The Seat of Power (The Securus Trilogy Book 3)

by Anthony Maldonado

  “Hello, my friend,” Dehan says, greeting the Soldier. “How’s your wife been?”

  “Better,” the Soldier replies, turning away from us to keep us from hearing his reply.

  The subtle turn is all we need to slip in. I suppress a cringe when stepping inside. The area looks and feels like we are walking back into Securus. It takes a couple of moments for me to realize why. Knowing how they live now, it is easy to forget they were once confined underground like the rest of us. This must be the original facility that made up Caelum before they came to the surface many years ago. Seeing this place makes me realize now more than ever how long they have been keeping us as their slaves. For them to build a sprawling city and fortified walls outside of this facility must have taken a long time.

  Sayda looks around, clutching her hands together to conceal her nervousness. Hadwin stands next to her, remaining uncharacteristically quiet. As soon as Dehan comes in from the outer door, we follow him to the central elevators. He guides us down two levels and then into the next corridor.

  “Do all the workers have quarters near yours?” Hadwin asks, watching the many workers pass by with a pensive furrow in his brow.

  “No,” Dehan answers. “There’s not enough room. The lower ranking transfers are given quarters in here. Their accommodations have been enlarged from the original layout, but other than that, the rooms are not very different than what you have at home.”

  The workers all wear the same blank uniform. This sad fate is exactly what they believed they were escaping. They got what they deserve, the voice in the back of my mind laughs at them. Being stripped of their Leadership privileges and turned into faceless laborers here is the proper reward for willingly leaving their own people in slavery.

  We pass multiple fortified doors lining the hallway. Dehan swipes his identification on a reader to open one of the doors. Inside we find a nearly empty room, except for the containers inside brought with us in the transport. That should mean no one else will intrude on us in here. Dehan opens one of the containers. For a moment, he simply looks at the contents inside, hesitant to actually touch them. Eventually, he takes out one of the metallic boxes and holds it up for inspection. This particular poison box is the same as the others we retrieved, except there is no lower spout, and the top one fans out into five different directions.

  If my plan works out, the poison boxes Caelum used to hold us hostage will be the very thing to bring them to their knees. However, getting these boxes inside the facility is only the first step. To maximize their effect, we will need to distribute them to key areas around Caelum.

  While Dehan examines the poison boxes, I open a small container resting on the edge of the main pile. Inside is a simple looking cylinder that fits neatly into my hand. The device has a single button on one end, designed by our researchers for one purpose. This is the remote meant to activate the poison boxes. After placing the detonator in my pocket and giving the spare to Hadwin, I help the others stack the containers onto a platform that looks similar to the hand trucks we use in Securus. The obvious difference is this one has no wheels. Dehan watches me with uncertainty while we load the equipment.

  “Are you sure the detonator will only activate these boxes?” he asks.

  I know what concerns him. If we accidentally activated any boxes we failed to find in Securus, or ones from the other facilities, we would not only unleash The Agent on Caelum, but on everyone else as well. That was one particular concern I had Eldin emphasize to the research workers who made this detonator.

  “I’m positive,” I reassure him. “This has a very specific range. The signal can’t reach the boxes in any of the colonies.”

  “Okay, then we should go,” Dehan says.

  He reaches over to grab the handle of the platform we stacked the containers on. As soon as his hand touches it, the platform emits a gentle hum and rises from the floor. Now I understand why there are no visible wheels. I stand behind the handle and push the platform forward. It moves with almost no effort at all. This technology would be immensely useful in Securus, but apparently Caelum does not wish to share their advancements with us.

  “How does this work?” Hadwin asks, already enthralled with the new toy.

  “Some kind of magnetic drive they say,” Dehan says with a shrug. “It’s all too technical for me.”

  “Let’s go Haddie, there’s no time for that now,” Sayda says, nudging him toward the door.

  Even with so many people around, no one seems to notice us on our way to the elevator. I hope it stays that way. When we reach the exit, the same Soldier stands guard, blocking our way.

  “Leaving so soon Dehan?” the Soldier asks when seeing us coming.

  “Yeah, we only came in to check out some equipment,” Dehan says pointing to our cargo. “Now I’m headed to the Patron’s residence to coordinate the repairs.”

  “Don’t let them slack off,” the Soldier replies, now looking at us closely for the first time. As he does, he puts up his hand to stop us. “Wait a second. I don’t think I’ve seen any of you before.”

  “They’re recent advancements from Castellum,” Dehan explains. “That’s why I have to show them around. They’re new, but very good at what they do.”

  “What’s your name?” he asks, pointing at Sayda with his rifle.

  “Abira, sir,” she says.

  “What do you think of this place?” the Soldier asks.

  “It takes some getting used to.”

  “Well, if you need anyone to show you around, let me know. I’d be more than happy to help,” he says with a sleazy smirk.

  The Soldier is lucky. If the circumstances were any different, Sayda would make him regret his advances. Despite the annoyance he causes Sayda, having him focus on her keeps him from paying too much attention to the rest of us or what we are transporting. Though he does seem to notice the irritated look Hadwin fails to suppress. The Soldier makes sure to put his hand on Sayda’s shoulder as we walk by, taunting Hadwin with his growing smirk.

  Now that we have retrieved our poison boxes and made it out of storage, we must expose ourselves to the general population in order to set them up in strategic positions. Hopefully, no one else shows so much interest in any of us when we enter the heart of Caelum.

  Chapter 25

  We go around the edge of the park, heading toward the glass towers. The further we get, the less we see of the laborers’ lifeless exteriors and inconspicuous attire. When more people appear near the end of the park, I tilt my head down. The three of them are tall and statuesque. Unlike the bland uniforms of the laborers, these people have tightly fitted clothing that glows with vibrant colors. At first, I thought the man on the side was Braeden. When risking a second glance, I see that he is not. Maybe I am paranoid, but the man looks very similar to the Controller.

  “Is it just me, or do these people all look like each other?” Hadwin whispers to us. Clearly, I am not the only one who noticed the similarities.

  “That’s not by accident,” Dehan answers. “The upper class natives have been genetically and surgically altering themselves for years in an attempt to obtain their ideal physical image. The amusing part is seeing the futility of their desires. Now that so many of them look alike, the individual flaws they were rebelling against have become more attractive to them, giving the lower class a rise in status.”

  “Classes?” His explanation confuses me. I thought the people of Caelum were united in their cause, only seeing a distinction between themselves and the occupants, as they call us.

  “Yes, over the years I’ve learned their need for superiority even extends to their peers, as they see them,” Dehan says as we walk into the shade of one of the glass towers. “There are two classes amongst the natives of Caelum. The upper class is comprised of the descendants of the initial Leadership elite. The lower class comes from those brought to work for them when the colony was founded.”

  We pass the first building, moving away from the main path to a nar
row walkway. The natives all stick to the main walkways, leaving a few laborers as the only people on this walkway. Apparently, they do not even want us using the same paths as them. The isolation is welcome, but does not make me any less nervous.

  The pitch of our walkway dips, leaving us momentarily surrounded by concrete walls. From what I have learned of these people, this design must have been a deliberate alteration intended to keep us out of view. After a while, we near a central junction in the pathway. Here, the ground slopes upward, allowing us our first view into the city. My jaw drops in awe. In front of us is an open park, much larger than the other one. Throughout the park are multiple pools of water, all containing fountains spouting water skyward. Intricate arrays of flowers blossom all around. The vibrant colors almost seem to jump from the plants directly into the water. All around the park stands more glass towers, somehow reflecting the sun’s light into brilliant patterns on the ground around them. Near the top of the buildings, translucent walkways connect the towers. Instead of traveling in the cramped, dark tunnels of The Caves, these people walk among the clouds in the sky.

  Seeing the extent of Caelum’s self-indulgent excess elicits a visceral disgust that is nearly impossible to hide. Noticing my distracted focus, Dehan nudges me away from the park, turning me around to an area with strikingly different architecture. We head toward a wide building with massive columns lining the front. Another pool of water lies at its steps, holding a statue in its center. The stone man gazes up to the sky, as if held in a moment of inspiration. Considering the features carved into the stone, the statue could easily be a two-story monument of Braeden Karun.

  The sculpture may be imposing, but another feature of the building draws more of my curiosity. The outer walls of the building appear to be pushing out from the metal and concrete barrier around them. It is as if the building itself was being born of the walls of this place. My guess is this was their exact intention. The Seat of Leadership is intimately integrated with all of Caelum in spirit as well as in the actual foundation of the building.

  We reach a split in the walkways. Instead of going up the steps to the main entrance, we head over toward a side entrance designated for the workers. Only Dehan will go inside. He needs to tend to his usual duties within the Leadership palace before anyone notices his absence. Before parting ways with us, he points out the door we are looking for and gives me an access code. The smaller structure attached to the side of the main building is out of view from the main path. Even better, no Soldiers or laborers are around.

  I enter the code and push our cargo inside. Once the door is closed, a weight is released from me. Even the distraction of the beautiful architecture in Caelum has not been enough to relieve the sense of doom following us. Simply walking around in this place reminds me of when we were being chased by predators in the forest. Despite the beauty surrounding us, we have been left in a constant state fear from knowing we could be discovered and killed at any moment. At least in this private area, we get a temporary reprieve.

  “I told you I’m like a ninja,” Hadwin says, looking like he might do a backflip to prove it. “They never saw me coming.”

  Sayda shakes her head and keeps walking toward the machinery set up in the center of the room. I turn off the cargo transporter and survey the sophisticated set up. My mind compares each unit against the image Dehan showed us. Our main target is the one on the left. A gentle hum emanates from the unit as it filters and cools the air distributed into the building.

  “Double-check the boxes. Make sure they’re functional,” I tell Hadwin while getting out my Coden to guide our set up.

  Once we have this secured, The Agent will be released throughout the main building on command, though it will not reach the Patron’s offices. That area has its own separate filtration system. We would never be able to get to it ourselves, so we are counting on Dehan to do so. Since he is already scheduled to be in the Palace, he should be able to set up our box without raising suspicion.

  While Hadwin checks the boxes, Sayda and I open up the outer casing of the unit. We trace each portion until we find the outflow port. This is where we need to connect the spout to effectively bypass their biological filters. Once we are done, we tuck the box inside the unit and put the casing back on. We may have finished here, but there are many more poison boxes to set up. Ready to move on, I activate the platform and push our cargo toward the door.

  The temporary relief this room granted me immediately dissipates when the door opens before we reach it. I freeze in place, knowing we cannot hide. Instead of a Soldier Guard, a man wearing the same blank uniform as us enters. He jumps back when realizing this room is not empty.

  “What are you doing here?” he demands from us while adjusting his hair. “There isn’t any scheduled maintenance right now.”

  The attention he pays to his dark, carefully styled hair rubs me the wrong way. His appearance and demeanor are a little too similar to Aamon. So much so, he could be a relative.

  “There was a malfunction this morning. We already fixed the problem,” I tell him, hoping he will not question us any further since we are not familiar with all of their protocols.

  “Really?” he says with a scoff. “I’m responsible for the maintenance in here. No one mentioned anything about a malfunction to me. You three are up to something. Let’s see what Leadership has to say about this.”

  The man turns back to the door, intending to go straight to Leadership. We cannot let that happen. One box would be useless. We need more time to set the others up before I confront Braeden.

  “Wait,” I say, hoping to change his mind. “Aren’t you tired of Leadership using you as their servant? We have a way to rid ourselves of their tyranny forever. All you have to do is pretend you never saw us.”

  “Leadership treats us well,” the man responds. “I will have no part in your delusional plans. You can plead for mercy in the Detention Center.”

  While he reprimands me, Sayda slowly inches to his side. As soon as his hand reaches for the door, she lunges forward to kick it back closed, blocking his exit. He tries to push her out of the way, but she releases her built up anger into a vicious kick in the soft spot of his abdomen. The man instantly falls to the floor with his head turning a bright shade of red from the pain. His cheeks swell as he tries to hold in his vomit. I walk over and kick him one more time for good measure.

  “Why are you so willing to be their slave?” I demand from the man who now folds over in a fetal position.

  “Because they are the ultimate authority,” he groans when regaining his breath. “There’s no other way. Either we obey them, or we die. I won’t risk my life because of whatever foolish plan you’ve come up with.”

  “What do we do with him?” Sayda asks.

  We all know he cannot be set free. The second he leaves this room, our plans will be unraveled. In reply, I pull out my gun and aim it at him. Hadwin jumps out of the way of my rifle, surprised by my intention. As my finger finds the trigger, Sayda steps in front of me, blocking my shot.

  “Kagen don’t,” she says with a surprisingly soft voice. “I know he deserves it, but we’re better than that. I know what we’ve had to do before in self-defense, but this is different. This time we have a choice. If you kill him, what makes you any better than Braeden?”

  “I don’t care,” I reply. “If we don’t kill him, how many more will die when he reports us? Besides, what do you think will happen to him when we trigger these boxes? He’s dead anyway.”

  “That’s different,” she says. “Once we have all the boxes in place, we have some control. We can give the people a chance to leave Caelum before they’re triggered. Kagen, what would Talia say if she were here right now?”

  My arms tremble as I grip the rifle tightly. The mention of Talia causes an overwhelming mix of emotions to surge within me. All I want to do is set her free. These people have taken her from me and anyone helping them does not deserve any mercy. My jaw clenches as I fight to ste
ady the aim of my rifle. In the end, I do not care what has to be done as long as Talia is freed. But Sayda is right, Talia would not want this.

  “We could tie him up and have Dehan bring him somewhere safe when it gets dark,” Hadwin offers, trying to find another way. “If it’s not safe, then he stays bound until it’s over. At least then we would be leaving a chance for him.”

  “If anyone finds him, this is over,” I remind them both, still not lowering my weapon.

  “Then we make sure he’s well hidden,” Sayda says, pushing the end of my rifle down toward the floor.

  My fear and anger leaves me conflicted. One thought stops me from ignoring them and shooting him anyway. Hadwin and Sayda have repeatedly risked their lives for me. I cannot turn my back on them now.

  We use some of the supplies in our tool kit to bind his arms and legs. After tying an old rag over his mouth, we move the laborer to the back of the room, behind all of the machinery. With him secured in place, he should not be found. Before leaving, I crack the door and peek out to see if anyone more unexpected visitors are around. No one else is visible, so we move on as if nothing happened.

  Since Dehan cannot escort us to our next target, we must rely on the schematics of this place to guide us. We go back to the worker path and attempt to walk with a sense of purpose. Before our view is obscured by the concrete walls, I notice the number of people near the glass towers has increased dramatically. Apparently the majority of natives are late risers. They gather in many small groups, lounging in the sun. Most of them have some sort of food or drink in their hands. Seeing them like this only feeds my anger even more. They sit here, relaxing in a spectacular park, while our people are breaking their backs laboring deep underground. These people truly have no humanity left.

  Once we are back to the original divergent point in this path, we turn toward the towers. They are our next target. Unfortunately, we cannot hope to go unnoticed there even though we will be using a separate worker entrance. As we get closer to the door at the base of the tower, a group of four natives strolls toward us. The two men and two women speak to each other loudly with the same odd accent as Ulan and Braeden. Like the others we saw earlier, their dress is elaborate, colorful, and revealing.