The halls seemed eerily devoid of sound, everything dulled in a hazy void. He barely remembered stepping through the doors and being met by an ADC employee. She was of an alien species Lexx didn't recognize and wordlessly held out a small black box. Lexx took it and snapped the top open to find an unused audio ring inside. It was identical to the tracking ring that was already in his ear, except that it was missing a segment, and would mark him even further. It would be placed on his left ear to broadcast every word he said and anyone else speaking to him. Slowly, Lexx's world was shrinking. The ring was shameful. Having one was bad enough, a mark of an indentured employee of this or that corporation. Two was worse, because it could mark you as a criminal. Untrustworthy.
With another sigh, Lexx held the semicircle of ring to his ear and pressed on it to set it below the first. A small pinch and it was set. Activated. They would know everything, except what went on his in mind and over the relay. That was his only refuge now and one that was untouchable. Laws prevented anyone from tapping the mind's thoughts. One of the scarce few ways the laws actually took into account the feelings of the employees.
Lexx didn’t hear or see any of the officers and employees of the station as he slowly made his way back to the residential levels. They were there, but with how fuzzy Lexx’s head was, he just didn’t notice them. His mind was flooded in a torrent of what ifs and what would be.
He thought about the little girl. They didn’t want her. They would have mentioned her. Lexx would protect her and he could. It brought strength to his sluggish walk. He could protect her, but he couldn’t save himself. He wouldn’t come back here if he lived. It was too painful. She was too attached to him. He would spare her his own experiences. She would do better with Chel.
Chel. It cut sharply. A smile he didn’t deserve. The friendly look cast his direction. She could not even begin to understand what Lexx had been through to get this far. He didn’t want her to know. Some things were best kept a secret, especially when you were ashamed of them.
“Higher! Higher!” Lexx heard Maenae’s joyous voice among the other children’s. “Eeee!” He walked through the main entrance and immediately spotted them close to where he had left them. Chel was pushing Maenae on a swing.
He stopped a few yards away, just watching and thinking. ‘I want them to hate me.’ He sighed, frustration written across his dark features. ‘I want Chel to go home until this is over,… but I need her.’ Need? He needed her? The feelings he felt had changed with the news, deepening beneath his awareness. ‘How did this happen?’ Lexx questioned himself. ‘I don’t want to hurt them, but in the end, can it be avoided?’
