Chapter II

Ethan realized that it was high time to get back to work. However, as he opened the toilet door a crack, a bits of a conversation caught his attention:

"Security," his colleague's voice was clear enough for him to hear, "there is a sense offender. Ethan Jones. There are plenty of unused doses of Prozium in his drawer. Please come to the Distribution Department, counter number one at once."

That forced him to revise his plans. The security would come here any moment, so he could forget about passing the bundle to another Resistance member. He had to smuggle it somehow by himself.

He moved back inside and locked the door. Then he glanced at a window on the side wall. It wasn't too big, so there might be problems for a man to squeeze through it, but Ethan knew that he had to take the chance.

He climbed the toilet bowl, opened the window and caught its frame. After this he put his right leg on the radiator and, making sure that his position is stable, he put there his other leg, so now his head was at the same level as the window.

Loud and violent knocking to the toilet door told him that he needs to hurry. Simultaneously, he jumped and pulled himself up. It wasn't easy for him to squeeze his torso through and he had to use all of his strength not to fall back inside.

When he was about halfway through, one of the security officers shot the lock twice. Violently pushing back with his hands Ethan managed to squeeze through just when the officer got inside.

Luckily for him he landed in a garbage; otherwise the fall would most likely prove fatal. Learning that he didn't break or sprain anything, he quickly dug himself out from the garbage.

The shouts coming from the distance told him that the security found out his escape route. Ethan was about to make his way out of there, when he spotted a crowbar. He recalled what he and the others were told during one of his training meeting – if things get really desperate, they should seek shelter in the sewers.

Ethan frowned at that thought, but he knew that he has no other choice. He grabbed the crowbar and started to run as fast as he could. One look back told him that the security officers were already on his trail.

If his plan was to succeed, he had to find a more secluded place. Fortunately, there were some back roads; Ethan headed in that direction.

But the pursuers didn't intend to give up that easily. Ethan jumped aside after a bullet passed just inches from his head and started to run zigzag. That was even more exhausting, but at least the security officers had much harder time aiming at him.

The fugitive dashed into the nearest lane – he knew that he had to get out of their sight really soon. His heart was pounding and every breath he took was painful. Either they would get him or he would fall from exhaustion, unless he found a convenient place to disappear.

Again, he turned right into the nearest lane, then dashed between the apartment houses and started to weave his way between them. He looked back and noticed that they lost him – at least for a moment.

Now Ethan saw his chance. The fugitive scanned the surroundings for a nearest manhole until he found one, not far from the place where he stopped. He sighed; there was a considerable risk that someone from the apartment houses would notice him and report the unusual incident to the authorities. But, considering that he had no more strength to run and seek a less risky place, he decided to seize the only option he still had. He ran up as fast as his overtaxed strength allowed him to the manhole, then he hooked the crowbar on it. With all the remaining strength he could gather, Ethan pulled the manhole, almost rolling over. To his relief, the manhole budged.

Immediately, Ethan squeezed through the hole and, firmly holding the ladder with his left hand, once again he hooked the crowbar on the manhole and pulled it violently several times, in order to close it. It was a bit easier than opening it, but given Ethan's condition that didn't mean easy.

Then he made it. He couldn't possibly know whether he was seen or not – he could only hope.

Suddenly Ethan felt completely drained. The adrenaline rush, will of survival and the awareness of the importance of what he is carrying brought him this far, but he couldn't go on endlessly only thanks to his willpower. He let go of the rung and fell into the sewage.

Only now he became aware of the unbelievable stench here. Immediately, he felt nauseous. He had to move out. He had to deliver the remainders of the antidote to a safe place.

But what safe place? The Nethers were crawling with patrols; it was apparent for anyone who had eyes to see and ears to hear that Father declared a total war on the remaining opposition.

Paradoxically, the Nethers were the most dangerous place to be. Libria was relatively safer, but not for those who didn't have access to Prozium II. The EPPT proved to be an extremely reliable device.

Was there any safe place left at all?

---

The security officers weren't sure when the man has gone. The last thing they were sure about was that the sense offender disappeared somewhere between the apartments. Regardless, they couldn't leave it like that – the leading officer grabbed his short-wave radio and alarmed the rest of the security officers at the Equilibrium Centre; the message should be passed on to the Police Force – an exact description would be drawn up and made known to every single Librian. The man had no chance of escaping; in fact, he could as well already consider himself processed.

Still, the security team didn't intend to give up. The man couldn't just vaporize – that happened only after processing, after all – and couldn't have gone too far. Sooner or later he had to get tired and stop somewhere.

The only question was – where?

The leading officer ordered his team to split and search the area. With their guns at the ready, three two-person groups started to scour their assigned zones. The few citizens they encountered couldn't recall anyone running around, who would match the description.

Ethan Jones just disappeared.