Judas Me

After being stripped of my personal belongings, I was tied to a bed. An IV was inserted into my arm and, despite my attempts to resist, the anaesthesia took effect.

I open my eyes again, I am lying on a bed. The artificial lighting is dazzling, white and cold. I bring my hand in front of my eyes, waiting for them to adjust.

«I'm tired of continuing to wake up in strange places.»

I try to sit up, a searing pain shooting through my body.

I try to sit up, a stabbing pain coursing through my body.

I realise that I no longer have my clothes on, only a white, half-sleeved tracksuit. I am barefoot. I look around for something I can put on to walk in, even just a pair of slippers, but there is nothing.

The room is bare and aseptic, a cube of smooth, white walls. In the corner, a toilet built into the wall breaks the monotony of the room. I rest a hand on the cool surface of the wall and feel its texture. It is incredibly smooth, like Pierrot's plates. A shiver runs through me…

A hiss. The sliding door opens. I turn and see Seneca enter. She stops a few steps away from me.

«Come.»

I am in no mood to argue. I follow her in silence.

As soon as I cross the threshold, I notice two amber uniforms, one on each side, standing immediately behind me. We proceed along a series of seemingly endless corridors. The monotony of the grey walls is only interrupted by green neon lights running along the edges.

After a long walk, we exit the structure and find ourselves on a transparent bridge, it seems to be made of glass. It is cold, the clothes I am wearing are too light.

I look around. The pile dwelling we are walking through is not particularly big. It has several buildings with two to four floors. In the centre stands a building towering above the others.

We reach the foot of that structure. Up close, the building loses some of its grandeur compared to those in Bergem.

We cross the threshold of the building. The lobby is spacious and elegant, with a marble floor so polished it looks like a mirror. We enter a lift. Seneca presses the third-to-last button. When the doors open again, we find ourselves in a corridor with the ceiling covered by a single red light panel. Five doors line the walls. We walk to the last one, straight down.

Seneca opens the door, and I am speechless.

The high ceiling is composed of a series of shiny panels, from which the yellow light of the kitchen area is reflected. The main wall is made entirely of glass, offering a breathtaking view of the city. I can even see the pile dwelling we came from. A large, dark leather sofa, looking inviting, sits in the middle of the room, in front of a holographic fireplace that emits a warm, soft light. To the left is a loft, where I can barely glimpse a bed through the door.

«Have a seat.» Before I can react, the two androids push me towards the dining table, where they force me to sit down. My seat and the one in front of me are set. On the left side, there is a candle in a candle holder.

She is surely planning to eat. I hope there is no red meat and dairy products, I think I would vomit at the sight. Just thinking about it is already making me nauseous.

«Leave.» At his command, the soldiers exit the flat, leaving us alone. The door closes behind them with a low hiss.

After a few moments, Seneca returns. She brings with her two plates and a bottle of wine. She places everything on the table. The label on the bottle immediately attracts my attention “Bardolino Rosso DOC”. I've never drunk it, who knows what it's like.

«Thank you.» I murmur, when he serves me the plate. Fortunately it is an eel, and it seems to be accompanied by a velouté.

She draws the plaser sword and activates it to light the candle. As soon as he deactivates it, she puts it back next to the candle holder. How can he trust leaving a weapon within reach of an enemy?

Seneca sits elegantly in front of me. She uncorks the bottle. The slight “pop” of the cork interrupts the silence for a moment. She places the wine on the table, without pouring it.

I look at the bottle, then at her, then at the bottle again. I reach for the wine. After these days I need to wet my throat.

«Wait.» I freeze. «You have to let it rest for a few minutes first.»

I retract my hand…

I don't know what to say or do, the situation is quite uncomfortable. Why did she make me come here?

Seneca crosses his legs under the table and leans towards me, holding her head on her wrist.

«Why don't you eat?» she asks in a calm tone.

«Sorry, I'm not very hungry.» I lie, hungry as hell, but I can't help being tense in a city populated entirely by armed enemies.

She tilts her head slightly. Is she sceptical?

«It's a pity. I cooked it especially for you.» Her voice is velvety.

What does she mean by that? So it makes me more uncomfortable for not being a good guest.

«I'd rather wait a moment longer before starting.» I reply, trying to keep my voice steady.

«Don't talk nonsense, eat while it's hot.» Casually, she takes her fork, cuts off a piece of eel and hands it to me. «Open your mouth.»

«Wait, what?!» She shoves the piece of fish into my mouth as I speak.

I savour it. «It's delicious! The meat melts in my mouth!» I exclaim, without thinking.

«I'm glad you like it.»

She takes the bottle and slowly pours the wine into the glasses, letting the ruby liquid slide into the crystal.

She hands me the glass. «I don't mean to sound rude, but could you take off your helmet while we eat?»

«If it makes you feel less in awe, I will.»

The helmet comes off, revealing his face…

She's …

She's …

She's beautiful…

I'm out of breath.

The candlelight caresses her snow-white skin. Her grey eyes, contoured by black eye shadow, penetrate my soul. She has a glossy black lipstick, it almost looks like ink. Although she does not smile, she has a sharp gaze, it seems to me she is calm.

She tilts her head to the side, her wavy black hair gracefully following the movement. «Well? Do you feel safer now?»

My heart skips a beat.

I gulp down the wine in one gulp, coughing slightly. «It had nothing to do with feeling uncomfortable. Mine was just a criticism for table manners.»

A faint smile curves her lips. «Oh, so you are polite as opposed to your scruffy appearance.»

I don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment.

«… Coming to more relevant talk, why did you want to spare me?»

Seneca sips her wine. She sets her glass down gently and leans forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand. «Dango, you are not like the others. You are stubborn, unpredictable… I have seen what you have done for your comrades and what you are capable of.»

Her statement leaves me bewildered. I don't know if her admiration is admiration or a threat. I run my finger along the rim of my glass, making it ring.

«What are you referring to?»

Seneca allows herself an enigmatic smile. «To the first underling you killed. When we found his body, all the equipment was missing. Moreover, the head was completely melted, as was the spine. No question, your work was impeccable.»

How did she realise it was me? «It could have been Pierrot who did it.»

«The android? If it had done it, the gash on its back would have been perfectly straight. What I saw was uneven. Sure, it could have been the girl or the mutant, but I doubt they would have had the strength to lift and drag a body, or the shrewdness to wipe off the footprints.»

I can see why she has such a high rank, she was able to figure out who had done it with just a few clues.

«Tell me, why did you do it?»

Lying wouldn't do any good. Might as well be honest. «There was a risk that, upon finding him, you would connect to his brain or one of the repeaters to trace his memory so that you could devise a counter-attack plan based on our psychophysical capabilities and condition. It was a doubt I could not afford to ignore.»

At my confession his eyes seemed to shine. «That is why I want you by my side. To die at the hands of someone like Scares does not suit someone like you. Fight alongside me. Would you like that?»

«… I would like to… I need to be alone to think, though.»

She looks at me, smiling kindly. «I understand. Before I take you back to your room, let's finish with dinner. You need to get your strength back.»

«Mh.» With a nod of the head, we resume eating and talking about lighter topics.

...

After a couple of pleasant hours of talking, I had a chance to lighten up from everything that washed over me yesterday.

Seneca is a charming, intelligent and ... surprisingly nice girl. I'd love to wrestle with her... But that would be a betrayal to Bea and Pierrot. Even if the last few hours have been a nightmare, they are still my friends... I can't abandon them like this... Maybe I could get Seneca to switch sides.

As soon as we return to my room, she orders the doors closed and the cameras turned off.

She removes her case. For a moment we remain silent, our gazes intertwined.Seneca tucks a lock behind her ear in a gentle gesture. «I had a good time with you tonight.» she says in a softer voice than before. «I hope you can reflect on what we talked about.»

«…Yes.»

She barely smiles. «See you then…»

«Sure.» I reply, smiling shyly.

We stare at each other for another moment before he turns around and puts his helmet back on. His voice becomes authoritative again as he orders the cameras back on.

As soon as he leaves the room, he turns, saying to me. «I forgot to tell you something…» She turns, staring at me one last time. «Be careful what you choose. By now, your body is already their property.»

The door closes...

What did she mean by that?