Erik

"So." Doctor Mikhailov grunted. "What's the plan?"

We were all seated in the snuggest room there was in the bunker, each occupying a discolored armchair with armrests and a foldable table board attached. On my right was Jessica slumping lazily against the back of the comfy chair and chewing on a piece of bubble gum. The attitude. She had cast a bomb in our direction yet she was showing such a carefree behavior, like what she had previously suggested was not of any high significance. The doctor was seated right across her and Nikole was on his left, sending glares at me again. I pretended to be interested in my nails to avoid the malicious stare. I hated being intimidated by a 19-year-old girl, but then again, I was intimidated by almost anything. That was just who I was.

"The first part of the plan is to get to Grand Canyon. We bring all our stuff there, and I meet my broker with Erik first." Jessica blew a bubble and then popped it. She still reeked of nicotine and I absolutely despised it. Why smoke when you're badly hurt? Why smoke in the first place?

"Could you explain why it's you and Erik first?" Soeun inquired. I wasn't sure if he was questioning the reason behind us two meeting the man beforehand, or simply why I was included. He never liked me that much anyway.

"Our boatman asked for a young man accompanied by me for the payment, and Erik is that payment," Jessica answered. She shot me a glance but I didn't meet it.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'payment'?" I asked.

"As I mentioned before, dumbass, his condition was that I bring a man with me."

"'Condition' and 'payment' are very distinct concepts," I protested. I didn't like the fact that I was being objectified, like some kind of goods used in trade. Also, I was alarmed that I might just be excluded from the trip to Elysia if I was what that old man was looking for in order to send Jessica into the forbidden paradise.

"Well, my dictionary differs, then." She popped a bubble while facing me. "But you're going with me to Elysia anyway, so that doesn't matter."

"I need a guarantee," I demanded.

"How about my little silver friend as a guarantee?" Jessica stuck out three fingers in the shape of a gun and mimicked shooting an imaginary person in the air. Alright. She was saying direct life threats were channels of insurance. I had almost forgotten that it was still the same person who hadn't hesitated to shoot the conservative innkeeper for refusing us alcoholic and outlaw in.

"...Okay." I leaned back against the chair with an uncomfortable expression.

"You know that Grand Canyon is known for high radiation level, don't you?" Josiah interrupted.

"Don't you have suits and masks for that matter?" Jessica frowned.

"I...yeah. But not enough for all six of us. I have maybe three suits and five masks." He pursed his lips and shrugged.

"We won't be barging in all at once, so three to five is fine." Jessica sent an 'ok' sign with her fingers.

"Good, that's settled," Josiah massaged his own stubby beard. "Then what?"

"Then I ask him to bring all of you guys in," she replied, twisting her curls.

"That simple?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry if you expected drama and action. We're just gonna have a nice, long talk." Jessica smiled. I had a feeling that it wasn't going to end up being a nice, long talk. Just a long talk involving plenty of cursing and sound of bullets loading. Already, I felt sorry for her broker.

"How do we know if we can get inside? What if he declines your request?" Doctor Mikhailov scratched his forehead and pointed at each of the undocumented stowaways; Nikole, Josiah, Soeun, and himself. It was true. I was sure that the man would refuse to let all of us in, let alone every belonging we had in our possession---the vital necessities and the trailers of supplies Josiah had. I thought to myself that Jessica was being overconfident in her ability to reason.

"Other than threats, we have ways to conciliate," she remarked. "But that would require Jos's agreement."

"What do you need?"

"I mean to bribe him. Give him stuff that he wants from your supply vans." Jessica elaborated. "I can freq him on our way and ask if he wants anything. We're supposed to meet in two weeks."

"What's freq?" Nikole tilted her head and asked curiously. At once, everyone in the room except for Illya Mikhailov gasped from astonishment. She didn't even know what freq was.

"You live under a rock?" Soeun asked aghast. "Oh wait, you basically do." He sat back awkwardly.

"A freq is," Josiah generously began explaining the meaning of something we were all familiar with, "similar to what the pre-War citizens referred to as a 'call'. Each person in the Wasteworld has an identification number distributed by the provisional government, which hardly exists anymore, but well, it's used as a means to contact them over long distances. We have this device named 'frequentel' and it's used to hear the voice of the person you're trying to reach. We can't share a conversation at the same time, but deliver voice messages through the identification number. That's 'freq'."

"Oh my god." A flash of ardent interest shone in Nikole's pupils. "That is the coolest thing I've heard in years." She looked over at Mikhailov. "Do I have a freq number?"

"No, Nikole. You've been in this facility since you were a child." Mikhailov rubbed his eyes, tiresome air hanging about him.

"And that's another reason to follow Jessica to the outside world," Nikole grumbled.

"Hush, we have more to talk about," her uncle rebuked her.

"Anyway, we have mountains, rivers, lakes to cross after that. No one really knows where Elysia is exactly located at as GPS is a thing of the past now, but he knows. He's an Elysian. So he'll show us the way with a precise map. I heard vaguely that it's somewhere on the east coast of this country." Jessica crossed her legs but winced from the pain. I noted that tiny movement and almost shot out of my seat to help her but held myself secure in my seat at the last second. She didn't need that kind of help. She wasn't that kind of person.

"Alright. Say your plan works and we find Elysia. Even further, let's say we get in through a secret door or whatever." Doctor Mikhailov nodded dismissively. "What are the benefits of any of us getting in there?"

Jessica looked around, totally dumbfounded and eyes wide. She dropped her jaw and flailed her arms around to stress her frustration. "Are you kidding me? Who doesn't want to get into Elysia?" Well, that was true. Rumors had it that in Elysia, the environment was not as half as barren or toxic as it was in the Wasteworld. They said in the hidden city of hope and everlasting bliss, the compact yet intricate society was weaved in a healthily systematic way so that all the qualified citizens inside were beneficiaries of the most prestigious care and welfare insurance. Everyone got to have their dream jobs, and creativity never stopped blooming within the society. Every day was a mirthful one. Extravagant luxuries were common among the dwellers. Besides, once inside, no matter who they were in the Wasteworld, everyone got a chance to recreate their own identity and become a new person with a new name. It was a paradise in which one could build a new life without the need of their previous one.

At least that was what the rumors said.

"I'm...I'm unsure about this, Sica," Josiah confessed. "I'm happy with providing the needy with our supplies, and I'm content with traveling around to scavenge unused, yet useful goods. I prefer adventures over luxurious life that I can't fit myself in." He seemed sincerely conflicted. Josiah was rubbing his hand and studying the silver ring him and Soeun were both wearing on their ring fingers.

"To be honest, though, I want to go to Elysia," Soeun spoke up. Josiah turned to him surprised.

"You really do?"

"Yes. Why not? Why the hell not? I mean, anywhere with you is no different from Elysia, but..." Soeun mildly blushed as he continued. "We will have to settle down at some point. We won't be able to travel around forever. We'll run out eventually. Of supplies and of course, energy and motivation."

Josiah pondered this for a moment, a tender smile faintly painting his lips. We all watched the two of them mulling over this matter for thirty seconds until Josiah drew in a breath and straightened up in his seat. He cast a glance at Jessica and nodded. "Alright. I'm in, then."

"Huh, you and your insufferable love," Jessica snickered.

Josiah's face flushed from the comment. "I'd go anywhere with him."

"Okay, now how about you, Doc? Like I said before, your niece can be cured of her disability completely once you get there."

"I'm in, too." Nikole immediately raised her hand.

"Stop it, Nikole. This isn't your choice to make," Mikhailov shook his head, upset and in a brawl with himself.

"Illya, it is my choice to make. If it concerns my health, I have the right to choose," Nikole complained, clutching her crutches propped against the side of her chair. I eyed the unseen knife that was concealed inside the metal cylinder at the bottom of the gear. Clearly, Doctor Mikhailov had customized it for her. Which meant he regarded her safety and ways of self-defense as the most important things to keep in mind. He obviously loved her with all his heart, and that was why he was being so overprotective. This man was not accustomed to changes, while his niece was craving for changes that might accompany peril and adventure.

"I am your guardian. Therefore I have the right to make the final decision."

"Uncle, I'm nineteen. I don't need a guardian for goodness' sake." Nikole's stress levels were rising along with her voice. That was not good for her health state. If stimulated too much, she was bound to feel pain crawling to every peripheral nerve of her body.

"Calm down, now," the doctor soothed her as he had noticed, too. "Let's think this through first. Okay?"

"What is there to think about?" Jessica interrupted. She was resting her chin on the palm of her hand, elbow on the armrest. "You pack your medical thingamabobs and give Nikole the stuff she needs to survive until we get to Elysia. From then, you both obtain new identities and gain access to all the first-class medical support there. It's simple enough."

"And...I'm sorry to be so frank about it, but your building is failing. I don't know how it was ten years ago when your government official friend gave you access to this facility, but now, it's overrun by filthy creatures. Also, by the looks of it, the generator won't last long," Josiah added as he cautiously approached the doctor with his words.

Doctor Mikhailov closed his eyes and exhaled a lungful of breath through his nose. I watched nervously as he spent minutes envisaging the future plans and evaluating his current situation. He clasped his hands over his stomach and swallowed a few times, caught in a mental quandary.

Then, he snapped open his eyes.

"Fine."

"What? Really?" Nikole's face was like a blossoming rose; she turned almost luminous from the radiant grin that beamed from her face. I had seldom seen her so happy during the few days I had spent with her. She was more of a taciturn girl, especially to me because of our rather dramatic first encounter, but now that I think about it, it was safe to guess that it was the environment that had shaped her personality trait and repressed her original nature. She had been a bird in a cage all these years.

"Yes. We will leave this place after packing everything we need---and by everything I mean everything---and then head for Elysia. I hope it's as good a place as you say it is." He ran his fingers through his short, sandy hair but met Jessica's eyes with a solemn look. Nearly menacing.

"Deal. Then our next stop is Grand Canyon," Jessica yapped merrily. She spat out the gum in a tissue and then chucked it in the trash bin. I watched in wonder every time she succeeded in throwing something inside a bin; the girl had a good aim. I had to learn how to shoot from her.

"Are we all good, then?" I asked, preparing to stand up. I had never agreed on taking all these people along, but it hardly mattered anymore at this point. After all, my ultimate goal was to reach Elysia. So as it was made feasible, I guessed I was fine with whatever method.

"All good, now just pack your stuff," Jessica confirmed. As she tried to get up, I walked to her side and offered support. She raised her eyebrows at me and smirked. "Since when were you my personal bodyguard?"

I shrugged. "Ever since that one time you stood in front of me to save my ass."

"What?"

"When your ex or whatever, tried to shoot me and you jumped in between us. I know it's late, but that was impressive." I shyly clung to her arm and volunteered to become her human crutch. Suddenly the stench of nicotine didn't smell so bad to me anymore.

"Aw, you're being so soft, aren't ya," she giggled. "You weren't so soft with me a week ago."

"Shut up, Jessi," I rolled my eyes. Oops. I had called her 'Jessi' again. It was becoming a habit lately.

"Alright, darlin'."

We all temporarily headed back to our individual rooms provided by the doctor and his niece. I had to share my room with Jessica as she claimed to do so in case she 'needed help' at night due to her injury. I couldn't help thinking why, out of all the eligible people around, she asked for me to be with her, but just decided to think of it as a friendly gesture as I was her official trip partner or quoted from her, 'payment'. In any case, tonight was the last night spent at this facility and it saddened me somehow. This was probably the last time I would be able to feel safe and protected by walls before our arrival at the illustrious city. That is if we ever got inside. However, even if we got inside, I had things to do other than gaining a new identity and living a new life. There was some critical business to attend to...

The evening was a busy one as we helped Doctor Mikhailov load his trunk with various high-tech machines and delicate medical tools. Thank God Josiah had two trailers. Otherwise, we would not have been able to fit all of that inside any vehicle.

The last supper was thankfully not another dreadful feast of canned beans and beef jerky. Soeun, being an amateur chef, proclaimed that he would make something worthy of being called 'culinary art' and occupied the entire kitchen by himself with all ingredients he could find inside it. He turned up with tomato pasta for each of us, even conjuring up a delectable corn salad from what he could manage to gather among the highly limited choices. I was the most overjoyed to once again greet this menu I had missed for ever so long since my escape from our family mansion. We enjoyed a real feast and said our goodnights at approximately 11pm.

Once Jessica and I got to our room, she rolled down on her bed exhaustedly. I sat on mine and peered at her small back blankly. I couldn't believe I was going to leave this place soon. I had gotten so used to using this space and the convenience it allowed me.

And then a single thought crossed my mind.

"Don't you think it's time to explain your past with Jerome King and...the other girl?" I asked carefully in a low voice. I seemed to be the only one with zero knowledge on it.

Jessica stayed silent there for a while, and I instantly regretted bringing up the subject. Great. The rest of the night will be spent in static silence while we both stay up on our bed, pretending to be asleep for the next four hours. I had to ruin the one good day.

"...Can I tell you tomorrow in your Cadillac?" Jessica murmured. She sounded sleepy. Okay, then. I had not made the situation awkward. That was a relief, at least.

"Oh yeah. Don't feel pressured."

"Actually," Jessica turned to her other side and faced me with an impish grin, "I need pressure on my wound right now."

I was confused. "Which means?"

"Come here." she invited. I looked around, trying to decipher what she meant. "On my bed, jackass."

"Oh."

I hesitated for a moment but toed off my shoes and slipped under the covers of her twin bed. It was a bit too small to accommodate the two of us, but I guessed that was what Jessica intended.

"We're not...We're not doing it, right...?" I asked unsure.

Jessica laughed out loud. "Having sex? No," she said. "I just want to cuddle for tonight. I'll please you later, darling." She wrapped her arm around my body and breathed in my musky scent as she settled her head on my chest. My heart was for some reason beating faster than a racing horse. 'I'll wash in the morning,' I thought to myself. I didn't want to let this moment pass.

"I really like that tiny birthmark below your left eye, by the way," she commented out of the blue. My birthmark? I raised my arm to feel it. "It was hidden all along under the bandage. "I'm glad you're healed now."

"Thanks," I replied. I didn't know how else to respond.

"Nite, Erik," Jessica muttered sluggishly.

"Yeah. Sleep tight. Great journey ahead," I whispered in a low tone.

However, I wasn't able to fall asleep for a long time. The sensor lights were switched off, and I stared into the cracks in the ceiling with wide eyes, feeling Jessica's even breaths rhythmically brushing against my chest for at least thirty minutes. Translucent objects floated around in my darkened vision all the while. This was perplexing. I couldn't tell whether I was feeling attracted to this woman or not. Physically, yes, but inwardly...I couldn't decide. Yet. So I finally closed my eyes with a sigh and waited for tomorrow to arrive.

Only to have a horrible dream.

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Thank you for reading! Comments and votes appreciated.
ps. I love putting in more and more Jerik moments<3