September 5th, 2030, 7:21 pm

Craig Larsson leads me to the concrete walkway outside of Bentley's fast food restaurant, milkshake in hand. The glaring, neon lights attracting visitors, glimmer a sharp mixture of sky-blue and magenta hue around the frame of the windows and doors. The glow casts a shine all the way through the parking lot, painting the pavement and the faces of passersby. The rugged, charcoal leather jacket on Craig's back is illuminated by the distinct radiance behind us.

An obscene scent diffuses through the atmosphere as Craig and I decline the ramp toward his car. I pivot my head, tracing the Sergeant's footsteps, to recognize a man lingering beside the door. He draws a sparked cigarette away from his lips as his intent gaze directs in my direction. A smoke cloud plumes across his face, masking his unwavering countenance.

The M over my elbow ignites into its glory. That man against the wall of Bentley's tempts me to approach, hauling me by the mark. I clasp my right hand over the glow and break away from his captivation. I lessen the distance between Craig and I, picking up my feet.

"Slater, do you think I could outrank Petry one day? I mean, I know he's already a few paces ahead, but the Major told me how your merit and skills can help you leapfrog over standing officers. That's how MacTavish is already a Colonel yet he's so young, same for the Major." Craig asserts, motioning toward his car, parked facing the dull city street. "I wonder what it takes to get to that point. You know, Talbot was one of the best special operants of his time. He lead nearly two-hundred missions for Oltima before he was ranked to Captain. Considered for the Emperor's Seal and everything. Of course, he didn't get it, but still."

I jostle into the passenger's seat, tugging the seatbelt over my chest. "Dude, you're the Sergeant of one of the best classes the Imperial Guard has seen. That must add up to something. They'll take you on every other mission and the experience will stockpile. You'll be a Master Sergeant in two years, easily. Colonel in ten."

He sends a delicate punch at my shoulder. "C'mon, quit being a suckup!" The milkshake in his grasp finds a location in the silver cup-holder under the radio. "I think it would be awesome to be Colonel under Talbot as General. After that, I could be General." He blows off steam, kickstarting the engine. "I still can't believe I'm Sergeant. The possibilities are limitless."

"I'm really happy for you, dude. You deserve it," I choke out, curling my neck away from him. That word is stifled in my throat, forming an abrasive lump. A week ago, my soul would suffocate me in my sleep if I so much as thought about saying that to him. Hell, what kind of friend am I to Hal that something along those lines could escape me in the way it did? Does he really deserve it, or was the rank of Sergeant Hal's to lose?

The car reverses, and Craig sneaks a grin at me. "Thanks, man. Listen, I'm, uh," He retracts his statement, allowing for the vehicle to straighten out. "I'm really sorry for how I treated you the last couple weeks. During the ranking and everything."

I adjust my flannel, smiling his way. "It's no problem. I'm over it."

"I'm was just so pissed about what happened to the Major's wife, and I still kind of am. But you're my friend now and I have to learn to get over it. Don't bank on Talbot being so forgiving, though."

"I wasn't expecting him to," I observe the dim street lights as they sweep by the window. The moderate speed of the car is starting to get a little nauseating after that dinner of cheeseburgers and fries. "So, what's he like?"

"Who, Talbot? He's a pretty cool guy. Every day he would tell a story of his time in special ops. Like this one time, there were some conspirators holed up in Sabul in the south. They were militant and planning to bomb the capital, so the Imperial Guard had to get involved. But since Sabul's sector is the second smallest in Oltima, they requested help from Queen's City. That's when the Major was a Master Sergeant and was starting to lead missions, even if he was younger than the rest of the guards he was ordering around.

"The Imperial Guard's plan of attack was to choke them at their roots, so they attacked their base. Open desert; days got up to one twenty-five and nights to negative ten. Talbot and his company overthrew the base within hours. He said he got three kills. If you saw this guy, you wouldn't think he'd be capable of doing something like that, but hey," Craig chuckles, "I think looks can be deceiving."

I trace my fingers over the uneven grooves on my arm. The shimmering light shields itself beneath my skin. "They keep track of kills?"

The car eases to a halt, and Craig peers my way. "No, just Talbot. It's kind of fucked up. But if the Imperial Guard didn't kill them, a lot of innocent people could have died. It had to be done."

The edges of my lips turn to the floor. "I guess I just don't see it that way."

"What do you mean?"

"If people can be saved, then they shouldn't be killed. At least put them in prison and find out more about them, you know? I think they missed a perfect opportunity to gain footing on them, from the sound of it."

Craig twitters, sneaking a look into the rearview mirror. "Slater, you're too smart for your own good. Levi would say that being that curious would get you killed."

"Well, I say that someone has to be curious, in that case."

"You're nuts, man."

The Sergeant of Class 30 continues to drive in the direction of the headquarters as I rest my chin against the trim of the window. The bulbs of orange above our heads streak by in a flash, and crowds of civilians pace along the sidewalk, per usual.

West Bluefield, along the shoreline, is packed with tourists and vacationers through to the middle of autumn. People travel here all the way from the Meadowlands and even Sever just to experience the nightlife and beachside activities. The days don't start to become cool until late October, allowing more time on the sand. During any typical summer, disregarding the most recent one, my residence in the district would allow me to visit the oceanside every weekend at my leisure. Jumping in the ocean with my teammates after an exhausting baseball practice was nothing short of a relief.

You know, a month ago, I would have considered those moments to be nothing but a distant memory. There would be no chance for me to redeem those experiences and liberation would be a thing of my wildest dreams. As I sit in the car of my Imperial Guard Sergeant, I realize that I'm still here. Whatever I feared then is no longer holding me back. I am not restricted to the guidelines the OLC has dictated; only the Medo controls me now. But if I can break free from the Imperial Guard, the Medo should not be what keeps me from my destiny.

Whatever that is.

"You were trained by the Captain, right?" Craig finally initiates, glancing in my direction. I nod, and he grins. "So, you know Celeste Manchester then?"

"Yeah, what about her?" If he doesn't keep his mouth shut about Celeste, I'll reach across the console and force him to pull over so I can kick his ass. I know she said she didn't like Craig Larsson because he was a douchebag, which is agreeable. Man, if she found out I was hanging out with him right now, she'd murder me, especially because of her friendship with Hal and CJ.

"I was just wondering. I go to school with her."

"That's it?" I stammer.

"I mean, yeah. It must suck having a parent as an officer in the Imperial Guard." He expels whatever is lingering in his throat and swivels to face me. His marsh eyes fail to meet mine. "Especially with what happened last week. It was scary just being there, I couldn't imagine if that was my dad."

"It was difficult for all three of us. But he's doing a lot better now; he's a tough guy."

"Yeah, he's pretty chill. After the Major's wife died, he visited us to make sure we were holding up okay. He seemed intrigued by you if that was you at all. He would ask me what I saw, but I couldn't say anything more than you," Craig admits. "You know, Slater, I think luck was on your side this whole time. You were fortunate to get him to be your mentor. Talbot says the Captain is one of the only good ones left."

Well, that's certainly some consolation, considering I'm living with the Manchesters from here on out.

Craig pulls into the parking lot before the bridge in front of the Imperial Guard headquarters. As the driver rolls his window down, we can recognize the ocean waves smacking against the bluffs that elevate the connection to the island. Sunset-orange lights sting the air with their raspy hum over our car. A distinct breeze curls into the tight space, sending a cool sensation across my face.

He finds a place to settle his car up against the wired gate, looking out to the sea. The beacons across the bridge glimmer into the night, captivating us with their radiance. The eagle over the door of the facility is so brilliant, I can make out its figure from where we sit now. Wings spread wide, welcoming those who arrive by overhead train.

I unbuckle my seatbelt, pulling at the collar of my flannel. "Hey, thanks for taking me out to dinner, man. I'm glad we got to-"

Craig does not stir in the driver's seat. His hand is cupped around the keys as the engine dies, the rap music from the radio dying at once. He stares out at the open water where the sun has created a violet hue over the horizon. He lays back, shutting his eyes.

I pivot in my seat with my ear to the headrest. "Are you doing okay?"

The swamps are beginning to flood. He is still. "Why are you being so nice to me? After everything I did to you?"

"I've always been taught to forgive. If other people are willing to give me a second chance, it's only fair that I do the same."

"Yeah, but why?" Craig turns to me and I see the river trickling down his cheek. "I treated you like shit all this time and you are still able to like me? I don't get it."

I smile. "Because you're not as bad as I thought you were. And not as bad as you think. You've changed, just like me."

He palms the side of his face to scrub away the flow of tears, accompanied by a sniff. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be crying in front of you."

"It's okay. We all do it sometimes."

"Slater, I don't know how to say this, but I never really had a friend that I could trust before. There were kids in school who I would hang with but I never really liked them. They would pick on me since I never liked to go out to parties with them because I was afraid of hooking up with someone. They'd make me feel worthless sometimes, but I stayed with them because I thought having bad friends was better than having no friends at all. It was for the image."

I shuffle in my seat. "I know what that's like."

He gives himself a laugh, just enough leverage to stifle a sob. "But now that I have someone like you who I can talk to, I am confused. I see someone who is worse off than me and seemingly happier than I am. It makes me wonder if I'm headed in the right direction. Maybe you and I could actually be friends despite what has happened in the past couple weeks."

"Of course, Craig. You seem like you understand what you did wrong and you want to change. That's good."

"But I'm just worried about everyone else. The rest of the class probably hates me because they like you and I've been treating you like shit. I want to be a good Sergeant to them but if they hate me I'll never be able to."

I shrug. "Listen, man, if you start treating them like how you are to me now, they should warm up to you pretty quickly. I think the whole transition out of the ranking really got the best of us and made us hate each other's guts. I don't blame you for being the way you were. And if they're stubborn, let me talk to them for you. They'll come to understand."

Tears continue to stream toward his lips. "Thank you, Slater. So much." He vacuums a heap of air and ejects it after several long moments. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, anything."

He hides his eyes from me. From the crease between his eyelids, a solitary tear escapes and hooks around his nose. "I've never had a friend to tell before. I've been keeping this inside me my whole life but now I finally have someone else who will know." He grips his car keys as he attempts to cover his face. "I'm, uh," He hesitates, coughing, "I'm gay."

How much must I mean to him that he has the courage to do something like this? The fact that he hasn't told anyone must have been weighing heavy on his conscience. I watch his face switch to a rosy-pink color and the aura that has been lifted from him. I cannot screw this up for him. From how I sit here, I think... well, I think I'm all he has.

"Look, Slater, please don't tell anyone; keep it to yourself. My parents would kill me if they found out."

"I would never. Your secret is safe with me. I promise."

"Pinky promise?" He bears his arm out between us with his smallest finger outstretched.

I link my pinky with his and grin. "Promise."

"Thank you."

I open the car door and step out into the West Bluefield night, smacked with the ocean breeze from beyond the fence. What a night. Being in the city doesn't allow us to see the stars, but I know they're up there looking down on us. And if Dad is watching, I hope he approves of who I have become. What I mean to other people.

I step around the back of the car to follow the Sergeant toward the railway, taking us back to the headquarters where we will spend the night. We have our first seminar tomorrow as officers in the Imperial Guard, and we're required to sleep over in the barracks. Everyone should be here, ready for roll call by now.

"Hey, Craig?" I call, catching up to him.

He skids to a stop. "Yeah, what's up?"

I swing my arms around him, pulling his body into mine. He mimics my embrace, and I hear suppressed sobs over my shoulder. "It's okay, Craig. I'll be at your side if you need me."

He sniffs. "Thank you, Slater. Thank you so much."

So, yeah. Two weeks ago, if you would have told me that I would be hugging Craig Larsson in the Imperial Guard parking lot, accepting his request to be his only friend, I would have never believed you.

But yet, here we are. Imperial Guard brothers in arms, forgetting who we once were. Realizing who are are now.