Contrition (The Perception Trilogy)

by Strauss, Lee

  So she’d seen that.

  She rested her hand lightly on mine. “I want a full report when you get back.” She forced a smile, and I forced one back.

  A quarter moon shed enough light to keep me from tripping over my own feet. I spotted Taylor waiting by the mesquite tree.

  Mary and Jabez passed us on their way back to the cave, and I couldn’t miss their confused expressions at spotting Taylor and me walking away together. He and I never hung out alone.

  The borg group was huddled around their tents, their low indiscernible voices reaching us. We didn’t get far before Taylor started in on me.

  “You knew she was a clone all this time?”

  I shrugged, “Yeah.”

  Taylor shook his head. “Finn would’ve had her burned at the stake.”

  I wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not. He was a commune boy… maybe he wanted to harm her now?

  I glowered at him. “If you even touch a hair on her head…”

  “Hey, no. I wouldn’t. It’s just so crazy.” He kicked at the sand. “Did Zoe tell you about me?”

  I blew a raspberry. “Don’t tell me you kissed her again.”

  “No, man. Nothing like that. I’m a GAP, too. Did she say anything to you?”

  My eyelids fluttered wildly as I processed the news. “No, she didn’t.” And why not? “How?”

  “I’m adopted, right? My biological parents believed in the science. They had the procedure done on me before they died.”

  “And Hannah?”

  Taylor shook his head.

  “How long has Zoe known?”

  “Since Christmas. I told her at the factory.”

  I was stunned. Did Zoe not trust me with that information? Maybe she didn’t think it mattered. Maybe it didn’t.

  “What do you know about her cloning?” Taylor asked.

  “Why do you need to know?” I understood his love of knowledge, but it didn’t mean I had to expose Zoe’s medical history to him.

  “Maybe I can help her, but I need to know what I’m dealing with. It’s possible I could print up medication for her, like I do with Rebecca. I need more information.”

  Why hadn’t that occurred to me? I felt a little flicker of hope. “I don’t know a lot,” I began. “Zoe fell into the family pool when she was two and drowned.”

  “Drowned, drowned. Like, died?”

  “Yeah, she died.” I pushed my hair back over my ears. “I know it’s kind of freaky.”

  “So how did her folks get it done? I mean, it’s illegal.”

  “Good ol’ Grandpa Vanderveen.”

  “The Prez.”

  “Yup. He’s a scientist, too, don’t forget.”

  “He developed the process of extending human life through gene manipulation.”

  “He co-developed it.” I didn’t want to get into how Vanderveen and my grandfather, Dr. Matthew Brody had developed the procedure together, so I kept going. “But yeah, he knew people. People who were willing, at the right price, to clone his granddaughter and hush it up.”

  “Mind-blowing.”

  “But like I said, I don’t know much about the science behind it.”

  Taylor wrinkled his brow. “Doesn’t a modified egg have to grow in utero and go through the whole nine-month gestation process?”

  “That’s what I thought, but Zoe told me they can speed the process up now. Way up. What use to take nine months in a biological womb can be highly accelerated in an artificial womb.”

  “So, they grew a new two-year-old Zoe.”

  I nodded, and Taylor whistled.

  “Vanderveen has access to this technology.” It wasn’t a question.

  I responded, “Afraid so.”

  “Cyborgs, humanoids, and clones.” Taylor muttered. “What’s this world coming to?”

  I didn’t know, but right now my only concern was Zoe. “Do you think you can help her?”

  “I’ll talk to Jason. I’d like to know what he’d do if he did have a clinic. She obviously has a heart condition, and I think it’s worse than what Jason let on. Maybe he can help me come up with a prescription. Then we can send Fred for the supplies.”

  She obviously has a heart condition.

  Like Ma. And Ma had died.

  My chest tightened in terror. I couldn’t lose Zoe, too.

  But, she at least would be open to alternative treatments. And we had a plan. Or a plan to make a plan. I felt a tiny bit better.

  But, then Taylor paused and hit me with this. “There’s something else you should probably know.”

  “What?”

  “The cave walls aren’t warming up because it’s almost June. There’s something going on underneath.”

  “Like what?”

  “I’ve been monitoring the subterranean activity for a while, and it’s growing.”

  “What’s growing? Spit it out, man!”

  “We’re sitting on an old volcano. It’s starting to wake up.”

  Chapter 22

  We turned back and Taylor veered right toward the borg camp as I mulled over this latest piece of news. The earth was stirring beneath which meant we had no choice but to leave. The question was where to? And how long did we have?

  I entered the cave and sat beside Zoe.

  She leaned into me, her breath caressing my ear. “I’m scared.”

  “Me, too.” My heart pounded and cool sweat formed on my neck. I pressed my lips to her ear. “Taylor thinks he can print you some meds.”

  I heard her swallow. “What are we going to tell the others?”

  “Let’s stick with dehydration.”

  “You think they’ll buy that?”

  I rubbed my hands against my thighs. “Who cares?”

  Rebecca passed around peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Her eyes softened a little as Zoe reached for one. Rebecca understood illness.

  We thanked her, and I went for water. I poured the last glass and handed it to Zoe.

  “I’m going to refill the water bucket,” I said.

  Jabez lay on a mat with Hannah tucked in close. Her hand rubbed her large belly. She would have that kid soon, and I didn’t know what we’d do when that happened. I was grateful to have a doctor around now.

  I motioned for Jabez to follow me out of the cave. He carefully shifted out from behind Hannah, picked up a second bucket and stepped outside after me.

  “What’s going on, man?” he asked immediately. “Where’d Taylor go?”

  “He’s chatting with the borgs.”

  “About what?”

  I decided to take the focus off Zoe. “We’re sitting on a live volcano.”

  Jabez shuttered to a stop. “Don’t mess with me.”

  “I’m not. Believe me, I wish I was. Taylor’s been monitoring the subterranean activity for some weeks.”

  “And he hasn’t said anything?”

  “There wasn’t any cause for concern before now, I guess.”

  “What’s he want from the borgs?”

  “Maybe they know where we can go from here.”

  Taylor had his arms folded against his chest, his legs braced a foot apart. He was a tough farm boy, but next to the bulky, Hulk-ish, borg guys, he looked like a scrawny kid. Jabez and I approached and they stopped talking.

  “What’s up?” Jabez asked. He rubbed the back of his neck and checked out his bicep. He was built, a fighter, but nothing next to these guys. He cleared his throat and lowered his arm.

  Sly lifted his flattened hand and a four by six holographic screen opened up in mid air. He wasn’t wearing a ComRing. The image originated from the cyborg hardware on his wrist. It was a map of some sort. No matter where you stood in a 365 degree radius, the image was crystal clear, like it was lit up right in front of you.

  Jabez ducked around it, his bucket making smacking noises against his calf. “Cool!”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “This is where we’ll go. There’s a system of abandoned underground mine shafts,” Sly began
. “A hundred and twenty three miles from here west of Phoenix. Far enough away from this baby—” he motioned to the peaks behind us, “—if she blows, but still geographically capable of keeping us off the grid.”

  “Aren’t mine shafts dangerous?” I asked. “Instable? Filled with poisonous gases?”

  “It’s not the Hilton,” Buck quipped, “if that’s what you’re asking?”

  “I’m asking if it’s safe. No point in going if we’re going to be crushed by a collapsing ceiling or choked on gases.”

  “We have equipment that can monitor the air quality,” Sly said. “We’ll stabilize an area large enough to contain this company.”

  I scratched my chin. The hair on my face was itchy and hot. “How do we all get there? Our buggy only carries four, and we’re seven.”

  “We’ll take your extra three,” Sly said. “A hundred miles are a breeze for us to cover with these legs.”

  I didn’t want to trust them and I didn’t want to take orders from them, either, but I was at a loss. We couldn’t stay, and I didn’t have a better plan. “What about Zoe?” I asked.

  Taylor’s eyes cut to Jason’s. “He gave me a formula.”

  “It’s my best guess with not much to go on,” Jason said. “It might not work, but doing nothing…”

  “What will happen if we do nothing?” I pressed.

  Jason shook his head. “She’s in trouble.”

  I cut back to Taylor. “Can you make it?”

  “I have to hack into Fred again, get him to bring supplies.”

  “Do it,” I said. I continued on to the water tunnel, and Jabez followed.

  “What’s wrong with Zoe?” he asked. “I thought she was just dehydrated.”

  “It’s a severe form of dehydration.”

  He shook his head. “But we’re all thirsty. And we don’t need special cocktails made by Taylor Blake.”

  We arrived at the tunnel and I filled my bucket, ignoring his probing. He was soon distracted by the temperature of the water.

  “It’s like a freakin’ bathtub,” he said. “Dude, I’m getting in.”

  Jabez stripped down, which was a signal for me to leave. I expertly carried the full bucket through near darkness, having done this trek a million times. My mind stayed on Zoe and this latest blow. My gut ached with worry, but I had no choice but to hope that Taylor would pull through for us. Again. He was a bloody superhero.

  “I hope you like tea,” I said to the group when I arrived.

  Taylor was back and he raised a brow.

  “It’s hot,” I explained.

  “Why is the water hot?” asked Rebecca

  “You wanna tell them?” Taylor asked.

  I wiped my brow with my arm. The girls were fanning themselves with cardboard from empty food boxes. I ripped off a piece and fanned Zoe.

  Her eyes bore into mine. “Tell us what?”

  I sat beside her. “We’re sitting on a volcano.” I filled them in on the rest of what Taylor had told me.

  “Did I miss anything?” I asked him when I finished.

  “I just checked the tech. It might blow sooner than I first thought.”

  There was a collective groan.

  “What are we going to do, Taylor?” Rebecca’s eyes were bright orbs.

  “We have to leave,” he said.

  Hannah shifted awkwardly. “When?”

  He glanced at me. We had to wait for Fred to return and for Taylor to make up a batch of meds. “We have a few days to prepare,” he said.

  He was wrong.

  By morning, steam from the main peak was shooting into the sky. Our time was up.

  Chapter 23

  “We have to go now!” Sly’s red face was fierce.

  He had bulk on me, but we were the same height. I returned his determined glare with one of my own. “We have to wait for Fred.”

  “The humanoid? What the hell for?”

  “Medical supplies.” Not only did Zoe need drugs fabricated, Hannah would be giving birth soon. We had to be ready for anything.

  His gazed moved from my face to the mountain peak. Mine followed and rested on the steam puffing out like a big kettle. Sly was right; we had to leave. It wouldn’t be long before the science community arrived, along with members of the media.

  Sly’s jaw tightened. “We’re leaving tonight, with or without you.”

  I conceded and headed back to the cave. “Let’s pack up,” I directed. “Jabez and Mary, can you remove the sand out of the buggy? Rebecca and Hannah, pack up the food and blankets. Taylor, you’re in charge of tech, and I’ll get water.”

  “I can do something,” Zoe said. Her eyes were tired, but she stood in front of me with hands on her hips. “I’m not made of glass.”

  “Okay, you can help Jabez and Mary.” I followed Taylor into the tech cave. “There’s not much I can pack up if you want meds printed before we go,” he said.

  “How long until Fred gets here?”

  Taylor tossed me an exasperated look. “It’s the middle of the day, man. He’s a machine. He’s not invisible.”

  Last time Fred had come in the night. It was one of the security requirements. My pushing for Fred to come now was creating extra risk for everyone.

  “Can you reprogram him to meet us at the mineshafts?”

  Taylor nodded. “I can get the coordinates from Sly.”

  I sighed. “Let’s do that, then. Start packing.” My heart sank as Taylor began to dismantle everything. It meant getting medication into Zoe’s system would be put off by at least two days. I wanted them in her system now.

  I carried jugs to the water tunnel two at a time. We’d acquired six four-gallon plastic jugs with lids over the various trips we’d made to Tucson. Even if the water was warm, it was wet. My arms bulged with the weight of them as I trekked back. I stopped where Jabez, Mary and Zoe were cleaning off the buggy and set the jugs down. They used clean empty tin cans to dig out the sand and wiped it down with old rags—personal clothing items no longer fit to wear. Jabez was underneath, scrubbing off the axle with bare hands.

  My eyes went to Zoe. “I’m fine,” she said before I could ask her.

  I scanned the sky, half expecting the grayness to fill with media helicopters. The steam produced enough ash that had been caught in condensation and created a cloud blanket.

  Mary followed my gaze. “I’m wondering where everyone is, too. They must know about this.”

  “I’m sure they do,” I agreed. “They just want to control when the news gets out. I expect the dome cities will panic when they hear. Not sure how dense ash clouds will mesh with their sensitive air ventilating and cooling systems. Not to mention the weight of built up ash on the dome. If they shut down…” I imagined Tucson in chaos.

  “Even Vanderveen can’t control a volcano,” Jabez said.

  Zoe scoffed. “I’m sure he’s trying.”

  The sensors were still hidden away on the peaks, and I had no choice but to climb and collect them. I tied a damp towel on my head before leaving in a lame attempt to stay cool. It dried out in a matter of minutes. My pulse quickened as I scanned the ragged surface. Taylor was the one to set them up in the first place, so I wasn’t exactly sure where they were. He was busy packing up the tech gear, so the task landed on me. I gathered them one by one, sweat drenching my body, my neck cranked as I searched.

  I couldn’t find the last one. Where is it? I traced the trail along the ridge, looking out to the dry plain where the cyborg camp had trained not long ago. Ash began to fall like gray flakes of snow. I covered my mouth with the neck of my T-shirt.

  I didn’t want to leave it behind for Vanderveen’s troops to find, but I couldn’t stay any longer. I turned and stubbed my toe on something jutting out of the ground.

  The last sensor. Relieved I pulled it out, added it to my bag with the others, and headed back down.

  We had to take a break in the heat of the day. Even the borgs were in danger. Their metal components got hot enough to fry chic
ken—or should I say snake—on. I took the opportunity for one last dip in the water hole, ridding myself of the sweat and stench caused by my hike.

  I found Taylor sitting with Zoe on the stone outside the entrance. His back was turned to me, blocking my view of her, so they didn’t know I could hear them talking.

  “So, you and Noah?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “What happened? I thought he was all ‘no-GAP girl for me?’”

  I wanted to drop him already, but curiosity kept me quiet.

  “I guess he had a change of heart.”

  “Until next time. You know I’ll always be here for you, right? Can Noah say the same?”

  I cleared my throat. Taylor spun toward me, and I could tell by the shock on his face that he knew I’d heard him. His expression quickly grew smug. “You know I’m right.” He stood and squeezed Zoe’s shoulder before disappearing into the cave.

  I sat down in his place and entwined my fingers with Zoe’s. “I don’t blame you for doubting me,” I began. “But I’m all in now.” I looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you. If I could marry you, I would—for better and for worse, all of it.”

  “Even if I forget you again?”

  That would definitely be for worse, but I nodded. “Even if you forget me again. I know now that you love me and that love will always be in you, even if you can’t find it for some reason.”

  “Well—” she smiled sadly, “—it doesn’t look like I’ll outlive you anymore. That makes me more like you than Taylor now.”

  My gut knotted when she said that. “I want you to outlive me, Zoe. You must do that. We’ll make sure it happens.”

  She squeezed my hand, but her expression remained solemn. I didn’t think she believed it.

  By dusk we were ready to go, the buggy and ATV packed up. Taylor, Hannah, and Rebecca rode in the ATV with Sly driving. Jabez drove the buggy with Mary in the passenger seat, and I sat in the back next to Zoe. She leaned her head on my shoulder, and I kissed her damp forehead. I turned and watched as the dust blew in waves behind us. Lebron, Buck, and Jason jogged along after us, looking like magnificent silhouettes in the pinkish-orange glow of sunset. I couldn’t help but stare back at them in awe. Their cyborg legs easily kept up with the ATV and buggy.