Chile-Sigma Solar System

  Huachipato XIV

  Refugee Camp

  The weight of the crowd’s gaze pressed heavily on Lautaro as he stood in the center of the camp, the last vestiges of the burning effigy smoldering in the cold evening air. The once-familiar faces that surrounded him were now distorted by suspicion and fear. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat a reminder of just how far he had fallen from the safety and trust he had once known.

  Mateo stood beside him, his brow furrowed with tension, while Elena remained at the perimeter, her fists clenched tightly as she watched the crowd with barely controlled frustration. Her earlier attempt to calm them had failed, and now, Lautaro was about to face the consequences.

  “Interrogate him!” the voice from the back of the crowd had echoed through the camp, and the murmurs of agreement hadn’t died down since. The crowd, though no longer a frenzied mob, was still driven by fear. They wanted answers—answers Lautaro wasn’t sure he could give.

  A man stepped forward from the crowd. He was older, his skin weathered and his eyes sharp with years of experience. Lautaro recognized him as Esteban, one of the senior leaders of the colony. Esteban had always been a voice of reason, someone who had been a steadying hand during crises. But now, even his face was hardened with suspicion.

  “Lautaro,” Esteban began, his voice even but cold, “the people have questions. We all do. You’ve been with us for years, but recent events... well, they’ve raised some very real concerns.”

  Lautaro swallowed, the weight of those words hanging in the air. His throat felt tight, and his mouth dry. “I know,” he managed, his voice low, almost apologetic. “I understand. But I swear, I had nothing to do with the invaders. I fought them, just like the rest of you.”

  “Fought them?” Esteban raised an eyebrow, his tone skeptical. “You fought them, yes, but then there’s the matter of your... connection. The whispers say you’re tied to them. That you share something with the creatures.”

  Lautaro felt his stomach twist. His connection to the invader king—something he still barely understood—was the source of all this mistrust. How could he explain it when he himself couldn’t fully comprehend it?

  “It’s true,” Lautaro admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “I do have some... connection to them. But it’s not what you think. I didn’t ask for this.”

  The crowd murmured again, the tension rising. Elena’s gaze flicked toward Lautaro, her eyes hardening with protectiveness. She took a step forward, but Mateo subtly placed a hand on her arm, signaling for her to wait.

  Esteban’s eyes narrowed. “What exactly does that mean, Lautaro? A connection? Do they speak to you? Control you?”

  Lautaro shook his head quickly. “No, no, it’s not like that. It’s more... I don’t know how to explain it. When I fought them, something happened. I absorbed part of their energy, their essence. I didn’t want to, but it just... happened. I’ve been trying to control it, but it doesn’t mean I’m one of them.”

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  The crowd’s murmurs grew louder at this admission, the fear in their voices more evident.

  “Absorbed their energy?!” a voice shouted from the crowd. “He’s infected! He’s one of them!”

  Lautaro felt the panic rising inside him, but he forced himself to stay calm. “I’m still me,” he said, louder this time. “I’m still Lautaro. I haven’t changed. I’ve fought alongside you all, I’ve bled for this colony. This connection—whatever it is—it doesn’t make me the enemy.”

  Esteban crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. “But how can we trust that, Lautaro? How do we know you’re not a danger to us?”

  Before Lautaro could respond, Elena stepped forward, her voice cutting through the crowd like a blade. “Because he’s saved us! You all saw it! He helped shut down the power grids. If it weren’t for him, we’d all be dead right now.”

  Her words seemed to carry some weight, and the crowd quieted slightly. But Esteban wasn’t finished.

  “That may be true, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s... different now,” Esteban said, his voice firm. “We’ve seen what those creatures can do. We saw people turned to dust. If Lautaro shares something with them, how can we be sure it won’t happen again? How can we be sure he won’t lose control?”

  Lautaro’s chest tightened at the implication. He hadn’t considered it himself—the idea that whatever was inside him, whatever he had absorbed, could turn him into one of them. Could he lose control? Could he become a threat?

  Mateo finally spoke up, his voice calm but resolute. “Lautaro is the reason we’re still alive, and he’s still one of us. We don’t fully understand what happened to him, but running him out of the colony isn’t the solution. We need to figure this out together.”

  Esteban looked between Lautaro, Elena, and Mateo, his face still hard. “If we’re going to keep Lautaro here, we need answers. We can’t ignore the fact that he’s changed. An interrogation is necessary.”

  The word “interrogation” hung in the air like a knife. Lautaro felt his blood run cold. An interrogation? Did they really think he was that dangerous? That he could betray them?

  Elena stepped forward again, her fists clenched. “You want to interrogate him? After everything he’s done for this colony? Are you serious?”

  Esteban held up a hand, trying to keep the peace. “We’re not talking about torture or anything barbaric, Elena. But we need to understand what we’re dealing with. We need to make sure Lautaro isn’t a threat. It’s for the safety of the colony.”

  Lautaro’s mind raced. He understood their fear, but the idea of being interrogated by the very people he had fought to protect made his stomach churn. He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take.

  “Fine,” Lautaro said quietly, his voice barely audible. “If that’s what it takes to prove I’m not the enemy, then I’ll do it.”

  Elena turned to him, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Lautaro, no, you don’t have to—”

  “I do,” Lautaro interrupted, his voice firm now. “If this is what it takes to make them trust me again, then I’ll do it.”

  Esteban nodded slowly. “Thank you, Lautaro. We’ll make sure it’s fair. We just need to be sure.”

  The crowd began to disperse, though the air was still thick with tension. Elena looked at Lautaro, her expression a mix of anger and worry.

  “This isn’t fair,” she said, her voice low. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

  Lautaro gave her a small, tired smile. “Maybe. But they’re scared. I can’t blame them for that.”

  Mateo placed a hand on Lautaro’s shoulder, his face grim. “We’ll get through this. Just stay strong.”

  But as the crowd finally dissipated and Lautaro stood alone with his friends, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something much darker was coming. The connection to the invader king was still there, lurking in the back of his mind, and he didn’t know how much longer he could keep it at bay.