Chapter 25 The Mascot of Faith and Freedom

"Cassy, wait! Listen to me!"
I inhaled deeply, I felt my nose was raging fire. He must have realized how mad I was because he flinched when I glared at him.
"Oh my heavens, she's mad..." I heard Li's scared voice and I glared at him too. He quickly hid behind Jason who looked apprehensive of what happened.
"Think of it, Harriet. Your father might have seen this show live and he would know you're safe! Isn't that brilliant?" Timothy tried to reason out as he held me by the arms and made me look at him. "The people need you, Harriet. They want a symbol of hope. And what we have experienced and went through outside the bunker would give them the courage that somehow, they could survive like us."
I stared at Timothy's face and thought about my dad watching that video. He"s right. I lowered my head and breathed deeply, trying to calm myself down. My dad... he would know I'm still alive and I must find them!
"How can I find my dad and my brother?" I desperately asked Timothy, and there's nothing more I could wish for but to reunite with them. "Are they here?"
Timothy felt relieved when my emotion shifted from an angry dragon to a worried panda. I saw him sigh and smiled at me. "We'll need the Admin Sector to find that out. For now, you must know that we are doing it for everyone, Harriet. The Ambassador thought about it and it's a great help in times like this."
"We're not signed for this, Timothy. Why forcing us now?" Jayson looked displeased too. Li nodded his head to Jayson, agreeing with him.
"I know. But when I heard the situation of the residents here, the pressure and anxiety they're suffering, and the fear of all the threats outside, there was an urge in me that I needed to do something, Jayson. When I saw the videos, it made me think that those could help them gain their confidence, especially the young soldier who was newly recruited by the army. You could be their inspiration to exterminate all those horrible Creepers outside and fight for the people they love."
Jayson patted me on the shoulder. "It's ok, Harriet. I understand how you feel. I don't want to be the mascot of any political stunt either. But Timothy is right. There's a huge possibility that your dad might have watched the video and know you're alive. He must have sent a request already to see you."
Jayson's words somehow gave me hope. "Okay." I swallowed but still glared at Timothy. "I hope these politicians won't make us their puppet to any of their ridiculous schemes, Timothy. Do you really trust that guy? How did he convince you to do this to us?"
"It's the only way, Harriet. When the virus spread and started here in Zone four, many had lost their families. They had lost the properties that had kept them surviving for their daily supplies. These people here, only half of the lower-class citizens were allowed to the bunker because their numbers were twice as much as the combined population of Upper and Mid Class. The officials here told me that some of them wandered to get away from here as fast as they could to get to the other bunkers who would accept them. And that, Harriet... that video if they saw it would give them the courage to move and hope that they could survive each day until they find their next safe place just like when we risked our lives getting here."
My eyes widened when Timothy mentioned that not all people in Zone four were saved and it was a nightmare to know that those poor citizens were from the lower class. I imagine those families wandering outside with their children in their arms.
"What? Is that true?" Jayson whispered in horror.
A sob emerged from my throat. I can't deal with this kind of guilt and pain for those people who didn't make it here. "Is there any way we could help them?" My tears rolled down my eyes down to my cheeks. Mona held Li's arm as she cried with me too.
"Yes. There's actually a way, Harriet. And you are the voice to speak for these people. We will give you the power to let the world know that Arcania still cares for them and that Scarlet Tundra will never take this land from us. I want us to be the face of the new generation that will protect and drive all these people to fight for Arcania!" Timothy encouragingly said, his jaws were stiff and his face was so grim that I couldn't understand what made him suddenly like that. He changed within a day and he seemed like a different person now.
He"s really serious about this. But I hesitate because I am not sure of what consequences I'll face and how it will make an impact on our lives. I'm scared of what it will do to me and my family. But if I accept this, could I make my dad and Carl live in the Second Level with me?
"I'll think about it," I said in an uncertain tone of voice, and Jayson and the others walked with me, leaving Timothy feeling dismayed and frustrated.
Jayson didn't talk to me from when we left the Ambassador's office down to the Upper-Class level. We were all silent and didn't know what to say to each other because what had happened was very unexpected and sudden that they didn't even give us the chance to see if we ever considered being interviewed on live television or not. I was still upset with Timothy for making us all look like idiots in front of millions of people of Arcania.
Even Li was confused about how he would react to Timothy's new agenda. Why is he suddenly into politics?
Or maybe I was just being skeptical. Maybe he just truly wants to help those people who didn't make it into the bunkers. But could I do what he wanted me to do? Sit in front of the camera and tell them to have faith in the government that abandoned them?
The hope that I felt if I could ask Timothy about my dad, had vanished in thin air when I threw myself on my bed and buried my face on the pillow. What he was asking was too much for me. No matter how good his intentions are, I can't seem to change what I feel. I'm scared. Funny that I am more scared of humans who are after power than those Creepers.
"Harriet? Are you up?"
It was Jason.
What now?!
Sometimes I feel like Jayson was too concerned about me and I am thankful about it but now, he can't change my mind.
"I'm not here to push Timothy's ideals in you, Harriet. I just want to make sure you're ok."
I sighed. "Fine. You can enter now."
Jayson's eyes looked worried as he gazed at me down on my bed. He sat beside it and patted my leg, trying to be playful and make me a little at ease. I kicked him on his thigh and he grinned at me as he evaded my leg with his arm.
"Now I'm ok. You can go." I said smiling but rolling my eyes at him. I don't know why there is something in him that suddenly changes my mood. He knows how to ease the distress in me.
"I won't. I have news for you." Jayson's face turned a little serious which made me a little intrigued. I looked at his face more and sat on the bed so we could talk properly.
"What about it? You look like you're going to war with a face like that." I joked at him but he didn't grin this time. The smile on my face faded. "You're not joining the army, aren't you?"
He leaned his face to the right and pulled his lip on one corner, not saying a word. He does that when he can't say a straight thing to a person. I knew it because he did that a lot while we were on top of the building every time we talked about stuff that he knows and he didn't want to tell me how or where he learned it.
"Why!? You came here for a new beginning, right? Why engage yourself in violence again, Jayson? I can't understand!" I asked him, the creases on my forehead appeared. I couldn't hide the confusion and vexation in my voice.
"Timothy is right, Harriet. These people need us. They need someone to protect them and this is the only redemption I know from the terrible things I did in the past. I want to help them and do something good for once in my life." He murmured and smiled sadly.
I was about to say something to him when Li rushed through my open door and saw us too close to each other. We averted our eyes from him, feeling embarrassed.
"Hey, I'm sorry for disturbing guys, but Harriet, you are needed again in the Ambassador's office."
"What? Why?!"
"Your dad was looking for you."