Dust settles on the windshield as they drive into the wastelands of the outer zone. Hermes still hadn't said a word or made any movements since hearing Tedra's reveal; his body was rigid, eyes looking ahead. Then the car came to a halt as the windshield was now completely covered with sand and dust. A loud whooshing sound could be heard from the outside.
"What's going on now?" Hermes is finally breaking his silence.
"It's nothing to worry about. It's a silly little sandstorm. They happen quite often around here." Tedra said.
"Where are we?" Hermes asked.
"Somewhere the CHAR won't bother stepping foot in," Hermes said.
The sound began to grow more and more violent as the car's alarm was triggered, causing a flashing bright red light. The car jerked forward and backwards, sweat drips from Hermes' forehead, his heart pounding, and his voice shaking as he struggles to maintain balance in the car.
"A...a....a...r.....re you.... sssss.....s....ure this is nothing to worry about?" Hermes said.
"Just breathe, Hermes. We need to get out of the car now." Tedra pushes a flashing green button that releases a protective suit, helmet and shoes. "I need you to put these on and then get out of the car. Walk twenty paces away from the car and then crouch down on the floor and wait for me to come get you." Tedra said
Hermes agreed and got out of the car. He couldn't see anything through the sandstorm, but the helmet kept his eyes protected. He takes very slow steps as the shoes seem to tether him to the ground. After walking about twenty paces, he did as he was told and crouched down. However, as he was lying down waiting for Tedra, he heard a violent ripping and crunching sound from behind him. He raised his head a little, and an object flew over narrowly missing his head. His body jerked up, and he began to run haphazardly through the sand. The shoes were slowing him down as he tried to escape, so he took them off. However, before he could even take a second step, he was launched into the air with no control over where the sandstorm. He flailed his arm all over, trying to gain some control, but to no avail. As he continued to struggle, he crashed onto a hard surface and passed out.
When he opened his eyes, he was lying on a mat. His vision was blurry, but he could make out that he was in a makeshift tent. The wind whistled more gently on the outside now. He put his hand on his head as he had a terrible headache. Next to him was a bottle of water, which he drank from voraciously. As he drank thirstily, a man with a scarf covering his face walked into the tent and sat across from Hermes, looking at him but not saying a word. Hermes warily put down the bottle of water but didn't say a word either. His gaze kept shifting from the man to the entrance of the tent as he contemplated making a run for it if the man turned out to be a foe rather than a friend.
As Hermes was about to make his move and try to escape, Tedra entered the tent and took off his helmet, unveiling a worried look.
"Why didn't you just do as I said?!" Tedra scolded.
"I heard a strange noise, and after that, I wasn't fully in control of my body anymore. I am now to this, what do you expect from me?" Hermes said, frustrated.
"You're right, and I'm sorry. You've been through a lot already, and it has barely been 24 hours since you woke up from such a procedure." Tedra said.
The strange man removed his scarf, revealing an oval face with sunken eyes, a pointy nose and small ears. The dark black hair complemented his shiny brown skin.
"Hello Hermes, it's nice to meet you. I am Sobeek, emperor of the wasteland and leader of the rebellion. Welcome to your new home." He said, flashing a cocky smile.
"What is going on here?" Hermes asked.
"I have to return to the inner city to try and clean up this mess with the council. In the meantime, this is the only safe place I can think of for you as you learn to manage your emotions. Sobeek is a good friend of mine; he will keep you safe." Tedra said.
"What are you talking about? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Am I supposed to just trust this guy? I have no idea who he is, I have no idea where this is, I barely know who you are, and I'm not even sure who or what I'm supposed to be. So, if you will excuse me, I think I'm better off going on my own." Hermes said, picked up the bottle and walked out of the tent.
The harsh rays of the sun stung his eyes and forced him to retreat back into the tent.
"The sun doesn't come down for another half hour; until then, no one can go out in the sun without some form of eye protection. You lost your helmet in the sandstorm." Sobeek said, handing Hermes his scarf.
"I will wait for the sun to come down." Hermes scoffs.
"Look, Hermes, I know this is a lot to take in, but all you just have to do is try; if you don't, you might not overcome this," Tedra said.
"Why?! Why?! Why'd you do this to me? My old life was perfect; I had no problems. The moment you took that chip out of my brain, you marked me for death. You gifted me all these that have done nothing but make me feel miserable. I hate you, Tedra. I hope you get the most severe punishment for this." Hermes said.
"You don't mean all that," Sobeek said.
"And how do you know what I mean?" Hermes said.
"Because unlike you, I've had emotions since I was I child. So, I know that sometimes, they make you say or do stupid things, but it's those stupid things that make you human." Sobeek said.
Hermes walked up to Sobeek "I don't know who you think you are, but you don't know anything about me. I don't need you, and I don't need this place. I'm leaving once it's sundown." Hermes said.
"You'll come around." Tedra said as he walked toward the entrance, "I have to go now, but we shall meet again, my friend" he put his helmet back on and walked out. Hermes just shrugged and went off to sit in the corner. Sobeek put his scarf back on and angrily left Hermes in the tent.
After a while, it seemed the sun had finally gone down, so Hermes stepped out of the tent. Bright orange flames illuminated the dark night as people were now frolicking out of their tents. A sweet aroma filled the air as dinner was prepared on the campfires. Light chatter and murmur could be heard as Hermes passed through the camp. Sobeek walked up to him just as he was about to leave.
"I'm sorry about earlier. I could have been a little more welcoming," he said.
"No, it's not a problem, none of this was your fault. I'm just going to leave now." Hermes said.
Sobeek handed him a backpack "There are some things in here that can help you survive this environment. There's a flashlight in there; we don't have a lot of those lying around here, so it's quite a valuable tool. There's also a scarf in there to protect your eyes when the sun comes up. You've also got a container for food and one for water. One last thing, in case of a sandstorm, pull the tarp around you and stay as low to the ground as possible," he said.
"Thank you," Hermes said as he took the backpack.
"It's a dangerous world out there. Stay safe, Hermes, and maybe we will see each other again," Sobeek said.
Hermes took one last look at the camp and walked away in a random direction.
After walking for a few hours, Hermes had completely left the camp behind. The full moon was now visible in the middle of the sky and shining its light over the desolate area. Hermes opened his backpack, took the tarp out and spread it like a mat, which he sat on. He opened the container of food, which contained a soup made of meat and veggies. He took a whiff and gobbled it down as fast as he could, causing him to choke and cough. The container was half empty, so he kept it and drank some water. He fell asleep right there shortly after.
When he woke up, a faint orange colour of the rising sun could be seen. He noticed that his backpack had been stolen, with only the tarp and scarf left behind. He wrapped the scarf around his eyes and folded up the tarp, and carried along as he began to wander through the wastelands. After walking about with no sense of direction, no food and no water, his body begins to give in. His breathing becomes fast but shallow, and his limbs fidget. However, he just kept going. Suddenly, he heard beeping and whirring; he couldn't see what it was, but he tried to locate where the sound was coming from.
"What are you doing? Get down." A voice said as he got tackled to the ground.