Capítulo 9: [IX] - Rusty Cage
She struggled to grab me by my arms, to pull me up, and help me stand, but after the medication she applied to me, I felt enough strength to do it myself. I don't enjoy it when someone else is helping me, even my dear aunt, but sometimes, I wish I would forget about my pride and just let someone help me. I'm used to coping with every problem all by myself. In this city, there is usually no one that will help you disinterestedly. Every deed has a value.
She carefully shut the entrance door behind me, locking it with a few safety systems, and I led her to the technical room at the end of the hall. My personal computer stood there, taking the most space of the place. I always wondered why we, people of the poorer districts, cannot have accessibility to the more advanced technology. Wouldn't it make our lives a hundred times easier? Seeing the huge ventraptors in the sky, commanding the laws of physics and gravity, and the big holograms in the sky, kilometers away from me, in the richer districts. Everything there is more developed and makes people's life's easier. No barriers, no worries. Everything displayable on portable, multidimensional screens. But the ones like me have to deal with thing with a more difficult path. I've never complained about my computer, a big gray box with all sorts of lights flashing here and there, but it's slowness and overheating are starting to get on my nerves, especially when the job needs to be got done quickly.
I pushed my little memory device into one of the computer ports, and the shutdown black screen started vibrating with green and blue lights. The cords on the wall were pulsing, telling me that the data on the device was being proceeded by the system. A loading notification popped on the screen, showing the percentage of the video program execution.
The higher the numbers got, the more sweaty I become, being afraid of I don't even know what.
That's only a video, what's to be afraid of it? The fact that I don't want to see the masked face of that damn blue-eyed again? Or maybe witnessing all of those soldiers falling to their death once again? I felt like I couldn't breathe anymore. My aunt stood behind me, with a stone face, not showing any emotions at all. The blue screen was creepily reflecting in her eyes. I really don't want to watch it, but I need too.
[Loading Media — 100% Complete]
[Proceed to the menu?]
[Yes] [No]
After a short second, I hesitantly touched the [Yes] button on the screen. I anxiously gulped when the first frame of the footage appeared before me. But it was just a dark blue screen with an okay button on it. Did it record anything? My whole body started to shake to the idea of it. My whole pursuit for nothing. Are the only things I got alive with — my memories? Is this really what's making me number one most wanted target in the whole district now? Nothing more to it?
"Asha. Play it." — My aunt commanded me with a cold, quiet voice.
"W-Wait. I'm going to copy it on my internal memory card, just in case… Don't worry, it's going to proceed in the background, not affecting the actual thing." — Productivity above all. That's how I do my things. No more time waiting, I need to get this thing secure anyway, no matter if it's actually something or not.
I clicked a few buttons, and the thing was getting copied to my computer memory card. In case I lose my external device with the original proof, I can always have this one safely in here.
I glanced at her, she was getting annoyed with every second I held back. I couldn't wait anymore, so I just pressed the [Start] button carefully, and in tension, waited to see the whole thing once again.
The video started with a pitch-black darkness. With a blue flashes appearing here and there. I couldn't recall at what point I turned the thing on. As the video went on, I recognized the narrow, black street right before the grand area, where the battle was. At first, I was actually holding the recorder in my hands, but then I tripped, and after I got up, it ended being clipped to my pocket, actually recording the first minutes of me helping the officer, meeting those two mysterious men, and running up to this huge place where all the bodies were thrown throughout the place.
The quality was very clear, and every detail could be seen. I felt wronged and dizzy, watching it all over again. The hopes for my aunt to see and understand my state were lost, as she was staring at the screen like a child on the display with the things they can't afford. She didn't even blink once, while watching this. Her mouth was open, as if she wanted to tell me something, but nothing came out. Not even a breath.
When the video got to the point where I struggled with the blue-eyed, the recorder must have clipped itself out of my outer pocket, but luckily, it fell deep inside it.
The expression of my aunt… When she saw this masked man, it turned into something I've never seen before on her face.
Anger with disbelief.
She looked at him with her eyes wide open, exactly like he did when he first saw me. I wonder, do these two know each other? No way. My aunt is the oldest person I've ever saw in my life. I've never seen an older person on the streets. And she never goes outside. No chances this aggressive young man and her might know each other.
The rest of the footage was blurred, but things still were somewhat visible from behind the half-transparent cloth of my pocket, like a very dense network. I wanted to avoid bearing through it anymore. When it got to the point where he murdered all those people with cold blood, I closed my eyes, and sat down on the floor. But all the noises were still clear, ringing in my ears, making me nauseous. She still stood straight, and watched it all with that expression on her face. Is this the considerate aunt Celine that I've been living with? The one telling me all lives have worth? She is just watching them now being all slaughtered, without a blink of an eye.
The video ended at the point where I was at the side of a great wall, lying all in dust, realizing it was all being recorded.
A little screen popped on before the screen, announcing the end of the copying process. It's all done now. And what now awaits me?
She glanced at me worryingly. But is it her worries now? It's me who is all mixed in this, she should safely stay away from all of this.
"Auntie… Will they find me here?"
"I told you Asha to not get in any dange-"
"Can you answer me?! Will we be safe hiding in here?"
"You are so inconsiderate!!! I told you many times not to exaggerate over this foolish work! Haven't I told you about the outside world for nothing?! The changes start with the small, considerate things, not throwing yourself into the fire of a burning city, waiting for it to be saved by your sacrifice-"
"Can you stop!? I hate being yelled by anyone…" — The tears were flowing out of my eyes like cascades. Why is it that everyone is against me?
"You've met those dangerous people, and you think that hiding will do you any good?! I hoped that you had understood the knowledge I've given upon you and the value it has. But now I see that you don't cherish the life I've given to you, nor the chance to live with a clear mind."
"Stop! Please… Don't you want to do something with this cruel system of ours? Didn't you teach me all of this because you hoped that I can change something greatly…"
"You can't! I've let you roam the streets and do this job because I know this is the most freedom I can give you. I've covered you at the school you hated so much. Furthermore, I let you go free the way you want because you are the only one left that actually cares about me. And I care about you.
We all are like birds in the cage.
Some of them are thin and tricky enough to get out of it. But the freedom is relative. Sometimes the cage is more safe than the outside world, where beast await you, thorns of beautiful flowers wait to scratch your wings, and flying too far away you will eventually get lost in the vast world you've never got to know before.
Seeing the video you recorded, and your current state, I can't guarantee you any safety that I've been trying to keep for all those years. Understand me Asha. You are too precious to lose and entangle with the dark world that currently is around you."
"I've been roaming through the dark streets with the bats more than you know about it!"
"Be happy you've not lost your head yet!!!"
"I almost did! But I'm not so easy to take down. If I was, could I be even standing here right now?? And I've thought… You're going to help me… But… But….."
"There is no help to your own stupidity. You just had to meet with this guy from your work? What stopped you from doing it!"
"A damn ca- …
wait. Oh, shit." — I suddenly felt perplexed and bad.
The purpose of going out of the house today was to... meet with Icto, my close friend from the RR. I had to meet with him in the morning to exchange the information that I've gathered. We were supposed to meet at the Metro station, but he didn't come anyway. I've totally forgotten about him. If he had come punctually, would all of this have happened?…
I can't blame him, but my despair is distorting all of my thoughts… I had to meet with him, what if he came, but I wasn't there? What if he looked for me, and crossed paths with something dangerous? I have no way to contact him, my communication device was lost.
But my worries about the footage were erased. The video is perspicuous, things were shown clearly in it, exactly how I've been through it. The information shown is very exact. A mysterious man killing dozens of people — the main issue of the footage. Will this change anything in this world? I recalled the words of my aunt…
Can this really change anything?
I have to try, I have nothing to lose, only to gain.
I went through so many obstacles, and there is only one left. I've gotten myself into a deep swamp, and there is no obvious ways for me to get out from it now. So, the only thing that is left for me, is to deliver the evidence to the RR Headquarters, to the good hands of the people with minds like me. I won't let my aunt stop me, and I don't understand why is she being worried like that about me now. Then I can rest easy, with my task done, but knowing nothing will be like it was anymore. If I could only do it, I would throw this devilish footage away, and forget about everything that happened today. But I want the weak people to regain their hopes of a better world.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
ashfrei
ashfrei Hello! If you are reading this chapter, it means that the previous chapters were updated and proofread for any potential logical mistakes and those grammatical too. If you liked the series so far, leave a review of any other form of support. I will be very grateful and be encouraged for more. This is already 3 chapter this week and I’m feeling very productive to write more! Thanks for all - Ashfrei
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