Degranon

What about what Hachen and Taldra offered? He stood up, but fell against a plastic wall. The room seemed to move beneath his feet, turning sideways. The lights on the walls and ceiling seemed to flash off and on.

As soon as his balance steadied enough for him to walk, Argen ran out the house, between the crowded buildings, down the hot and dusty walkways beneath the buzzing noises of the hoverlanes that entangled vine-covered buildings. Though nearly bumping into several walkway people who were holding out their credit boxes and begging for credits, he refused to let anyone slow him down. Soon, he reached the tiny, waist-high fence that surrounded Life Unit, designating it as government property.

Because of the constant crowding in Valcine, no crowd needed to gather for a commotion. Argen, waving the laser pistol about, already had an audience.

Everyone is listening, and everyone is afraid, he told himself. They’re afraid because they’ve done wrong. They are the evil ones.

He braced his feet against the fence, ready for whatever might happen, wondering what might happen. He hated Life Unit for taking all of his parents’ time, but now he wanted to save it. He wanted to keep their dreams alive.

Several Maintainers tore through the crowd, carrying the sleep rifles that they used for youth-related disturbances, but Hachen made it through before them. Gazer appeared in the crowd for an instant, then disappeared into the confusion. Hachen pushed quickly toward Argen before becoming a blur. Argen’s face dripped with the sweat that burned his eyes as he aimed the laser pistol at everyone and no one. The hover-fumes loomed even worse than usual, filling his lungs, making him groggy; he just wanted to sleep. No, he couldn’t sleep; he needed to save Life Unit.

"Argen, what are you doing?" demanded Hachen. His face became focused as he walked toward his son.

"They…they…." Argen could barely organize his thoughts enough to speak. Hachen looked angry. No, he isn’t supposed to be angry at me; he’s supposed to be proud of me for saving Life Unit. Why can’t he ever be proud of me? "Hachen, they’re going to destroy Life Unit."

"That won’t happen. We’re just going to have to make more thorough status reports, to justify the funding. Now give me the laser pistol before you hurt someone."

"Move away from the boy, Dr. Naldod," said one of the Maintainers, pointing his sleep rifle at them. Argen noticed the thick black stripe down the front of his gray body suit. A captain. Good. If he gained enough attention to pull a Top Maintainer from Urloan Control, then his actions would make the news immediately. The evil ones have to see…have to see…have…. Argen watched the world smear then turn black.

"Discard your weapon, Argen," said the captain.

As his vision returned, Argen thought he recognized the voice, but he wasn’t sure. It might have been the one who arrested him when he painted Gazer’s name over a wallscreen at the mall. The rifle aimed at him meant nothing. With the strength that the confidence pills gave him, he could fight the effects of the sleep bullets. He wouldn’t let the evil ones hold power over him.