Shortly after Shon left the thermal transfer room, a conversation broke out in the examiner’s chamber.
“Theo, I told you you can’t talk to examiners. It’s against the rules.”
“I was just excited that someone solved my puzzle,” said Theo Xeta sheepishly with a smirk, like a teenager who had just committed some mischief.
All other examiners bowed their heads down and scurried out of the room respectfully, leaving some privacy for two of the most powerful people in the Republic of Valeria.
One of them was Theo Xeta, CEO of XetaCorp, who needed no introduction.
The other one had a more obscure reputation. Her name was not commonly uttered among Valerian and Fraxian civilians, and fewer had seen her face. Those who knew of her existence either served in the upper echelons of the Valerian government or were about to be subjected to the utmost cruelty.
It was Vik Layden, the director of Valeria’s top intelligence agency, the Valerian Unification Commission.
“The thermal transfer exam was not supposed to be this hard. I am concerned by this year’s results,” said Vik as she strode towards a whiteboard, where a list of names was crossed out except for a few.
“You and I both know that we need better Stormrunners,” said Theo, reverting to the erudite look. “This time, the storms up in the Northern provinces are different. I looked at the reports myself.”
“I understand,” Vik sighed. She glanced around to make sure nobody was left in the room. Then she walked over and pulled a lever, shutting off all cameras and microphones in the room.
“Thank you for the XetaCorp safehouse,” Vik muttered, embarrassed to display outright gratitude. “My husband told me that there was nothing left in Thiab after the storm.”
The footage of Thiab was brutal. Theo had watched all of them. Buildings were shredded to pieces and got sucked into the storm before they could even collapse, along with the people inside. Natural gas leaked out of Thermo Pipes and got sucked into the air vortex, only to be lit ablaze into a spinning inferno. The might of the storm launched tens of thousands of broken boulders into the city, like a bombardment from heaven, leveling any organic and inorganic thing into a mush of flatland.
“I know,” Theo replied, the earlier boyish mischief gone from his face. “Many Fraxians had died.”
Vik looked almost apologetic.
“I’m sorry, Theo. I really wish we could have done more.”
Then shut up and do it, Theo wanted to shout. However, he controlled his temper. Even with all the wealth and resources he could wield, he knew that he remained at the mercy of powerful Valerians in the higher chambers. In this nation, a Fraxian would never be truly equal. He needed Vik's support.
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“I know I said this many times, Vik. But why don’t you move your family to somewhere safe in the interior? At least away from the frontiers?”
Vik sighed. She looked through the glass into the testing room, now completely empty except for the hundreds of flickering candles.
“It’s not safe,” she muttered. “On the frontiers, your only enemy is the storms. In the interior, your enemies are the people. Some want to destroy me. Others want to use me. They all begin with my family.”
Although Vik was correct, Theo still felt a rush of annoyance and anger at the sight of Vik Layden’s self-pitying speech.
“Need I remind you what VUC has done? You owe our people too much.”
“I know,” Vik said quietly, continuing to stare into the sea of candles far ahead. “And I try to make up for it.”
Vik took out a parcel with a dozen rolls of videotapes and laid it on the table.
“These are the footage from today. Combined with the ones on Monday, it’s two hundred footage in total.”
Theo quickly stuffed the parcel into a metal briefcase and locked it.
“That kid you just talked to, he was in one of the footage," continued Vik. "Some Fraxian thief was getting ganged up in the train, and that kid almost got into a fight to defend the thief."
"Interesting," said Theo.
Theo pretended to be nonchalant in front of Vik. However, the description piqued his interest. This young man - an academy Fraxian reckless enough to get into a fight hours before the most important exam of his life -- was the kind of people he was looking for.
"Hey, if you're gonna do anything to those Valerians," Vik added. "Make it subtle. I don't want the kid to be alarmed."
"Huh?" Theo feigned confusion.
"I may not care about your vigilante justice. But don't assume I'm too stupid to notice it."
Theo continued to stare blankly at Vik, unsure whether he should defend himself.
"Isn't it curious how Valerian convicts were five times more likely to get shanked in prison after committing anti-Fraxian hate crimes?" said Vik. "Those acquitted were twenty times more likely to get robbed, shot, or hit by a car if they were captured in the videotape I gave you."
Theo blinked a few times and let out his words carefully.
"I'm surprised the VUC noticed this trend yet permitted it to continue."
"The VUC has not noticed. And I prefer to keep it this way," said Vik.
Theo stared unflinchingly into Vik's eyes, attempting to pry more information out of her cryptic gaze. He could see that Vik was doing the same.
"Be warned, however," Vik continued. "Your other actions had stirred dissatisfaction among some powerful individuals."
Theo scanned his memory for any noticeably controversial acts he had committed over the past few months. He had always tried to be on the Valerians' good side, but he simply was not one of them.
"Are they attempting anything?" asked Theo.
Vik looked at him and sighed. The apologetic look reemerged on her face.
"The full moon will be beautiful tonight. It would be a pity to sleep too early."
Theo understood. What was coming was inevitable. In fact, the moment that he had acquired so much wealth, respect, and influence as a Fraxian, he knew that his paths would all end the same way.
"Is it the VUC this time?" asked Theo.
Vik hesitated.
"Many decisions are beyond my control," said Vik.
Theo said nothing. They sat in silence for a short eternity, staring at the rows and rows of candle flames flickering under the weight of unstoppable air currents. A few went dark, then bright again, then extinguished for good.
In the grand scheme of things, no matter what shared or conflicted interests they had, their lives would be no more permanent than the candlelight.
"Theo, you know I tried my best to leave you out of this, right?"
"I appreciate it."