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A Walker with a white mask comes close to me. He seems to be a similar age to me (I’m 16 and he looks about 15), but clothed in his white robes, he doesn’t look similar to me. His clothing looks to be mostly clean, but mine still has a little dirt from my fall, as long ago as it was. I realize, looking down at myself, that I need to change clothes. Focusing on the task at hand, I

realize the question he asked is halfway between accusatory and curious. Before I open up my mouth to answer, he repeats his question, this time even more inquisitive. “What are you doing there?”
Then comes my reply: “Right now, I’m eating and resting.”
It’s true. Although Victor may have been wandering around for the last hour, I sure hadn’t. It’s noon and I’m eating a sandwich. I had had no idea how large the

warehouse was, and so had been surprised when I found a kitchen, and behind it, a stockroom, from which I had grabbed a sleeping bag and a couple of pillows.
This person looks at me with a sideways look. Evidently, he isn’t used to seeing someone relax, and it seems to me like he hasn’t seen someone acting like that in a while.

He has a point, but after a while, I answer. “I guess it’s because I have peace. I mean, Red Nexus may have made life like heck for everyone, but… I have things to be grateful for, Like Victor, meeting new people, finding that AVI-8 drone... it’s all very fortunate. I mean, I should be dead right now, but I am alive. Why shouldn’t I relax?”
“There’s a lot to do.”
“I know…,” I continue slowly, “but until the sun sets,

I’m sitting right here.”
“I don’t mean there are a lot of activities. I mean that we have a lot to do. Red Nexus is powerful, and if we want any chance of defeating them, we need to work together, and work hard.”
“What’s your ID?” I ask.
“I don’t go by my ID. My name’s Jay.”

“Do you still have one?” I’d be surprised if I found someone without an ID here.
“#83875,” he states, slightly annoyed, “But my name’s still Jay.”
“Nice to meet you, Jay.” The word feels strange on my lips. The only person I’d met with a real name these past few months was Victor, and he didn’t really count, given that he was a duck and all.
As if summoned by my thoughts, I heard Victor quack from a

very echoey corner of the room. Huh. I thought quacks didn’t echo. Oh well.
Returning back to the conversation, I state that I’m #83398.
“Nice to meet you, #83398.” A pause from Jay, then: “Don’t you have a name, though? I’m terrible with numbers.”
I utter something to him that I don’t utter to many others.
“My name is Keenan.”
“Keean?”
“Sorry, it’s kind of hard to pronounce. It’s just Key, Nin.”
“Okay; so Keenan?”

“There you go.”
“So Keenan, are you willing to help?"

“I would, but I don’t know what to help with.”
“Hmm. That’s kind of difficult to explain. Do you know how to pilot an AVI-8?”
“No, but #22 told me about the training tonight.”
“Oh. That’s good to know. I’m just starting to learn how to fly one as well.”
“Really? When did you come here?”
He replies. “Just last week. You can look at my ID card if you want to.”
Looking at it, I realize something.

“Oh, ****, we have the same birthday!” Then I cover my mouth. “Oops, shouldn’t’ve cussed. I just haven’t been able to talk to someone in a long time, and the fact that we have the same birthday is just-- unreal!”
“Oh yeah, we do!” he realizes. “We’re exactly a year apart.”
We take our IDs back, and I close the conversation. “See you tonight?”
“See you tonight.”

He walks away, and I can see the smile on his face, even

from under his mask.

...

After a few more minutes of resting, Victor comes up to me. *Quack,* he says. “Hey, Victor,” I reciprocate.
I can’t ever tell what Victor says, but once you stay around anyone, or anything, for long enough, you can understand what they mean much more than you could ever understand someone with words alone.
*Quack quack* He continues. “Look Victor, nobody else has seen a duck as big as you.

Just give them time, and--,” I add last second, “Avoid the crates.”

The rest of the day is pretty uneventful. I take a nap but have trouble sleeping because I’m so excited and exhausted. Eventually, it’s 4. Already, the sun has started to set, something that can be seen through the windows, dirty as they are. “Alright, everyone!” #22 says in a genial voice, and the first yell I’ve heard all day. (Despite the largeness of

the room, nobody talks all that loudly here.) “If you want to attend piloting practice, take your drones and we’ll meet outside. And take your things if you have any. We’re doing this under the cover of night, but that doesn’t mean we’re completely safe. Red Nexus could find us at any time, and we need to be prepared. Follow me; as some of you may recall, the way is a bit difficult to maneuver, so it’s easy to get