by Ramona Finn
Sitting up, I wonder if I could climb the walls so I can peek through the material covering. Just moving leaves me aching. I don’t know how long I’ve been nonfunctional, but I am thirsty again. My stomach growls. I slump back against the cool, hard wall and just listen.
“And what is good? Good is throwing her away? Good is wasting a life? That’s not law. If she was a Rogue from any other clan, you’d have welcomed her.” Whoever is talking sounds angry. I am a little surprised he is challenging Wolf.
Wolf sounds angry, too. I can picture his dark eyes flashing as he growls out the word, “Yeah. That’s ‘cause I can trust another clan. I protect my people.”
“So do I.”
I frown. Why is this other male thinking I need his protection? Or that I am his kind?
The voices fade, and then I hear Wolf say, “Look, I get it. But I can’t risk it. She’s a liability.”
“Liability?” The first voice goes high on the question. “She’s a Glitch, like me or Skye. She’s also just a girl.”
Putting my hands on my knees, I stiffen at this. I may be a Glitch but I don’t need anyone else to defend me. I could do that. Still, I am grateful that someone is speaking up for me, even if I would rather do it myself.
Wolf’s voice suddenly jumps louder. “Why doesn’t she remember anything? You ever hear of a wipe doing that?”
“So what? We all come out of the Norm messed up. Skye was like that.”
“No,” Wolf answered, his voice low and firm. “Skye was out of it, and then she seized. When she came to, she remembered who she was and why she’d been tossed.”
“Wolf, I know law, too. You make sure we all know it. Law says you need a reason to keep her shut in. What’s the reason? You just don’t like her face?”
“Watch yourself. Never mistake who is in charge. Never.”
“Law says that. Law also says you can call council and that’s what I’m asking for now.”
I wait to hear more, but the voices have moved away. I strain to hear more, but the conversation is definitely over. I wish Bear would at least bring me more water.
Nonfunctional seems to have some function. I close my eyes, but images come—maybe they’re memories. In my mind, I hear the woman again. I can almost see her face, too, but when I come to full function all I have is a vague, misty image that fades too fast for me to hold. I’m left with sensing the same thing I knew before—she is important to me, but she is not here.
Overhead, the metal bars groan and slide back.
Frowning, I look up. Light makes me squint and my heart beats faster. I hadn’t heard anyone coming.
Scrambling to my feet, I press my lips tight. I don’t want to ruin my chance to get out of here. Maybe it’s Bear with food and water. Or maybe it’s Wolf come to throw me out. Or Skye?
The bars and cloth move away and a girl—younger than me—peers down at me. She is not someone I recognize.
Her cheeks are chubby and her smile takes up half her round face. The effect makes her look very young—maybe twelve or so. Her nose is wide and flat, like a large button, and her black eyebrows are heavy. Her hair looks wild and bright ribbons of pink, greens and blues are tangled into the frizzy black.
The girl leans down. Ribbons flutter on the cloth she wears, which is tan like Wolf’s pants. She grins at me, her teeth whiter against her dark skin.
“Are you going to come up or what?” she asks. Her voice is deeper and now she seems older than I thought at first.
I glance around. I’m not sure I can pull myself up and out. With a shrug I tell her, “I’d like to, but—” I wave at the metal walls as if that will tell her everything.
The girl rolls her eyes. She braces her hands on her knees. “Well, then come up already.”
“I can’t jump that high and I don’t have wings. And why are you saving me?”
The girl laughs. “Saving. I like that.”
Her laugh sparks something inside—a sharp flush of embarrassment. The feeling is pointless, but I can’t help it. She doesn’t have to laugh at me.
“Sorry.” She says the word but it doesn’t sound like an apology. She’s still giggling. Turning away, she comes back and tosses down a flexible ladder. The word rope pops into mind.
I eye it for a moment. This doesn’t seem much better than climbing metal walls, but I grab one of the rungs and put a foot on another. The rope holds. And what’s the point in being surly and staying stuck down here?
When I get to the top, I scramble over the lip of the Coffin and roll onto my feet. They hurt. My skin still burns a little, but I ignore it.
The girl has her head tipped to one side and faces me. “I’m Bird Sees Far.”
I blink at her. “Is that a name or a function?”
She smiles, lifts one shoulder and waves a hand as if that is an answer. “You’re Lib. Wolf should have told me sooner that you’d come.”
Irritation with her itches on my skin. Doesn’t she ever answer any question? I try a statement instead. “That’s an…unusual name.”
She folds her arms across her chest which is small enough that it is nearly nonexistent. She is definitely young. “Glitches always think Rogue names are odd, but who goes by Lib?”
I frown and a sense of uneasiness slips down my back like a trickle of cold water. “How did you know my name? Did Wolf tell you?”
Bird Sees Far looks away from me off to the side. “You’re the new Glitch. I overheard Skye say your name.”
It is a good answer, a valid one, but I still think she’s lying about that. I don’t know why and I don’t have a reason to push for the truth. “Lib is a perfectly good name. And it’s all I have.”
She gives a nod as if I just gave the right answer. “It’s better than a Tech number. Did you choose it or did the AI give it to you?”
“What’s an AI?”
She glances at me sideways now. “That’s right—you don’t remember. Well, you should learn that we’re named by our clan. I’m from the Sees Far clan, but I came to stay with the Trackers. Our names give us a spirit animal that represents our true selves.” She grins again. “I fly like a bird.”
I can’t help staring at her. I don’t understand most of what she is saying. “What’s a bird? And…well, what’s an AI? And a Tech?”
Her grin fades. “You know more than you think. But don’t worry.” She starts walking away. She is taking the light with her—it’s a small fire she holds on a stick. I’m torn between following her and just climbing back into where I was. It was safe there. And warm. But I can’t go back.
I have to find the Glitches.
I start walking after her. She’s surprisingly fast for such a small girl.
Bird Sees Far glances back. “I’ll take you to the healer. He can fix up your feet so you’ll be ready.”
“Ready for what?”
She doesn’t answer. I hurry to catch up with her, but step on a rock. With a wince, I stumble along, my skin even hotter now. “I’m getting frustrated at being ignored.” I mutter the words, and Bird Sees Far must hear, but she doesn’t glance back this time. Even if she did let me out, I am not sure I like her.
“Just what are Rogues?” I ask mostly to see if she’ll ignore this question, too, but I’m curious. The light is bright enough for me to see the walls are stone and marked with designs. They look all the same to me.
Bird Sees Far glances back again, her dark eyebrows pulled tight. “You know more than you think you do.”
I narrow my eyes at her. But she faces forward, her steps long, and then says, “I don’t know why we’re called Rogues—we just are. Anyone born Outside the Norm is born to one of the Rogue clans. The Norm—that that big wall where you came from. Remember?” She glances back at me, her eyes bright.
I make a noise, but something surfaces in my mind. “It’s a biosphere. The Techs…the Techs have to maintain it.”
“See, you do know. Anyway, when a Tech goes bad, goes wrong, the damaged ones become Glitches.
Like you.” Her voice is bright as she says this.
I flinch. I don’t want to be damaged and I don’t like the idea I was thrown away. This would mean Mother isn’t looking for me—she wouldn’t want me back. I can’t bring myself to say this. I don’t want Bird Sees Far to know what I feel. And I want her to keep talking. Her words jog memories loose from me. I am greedy for more, so I ask, “How many Rogue clans are there?”
“Oh, I don’t know. We’re pretty scattered. Larger clans bring danger, so we keep small and ready to move if we must. We have to watch for drones.”
I think back now to how Skye kept looking up the whole time we walked here. I don’t know what a drone is but it must be something that comes from the sky.
“Different clans have different law. But we also share some things. We’re all Outsiders. We’re all human.”
I study the back of Bird Sees Far’s head—the wild curls and multi-colored ribbons that flash in the light from the stick she carries. I don’t like the way she said that word—human. It is as if it means something different to her than it does to me. Like I am something different.
“What do you mean by that?” The words come out sharp.
Bird Sees Far doesn’t answer me. We round the next curve and the tunnel opens into a wide room. I have to stop and stare. The room is tall and circular with several tunnels leading off of it. The walls are brightly painted with reds and oranges and some blues. I see shapes and the words leap into mind—wolf, bear, bird, horse, dog, cat…so many images. The paintings cover the walls as far up as I can reach and they make the room seem to come alive.
At the very center of the room, a beam of light shines down. Looking up, I can see a hole far above me. The hole is perfectly round and at the bottom is a circle of polished, black rocks and something that gives off smoke.
Several people, dressed in tattered cloth all stop what they are doing and stare at Bird and me. I don’t see any blonde hair—they all have dark hair and dark eyes and closed-off faces. Skye isn’t here. And no one looks friendly.
Bird taps my arm with one hand. “This way. The healer shouldn’t be too busy right now.” She heads across the huge room.
I hurry to catch up with her. The looks others track me with leave my skin prickling. Catching up to Bird Sees Far, I ask, “What’s a healer?”
“His name is Croc, and he’s good at what he does, despite the name.” She grins at me like she is sharing a joke. I’m not seeing what’s funny.
Bird turns to go down another tunnel, but a low, gruff voice stops us with one growled word. “Bird?”
Turning, I see Wolf. His mouth is pulled down and he doesn’t look happy. Just like before, he stops near us. He is so much taller that I have to look up to see his face, but I am not going to let him just bully me. I stand my ground.
Bird Sees Far stops and turns to face Wolf. Her mouth tugs down in a small frown, but she gives a shrug with one lifted and dropped shoulder. “I’m taking her to Croc.” She keeps her voice casual as if this is no big deal. I slop a hip to one side and put a hand on it. If Wolf wants to make trouble, he’s going to have to work for it.
Wolf’s stare strays to me. I meet that stare, and he turns away to look at Bird again. “Who said you should?”
“Did someone have to say? Her feet hurt. So does her skin. She needs care.”
Wolf’s stare shifts to me again. Heat rushes through me, but I stare back. This time I look away to stare at the dirt floor and the coverings on Wolf’s feet—I wish I had those. Wolf mutters something harsh, and then says, “Fine. Croc, then back.”
“Back? Why? I think that’s a little unnecessary, don’t you?”
I glance at Bird. Why is she defending me? Why did she let me out? I keep my mouth shut in the hopes she can convince Wolf to let me stay out. I’ll never find the other Glitches in that Coffin.
Wolf says nothing, but tension seems to hunch his broad shoulders. His eyes narrow. For a moment, he only stares at me and then at Bird.
She huffs out a breath and says, “Lib’s going to be important.” She says this as if she is stating a fact. I can’t think why she would say this or why Wolf would believe her.
But he stands very still, staring at Bird, and I think maybe there is a kind of communication between them I can’t understand.
“You saw her?”
“I did. I didn’t know it was her until she got here, but now I’m sure.” Bird grins.
Wolf turns his dark eyes back onto me. It seems to me as if he is really looking at me for the first time. His eyebrows are pulled together, but I’m not sensing anger from him. No…it’s more like…curiosity.
He gives a nod and starts to turn away, but he glances back at Bird. “Next time, clear it with me first.” Before Bird can say anything, Wolf stalks off.
There’s so much I don’t understand. I turn to Bird, but she’s already heading down the next tunnel. “Come on. Croc’s waiting.
I follow—but if Bird won’t answer my questions, I’m going to have to find a way to ask Wolf. That idea leaves my stomach churning.
The healer, Croc, has a room that seems nicer than anything else I’ve seen. The walls have shelves filled with glass bottles and sweet-smelling plants hang from them. Something to lie on stands against the far wall—Croc is lying there when we step in but he gets up quickly.
He looks older than anyone else I have met. He is not as tall as Wolf, but he has lines on his face and his dark hair is thin and moving back from his forehead as if he is losing it. He is thin and grumbles a lot, and he takes one look at my feet and curses. “How did you let them get so bad? No, don’t tell me. I never like what anyone gives me for bad excuses. Sit down, girl. Sit down.”
Glancing around, I see a stool and a table. I sit on the stool. It is rough but sturdy. “My name is Lib.”
“Fine. Now let’s educate you about taking better care of yourself. Starting with feet first.”
Croc’s voice is rough, but his hands are soft and gentle as he rubs something soft and moist on my feet and then wraps cloth around them. The dull throb fades. And it smells good, too, like…the memory of the smell fades, but I know I have smelled it before. Green flashes in front of me—a plant? I am not sure. But I am incredibly grateful.
Another woman comes in with a small person—a baby—who is crying. Croc tells Bird that’s all for now and waves us away so he can turn to the woman and her child. Bird leads me back to the main room. I see a flash of Skye’s pale hair and relief floods me—a friend at last.
I head for where Skye sits. She looks up and spots me. With a gasp, she stands and runs to me. “Lib!” Her voice squeaks. She throws an arm around my neck. It is a strange sensation to be touched like that. “Sorry Wolf threw you into the Coffin. He’s been grumpy.”
I give her a shaky smile. “It’s okay.” I point over my shoulder. “Bird got me out.” I turn, but Bird isn’t there anymore. She seems to have wandered off, leaving me with Skye. I glance over at the boy who was sitting with Skye. He is standing now.
He wears cloth that is more like Skye’s. It’s worn and faded, but he looks different from Wolf and the others, even though his skin and hair are dark like theirs. He shakes his head and says, “Bird…is different. But if she got you out, it’s probably okay.”
I glance from the boy to Skye. “Why is that?”
Skye pulls me down to sit next to her and the boy sits with us. “Everyone’s pretty sure Wolf will take Bird as his mate. She’s going to be leading the clan with him.”
My throat tightens and my shoulders knot. I can’t seem to move, though I’m not entirely sure why. I don’t much care for Bird—so maybe she and Wolf deserve each other. But, this still seems wrong to me. At least Bird got me out when Wolf would have left me there—maybe forever.
Looking past Skye, I stare at the boy sitting with us. His dark hair is short and curls around his face. He skin is very dark…so are his eyes. He is smiling at me in a way that leaves my skin hot again.
I know he’s tall from when he was standing, but he seems thin. His body is almost lost in his loose-fitting cloth, but I can see hints of lean, wiry muscle.
He’s staring at me intently. “You’re Lib?” His voice is soft. I recognize it immediately. He was the male arguing with Wolf. He’s a Glitch. Are these two the other Glitches I was supposed to find? If they are, why doesn’t this feel like success—like I have done what I need to do?
“Raj is a Glitch,” Skye says, stating the obvious. “There aren’t that many of us. Only two others.”
I nod. This is why it doesn’t feel as if I’ve done what I must. These are only some of the Glitches.
“A lot of Rogues don’t like us,” Raj mutters.
“I’m starting to understand that.” I glance around the large room. When I do, stares shift away. Some of the Rogues turn away.
“People fear what is different,” Raj says.
That reminds me of the memory I had—was it a memory?—in the Coffin. Different is bad. I jerk my stare back to him. “Isn’t that why we’re here, though? Because we’re different? We’re broken and that’s bad.”
He smiles. The expression softens his face. For a moment, he looks younger. His cheeks seem less lean. He looks…good. Although I don’t think that’s the right word. “Guess we’re just the wrong kind of different.” His gaze seems to sharpen and he asks, “What’s wrong with you?”
I look away and at the bowl of food sitting between him and Skye. I don’t feel hungry, but I have to do something. I hate that I don’t know what is wrong with me. It makes me feel as if it must be terrible.
“Don’t be a waste of flesh,” Skye hisses at Raj. She swats his upper arm. “She just got here. Her getting trashed was rough, but she dumped me from a bad connect.”
He straightens and looks at me, speculation bright in his dark eyes. Maybe he is thinking of apologizing. Before he can, others drift into the room. They come in from every tunnel, some chatting and laughing, some walk in silent, some come in by themselves and some come with others. I count twenty in total in the room.