by Aaron Denius
There is no negotiating with him. I know how he operates, and what is going through his mind. That used to be me. It pains me to think that I was so calculated and cold. He will kill them both if I don't comply.
“Okay. Just don't hurt them. They did nothing wrong.” My grip on 13 gets looser. I'm about to release him when a deafening bang and loud screams force me to retighten my grip. I look to KJ and Pocket. They are both in a panic. Pocket is screaming her head off. Between them, the drone falls to the ground. Blood soaks his back. Behind him, Martha stands stone still with 13's gun in her hands.
“Take Pocket away!” she yells at her KJ. Her daughter does as she's told and pulls Pocket back into the room behind their mother. Martha walks toward me with the gun trained on 13; his breathing barely registers, and he has stopped struggling.
“Don't,” I plead with her. “He's an Alpha. Senior-level. If he goes missing, they'll come looking for him. They will kill all of you and anyone else around here.”
She puts the gun down. “I want you gone. Do not come back. Do not see my daughter. Or I will use this on you.”
I know better than to contest. KJ stands behind her, face visible over her mother's shoulder. I look toward her, apologizing with my eyes. Her smile gives me comfort. She understands.
13 is motionless. I check his vitals to make sure he's still alive. His breath and heartbeat are faint, but they are still there. I want to apologize to Martha, but her furrowed brow tells me it will fall on deaf ears.
“What about the other drone?” I gesture toward the lifeless body in the ground. The blood has stopped spreading and has begun to cake.
“We will toss it over the walls to the Cabras,” she replies as though she has done that many times before. Perhaps she has. That makes chills run up the nape of my neck. It’s so savage.
“Okay,” Is all I can muster. I grab 13 by his arms and drag him out of the house.
The streets are empty and dark. The air is cool and causes me to shiver from time to time. I welcome it since I don't want to be spotted dragging 13, and the crisp air keeps my body from overheating. After a couple of miles and what seems like an eternity, the stadium rises before me.
I drop 13 outside the massive structure and weave my way to my bedroom. The few scientists I pass are too deep into their thoughts to even notice.
My body can already feel the soft embrace of the bed before I open my door. I slide under the covers, and my body falls into deep, comfortable rest. My mind stays awake long enough to conclude that I will do whatever I can to stop the Ragnarok. After everything Martha told me at dinner, I have a responsibility to fight for those who can't.
CHAPTER VI
The thump I hear is so quiet that it takes me a few moments to realize that it's coming from my door. Against my body's plea, I force myself out of my bed and stumble to the door.
As soon as I turn the knob, the door flies open, and 13 pushes his way through. He closes the door behind him.
The little sleep that was lingering in my head flushes out. I am aware and ready for the barrage I've undoubtedly earned. Stepping back to create some distance, I bring my fists up for defense. I don't have it in me to fight, but I can at least try to protect myself.
“What happened last night?” 13 says with mild confusion as he sits on my bed.
I'm stunned. “What do you mean?”
“I woke up outside of the stadium. I remember tracking you with 886 to a small house. The rest is a bit of a blur.” He looks at me, and I can see that he is as lost as I am. The look in his eyes is much different than in previous days. A depth that wasn't there before.
“886 must have turned on you. I found him choking you, so I shot him.” I take a stab in the dark with this lie. I want to protect KJ's family, so I hope he accepts this as gospel.
“Really?” He looks at me. “I feel different. Like my inside is both burning and cold.”
I immediately recognize that feeling. It's what I felt after I was shot. After I came face to face with death. He's turning. Just like I did. I must have choked him to the brink.
That must be how we turn. That's how we'll turn others. We need to get them close to death. Get them to understand what life is. 13 will be a tremendous ally in this. I can't wait to tell Farouk, but first, I have to get 13 to understand what's happening.
“That sensation you feel won't go away. It will get stronger. It will make you question everything. It will make you question yourself, your purpose.” I tread as lightly as I can with my answer, keeping it broad because revealing too much will confuse him more. He needs to find his way through it himself, as I did.
“It's like my head won't turn off.” He stands. “I'm drowning with questions and information.”
“I went through the same thing after I was shot. Be patient.” I place my hand on his shoulder. The simple fact that he lets me informs me that our roles have changed. He will answer to me as long as I help him through this.
“Okay.” He looks at me.
“Don't tell anyone about this. They won't understand. You also have to do your best to act the same. If anyone sees you behaving out of character, they will kill you.” I'm grateful 13 was the first to change. His experience and seniority will help us, as all the other drones respond to him. There aren't many people that keep an eye on him.
13 steps to the door. He composes himself and puts on his best impression of his former self.
“Let's meet at midnight tonight. Same place you woke up this morning. I'll answer any questions you have and explain more.” I know that by then, his senses will have experienced a broader spectrum. He will understand more of what I have to say and what is happening to him.
As he walks down the hallway, I take notice of how barren it is. The scientists must all still be asleep, which means Farouk is too. He never showed me where his room was, so I don't know where to find him. I can't wait around until the next time he decides to talk to me. I have to let him know.
Above the door, I see what looks like writing above the arch at the end of the hallway. I grab the metal table leg and make my way to the arch. After checking to make sure I am alone, I take the table leg and find a blank space to carve my message. Next to the spot I chose are some faded letters that must have been painted centuries ago. The wall has crumbled around most of them, but I can make out the words OME LOC.
I stare at them for a moment, wishing I could read. It frustrates me, but I also don't have time to try to decipher the words anyway. All I know is that with Farouk's height, he would be one of a select few that could see a message if I left him one. I need to be careful and make sure that I leave only something he would understand.
First, I scratch an image of a round eye. Next to that, I carve out a big round chunk to represent my eye patch. My hands hurt from all they’ve already been through, but I finish. I look at my work and am pleased with the result.
Footsteps snap me out of my pride, and my heart skips. I can hear the echoes coming from the end of the long hallway, and I know that they will be turning the corner any second. I wipe up the bit of blood I got on the wall with my clean hand and rush back to my room. I'm gentle with the door, not making a sound as I close it. Now I wait and hope that Farouk sees it soon.
The sound of a thunderous pounding at my door jolts me awake. I open it, and Farouk pushes me against the wall.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he yells at me through a whisper. His strength is countless times more than mine, and fighting back would be futile on my part. I remain quiet, making sure my feet are firm underneath me until he eases up. He searches for confrontation in my eyes, but he won't find any. I hold my ground, trying hard to hold in any sign of pain that his weight is causing against my chest. Frustrated, he lets me go and shuts the door.
“I had to get your attention,” I rationalize.
“Well, unfortunately, I wasn't the only one to see it. Director Lucie saw it and immediately knew it was about you.” The disappointment in his
eyes is crushing. He gave me a chance, and I wasn't careful.
“I'm sorry.” I mean it.
“It's fine for now. I convinced her that other drones must have done it to ostracize you for being different,” he explains. “But you need to be careful, because if she decides on something, I have to go along with it. What I'm doing is far too important to blow my cover.”
“I understand.” My mind dives into a pit of curiosity. What is he working on?
“She asked me to move you to the other side of the stadium to be housed with the drones. I convinced her otherwise, but I won't be able to do it a second time.”
The drones. I remember why I called him here in the first place. “I know how to turn the drones. How to wake them like me.”
“Spill it.” He folds his arms and leans against the door.
“They have to come back from the grasp of death.” I make it sound too easy. It won't be.
“Care to elaborate?” A smirk graces his face.
“I was out in the city when KJ saved me and took me to see her family. 13 found us and threatened to kill everyone. I got him into a chokehold and brought him to within his last remaining breaths before dragging him back to the compound.” I speak so fast that I don't realize the gravity of what I said.
The anger in Farouk's eyes could set fire to the world. The fact that his body and voice stay calm as he approaches me scares me more than anything. “You do realize that you have put this entire operation in danger by being so reckless. I don't care how or why you went out to the city, but you will not do it again. I don't care who this KJ person is to you; you will not see them again. We have a better chance of succeeding with you, especially since we now know how to turn more drones to our cause. But, if you continue to be this careless, we will succeed without you.”
I understand what he means. I am replaceable, more so now that I told him that 13 has been woken and how it is done.
He stares at me for a long, silent, and tense moment. He's making sure that I have registered what he was implying.
“I understand,” I whimper. My relationship with him is one I'm not sure I will ever understand. Am I just a cog in the machine he's building? Does he care for me at all, or am I still a drone to him, meant to follow his orders instead?
Satisfied with my answer, he opens the door. “I want you to steer clear of anyone today. Stay in here and work on a plan to turn more drones. You need to do better at keeping a low profile.”
“Okay.” I feel so small. The anger is easy to deal with, but his disappointment in me is what tightens my chest.
Farouk smiles at me and walks out.
I fall back onto the bed. An excruciating amount of different thoughts speed through my mind. It becomes so intense that all I see is a white blur. It's not long before the weight of my eyes sinks me into the darkness of sleep.
I'm standing alone in the middle of an open field. Not far from me is the older man and little girl I saw from the Fly on the way here. The girl looks different from the one I saw, though. Though it doesn’t look exactly like her, I know it is Pocket. I walk toward them, but a flash blinds me, followed by a deafening boom before I reach them. When my sight returns, I'm surrounded by nothing and everything at once. It's a massive white void, endless in all directions, yet it's so thick and dense that I can feel the pressure crushing my body.
My eyes shoot open, and my breathing deepens. Sweat drenches my body. These sleep visions have been an unfortunate side effect of becoming more self-aware.
I crawl out of bed, feeling sluggish and sore. Everything I have put my body through is catching up with me. A shower sounds like the most blissful thing in the world right now. I head to the bathroom and stand under the cascading water until my legs get tired of holding me up. The calming effect of the water allows me to think with more clarity. I'll meet 13 tonight and explain everything to him like I said I would, but then I'll return here and work on a plan.
The comfort of the bed is enticing me back, but my stomach betrays me. I haven't eaten all day, not since the chicken that KJ made for me last night. I hate myself for putting her family in danger. I hope she can forgive me.
The harder I try to ignore my hunger, the worse it gets. I search my room, but I must have eaten all the pouches, because I can't find any. Frustrated, I put on my shoes and head down the hallways in search of food. I haven't wandered through the stadium's depths, but the corridors seem like a maze designed by a madman.
The few scientists glance at me as I pass, recognizing that I am entirely out of place. I don't think this is what Farouk meant when he said to keep a low profile. Fortunately, the scientists are too preoccupied with their own business, so they don't stop me.
The scientists here are not at all like the ones back at the compound with Atom. They are a lot more relaxed here. I don't see why Farouk is so worried.
“Drone!” a woman's voice shouts behind me.
I turn and see Lucie, the director of this compound, ambling toward me. My hands clam up, and my body straightens. A pain pushes against my chest, and I realize that I'm holding my breath. I let out a long burst of air as she steps up to me.
“What are you doing over here?” she demands.
My nerves are getting the better of me, and I feel uncomfortable in my own body. I'm unsure of how much I'm coming off as a drone. She must know I'm different, that I've changed. I hope she'll appreciate honesty. “I ran out of food and was looking for more.”
“You should be getting it where every other drone does. I don't know what plans Farouk has for you, and I don't care. Your fate will be the same as all the others. It's a little late for science experiments, as far as I'm concerned.” She grabs my face. “It's a pity. You're a fine specimen. I would have loved to have done some tests.”
I know I shouldn't be shocked by how people look at me and treat me, but it still hurts to see the amount of disdain they have. How they completely disregard the value of my life. They don't look at the drones as people. I'm just an outright abomination.
All I want to do is scream at her, but I remain silent. The less I talk, the smaller the chance I have of getting in trouble. She inspects my body and then looks into my eye. She reaches for my eye patch, and I recoil backward. My instinctual reflex got the better of me, and I know it won't end well. Her angry stare tells me that if I flinch again, she might end my life here. She has the power to do it, and no one would think twice, because I am still nothing more than a drone to them.
She reaches for my face once more, and I remain still. The cool air that hits the fused skin where my eye once was causes me to shiver. I don't remove my patch unless I'm in the shower, so it's rare to have that part of my face exposed.
“What happened?” A hint of compassion laces her otherwise threatening voice.
I give in. I'm cornered, and I'm not willing to risk being caught in a lie. “I was hit by a bullet while protecting Atom. Outsiders had attacked and—”
“You've met Atom?” Her jealousy is not subtle.
“We became friends.” I dig in. I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to amplify that jealousy, though I'm sure I'll regret it.
The hair on my body stands at attention. The heat radiating from Lucie's eyes pierces me as the jealousy turns to rage. Someone at the main compound must have scorned her. Perhaps Dr. Anfang himself. Lucie carries a lot of resentment and seems intent on taking it out on me.
“I don't like you, drone.” She steps closer, stopping her face right against mine. A hair wouldn't be able to pass between our noses. “I'll be watching you.”
Those last words hit hard. It's what Farouk told me to avoid. The silence that hovers over us feels heavy enough to push me to the ground. Though I'm much bigger than she is, it's like I'm shrinking in front of her.
“Hey, you two.” That soft-spoken phrase could have been a scream as far as I'm concerned. My heart jumps to my throat as the break in the silence startles me. The sudden noise also shakes Lucie.
&nbs
p; We turn and see a towering lady approach us. It's Farouk's friend Paz. I remember meeting her in the Fly that brought us out here. It's hard to forget someone with such an imposing presence. She and Farouk seemed destined to pair up.
Lucie's aggressiveness fades into a more tepid demeanor. As small as she is compared to me, it looks more absurd when she is next to Paz. “I sent you the staff assessment reports you requested. And this is perfect! I was looking for 80. I'd like to evaluate him as well. If that's alright with you.”
Lucie’s mind toys with various decisions. “Yes. Do a full diagnostic. Run a compliance report and assess whether he is a threat to this compound and our progress. I'm not sure Farouk has made the best decision in bringing this atrocity here. We are days away from finishing our work, and I don't want anything getting in the way. There are a lot of us here that would like to go back to Egypt.”
I am, without a doubt, going to disrupt the progress. If she only knew. The way she talks, as if I were nothing more than a piece of forgotten trash, makes my resolve to ruin what she's built even stronger. Even Paz seems offended by Lucie's disgust toward me.
I know that I'm unique, a bizarre accident built on a circumstance. I shouldn't exist, but here I am, existing more than ever before because I saved the life of the messiah. I've molted my old skin and am anew. I am woke. I am aware, unlike the thousands of other drones here and at the compound in Egypt. I am aware that I'm aware. I'm not a drone, or a piece of forgotten trash. I am 80. And I will disrupt everything.
“80.” Paz touches my shoulder. It snaps me out of my building rage. “You okay?”
I look around, and I can't spot Lucie anywhere. How long was I zoned out? “Yes, sorry.”
“Good. Come with me.” She lumbers down the labyrinth of hallways, and I follow close behind. The layout of this structure is many times more intricate than the main compound. Some of the hallways here don't even look like they were part of the original building.
“Can we get food?” Now that I'm alone with Paz, I am much more at ease. Her presence is very welcoming and warm.