Aris attempted to struggle against the people's grip, but they had an iron grip, as they dragged him up and out of the room, into a vast, humid desert. Sand blew into his stinging eyes, causing him to blink back a few tears. Several of the rescuers--at least that was the only thing he could assume--ushered them into the open space and towards a helicopter. He felt his feet cooperate, clamber onto the helicopter, and slumped into a seat, his exhaustion winning out his sharpened fear.
The helicopter lifted into the air and sailed over the desert. He stared into the distance, peered out of the window, seeing nothing but sand and cities in ruins, completely blemished, almost equivalent to the chancellor's explanation, and the ones that was just old, not But he was still on high-alert, despite his desolation and grief, he had to force them away for now.
"What's going on?" he questioned, leaning forward towards the man. The man let out a breath.
"You'll recall too much," he murmured, staring out into the distance as well. "We're not....scientists...we have no clue what they did to you, other than remove those memories. But everything is going to be okay now, boy." He offered a smile, but Aris still found it unsettling, detected an edge of suspicion in the man's voice. "All I can say is that I'm against WICKED." Then, he offered nothing else.
Aris leaned up against the leather seat. Sonya interlaced her fingers with his. "Let's be safe for now and get some rest."
"Okay, then," he agreed. "I think we are." But his body still felt rigid and tense, and he somehow couldn't relax them. Most girls were asleep though; he could tell from the even rhythm of their breathing. He just kept an eye on the man and his companions the entire time.
***
After what felt like an eternity to Aris, they finally landed on a platform. Night had already settled; the moon was well into the air. He and the girls were ushered into an enormous brick building with a few glass panels. Everyone eagerly crowded in, stumbling over one another and down a hall leading up, and onto a flight of stairs to their sleeping quarters, he was separated from the girls though.
"You're a male, so we'll separate you for now," one of the men on the helicopter said. "You'll see them in the morning." He guided Aris through a twisty hall, into a dormitory, his own sleeping quarter. "We'll summon you for supper, so you'll see them, then, before lights-out." He opened the door for Aris.
He thanked the man and looked around once the door was clicked with a gentle click. The dormitory was very clean and simple, it had a dresser containing fresh clothes in the drawers, access to the bathroom by just opening another door in the far side of the room, a closet, and even bunk beds with plush mattress, blankets, and pillow, a nightstand with an alarm clock perched on top that he could set any time.
For the first time, he felt truly safe. He had this decently sized, much more sizeable than that small cabin back in the Spring, a cozy bed to spend a night in, and bathroom. He took an intake of breath, swallowing hard, as he stepped into the shower. Rachel would be so, so happy, he thought. She'd be glad that I'm safe.
The man returned to summon him to dinner after he was showered. In the enormous room, which they called the cafeteria, dinner was loaded on trays--a plate of spaghetti bolognese, a few thick slices of bread, and a bowl of lettuce leaves, and Aris sat with the Icers. He ate everything on his tray, devouring ravenously at everything.
Back in his dorm, completely refreshed, he plopped down on his bed and settled into the mattress. Everything was all right now. But what he didn't know, as he sank deeper into the mattress, was that WICKED was already plotting out another Trial, Phase Two, since they still didn't have that blueprint. That tomorrow, once more, he would be risking his life again, tomorrow morning, while trying to complete a jeopardizing journey.
END OF BOOK ONE
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