Chapter 16. The letter

"I can't say it's about the holiday. I just used this opportunity to pass one short letter to you. It can't express everything I want to tell you, but words don't really matter. You know what I think of you and expect of you."

It wasn't the first time Arriz was reading this letter. It came with the present he received for the holiday. Every hybrid got a message from Earth like that. But this surprise became lost in the events of the day.

Everyone knew now that they were attacked by mutant rats. The creatures which also had spider genes in them couldn't be called a new species. According to Dr. Deshanti's research, their lifespan was about half an hour, so they weren't a serious threat to the base.

The management believed it to be an unlucky prank. They were still looking for its author, but without serious punishment in mind.

They wouldn't find him anyway. Iutah was smart, and if he did something so provoking, he had to cover his tracks wisely. No-one would suspect him, one of the top students. They'd be searching the culprit among the failures who had their reasons to ruin the fun for their more successful classmates.

"I have no doubt that you are fine now. You've found yourself a friend that you've always dreamed about."

That was a hint on Iutah. His mother couldn't write about such things directly, because she suspected her letter would be checked by hybrids before being passed to him. As the result, the holiday card was full of secret messages only he could understand.

A friend… Iutah was nothing close to that. He didn't have to make that rat mess, it was silly from the Organization's point of view. But the very thought of hybrids having fun was so irritating to him that he was ready to take that risk. Not attending the party wasn't enough for him, he wanted to ruin it for everybody.

"Study well and work on self-improvement. You became the first curator to fly to Ceres. So be worthy of the trust you've been given."

On the one hand, Arriz was mad at Iutah. The party was ruined, many hybrids got hurt, and at least half of the presents was gnawed on and spoiled. On the other, he knew that Iutah was doing the right thing – in comparison to what the telepath was busy with.

Arriz wasn't pretending that evening, he was truly enjoying the holiday and his company. He forgot about being sent here by the Organization. The values of "One Breed" stopped being his values.

He didn't know what to believe anymore. His mother had been teaching him one thing, but his soul wanted something totally different now.

"I believe you'll be worthy of your father. He was setting a good example to you. You must repeat his destiny and surpass his achievements. You are his future, the one who will follow his road. So I'm sending you something that used to be his. It will remind you about why you were born. I'm proud of you, Arriz. You'll bring success to all of us."

His present was a medallion he was holding in his hand right now. It was a metal plate with a picture engraved on it: a medieval knight killing a dragon. It was one of the symbols of the Organization, just a lesser known one, and hybrids couldn't recognize it.

He remembered his father wearing this medallion on the rare days of their meetings. Derek took it off before his last mission…

His mother's letter was the answer he needed. It didn't matter what he thought, wanted or valued. His parents brought him into this world, he had to obey their will. He had to burn his own principles out of his soul and follow the road he'd been assigned to. Nobody can change their destiny!

Arriz put the medallion on; the metal was bringing unfamiliar pressure to his chest. It was a good reminder. He had to act like Iutah from now on, without those unnecessary sentiments. He was the weapon of the Organization, and his mother would accept him only in this role.

And the fact she hadn't mentioned in her letter that she loved him, not even once… It wasn't really important.