Emotions

Khan walked the familiar empty streets until he reached the lawn that hid his training area. The trapdoor opened before he could knock on the ground, and the scent of smoke filled his nose when he approached the descending staircase.

Lieutenant Dyester had moved the table near the wall on the other side of the staircase, and he was sitting over it with his legs stretched. A fuming cigarette was in his mouth, and a bottle that contained a light-brown liquid was at his side.

"Have you been drinking?" Khan asked when he smelled the familiar scent of booze after the trapdoor closed.

It wasn't hard for Khan to recognize that scent. The same smell filled his home in the Slums.

"Bad memories, Khan," Lieutenant Dyester replied in a hoarse voice without using any special nickname. "I bet you have new ones now."

"Did they tell you about Istrone already?" Khan asked while sitting on the steps.