by Pond, Simone
After the clip finished, the room remained silent. Dumbfounded, Faraday and Sullivan were incapable of formulating any sort of defense.
“So you see, I’m not going anywhere. I need to stay here to ensure the deaths of my husband, daughter, President Jordan, and council members Conklin and Hartman––along with the thousands of natives who were brutally murdered under Faraday and Sullivan’s directive––are met with justice.”
Councilman Baker of the Arizona Region stood up. “Officers, please detain Director Faraday and President Sullivan. We’ll need the highest level of security possible.”
Faraday and Sullivan didn’t say a word as Blythe and Lucas strapped the metal bands around their wrists. They didn’t bother arguing when the guards came to escort them to their containment cells. It was over.
Councilman Baker greeted Ava, holding out his hand. “We cannot thank you enough for this evidence. The majority of the council couldn’t make sense of the attack. We had a meeting scheduled for this morning to discuss retracting your daughter’s sentence, thus giving us more time to further investigate. But, as you know, it was too late. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m just grateful I was able to clear my daughter’s name.” Ava remained humble, knowing she might need to use this victory in the near future. Leverage was a good thing to have during negotiations.
Baker patted Ava’s arm. “Not even back twenty-four hours and you’ve already changed the state of affairs. Once again, you exposed the truth and convicted the real terrorists. I know you’re going through a huge transition and great loss, but we could use someone like you on the council.” He looked around to the other members. “In fact, I’d like to nominate Mrs. Strader as our newest member.”
“Second that!” many members said simultaneously.
“All in favor?” Baker asked.
Ava waved her hands. “Wait! I haven’t agreed to anything. I just got back home to the most devastating circumstances. I’m not ready to take on this task.”
“I think you’ve just proven that you’re quite capable of anything. And being on the council isn’t new to you. You were one of the founding members. It just so happens we have a few new slots. You were born to do this, Ava.” Baker gave her a welcoming hug.
Ava wondered if working on the council again would be a good thing. It might be a healthy distraction. She’d be able to help the natives get back on their feet. She could work on the servers to track down Grace inside the mainframe. They could start building a new biometric body for Grace and she could bring her home. But the process would take time––weeks, maybe months. Time they didn’t have. Not with Dickson infiltrating the entire mainframe network. Eventually, he’d harness all of the coding and take control of every single server. He’d have power beyond all comprehension. If she didn’t stop him, he’d destroy everything.
Ava knew what needed to happen and it made her insides shudder. The only way to stop Dickson would be shutting down the mainframe––while Grace was still inside. That meant extinguishing what remained of her daughter and any hope of bringing her home. Ava wanted her daughter back. She was the only thing that mattered. Grace deserved to live out the rest of her life. To see Christian grow up. To fight for freedom throughout the regions. But how could there be freedom with the threat of Dickson and Morray looming over them?
She remembered how Grace shoved her into the portal, not worrying about being left behind. Her bravery inspired Ava. The harsh guilt of reality pulled her down; she had to end the mainframe. It was the right thing to do. As much as it ripped her apart, it’s what Grace would’ve wanted. The pain would be unbearable, but the incredible sacrifice would be for the greater good. Ava couldn’t ignore that truth, or live with herself if she didn’t protect her people for selfish reasons.
Baker interrupted her thoughts. “I think you’ve been outnumbered, Councilwoman Strader.”
Ava glanced around the table to the smiling members raising their hands in her favor.
“Okay, I’ll do it. But I have one condition.” She paused. “Well, to be more precise, I have five conditions.”
35
Ava paced around the conference room. At the moment, she was in a position of power and needed to use it to her advantage. She’d present her conditions to the council and hope they’d agreed, especially with her last point, since it would determine the future of the entire country.
“Okay, here are my conditions: 1) I want to stay in the Seattle City Center, 2) I’d like to run for President of Pacific Northwest, 3) I’m filing documents to adopt Christian and want him to live with me in Grace’s cottage, 4) I want to hold off on discussions about the walls coming down and help the natives rebuild their communities that we destroyed and 5) …” Before she could utter the words of her last condition, Ava lingered in the moment, picturing Grace and Joseph standing by her side, giving her the courage to keep on fighting. “And the most important condition, one that I feel is not up for discussion, is shutting down the mainframe.”
That got their attention. Baker stood up. “Are you serious? That would change the entire structure of society in every city in the country.”
“I’m very serious. If we don’t, Dickson will change it for us. He’s in there, slowly infiltrating the network. He’s been using Christian’s DNA coding to trigger a distribution program he designed that would keep him alive forever. That’s what the babies were designed to do. They all have similar coding so that when they are synced to the mainframe, more of Dickson’s files are distributed.”
“How do you know this?” Baker asked.
“I figured it out when I was inside his program. I actually discussed it with him. He knows how reliant we are on the mainframe servers, and his goal is to take over. Once he has all the power, he can control us. Additionally, Morray is still inside the mainframe. I was with him the entire time I was inside. Shutting down the network doesn’t only stop Dickson, but it also puts an end to Morray. No more threats of his potential return.”
“How do you propose we function without the mainframe?”
“It’s possible to survive without it. We can rely on our solar power grids. Humans have existed without mainframe technology for centuries––look at the villages. I wanted to get rid of the mainframe eighteen years ago, when the Los Angeles City Center walls came down. Nobody listened to me, but I implore you to hear what I’m saying.”
From the disgruntled looks of some of the members, they weren’t sold on letting go of their precious technology. For them, it meant saying goodbye to modern conveniences and luxuries. But to Ava, it was a much greater loss.
“To expand on the importance of this decision, I’d like you all to know that Grace is inside the mainframe. That’s what happened to her. Christian transported her into the network by manipulating the coding in her containment cell. She’s the reason I’m standing before you today. She was the one who told me about Faraday and Sullivan. She forced me to return to the city center so I could expose their conspiracy.”
Ava took a deep breath and waited a moment to gather her composure.
“I’d do anything to get her out and I’d commission the labs to create a biometric body shell to give her new life. But that takes time to create. Time we don’t have. Because every second we waste is another second Dickson grows stronger. I love Grace. I’ve spent my entire life protecting her, but if we don’t shut down the mainframe, we are doomed. I’m willing to sacrifice my own daughter to protect our people. If that doesn’t convince you, then it’s hopeless.”
Baker stood before the distraught council members, his hands buried deep into his pockets. “After hearing this, I have to agree with Mrs. Strader. As much as I don’t want to let go of modern conveniences the mainframe has provided, we cannot let Dickson take over. We must shut down the mainframe. We need to develop a rollout plan for each city, starting with West Coast Regions. We can make the announcement today that we are going to shift over to the solar grid by the end of the week. There will
be backlash, but it’s absolutely necessary. All in favor of meeting each of Mrs. Strader’s conditions?”
There wasn’t a single hand that didn’t go up. Ava had won the first of many battles.
*
After the rollout plan for the transition had been established and shared with the people, the council members returned to their cities of origin. The remaining officials who had been living in the Seattle City Center also returned to their homes, with the exception of a small military unit, which Blythe and Lucas were assigned to supervise. As part of her conditions, Ava stayed behind in city center, adopted Christian, and moved into Grace’s cottage. Going back to Ojai without Joseph or Grace was too heartbreaking. Before she brought the boy home, she locked herself away among Grace’s belongings and cried and cried until she felt the pieces of her heart find their way back together. The cracks went deep, but slowly she was able to move through her grief with a little grace.
The Seattle City Center would be the first city to disconnect from the mainframe. By the end of the week, it would be completely offline. Since the center was made of solar panels, the place harnessed enough energy to run the entire city, and the Pacific Northwest. But without mainframe, they’d lose the virtual scenery and superficial sunlight. The place would become like a tomb in a perpetual state of nighttime.
Ava had the roof panels removed to allow natural light to flow into the city, though there wouldn’t be much of it during the rainy winter months. Ava didn’t mind the rain. It was a nice change from the constant sunshine of southern California. The change in weather was another shift signifying the new chapter in her life.
The other cities would go offline in the weeks to come. There had been backlash from the city residents, concerned about the loss of virtuals, digital events, floating orbs, dwelling units that synced to internal chips, and transporters. But they knew it was for their own good, and eventually they’d get accustomed to life untethered from the mainframe. Internal chips would be pointless, so they planned to begin the removal process. The important systems would still be fully operational, like plumbing and electricity, waste disposal, transit, and telecommunications. Even without mainframe technology, the cities would still be more modernized than the surrounding villages.
The people would survive the transition period, as they had many years ago when the city walls came down throughout the regions. She would survive her own transition period too. Adapting to change was a natural part of life.
The surviving natives were her biggest concern. Their villages were destroyed and the food supply wouldn’t last much longer during the winter months. She wanted to visit the Outside and start offering assistance. Since hovercrafts wouldn’t be operational after the mainframe shut down, Ava ordered the guards to open up a small section in the eastern wall, so they’d be able to get out of the city. She promised it’d be the only section they’d open and that the city would remain closed.
According to the soldiers, the natives lived in a makeshift campsite not far from the eastern wall. One afternoon, Ava drove out of the center and into the woods for her first meeting. She came to a barricade of people, aiming their weapons at her Jeep. She stopped and got out, raising her hands in surrender. “I’m Ava. Grace’s mother.”
After a few moments, a tall woman with multi-colored hair came through the barricade. She advanced with caution, keeping her arrow trained on Ava. When she got about three feet away, she lowered her bow.
“You have the same eyes,” the woman said.
“Well, I am her mother.” Ava smiled, holding out her hand.
The woman shook Ava’s hand. “I’m Cari. Grace stayed with me for a while, but I fear she is gone now.”
“She is.” Ava wiped away a tear.
Cari looked to the overcast sky above. “There’s been much loss. All of it pointless.”
A boy ran over and stood by Cari’s side.
“Your son?” Ava asked.
The boy puffed up his chest. “I’m Grayson, her right hand.”
“I have a boy, too. You might know him.”
Cari perked up. “Did you take Christian?”
“Yes. He’s with me now. I know how much Grace loved him. And I know how much she loved all of you. I’m sorry this happened. The ones behind the attacks are gone. No more harm will be done to your people. There’s been a lot of destruction and the winter months are here, so I came to help.”
“We only need you to keep the walls up,” Cari said.
“That’s why I stayed in Seattle. In the meantime, I want to provide supplies and assistance with the reconstruction of your villages. To speed up the process so nobody freezes out here.”
“We’re fine. We’ve survived bad winters before.”
Ava noticed a familiar tone in Cari’s voice; it wasn’t pride or even stubbornness, but it held a strong conviction for her beliefs and she wasn’t backing down. Something Ava understood well.
“I know you don’t believe in technology, but what about food and blankets? Clothes? To keep your people fed and warm while you’re rebuilding.”
Cari studied Ava, staring into her eyes. She turned around toward her people and then glanced down at Grayson, who looked like he could use a hearty meal and fresh clothes.
“Whaddya think, Gray?” Cari asked the boy.
He tried to maintain a stern facade, but Ava saw a twinkle of excitement in his eyes. “I think it’s okay cuz it’s not technology.”
Cari chuckled. “If the kid says it’s okay, then it’s okay.”
“I know Grace would be pleased. I’ll send a caravan to dispense supplies this afternoon. And Cari, I want you to know that I promise to keep fighting for your people. I want to work together, so I’ve opened a small section in the eastern wall as a sign of my trust. If you ever need me, you’re more than welcome.”
“Thanks, but I don’t think I’ll be comin’ into the city anytime soon.”
“But if you ever need me, I’m reachable. And if it’s okay with you, I’d like to visit your village every now and then. Christian will need to hang around some children his own age. Maybe Grayson can teach him a thing or two about being a warrior?”
The boy’s face brightened and he tugged Cari’s fur wrap. “That’s okay, right?”
Cari pet his head. “Sounds good.”
The women shook hands, sealing their arrangement.
Ava drove back into the city center. It was a gloomy day, but some natural light came through the clouds in an angelic glow. Grace and Joseph were always watching over her. They were physically gone, but nothing could ever separate their love. It would continue to grow in Ava.
She pulled up to the cottage where she and Christian now lived. The cozy home was nestled between tall oak trees, surrounded by thick bushes with lots of green grass and a white-picket fence along the front yard. It reminded Ava of the classic films she loved. Idealistic and quaint. And the best part was Grace still lingered in the air. Ava hung her sword over the fireplace as a constant reminder of her daughter, though she didn’t need one.
“How’d it go?” Blythe asked when Ava walked in.
“Good. How about you?” Ava chuckled at the heap of toys strewn about the living room.
“He’s got a lot of energy.” Blythe picked up Christian and handed him over to Ava.
He giggled and reached out to pinch her cheeks.
“Are they gonna let us help them?” Blythe asked.
“Food, blankets, clothes. No technology, as you guessed. I’m sending out a caravan this afternoon.”
“Grace would be happy.” Blythe smiled, bumping Ava’s shoulder.
They stayed quite a few moments, neither completely settled on the idea that Grace was really gone. That Joseph was gone. Sometimes it was easier not to talk about.
“So, how long are you planning on staying here?” Blythe changed the subject.
“As long as it takes to make sure the walls stay up.”
“No, I mean in the cottage. This is no
place for a president.”
Ava pressed her nose into Christian’s cheek and kissed him. “We’re fine with this location. It reminds me of home in Ojai.”
“It won’t be very safe, especially with that section you opened.”
“I’ll be fine, as long as you and Lucas are close by.”
“Old One-Eye asked to be discharged from security detail. He’s running for council. Thinks he has a good chance.” Blythe winked.
“I’ll definitely need a strategic thinker on my team. You sure you don’t want the spot?”
Blythe headed to the door. “Please. I don’t need that headache. I got enough goin’ on overseeing the security of this place and workin’ on the new network. Plenty for me, Pres.”
Ava stood by the door, watching Blythe walk across the street to her house––a grand chateau style. “Thanks for watching Christian.”
Blythe saluted Ava. “Let’s try to limit that in the future. Maybe hire a real babysitter?”
“We’ll see.”
Ava returned to the living room and sat in the overstuffed chair overlooking the garden. A few rays of sunlight slipped through the clouds and spread into the room. She held Christian close to her chest and he giggled. His bright green eyes sparkled, and for a second, she could’ve sworn she saw a glimmer of Grace.
36
A light flickered in one of the rooms somewhere deep within the lower levels of the Administrative Building. A room that nobody living knew existed. The server blinked to life and began spewing instructions to a nearby computer. The digital panel illuminated with a diagram of a human anatomy, and areas of the body began to flash from blue to green. A heart rate monitor blipped onto the screen, along with a list of vitals calculating in a running tally.
Along the wall, a square panel opened and a horizontal container came forward. The screen continued displaying strings of code, while the container shifted from its horizontal position to upright. The cabin door lifted to reveal a stasis chamber. Inside the pod, a man’s body floated in blue liquid. The information dashboard above the chamber went from flashing red lights to a solid row of green. More information displayed and the beeping grew louder. The blue liquid began draining from the pod, and the cords attached to his body unlatched, causing him to jerk and twitch. Another panel opened, securing the man into a glider chair. Then the cabin opened and the glider moved from the stasis chamber into the room.