Emery gripped the armrests as Theo made his last statement. She closed her eyes, her mind spinning in eighteen different directions. An army. They want me to join their army. This was not at all how she’d expected her first week at Darden to go.
Should I feel flattered? Confused? Terrified?
“What exactly does participation in The Alpha Drive entail?” she managed to ask.
“Ah, yes,” Theo mused. “Essentially, you’ll be living a double life. You’ll keep living your life as an unsuspecting dormant while simultaneously training for The Alpha Drive.”
Emery couldn’t help but frown. She felt as though she were on an emotional rollercoaster that would never stop. At first, she’d felt pure shock. Awe, even. But in that moment, all she felt was anger and resentment toward the Seventh Sanctum. How could anyone believe that rendering the world comatose and starting anew was a good idea? How could anyone be okay with taking millions of lives? Had mankind really been so terrible that it needed to be completely wiped out?
Theo interrupted her thoughts. “Of course, The Alpha Drive isn’t without its limitations. After all, we are talking about a life and death situation.”
“This is unbelievable,” Emery muttered, her confidence wavering. “I’m sorry, it’s just . . . it’s just a lot to process.” She drummed her fingers against her temples. “How are we . . . I mean, how do we defeat the Seventh Sanctum?”
Theo gave a reassuring smile. “Well, let’s get right into the nitty gritty of it, shall we? Candidates are hand-picked by the FCW after careful deliberation and many years of observation. Candidates are brought to an underground location, similar to the one you are sitting in right now. Candidates, participants, and members of the FCW are the only ones who are able to access these underground locations. To everyone else, they do not exist.”
“That explains why I could see the elevator,” Emery murmured.
Theo nodded, then shifted in his chair. He cleared his throat before continuing. “Once chosen, candidates are introduced to their consultant, who, in your case, is me,” he paused, gesturing to himself.
“In addition to meeting me, you are also introduced to my assistant. I believe you met Naia earlier.”
At the mention of her name, Naia appeared in the doorway, her hair bobbing as she walked. She approached them with a serving dish, atop of which sat glasses of sparkling water and a plate filled with cheese and crackers. She gave Emery a comforting smile before turning to Theo to confirm he didn’t need anything else. Theo shook his head and, with that, Naia retreated back to the door.
Emery reached for a glass of sparkling water, accidentally spilling some of the liquid onto the table. She wiped the droplets away with her hand, then raised the glass to her lips, meeting Theo’s steady gaze. Something about his expression was disconcerting. She tilted the glass away from her face and set it back down on the table. “This is just water, right?”
Theo smirked. “So, you’ve met me and you’ve met Naia,” he continued, ignoring her question. “You should also know that each participant is required to have a microchip embedded into their skin on the nape of the neck or on the heel of the foot. Your choice.”
Emery looked at him with wide eyes. “Are you serious? You have the technology to do that?”
“You look surprised. Of course we do.”
“But how? Technology hasn’t advanced in twenty-eight years?”
Theo waved his hand in the air. “Never mind how. What’s important is that we have the technology.”
His sudden brashness caught her off-guard. “Does it hurt? The microchip embedment, I mean?”
“Technologically speaking, the embedment process is quite advanced. Most claim that they feel a pinch and that’s it,” Theo assured.
“Why on the nape of the neck or heel of the foot?”
“Your question brings me to my next point,” he answered. “These chips must be hidden—out of sight. Dormants are unable to access the office locations, and they can also never know about the Federal Commonwealth or The Alpha Drive. Knowledge of any of these by external patrons will result in memory purge.”
Emery shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “Meaning what exactly?”
Theo scratched his chin. “Meaning we erase their memories.”
Harsh.
“Similarly, if one participant discovers another, the one who has been ‘found out’ will be removed from training and their standing will be revoked. Their memory and any information regarding The Alpha Drive will be erased,” he explained.
“But why?”
“We need the very best soldiers. If a participant is careless enough to let the chip be seen, then there’s really no telling what else they’ll reveal.”
Emery nodded as she picked at her cuticles. “So, how do I avoid that?”
“Simple. Keep your chip hidden.”
Emery narrowed her eyes. “How can anyone see the chip if it’s embedded into the skin?”
“The chip will blink a faint shade of purple when two participants are within twenty feet of one another and will continue to blink until one participant has cleared the proximity. If you see that blinking purple light, it’s game over for the other participant.”
Emery knew she was asking a lot of questions, but she needed to know what she was getting herself into. “But how—?”
“How do we know what you see and don’t see?” His telepathic nature grew more impressive by the minute. “Your chip acts as a second set of eyes. We see everything that you see. You can’t hide anything from us.” A sly smile touched his lips. “In order to build the best defense and increase our chances of defeating the Seventh Sanctum, we can’t have anyone hide anything from us, now can we?”
Emery considered this. “No, I suppose not.”
“Good. I’m so glad that we’re on the same page,” he confirmed as he licked his lips. “So, like I said, you’ll be disqualified and your memory will be erased if you’re identified by another participant. Failing your training is also grounds for disqualification.”
“There’s training?”
Theo sighed, clearly annoyed by all of her questions. “Of course there’s training. We wouldn’t just throw you out there and expect you to come out on top.”
Emery nodded her head to indicate that she understood. “Look, I’m sorry for all the questions. I’m just trying to understand.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to ask me?”
“Yes, actually.” She paused. “I understand what happens if I’m found out by a fellow participant, but what happens if a nonparticipant sees the chip?”
A flicker of doom crossed Theo’s face. “If a nonparticipant sees the chip, their memory will be erased as well. You can lose all of your relationships in the blink of an eye. Again, these microchips cannot be seen.”
Emery sat there, motionless, as she tried to process this last bit of information. She blinked a few times, hoping to rattle her brain for a response, but found that it was lost in a sort of hell there seemed to be no escape from.
“Right, well, I’ll leave you to it. The choice is yours.” Theo lifted himself up off the chair and walked toward the door. “I’ll be back momentarily while you contemplate your answer.”
And just like that, he was gone.
There she was. Entirely alone. Left to ponder this.
All of this.
Emery sighed, placing her head between her hands. She closed her eyes, trying to sort through everything Theo had just told her. Her bottom lip quivered as reality set in. The world is in a coma. Nothing is real. My entire life has been a lie.
It dawned on her that if she wanted to, she could just leave. She could leave without any recollection of what had just happened and go on living her life. When comparing the two choices, this seemed to be the sensible thing to do. Ignorance was bliss, right?
Or . . . she could take a huge risk and participate in The Alpha Drive for a chance to free the dormants. To give everyone a second chanc
e. To make life real again.
Emery squeezed her palms against her temples, but the voices in her head only grew louder. Why couldn’t they have given her a heads up? Why now? This time in her life was already stressful enough, what with boarding school starting and moving away from home.
In that moment, all Emery wanted to do was call her best friend. Riley would know what to do, what to say, what questions to ask. She would also probably think Emery was out of her bloody mind for even considering something like this.
And then it hit her. She couldn’t discuss this with anyone—she had to sit in this room and contemplate her future without any advice. From anyone.
Emery snapped out of her daze. Focus. Theo wasn’t going to let her leave until she came to a decision.
Her gaze fixated on the table in front of her. A tablet, the screen glowing a bright white, sat next to a black stylus, both anxiously awaiting her attention. Emery scooted forward in her chair, thumbing through the pages on the tablet. After scanning the first few sentences, she decided it was best to be thorough and read the document line by line.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ALPHA DRIVE RULES AND REGULATIONS
1. Microchip embedment is required for each participant. Any tampering or attempt of removal will result in disqualification and memory expungement of all things related to The Alpha Drive initiative.
2. Participation in The Alpha Drive will remain anonymous. If a participant discovers another, the participant who has been discovered will be disqualified and their memory will be expunged. If a nonparticipant discovers a participant, the nonparticipant’s memory will be expunged.
3. Training is mandatory.
4. Failed training will result in disqualification and memory expungement.
5. Participants who succeed in the training will be deployed to the 7S world for battle, where Statute 2 above becomes null.
WELCOME TO THE ALPHA DRIVE
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Emery sat back in her chair, letting the tablet fall into her lap. She put her hands beside her temples and gently massaged her pounding head, her heart thumping at the same pace. Her eyes landed on the glass of sparkling water Naia had delivered earlier. She grabbed it and took a swig, coughing as the carbonated bubbles tickled her throat.
Her body slunk into the armchair. Half of her felt invisible and unseen, like she was underneath a magical cloak; the other half felt like she was under a microscope, her every thought no longer private, her every move scrutinized and documented for further research.
Ten minutes went by until her headache finally subsided. Emery snatched the stylus, tapping it noisily against the table. I could give it a shot, she deliberated. If it’s not for me, I could disqualify myself and go back to my normal life in Dormance. My fake life.
Just the thought was enough to make her cringe.
And what about her mom and sister? Riley and Anthony? If she chose not to participate, could she live with herself knowing that she’d refused her loved ones the life they deserved?
Emery tapped the stylus a few more times, watching the text glide smoothly up and down the screen. She analyzed the document twice more before getting up and walking around the room. I must be going insane. Only someone who’s completely lost their mind would consider something like this.
The conflicting voices in her head weren’t making it any easier to decide. Emery made her way back toward the table and planted herself in the chair once again. She glared at the tablet as the screen flickered, taunting her.
Oh, what the hell.
She pressed each of her fingers into the square boxes on the tablet, watching as her prints filled the empty spaces. The door in the back creaked open as Theo appeared, an expectant look on his face. His phone buzzed, and he switched it off as he ambled over to where Emery was sitting. He sat on the armrest of the chair, directing his full, undivided attention at her. His eyes met hers.
“So?”
Emery locked eyes as she pushed the signed contract across the coffee table. “Count me in.”
6
Theo watched as Naia escorted Emery to the door, his heart pounding faster than usual. For a split second, he’d been worried that Emery would decline participation in The Alpha Drive. Luckily, it hadn’t come to that.
He walked down the dimly lit corridor, past the four training rooms, until he reached his office. A blinking blue light on the monitor caught his eye. One missed call. He strode over to his desk and called the number back, anxiously waiting for the other line to pick up.
“You didn’t answer when I called.”
Theo gulped, eyeing the shadowed figure on the holostation. “My apologies, President Novak. I just finished meeting with Emery—”
“What did she decide?” the President interrupted.
Theo bit his tongue, trying to keep himself from chastising his superior. “She’s in.”
A long sigh of relief filled the airwaves. “Have you decided what her first training session will be?”
Theo guessed that this would be one of the first questions he’d get. Fortunately, he’d given it some thought. “Aquam training, sir.”
“Do have everything you need? Has everything been prepared?”
Theo rolled his eyes, insulted by the President’s lack of confidence in him.
“You may not be able to see me, Mr. Barker, but I sure can see you.”
Theo half-smiled at the shadowy figure on the screen. “We’re all set, sir. I’ll keep you updated as her training progresses.”
“Wipe that stupid smirk off your face. Why you were chosen to lead this initiative is beyond me. Unfortunately, my vote didn’t count, but I assure you, I would have chosen anyone else.” He grunted. “Don’t mess this up for us.”
Theo hesitated as the insult sunk in. His mouth pressed into a harsh line. “You have my word, sir.”
The line clicked. Theo glared at the blank screen, hoping that one day, he’d muster up the courage to give the President a piece of his mind.
7
Rhea pushed through the heavy, oak door that led to her dorm room. Where is she?
Emery was nowhere in sight, but there was a note stuck to the screen of her laptop. After reading it, Rhea took it upon herself to go look for her unpredictable roommate. She ventured over to the parking garage, wondering if maybe Emery had journeyed downstairs to grab something out of her car. With no luck, she’d passed back through the lobby to the grassy lawn outside their dorm.
Rosemary Hall was situated in between two other residences, Bishop Hall and Dorsey Hall. All three of the buildings were old and rundown, but unlike the others, Rosemary Hall was only three stories tall. A coat of faded, red brick adorned the outside. It looked like something out of a cheaply-made 1950s film. Why in the world did I leave California for this?
As Rhea entered her dorm room, she dropped her purse on the floor next to an unopened box that had “Emery’s Books” scribbled along the side. She kicked off her shoes and plopped onto her desk chair, staring at the yellow post-it note still stuck to her laptop before crumpling it up and throwing it into the metal waste bin. All it said was, Be back soon. No mention of where Emery had gone, when she’d be back, or even a phone number she could be reached at.
I’m an idiot for not getting her number, Rhea scolded herself, feeling like a teenage boy after a failed first date.
It was the first time in a long time she’d felt this way. As an only child, Rhea was used to having all eyes on her—but now, sitting alone in the dorm room, away from her parents, friends, and new roommate, she couldn’t help but feel incredibly lonely. Is this how she’d feel every time she was left alone? Sad and depressed?
Her pity party was interrupted as the door handle jiggled.
Emery bolted through with a frazzled look on her face. She’d only known Emery for a day, bu
t she could immediately detect that something was different. This was not the same girl she’d met yesterday.
“Hey,” Emery said hurriedly. She shuffled through some items on her desk, sat down in her chair, then stood back up and began to pace back and forth.
What’s wrong with her? Rhea wondered as she brushed her hand nervously across the back of her neck.
Emery stopped pacing, her eyes fixed on the floor. “Hey, I’m sorry I left so suddenly.”
Rhea shrugged. “That’s okay. It was nice of you to leave a note. Where’d you go?”
“I went for a walk around campus,” Emery said as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I met up with an advisor.”
Keep her talking. “Oh. I was sort of hoping we would do that together.” The hurt in her voice was loud and clear. “But no big deal—I can do it tomorrow.”
Emery looked up from the floor, eyes drooping like a puppy that had been stranded on the side of the road. “Oh geez, I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t thinking.” She shook her head, clearly disappointed by her actions.
“Don’t worry about it,” Rhea quipped, trying to lighten the mood. Her intention hadn’t been to make her roommate feel worse. “It’s only our second day here.”
“How about I go with you tomorrow? To make up for being so inconsiderate,” Emery offered.
“I’d like that.” Rhea tilted her head sideways. “Hey, wanna grab a coffee?”
Emery shrugged her shoulders. “Sure, I could go for some coffee.”
Rhea grabbed her things and headed for the door with Emery close behind her. They trudged down the stairs in sync, then pushed through the double doors of Rosemary Hall. The mesmerizing sight ahead brought them both to a halt. The once empty lawn had suddenly turned into an enlarged mating ground for new students.
Out of nowhere, a familiar voice called Rhea’s name. She grabbed Emery’s arm mid-step, stopping both of them in their tracks.
“Ouch,” Emery muttered, stumbling over her own two feet. “Why are we stopping?”
The Alpha Drive Page 4