Season 04 - Episode 19

‘him yes he’

Ny is sitting at the same old table with all the same people, as the same conversation goes around again. They are debating next moves, Si pushing for violence, Es for pragmatism, the others for other things too.

He isn't listening. The spark that used to animate his failing body has dwindled. One too many horrors have built up on top of him, ground him down so that, somehow, he has lost sight of his reason for doing all this.

“Ny?” Clo is saying. “Ny! Are you alright?”

“Hmm?” he says, floating back into the meeting. “Sorry, I was... thinking of something else.”

“He made his choice,” says Es gently. “No-one forced him. He did it to save us.”

Ny looks to the table, sees the dent he made in it just a few days ago, back when anger and passion had been a part of him.

“Yes,” he rasps, his tongue dry. “I know. I just...”

The door to the room opens. Si leaps to his feet, the others freeze, all horror struck at their discovery. A young woman enters the room, closes the door and approaches the table. Everyone stares at her in silence, until Ny suddenly leaps from his chair.

“Ko!” he cries, rushing at his friend with surprising speed and embracing him fiercely.

“But what's this?” Ny says, stepping back to look at Ko's clothes, unable to stop smiling while the others stare on, slackjawed. “Does this mean... Are you...?”

“It's just a disguise,” says Ko. “Turns out we have a friend in GovCo, a very senior, female friend. These are her clothes, she gave me them to help me escape. As far as GovCo know, the EnFo deserted, gave himself up and has been executed. We're in the clear, for now.”

“She sold us out to save herself!” Si yells suddenly, stepping hotly towards Ko. “She must have! I knew we couldn't trust her! Everything about her is a lie! She's a...”

“Si!” snaps Es, standing from her chair abruptly so that the legs screech a fanfare. “Stop it! Just stop it!”

Ko looks to the floor, shame and anger and sadness all tangled up wrestling inside. Es glares at Si but approaches Ko. A confused Ny steps out of the way as Es takes Ko's hands in her own.

“Ko,” she says seriously, waiting for him to raise his eyes to meet hers. “We owe you an apology, all of us. You risked you life for us but we should have never made you feel like you needed to do that. We should have accepted you, completely, just like Ny did, right from the beginning. I am sorry that we didn't. I hope you can forgive us.”

Ko holds the old woman's gaze but cringes and squirms inside. The bare, open honesty, the affection and respect, it's too much.

“I'm also sorry that I didn't say anything when Si...” Es continues, tears in her eyes.

“This is ridiculous!” Si interrupts, bellowing his rage. “Call yourselves a resistance? You think you can beat GovCo by sitting around holding hands and welcoming every traitorous freak that comes along with open arms?! I'm done with this. I done with you, all of you!”

With that he storms from the room, glaring daggers at Ko as he goes. Ny watches the whole scene unfold, baffled. Once Si has slammed the door, he turns to Ko for answers.

“You didn't tell me they were treating you like this!” he says. “If I'd known I could have.. I would have..”

“It's ok,” says Ko, landing a hand on Ny's shoulder then looking to Es. “I think... I think it might be ok now.”

Later, much later, Ny is back in his room and back in his chair. His elation at Ko's return has reignited the dying spark and he feels alive and able once more. His new found energy has come with a new problem however, through the message Ko gave him once they were alone.

If their new GovCo friend is to be believed, the reason they can't find the food stockpiles is because they don't exist. GovCo has no stores of food or medicine or equipment, nothing to redistribute after defeating them.

GovCo lost the ability to produce these things years ago.

They're running out of everything.

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