by Imran Siddiq
Bhavini removed Zachary’s bag from her thin rucksack. She must have clinched it from the patroller. She delved in the bag and held up the Intel-Depository. “We came for this. For months, we’ve been trying to get our hands on something to give us the upper hand, and lo and behold, an Underworlder delivers.”
Caine emerged toward them. “Important thing is if it still works.”
“He would’ve ditched it if it didn’t.” Bhavini fumbled deeper into the bag. “Have you been communicating with that girl?”
Zachary returned her frown. “Yes – why?”
“With this?” She whipped out the Intercom on to the floor.
“Hey,” yelped Zachary.
Without hesitation, Bhavini stamped, cracking the Intercom’s upper-shell.
Caine piled onto Zachary’s chest, driving him against the pipe.
“Stop,” cried Zachary.
Bhavini flicked the lid off a silver-tube in her hand and poured clear liquid onto the Intercom. Smoke arose from bubbling froth.
“Forget her. She was using you,” said Caine. “It was a well-executed plan to lure you in to where they wanted you. Didn’t you see the way they knocked off her android? They’ll replace her in an instant. You fell for it.”
Zachary grabbed the protester’s padded sweatshirt. “I needed that.”
“No – they needed you. She was the bait.”
Standing with her attention fixed on the grey puddle growing under the froth, Bhavini spoke. “Firstly, they can track Intercoms. Secondly, they probably already have, and thirdly, it would’ve made you a liability. ROM doesn’t deal with liabilities.”
Zachary groaned against his sweaty palm. For the second time today, he’d lost a working Intercom. What else could go wrong for him? The protesters had what they wanted. Why did they still need him?
“I’m going back to her,” he said.
“Do we have to go through this again?” grunted Caine.
“Who are you to decide on what I do? I promise I won’t tell them about you.”
Bhavini’s sharp tone cut him. “You’ve seen too much. You have to come with us now. This girl, whatever her name is, she obviously means a lot to you –”
“Everything,” muttered Zachary.
“Maybe we can help you.” She motioned for Caine to remain silent. “If this really is your first time above the midpoint, then you’ll be caught quicker than escaping hydrogen. Someone wants to meet you. Carell, our leader.”
* * *
Vest drenched with sweat, Zachary handed back Bhavini’s water flask after they travelled through a long stretch of hazed humidity. At the end of the torch’s beam lay a door already opening inwards.
One foot in, his skin calmed under cold air. The place was smaller by miles in comparison to the streets of Assayer. Ladders connected the levels above and below the wide platform that Zachary stood on. He struggled to absorb the different nooks and crevices littered with entwining cables. Lights twinkled, almost in tune to the sounds of components moving. Laughing children chasing one another brushed past him. How safe was this place?
Caine left them on the platform. “I’ll let Carell know.”
Zachary’s eyes bounced from the array of pliers, electronic screwdrivers, drill-bits, padded jackets, and circuit boards on shelves. Whoever mingled here would be champions among scavengers. But none of that mattered anymore. Grimacing, he removed his fingers from the displays.
“Is this where you all hide?” he asked.
Bhavini tidied a pile of gloves on a shelf. “We call it the Gilgamesh Ark. Like Noah, but without the animals.” Zachary didn’t understand her chuckle. “This is the second incarnation of it. The last one was flattened, eight years ago, so we’re pretty attached to this ark.”
“Will Carell help me?”
“With Rosa? That depends on a few things. ROM isn’t just about protesting against the rules. We want what’s fair for everyone in the Base. There’s stuff going on up there that will blow your mind.”
A flurry of people rushed under the platform to greet a muscular man coming through with a rifle in his hand. He motioned to the crowd to disperse. “Clear the passages. We’ve captured one.”
Zachary bolted to the railings along the platform.
Behind the muscled protester, two others pulled along a white-coated man.
“Let go of me. I’ve done nothing to you,” whimpered the man. Blood oozed from the rear of his head. “I’m a scientist.”
The lead protester rammed the handle of his rifle onto the scientist’s head.
“Stop,” stuttered the scientist. Another harder ram put him to the floor. But he crawled. A third hit stopped him still.
“Take him to recon-bay,” instructed the muscled protester.
Lines of blood followed the resulting drag into a side corridor.
The railing warmed under Zachary’s grip. He was surprised at the calmness of the crowd at the killing. How was that different from the solider that had attacked the Districts?
“He killed a man who didn’t have a weapon,” said Zachary.
Bhavini shook her head. “He was already dead.”
Chapter 21 - Intent
Zachary reversed. “He was alive. I saw him.”
Bhavini’s blank expression shifted beyond him.
Caine had returned. “Carell’s ready for you.”
“Well, I’m not ready for him,” snapped Zachary, raising a finger at Bhavini. “What in Europa happened there?”
“He saw Vincent bring in a Souls,” she said.
Zachary bit on his hand. Souls as in the same Souls that Sokolov deemed suitable for him? Is this how ROM dealt with them?
Caine scratched his chin. “That’s fine, but Carell’s waiting. You can have your moan after you’ve seen him.”
“That’s it?” Zachary’s sarcastic chuckle didn’t have the effect of gaining anything from the frozen glares. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me about Vincent and the Souls.”
Caine loomed over him. “Down the corridor. Carell’s room is at the end.”
“You hardly know me, and you’re going to let me walk to Carell’s room on my own?”
Caine’s spherical shoulders rolled. “Should we fear you?”
“You’ve been summoned. Stop thinking that everyone is out to get you,” said Bhavini. “This isn’t a trap. Nobody will jump you. Take it from me, if Caine’s letting you go alone, he has faith in you.”
“Just a little,” grunted Caine.
Accepting the kind words wasn’t easy. Sticking to the big man’s instructions, Zachary shuffled off the walkway to the opposite corridor. Scraps of metal nailed to the walls reflected the spotlights from above. The route to Carell’s room was bright and cleaner than the previous area of the Ark. Zachary reached a door constructed from thick planks.
Inside, white walls were prominent with shiny silver devices arranged along shelves. The chassis of androids and various mechanical components cluttered long tables. A functioning hydraulic arm, rotating from its mounting on the high ceiling, carried a pole surrounded by wires, and welded it to the underside of the balcony. Sparkling streaks rained off the welding into evaporating puffs. A buzzing drone alerted Zachary’s attention to further hydraulic arms shifting in the large room. Was the room alive?
Between pillars covered in screens, he glimpsed a cabinet on the balcony displaying dozens of thin tubes that glowed green.
“Welcome,” said a softly spoken male.
Zachary edged around a pillar to face the centre of the circular room. A man sat upright, cross-legged, on a wide-armed chair. Dressed in a tunic and flared trousers, both plain white, the man appeared the total opposite of the dark clothed protesters.
Zachary gulped. “Carell.”
The white-haired man patted the arms of his chair. “Is that a guess, or are you more informed than we are led to believe?”
“A guess.”
“Indeed, a good guess. I’m Sebastian Carell. Se
en by many as the trusted guide to those that dare to rise above the aristocracy of Galilei.” His palms rose as if a fanfare would erupt. “You are, I admit, smaller than I thought.” Rather abruptly, he stood up. “Come to me.”
Raising his hand after Carell’s drew close, Zachary felt a firm shake.
“It is exceptional for an unauthorised Underworlder to cross the ceiling of one world to the floor of another, however, I bear witness to seeing three in a matter of hours. If that is not a sign of change, then I don’t know what is.”
Three? There were more?
Carell’s lurid smile hung on. “Caine has told me some of your tale so I know what you have gone through, and that makes your arrival all the more special.”
“You know nothing about me,” retorted Zachary. “Nobody does.”
Carell’s forehead creased as if pondering a question. “Gloomy, isn’t it, when the mighty trample on the weak? You must be boiling with hatred.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you want to see them punished for tearing down the Districts? Don’t you want to see them burned for sneaking into your streets? Your homes? Your lives?” Carell’s head tilted. “Your life?”
Zachary squirmed at the suffocating aroma leaving the leader’s mouth. “I don’t care why you think I’m special. All I care about is finding my friend.”
“Friend. A strong concept.” Carell’s eyes shrivelled into slits. “I would only cast aside hatred if the outcome favoured the risk.”
The leader stepped away from him. “Earlier, Hadrian Tower ordered five patrolling units to locate Ambassador Kade’s daughter.” He halted. “Oh, you’re surprised that I know of her? You must forgive Bhavini and Caine’s ignorance of politics.”
Zachary puffed through clenched teeth. What else did Carell know?
“One of the units found her with you, who happens to be another person whose alter ego has been posted in every division. Bravo for beating the time it took for me to top the most wanted list.” Carell tapped on his palm. “They now know that you’re both connected to one another. They have her. We have you. By holding onto her, they will bide their time in the hope that you’ll be foolish to go to her. If you go, then all is lost.”
The logic of what he said tightened Zachary’s chest. “I can’t sit here doing nothing about it.”
“For years, we have scoured to collect intelligence on the corruption that dwells within the House of Representatives. For years, we have failed. You, a boy caught in the crossfire of two worlds, have brought us close to achieving our aim. You did well to keep hold of the Intel-Depository. Once unlocked it’ll prove the strongest nail in the House’s coffin. But, until we unlock it, you are the only able-bodied evidence we have of the attack.”
“Me? You don’t need me. Send your protesters down to see the damage.”
“And risk being caught in the carnage?”
Zachary’s chin locked. “You want me to leave her behind?”
“You must seek patience.”
“Patience?” Zachary almost punched the screen flashing with intermittent letters and numbers. “If I wait anymore, I might be dead tomorrow.”
“Do you want to know why they attacked Underworld?”
Zachary flapped the air. “To expand.”
Carell stood ahead of a panel displaying dozens of printed images of groups. On closer inspection, the occupants of the groups were cheering.
“Every Base is governed by the Integrated Confederation,” Carell said. “The Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They all serve a purpose. Galilei’s was to colonise the icy moon, Europa. It was meant to be the mining prize of the system. The Confederation weren’t impressed by the Base’s failure, so they left Galilei to run of its own accord, believing that the House of Representatives would be ideal for its well-being. How wrong they were.” Carell moistened his lips.
“But they’ll know about the expansion plan, and when they inspect –”
“They won’t inspect without cause. Once their plans are unlocked, we can alert the Confederation and bring down the House.”
Zachary’s cheeks wobbled at the throbbing behind his eyes. Is this all ROM had to offer as support? Did they hide in the middle of two worlds, waiting for a chance to destroy one? And what about the other if they had a means to do it? He eyed a hanging model of a short-winged shuttle.
“Did you attack Jordan Kade’s home?”
Carell gave a slow headshake. “That wasn’t us. Oh, we know about the blame being administered to us.”
“Then who?”
“Kade’s home was attacked the day before his reassignment as Ambassador to the House. It was the perfect push that Masim Sokolov orchestrated, convincing Kade to agree to revoke Article 39a. I won’t deny that we were watching Kade, though the attack and increased security measures put a stop to that.”
The theft of Rosa’s Raptor, thought Zachary. They were trying to obtain information about the House from her.
Carell led him to a small, transparent sphere, split down the middle by a partition. Inside a miniature model man stood on the partition, and below it, magnetised to stick to the underside of the partition, was another man.
“The Base was designed to support dual living. When the upper half was complete, droves of labourers were dispatched to work on the lower twin, until resources dried up. Without warning, the House deactivated the gravity fields causing everything to crash down. Nobody questioned the declaration of a malfunction.”
This was too much. Zachary tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck. “You said there are other Underworlders that escaped.”
Carell’s head bobbed. “They know you well. Shekhar and Salvador.”
Zachary spluttered, “They’re alive?”
“Both are seriously injured. You’ll find them in the Medics Section, two tiers down.” He paused, thinking. “There is one piece of advice I must give you. Be wary of your feelings for Kade’s daughter. The differences between you both will not bode well.”
Why did everybody say that?
The leader moved over to the androids’ torsos without artificial layers. “I bet you’ve seen a lot of these in the Wastelands.”
“Never as polished.” Zachary rubbed the cold metal of one. “Are you a collector?”
“Of sorts. I am fond of experimenting.”
A screen next to Carell beeped on with the message, ‘Adjustment Complete’.
“Ah, our time is cut short. It’s been a pleasure to meet you. Explore the Ark, but do not leave.”
Zachary closed his fist. “You promise to help me when the time’s right?”
“Be patient.”
Questioning the honesty in the leader’s spirited tone, Zachary retraced his steps toward the doorway. He glanced toward a hissing sound, and caught sight of an inner-wall shifting aside. Inching back to avoid being seen, Zachary recognized the rifle-carrying protester, Vincent, enter with his allies carrying the scientist by his arms. The blood on the scientist’s clothes looked fresh.
Zachary snuck back inward. Too far away to make out the voices beside the buzzing robotics, he shuffled up to a pillar. Steps clanged from the protesters taking the scientist up to the balcony. Vincent brought forward a reclining chair. As straps lashed over the scientist’s limbs, a groan escaped him.
He’s alive!
“We had a bit of trouble with his adjustment,” said Vincent to Carell, who’d joined them. “He deviated. A few knocks brought him into touch.”
“Easy on the damage. Time after time I tell you.” Carell stood before the scientist, who looked to be in his forties. “How are you feeling, Ethan?”
Tears streamed down the scientist’s cheeks. “How do you think I feel?”
Vincent tapped buttons behind the chair. A large drill-like device lowered from the ceiling to hover over Ethan’s head. It rotated into a quick spin.
Zachary’s pulse quickened.
Carell leaned forward. “Do you know me?”
&nbs
p; The tugged straps squeaked under Ethan’s struggles. “Sebastian.”
Carell continued. “I will spare you, if you tell me where the copies are stored?”
“Copies of what? I don’t understand. I’m just a scientist.” Ethan’s mouth slumped. “What what what can not know how meaning mean meaner.” The next few words slurred.
Carell sighed. “Damn. He’s a goner. Do it.”
Vincent plunged the spinning drill-head into the defenceless scientist’s neck, then guided it up to the jaw. Zachary held his stomach. Ethan’s fingers rattled under the straps. Thin muscles rolled off after Vincent thrust the drill out of the scientist’s wobbling head. Zachary covered his mouth. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought Ethan’s throat glittered. Was that metal hanging out? Was that a glowing green tube inside his neck?
Sparks fizzled as Carell pulled out the tube. “Clean him up, and return his parts to me. Next time, Vincent, double the charges to the cortex.”
Zachary’s thigh muscles tightened as he scuttled backwards. His stomach rushed up to his throat. He hurtled forward along the corridor. Everything spun. He retched up the contents of his stomach. Burning air scorched his throat. He spat between his trembling fingers, and saw Bhavini rush over to his side.
“The scientist’s an android,” moaned Zachary.
Bhavini put her arm around him. “You weren’t meant to see that.”
Chapter 22 - The Souls
Bhavini flapped a hanging mat aside, leading to a bench within an alcove. “Relax. We’re alone now.”
Zachary constricted his twanging stomach as he analysed Bhavini’s face. With smooth, wrinkle-free, pale-brown skin, hazel eyes, and not a single crack on her lips, she appeared flawless. He blinked, recalling what little he’d seen of the artificial head that Shekhar had held in the stall. Wasn’t that also perfect?
“Are you an android too?”
Bhavini looked like she’d been punched. “Do I look like one?”
Zachary swallowed several times to lessen the sting in his throat. “Ethan didn’t look like one. Is this what you meant by stuff happening up there?”
“Trust me, I’m not an android, and don’t ever want to be.” Lost in thought, she looked up. “Okay, this will be a little rusty for me. I haven’t had to explain this for a while.” Bhavini cupped his head. “It’ll be easier if I show you.”