Free Scavenger of Souls by Joshua David Bellin

nothing left to say.
    Stick together. The colony is the key . As artificial day dragged into artificial night, Laman’s words returned to me for the umpteenth time. Was it worth saving people’s lives if it meant forfeiting their freedom?
    I didn’t want to say it, but finally I did.
    â€œMaybe we need to join them. For now, until we figure out a way to free ourselves.”
    Wali surprised me by not saying anything. Adem surprised me even more by speaking up.
    â€œIt might not be so bad,” he mumbled. “You heard what Asunder said about how they’ve restored the canyon. That could be a good thing. Maybe we could . . . help them. With the bioremediation.”
    We all stared at him. Even Nessa seemed surprised to hear that word come from his mouth.
    â€œBio-what?” Wali said sharply.
    Back in character, Adem blushed. “Remediation. I heard about it from—from someone. Leeching toxins from the soil. Rebuilding its nutrients. So things can grow again.”
    I knew the someone Adem couldn’t bring himself to name was Laman. But I’d never heard our former commander talk about repairing the land, much less on the scale Asunder had described. The only time he’d come close was the day before he lost control of the colony. He’d spent that whole day trying to rebuild the ruined compound where we’d made our camp, the whole night fighting the Skaldi that had infiltrated our defenses. The Skaldi that had killed Korah and then attacked me. By the light of morning, any hopes we’d had of resurrecting the past had been trampled into the dust with the rest of our dreams.
    â€œI wonder how they did it,” Adem continued, an unmistakable edge of excitement to his voice. “The things Asunder said. He was talking about bioremediation on a massive scale. Diverting the waste alone would take a lifetime. Plus you’d practically have to scrub the atmosphere clean for anything to grow.” He looked at us eagerly, blushing when no one said anything. “I just don’t see how they could do all that with the technology they have.”
    â€œHow’d you become such an authority?” Wali asked.
    The blush deepened. “Someone told me.”
    Wali laughed bitterly. “So the Stick agrees with our fearless leader that we should stay and help these lunatics out. I say that’s what cowards do.”
    Adem’s face crumpled. Nessa laid a hand on his arm, which didn’t improve his color one bit.
    â€œI say we’ve had enough of trying to make nice with these nutjobs,” Wali continued. “I say we make our break tonight.”
    â€œAnd leave the kids?” I said. “And Aleka?”
    â€œAnd return for them later,” he said. “When we can come for them with numbers.”
    â€œAnd where are we supposed to find those?” I was aware that I was practically yelling, that the guard could surely hear me, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “Admit it, Wali. If you leave, you’re not coming back. You’re leaving everyone else here to rot.”
    He shoved me, the sloppy knots around his wrists snapping with the force. I fell against the wall, remembering how much stronger he was than me. But I faced him anyway. I was too angry to hold back.
    â€œYou’re the coward!” I said. “You’re the one who wants to ditch everyone else to save your own neck!”
    â€œAnd you’re the one who wants to kowtow to his majesty!” Wali screamed. “I’ve let you run the show for two days, and in the meantime he’s got Aleka practically in a coma, and the kids walking around like little savages, and you’re still in here talking about appeasing him, not fighting him. The next thing you know—”
    â€œThe next thing you know he’ll be putting one of those collars around my neck!” Nessa shouted. I’d been so focused on Wali I’dpractically