The runner stops and pulls out a small, matte black weapon from a bag slung over her shoulders. My eyes grow wide. Not that I've seen many weapons this close before, but something is unusual about it. She slides the top of the gun back and it emits a high-pitched whine. Barely thinking, my arms shoot out and I force Kyra to the ground. Other people duck behind anything substantial, even if it's just the person in front of them, or sprint the other way.
The rebel points the weapon at a nearby building, causing me to crouch further down. The little girl I saw earlier screams and points at the rebel clad in red. The rebels will only destroy our way of life, and that child knows it. The mother tries to cover her child's mouth and assures her that the Guardian drones will take the bad lady away.
My heart pounds at the mother's words.
Don't take her away.
I quickly correct my thinking.
They must take her away, for the protection of all of us.
I cover my ears, expecting a loud blast, but it doesn't come. Instead, it's more of a crackling. There's no damage to the building other than a set of words emblazoned across the surface. The hair on my arms stand at the sight.
PEOPLE OF ELORE, BREAK FREE
I look to the rebel girl again, now staring right at me. My heart nearly leaps from my chest. The corners of her mouth lift to form a tight smile, and she raises an eyebrow.
Why would she smile at me?
She tosses the graffiti gun and bolts, but the red clothing makes it impossible for her to hide. A group of Guardian drones swarm the girl. As they do, I clench my fists and grit my teeth. She stops and immediately throws her hands into the air. The rebel just gave up. No fight, nothing. Because of it, my body feels drawn to help her, to help her fight off the drones and make a daring escape. I picture the whole scene in my mind.
My legs push up from underneath me and I feel a hand grab the back of my shirt. I whip around to find Kyra staring back at me, her eyes panicked.
"What are you doing?" she whispers.
I fall back into a crouch. This is ridiculous. I'd be throwing my future away on some crazy rebel I didn't even know.
I imagine her smile again. I take a deep breath as she crumbles to the ground, tranquilized. Her head hits the sidewalk with a sickening thwack. A Guardian drone's metal tentacles snake from its form and wrap around her. It lifts from the ground to take her away for judgment, maybe even re-education, but in my heart I know that that's not true.
Worker drones buzz in to remove any evidence of the words she wrote on the side of the building. Citizens return to their business, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. The woman and child, the one who was screaming, rise and move along. Nothing witnessed made any impact. If she had wanted to make a sacrifice, it was wasted.
Kyra and I stand there for a minute or two longer, eyeing one another before we leave.
Not a word is spoken between us for the next block. The university comes into sight, as does the colossal screen displayed on the face of the school. Looking up, I squint at the end of a Direction Initiative notice, swallowing hard at the words.
REMEMBER YOUR FUNCTION
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Other Books by Jenetta Penner
The Configured Trilogy
Configured
Immersed
Actualized
Betrayal of Magic
Crown of Lore
The Fall of Lore
Spellcaster Academy
Magical Realism
The Dark Curse
Fire & Lightning
Shadow Pack
The Dying Realm
Lost & Found
The Terran Sea Chronicles Duology
Reckless
Limitless
The Starfire Wars: The Complete Series Page 66