“Thank you,” Ember said, with his eyes still closed.
“Thank you for being there for me. For accepting me for who I am,” she said, trying to wipe his tears. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him delicately, once more on the cheeks.
Though Ember didn’t really believe her, there was enough there to convince himself that he did.
They held hands as they walked back, and though they did not talk, they were both completely unaware of the sounds of two other pairs of footsteps frantically retreating back to Milo’s place.
Chapter 23: Behind Enemy Lines
“Get up,” Styles shouted as he kicked a sleeping Ember lightly in the ribs. “No more time for sleep.”
“Good morning to you too,” Ember mumbled sarcastically. Ember sat up and observed that Sven, Kara, and Luna were already awake and were sitting by the candle light next to Milo. Sven and Kara both seemed nervous, though only Kara rocked back and forth and tapped her foot restlessly.
“Good morning Ember,” said his sister, who was lying by his side.
“Ohh… Uhh… Good morning Maggie.”
“Did you have any good dreams?” Kara inquired. If there was a hidden message in her question, Ember couldn’t perceive of it.
“Uhh… Actually—”
“Okay, plan,” Styles declared matter-of-factly, cutting Ember short. “Luna and I go in first. Sven and Kara will follow about two hours later, and Maggie and Ember will go two hours after that.”
“But what do you want—” Sven started to ask.
“Luna and I will spend the first two hours locating the Gate and finalizing the specifics of our plan of attack. Sven and Kara, your job will be to talk to the commoners and stir up trouble. Use Ember and Maggie as tools to further that aim.”
“And how exactly do you expect us to do that?” Kara asked.
“The commoners will be unlikely to believe that you came from outside Imperium. Use Ember and Maggie as evidence that you are not lying. Tell them that ‘in x amount of time two people will come up out of the ground from x location.’ You think you can handle that?”
“Uhh… Ya, sure… but don’t you think—”
“And what do you want us to do?” Maggie interrupted.
“More of the same. Work with Sven and Kara to stir up trouble. If it’s not already clear, you are here to serve as a distraction while Luna and I head to the Gate. Just create a disturbance, I really don’t care how.”
“We’re going to get caught!” Sven said angrily.
Styles smiled sadistically. “Perhaps.”
“Excuse me?!” Sven shouted. Milo, who heretofore was calmly and naively enjoying the conversation, was startled by Sven’s sudden exclamation.
“Look, if you can manage to rile up a revolution in two or four hours, great… But if not… In the more likely scenario, you get caught, then that’s fine as well.”
“So you’re sending us on a suicide mission?! This is our lives, it’s not some sort of game!”
“We will reach the Gate before then,” Styles declared confidently. “They won’t kill you. They don’t want to kill you. They may torture you a little bit, but they won’t kill you. Not immediately at least. You are a mystery to them and so long as you remain a mystery to them, they should keep you alive. Just don’t tell them about Luna and myself. Remember, we need them to believe that they have thwarted our efforts.”
“So you want us to gamble with our lives?!” Sven expressed with utter disbelief.
“If you don’t like it, don’t get caught.”
“Styles, this is ludicrous!” Kara expressed. “You really think they are going to lighten up on security at the Gate if we get caught? It will only make things worse. It’s not like they are short on personnel. They’ll probably increase security just in case.”
“After yesterday’s debacle, security will already be at its max. That’s why, if you are caught, you’ll give them misinformation… You’ll admit to your plans to manipulate the commoners and you’ll talk liberally about the possibility of armed invasion. Any attention you can draw away from the Gate, the better.”
“Ya, what about the other revolutionaries? Do you think they will still go ahead with their plan to invade?” Kara asked.
“Unlikely. Assuming that the other revolutionaries are aware of Daryl’s treason they will either, one, attack today before Imperium has a chance to launch a pre-emptive strike, or more likely, two, abandon their plans and go into hiding instead. Their belief that we have found the code would only further favor the latter. It would be great if they attacked, but the prospect is extremely unlikely—just one more reason why Maggie’s little confession yesterday made things a lot more difficult.”
“My little confession may just have saved thousands of lives!” Maggie exclaimed defensively.
“And it may have forever doomed the Underground as a consequence!”
“What do you think they’ll be planning for?” Kara asked.
“Assuming that Daryl was the informant, and assuming that all of Daryl’s knowledge has been made aware to them, they will be planning for a whole host of things. If there is one good thing about this it is that they will necessarily have to divide up their forces. They know that invasion is unlikely now but the threat is still there and they will have to prepare for it. Of their possible concerns, this will probably be their greatest single preoccupation. Considering the fact that they took our computer and plant, I expect that they believe that we have lost the sequence.”
“And you don’t think they will kill us?” Sven asked again.
“Not within the first twenty-four hours. You can survive until then.”
“And if we don’t.”
“Look, all you have to do is create a distraction and lead them to consider other concerns besides the code and the Gate. I think you can manage. And if you can’t… and if you die… it is a necessary sacrifice. I thought you were the one who wanted to go about this non-violently. This is about as bloodless as you’re going to get. You should be happy. I thought you were prepared to die for the cause.”
“I am!” he declared.
“We are!” Kara added.
“Maggie? Ember?” Styles interrogated.
“Us too!” Ember said on Maggie’s behalf.
“Then start acting like it. The lives of thousands weigh in the balance.”
“There’s just one problem,” Sven said tentatively, “how do we know that you will be able to reach the Gate?”
“Let Luna and I worry about that.”
“But if you don’t reach it then we will—”
“Oh, we’ll be able to reach the Gate.”
Sven paused for a long time before assenting to the plan. “Okay,” he grumbled.
“Do your part. Follow my plan and you won’t die,” Styles assured. “Milo, take us to the center tunnel.”
***
The walk to the tunnels was especially quiet. Even the usually loquacious Milo was silent. Milo had given everyone a lit candle to fight against the darkness, but somehow the light only magnified the emptiness of the space and the loneliness of their predicament. Though Styles’ confidence was to some extent reassuring, his motivational talk was far from satisfactory, leaving the rest of the group, save for Luna, with the powerful feeling that they were marching towards their death.
“Aren’t you scared?” Maggie asked Luna as they reached the outer perimeter.
“I have lived through many trials in my lifetime and I am sure I will live through many more. It is both my curse and my blessing. Today I have the opportunity to make a profound difference in our world and tomorrow I will have the opportunity to explore it. Perhaps… search for my creators… learn of my purpose… Discover new things and live a freer life. No, I’m not scared. Excited would be a better word.”
“Be careful Luna, I don’t want to lose you. You are a great friend,” Maggie expressed slowly and emotionally.
Luna turned round to face Maggie.
She leaned in to give her a big hug. “Thank you Maggie. You have reminded me of what gives life meaning. You are a kind and loving person, and if for some reason we do not see each other again, I want you to know that you have made this universe a better place… regardless of the outcome. Do be careful.”
Styles scoffed loudly, pulling Luna by her hand into the tunnel.
“Wait! Luna?!” Kara cried.
“What is it?”
“No matter what happens, remember the cause. Don’t let Styles’ use you. Remember that this place is worth saving. Remember that though there may be bad people here, there are still plenty of good people left.”
“Don’t worry, the Gate will be opened. Everyone will be freed,” she reassured as she started to follow Styles down the tunnel.
“Luna! One more thing!” Kara cried. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier! You have opened my mind. It was a pleasure knowing you!”
“We will see each other again,” Luna shouted back with a laugh as she walked further into the darkness.
“Goodbye Luna!”
“Be careful!”
“We love you!”
***
“I just realized that none of us have a clock,” Sven said as he watched the melted wax drip down his long, skinny candle.
“It’s okay, I think he said that the time was only supposed to be approximate… more of a rough suggestion,” Kara explained.
Milo palmed his greenish flaky skin. “Come stay with me. Be Milo’s friend forever.”
“We really couldn’t, but thanks for the offer,” Kara said, a little creeped out.
“And how about you. Will you stay and be Milo’s friend?” he asked of Maggie and Ember. Maggie, who was preoccupied with other thoughts, shook her head slowly.
“Milo, what will you do after we liberate the Underground?” Kara asked, pleasantly trying to change the subject.
“Liberate the Underground?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I mean, will you explore the outside world?”
“Outside world?”
“Yes, the outside world. Will you explore it?”
“Outside world?”
“The trees, the rivers, the sky? It’s okay Milo, you won’t be alone.”
“No… No… No! Milo stays here. This is my home. Forever!”
“But there is so much more—” Sven tried to explain but just at that moment Milo hissed and ran back to his home. The group watched as the light from his candle was soon swallowed up by the solemn darkness of the void.
***
“Are you scared?” Ember asked.
Kara nodded. “Of course I’m scared. I have no idea what to expect. It’s natural to be afraid of the unknown.”
“I think…” Sven said slowly, looking at his candle’s flickering flame, “that it’s all a bit exhilarating. The moment of truth is upon us. We can go the rest of our lives and never have an opportunity like this again. In a way, it is like a release of a great burden… knowledge that, regardless of the circumstance, my life is for a greater purpose—the optimism of fulfillment… and nothing can take that away from me.”
“I can totally relate,” Ember said with a nod.
“Where do you think Luna and Styles are right now?” Maggie asked.
“Who knows,” Kara said nervously, evidently with other things on her mind.
“They are probably locating the Gate as we speak!” Sven said as if to convince Kara of something more positive.
“It’s just hard to believe that… they are in the middle of Imperium right now… and that we are right here,” Kara expressed, staring at the ground with open eyes.
“Are you okay?” Ember asked.
“Uh, ya, I’m fine,” she said, shaking her head violently to break the trance. “I was just thinking about what Styles’ said… about the torture and all. I mean, it’s just hard to reconcile the agony of that prospect with the relative tranquility of our present situation. It’s the disconnect… I don’t know if that makes any sense. It’s just hard to believe that in a few hours we could be—”
“That makes a lot of sense to me,” Ember said with a smile. “No matter what happens,” he said valiantly, “you can remember the time we spent together. Remember the happy times.”
“I’ll protect you!” Sven said suddenly and defensively.
“If need be, retreat to within,” Ember said, pointing to his brain, “they can’t harm you there.”
“As long as you’re with me, they won’t get you!” Sven tried to reassure.
“We will be together again soon,” Ember expressed emotionally.
“I won’t let them take you away!” Sven exclaimed, as if trying to one-up Ember.
Kara, not sure what to make of the competition, tried to further explain her thoughts, “It’s just all a bit scary. I’ll be okay. It’s just that—”
“Let me go in your stead!” Ember exclaimed suddenly.
“Ember?!” Maggie expressed with horror.
“No!” Sven said instinctually.
“Let me replace you. I’ll go with Sven, you go with Maggie… that way if we get caught at least then you won’t have to bear the torture for as long.”
“Ember, I don’t know what to say,” Kara murmured incredulously.
Sven’s heart jumped. “No you can’t! Styles said… You have to… We are supposed to go… together… Kara?”
“You can do anything you want Kara. I want to do this for you! Let me do this for you! The thought of you being tortured is ten times worse than the worst thing they can ever do to me! Let me go in your place!”
“Ember?!” Maggie screamed, with equal shock as before.
“Kara, I wanted to… I need to… talk to you! We need to… go… together!” Sven said, unusually panicked.
“I… uh… I…” Kara mumbled, speaking more to herself than the others. “I can’t.”
“Can’t what?!” Ember said seeking clarification.
“I can’t let you do that… Sven and I will go together.”
Sven sighed a heavy sigh of relief. “We should get going then, it’s about time.” Sven stepped into the tunnel with his dwindling candle and motioned for Kara to follow. She stepped in after him.
“Wait! Kara! Not like this. Not like this!” Ember shouted.
“This is not your battle Ember. Take your sister, and go back. Wait until it’s over. No one will fault you,” she said, gloomily looking towards the ground.
“But Kara, we can run away… together… you and me…”
“Ember… No.”
“But… Kara?”
“Stay with your sister.”
“Kara?”
“Come on, we have to go,” Sven said, pulling Kara by her hand.
“We will see each other again,” Kara said.
“Kara?”
“Goodbye Maggie,” Sven said as he walked with Kara deeper into the tunnel.
***
“You look mad,” Ember noted.
“Yes Ember, I’m mad.”
“Why are you mad Maggie?”
“I don’t know Ember, why do you think?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, feigning ignorance.
Maggie, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, pealed off the some of the wax on the side of the candle and fed it to the flame. “Come on Ember, tell me. Why am I mad?”
Ember, who was sitting next to Maggie with his back against the outer wall, kneaded a small ball of wax in his hand. “Are you mad that I got you into all of this? Do you wish you were back home in Erosa? Are you mad at me for that?”
“No Ember, I came to terms with that long ago. That part of my life is… it’s very distant.”
Ember picked at his ball of wax and looked at the stub of his remaining candle. “You know, if these candles go out we’ll be alone in the darkness… No Luna to guide us.” Maggie pondered his words and then blew out her flame. “What are you doing?!” he asked
with urgency.
“No need to have both candles burn at the same time. When yours gets low, we’ll light mine. That way it’ll last longer.”
“Oh… good idea.”
“You know Ember, honestly, all of that stuff is okay. Whatever, it’s over and done with. But… this… this was supposed to be our time—our thing. I mean, how many times have we talked since coming over here?”
“What do you mean? We’ve talked a lot.”
“Really talked, Ember. How many times have we really talked? Like our discussions of old?”
“Oh… Uh… I don’t know…”
“I mean, I get it Ember. I know that I’m not the only one in your life, but… I mean… I’m your sister. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“What do you mean? Of course it counts for something.”
“I just feel like you’d rather live inside your own head… with your own fantasies and delusions.”
“What are you talking about?! If I was bothering you so much, why didn’t you just tell me? Why didn’t you come talk to me?! It’s just as much your fault as it is mine.”
Maggie looked at her brother through the flickering light of the candle and breathed heavily. “It’s just… you seemed so happy… with her… with your own thoughts… in your own world.”
Ember toyed with his ball of wax, breaking it into two and then kneading it back into one. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault… I should’ve said something. It’s just… you know… we could die there… in Imperium… and I just thought that… well… you would want to talk to me before we went. I mean, you never even told me why you believe so strongly in the cause! I mean, we never even talked about it! We used to talk about everything… No secrets… What happened Ember? What happened to us? We’ve changed.”
Ember broke off a piece of his wax ball and conciliatorily handed it to Maggie to play with. “We’re not going to die Maggie. It will be okay.”
“You know Ember, Kara was right. This is not our fight. It’s not too late. We don’t have to go in. We can wait until it’s all over. There’s no shame in that. She said it herself. How much will our contribution really help Luna and Styles anyway? Even if it does, is it really worth the magnitude of risk that it poses to us as individuals?”
Revolution in the Underground Page 30