When Shawn was lifted by the back of his collar by a Chelated Being and left hanging in midair, all he could think was how absurd it was—how could a Chelated Being have appeared in an underground base?
This wasn't the wasteland. This was the Habitable Zone, and supposedly the safest place within it, the place where Chelated Beings were least likely to appear.
He had worked so hard to plan himself a future filled with flowers. By then, the Quicksilver Needles' casualties would be nothing more than a number to him. Every morning, he would glance at them in the newspaper, forget them immediately afterward, and enjoy his croissant and coffee in peace.
The crying in the distance would have nothing to do with him, because he would have escaped the fate of being sacrificed completely. Like any ordinary person in the Habitable Zone, he would live a plain life free from want in the safety of the rear...
"Don't cry. Stand properly." The Chelated Being's voice was thin as it helped Shawn against the wall. "Look at me."
The last thread of reason in Shawn's mind had snapped. He obediently followed the Chelated Being's instructions, but his eyes had gone utterly vacant.
The Chelated Being frowned instead. It had wanted to see the ugly spectacle of the boy's final struggles, which would have brought it immense pleasure. Yet this young man seemed scared out of his wits, without the slightest desire to resist or survive, like a broken toy.
"Breathe."
The Chelated Being raised a hand, signaling Shawn to inhale and exhale in time with the movement of its arm.
The collapse brought on by death briefly receded with each breath. Shawn shuddered, finally waking from his feverish delirium.
Only then did he truly see the Chelated Being