by Pond, Simone
“What’s going on?” she whispered.
“Appears to be a door.” Morray’s voice startled her.
She resisted a conversation with the enemy, but the situation was unusual and caught her off guard.
“I can see it’s a door,” she snapped.
Ava grazed her fingers over the surface, causing it to ripple like rings in a lake.
“Where did it come from?” Morray asked.
“It’s obviously been written into the coding.”
Morray grabbed her wrist, squeezing hard. “I know you’re not fond of me, but I suggest we work together. This might be our only way out.”
She yanked her hand away and rubbed her wrist. “You don’t get to touch me. Got it?”
He straightened his jacket and gave a stern nod. “Fine.”
They studied the enormous door, which didn’t have an access panel or a handle.
“It has to be a portal. Maybe one that can take us back into the main network, where we’ll have a much greater chance of being tracked,” Ava said.
“I’m not sure what to do.”
“I keep thinking what would Dickson do? It’s his coding, so we need to think like him. You know him better than me, so any guesses?”
“So, that’s how you do it.”
“Do what?”
“Outsmart me. You figure out what Dickson is planning.”
“I’ve studied both of you for a long time. And I know what you’re doing right now, so just stop.” She clenched her jaw.
“What am I doing? Acknowledging your level of intelligence?”
“You’re trying to distract me. Get me on your side. You don’t want to walk through that door alone. You’re terrified of being alone.”
Morray nodded approvingly. “Perceptive. But that’s not my entire motivation.”
“Oh, please. I know you’re worried about what happens to your consciousness if I get out of the mainframe. You don’t have a body to go back to, and you know I’ll find a way to keep you in here. There’s not a single person waiting for you in the real world. You’re vying for my empathy, to make me feel badly about leaving you behind. But trust me, I won’t feel one ounce of remorse.”
Morray’s grin faded and his eyes turned to stone. “You’d be nothing if it weren’t for me.”
“That’s not going to work either. You can try to take credit for my existence to give yourself the upper hand, but there was something before you. Before everything. You’re just a fleck in the larger spectrum.”
“So you’re planning on leaving me in here?”
“I’m not sure what will happen to you. I do know that I have a body out there waiting. A family and friends. You don’t have anything.”
Morray’s eyes brightened.
Ava laughed. “I know what you’re thinking. That won’t work, either. You can’t have my body.”
“Why don’t we go through the door and see what happens? Anything is better than this prison,” Morray said.
“It might take us deeper into the network.”
“I don’t think Dickson would’ve programmed it that way. He’s all about escape hatches.”
“My bigger concern is that we’ve been in here for who knows how long, and suddenly this door appears out of nowhere. We don’t even know if Dickson is alive, or if he had anything to do with it.”
“We have no concept of time or space. Dickson could have just written the coding in a matter of minutes, but it seems longer to us.”
Ava glanced at Morray, wondering why he was so eager to leave. “Something’s not right,” she said.
He scowled. “I don’t care what’s on the other side. Anything would be better than sitting in this galaxy of emptiness, watching you run in circles.”
“Even the end of your existence?” Ava asked.
“Even that.”
Ava wasn’t buying it. Morray had been prolonging his life for centuries, why the sudden willingness to let go of his legacy? He had something planned that she couldn’t figure out, but she didn’t want to spend the rest of eternity debating whether or not she should go through the portal.
“I don’t trust you,” she said.
He laughed in his unhelpful way. “Have you ever trusted me?”
Ava stood at a crossroads. She could either go through the door into the great unknown with a man she loathed, or stay behind, waiting for something else to change. The door presented an opportunity––one she might not get again. She’d go to the other side, trusting she was well equipped to handle whatever was waiting.
11
During the middle of the night, Miss Adams returned to the containment room. She stood next to the lounger with her hands on her hips and ready for action. Grace glanced down at her right wrist, making sure it still looked strapped into the lounger. This would be her best, and probably only, chance to make contact with Blythe. If Grace could pull off the surprise attack, she’d get Miss Adams in a compromising position, forcing her assistance.
“Where is it?” Miss Adams blurted.
“Where’s what?” Grace said casually. Adrenaline pumped through her limbs, blasting into every cell.
“The containment device. I know you took it.”
“I’m being monitored. You might want to be careful about making accusations that could reveal your incompetency.”
Miss Adams folded her arms across her plump chest. “Not at the moment, you aren’t. I’m blocking the monitor feed.”
Her window of opportunity just got wider. The next few critical moments had to be measured with precision. The containment bands in her pocket pressed against her leg. Somehow she would have to catch Miss Adams off guard and get her wrists into them. The woman reached down and dug her fingers into Grace’s shoulders, sending a sharp pain down her arms.
“What are you doing?” Grace yelled.
“I’m giving you a taste of what’s to come if you don’t tell me where the bands are.”
“Let go of me!”
Miss Adams leaned in harder. Grace could grab one of her hands, but she needed to get both wrists into the containment bands. The moment wasn’t quite perfect.
“Fine. Just get off of me. They’re in the toilet.” Grace lied.
Miss Adams marched to the bathroom, grunting like a warthog. Grace carefully pulled the containment device from her pocket and tucked it next to her right hip for easy access. The latches were open, but once the bands were in position around the wrists, they’d lock into place. They couldn’t be opened again without the assistance of another person. Grace would attempt the maneuver using her one free hand. The warrior in her knew it wouldn’t be a problem. Miss Adams’ weakness was obvious––she lacked foresight, coupled with a strong need to prove herself as an Outsider fitting in. She’d end up helping Grace to avoid getting caught for her negligence.
Miss Adams stormed out of the bathroom. “You little brat.” She reached down and grabbed Grace’s cheeks, pressing her stubby fingernails into the skin. “Where are they?”
In a flash of precise moves, Grace reached up with her free hand and slapped one end of the bands around Miss Adams’ wrist, yanked the woman’s other hand closer, and quickly locked the band around her other wrist. Miss Adams lost her footing and collapsed on top of Grace. Using her free hand, she shoved Miss Adams away, knocking her to the floor. The portly woman attempted to stand, but with her hands bound she didn’t have much leverage. She fell backward and stayed there for a few moments.
“What have you done?” she cried out.
“Probably wasn’t a good idea to turn off the monitors.”
“You’ll never get free,” Miss Adams said.
“I don’t want to break out of the room. But I need your help contacting someone.”
“Why would I help you? I’d lose my job, if I haven’t already.” Miss Adams pulled herself forward and crawled to the entrance.
“Wait!” Grace yelled. “I just need to talk to my friend for a minute. Then I’ll remove the b
ands. No one will even know what happened. Like you said, you blocked the monitors.”
“Only someone with authority can open the bands.”
“We can call my friend who works in security. She can help us.”
Miss Adams used the wall to shinny herself up to standing. She looked at Grace and snorted. “I’d rather lose my job than help you.”
That was the last thing Grace expected to hear.
“But my friend can free you from the bands and you can go back to your room. You don’t have to lose your job. I can help you.” Grace stopped. Nothing good would come from begging.
“You think I need your help? I’m not an idiot. I took precautions, foolish child.”
“I’m not a child!”
Miss Adams lifted her bound hands and placed her right index finger on the door’s access panel. The beautiful Miss Parker stood waiting on the other side of the door. She assisted Miss Adams with the removal of the bands, shaking her head at Grace.
“For the record, I turned off the monitors, but I recorded this entire incident with my internal chip.” Miss Adams rubbed her wrists.
Grace sunk into the lounger. She had forgotten about the microchip. Turns out she was the one lacking foresight. Now Faraday had more evidence to use against her. The odds of ever seeing Christian again quickly evaporated.
The women approached the lounger, Miss Parker keeping the infamous stun wand aimed at Grace’s neck. Miss Adams yanked her right hand and locked it back into the chair, making sure it was extra tight.
“Enjoy your stay. It’s gonna be a long one.” She grinned with those horribly crooked teeth.
*
Morning came quick. Grace sat in the lounger, waiting for someone to enter and deliver more bad news. Her right hand throbbed from the tightness of the strap. It would take a miracle of miracles to rectify her situation. With this newest offense, she probably added years to her sentence. She might not ever see Christian again, and it’d be a long time before she’d see her father or Lucas. If her mother came out of the mainframe, Grace wouldn’t be around to welcome her home. She had reached her bad decision quota.
The door opened. She took her time glancing up, expecting to see a gloating Miss Adams. Instead, her father and Lucas stood dressed in full military attire. Was this her last miracle? Despite the crappy circumstances, she beamed at them. Especially Lucas. He looked a little older and more chiseled. Time on the Outside had hardened up the Insider. But still, nothing could take away his inherent handsomeness. He was walking perfection. All she wanted was one kiss.
Her father stood before the lounger, glaring. “Grace.”
“General Strader.” She straightened up.
“Looks like you really messed up this time,” he said.
“But I still have a trial to present my case, don’t I? This is a democracy, regardless of whatever Faraday is up to.” Her gaze drifted to Lucas. “Hello, Officer West.” She wanted to appear professional, but couldn’t hold back her smile.
Lucas stared straight ahead, his expression rock hard.
Joseph frowned at his daughter. “Whatever minuscule case you had going for you is out the door now.”
“But you’re here to help me, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that,” Joseph said.
She hoped he was joking. He had to help. After all, he was the General of the West Coast Region. His credibility held water.
“Why are you here, then?”
“Faraday subpoenaed us,” he said.
“For what?”
“Character witnesses,” Lucas chimed in.
“So he’s going to turn my family and friends against me? He can’t do that. You guys wouldn’t turn on me, would you?”
Joseph remained reserved and businesslike. “We can only report honest accounts of your past behavior. Faraday’s building a case that you’re a danger to society. He’s arguing that you make decisions based on emotional motives and that you’re incapable of following the rules.”
“Or cooperating with others,” Lucas added.
Why were they being so harsh? She needed them on her side, but they were tossing her to the wolves. Grace struggled with the wrist straps, wishing she could break free and run out of the room, leave the city center and go hide in Cari’s village. But she was trapped. She’d have to face her consequences like an adult—preferably a levelheaded one who could handle the situation with some grace.
“He’s a clever bastard, using you all against me. I’ll never get Christian back. I’m not sure why Faraday wants him so badly, anyway. It’s not like he gave a rat’s piss for the other infants. Why my baby?”
“Grace.” Lucas moved closer to the lounger and knelt down, touching her shoulder and sending shivers down her arm. “He’s not your baby.”
She tried to move away, but the metal straps cut into her wrists. “Just go away, both of you. You don’t know anything!”
Lucas stood up and adjusted his collar, trying to get some air into his uniform. “We are trying to help, Grace. We wanted to find someone to represent you, but your trial with the council doesn’t work that way. You have to represent yourself. It’s going to be up to you to convince them to drop the charges and send you back down to Ojai.”
“But if I’m in Ojai, how will I protect Christian from Faraday? What about Mom? How am I supposed to help the natives?”
Joseph stepped up, moving Lucas out of the way. “Listen, Grace, and listen carefully.” He paused, narrowing his eyes. “You’ll be lucky if you get the charges dropped. You’ll be even luckier if they allow you to leave Seattle and go back home. You’ve committed multiple crimes against the city center. You removed property without permission and disappeared for months.”
Grace’s eyes welled up. “He’s a child. Not property.”
“According to Faraday, you broke the law. If you wanted to change the law, you should’ve gone through the proper channels. Now nobody wins.” The wall between them thickened with his words.
“Except Faraday. He wins.” Annoying tears trailed down her cheeks. She jerked a hand to wipe them, but the restraints held firm.
Lucas stepped forward and used his sleeve to wipe her face. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, only making it harder for her not to cry.
“I didn’t mean to screw up. I wanted to do the right thing.”
Lucas held her head for a few minutes and let her cry into his shoulder until Joseph pried them apart.
“I need you to understand that wanting to do the right thing is good. But going about it all wrong is why you’re here. Do you understand that? I know you’re just as stubborn as your mother, but I also know you’re a highly strategic thinker. Are you willing to take responsibility for your actions?”
Grace breathed in deeply, steadying herself. She didn’t want to be an embarrassment to her father. Not after all of the years he had spent training her to be a smart and fearless warrior. Somewhere along the way she had wandered off into the wilderness and lost herself. It was time to make the return. But she wasn’t going down without a fight. Her warrior mentality clicked into gear and she nodded at her father.
“I am,” she said. “I know what I did was wrong. I acted impulsively, out of fear. Christian wasn’t mine to take.”
Joseph nodded and patted his daughter’s head. “You’ll need to keep this attitude if you want to make a strong impression and sway the council in your favor. Humility will go a long way with them. Faraday has a strong case against you, and he’ll go out of his way to get what he wants. But you need to prove to the council that you thought you were protecting the child, and his precious DNA. But they’ll know what’s best for Christian. They’re reasonable people and will see the truth, if it’s communicated properly. Do you hear me? I mean, really hear me?” His eyes cut to the blinking red light on the wall.
Because they were being monitored, her father couldn’t speak openly. His subtle hints had finally penetrated into her hard h
ead …
Joseph knew Faraday was in the wrong, but the director had probably made deals with some of the more shady council members. Grace was in the weaker position and needed to find someone on the council he hadn’t poisoned.
Obviously, Faraday’s main concern wasn’t just punishing Grace; he wanted to permanently keep her away from Christian. He had an agenda. Her father had mentioned Christian’s “precious DNA” and that got Grace thinking. Maybe Faraday was adamant about placing the child in the solider program because he wanted to study his DNA coding? The coding that Dickson had designed. Faraday would mostly likely use that information to garner even more power. The other babies had been adopted and only Christian remained. Getting rights to the child would be difficult with Grace in the way. He was using her crime as a distraction. He’d convince the council she was a loose cannon, and they’d lock her away. Then he could proceed with his plans––without any static from Grace. She wouldn’t be able to do anything if she were stuck in a containment cell.
Her father was on her side.
“Promise me, daughter, that you’ll at least try to appear agreeable,” Joseph whispered in her ear.
She gave a slight nod, letting him know they were on the same page. The tough part would be convincing the council that she was sorry for her behavior. The worst part would be giving up Christian to the care of the Seattle City Center. But it wouldn’t be forever, not if she could help it.
12
Under ordinary circumstances, Ava wouldn’t have agreed to hold Morray’s hand. But these weren’t ordinary circumstances. They were about to walk through a portal into an unknown section of the mainframe. It was either a trap, sending them deeper into the network, or a breadcrumb trail, leading them closer to the surface. Either way, she couldn’t leave Morray behind unattended. Somehow it had become her responsibility to make sure he didn’t find a way out of the mainframe.
Ava was grateful to be leaving the holding pattern––anything to get out of limbo. Maybe it would be easier for someone on the outside to track their digital footprints? She wondered who was conducting the mainframe searches, and hoped Grace wasn’t involved. Her daughter had already risked her life once before looking for Ava.