"Please," I beg Gunther, "let me talk to him."

Nina holds me in her long, sequin-covered arms. "Isla, we can't be down here," she says, but Gunther stops her.

He examines me, biting the inside of his cheek. "You can't get something for nothing, Ms. Blume."

"I know."

Gunther removes a set of keys from his pocket, and unlocks the door. "Remember this, Ms. Blume."

I nod, and he lets me pass. Captain Jones has a gun pointed at Sato's head, and the drone buzzes over his shoulder, recording every moment.

"Stop!" I yell.

"Captain, turn the drone off, and give them some privacy."

"I have orders," the Captain retorts.

"And I am overriding them," Gunther shouts, typing a code into the machine. A red light on the drone turns off, and it buzzes out of the room, nearly hitting Nina, who waits in the hall; but Captain Jones refuses to lower his weapon.

"Stop right there, Isla," Captain Jones says, pointing the barrel at me.

"Put the damn gun down, Keith. Let the poor fools speak."

Captain Jones huffs, but latches the safety back in place. "You better have a good reason for this, Gunther."

"Come off it, Keith. You're still going to kill him, I'm only asking that you postpone it," Gunther says.

The Captain looks at both of us, and sighs. "Fine, but Cooper will know about this."

"The drone was filming. Cooper already knows."

Captain Jones passes me, and as soon as I'm clear, I run to Sato. Gunther follows the Captain out of the room, saying only, "5 minutes, Ms. Blume." Nina stands in the hallway, presumably waiting for me, and I nod to them both.

Once the door is closed, I look at General Sato, his eyes surprisingly dry given the situation. He's scratched, bruised, emaciated. Wasn't Ian supposed to protect him? There's a line of duct tape across his mouth, so I peel it away as gently as I can and drop it on the ground. He moves his lips as if to regain feeling in them, but before he can speak, I say, "This is all my fault. I'm the reason you're here."

"You're right," he says, and my body tenses with guilt until he continues, "I would have been a pile of ash in the bunker if it weren't for you." He smiles. "You gave me the chance to see hope for my people. You are that hope."

"But if I had just kept my mouth shut last night, you wouldn't be in this room," I say, beginning to cry, and as I look around, I notice the cement floor is stained with blood, especially where I'm kneeling. How many people have been killed here?

General Sato shakes his head. "Don't ever apologize for the things you do while standing up for others. I didn't hear you yelling at Cooper last night, because all I could hear was the silence of everyone else in the room." He frowns. "Don't feel guilty if others perceive your bravery as hubris. That's a reflection of their fears more than it is of your character."

By now I'm crying, so I barely make out the words, "But they're going to kill you. Because of me."

"No," he replies sternly, "they're going to kill me because they are afraid of the Deathless. Not because of you. They are making an example of me." Then he whispers, "You have to keep fighting for the Deathless. Give them a reason to really fear us. I will be gone, Phoebe may as well be gone, Winston is in shackles, and Alexander is a traitor. You are the Deathless leader now."

"I can't."

He smiles. "Just be yourself." I begin sobbing, so Sato catches my attention with a short whistle. "Don't stand at my grave and weep," he says, quoting the poem he loves so much. "Remember what it means to be Deathless." I nod. "The poem's in my pocket. That soldier Becker gave it to me. Take it."

I reach into his pocket as the latch on the door clicks open, and stuff the folded paper into the top of my dress. Soldiers enter the room, one of whom is Ian, and I begin to hyperventilate. They're going to take me away, and then they're going to kill Sato, and no matter what he told me, I can't stop blaming myself.

"That wasn't five minutes," I try, but the soldiers continue toward me.

"Don't mourn me, Isla," he says, as they lift me from the floor. "I am Deathless."

He repeats that phrase over and over as I fight Ian and the soldiers away from me, insisting they didn't give me enough time. I don't know if I'm screaming or crying or both, but Ian finally throws me over his shoulder, pinning my thrashing legs to his chest. As he carries me out, I watch Captain Jones return to the room and unlock the safety. Sato is now yelling, "I am Deathless," over my cries, and his volume intensifies as Jones lifts the gun and aims.

The door closes and locks behind us, and as Ian carries me down the hall, I hear a gunshot. And then all is silent.

I can't help myself: I bury my face into Ian's back and scream.

General Sato, the one leader I could trust, is dead.

"Take her back to her room," Gunther orders.

"Yes, sir," Ian says. He whispers something to me, something about how there was nothing he could do, but I can't hear it. Everything fades but the echo of the gunshot in my ears.

The world feels lighter now. There was an energy, a space to fill, but now that's gone. There's one less person in the world, and the emptiness is palpable. General Kevin Sato is dead.

I don't care that I'm flopped over on the bed, ignoring my new friends who are only trying to help. I don't care that my ridiculous make-up is probably melted all over my face. I start to cry again, like I've been doing on and off for the past hour, but by now, I don't even make a sound, the tears just roll out of me.

Sato told me not to feel guilty or ashamed, but it is my fault. And now I really am the last person here who is truly Deathless. The weight of it all suffocates me. I'm like an anchor, sinking into myself, deeper and deeper, until there's nothing left for me to do but lie at the bottom of my own ocean.

I sit up. Maybe that will help me breathe, I think.Nina moves one of the pillows to rest behind my head, and sits beside me. The sequins on her emerald dress scratch me. If it weren't for the lingering rawness of my skin, I wouldn't care, but I still appreciate the gesture. She smiles weakly with her sunset-colored lips, andI allow my mind to return to the room, where she and Ava are now sitting with me, watching me with sorrowful eyes.

"What happened?" Ava asks, widening her purple-lined eyes. "The feed cut out after you went into the room."

"Um," I start, but my voice is raw. I clear my throat, and try again. "That Worker was General Sato, so I talked to him, and... He was a good man, he didn't deserve this. He was the only one I trusted. He helped me get Daniel from the bunker when any one else would have run. He tried to make me feel better, but it's my fault."

"No," Ava says, "if it weren't for you, he would have blown up in the bunker along with everyone else you got out of there. End of story."

"Maybe it would have been better that way," I say.

"It would have been better if he died mindlessly in an explosion?" asks Ava. When she says it out loud like that, I hear that she's right. "This is Cooper's fault," she continues, "Stop beating yourself up about it and beat him up. Or beat Keith up. Want me to? Oh, please, just give me a reason." Ava laughs before noticing that I'm not smiling. It's funny, I'm just not in the mood.

"What did General Sato say?" Nina asks, moving in front of me.

"He told me that I am brave. That it's not my fault, that I need to be a leader now."

"You are," Ava says.

"But..."

I want to tell them I can't, that I'm too scared, but before I can, Nina interrupts me, "This is all a lot to take in right now. It's normal to feel overwhelmed. Ava and I will help. You don't have to do this alone."

I like Nina. We've only just met, but it feels like we have been friends forever. She doesn't hold much back. "Thank you," I say.

The door creaks open, and Celia pokes her head in. "Hi," she says. Her voice is breathy, as if she's waiting for permission to enter.

"Where have you been?" Ava asks.

"Mitchell asked that we have lunch. He wanted to get to know me," she says, coming into the room. She takes a seat at the foot of the bed, and curls her feet up like a sleeping cat around her body. Her short pink skirt rides up her thigh a bit, but she tugs it down and tucks her curled hair behind her ear. "How are you, Isla?"

It seems like an idiotic question, obviously I'm upset, but Celia is so delicate. I have to respond gently. "I'll be fine," I say. "Thanks, by the way, for being okay with the switch. I appreciate it," I tell her. I don't particularly like her, but I'll be nice.

"Anything for a friend, right?" she says, and I'm not sure who she's talking about. Me or Daniel? The uncertainty makes me mad, but before I can do anything about it, the door flies open. Like a reflex, we snap our heads to the doorway. Captain Jones, accompanied by two soldiers: Ian, again, and another soldier who has been at his side each time I've seen him on duty. The soldier has a scar across his chin and black eyes. He would scare me if he weren't 5'3".

"Ava, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in the room today."

The air thickens, and I swear Captain Jones' neck constricts with all of our imagined hands.

"Well, Keith, I decided not to do that."

He adjusts his stance, clearly embarrassed. "Daniel isn't back yet? I was told to check on his progress."

"No, he's not. Obviously," Ava says.

He exhales deeply. "Ava, I'd like to see you in the hall for a moment," he says, and she rolls her eyes before leaving and shutting the door behind herself.

"What do you think he's saying to her?" There's fear in Celia's question.

"I don't know, but I think we should all be much more careful about what we say from now on," I whisper in case anyone is listening from outside.

The door opens again, and as soon as Ava enters, the red mark of a hand is clearly visible on her cheek. She shuts the door behind her.

"What happened?" Nina runs to her.

"He hit me, obviously."

"Has he ever done that before?" I ask.

"Celia, get some ice, will you?" Nina asks, and Celia jumps up and runs over to the mini-fridge, where a tray of ice is tucked away in the freezer compartment. She takes the entire tray over to Nina.

"The whole tray?" she asks. "Nevermind, it'll work." She presses the side against Ava's cheek.

"He's never hit me before. I think you have him on edge, Isla."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you're the Deathless girl, and you're making friends. They can't risk us getting out of line now."

General Sato was right. They're afraid.

"Well, hitting you is a stupid way of regulating that," Nina mumbles.

"Obviously. It won't happen again." Ava swipes the tray from Nina, and walks over to sit back on the bed.

"I can't believe he just hit you," Nina says.

"He was the one who left the Prowlers, the collector droids, at my house too," I add.

"Don't worry," Ava says.

"What, you just want him to go unscathed, like always?"

"No, Nina, just don't worry. I'll handle it."

"Fine," Nina throws her hands up.

"I actually have to go. I'd like to put some more make-up on, and claim a bed in the Comforter's quarters before dinner. See you then?"

"Don't have a choice," Nina smiles insincerely, and Celia and I both nod.

Ava drops the tray on the nightstand before leaving the room, and once she's gone, Celia asks, "What did she mean when she said she'd handle it?"

Nina's smile fades. "I know what our people would do. I sure hope that's not what she means, though."

"Your people?" I ask.

"Yeah, before we were brought here. We were both survivors in tribe sort of communities. Different places, but similar groups."

Nomads. I know what they would do to handle Captain Jones too. They would kill him.

"What was it like being a survivor like that?" I ask.

"We would sleep wherever we ended up, ate whatever food we could forage, and if we had to fight other survivors, we were armed. I was shooting a gun before I was walking," she says, chuckling.

"Well, one day we went into a town," Nina continues, "and they must have seen us coming. We were ambushed. Everyone was killed except for me and a friend of mine, Terran. I hid in this garden outside one of the homes, but Terran was out in the open. He started calling my name, trying to find me, but I was too scared. I was... I was pregnant at the time, and I was afraid of what would happen if I stood up."

She takes a deep breath, as if to push the memory from her gut before she continues, "The people in the town found him and took him, and a few minutes later, I heard a single shot. He and I were in love," she says, her eyes glistening, "It was his baby. I wanted to give up right there, but then I heard the townspeople calling my name, like it was a game, you know? Like a bunch of serial killers looking for prey. I ran out of there, and just kept running until I hit water. I ran right to the surf, and just sat there, waiting for low tide. Later that night, I saw them on the beach with torches. They were carrying all the people into the ocean, including Terran. They called us Nomads, like we were just these meaningless specks of dust floating in the air. I ran away from that place, south down the beach until it began to look like home."

Nomads? The people who killed Terran called them Nomads? I thought my family coined that term, and only people who survived in our area knew about it. But Nina wasn't from Pennsylvania. How could those people have called them Nomads? Of course, I don't say anything to Nina—I don't want her to think I had anything to do with that group—and she continues to tell her story.

"I built a shelter, and lived on my own for days, maybe weeks, who knows. But when you're out there on your own, you start to lose yourself. I didn't know who I was anymore or what the point of living each day was. I didn't know why I was the only one left, there didn't seem to be any reason for it, and it was just so much work staying alive. I was withering away. Then I lost the baby, my last reason for living. I knew if I kept going like I was, I would die anyway, so I took matters into my own hands."

Her smile fades, and she lifts up her sleeves to reveal her tiger stripes. Scars. "I sat against a rock near the beach, and decided to spend my last moments watching the ocean. As soon as I made the first cut, I could hear the droids coming, so I couldn't move. I just let the warmth wash over me, until everything faded to white. Next thing I knew I was on the Beast getting patched up. If you asked me about my scars months ago, I would have lied. I felt like a coward. But now I can talk about it. My scars are part of my past; they are a map of where I've been. I hope I never go back to that place, but I sure don't want to forget I've been there."

Both Celia and I reach across the bed to hold Nina's hand, and for a moment, I forget we all just met each other. For a moment, they feel like family.

Daniel and I were lucky, I think. We had it easy. Our lives could have been so much more difficult, so much more painful.

"Thanks ladies. And listen, Isla," Nina says, "what you go through, we go through with you. I know now you can't heal alone. We're all together in this."

"Thank you," I whisper, humbled by the compassion of these girls, and I let myself relax in their presence.

By the time Daniel returns from work, Celia and Nina have tucked me beneath the blanket and begun reading Frankenstein to me. They stutter as they read, but as always, the words calm me. The monster is likable and sad, and after today, I sympathize with him.

Daniel sets his papers on the table beside the door, and hangs his suit jacket over the chair back. "Hey everyone," he says. "Celia, how is it going with Mitchell? Is everything okay?"

She smiles, giggling a bit to herself, and my stomach churns. "Yes, everything is okay. We had lunch today. He was nice."

Daniel rolls up his sleeves and takes a seat at the foot of the bed. "Good. Let me know if he isn't, and remember that you are welcome here if he ever crosses the line. Remember what we talked about?"

She nods, her cheeks blushing to an even brighter pink than her makeup has already given her. "I matter," she says.

"Exactly, you're not the girl you used to be. Okay?" She nods. I have no idea what they're talking about, but I'm guessing it has to do with the past Daniel alluded to her having, which only makes me feel more guilty for having pushed her out.

Daniel is still smiling from his brief conversation with Celia when he turns his attention to me, and his expression drops in confusion. "What's going on?" Daniel asks, finally noticing the tone of the room.

"Really? No one told you?" Nina asks.

He shakes his head. "What happened?"

"General Sato was taken to R.R. this morning."

"Under whose authority?" he asks, his voice raised.

"Cooper's," Nina says.

He stands up, pushing his hair back through his fingers, and paces the room. "I had no idea," he says, resting a moment at the door. He presses his palm into the wood before pushing himself away, and pacing again around the bed. "They had me outside the goddamn wall all day. They knew I'd object if I were here. I just... I can't believe this."

I swallow the tingle in my throat away and tell him, "Gunther let me say goodbye."

"What did General Sato say?" he asks, stopping in front of the bed.

"That I have to be a leader now," I say. "And he gave me this." I remove the poem from my dress and hand it to Daniel, just like we used to when we would find words that spoke to us back home.

He reads it over, sinking onto the bed as he travels through the lines, and without moving his eyes from the paper, he clears his throat and says, "Dinner will be soon. Would you ladies mind giving Isla and I some time alone beforehand?"

"Sure," Nina says. She rubs my shoulder before leaving my side, and Celia pats Daniel's back before going.

Once the girls leave the room, Daniel breathes a heavy sigh. "Please be careful," he says. "I don't have anything left of my parents, and this is all we have left of General Sato." He folds the poem back into its creased form, and sets it beside him on the bed. "What will I have if I lose you?" He doesn't give me a chance to breathe before he says, "I don't buy this 'deathless' stuff. When you die, you're just dead. My parents are gone, and I remember them, but they aren't still alive somehow. That's ridiculous."

"What about what my dad always used to say? About the—"

"—About the wind?" he interrupts. "I get it, and it's a nice story, but I don't want you in the wind. I want you here with me, always."

I lift the blanket and slide off the bed. I kneel in front of Daniel, who is still slumped over on the edge of the bed. "I'll be careful, and Nina and Ava said they'll help me lead." I take his hands. "I want to be with you always too," I say, and I mean it. Life is too short not to tell Daniel exactly how I feel, and I've kept quiet for far too long. I squeeze his hands. "I love you, Daniel. I always have."

He stares at me with that faraway look he used to get, until his smile catches up. "I love you too, Isla," Daniel says, and scoffs to himself. "I've waited 17 years to say that." His smile fades, as his glance returns to our hands. "Just stay safe."

I cup his face in my hands. "I will, but even if something happens to me, I will always be with you," I say, looking into his sunshine eyes. "It's like the earth and the sun. Even though it looks like it's gone away at night, the sun and the earth are always connected, and the earth will never stop orbiting the sun."

"And the sun will never stop trying to be closer to the earth," he says, smiling.

"Solar flares?"

"Yeah," he chuckles. "We're such nerds."

"I know, I love it," I say, and let myself laugh.

Daniel made me laugh. I feel my anchor slowly surfacing.

He stands up and pulls me into a hug. "We will figure this out," he tells me. "We will get out of here together, so no more shutting me out," he mockingly scolds me.

I smile. "Thank you."

I can tell he's not sure why I'm thanking him, but he made me laugh. That's enough for now.