The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 49: Truth

Part 1/2

One thing Loki noticed when he walked into the house was that all the bunk beds were gone. And so was Maddox. He, and many of the others who had to move into this home after the Tranq Darts Incident had moved out. It was a lot quieter there. There was no more snoring, and no more bad smell.

So why did Loki still feel like something was wrong?

Loki noticed Brad sleeping on his bed. For some reason he looked a lot less violent and smug when he was sleeping. For a second Loki saw some resemblance of a good person inside him.

Loki turned to his bed and saw his bag posted against the wall. Loki walked up to it and crouched down to inspect it.

It was wide open.

Loki rummaged around the insides. Everything seemed to be just fine: Food and water rations, basic essential resources, the artifact that gave him wings… Grenades.

Nothing seemed out of place.

Loki stared back at Brad and glared at him.

“Was he looking through my stuff?” Loki wondered as he clenched his fist.

He almost considered walking up to him, wrapping his fingers around Brad’s neck, and strangling him till’ he couldn’t breathe… But he stopped himself. It was probably just his imagination.

Loki crawled onto his bed and pulled the covers over him.

He tried his best to fall asleep, but he could not.

That haunting memory of Mr. Ma carrying the knife, its blade glistening within the reflection of his karambit, and that crazed look on his face. Loki couldn’t just lay there idly, and wait for something to happen. No, he had to get to the bottom of it.

It was his duty as a writer to know the truth.

As Loki waited for night to fall, he slowly got out from his bed, throwing the covers off of him. He reached into his backpack and took the Artifact and his two karambits. Hooking the two karambits on his cloth clothes, he clasped the Artifact and it disintegrated into dust, the dust transferring into his implant. He felt wings grow on his back once more, and he folded them shut.

Loki quietly tip-toed out the home, and began moving toward the complex. He would investigate Mr. Ma’s office first.

“Why did Mr. Ma react that way?” Loki asked himself as snow crunched under his feet. The complex’s lights were on, “Is it because of the implant? He never told me his implant power. Or is there something more?”

Loki stopped in front of the complex doors, and crouched down, peeking inside the complex at the bottom, a slit of air where there was no door. He saw still gray boots. Dr. Aston.

The boots didn’t move for a few minutes, and they seemed grounded. Dr. Aston had fallen asleep at his workstation again.

“Now’s my chance,” Loki thought. He got up and put a hand on the doorknob. He slowly turned it and pushed it open. A loud creaking noise echoed throughout the room.

CREAAAK!

Dr. Aston, who was snoring away, began to shift in his seat, blinking his eyes rapidly and moving his head up. Loki quickly dashed to a table and crouched under it. He masked his breathing, steadying his nerves and calming his heart. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears as Dr. Aston got up from his seat and blinked his eyes some more.

“What the- Did I leave the door open?” Dr. Aston asked himself. Dr. Aston let out a yawn and stumbled forward like a zombie. Loki’s eyes continued to chase Dr. Aston. Dr. Aston cleared his throat, coughing up phlegm.

“HWAKK!” Dr. Aston coughed, “Wow I’m thirsty. I should’ve drank some water before falling asleep…”