Chapter 3

Arika runs into a familiar face...

“Hm, quite the predicament you have here.” Ky said as he was pouring tea. 

“I guess you could say that,” Arika replied, grabbing the cup handed to her, “So, what do you say about my proposal?” She sipped her tea. 

Ky thought for a moment, “Arika, let’s say I do help you get into the factory, what makes you think they’re keeping your parents out in the working zone? They most likely have them in the prison underground like all the other undesirables.” 

Arika knew that, she already had a plan set up for when she got inside. If Ky was captured and he knew what her plan was, then it would be the end of all her work. She finally replied, “I understand that, but, I didn’t come this far just to chicken out in the end. I have to at least try.” She looked at her tea. Ky leaned against the counter and drank his tea before sitting back down across from Arika.

“That's what I wanted to hear, let’s do this.” He smiled and just at that moment Arika could see a gleam of metal behind his bangs which covered his left eye. 

~~~

Nayt was pacing the corridors of the A-Block prison cells, his blue hair stamped to his forehead with sweat. He took a deep breath and stopped in front of cell 12A and knocked on the door. The small window slid opened and a man looked at him, his dark purple eyes glaring. 

“Yes? What is it?” The man’s voice was grisly.

 

“I’m simply here to talk to you about something. Something you may or may not want to know.” Nayt looked over his shoulders. “Stand back, I’m opening the door.” Nayt whispered as he unhinged the door and took a step inside. “Mister Speer, Misses.” Nayt said, looking at the two prisoners. “You’re daughter, Arika, she’s here.”

“What…?” Arika’s mother spoke first, her voice was soft. “I told her to stay�"“ She stopped herself when she saw her husband sit on the floor.

Nayt leaned against the door, “Don’t worry, although we know she’s here, I managed to get the other soldiers off her trail so she should be fine. However,” Nayt sighed, “I think you might have been right about what you said last time we spoke.” He stared at her father.

“She’s here to try and rescue us…” Her father looked at the floor then slowly stood up. “Nayt, thank you for all you’ve done for us, but you mustn’t let her find us. I can’t stand the thought of her working in this place.” His voiced cracked, like he was about to cry. 

“I’ll try my best. If she gets caught I’ll follow your plan as well. She’ll be safe. I have to go now, good-bye.” Nayt gave a quick bow and headed out of the cell. He started a quick walk around the corner when he walked straight into the chest of a fellow guard. 

“Think you're slick? I heard everything. And so did the captain.” He smiled and pointed at the camera above Nayt. 

~~~

“You see that building with the smoke stacks?” Ky pointed off in the distance, “That’s most likely where you can find a secret way in, its the smoke from the plasma machines. I’ll do what I can to keep the guards near the front occupied. When you’re in, click the red button.” He handed Arika small black box with a red button in the center. 

“Alright, if I don’t hit it within an hour, do what you can to find me, alright?" Arika looked at him. Ky nodded then helped her down from the boxes she was sitting on. Arika just stood around then quickly hugged and thanked him. He laughed and hugged her back. 

“Be careful, or the consequences could be deadly.” Ky whispered in her ear. Arika agreed and ran off in the direction of the smoke. Ky started off in the same direction a few minutes later. 

Ky reached the main gate of the factory in a few minutes, a guard spotted him and watched Ky util he got close to the door. He tried walking straight in, causing the guards to point their guns straight at him. 

“And where exactly do you think you’re going monk?” One of the guards asked.

“Oh nowhere in particular, I just feel like causing a bit of trouble.” Ky laughed and pulled a bead off of his bracelet and threw it on the ground. It smashed against the concrete and smoke plumed all around them. Ky could hear the guards yelling and coughing, he pulled up his collar, to mask his nose and mouth, and ran forward. Hoping to have given them the slip, Ky ran to the door but instead he ran straight into one of the guards. The guard opened his eyes and immediately threw Ky onto the ground and held him down with his forearm, calling for backup. Ky coughed, his collar had fallen down at the impact. He noticed everything getting darker. And darker. Until finally, the world went black. 

~~~

Arika had this strange feeling in her chest. She shook it off and walked along the fence-line. She had reached the back of the factory, which was strangely unguarded. 

‘…Odd.’ She thought as she crawled under a low-point in the fence. She heard a voice getting closer. She stopped. She peeked over the fence and saw a worker who must have snuck out for a break. The girl was probably thirteen, and her black hair was tied in pig-tails. Arika picked up a near-by rock and tossed it over near her. The girl jumped, looked around and saw Arika waving to her. She was hesitant, but slowly made her way forward. 

“What do you think you’re doing?! You’re going to get me killed!” The girl said. Her voice was shaking. 

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Do you think you can tell me where I can find a way into the prison cells?” Arika asked, she whispered, thinking it might calm the girl down. The girl knelt on the ground.

“Why would you want to know…it’s better out there, why leave?” The girl asked.

“My parents, they were taken from me and I’m here to get them back, and the only way I can do that is if I can get inside. So please, tell me how I can get in there.” Arika pleaded. 

The girl got closer, “Just keep following this fence. When you reach an area with soot covered, well, everything, there’s a small grate on the side of the wall. Open it up, it should be loose enough for you to pull off, and slip inside. Just follow the trail and you end up in the cells.” 

“Thank you!” Arika waved and started running off in the direction of the fence, “by the way, what’s your name?!” Arika yelled at her. 

The girl quickly turned around, “Mai!” She laughed and waved back. Running back to the building.

~~~

The guard threw Nayt on the cold floor with such force that Nayt could feel his right arm was about to break. 

Nayt was sent to the captain’s quarter and was immediately issued a life sentence. He was thrown into the worst of the cells, the F-Block. It’s for traitors only and is the last cell block to be taken care of, because of this it is rarely cleaned out and dead bodies can stay unnoticed for months.

 “For treason against the Safe-Zone and your glorious leader Calazar Myrcer, enjoy your stay in this cell for the rest of your life Nayt Krystis.” Said the guard Nayt had ran into earlier. 

“I have nothing to say to you so why don’t you just leave.” Nayt said, wiping some blood off his lip. 

The man growled and spit on the bars, “Just because you graduated the guard academy at seventeen doesn’t give you the right to talk to your elders that way.” He stalked away down the corridor. 

Nayt cursed as he tried to get up. His arm wouldn’t be able to stand anymore pressure without snapping. He crawled his way over to the wall and used his legs to push himself up. When he was able to stand he could hear footsteps coming closer, almost like they were running. He walked up towards the bars and waited. He timed it just right and when the person got just in front of his cell, he grabbed their arm.  

Arika screamed.

“What do you think you’re�"“ She stopped when she noticed who it was. 

“You've got to be kidding me.” Nayt replied. He slumped against the wall. “How did you get in here without being caught?” 

Arika stood up, “Why would I tell you? You work here. Wait, why exactly are you in a cell…?" She looked puzzled.

Nayt gave a slight chuckle. Arika blushed at the sight of his smile. 

“Funny you should ask actually, since it’s your fault.” Nayt stared at her intensely. 

“It’s my fault? How in the world could it be my fault? We’ve only just talked today!” Arika walked up the cell, furious. 

“Because you decided to come help your parents, that’s why.” Nayt replied.

Arika kept up her attitude. 

“Alright, I can see you want more information. You see that small black bar on top of this cell? Pull it.” Nayt said.

Confused, Arika obliged anyways. The bar was rusted and took quite a bit of strength to pull but after a few tries she managed to get the bar out. Nayt tapped the cell door with his boot and the door opened. 

“Get in. I can’t risk being seen outside the cell at the moment.” Nayt moved out of the way.

Arika was hesitant but slowly made her way into the room. Nayt closed the door and slid down the wall, grunting on the way while holding his arm. 

“What happened to your arm…?” Arika asked worriedly. 

Nayt looked at her, “Nothing serious.” He laughed, then stopped when he noticed Arika coming closer. “What are you doing?” He asked.

“Shh…” She whispered. Arika sat next to him and looked into his eyes for approval. He gave a slight nod as she lightly touched his arm. “How badly is it hurt?” 

“It’s ready to snap at any moment.” He flinched when she put pressure on. 

“Sorry!” She quickly moved her hand away and hung her head down.

 

“I was helping your parents.” He whispered.

“What?” Arika looked up at him.

“When the guards were following you in the city, I led them off course so that you could get somewhere safe. Your parents asked me to look after you when you arrived because they knew you wouldn’t do as you were told.” Nayt replied. Arika laughed a little. 

“The reason I’m in here is because one of the guards over heard me talking with your parents about how I would get you out of the Safe-Zone and away from this place.” He looked at her in the eyes. 

“So he threw you in here for trying to help a runaway. Petty.” Arika looked out at the corridor. 

“Basically, but, I do believe I have a promise to keep to your parents, so why don’t we go take a little trip to the A-Block and see them?” Nayt smiled from ear to ear. Arika couldn’t help but laugh at this, yet she also felt scared. 

How did she know she could trust him?