Boss stepped through the open double doors, dressed in a simple, white tank top that contrasted well with her dark, built arms. Her outfit was accompanied by a pair of utility trousers with the cuffs were tucked into the collar of her thick, black boots. Following behind were two of her men, fitted in Sampah’s standard-issued jumpsuits along with belts holding their tools and batons. Their faces were wrought with vigilance as they scanned across every nook and cranny for anything that would risk the safety of their superior.
Aqib was nowhere to be seen.
“M-Morning, Boss,” Abdus moved out of her way, standing to the side of the doorway.
“At ease. It’s been a long shift, Abdus. Take a break,” Boss pointed a thumb to her back, “Haikal here will take your shift.”
The tired man threw a salute of gratitude as one of her men took a seat at the desk in the middle, “T-Thanks, Boss.”
The dark woman flashed Abdus a smile before glancing to the side, drawing her attention towards the new occupants of her jail cell.
The first thing she laid eyes on was Subjek, who stood just across her with iron bars in between the two. What caught her attention, however, was the panel jammed within the bandaged man’s chest. Her eyes compelled the man behind her to follow her gaze, and the influence spread across one another. Subjek then became the subject of everyone’s scrutiny in the room. Save for Abdus, the collective expression on everybody’s faces held either fascination, terror, or a mix of the two.
Subjek was irresponsive; indifferent to whether if he was alone or under watch. He wasn’t particularly interested in hiding himself either. Rather, he seemed more invested in the new arrivals; the two men who followed Boss in. The viewports of his goggles were switching targets by the second, taking in various details with each glance he made.
Boss didn’t care about that. The dark woman got so transfixed with Subjek that she approached the cell, taking as close of a look she could get of the bandaged man’s figure. She focused on his body, ogling at his tarnished physique to his miscoloured skin to the fat, bulging veins reaching across his body to the obvious mechanical discrepancy present in his chest. She invested a decent duration onto the screen in the panel, her bated breaths matching the pulses on the digital graph.
As she took a step nearer for a closer view, she felt something light knock against her feet. She glanced down, only to see a small tool lying on the ground. She picked it up, inspecting the tarnished red writings on the yellow body as she felt her thumb across the black cap.
“I wouldn’t touch that, Boss,” Abdus approached the dark woman from her side, pointing towards Subjek in the cell, “The freak just pulled that out of his… whatever-that-is a minute ago.”
Despite the tired man’s retorts, Boss kept the capsule in her hand, brushing her fingers against its surface as she flipped it around. She then stopped, tightening her grasp on the capsule before showing it to Abdus.
“You know what this is?”
Abdus was stumped, “N-No clue, Boss.”
Boss turned around to one of the men that followed her in, “How about you?”
The man simply shook his head.
The dark woman drew the capsule towards the other man - the one she named Haikal.
“You?”
Seated on the chair with crossed arms, Haikal stared at the capsule for a moment before answering, “Microfusion cell.”
Boss smiled and retracted her arm, turning towards both Abdus and the other man, “And this is why Haikal’s our Logistics Officer.”
Haikal hid his face to the side and let out a light snort in response to his superior’s compliment.
Boss then pointed towards Subjek, “And he’s got this in there?”
Abdus nodded.
“Then what’s this doing here,” Boss showed the Microfusion cell in her hand once more.
“The book on his waist,” Abdus directed towards the carved journal in Subjek’s rope belt, “He cut the papers out. Had one of those hidden inside. Replaced the one in his chest before you came in. Tried to stop him but-”
The tired man turned away, reluctant to finish the rest of his words.
Boss, however, was inquisitive, “But what?”
Abdus glanced towards his superior for a brief moment before letting out a soft, “I got slow.”
Boss inquired further, “Then? What’s next?”
“Nothing. You came in after that,” Abdus glared towards Subjek, “Freak ran off like a pussy ‘fore I could hit-”
“I meant our guest here,” Boss gestured towards the bandaged man, “What happened to him?”
“I don’t know,” Abdus shrugged, “The whatever-that-is in his chest might be a payload for all we know.”
“He was brought to my office,” Boss pocketed the Microfusion cell into her utility trousers, “He would’ve detonated as soon as we lock eyes.”
“Hell, Boss,” Abdus snorted, “You let him into the office?”
“I didn’t know he had a screen for a heart,” Boss approached the cell once more, holding the iron bars as she leaned in for a closer look.
Subjek was silent as he’d always been. He returned a quiet look at Boss, contesting the dark woman’s stare with a lifeless gaze from his monotonous viewports.
“Say,” Boss pointed towards the bandaged man, “What’s that in your chest?”
Subjek was as frigid as he was unresponsive.
“You know, I was here so I could bargain for a better room than our jail cell,” Boss retracted her finger, “But I’m starting to think Aqib had the better judgement here.”
Subjek didn’t answer that.
Behind the dark woman, Abdus, along with the other two men were staring at their superior, confused and puzzled, as if she was talking to a brick wall. In this situation, however, she might as well be.
Boss persisted with no intentions of backing down, “You want to write it down for me? Make hand signals?”
Subjek’s arms were relaxed and languid beside his torso.
The other man who followed Boss in couldn’t take it anymore. He drew out his baton, slamming it against the iron bars of the cell, “Hey, retard! Boss asks for something, you answer her; you freak mute.”
“He is a mute,” Boss held the other man’s arm, “Stand down.”
The other man’s hostility was brimming, but more than that was his self-control and loyalty to Boss. He obliged her orders, albeit with great reluctance. He stepped back, his baton still gripped tight in his hands.
Boss turned back to the cell, staring at Subjek for a brief moment. He hadn’t moved a single step from his spot, nor had his gaze changed focus. His attention had stayed on the dark woman ever since she spoke her first words to him.
“Look,” she sighed, “We’re all on edge here. Our window’s getting tight and the Tengkoda’s pushing us tighter. Sampah needs all the manpower it can get, but before that, we need trust. I need you to trust me as much as we can trust that thing in your chest.
“We both want to get to Peris more than either of us.”
Subjek, still, returned no more than silence for Boss.
This time, it was Abdus who lost his patience. He fumbled with the keys in his hands, stabbing them into the lock holding the gate, “That’s it. I’m gonna beat the answer out of-”
Subjek then lifted his arm.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Boss crashed against Abdus, raising his arms away from the ring of keys, leaving them dangling from the lock.
All eyes went towards the bandaged man in the cell.
His raised hand was pointing towards something downwards.
Everyone in the room followed his finger, tracing its direction to the ground outside the cell.
Subjek was pointing towards his sack where Abdus last threw it away from the bandaged man.
Boss released the tired man’s arm and walked towards the sack. She picked it up, opening the mouth and looking inside. She rummaged through its contents, but couldn’t find anything substantial.
She turned back towards the cell, showing the mouth to the bandaged man, “Show me.”
Subjek remained stationary for a few seconds.
Then he moved, walking close towards the dark woman with no more than a few inches’ worths of iron bars in between the two. A flame was stoked at that very moment. Abdus and the other man stepped in, batons readied in their hands, just in case the bandaged man decided anything against their superior. Even Haikal was thrown off his cool, as he untangled his arms and leaned over his seat, watching the situation from a distance as he placed one tense hand over the fraying revolver holster sitting in his belt.
The dark woman extended the sack’s mouth towards the bandaged man.
Subjek extended his hands between the bars, reaching outwards.
The two men beside Boss drew their batons upwards. A click was heard from behind akin to that of an undone clasp of a leather pouch.
Boss was quick to react, “Stand down, boys.”
Subjek reached into the sack.
As effortless as he stuck his hand in, he pulled it out not a moment too late to further the others’ suspicions.
He took out a book, similar to the one stuck in his rope belt; palm-sized, a tattered cover, crumpled pages.
Abdus snatched it off the bandaged man’s hand as soon as it came out of the bag. He stuffed his baton back into his belt and flipped open the book. Between the covers were paper, uncut and intact with words and diagrams crammed into every page. They seemed to be all handwritten, with blotches of ink splattered across the corners, along with some faded paragraphs here and there.
The tired man closed the book handed it towards his superior, “It’s safe.”
Boss glanced at the book for a moment before turning towards Subjek, “Thank you.”
The dark woman grabbed the book from Abdus’s hands and brought it towards the desk in the middle of the room along with Subjek’s sack, holding onto the former while leaving the latter next to the keys. Haikal relinquished his grip from his holster while the other man reattached his baton back to his belt.
Boss leaned her supple bottom against the table and flipped open the book whilst the men kept watch of Subjek. The bandaged man had returned to his usual spot, hands to his side and the viewports of his goggles staring square at the dark woman reading through his book.
The other man was infuriated by this, “Hey, freak.”
If the bandaged man had heard his words, he didn’t show it.
The other man drew out his baton and slammed it against the cell’s iron bars. That managed to catch Subjek’s intention. The bandaged man’s head made a slight, minute turn towards the other man.
“Eyes away from Boss,” the other man growled, “You hear?”
Subjek didn’t respond. A few seconds after the other man fell silent, the bandaged man’s line of sight returned to Boss. It didn’t bide well with the other man at all. It was getting difficult to tell which was more dangerous; the panel in Subjek’s chest or the expression on the other man’s face.
Right when the pressure was about to exceed and implode, the dark woman closed the book, casting it back on the desk next to the bandaged man’s sack.
“We’ll be fine,” Boss pushed herself away from the table, “He’s safe.”
Haikal raised his concern from behind, “That’s safe?”
The dark woman shrugged, “Well, he is a little radioactive-”
Upon hearing those words, Abdus and the other man took major steps away from the cell. The former got spooked for a split second as he checked his pulse on his neck and measured his forehead’s temperature with the back of his palm.
“-but only on small degrees,” Boss finished her sentence, “I’d say our walkie-talkies got more radiation than him.”
The other man was relieved by the news, especially so for Abdus.
“So,” the tired man sighed, “What’s that freak got in his chest?”
Boss turned towards Abdus, “His heart.”
“Y-Yeah, of course,” the tired man pointed towards Subjek, “I mean that whatever-that-is on his chest.”
The dark woman nudged her head towards the bandaged man, “That is his heart.”
Abdus was befuddled, “What?”
“I don’t understand how but that Microfusion cell keeps him alive, one way or another,” Boss drew the drained cell from her pocket and gazed at it, “He needs a refill every half year; just so happened to be his anniversary today.”
The other man raised his hand, “So the freak’s got a heart or nah?”
“I don’t know,” Boss shrugged as she slid the drained cell back into her pocket, “He might even have two hearts or none.”
“So what does that panel actually do? It’s definitely not just keeping him alive,” Haikal chimed in from behind the dark woman, “I’ve seen Microfusion cells work before. They’re meant to last industrial years. No way can someone his size drain one in six months.”
“Look, the book’s here if you want to read it,” Boss picked up the aforementioned book from the desk and passed it onto Haikal, “All I know’s that he could’ve been dead if he didn’t have that book in his belt.”
Subjek remained silent and frozen throughout everyone else’s conversation, either being an attentive listener or dazing away on the spot where he stood. Haikal read through the pages of the bandaged man’s book while the others kept their sights into the cell.
“Anyway,” Abdus changed the subject, “You got business here, Boss?”
“Two, actually,” Boss leaned against the table again, crossing her arms, “First to check on our guests; see if they’re comfortable.”
Abdus glanced towards the cell, “They aren’t complaining.”
“Because one of them can’t,” Boss turned towards the tired man, “They eaten yet?”
Abdus looked to his superior, “Can the freak even eat?”
“There’s food in his bag,” Boss pointed to Subjek’s sack behind her on the table, “Safe to say he’s done it before.”
The tired man made a beeline towards the desk, “Just give it to him, then.”
“No,” Boss raised a hand, “Take him out.”
Both Abdus and the other man darted their eyes towards their superior in surprise.
The other man unattached his baton from his belt with a sinister grin on his face, “Gladly.”
“To eat,” the dark woman added, “Subjek’s a guest; not a felon. He’s only here because of vacancy issues.”
The other man seemed disappointed and upset as he clipped his baton back onto his belt.
Boss nudged towards the tired man, "Abdus, take him to a bar or two. See what he likes?"
Abdus's reaction was that of incredulity. For one, the request he's given sounded absurd and nonsensical. 'Reluctant' undersold how he felt about that order. On another hand, the aforementioned order came from Boss; his utmost superior.
The tired man hesitated for a moment but composed himself enough that he wouldn't stall for time, as much as he desired to do so. He reached towards the keys on the desk and made a begrudging beeline towards the gate, unlocking the chains and pulling it out from the iron bars.
"Get dressed, boy" Boss pointed towards the bandaged man pile of clothes beside him, "You're going on a tour."
Subjek followed the dark woman's fingers towards his discarded shirt and overcoat and boots. He stared at them for a longing second before putting them on.
As the bandaged man strapped on his boots, Abdus turned to his superior, "You joining us, Boss?"
"No," the dark woman replied, "I've got a word with our other guest here."
The tired man glanced into the cell and turned back to Boss, "Her?"
"Yes, her."
Abdus gazed back into the cell once again, "Doesn't seem like much of a threat."
"When she wakes up," Boss snickered, "We'll know."
Abdus didn't understand the dark woman in full, but refrained from delving further in the topic. He had enough in his hands already, in his opinion.
Boss turned her head towards the cell, "You done?"
Subjek was back in the outfit he wore when he first arrived in Sampah, with the only discernible difference being the dagger in the scabbard that was beneath his rope belt, now replaced with the carved journal.
"He's done," Boss ordered Abdus, "Let him out."
The tired man obliged. Subjek took a few seconds to stare at the open gate before crossing into the main room. His steps didn't stop once he was out of the cell as he took a direct route towards his sack on the table. None tried to stop him, though everyone else's gazes were intensified as the bandaged man reached for his luggage. He dropped the carved journal into the mouth without care and slung it over his back. He then made a trip around the table and reached for one of the drawers in the desk where Abdus last kept his dagger.
As soon as Subjek pulled the compartment open, Haikal shot a heavy boot and kicked the drawer shut just before the bandaged man could stick his hand in.
"I'll watch that for you," Haikal made sure his foot was planted hard and firm as he flashed Subjek a grin, "Go have fun, eh?"
The bandaged man took a moment before he got the message. He relinquished his grip from the drawer and looked towards Abdus, who was busy redoing the locks on the cell's iron gate.
Boss raised her hand at the tired man, "Leave it there."
Abdus turned to his superior, quizzical, "You sure?"
The dark woman glanced towards Haikal behind her and the other man beside her, "I think I'm certain."
"Suit yourself, Boss," Abdus shrugged and pointed towards Subjek, "You, freak, with me."
Subjek responded with inattentive silence. Abdus took that as an affirmative; he didn't think the bandaged man would be stupid enough to defy under the presence of four representatives of the opposition. The tired man made his way towards the reinforced iron double doors and sure enough, Subjek followed close behind him, to the point where he could smell the bandaged man's breath from behind; he could, in theory, but Abdus wasn't sure if Subjek even breathed like a human. At this point, anything goes for the bandaged man.
Just before he unlocked the doors outside, the tired man turned around to face his superior, "Say, Boss-"
The dark woman raised an eyebrow, "Hm?"
"The expenses," Abdus gulped, "It's not coming out of my pay, right?"
Boss's eyes widened, "Aqib didn't give any spare change to him?"
Another silent prayer was sent to Aqib's way among the men in the room.
Boss let out a sinister click under her tongue, "Right, anyone here with spare change?"
As if gifted with clairvoyance, both Haikal and the other man had their gazes far away from Abdus and their superior. The former was staring at the grey figure laying in the other cell on the opposite side of the room while the latter was busy scrutinizing the various stains and patterns on the ceiling.
Boss sighed and dug into her pocket, pulling out the drained cell she fetched from the ground, "Here, catch."
Abdus had his palms held out, ready to catch the drained cell in his hands. The dark woman tossed it towards the tired man's direction and Subjek intercepted its trajectory with a swift clutch from his fingers. He snatched it mid-air with one hand as he pulled his overcoat open with another. By the time Abdus noticed, the drained cell was already pocketed by the bandaged man, hidden among his other possessions.
"Hey," Abdus pulled Subjek aside, pulling his coat open and rummaging through his pockets with an enraged zeal, "The fuck you put that shit in?"
Boss was impressed, letting out a low whistle beneath her breath, "Let him be, Abdus. He's gonna pay for your lunch with that too."
Abdus switched his sights to his superior, his dark circled eyes squinting with desperation as he struggled to find a rebuke for his situation. After stumbling around his tongue for a few seconds, the tired man gave up and resigned himself to the humiliation. He spun a vicious glare towards Subjek.
Abdus pointed a provoking finger under the bandaged man's nose and growled, "We're using that micro-whatever cell, you hear?"
Face to face with Abdus, Subjek stood just shy of half a centimetre taller than the tired man. He had seemed taller in his uniform and thickest boots, but as evident as the sight before the two, it was all but an illusion. Abdus's flammable temper seemed to be drenched under an extra layer of oil as he came to terms with that fact as he continued to stick his finger under Subjek's face. The bandaged man himself was, as always, unperturbed by everything. In fact, his nonchalance only seemed to annoy Abdus further.
The tired man snorted and unlocked the double doors, "You stay in front of me, you hear?"
If Subjek did hear, no one could tell.
Abdus went with the usual assumption that his words did drill into the bandaged man's skull and threw open the double doors, pulling Sampah's esteemed guest out into the open air before following him from behind and closing the doors behind him.
Boss nudged towards the double doors, "Ali."
The other man, Ali, went up to the reinforced iron double doors, "You sure one cell's enough for a lunch, Boss?"
Haikal chimed in, "You know how much a drained Microfusion cell costs in a market like this?"
"What," Ali slammed the lock on the double doors, "Think you're the shit for being a Logistics Officer?"
"Can it, boys," Boss interjected.
Haikal murmured under his breath, "Brute."
"Stuck up," Ali spat.
"Can it," Boss boomed, "Save that for later."
The dark woman leaned in against the cell where Subjek once stood, now with only a single occupant left within its iron bars, laying out cold on the cardboard sheets, undisturbed since her arrival, possibly hours before that.
Boss clenched against the iron bars of the cell, "We still got business to deal with."
