Emery didn’t have it in her to tell her roommate that their relationship was going downhill. And fast. “Hopefully not too soon,” Emery mumbled. She looked up to see if her roommate had heard her, but Rhea was already in the zone, tapping her feet to the beat of the music buzzing from her headphones.
9
I give up.
Torin hopped down from the floating pod, pressing a button on the side of the machine to power it down. The blue lights underneath the white oval structure blinked, then faded into black. The pod lowered to the ground, locking itself into place with the four bolts protruding from the steel floor.
Torin trudged over to the exit and leveled his face with the retina scanner, then swiped his hand over the identification reader. The sliding doors opened without hesitation.
“Good morning, Corporal Porter,” a friendly, female voice greeted him over the intercom.
Morning? He pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at the time. It was 3:15 A.M. Another twenty-four hours gone trying to crack the Federal Commonwealth’s code. Another twenty-four hours I’ll never get back.
Torin’s stomach erupted in frenzied hunger growls.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten, or even thought about anything else besides writing code, revising code, wanting to murder code.
He strode through the doors and walked over to the nearest teleportation platform, digging in his pockets for the circular, crystal dials. He dropped one onto each wrist, watching as the crystal morphed to become one with his skin. The cafeteria was his only option, but since the food was sub-par, his best bet was to head to his apartment and order a decent meal from there.
Torin stepped onto the platform, instructing the machine to take him to the main floor. The tingling came first in his toes, then his legs, and worked all the way up to his chest, shoulders, and neck. He closed his eyes as the machine’s familiar gust of wind transported him from the fifty-sixth floor to the first floor. He opened his jaw, ears popping from the ride down. No matter how many times he teleported, his ears never seemed to adjust to the changing pressure.
Voices echoed in the hallways from above.
Who’s still here? And at three o’clock in the morning, for that matter?
Shadows danced along the walls of the seventh floor—the same floor as the Commander’s office. Torin hid behind the back panel of the T-Port, the clever name scientist Thompson Porter (no relation) gave his invention after defying the laws of physics and gravity when he discovered teleportation was possible. Torin poked his head out from behind the T-Port, watching as the shadows entered one of the main conference rooms.
He’d hacked into that room before.
Wavering between his hunger pains and his curiosity, he stepped back onto the platform and whizzed up to the seventh floor, then tiptoed across the hall until he stood just a few feet away from the conference room. Reaching into his back pocket, Torin pulled out his phone and logged into the 7S database. He’d learned the hard way that for this particular room, he had to be within range in order for the hack to work.
Torin tapped in the code from memory, then waited for the green light to flicker across the screen.
He was in.
A square-shaped hologram hovered over his device. Three people stood in the room—the Commander, Sergeant Griggs, and Sergeant Botlek. They spoke in hushed tones, forcing Torin to bring the hologram close to his ear in order to hear their conversation.
“This whole situation has gotten completely out of hand,” the Commander declared as he paced back and forth across the room.
“Sir, we’re doing everything we can to remain in control—”
“Well, it’s not working, now is it?” he snapped.
The sergeants bowed their heads in shame.
“More than half of the world has been rendered comatose. They’re living in an alternate reality with no knowledge that their world isn’t real. We’re the most technologically-advanced organization in the world and we can’t figure out how to stop it?” He was yelling now. “Do something! Break them out!”
Torin held the device away from his face, eyes wide. Half of the world? In a coma?
“We’re doing everything in our power to solve this as fast as we can,” Sergeant Botlek stated. He took a deep breath. “Are you sure you’re not letting your familial ties interfere with the strategy?”
The Commander’s eyes narrowed, his lips pressing into a firm line. “Pretty soon, everyone’s family will be trapped in Dormance, not just mine.”
“But you can see how it could be viewed as a conflict of interest—”
“Enough,” the Commander barked. “I’ve heard enough from you.”
Sergeant Griggs spoke up. “The young corporal—Porter, is it? Has he had any luck breaking into the Federal Commonwealth’s mainframe?”
The Commander grunted. “Every time I ask him, the answer is ‘almost’. Almost doesn’t cut it. We need to get in. Now.”
Torin had heard enough. He clicked off the device and darted over to the platform as newfound adrenaline coursed through his veins. It was time to prepare himself for another long night in his office. He wasn’t an “almost” sort of guy. He was an “all the way” kind of guy.
And it was time for him to prove it.
10
For the first time in years, Emery dreamt. She’d crept down an elongated hallway that looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place where she’d seen it before. Passing room after room, she’d finally arrived at a secured door of a private chamber. Rhea’s voice had echoed in the halls as she stood in front of the door when suddenly, a gunshot fired—and then she’d woken up.
Emery racked her brain, trying to remember more, but that was all she could seem to recall. She glanced at her phone. Eight o’clock in the evening. It’d been a while since she’d taken a decent nap, and this one left her feeling surprisingly refreshed.
Rhea had just returned from the campus gym, beads of sweat dripping from her forehead. “Hey, did you have a nice nap? I hope I didn’t wake you.”
Emery nodded as a yawn escaped from her mouth.
“Good. I’m going to rinse off,” she called out, grabbing her towel from the rack. “I’ll be out in fifteen minutes. You better wake yourself up before we go out tonight.”
Emery hopped down from her bed and opened her laptop, browsing through the countless emails that had accumulated while she’d been asleep. Syllabi, welcome email, more syllabi.
Fifteen minutes passed and, like clockwork, Rhea emerged from the bathroom, her towel wrapped loosely around her body. She stepped behind her closet door, her foot poking out from the side. A few hangers clattered to the floor, followed by a few swear words. Finally, Rhea stepped out from behind the closet door wearing tan high-waisted shorts, a black crop top, and black heels embellished with gold studs.
“Wow. You look . . .” Emery paused, searching for the right word.
“Fierce?” Rhea finished, her expression hopeful.
Emery flashed a sincere smile. “You read my mind.”
“I’ll take any opportunity I get to wear something other than that atrocious school uniform,” Rhea murmured as she opened the door to Emery’s closet. “Now, it’s your turn. We need to find an outfit for you.”
“Oh, I was just going to wear jeans and a shirt—”
Rhea looked at her with disapproval. “Emery, dear, this is our first night out together as roommates. You’re wearing something other than jeans and a shirt.” She rustled through Emery’s closet for something worthy of being seen in.
“Aha!” she exclaimed. Rhea pulled out an old band t-shirt and a pair of high-waisted red shorts and handed them to her roommate, instructing her to change.
Emery gazed at the mirror hanging on the back of her closet door and examined the outfit she’d just put on. She tugged the shorts down a little, trying to cover more of her thighs, and adjusted her shirt with a glum expression.
“Something wrong?” Rhea
asked.
“No,” Emery muttered. “I guess I’m just not used to dressing like this.”
“Well, get used to it,” Rhea said, her eyes twinkling. “By the way, you look perfect.”
Emery tried to hide her smile. “Thanks. I guess it’s not that bad.” She tugged on her shorts again. “Can you pass me my make-up bag and straightener?”
Rhea shifted her weight from one foot to the other, leaning across the counter to grab the straightener and teal, zippered bag. “Here you go,” she said, tossing them across the room.
A couple of hours later, Rhea and Emery were putting the final touches on their ensembles. Emery gathered her money and I.D. cards and tossed them into her leather clutch. She reached behind her laptop for her cell phone, noticing that Anthony had sent her an unusually long text message. It was best not to read it, since he’d probably sent something that would make her feel guilty for going out. Not surprising.
“Ready?” Rhea asked as she fastened her necklace.
Emery nodded, throwing her phone into her clutch. They exited through the front doors of Rosemary Hall onto the grassy lawn, keeping an eye out for any Darden personnel that might be patrolling the campus. Luckily, there wasn’t a soul in sight.
“Where exactly are we going?” Emery asked. She realized they probably should have explored the outskirts of campus ahead of time so that they wouldn’t be walking around aimlessly.
“We went out the wrong door,” Rhea said, looking down at the map on her phone. “Come on, this way.” She swiped her key card to get back inside Rosemary Hall, then headed toward the door that led to the parking garage.
“Wait, are we driving there?” Emery asked as they neared her car.
Rhea turned to face her. “Yeah, why? Is that a problem?”
“Sort of. Darden has ridiculous rules when it comes to leaving campus. You should have seen what I had to go through when I took my sister to the airport.”
“Walking it is, then,” Rhea sighed. She quickened her pace with her phone in hand, Emery following closely behind. They walked through the four-story parking garage and across the street, passing Darden’s football field. The next street was the same one Emery had driven down earlier that week during move-in. She focused on the brick buildings that lined the street, a familiar observation floating across her mind. Those can’t be administration buildings.
She tapped Rhea on the shoulder. “Do you know where we’re going?”
Rhea ignored her question as she placed a buzzing phone to her ear. Emery could hear a male voice on the other end and assumed that it was Mason.
“Yeah, we’re heading that way now,” Rhea said into the phone. “We’ll be there soon, okay? We can’t drive, so we’re walking. We’ll probably be there in about ten or fifteen minutes.” She hung up the phone and threw it back into her clutch.
“Mason?” Emery asked.
“Yep. He’s wondering where we are.”
After waiting at the crosswalk for what seemed like a century, they finally reached the mysterious buildings on the other side. Overgrown plants and shrubs surrounded the outside of the buildings while dead grass and tumbleweeds crunched underneath their feet. Even in the dim lighting, Emery was able to spot a crooked sign at the end of the street. She squinted for a few seconds until she was finally able to make out the words. ALPHA DRIVE.
How ironic.
Her discovery was interrupted by Rhea’s shrill voice, who had somehow gotten a few yards in front of her. “Oh my god, no way! You have got to be kidding me.”
At first, Emery thought they were about to get busted by Darden security for sneaking out of their dorm. She ran toward her roommate, remnants of tumbleweeds whirring around her in a frenzy. “What is it? Are you okay?”
“Would you take a look at this?” Rhea exclaimed with both arms extended toward the buildings. “They’re club buildings!”
Emery looked at her, confused. She turned her attention to one of the many drab, brick buildings standing before them. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust, but they finally settled on placards inscribed with different names: Drill Team, Sychem, Club Med.
Rhea’s eyes lit up. “We just hit the jackpot,” she beamed, spinning around to face Emery. “I’ve heard that these buildings are used for student clubs and organizations during the day, but at night, students come here to hang out.”
Emery’s curiosity peaked, but was immediately replaced with apprehension. “Let’s keep walking. We shouldn’t keep Mason and his friends waiting.”
Rhea pouted like a little kid who’d just been grounded. “Fine.”
They walked further down the row of buildings, then came to a stop to adjust their shoes. Whoever invented high heels was an idiot, Emery thought, as she leaned against the door of a dumpster.
“Hey!” a brusque, male voice called out.
Emery looked up from her shoe, trying to discern where the voice had come from. A few buildings down the street, on the second story balcony, stood two seemingly tall guys. It was hard to tell in the lackluster lighting.
“Hey!” Rhea shouted back.
Emery looked at her incredulously. “What are you doing?” she whispered. They watched as the two guys came down the stairs and walked over toward them. Indeed, they were tall, standing at about six feet, and they were somewhat attractive.
Correction: very attractive.
A musky scent wafted through the air. One of the guys had dirty blonde hair, the other a shade of dark auburn. “Where are you two ladies off to?” the blonde guy asked.
Emery piped up. “We’re on our way to—”
Before she could finish, Rhea chimed in. “Here. We were on our way here.” She stole a glance at her roommate, a hint of a smile touching her lips.
The guys laughed, immediately sensing that Emery and Rhea were new to Darden.
“I’m Jason,” the brunette said.
“Drew,” the blonde added, waving at the girls. “Come on, let’s go inside. Things are just starting.”
Rhea and Emery looked at each other and shrugged, then followed them into the building. The interior was nothing spectacular—cracked, disjointed crown molding lined the ceiling and the maroon paint on the walls was chipped and faded.
Jason and Drew walked them around the first and second stories, introducing them to the people in each room. There were already quite a few people there, which was surprising since it was only half past ten. Rhea and Emery walked into the main common area, wooden tables and plush leather couches sprawled out in the large space.
Lining the tables were bottles of alcohol, an array of juices—from cranberry to apple to orange—and oddly shaped cups that were small at the top, narrow in the middle, and bulbous at the bottom. They resembled an hourglass shape, but with a few nuances. Emery picked one up, examining the mysterious object with both hands.
“That’s a jigger,” Jason stated, recognizing the look of confusion on Emery’s face. “You pour the juice into it first so it sits on the bottom, then you pour the alcohol in the top section.” He smiled and kneeled down at the coffee table to face them. “So what’s your poison?”
Rhea leaned forward seductively, putting her chin in her hands. “I’ll take vodka and cranberry,” she purred.
Jason poured her selection into the funny, little glass and handed it to Rhea, then turned his attention to Emery. “And for you?”
“I actually think I’m okay for now,” Emery said, hoping that her cheeks weren’t blushing an embarrassing shade of red.
Rhea rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t listen to her. She’ll have what I’m having.”
Emery opened her mouth to protest, quickly realizing that it wasn’t worth it. Okay, I guess I can have just one.
More people filed into the room. A lanky girl, who reeked of whiskey, sat down on the edge of the couch next to Emery. Jason left the coffee table to mess with his laptop and speakers in an attempt to get the music started. After a minute or two, a song with heavy bass thumped fr
om the speakers, the walls of the room vibrating.
Emery’s eyes shifted from Jason to her roommate, who had been sitting across from her the entire time.
“Are you okay?” Rhea asked, holding a jigger in each hand.
Emery shrugged. “Yeah. Just taking it all in, I guess.”
“Well, take it all in while drinking this.” She handed Emery one of the jiggers as a devious grin spread across her face.
Emery hesitated before taking the drink from her roommate’s hand.
“Now, make a toast.”
Emery raised her eyebrows. “Um, okay. To . . . boarding school.” She glanced at Rhea for approval.
“Kind of weak, but I’ll drink to that.” Rhea winked as she raised her glass.
Emery watched as her roommate tossed hers back with ease, then slammed the jigger down onto the table. She looked down at the red liquid and tilted her head back as she brought it to her lips. The mixture burned her throat a little, but she finished it with no problem.
Rhea clapped her hands. “So what do you think?”
Emery shook her head from side to side as if weighing her answer. “Not too bad.”
“I knew you’d enjoy it.” Rhea laughed. “Hey, Jason!” she called out.
Jason looked up from his post at the speakers and nodded, then walked back over to where they were sitting.
“Another,” she commanded, as he reached the table.
Emery tried to hide the bewildered look on her face. Already?
Jason smiled, clearly amused by her authoritative tone. “Yes, ma’am. Whatever you say.”
Emery sat back, watching in shock as her roommate took shot after shot, pressuring her to do the same. Even though she’d never been intoxicated herself, Emery knew that Rhea was drinking too much too fast. She needed to get her roommate away from the alcohol.
It took over an hour before Rhea finally slowed down.
“I’m going to look for the restroom,” Emery interjected, hoping that enough time had passed where Rhea would need to go with her.
Rhea let out an exasperated sigh as Jason poured another drink. “Hold on, I’ll go with you.”
The Alpha Drive Page 6