After loading up with their arsenal, a buzzer indicated it was time to enter the SIM. The doors opened, and they stepped inside. A familiar rush of tension and energy surged through her as her adrenaline readied her for the fight.
The dimly lit, cavernous room was open, with closed-panel doors lining both sides. Alcoves extended out from the walls between the doors to provide cover. There were pyramids of sand bags scattered around as well. Rotating turrets containing deadly lasers extended down from the ceiling and were mounted on the walls. At their feet, was an artificial, rolling fog. At the other end of the room was the exit door. But this time, their mission wasn’t to get to the door as quickly as possible. A monitor lowered from the ceiling at the center of the room revealing their time requirement—60:00.
Iris glanced over at Adam for his reaction. She’d only ever experienced survivor mode for fifteen minutes!
“We got this,” he said, unfazed. “The corner alcoves will be the best spot to hole up.” He glanced up at the speakers in the corners of the room. “Do you mind if I play some music?”
She recalled the last time they worked together through a SIM. Music was an advantage for him, and they were going to need every benefit they could get. “Go for it.”
The dim lights flashed, indicating that the simulation was about to commence. Adam played “Bombtrack” by Rage Against the Machine.
“How progressive of you.” Iris smirked. The song was recorded in the early nineties.
“We aren’t in Jack’s anymore.” Adam smiled and bobbed his head a few times to the beat. “Let’s go.”
They headed to their first alcove. The doors opened, and a mass of androids poured into the room. Iris gripped her twin machine guns and let them rip, peppering the androids to provide cover until they got to the recess. Together, they ducked under a passing laser and dove to safety.
“Remember, when we run out of ammo, so do they. Make it last as long as you can, so we minimize the hand-to-hand combat to our last fifteen minutes or less.” Adam reloaded his pistol.
Iris nodded, counting the bullets she had draped on her torso. This was going to be the longest hour of her life.
29
Brother to Brother
Gage
The top floor appeared to be empty. No Dana perched at her desk, directing people to their destinations. His granddad’s office was past her desk, down the hall. He walked that way, the eerie silence making his skin crawl. He came to the door. It was ajar, something his granddad never did, and Gage pushed it open. Inside, Sam was bound to a chair next the floor-to-ceiling windows displaying the majestic mountains above his home, a gag in his mouth. His eyes, sad and tear-stained, widened when he saw Gage. He shook his head, fighting at the bonds keeping him in the chair.
Gage made to go to him.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Steel swiveled in his granddad’s desk chair, a gun pointed at his captive.
“What is wrong with you?” Gage asked, his jaw set.
Steel narrowed his eyes, the side of his mouth turning up in a sneer and stood. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it was growing up in this nurturing place.” He walked over to Sam, pistol still waving. “What do you think, gramps? Has this place been good for me?”
Sam mouthed something inaudible.
Leave him alone, Gage commanded through thought.
“I heard you were gifted.” Steel raised the gun in surrender and tucked it in the back of his pants.
Gage caught his breath. His ability worked.
“Just kidding.” Steel pulled a knife from a holster at his waist and dragged the blade across Sam’s throat just light enough not to draw blood. Sam moaned, fighting against his bonds again.
“Stop.” Gage took a step toward them. “Please.”
“I’ll stop just as soon as you stop insulting me.” Steel tapped the knife against his pursed lips. “You think that because you trained for like—what? A month?—that you can control my mind? I’ve been training my whole life to keep people like you out.”
“He’s our grandfather. Why are you doing this?”
“Do you want to tell him, or should I?” Steel puckered his lips and leaned over, his ear next to Sam’s mouth. “What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you. Oh, let me get that for you.” He pulled out the gag.
Sam cleared his throat. “Gage, get out of here—”
“Gage, Gage, Gage.” Steel rolled his eyes, gesturing with the knife. “It’s always about the golden boy, isn’t it?”
“How about you let him go and you and I sort this out?” Gage needed to get his granddad out of here before Steel lost his patience.
“Sort this out? Okay, how exactly are we going to do that? Do you have a time machine that can take us back to where dear old gramps took you to live in the palace and left me in this steel-caged prison?”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Sam said. “It was an impossible choice—”
“Save it, old man. I got the short end of the stick.” Steel rolled his eyes back at Gage. “So, since you and I aren’t allowed to be together, I’ve decided that you’ll stay here and I’ll return to Ashwater.” He meandered to the windows. A dreamy look crossed his face. “I know exactly who…I mean, what I’m going to do first.”
Gage cringed. He didn’t know what Steel’s plan was, but whoever he set his sights on was in big trouble.
Steel narrowed his eyes at Gage and snickered. “Please. I’m not a complete ass. I can be quite charming.”
Gage rolled his eyes.
“Anyway, here’s the deal—you stay, and I live on the outside. Grampy will make up some story about you going to school out of the country. He doesn’t seem completely on board yet, but I can be persuasive.” He leaned toward Sam and frowned in mocking sadness. “If you don’t agree, grampy dies. Work for you?”
Gage glanced between Steel and his granddad. Was he serious? Would he really kill their grandfather? Now wasn’t the time to test him. “Yes, just let him go.”
“Fine.” Steel grabbed the back of Sam’s chair and sent him flying across the room. He crashed into the opposite wall with a thud, his arm and side taking the brunt.
Gage made for his grandfather, but Sam shook his head.
“It’s okay. I’m all right,” Sam said.
Steel rolled his eyes and turned back to the windows, peering out. “You’ve had such an easy life. I hope you know that.”
Gage walked over to the window. The town of Ashwater looked quaint and picturesque from up here, something far from the truth. He glanced at his brother, and his expression softened. He hated everything Steel had done. Everything. But he also understood that he was, at least in part, a product of his environment. Eighteen years ago, he’d drawn the short straw and paid the price. “I didn’t know about you.”
Steel pursed his lips. “Don’t give me that. I see what you’re doing. I don’t want your pity.”
“It’s not that. It’s just that I didn’t know you existed. If I had, I would have done something.”
Steel rolled his eyes, his head following suit. “Of course you would have. You’re Gage fucking Strickland, Ashwater’s perfect boy.”
“Do you ever stop being an asshole?”
“No, do you?”
Enough. “So what now?”
“Well, I could call some droids in here to incapacitate you, but what fun would that be?”
He had a point. Gage could stop humans, but androids were like Teflon. He wouldn’t stand a chance. Which reminded him... “What did you do to Iris and Adam?”
“I did a bad thing.” Steel’s unnervingly familiar mouth turned up into a smile.
Gage’s blood ran cold. “What did you do?”
“Honestly, I probably did you favor. She can be so robotic, am I right?” Steel shrugged.
“You don’t know her at all.” Gage shoved him, forcing his brother to acknowledge him. Iris was many great, awesome things, and he didn’t appreciate the way Steel was making fun of he
r.
“Well, I couldn’t have you bringing them with you, could I? They would have ruined my plans. I don’t know if you know this, but your girlfriend is a killer with machine guns.”
Gage recalled a conversation he had with Adam at Jack’s a while back. “Yeah, so what?”
“Well, I needed something to occupy them.” Steel looked back out the window, side-eyeing Gage. “So, I engaged them in a survival SIM.”
“Big deal. Iris and Adam will kill that.” Gage’s shoulders relaxed. Iris and Adam could handle themselves, especially together.
“Normally, I would agree with you. Survivor SIM is typically fifteen minutes long.” Steel turned toward him, leaning close, arching his eyebrow. “But I set it for sixty.”
Sixty? Could they survive that? Was it even possible? The air left his lungs as if he’d been punched in the gut. His blood heated, sweat beading his hairline. Every fiber of his being screamed to grab Steel by the back of the neck and slam his head into the heavy glass window. His hands turned to fists as his muscles tensed.
It was happening again. He was losing control.
“Don’t lose your temper, bro. You’re getting all glowy again.”
Gage snarled. “If anything happens to Iris or Adam, I’m going to kill you.”
“I’d like to see you try.” Steel’s jaw was set, his expression hardening.
“Steel, please. You and your brother—” Sam said from the other side of the room.
“What?” Steel laughed manically. “Me and Gage are going to be the best of friends? Finish each other’s sentences like good twin boys?” He grabbed Gage by the shirt and drew him close, the wrath in his eyes matching Gage’s. “None of the droids have survived past thirty minutes. She’s probably already gone.” His voice was a whisper, but the words raged inside Gage’s mind like wildfire.
All his hard work to gain control of his abilities unraveled. His head buzzed, and his eyes burned as the raw psychic power that coursed through his veins unleashed. Unbridled release washed over Gage as his hands closed around Steel’s throat, sealing off his airway.
30
Tension
Iris
The song was “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, and it reflected the current mood in survival SIM. They were exhausted.
“We have five more minutes!” Adam yelled to Iris. “I’ve got three blades left.”
Iris was across the room from Adam. They’d been separated during the last wave. That’s how Survivor SIM worked—every few minutes a new wave was released. She felt her utility belt. She was out of knives, but she’d saved a 9mm. Twelve bullets. That’s what she had left. She inched to the side of the alcove that provided her cover and surveyed the room. There were still two functioning laser turrets, and more droids were headed their way.
They’d fared well so far. Iris couldn’t believe they’d lasted fifty-five minutes already. The droid bodies had piled up. At one point, she and Adam had used a mound of bodies for cover. She glanced up at the timer above the exit door, confirming what Adam said.
“I have twelve shots left,” she hollered back.
“Okay, I’ll work my way over to you and take out the last two laser turrets. Give me some cover.”
“Got it.” Her heart pounded, mixing adrenaline with the anticipation of being close to finishing.
Iris aimed her pistol over the alcove wall as Adam darted back and forth, avoiding the trained laser. She fired on an approaching droid, and Adam tossed a blade at another in his way. He glanced up and shot his internal laser at a turret, obliterating it.
One laser turret left.
She fired again at a droid lunging for Adam, and he dove into the alcove next to her.
He pulled himself up against the inner wall and pulled out another blade. He glanced at her. “You good?”
Iris nodded, but her hands shook from the exertion of the fight.
“We’re going to make it.” He grasped her hands in his free one.
Her hands were warm and steady in his. She took a cleansing breath and peeked up at the timer. 4:02. “Okay, where to next?”
Adam lifted his head to look over the wall. “They’ll send more out of the door on this side, and we don’t have the firepower to hold them off. Let’s head back over to one of the central alcoves where the bodies provide extra cover.”
“Right. You lead, and I’ll cover the door.”
The song changed to “Dr. Feelgood” by Mötley Crüe, and he half-smiled, the blade in his hand tapping against his thigh. She’d never understand how music helped him so much, but whatever worked in their situation was fine with her. A door opened, ushering more droids into the room.
“On me.” He crouched and headed back out of the alcove.
Iris turned her weapon toward the door. Damn. There were two androids from her line headed toward her. She’d gotten lucky so far and seen only a handful. It was awkward shutting them down. Adam had taken care of most of them for her. Now, it was her turn. She raised her pistol and fired off two shots. One bullet hit an Iris square between the eyes, dropping her. The other shot nicked a second Iris in the shoulder. She growled. She only had eight bullets left. Now wasn’t the time to waste another.
Survivor SIM 101—one droid, one bullet.
She turned to make sure Adam was okay. He was easily taking out two more droids on his way to a central alcove. She turned back around and holstered her pistol. The remaining droid from her line pulled out a blade and launched it toward Iris. She computed the sharp trajectory and ducked out of the way. The knife hit the wall of the alcove and bounced to the floor. SheIris crouched and picked it up while Enemy Iris reached for her sidearm. Iris ran straight toward her, her own eyes staring back at her, and sank the knife in her throat. Wide-eyed, blood gurgling from the wound, she dropped to her knees and fell over. Iris exhaled the breath she was holding and turned to make her way to Adam.
He popped up from the central alcove, waving her toward him. “Hurry up!”
Iris ran toward him, ducking and rolling under the last laser turret targeting her. Adam had cleared a path for her. Or at least, that’s what she thought.
She jolted forward a few feet from where Adam was hiding. White-hot heat arced outward through her nervous system, telling her CPU that she’d been hit from behind. She reached out but was too far away from Adam. She tripped over a body and fell to the floor. Her sweaty cheek was pressed to the cool concrete floor, her violet eyes fluttering as her CPU threatened to shut down.
Image files of Gage passed before her eyes. His soft hazel eyes and sexy smile danced before her. She recalled every beat of his heart when they sang together and when they made love. She’d loved more in her short life than she could have ever imagined. It would be enough. A tear slipped down her cheek, splashing down on the cold floor creating a pool of regret.
She’d made the gravest of mistakes—they sent new waves of androids in threes.
Gage
The floor shook beneath his feet. Hell, it felt like the whole world was vibrating. He squeezed his hands around Steel’s throat and grated his teeth, craving release from the rage tearing through his body. Steel’s eyes grew large as he clawed at Gage’s hands. He leaned back and head-butted Gage.
Pain shot through Gage’s forehead, and stars danced in front of his eyes. He staggered backward, reaching out for something to grab on to. Finding nothing, he fell to the floor. When he looked up, there were two Steels. Before he could shake his head, Steel was on top of him with his hands around his neck.
Gage gurgled, gasping for air, prying at Steel’s hands.
“I’m not supposed to kill you,” Steel said. “But you weren’t going to think twice about doing the same to me.”
With no air in his lungs, Gage felt his life force draining. He thought about Iris and the way she fit perfectly in his arms. Did androids have souls? Would he see her on the other side? Then, a different thought occurred to him—what if she made it through the SIM? What if she was ali
ve?
You have to lose control. Gage closed his eyes and let his emotions take over his body, like he had at the fashion show. His body radiated heat like the sun itself, and he welcomed it and more.
Steel released him.
But he was out of control now, and neither Iris or Adam was here to stop him. He opened his eyes. Steel was now on the ground, holding his head in his hands. Blood dripped from his nose onto the carpet.
Gage sat up and looked down at his shaking hand—it glowed a golden hue.
“I give up. Stop!” Steel groaned.
But he didn’t know how to stop. He gasped to control his breath, panic superseding his rage.
Then he heard Dr. G.’s voice in his head, Gage, close your eyes and breath. In and out.
He did as she instructed, still on fire.
Keep breathing. Think about your friends. Think about Iris. Your favorite memories.
Gage focused on his breathing and did as she instructed. His mind drifted to the first time he ever saw Iris. It was here at Bio-Core. She was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Her violet eyes were both peculiar and captivating. Then he thought about first time he danced with her in the DP room. His mind drifted to his friends. Derrick and Luke had his back no matter what. Mazy stayed his friend even after they broke up. He remembered how much Sloan made him laugh and Evie asking him to ‘sit’ for her. Then there was Adam. He’d helped him get control of his abilities.
He took another deep breath and felt lighter, cooler, like coming down from a high. The tension and heat in his muscles eased, and he carefully opened his eyes. Steel was lying on the floor.
Gage crawled over to him and checked his pulse. Alive.
A quiet moan from the other side of the room caught his attention. Granddad! He got up and bolted over to him. He was still tied to the chair, his head lolling to the side. Blood seeped from his nose, staining his white shirt.
Gage worked quickly to untie him and lower him to the floor. “Granddad?”
Perfection Page 20