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Galo scowled up at the large billboard prominently displayed on the side of a building that overlooked the square. The heroic, airbrushed face of Governor Kray Foresight stared out at the city he’d created.
Galo had once idolised him. He’d once believed that Kray had been his saviour. Now he knew better. He knew that Kray had not rescued him from the fire that had killed Galo’s parents. Instead, Kray had caused it. Kray was a cruel, selfish and twisted person. Galo hated him more than he’d ever hated anyone else in the world.
People streamed past Galo as he stood there staring up at the billboard. They talked and laughed about the upcoming anniversary celebration. They were the lucky ten thousand, those who had earned a place in this new world of Kray’s.
One year since the Earth had burned. One year since the Parnassus had warped to this new world.
Galo resumed walking again, heading for a building he had visited many times before. He worked there at a boring office job, filing paperwork and running errands for Kray. As much as it galled Galo to do Kray’s bidding, he had his reasons for doing so.
But today he wasn’t going to work. He had a monthly appointment to keep.
Galo went through the usual security checks before being allowed past the foyer, though he felt that the checks were a bit unnecessary. Omega was remarkably crime-free. The Freeze Force served as the colony’s police force, and they were merciless in enforcing the colony’s laws. Crossing them wasn’t an option. Outside of the colony’s boundaries, Omega was a harsh world. Obedience was the trade-off for safety and sustenance—for survival.
Even Galo, who had more reason than any to hate the system, kept within the lines. He had too much to lose.
Galo was escorted by a Freeze Force officer down to the sub-basement area of the building. Far from the clean, crisp silver decor of the upper floors, this floor was dim and foreboding. Utilitarian. Galo passed closed door after closed door, his feet on autopilot while his mind shrank from the knowledge of what—or rather who—was behind those doors.
The colonists thought Kray was their hero. Galo knew the truth just as well as these walls did, but he kept his mouth shut.
It wasn’t as if anyone would believe him anyway. And even if they did, would they care? Or would they view it as a necessary sacrifice?
Galo was let into a room. The only furniture it contained were two chairs facing each other. One chair was already occupied. Galo took a seat in the other, and waited for the Freeze Force agent to leave the room. Only once he’d heard the heavy door close behind him did he speak.
“Hi.”
Tired magenta eyes lifted to meet Galo’s. A thin smile pulled pale lips up.
“Galo.”
Lio Fotia’s voice was raw. His hair was cut raggedly and his clothes were baggy, a dark grey shirt and sweats. His wrists were handcuffed to the back of the chair and his ankles were shackled to the chair’s legs. Around his neck was a metal collar, a red light glowing steadily on it.
“Has it been a month already? I lose track,” Lio murmured.
Galo smiled, though his heart was breaking behind his ribs. He felt like he’d failed. Failed humanity. Failed his friends. Most of all, failed Lio. And with every day that passed, with every day Galo went to work like a dutiful citizen, with every day Galo kept his silence, he failed Lio again. And again. And again.
Lio should hate him. Lio should be cursing him. Yet Lio was still smiling that sad little smile, like he understood.
Galo wished that he himself understood.
“What’s it like out there?” Lio asked, a little more life showing in his eyes.
“It’s…okay,” Galo said dully. He rested one hand on Lio’s knee. “How’re you?”
Lio shrugged. “Still here,” he said.
“The others?”
For a moment, Lio’s mask cracked. His lip trembled, but he gathered his composure quickly.
“As well as I’m aware,” he said quietly. “They keep us separated most of the time.”
Galo nodded. He could see that this was a subject that was best dropped. Anyway, what could he really expect? The surviving Burnish were prisoners—prisoners of a madman with a god complex. Of course they weren’t okay.
“I wish you’d stop coming,” Lio whispered.
The words hurt Galo, but he’d heard them before. Galo squeezed Lio’s knee, knowing that this was probably the only friendly, warm contact Lio had had for a long time. Lio stared at him with bleak eyes that hadn’t seen true sunlight for a year.
“I could never do that,” Galo told him.
As long as Lio was alive, there was hope. Hope that Kray could be exposed. Hope that the Burnish could be free. Hope that Lio could see the sun again, even if it wasn’t the same sun that had nurtured him for most of his life.
For now, they had to play by Kray’s rules. Galo didn’t have the resources or the support to make a stand against him.
But Kray, despite allusions to the contrary, was only human. He couldn’t maintain his iron grip on his subordinates forever. Dark secrets had a way of finding the light, and Galo knew that there were people in the colony who wouldn’t hesitate to use Kray’s crimes to usurp him if they felt it was to their benefit. Galo wasn’t Kray’s only enemy, and that was very fortunate.
Galo would have to be very careful, however. If Kray suspected Galo of conspiring against him, Kray wouldn’t hesitate to kill Lio. Lio was Galo’s very own collar, ensuring his obedience. Kray had figured that Galo would never risk Lio’s life, and Kray was right. Galo would do anything for Lio, including helping Kray reassure the colony’s citizens and build a solid foundation for their new world. A world that Galo hoped the Burnish would truly be part of one day. They shouldn’t be kept hidden away in the cold dark like dirty family secrets.
Galo spent a good hour talking to Lio in that small, dim room. When the Freeze Force agent returned to tell Galo that his time was up, Galo rose and gave Lio a brief hug.
“See you next month,” he said, his heart heavy.
“Wear something nice,” Lio joked weakly, lips quirking up as a little of his old spark showed itself.
Galo left him, feeling sick to his stomach as the door closed behind him. The sound of it echoed in his mind. Every step he took away from Lio felt heavier and heavier, like Lio was an anchor trying to drag Galo down. Even once he’d left the building, even once he stood under an alien sun again, he still felt like he couldn’t breathe. Lio’s face lingered in his mind’s eye. Worn, haggard and resigned.
Galo walked on, feeling like a stranger in the city he lived in, but could never think of as home. The people passing him felt as alien to him as the Promare were. None of them had a clue. None of them knew what the price of their survival had been. None of them knew of the lives being held captive under their feet.
Galo walked on, under an alien sun.