.

Suddenly he was close to her, finishing his sentence between closing the gap that separated them and pressing his lips to hers. The moment he pulled away she spit onto the floor, wiping her lips as the fear finally started to settle in. This wasn't about labor or slavery...at least not in the sense she often thought about it. With that, her blood ran cold.

Then the shock hit.

There was a cry from her lips as her leg gave out, one knee hitting the ground before the other one followed. Hands pushing forward to catch herself as the rest of her body followed the momentum. That fiery red hair spilled over her shoulders as her eyes moved to look up at the man she was quickly starting to dislike. Once again he was leaning against the desk, expecting her to follow through with his request. "I'm not begging you for anything."

It was said through gritted teeth, voice faltering a little in fear. Addison was scared, not entirely sure what was happening...and now certain she probably didn't want clarification. "I'm also no getting naked, you sick perv." It was pretty big talk for someone who had just been dropped to the floor, but she was prideful and stubborn...and scared.

 

[Master_Germish]

John leaned against his desk as he saw the girl drop to her hands and knees. He couldn't help but smile thinking that the battle was over. When she spoke the smile quickly fell from his face. So she was going to be tough to break. The thought of finally having to use recalibration made him smile. He looked at the two guards standing by the door and said. "Secure the girl. I need to go get a tool from the recalibration room." He smirked as the guard's faces twisted and their mouths opened. "Yes boys, she's going to be recalibrated." He said before both of them moved quickly to the girl and grabbed her arms, forcing her to her feet as they held her in place tightly.

John walked past the girl, he paused and leaned into her ear. "Your going to love recalibration." He teased before kissing her cheek and then leaving the room. The guards did not speak to her for the few short minutes that John was gone. They were loyal and listened to orders, after all, John was the captain who reported directly to the council and any dissent would be handled swiftly. A few minutes later the metallic door could be heard sliding open as John reappeared holding what looked like a gas mask except a purple container was connected to the rebreather and he had a black book labeled 'The Art of Recalibration' in his hand. He walked over to the girl and easily slid the mask on over her head despite her meager attempt to struggle. He made sure to seal the mask tightly to her face before giving her a smile and opening the book. John flipped to the page he was looking for and began to read aloud. "The Mask administers the drug, Lysergic acid diethylamide, in one hundred micro gram bursts. Typical usage is between two to three doses." He paused and looked up from the book as he closed it and moved towards the girl. "I guess seven doses should be enough for you." He teased as a devilish grin spread across his face and he turned a dial on the canister from 1 to 7 and then pushed the dial in. Immediately the sound of gas entering the mask could be heard as he made sure to stare into her eyes as she was forced to inhale the drug. He looked to the guards and said. "Take her to the isolation cells, tie her hands so she has to inhale the full dosage." He commanded before turning back to his desk and walking over. He sat down and looked at the girl wearing the mask. "I'll see you in a few hours sweetie." He teased as he waved his hand for the guards to go perform their duties.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

Fear reached its peak as soon as that mask was pulled over her face. Nothing he read aloud from that book made much sense, other than 'drug' and 'dose'...both of which she knew weren't often good. At least not when paired with a situation such as this. The order were given, Addison's arms pulled behind her back and tied off before being led out of the room. The walk was short, but felt like it took a million years, all she could hear was her own breathing and the pounding of her heart as they moved.

Logically she told herself not to panic, keep her breathing under control. Thinking maybe it would help, maybe she could somehow beat the system. It was hopeful, but not plausible.

The cell door opened and the young redhead was tossed inside, without the use of her hands she fell to the ground. Giving the guards enough time to get the door closed before she attempted to rush it. It was small, empty...and painted in an eerie green glow. For a long moment she sat there, waiting for something to happen. As if at any moment the drugs would kick in and make themselves known. Crazy colors, bright lights, a feeling of euphoria? Nothing like that seemed to happen.

How long has it been? Eyes darted around, looking for a clock or window, but finding nothing on the bare walls. Shaking her head, she scooted along the floor, moving into one of the corner furthest from the door and leaned back against it, closing her eyes.

Time seemed to drag on, and the more she thought about how long it had been, the more it bothered her. Fingers started tapping anxiously against the concrete as she seemed to shift every few moments. Looking back at the door her heart sank for a moment, swearing it moved. Its closer. Isn't it? No...wait..? Addison tried to shake her head, as if it would stop the thoughts that were moving in and out at a mile a minute. It didn't work though, and no matter where her thoughts wandered off too...it always came back to time.

What had that man said? A few hours? Certainly it had been that. Been longer than that! What if he wasn't coming. What if they just left her here like this, along to starve in this horrible little green world. It was then out of the corner of her eye she swear she saw something, a shadow...something. It was close enough to scare her, a sharp scream falling from her lips as her body flung to the side in order to avoid it. Legs kicking out rapidly as her body slowly scooted along the floor.

Then just like that it was gone.

The sounds of her distorted ragged breathing filled the room. Sitting up she brought her knees to her chest in a panic, trying to grip the sides of the mask with her knees and tug it off. Feeling as though she couldn't breath. How long has it been? That thought was dominating her mind, and she wasn't sure how to make it stop. Just make it all stop.

 

[Master_Germish]

John watched as the girl was dragged from the room and he smirked wondering how long a dose like that would last. He opened the black book and continued to read. Smirking when he saw that no matter the dose delivered the drug typically took thirty minutes to an hour to fully kick in although it typically lasted eight to twelve hours from consumption. He looked to the clock and saw that it was around two in the afternoon and chuckled. She was going to have quite the evening. He figured he would go to her in roughly four hours, the drug should be in full effect. He knew from his training that being left alone and isolated like that while under the drug would surely push her mental state to it's limits. He was curious if she was going to be able to handle it by herself or would her weakened mind latch onto his stability and his control. Would this test be enough to make her comply with his training or would he have to continue to push her psyche and see where her sense of reality really lied. John continued with his duties for an hour or two before he radioed down to the guard in front of her cell. He simply gave the guard the instruction to put on his riot mask gear so to prevent his identity and his face from being seen and then to enter and remove the mask quickly. He ended the radio broadcast and went back to work knowing full well that the guard would obey. Another three hours passed and John looked at his clock as he realized that the girl had been in the cell for five hours now. Two of them with the mask to make sure the full dosage was ingested and the last three to let her try to hang onto reality. He was curious how she would behave when he came and helped her. He finished up writing up the report on her capture before saving and shutting down his system. Slowly he got up from his desk and left his office, heading down to the cell where the girl was kept. He made sure to grab a bottle of water for her as he wanted to present her weakened mind with this image of him being in control of her entire reality.

John approached the guard in front of the cell and said. "Anything unusual over the last few hours?" He asked as he walked towards the guard before pausing in front of the cell door and listening to what the guard had to say.