Evan sat with Ken and the twins on the edge of one of the upper terraces in Alpha Base. Their legs dangled over the side as the four of them watched a movie that played on the base’s biggest screen. The city was lit only by a giant screen, and small fires that dotted the terraces and marketplace. Thousands of people had set up sleeping bags and chairs around the terraces and marketplace as a movie played. The air was cool. Evan zipped up his old brown jacket with the upside-down Federation patch (multiple washes had reduced the blood stain to a dark beige) and wrapped a wooly blanket over his body. The film wasn’t one he recognized, a cartoon about animals that solved crimes or something along those lines. He hadn’t fully processed the film since his mind had a great deal other things to consider already.

  He looked over to Ken, who wasn’t staring at the screen.

  “You alright, buddy?” Evan asked.

  Ken said, “Bad guys. Hurt…” He stopped when his eyes watered.

  Evan had to look away to prevent himself from crying also. It was his friend they’d hurt. His brother they’d tortured. It took a special kind of evil to treat someone as harmless as Ken that way. He turned back to Ken and rubbed his back.

  Ken calmed. “Thank you for saving me.”

  “Yeah, uh, yeah bro… I had to.” Evan wished he had been better at words.

  Ken smiled and whispered, “Movie.”

  Evan whispered back, “Right.”

  Ken returned his focus to the screen, but Evan stayed in a mental limbo state. A lot had happened. Much of it he was unproud of. For him, it’d been worth the price to be with his family again. But… He couldn’t help but ponder the sacrifices of others. It was doubtful they’d agree about the worth of their sacrifice. Dozens of enforcers, a handful of rebels, all for two random afflicted and a defected governor. Luna… He’d traded her life for Ken’s. What kind of hero did that? Whose life would be traded to get hers back?

  Vihn strolled over to them.

  “Howdy, Cap’n.” Blink waved to him.

  “Hey,” he replied. Then he addressed Evan, “Can I talk to you for a moment, kid?”

  “Sure.” Evan joined Vihn a little way from his friends. “What’s up?”

  Vihn leaned against a crate and folded his arms. “A lot has happened since I trained with you. How are your powers? Are you managing the drawback?”

  For the most part, Evan noticed he’d been getting better at controlling his powers and being able to keep from passing out as much. “I think I’ve gotten the hang of it.”

  “Good. Seems like you do better in life-or-death situations.” He looked off to the side. What else was on his mind?

  “What’s wrong?” Evan asked.

  Vihn sighed. “You’re dad. He’s swapped from leading Monolith Industries and the East to working with rebels, just like that? It doesn’t add up.”

  This was the last conversation Evan wanted to have. “He’s only wanted to protect me. It makes sense. The Federation has always been out to hurt our family, and now he has the chance to get back at them.”

  “Maybe. I hope so, but…” Vihn faced Evan. “The people you trust the most do the most damage. Just, don’t let down your guard until it’s all over.”

  That was the second time someone had warned him about his father. Evan didn’t want to be a fool and dismiss what Vihn was saying, it was wisdom, but he wanted to believe in his father so much more.

  “Ok. I’ll stay focused,” Evan said.

  Vihn nodded. “Alright. We’re going to be leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Make sure the others know.”

  As Vihn walked away, Evan found himself too lethargic to return to his friends just yet. Blink appeared to have noticed and came to Evan while he leaned over the guard railing.

  “What’s up?” She slid next to him.

  “I don’t know… It’s that none of this seems to have been as perfect as I thought it’d be.” He pulled away from the bars. “I think I need some more time to process it all.”

  Blink rested her chin on her arms. “Yeah, I gotcha. Take whatever time you need. I’m here whenever.”

  “Thanks-”

  “Evan?” came a voice behind him.

  It was one of Andrea’s guards.

  “Yes?”

  The guard waved. “The Ark would like to see you.”

  Evan massaged his neck. “Seems like everyone wants to talk to me tonight.”

  “Go ahead,” Blink said.

  Why should he? He’d fought this hard to get his friend back, and his father. They were together, and now these people, who hardly knew him, wanted to tell him what to think and do. But that was part of the deal, wasn’t it? Help them, they help him? Or was it satisfied now that his father was on their side? It was a mess. One he was sure could wait until tomorrow. He needed to take his mind off it all.

  “Nah, I’m good. I’ll talk to her another time.” Evan smiled and offered Blink his arm. “Would you like to go for a walk?”

  She smiled. “Of course.” She reached with her gloved hand. It didn’t part and was stiff to hold, but it had her warmth all together.

  They walked beside the railing, round the terrace that might take a thousand or so steps to traverse, all the while the animal movie played on.

  “How is it?” Evan asked, referring to her hand.

  She turned it side to side, still resting in his elbow. “You know, I actually forgot that anything was different about it, if I’m honest. Hey, you want to hear a gross theory of mine?”

  Evan scrunched his face up but was curious all the same. “Ok?”

  She tugged gently on his arm, he had to hunch slightly to meet her request. She didn’t whisper, but she did speak in a way that he knew her voice was meant for his ears alone.

  “See,” she started, some form of mischievous theory brewing on her tongue, “when I teleport, I am really just moving my molecules from one place to another one that I am thinking about really hard.”

  “Sure,” he agreed, though not actually knowing how her powers worked scientifically.

  “So, I choose what comes with me. But sometimes it’s hard to, like, get all the tiny freaking bits to come with. So, my theory is that – what if, when I had that wonky teleport, my hand molecules got left behind?”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, so there’s, like, a flappy bunch of my skin in the shape of my hand just laying out there somewhere in the city.”

  “Ugh, that’s…” Evan tried to picture it. “Man, like…”

  Blink stopped, wide eyed. “Like a snakeskin. You know when they molt? Ewww, haha!”

  His body shook with the imagery, and he laughed with her. There happened to be a snake character in the movie as she brought this up.

  They continued with their stroll. It was cold that night, but not the kind that made for an uncomfortable evening. More so the type of cold that was revitalizing and drew people closer together.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Alright,” Blink said. “You are trapped on an island, and only get to bring one thing with you, what is it?”

  Evan had to think about it, not the most unique question he’d heard, but not one he’d really put much thought into. What was the one thing he found most valuable?

  “Actually!” she exclaimed. “Sorry, no, better question if you don’t mind. I mean, I assume it was probably music – That’s what I was gonna say, anyway. But, sorry, this new question, ok?”

  “Ok?” Evan giggled.

  “If you could combine two animals, ok? Two animals, but one is a land animal and the other is a sea animal. What would they be, and why? Oh, and it can’t be something that already exists like a sea turtle or platypus – distinctly land and sea.”

  Evan tried to cycle through his limited perspective of animals. “So, no birds then? They’re, like, air yeah?”

  She hemmed and hawed. “Ok, birds can count as a land animal. No more questions. You got this, dude.”

  He rolled his head trying to think something up. “Maybe, a bird and a shark?”

  “Huh. Like a great white with two big eagle wings? Or a bunch of little raven wings? Or a sand shark with hummingbird wings?”

  “Let’s say great white and eagle wings. Then it’s like the ultimate predator.”

  She smiled, and her eyebrows pinched as if trying to fathom the monstrosity something like that would be. The light of the screen and fires glistened in her eyes like dozens of stars dancing.

  She said, “That’s great, Evan. I like it.”

  “Thanks! You’re turn.”

  She nodded very seriously. “A cow, and a goldfish.”

  “Cow and goldfish?” Evan asked in a high octave, not hiding how weird he thought the idea was.

  “Mhmm. Imagine how funny it’d be to see that.”

  “Well, is it a cow sized goldfish, or a goldfish sized cow?”

  She stopped walking and stared hard at the floor. Evan tried hard not to laugh, doing his best to play along with her sudden seriousness.

  Finally, she turned slowly to him and said, “A tiny cow with goldfish fins and tail.”

  “That’s adorable.”

  She smooshed her fingers, half of them gloved, together in front of her face. “So small!”

  Evan broke into laughter with her. It felt like his cheeks would explode. “Man, that’s a perfect question.”

  Blink sighed and flipped her hair. “Thank you, darling.” She walked away from Evan and leaned over the guardrail.

  He couldn’t be away from her that long, and joined her immediately, though he tried to play it off as confident and easy.

  They had such peace down there. It was like the war didn’t exist and that no one was dying. It was just this city, these thousands of people wrapped in blankets and each other’s arms, watching a family cartoon that was made decades before the world had become what it was. A world like this could exist, and it was his. More so, it was his to share with people like his father, and his best friend, and someone like Blink.

  “My question next,” Evan said.

  “Sure.”

  “I kind of asked this before, and I really want to understand you thought on this. How does all of this really work?”

  She looked at him quizzically.

  He gestured to the whole base. “This. I mean, I’ve asked a dozen times – I still don’t fathom it. Thousands of people, many of them Afflicted, all from different lives. How do they all live here in peace?”

  “Order is an agreement.”

  “Huh?”

  She shrugged. “It’s something pops says. If people want to live, they must work together. The city works because everyone who’s come here knows the world is a world of chaos, and here they choose to live in order. We protect ourselves, and each other. We are the city.”

  He thought upon her words. They survived merely through cooperation. Their diversity strengthened them, it didn’t weaken them; and they welcomed and embraced each other as brothers and sisters, no matter their past, their gifts, their cultures. They were humanity. They were beautiful.

  “Ok,” she said. “What about your jacket? Why an upside-down Federation moon?”

  He tugged on the sleeve to see what she was talking about. He had almost forgotten it was there. “Oh, well. It was an accident. My dad had an old servant sew it in, but she liked to sneak some whiskey when he wasn’t looking. Anyway, I stuck with it because it made me feel rebellious, like I had some sort of control over the world around me. It’s stupid, I know.”

  She shook her head. “No, I think it’s cool. It’s you, and I like you.”

  “Ah… Yeah. I like you,” he fumbled with the words.

  “I’m glad we have this, Evan. I don’t meet a lot of people who don’t get annoyed by me.” She traced circles in the railing with her good finger.

  “What? Why?”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes they think I’m immature, or too young, or something. It’s whatever. But I don’t want to lose this – you – I mean.”

  “I don’t want to lose this either,” he told her.

  She looked back to him, and he was already looking at her. She tilted her head. “What are you thinking?”

  His heart pumped hard as he realized exactly what he was thinking. He didn’t want to pull away, and he was scared to tell her the truth, but worse was to freeze and do nothing. She slid her hand closer to his, an open question? Should they stay friends? If they moved forward, what could happen? Would they lose that friendship? Would they forgive each other? Was it worth the risk? Did it have to happen? He wanted it to happen. But…

  “Blink. There’s one more question I have.” He gulped. He could see the defenses rising in her eyes, but she didn’t pull away. He pressed on, wanting truth to guide him beyond anything else. “It’s something that’s stuck with me ever since you snuck out with me my first few nights here. Why me? Like… Why an awkward, brooding, incompetent man like me? I mean, there’s hundreds of other guys here. You’re amazing, and you choose the one guy who can’t even make eye contact with you without freaking out?”

  Blink tightened her hand around Evan’s, but drooped her head to the guard railing, chewing on her inner cheek. He leaned down to her level.

  On the big screen, a cat chased after a group of mice, bashing into things as they made their escape.

  She spoke softly. “I didn’t choose you. Not at first.”

  Her words were a knife tracing his heart, and he feared that it’d cut into the flesh. He pressed her hand firmly, tenderly, readying himself for the strike.

  “Vihn had asked me to get to know you. Andrea asked me to help you feel comfortable. I mean, it’s not that I wasn’t curious about you for myself, though. I tend to get myself in trouble for putting my nose into other people’s business generally.” She looked at Evan with timid eyes.

  She was told to get close to me. Did she… manipulate me? Were these eyes… those smiles… tools to disarm me? Was she disarming me now? Evan looked away from her, but still held on to her hand. He didn’t want to let go. He didn’t want to let go. He didn’t want to let go.

  “You… were trying to get me to join the rebels willingly, to trust you.” He should be angry. He should refuse to be near her, but he couldn’t – he didn’t want to let go. He turned his face to her partially, just to see what her reaction would be.

  She dropped the timidness and replaced it with an all too real sense of concern; her mouth, and eyes painfully reactive to him. “Evan… I… I did. I did. I don’t want to lie to you. I was trying to get you to trust us. But… I also genuinely hoped you’d want to. That you’d choose to.”

  He rubbed his eyes with his free hand, tempted to drop his arm where her fingers clutched, those warm fingers, where the rest of him felt cold.

  He retracted his hands to his pockets and twisted his ID in circles. “How do I know that any of this was my choice? How do I know that any of these ideas were my own?”

  “Man, you have no idea, do you?” She said, firm, but somehow warm.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Evan… you convicted me of something in myself. You… don’t know about the dark side of me, the part that wants to hurt people. I want to hurt people every day, every time I get out of bed, I think about how I can hurt the people who hurt me, who hurt my brother.” She exhaled uneasily.

  Evan found his full attention on her again.

  “It was just an assignment at first, but you reminded me that there’s a purpose to all of this beyond ‘rebels vs soldiers.’ Yeah, the government is a big freaking problem, and it pits all of us little people against each other. We’re just grinding into each other and dying, all to protect their agenda. And still, beyond all of that, you reminded me of why I joined the Blood Red Army in the first place. Your love for your brother. Your genuine, selfless, often reckless love for your family. That’s who I was once, and that’s who I’ve started to become again. You’re my family now, Evan. I would do any number of stupid things to protect you, because you reminded me that the reason we fight is for love, not for hate.”

  They were in each other’s close embrace now; Evan hadn’t even noticed how he’d gotten closer to her with each word. Was it so true? Duty turned into genuine love. It hadn’t been something that he’d wandered into, it’d been something they worked for. It’d taken serious contemplation on both ends. But that’s what made it genuine love and not just attraction, wasn’t it? The intentional, honest, pursuit of understanding one another and supporting each other. He accepted it.

  “I’m sorry, Evan. Please forgive me,” she said as she bit back the forming of tears in her eyes.

  He hugged her tightly, casting out the coldness of the night, summoning the warmth of two vulnerable souls together. “It’s ok. We’re family now. You’ve made me feel wanted. You’ve made me feel capable. You could not trust me, and I could not trust you. The rebellion is what mattered. Things have changed now, and if anyone understands that the past is not the present, it’s me. Let’s stick together, you and me, our siblings, and all. God brought us together for a reason, and I believe it’s to make us all better people, and to save as many of the hopeless as we can.”

  A tear escaped her eye. “Oh, geeze.” She chuckled as she wiped it.

  Evan chuckled with her. “Ape, together, strong?” It was a movie reference she had made at one point, about smart apes taking over the world together or something like that.

  She started laughing, almost braying like a horse. “Oh, it hurts, oh that hurts.” She said grabbing her stomach.

  “Was that cheesy?” He said, laughing with her.

  “Yes! I love it!”

  They laughed together, while the city cheered at the rolling credits of an ending to the cartoon that the two them had been too busy to notice.

  *****

  The city had just begun to stir for the morning when the crew loaded Ad Astra with ample supplies and gear for their trip.

  Evan dropped the last box into place and stepped onto the loading docks. Father was there waiting for him. Evan walked over and gave him a hug.

  His dad asked. “Are you sure you want to take this mission on?”

  “Yeah, Dad. If it proves you’re on our side and helps us get back to a normal life, then I’m all for it.”

  He nodded, and patted Evan’s shoulders. “Your mom would be proud. You know that, right?”

  “Yeah, I know. Thanks.”

  “Alright, be safe. I’m here, but I’ll meet you again soon. Don’t do anything risky.”

  Evan took his father’s words and held on to them. “Don’t worry. No more risks.”

  “Good. We just got our family together, we don’t want to lose it again, right?”

  “Right.” Though, that last part weighed on him. When he fought with the rebels before, he had nothing to lose, but now… between Blink, Ken, and his father, he had everything to lose. None of it was worth sacrificing. So, as he waved goodbye and boarded the ship, he resolved in his mind that after this mission, the war was over for him. He’d go home, and he’d stay home.