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Ascension Of The Ashen Fiend: Chapter 7: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
🕑 Added 2022-08-19 01:40:27 +0000 UTCThane groaned as a light shone directly into his closed eyes, trying to turn on his side; however, it caused a whole different problem as a numbness spread through his entire body.
A scream died in his throat as Thane opened his eyes to look around. He was in a hospital with a breathing mask over his nose and mouth. Besides that, his chest was wrapped in bandages, and an IV drip was stuck in Thane's arm.
Trying to move his fingers and toes, Thane panicked when the same numbness greeted him, flashing back to the warehouse. Thane remembered how the pain faded when he hit the wall. Thane wanted to scream. The surgery to fix paralyzation was expensive. There wasn't even a chance he could afford it.
Thane's silent wailing was interrupted as the door to his room opened, "Oh, you're awake." The nurse said mostly to herself before quickly moving to Thane's side, "Try not to move or speak. You just got out of emergency care, and your wounds can still reopen."
Thane wanted to shout that he couldn't move even if he wanted to, but all Thane's strength seemed to leave him at that moment, and he collapsed back into the bed.
"I'll get you a temporary PRD so we can communicate. Yours was removed as a precaution. There are also some officers looking to talk to you, I'll hold them off as long as I can, but they were pretty insistent on wanting to speak with you." The nurse chattered on as she idly changed Thane's IV.
Thane didn't respond. All he wanted to do was wake up back in his bed and realize all he had been through was a dream. But Adrain knew this wasn't a dream or nightmare. It was reality.
'How did I get here? I remember being thrown. I must have lost consciousness after that.' Thane sighed, 'The nurse said that an officer wanted to talk to me. Did we get raided? They must have had eyes on Victor. Of course, they did. Why did I ever agree to work for him?'
Thane stopped his self-loathing as the door opened again, and three more people entered the room. One of them was the same nurse from before. Thane hadn't even noticed that she had left the room. The other two, however, were much more imposing figures. Both were women wearing the same dark navy suit with a myriad of badges decorating their chests.
"As I said before, he is in no condition to talk. It is a miracle that he is conscious, to begin with." The nurse squeaked out as the two officers stared her down.
"I don't care," One of the officers said with a clipped voice, "I have some questions that so desperately need answers. Now install the PRD and get lost."
The woman's voice had an accent that Thane couldn't recognize, and her tone made it clear she was used to getting her way.
The nurse didn't object any further and quickly pressed a small silver disk against Thane's temple, "I'm sorry I couldn't stall them any longer." The nurse said quiet enough for only Thane to hear before she fled the room without a second look back.
Thane felt his bed rise underneath him, propping him up in an almost seated position, so he could look his two visitors in the eyes.
"Good, now that we are alone, we can begin. You are Thane Vapos, correct?" The same woman asked without preamble.
Focusing on his new PRD, Thane used eye command to type out the word 'yes,' which appeared in a text box in the air for all in the room to see.
"Well, Thane, I am Major General Aayana Marja of the BAF, and I have a few questions for you. With me is Colonel Juliet Gallant, also of the BAF. She is the one who stopped your attacker from killing you. I believe you owe her your thanks."
Thane said nothing, refusing to meet either of the women's eyes, "Moving on,' Aayana said after a moment, "The reason you are a person of interest is that Colonel Gallant reported that you were able to repair the decommissioned suit of stolen power armor. Is that correct?"
Thane paused for a moment deciding whether to tell the truth or not, before he typed 'yes' a second later, "Good, at least you're being honest. Now Adrain, you must understand that knowledge regarding anything related to the production, maintenance, and everything else about power armor is highly restricted, yes?"
Again Thane replied in one word, "So you do understand, that leads me to ask. How did you figure out how to repair a suit of power armor that was deemed beyond repair more than a decade ago? Did your boss Victor Trevant give instructions on fixing the armor?"
Shaking his head, Thane quickly typed out, 'No, I figured it out myself.' Aayana allowed a look of surprise to flash across her face, "By yourself? Though I don't doubt you're smarter than most people your age, you can't expect me to believe you were able to accomplish this on your own."
Thane felt a spark of rage flare in his chest, 'I did repair your armor by myself. Whether or not you choose to believe me doesn't matter to me.'
Aayana stared at the text box before looking back at Thane with a predatory smile, "Actually, I think you care what I think more than you would like to admit. I read your medical files Adrain. I know your condition and what you did to pay your rent. You take pride in your intellect and skill, as it is the only thing about you that's worth a damn. But you know all of that. You're so painfully aware of it. It's the reason why you'll do anything to regain what you lost. Your spine was severed, Thane nearly cut in twain, you won't be able to move again without the latest medical technology, the cheapest of which cost several million credits."
The General's words cut through Thane like a knife. Everything she said was true. There was no need for Thane to question it, and when he realized it, a chill ran through his entire being. Somehow this woman had been able to see through to the very soul of his character, something that very few had been able to do.
"That being said," Aanyana continued, her stone-cold facade falling back in place, "Whether or not you repair the armor on your own or not doesn't matter. What you know can not go unchecked. So you have two choices: spend the rest of your life in a secure, isolated prison paralyzed, wallowing in your greatest failure. Or enroll in the Academy as a cadet. The BAF will pay for your recovery. However, you will have to pay off that debt using what you learn at the Academy."
Thane was stunned. The Academy was something people like him never thought about. They only accepted a handful of cadets yearly. Those who got in most often came from elite families with Arbiter ancestry and resources Adrain couldn't even begin to think about.
"Judging from the look on your face, you know how irregular this is. Do not be mistaken. You will have to take the same entrance exam as the other applicants. If you fail, you will be sent to prison, as mentioned earlier, but if you succeed, you will be granted power that very few have. You will be responsible for protecting Bastion from the monsters on the surface and supplying monster cores which power our beloved city." Aayana had a feverish look in her eyes as if imagining herself standing between a horde of monsters and the weak and defenseless city of Bastion.
"There is a great chance you will fail the test and be sent to prison anyways, but if you at least attempt to enroll, the BAF will still pay for your surgery. All you have to do is choose Thane. Will you lose everything you built for yourself or take it back and so much more?"
While the General was talking, Thane was at war with himself. He had just been presented with a losing nothing, gain everything situation, something that had never happened in his life before.
It was making Thane second guess everything that Aayana had told him so far. She had control of the entire situation, and everything she said could be meticulously fabricated to lower his guard.
But why go to such lengths? Surely it would be easier to lock him up in a cell and throw away the key. So why give him the option to enroll in the Academy? Thane had no idea, and it was driving him crazy, not knowing why.
Aayana saw the hesitation in Thane's eyes and smiled, "I can see you need a moment to think. I'll give you some time, but I need my answer by-"
'I'll do it. I'll apply for the Academy.'
Aayana was interrupted as another text box appeared, and a genuine smile stretched across her face, "Excellent choice. Of course, you will have to sign a contract for legal reasons to finalize the deal. It will be your last chance to change your mind, so look over it carefully."
Thane didn't bother to respond. The conversation had drained the last of his energy, and his desire to sleep was strong.
Aayana watched as Thane's breath evened and his eyes closed. Taking one more second to stare at the teen, Aayana suddenly turned to Juliet, "We're done here, I have to report to my superiors, and you no doubt have your own duties to attend to."
Juliet paused for a moment before opening her mouth, "Permission to speak freely, General?"
Aayana stared at Juliet for a moment, "Permission granted."
"Why?" At the same time, the question was simple and complex, and Aayana raised a single eyebrow, "Why what, Colonel?"
A look of frustration passed over Juliet's face before she schooled her expression, "I mean, why did you offer him the chance to enroll? While anyone can apply for testing, I am the first from the outer four rings in the last decade to even enroll in the Academy, let alone graduate. It was the greatest obstacle I have ever overcome, and I trained for years in anticipation. The next batch of applicants is due in six months. How is he supposed to compensate for the years others will have on top of his genetic condition?"
Aayana was quiet for a long moment, wondering how much she could say, "Truly, Colonel, I do not know. I am only a mouthpiece for Council. What I do is either approved by my superiors or comes directly from them."
Juliet's eyes widened a fraction as she understood what the General was trying to tell her. Someone else wanted Thane Vapos at the Academy. Nodding once, Juliet cleared her throat, "Thank you, General."
Aayana acted like she hadn't heard the General as she continued, "We are running late, Colonel. I suggest we get moving."
---
[Bastion Surface: The Academy]
Sitting alone in his office Cole Triton adjusted the small disc on his desk, projecting a hologram displaying the words 'Headmaster.' His brow was wrinkled in confusion as he looked at the report from Major Aayana.
"Are you sure that this was the right move? You've made your point time and time again that you don't want to interfere with his life." Cole asked the seemingly empty room, "Do I have doubts? About him joining, no, knowing what I know, how could I? But this is going to bring him a lot closer to you. You've always kept him at arm's length, not literally, of course."
Cole paused as he listened to someone before a smile stretched across his lips, "You know I can't help myself, but can you? When he starts attending the Academy, will you still be able to keep your distance?"
Again Cole paused, "Of course, he's going to get in. In fact, I bet Thane Vapos will be turning a lot of heads by the end of the year, just like his father."
