Beyond The Dying Light

Chapter 6: Past

Nobody moved.

They all just sat there — Ben, Aria, the guard in his corner — staring at nothing, at each other, at Natan's unconscious face. The name was in the room and none of them knew what to do with it.

Then Ben drew his weapon and pointed it straight at Natan.

Aria threw herself in front of him. "What are you trying to do?! Ben—"

"You just said his father is Jourdan," Ben said. "The man currently running this government. The man who betrayed the entire planet." His eyes were hard. "Step out of the way."

"No." She didn't move. "And I'm not finished speaking yet." She held his gaze. "Natan told me before — his father is already dead."

Ben's eyes shifted. The gun didn't lower but something behind it did. "What do you mean dead."

"His family's company went bankrupt. His father went into depression because of it." She paused. "He jumped off a bridge. Natan saw it happen. The body was never found."

A moment passed.

Ben lowered the weapon slowly. "Fine. I'll wait until Natan wakes up and let him explain it himself." He paused. "But if it really is his father — I'll use Natan as a human shield."

"Shut up!" Aria's voice came out hard and sharp. "Stop saying things like that!"

"Fine."

The room went quiet.

The guard in the corner didn't move, didn't speak. He'd understood a while ago that silence was his best option and he was sticking to it.

Aria pulled the medical supplies toward her and started going through them. Bandages, antiseptic, a cloth. She looked up at Ben. "Treat his back. Here's what you need."

Ben looked at the supplies. Then at her. "Aren't you worried I'll do something to him?"

"If you do anything to him," she said, "I'll kill you."

"Scary." He almost smiled. "Then treat him yourself. You don't need my help."

Aria's face went red immediately. She looked down at the bandages in her hands and said nothing.

Ben looked at her for a moment. "Sometimes," he said, almost to himself, "I envy Natan."

Aria looked up. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing. Just give me the bandage."

She handed it over without another word.

Ben wet the cloth and wiped Natan's back down first, carefully, cleaning it properly before anything else. Then the antiseptic. Then the bandage, pressed flat, smoothed down evenly. When he finished he sat back. "Done. Now we wait for him to wake up."

Aria nodded.

Outside in the corridor the voices had gotten louder. More of them than before, pressing through the walls in broken pieces. "That's — big — dan—" Nothing clear. Just the sound of something building somewhere on the ship that hadn't reached them yet.

"They're louder than usual," Aria said quietly.

Ben listened. Said nothing.

Then Natan stirred.

He came back slowly, eyes opening to the ceiling, taking a moment to register where he was. Then he pushed himself upright — face tight with the effort — and looked around. His eyes found Ben.

Ben was already looking at him. "Tell me about your father."

Natan blinked. "What? Where is that coming from?" He looked at Aria, confused. "Aria — what is this about?"

"That guard," she said carefully, "told us the head of the government on this ship — the one running everything — his name is Jourdan."

Natan went still. Then he shook his head. "My dad is already dead."

"Are you sure?" Ben said. "Did you see a body? A funeral?"

"That's—" He stopped. "No. But I saw him jump off a bridge with my own eyes. His body was never recovered."

"Tell me everything."

Natan glanced at the gun at Ben's side. "First — will you stop pointing that at me? It's unpleasant."

Ben put it away. "Speak."

My father owned a company. When I was young we had everything — money, a good home, anything I wanted. He built it himself and he was proud of that. Genuinely proud. He used to talk about it the way some people talk about their children.

Then he got involved with the government. A business arrangement. He'd come home and tell me about it over dinner, explain things, include me in it. I remember thinking things were good. That they were going to stay good.

Then one night he came home late.

He came through the door and walked straight to his computer without taking off his coat. Didn't stop. Didn't say anything.

I called from the kitchen. "Dad, let's eat!"

"Later!"

I heard him typing fast. Then slower. Then nothing.

Then—

"No. No no no no no—"

His voice was something I'd never heard before. I came downstairs.

Everything was gone. Every private file, every account, every asset he had — leaked. All of it, public, in a single night. Just gone.

He turned around and saw me standing there. And something in his face — I don't know how to describe it, it just wasn't him anymore, it was something past him — he crossed the room and grabbed me by both shoulders.

"Did you do something to my computer?! Did you touch it?! Did you?!"

I was shaking. "No — dad — I didn't—"

He let go. He looked at his own hands for a second like he didn't know what they'd just done. Then he grabbed his coat and walked out.

He went straight to the government building. He was known well enough that the guards let him through without stopping him. He walked into the president's office and he didn't knock.

"What is this?! Why did you do this?! WHY?!"

The president sat behind his desk and looked at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jourdan."

"Stop pretending — you did this — you know exactly what you did—"

"You're making accusations without evidence." He leaned back in his chair. "That's not wise."

He smiled when he said it.

My father stood there. And I think — I think that was the moment something in him broke. Not the bankruptcy. That smile.

The guards took him out. Not roughly. Just — out. Like he was nothing.

After that he didn't leave his room.

He stopped eating. He cant sleep either. Every night food was left outside his door.

"Hon, it's time to eat. I left your food here."

"Leave!!"

The same every night. The shouting got quieter as the days went on. Not calmer — just smaller. Like he was running out of something.

On the fifth night he still hadn't come home by the time it got dark. I waited. And then I went looking.

I found him on the bridge.

He was standing at the railing, looking down at the water. Not moving. Just standing there. For a second I froze — and then I started running.

I was screaming his name. People on the street turned to look at me. I didn't care. I just kept running and the bridge wasn't that far but it felt like it kept getting further the faster I went.

He looked up when he heard me.

He saw me coming.

And then he jumped anyway.

I grabbed the railing where he'd been standing. I looked down at the water. There was nothing. Just the river, dark and moving, like nothing had happened at all.

I don't remember who called for help.

They searched for days. Boats, divers, everything.

They never found him.

Natan stopped.

He wasn't looking at anyone. Just at the floor in front of him, jaw tight, not moving.

Nobody spoke for a while.

"I see," Ben said quietly. He exhaled. "That's why you hate government technology." He was quiet for another moment. "A man who lost everything because of that government — his own life destroyed by them — he'd have every reason to hate them. Not run their ship." He looked at Natan. "I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Natan said.

Aria looked at him. She didn't say anything. She just reached over and checked the edge of his bandage quietly, making sure it was still holding.

The voices outside rose again — louder, more of them, still nothing clear through the walls.

None of them said anything about it.

The rest of the day passed slowly. They ate. They rested. The guard stayed in his corner and said nothing. Ben sat near the door and listened. Aria stayed close to Natan and didn't make a thing of it.

The ship carried them forward through the dark.

— End of Chapter 6 —