“You’re nothing better than a parasite.”
“And humans are any better? You’re destroying your own planet.”
“Then why would you want to settle here then?”
“Because we don’t have any other option. Believe me, if there was one, Earth wouldn’t be my first choice.”
“We’ve got more than you could dream about.”
“You’ve got delusions.”
“You haven’t got a home.”
I didn’t think the meeting could get any worse but it was quickly spiraling out of control. If Krom didn’t kill Schroder soon, he would probably find his gun and kill Krom before he got a chance. When I first walked in, I hadn’t expected only the victor to leave the room but I feared that was going to happen.
I stole a glance at the window, initially wondering if I could jump through it unscathed. I couldn’t, we were on the sixth floor, but I did see a glimpse of all the people still waiting in the street below. In amongst them were those I loved. The guy that owned my heart, the friend who I always had on my side, the best parents in the world, they were all down there expecting great things from me. And I was letting them down by standing in a corner.
I had to do something and fast. I couldn’t take it any longer. “Enough!” I shouted. I hadn’t intended to be so loud myself but it was enough to get all the men’s attention. They stared at me, taking their eyes off each other for the first time since their bickering had begun.
Rob gave me an encouraging nod to continue. I pulled myself up to my full height and put my shoulders back. It was do or die, there was no doubt about that. “You two can’t talk to each other anymore, that’s a rule. And you will obey.”
Agent Schroder went to say something but my hand shot up to shush him before he could. “No, I’m the one talking now. Krom, please wait outside while we have the discussion we were supposed to have.”
“I’m not going to-”
“Yes, you will,” I cut him off. I didn’t blink as I stared him down. I had no idea if he was going to follow my direction or not, he could very well turn his ire on me. I could be the one lying dead on the floor before any of the others.
Agent Schroder’s mouth twisted into a smirk as Krom started walking toward me. His face was thunderous as anger bubbled away underneath. Images of how he could kill me flashed through my mind. He could crush my throat, take me out with a blow to the head, or something I couldn’t even imagine he was capable of yet.
Even if I was just about to die, I didn’t regret speaking out. I didn’t regret doing what I did because it gave my people a chance. I wouldn’t have changed anything.
Krom raised his hand. So he was going to knock me out, that’s how it was going to end. I closed my eyes and winced, waiting for the blow to come. There was no use trying to avoid it, it wasn’t like I could leave or run.
I waited… but nothing happened. I opened my eyes again. With a wave of his hand, Krom made the desk in front of the door slide back to its original position. A click of his fingers and the door unlocked. I watched with a gaping mouth as he stepped around me and out the door, slamming it behind him.
I tried to recover quickly, putting it into a compartment in my mind to process later. Even if I spent all afternoon trying to figure out Krom, I probably wouldn’t get anywhere.
“Agents Schroder and Bower, I hope we can get back on track now,” I started, strutting over to the chair in front of the desk and taking my seat. I didn’t speak again until they were both seated too. Now, we could have a civilized conversation. “You want our technology, we want somewhere to live in peace. Surely we can work this out.”
Schroder leant back in his seat, undoing the button on his jacket. “Is everyone on your planet like him?”
He didn’t have to say Krom’s name for me to know who he was speaking about. “I don’t believe so. Like any leader, he has to have a lot of fight in him in order to do the best for his people. I’m sure you can understand that, of all people.”
“I understand making tough decisions for the greater good.”
“We can add something to this country. We can make a real contribution. All we are asking for is that opportunity. You know how well all the project members have fit in. All I’m requesting is that on a bigger scale. And no secrets this time.” My heart was pounding in my chest as I held my breath waiting for his response.
The silence felt too loud, too long, and too impossible to breathe through. If this conversation didn’t work, it was over. The war would continue until either all the aliens were killed or the humans were. It was impossible to think about. I had no choice except to succeed.
Rob cleared his throat to speak but Schroder cut him off before he had a chance. “You make it sound like it’s nothing, but it is. You are asking me to ignore the fears of all the citizens in this country.”
“They only need to be educated. If you’d spoken out about the project earlier, it wouldn’t have escalated to the level of fear it has.”
“So you’re blaming this on me?”
“No, not at all.” Except I really was. “I’m just saying that all the teenagers of the world are supporting us because they have had experience with us and the project has been explained in full. If they can change their minds, I know everyone else can too. You need to give them an opportunity to be accepting.”
“People don’t like change.”
“But they do like having the facts.”
Agent Schroder cupped his chin in his hand, lost deep in thought. At least he was considering it, he wasn’t dismissing me from the outset. It was further than I had got before and way further than Krom had gone.
I took a shot and kept going before he could make a decision to kick me out. “If you resolved the war between the humans and aliens, you’d be a hero. You’d be saving lives. You, and the Department, could emerge as the leaders who changed the world.”
My words sunk in but I wasn’t sure if they were going to work. I was desperately trying to feed his ego and appeal to his arrogance over his heart. I knew one was bigger than the other.
Rob crossed his fingers beside the desk, making sure I could see it but not his boss. If he was feeling positive about it, it was a good sign. But I wasn’t going to count my chickens before they were hatched. Definitely not.
“What about if I guaranteed my people wouldn’t cause any trouble?” I asked. I had no idea how I was going to do that, but I figured it was worth a shot. Fake it until you make it, Lola used to say that all the time.
Agent Schroder leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. He sighed through his nose, causing a faint whistle. “You can get Krom the Conqueror to call off his army? You can guarantee that?”
I ignored the nickname he had made up for my fearless leader and nodded. Krom may have been a pigheaded idiot sometimes, but I was certain he knew sense when he heard it. “I guarantee the moment we leave here, our army will retreat.”
“We’ll need that in writing.”
“We’ll need your consent to settle here in writing too. Along with a guarantee that you will issue a full statement to the media explaining Project Integrate.”
“If we decide to agree to this, both sides would have to work on being accepted,” Schroder stated. I couldn’t have agreed more.
“Of course.”
“You did it with the teenagers.”
I let a small smile spread across my face. “I had a little help from my school.”
Agent Schroder stood without warning. He held out his hand. I stared at it for a moment, unsure what to do. Rob gave me a smile, his eyebrows rising. I stood, just like the head of the Department did, and shook his hand.
“It’s a deal, Miss Jones,” he confirmed. “You’d better get your leader back in here to sign the agreement.”
It took two hours for the contract to be drawn up. I read through it over Krom’s shoulder. The entire time I was waiting to see the fine print, the conditions that we hadn’t discussed and would be d
etrimental to our side. I expected to see them, but they weren’t there. The details of the contract were fair to both sides, and exactly what we had discussed. Even Krom seemed happy with it.
The only extra condition I had insisted upon was that the project members would be allowed to have their microchips removed. They should be free to roam where they wanted, without an invasion of privacy. After everything they went through, they had earned their freedom.
With a flourish of pens, the agreement was signed. Firstly by Agent Schroder and then Krom, witnessed by Rob and myself. Our signatures were there in black and white, hopefully sealing our fates in the best way possible.
It was a relief to be out of the room. Rob guided me outside to the hallway while official photographers remained with Schroder and Krom.
I leant against the wall and exhaled, it felt like I had been holding my breath for the last three hours. “That was intense.”
Rob laughed. “That’s what I used to say when you left my office every year.”
I gave him a playful punch. “Liar.”
“Ouch, see? You’re a handful.”
“Yeah, right,” I protested before getting serious again. “I’m really glad you were here today.”
“Me too. Although, the joke is on Schroder, you never listen to me anyway,” Rob replied.
“I’ve spent my entire life listening to you,” I said, completely denying his allegations. I used to be the epitome of a perfect project member.
“You didn’t listen to my warning. I left a note for you.”
For a moment, I was completely confused. Until I remembered the note left in the trailer, warning Garrick and I not to meet with the Department because it was a trap. “That was you?”
“Yeah.” He looked pleased with himself. “Silly me, I thought you’d follow directions.”
If I had listened to that warning, I could have avoided a whole lot of trouble. Still, the consequences of not attending that meeting might have been equally as bad. I was touched Rob went out of his way to warn me, even if it was completely against his boss’s wishes. “Thanks for trying.”
“I would never give up on you, soda pop.”
So many people had risked their lives for us, it was difficult keeping track of them all. I owed a lot of people a whole debt of gratitude. “Finn and the other guards at the complex, did they get into trouble for helping us?”
“No,” Rob replied, sending waves of relief through me. “There was an investigation about how all the members escaped but they couldn’t find enough evidence to pin it on any of the guards. I told you my plan would work.” His chest puffed out with pride, a feeling he deserved.
“I should have known,” I grinned. “So what happened to your retirement? I thought the Department was done with you?”
“They called me back for this meeting. They said if it went well, I could have a promotion and come back.”
“Why you? Not that you aren’t awesome, but isn’t there more… qualified agents?”
“You mean less fired agents,” Rob corrected with a twinkle in his eye. “It was because of you. They thought I would know you best and tell them how to handle you.”
I was kind of flattered they actually thought so much about me, but I was still completely confused. “Why did they care about me? They could have just met with Krom, or any of the other project members.”
Rob bumped my shoulder with his own. “Because you’re special, soda pop. Look at what you’ve done in the world in just a few days. You have hundreds of thousands of people listening to you. That’s powerful stuff.”
“This was all because of my online campaign?”
He nodded happily. “You started something that none of us could stop. Who better to negotiate with? Even Krom couldn’t do that and he has wicked magical powers. By the way, does everyone on Trucon do magic?”
“Apparently. I was told the project member’s powers were suppressed so we wouldn’t expose ourselves.” I wondered if there was a way to restore our powers? Being able to move things with just a wave would be pretty cool.
“Ah, a whole nation of people like you, that’s got to be scary,” Rob teased. He stood up and held his hand out for me to take. “They’re going to be a while and I’m sure you could do with some food. Care to come with me?”
I took his hand gratefully. The thought of food made my stomach leap into action and gurgle with anticipation.
It may only have been cafeteria food, but it tasted like a home cooked meal. Anything would have tasted good after being cooped up in the bunker and living off whatever they decided to give me – when they remembered.
After we finished eating and catching up, Rob found me some clothes and let me use the shower in his new office. Whatever promotion he was being given, it must have been a good one if the size of his office was anything to go by.
By the time I was cleaned up and feeling like a regular person again, Agent Schroder and Krom were finished smiling for the cameras.
They walked us down to the Department reception where our driver was awaiting our return.
“Until next time, Miss Jones,” Schroder said as he shook my hand again. I never would have thought he could actually treat me nicely after our last meeting. I still hadn’t forgiven him for throwing Garrick and I into the dungeons but I was determined to put it behind me.
Rob gave me a hug before slipping me his new business card. He had written Call me anytime, Soda Pop on the back. I pocketed it, hoping I wouldn’t need it anytime soon.
Krom and I stepped out into the sunshine. It was good to be leaving the Department on my own terms. Kind of anyway, I still wasn’t sure what Krom had in store for me.
The sun was setting in the distance, casting a glow across the trees surrounding the building. As we reached the car, I could see the masses of people still waiting outside. I hadn’t expected them to still be there. We had been inside for over four hours, that was a long time to wait around for something that might never happen.
“Am I free now?” I asked, my hand still on the door.
Krom looked down the driveway, seeing what I saw. “Fine. Go.” He flopped into the car without any argument.
I didn’t walk, I ran for the gates. The security guards gave me a wary glance but they didn’t stop me. I skirted around the boom gate and bolted right into the waiting arms of Lochie.
He swung me around, putting me dizzily on the ground where I was swarmed by my parents and Lola. I rejoiced being in their embrace, so happy to finally be back again. And this time, it was for good.
“Well? What happened in there?” Dad asked, down to business already.
I was going to pretend to be all serious and tell them it hadn’t worked, but I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. Every one of the faces there was hanging on my answer. “We did it. The war is over and the people of Trucon are free to settle here.”
A cheer louder than Krom’s yelling filled the street. Everyone hugged each other as tears were shed. The celebrations quickly spread through the crowd, resounding like a wave through the country road.
Hayden stepped forward. “Is the government going to explain everything?”
I nodded. “It’s in writing that they will.”
“You’re like a member of the inner circle now.”
“I’ll rule, wisely,” I joked.
Hayden grinned wide as he turned around and gave his friends a high five. Considering the Department were going to confirm that one of the biggest conspiracy theories in the world was true, he probably had a good reason to be excited.
I was already planning ways in which I could repay Hayden and his friends for their help. The first thing would be reimbursing them for all their costs, the second would be making sure they knew of my gratitude. That was going to be a little harder, but I would do it. Without their unquestioning kindness, I would probably be dead several times over instead of standing there.
The celebrations continued into the night as we returned to town. The s
paceships disappeared from the sky, landing in open fields and parks. People emerged from their houses as the news picked up on the story. The public relations part of the Department had done an excellent job of getting the word out.
Garrick turned up at my door to join us, deciding to celebrate with the humans instead of the aliens. He pulled me aside before we lost each other in the crowd. “Wild day, huh?”
“The wildest. Thank you for getting everyone to the Department today, you truly are the master of sneaky. You have no idea how much it meant to have them there. The only person missing was you.”
“I was ordered to stay at the bunker. I was there in spirit, but you didn’t need me.”
“I’ll always need you, Garrick. I owe you my life.” There weren’t enough words in the world to thank him for saving my life. I could have still been rotting in the complex if he hadn’t agreed to be my partner in crime.
Garrick just shrugged, his usual hard to read self. “You saved my life too so I guess we’re even.”
I continued on before we fell into an awkward, lingering silence. “What are you going to do now? You can stay with us for as long as you like, my parents enjoy having you around.” Lochie, not so much, but I wasn’t going to add that. “I think my dad always wanted to have a son.”
A smile spread across his lips. “I think I might go back to my hometown and see my friends. Some of the videos they posted were really nice. I’m kind of missing them so it would be good to graduate with my grade. Thank you, though. Your parents are awesome.”
“You’re welcome anytime, remember that. Okay?” He nodded and I couldn’t resist giving him a hug. I was sure it wasn’t a goodbye, just a see you later, but I couldn’t help but feel sad about it anyway.
Looking around my house as it was overflowing with people, I couldn’t help but feel so lucky to have them all there. Every one of them had helped me achieve what I did today. The win was theirs, hardly my own. After all, they all made me feel human and not the alien that I was.
Project Integrate Series Boxed Set Page 64