Free The Last Revolution by R.T. Carpenter Page A

fighter time to fly by and think he’d been killed, but he didn’t want to run out of room to safely deploy. Trying to calm his heart, Alden counted to three and then pressed the button.
    The chute deployed but the mountainous landscape grew at an alarming rate. He couldn’t tell if it was slowing his descent, but if it didn’t do something soon, it would all be over. The trees that had once appeared as small specks rapidly expanded to full size. Aiming for the tallest one, he crashed down through the top and tumbled through the branches. The parachute ripped free and he fell through the last bit of foliage before plummeting fifteen meters to the ground. He threw his hands out to protect his face and then darkness.
    “You are not special. You are not unique. You will follow any order that is given to you by a superior.” Alden was a small child again, lying awake on a small cot. It was a large room and every centimeter of floor space was covered with sleeping children. The loudspeaker quietly played the same message over and over again. It wasn’t loud enough to distract from sleep but it was always there.
    Quiet sniffling came from the bed next to his. It wasn’t uncommon for some of the smaller kids to cry themselves to sleep. No one ever came to console them, but if they raised enough of a ruckus they were punished. Alden could still feel the bruises on his arms from where they’d been slapped during the day.
    Peeking from under his covers he looked to see if any of the guards were around. They’d do regular checks during the night to make sure that no one had gotten out. There it was again, the muffled sniffling. Alden pushed the covers aside, slipped out from underneath his bunk. The concrete floor froze his toes, but he still tiptoed over to the other cot.
    He poked the soft lump in the bed. It quivered but didn’t turn over to look at him.
    “You okay?” Alden whispered.
    It just shook its head but didn’t move otherwise.
    “What’s the problem? If you keep doing that they’ll punish you.”
    The boy rolled over to look at him. He had blond hair and was about the same age as Alden. “I miss my mom,” he mumbled.
    Alden nodded. He’d never known his parents. Some of the other kids had been handed over by their family, or come here from orphanages, but Alden had just always been here. He didn’t even know if he had parents.
    “You’ll be okay. I’m sure they’ll let your mom visit.”
    The boy shook his head. “No. I asked if I could go home today and one of the guards said I’d never leave this place and I’d never see my parents again.”
    “Oh. Well are you hungry?” The boy nodded. “Well, come sit here with me then,” Alden said.
    The boy climbed out of his cot and the two of them sat up against their beds. Alden pulled a small piece of jerky out from underneath his pillow. “I took this from the cafeteria today. I’m not hungry. You have it.” Alden handed it over. “My name is Alden.”
    The boy took the jerky and began nibbling on it. He looked up and smiled. “I’m Gabriel.”
    “Maybe we have to do what they say now, but eventually we’ll be grown-ups and they won’t be able to stop us from leaving.”
    “Where are your parents at?”
    Alden shrugged. “I don’t think I have parents. Do you want to be friends?”
    The boy nodded and whispered, “Yes.”
    They were quiet for several moments before Gabriel spoke again. “I-I don’t have any family now and you’re the nicest anyone has been to me. If you look out for me, I’ll look out for you.”
    Alden shook his head in acceptance. “I’d like that.”
    Opening his eyes Alden realized he was facedown in the frozen dirt. His whole body ached. His dried blood was mixed in amidst the gravel around him. Alden crawled away from the impact site and towards the base of the nearest tree. He pushed himself into a sitting position. His leg was horribly bent out of shape. It didn’t take a surgeon to figure out it was