Catalyst Chapter 7: Standard Deviation

Read chapter 7 of Catalyst by dumbhd on NovelPedia.

2019 April. Terra sits on the pile, blowing smoke from his mouth. His nose-bridge has a large, gaping wound across it. He slowly lays down, wincing as his wound is squeezed by the movement. The blood pooling at his head trickles down his forehead, his sword laying next to him. He did it for himself, right? But who is himself, who was he doing it for? He drops the cigarette, one of the corpse's shirts lighting on fire. A shard of glass reflects his face, the warehouse's light blinding, the only thing he sees is a monster. That monster is him. He steps on the shard, crushing it. " Forget, Terra. Forget. " He says to himself. But as he stares down at the bloodied floor, the broken windows and dead bodies laying behind him-- He doesn't forget for once. His eyes crazily shaking, pupils contracting, the veins visible, a lid twitching. He's fine. And this'll happen, again and again. Whether he likes it or not. So he better get used to it. [-/-] E sits on a couch in the R.C.T lounge, his foot tapping slowly. Time starts to pass a hundredfold in a second, people passing by as blurs, hours going by as he simply stares at the floor. Sounds drown out and speed up. But in his ear, a snap. He's thrown back into reality, the blurs gone. He has been sitting here for an hour. " Rise and Shine, E. " A man in a suit pushes him, holding a briefcase and looking at his watch, " We have to go to court, now. The R.C.T is facing some heavy shit, a kid- " " I got it. " E states, getting up from the couch. The courtroom doors fly open, people sitting down and watching from their seats. A mother sits in the plaintiff's table, bags under her dry eyes. E turns mid-walk, going to public seating, putting a headpiece on him. The lawyer clears his throat, " Mr. Uris was not able to come today, for he is currently in sundock. I will be speaking for him today. " The mother slowly turns, " He.. He didn't even bother to show up? " The lawyer grimaces, " Look, woman- " " OUR SON, IS DEAD. Uris.. Bring him, here.. NOW! This is unacceptable, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! " The woman screams, " Misses Park- " " Your honor, I AM FULLY IN MY RIGHT TO SCREAM AT THIS.. JOKE, OF A LAWYER, THESE R.C.T PEOPLE ARE SUCH FUCKING JOKES! THEY KILLED, MY SON. MY SON! THEY KILLED HIM- " " Misses parkhouse, you need to calm down this instant! " The judge yells, slamming his hammer. The prosecutor grabs her by the hand, whispering in her ear, a pat on the back. She slowly settles back onto the chair. `` Look at me Ma'! `` The prosecutor gets up, " Lennard Parkhouse was killed by a rogue in a confrontation. The R.C.T had ordered Lennard to be part of the task-force responsible for Terra's capture. He was 16, but in the files it was said he is 19. The R.C.T has lied about using minors as fire-power and is held accountable for sending a minor into a conflict without mention to their mother, which assumed Lennard has been missing for months. " They take out a picture, it's of Lennard, smiling, next to his mother. " This boy was sent to his death by the R.C.T " E sits in the public-seating. He has spoken secretly for the lawyers in the R.C.T for years, making it seem like all of them are masterminds of the law. But as he clicked the headpiece, he didn't speak. " E i need your input, NOW! Stop fucking around back there! " The sound of the lawyer in his ear is drowned out by the prosecutor. He shakes his head, " State that he has given the information himself, and gave the consent for them to recruit him themselves. And that the R.C.T was informed that he was talking to his mother about this. He was simply.. The standard deviation. " He lied, on the spot. " Copy. " The lawyer says, muttering under their breath. The prosecutor sits down, the wooden frame holding Lennard's picture right in front of it. [-/-] A frame holds a picture of a man in a lab-coat, sitting next to world renowned scientists like Einstein and Marie Curie. Written under it is, `` Rick Field`` Chance sits happily, daydreaming of f