81 CHAPTER 80-HIATAM

Matt was out of the Air Tripler before it could even touch the tiled floor. Nobody had come to greet them as usual. The students and other officers would probably be busy working with some files or training in the fields. Not that he cared, but he had not envisioned his work like this. A well-done and a pat on the back could pass as a useless gesture, but it encourages someone to put in their best in what they were doing.

He steadied his grip on the black box he carried, feeling the weight trying to pull his hands out of his shoulders. His mind's eyes could almost see through the metal box, to that small liquid occupying a quarter of space. For a liquid its size, it was oddly heavy. It made him wonder how those men in Zapper city, carries the fluid on their shoulders as though it was some piece of garbage.

"Need a hand with that?"

Matt elevated his gaze to meet the black hair boy who had alighted from the plane. Grey eyes. Black hair and a rectangular face that sat on a cotton-butter colored skin. He was more muscular and beautiful, with those pinky lips that got some girls talking whenever they were out on a mission. Even the girls in the academy were secretly whispering his name whenever they were in classes.

"Nah, I will pass," Matt said and headed for the white door.

"Care to talk about last night?" The boy asked and fell in step.

"What about last night, Chris?"

"The part where you nearly killed yourself. Again,"

"I have told you before—"

"That it's part of the job?" Chris shrugged, "I know someone who is desperate when I see one."

"I don't know how being desperate applies to this,"

"You don't? Perhaps I should simplify it by saying that you have a death wish,"

Matt frowned, not again.

"Let's just forget about this, okay?" Matt groaned as he rested his free hands on the knob of the door.

"You are my partner, Matt. And you put our life in danger. You put my life in danger when you jump into things like that,"

"Okay, I am sorry. Is that what you want to hear? I will say it again, I am sorry." Matt stressed the last part and opened the door.

Both boys watched the white door as it cracked open, revealing the bright colored lights which came pouring out.

"You can't bring her back, you know?" Chris said. His brow seemed to relax on his face as those golden eyes studied his partner.

Matt froze. He bit his inner lips until his tongue tasted the metallic blood.

"She is gone and there is nothing you can do about it. And I believe she wouldn't be happy if she sees you ruining your life for nothing."

"You think I am ruining my life for nothing?" Matt turned to the boy,

"No, I think you are being a wood head and brooding over the event of the past that you have forgotten how to live." 

Matt's fair skin creased with more lines as he watched the boy. The rising sun was resting on his face now, adding more details to those angelic grey eyes.

"I am going to my room," Chris finally said and threw the beeping device, which Matt caught reflexively. Matt opened his palms and frowned when he saw the beep number.

"Pinna said you should call her," Chris' voice echoed as he walked towards the other door at the right.

Matt hissed and threw the device into the trash can. He walked down the stairs, making his way through the hallway, which looked more like a tunnel. His reflections stared back at him from the polished marble floor, with his footfalls blending with Joci's voice, which could be heard somewhere in the distance. 

He could almost see the looks on Ham's face when he saw the pool of blood. Pinna was worse. Matt shook off the image as they tried to form in his head. It would be difficult to stand the dreadful looks on either of their faces. Although they said that they have forgiven him, but the guilt that was constantly welling up inside of him would not give him the affirmation. He could remember every detail as though it was yesterday. He had killed the girl he loved. He had murdered her with his own dagger.

The elevator door opened, and he walked into, pushing down the arrow button. The ding sound followed the sliding door, which seemed to take forever.

They said that every day is a great day, but he just could not see that fact. To him, no day was a great day. The day comes and passes by just like the fleeting of time. It would take forever for this wound to heal if they will ever heal.

"Good morning, general Matt. Hope you had a pleasant trip?" One of the Keepers said as the elevator door finally slid open. 

Matt ignored the robot and made his way to the right, just to the upper side of the glass chambers. The murmurs and whispers from the people drowned the voice of Joci and his footfalls. If only these people would stop gossiping about the problems of Anadan and focus on trying to bring justice, perhaps the job would be less stressful.

"No. I don't think it would be necessary" The Chief commandant officer was saying when Matt walked into his office, which was grown from glass. Behind the chair was the gigantic face of General Zack, with the golden crown on his head, contrasting the brilliant eyes and the silver scepter. The man represented everything that had happened in the last three years. Even though Matt had not met him one on one, he couldn't help the thought that the general caused his problem.

Perhaps you are looking for who to blame. A voice mocked in Matt's head.

"Yeah," The Chief Commandant nodded as he turned in his seat, recognizing Matt, for the first time. There was a hologram image of a lady popping out from the beeping device that sat on the commander's hand.

"Yeah, I will" The commander smiled at the image as it flushed into the beeping device and was gone.

"You are back," The commander's brow elevated towards his forehead, "And early"

"Yeah, that's because we retrieved the package," Matt said and dropped the box on the glass table. His arms seemed to stretch with relaxation as the weight of the box ebbed away. "I didn't know you had a wife,"

"With four kids," The commander beamed with smiles as he walked towards Matt's end of the table. "Being married for fifteen years,"

"Wow, I never knew."

"Yeah. The days are evil, have to keep something quiet."

"I guess so," Matt's stomach tightened, but he kept his face neutral, trying with all the discipline in him to keep his thoughts from wandering.

"So what do we have here?"

Matt pushed the button on the side of the box and the commander's expression changed when he saw the red fluid.

"We have a man in our custody, says some men paid him to deliver this to Zapper city, in a town known as Hiatam."

"Hiatam," The commander nodded

"Does that ring any bell to you, sir?"

"Not really, but I have heard that name before…yes, I remember. Grand training, back in the city of Ama. Hiatam was the place where the first happy tech was created."

Matt's stomach knotted. He hated the word 'happy tech'. He hated everything about it. That tech had stolen his mind and had made him do things that haunt his dream.

"Don't worry general, you have done a nice work."

"But the work is not over yet," Matt clenched his fist, "Why do these people need this fluid in Hiatam?"

"I don't know," The commander shook his head and closed the box gently. "I will take it up from here. You and your partner should take the time off. You have done an outstanding job." 

"But I am not tired,"

"With those patches on your eyes? I don't think so. When was the last time you had a good sleep?"

Matt grumbled. Until the man had said it, he didn't even realize that he had not been sleeping lately.

"Take the time off, general Matt. I will take this" The commander nodded to the box "to the covenant court and see what they know about this fluid and Hiatam."

"But I want to help,"

"You have Matt, you have. Take a break."

Matt nodded and saluted the commander reluctantly. He turned his attention to the door and ambled towards it. If these people will not let him work officially, perhaps he would find another way to get to the bottom of this case"

"General," The commander called as if reading his mind, "mind you. When I said take a break, I wasn't giving you advice."

It's a command I know. Matt shut the door behind him. A command I will gladly disobey.

"Here," Matt dropped his wire drive on the counter. He turned to leave, but paused when the female officer called back at him.

"Your Candor, General"

"Broken," Matt said and continued walking off.

"Well, where are the broken piece?"

"I lost it!!" Matt yelled as he walked into the elevator. He turned back to the room and smiled when he saw the girl burning with anger.