B-2754, Ryker

After several minutes of watching Finna and Ina wrestle between each other, Kane finally seemed to want the story to contiue.

“Missy, sit down or I ‘ill make ya.” His voice had the same feeling as a stern grandparent who already had a wooden spoon in their hands.

At the order, she gave a few more slaps before sitting down on the ground beside me. Careful to maintain the decency that was taught to us, she allowed almost a foot of empty space to separate us. Making sure of the fact by swiveling her head like a little bird before returning her attention to Finn. Once he deemed that everyone was quiet, the man launched into his story that would supposedly win us over.

“As you know, some children are born with abilities because of their mothers or fathers working too close to radioactive or contaminated ground. These abilities are represented negatively in mass propaganda to justify what the Congress uses them for.” He decided this was a good time to take a breath and study our faces, “but it's not true. Everyone here is jinxed. No one here has ever consumed human blood or whatever other lie the government is spreading.”

“Everyone here is a damn Jinx?” The words seemed to tumble out of my mouth before I could catch them.

“Yes. Everyone here has knowledge of their power, except you two.” Finn said the whole statement as a sigh, looking at the two teenangers as if they were a difficult puzzle he was tasked with solving.

“It’s true kiddies. I just won’t die no matter how hard I try.” Kane seemed to think this whole thing was hilarious, a horse laughter leaving him.

Though Kane seemed to be the only one keen on sharing his specific jinx. The other three just letting out a collective sigh, as if the joke he used had been said thousands of times before.

“Well, basically we bring teenangers who have just tested positive for a jinx here. We usually manage to get two or three out with every testing, and they have all gathered here.” Finn lifted his shoulders slightly in a shrug, “Kane started this whole thing and decided the Borderlands was the best place to hide out considering no intelligent person would ever come this way.”

I stared as Finn continued to talk, no longer truly able to grasp the meaning of his words. Instead everything I knew of jinxes was coming back. Some were violent and were studied to develop weapons for the war. Some were harmless and the jinxed were allowed to live under close supervision in isolated units. Others were executed because they were to unstable to contain. It was rumored being Jinxed slowly ate away at the mind, thus chances of executions tended to rise the older jinxed was.

I had seen the executions before. Chained in gleaming silver cuffs, faces covered with a gas mask, bodies looking like skeletons with skin stretched tight over them. Almost always the death was caused by poisonous gas. Sometimes a firing squad, and in the most extreme cases they were hung. I could remember sitting eagerly in front of the TV to watch. The horrific memory jolting me back into the present.

“-Congress uses the lower class Jinxed as test dummies. Either for new medicines, new surgeries, new technologies, new weapons. Mid level Jinxed are sold off to government officials as glorified pets and to perform dinner acts for guests. Fighting class Jinxed are used in the underground fighting rings that only officials can watch.” Finn gave a short pause, as if the next statement physically pained him to say. “Finally, High Level Jinxed are put into solitary confinement until they are too weak to use their gift, then they are executed.”

“How can you tell the levels?” This time Ina interrupted.

Glancing her way, it was obvious that whatever Finn had said while I was zoned out was a reality check.

“It’s a simple test. Almost like the old way of testing blood sugar.” Finn shrugged, ready to launch into his speech again before I interrupted.

“I want my level tested.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ina nodding in agreement.

The reactions from the others in the room varied; Finn looked angry for being interrupted, Kane looked excited like a little child, Quin had a curiose gleam in her eyes, and Hail had a small little smile playing at her lips.

“Les poke some fingas then!” Kane cackled, gesturing towards Hail.

As if reluctant, she pulled the small object from one of the pouches of her belt, pricking her own finger as an example. After a few seconds, a small hologram lighted above it. The words reading ‘Mid Level, Sub. Healing’.

“The bigger words tell you what level you are, the smaller tells you a subdivision or a specialty.” Her voice was smooth, almost motherly in some ways.

With a look of patience, she extended her hand. Leaving it up to either Ina or me to choose to have the blood reading. Ina’s hand seemed to move with inhuman speed, resting on top of the other’s woman’s calloused palm and waiting for the prick that would reveal everything. With only a second of hesitation, Hail pressed the machine closer to Ina’s finger tips. The younger’s face scrunching up to reveal the discomfort before pulling her hand away to allow the machine to process. The seconds seemed to creep past, everyone collectively holding their breath as they watched the holograph slowly appear in the air.

‘High Level, sub. Unknown.’

“Why is it unknown?” Ina questioned.

My eyes were still glued to the first part, such a frail girl was high level? The Congress would have executed her?

“It just means no one has ever recorded your specific power before.” Hail shrugged, the curiosity evident in her eyes but her face displaying this was a common thing.

Kane let out a low whistle in appreciation, turning skeptical eyes to me as if my reading would now be a cruel joke of fate. Reluctantly, I placed my hand on Hail’s allowing the woman to prick my finger. With this much stress around the simple action, it was as if I could feel the quick second of the needle entering and exiting my skin. Making the whole process even more excruciating to sit through. Waiting for what seemed like hours before the holograph slowly flickered to life.

‘Fighting Class, sub. Long Range’

Nothing about the combination of words made sense. But by the sound of Kane’s chuckle and whistles it was evidently something good.

“We got us da cream of da crop here.” The man kept repeating, Finn just offering a glare as he continued, “compared to you these two were much more exciting.”

I could feel my eyes dart up to Finn, knowing Ina was giving him the same look as he squirmed slightly. We wanted the story, more than the facts of why we were sitting here.

“When I got mine read it said Unknown for both. They thought I was a fluke.” Finn stated quickly, rolling his eyes at the snickers coming from both Kane and Quin.

“How do I figure out the unknown?” Ina’s voice was full of concern, knowing she would have been executed was probably causing her mind to skip into survival speed.

“You practice. And hope for the best.” Finn shrugged, opening the canvas flap quickly. “Let's go get your basic stats covered.”

Feeling sunlight hit my eyes, I squinted momentarily. My mind painting an image of bubbling toxic waste before I had time to open and see the true borderlands.

This was the Borderlands?