by Aaron Denius
“What are you two doing?” It's a thin and short scientist. She looks familiar, but I am having trouble placing her.
Both 13 and I stand at attention, doing our best to represent ourselves as drones. I respond, “We were patrolling the exterior, and we came to investigate a noise.”
The woman looks around us to check the validity of our statement. I hope beyond anything that she doesn't catch a glimpse of KJ, but I can't move to block her view or do something that would be uncharacteristic of a drone. The way everyone keeps showing up unannounced, I half expect Paz and Farouk to turn the corner. I know that it will look very suspicious if they do, so I need to get 13 and myself away from here.
“May we continue on our patrol?” 13 speaks for me. He must have been thinking the same thing.
The scientist is caught by surprise at his question, and after looking us over again, she turns and walks away. “I'm going to check the register to see if you are supposed to be out here.”
I look at 13. “There's a register?”
“No. She's trying to get the upper hand.” He walks off in the opposite direction. “I've been seeing her around a lot lately. It almost feels like she's been following me.”
I hustle to catch up. “Why would she be following you?”
“I don't know. Maybe she’s seen me talking to Farouk or Paz.” He shrugs. We walk a few hundred feet, crawling over the occasional pile of rubble. Then we see two indistinguishable silhouettes ahead. No other person I have encountered in my life comes close to the amount of space Farouk occupies, so it’s pretty easy to identify him.
They spot us as well, and Farouk meets up with us first. “Who was that you were talking to?”
I almost say KJ, but realize he means the scientist. “It was a scientist. She was asking us what we were doing.”
“What did she look like?” Farouk asks.
“Her hair looked like rope,” 13 answers.
“That was Erin,” Farouk responds, to Paz more than to us.
“She was on the Fly with us, 80.” Paz joins the rest of the group.
Now I know why she looked so familiar. She was so quiet on the flight here from Egypt that I forgot she was there. I decide to relay what 13 said. “13 says that she's been following him around.”
“I've noticed that as well,” Paz adds as she reaches for Farouk's hand.
“Let's discuss this later.” Farouk's patience has run out.
“Right,” Paz says. “If she's already been out this way, we shouldn't be greedy with our time.”
I'm about to speak when Farouk's look shuts me up. Paz has pulled out six vials filled with a translucent liquid. The vials clink against each other in her hands. The sound is clean, and unlike anything I've heard before.
She holds them up to our eyes. “This is a fun little mixture that will induce a coma in whoever drinks it. They will remain in that state until an electric jolt pulls them out. This is how you turn the drones.”
“We can use the prods that we shock the outsiders with,” I jump in to tell 13.
Paz gives us a disgusted look, reeling at the inhumanity of what we do to the outsiders, but we all know it's the only way to get most to cooperate.
“You have to be discreet,” Farouk interjects.
“Yes,” Paz continues. “Whoever ingests it will seize violently and go into a cataleptic shock.”
“What does that mean?” 13 asks what I was thinking.
Paz takes a deep breath. “Their body will shake a lot, and they will struggle to breathe. It's all a reaction to their heart slowing down. Then everything in their body will stop. They will appear and feel dead.”
“You guys can discuss this later.” Farouk scans the surrounding area. His nerves are getting the better of him. “Take these. Find a safe area where you can take a couple of drones to turn. A room you can lock or close off. Once you got two in there, go see Paz in her office for further instruction.”
I look at 13. He has the same dumbfounded look on his face that I have on mine. What Farouk and Paz explained seems so farfetched, I'm not sure it will make things easier. How am I supposed to find this room? How will we be able to get drones out there without anyone noticing what we are up to?
“Be careful with these. They can break.” Paz passes the vials to me. They are so light and fragile in my hands. I'm afraid that if I grip them too tight, they might snap under pressure.
“I had her put them in glass in case you get caught. Do not let these get into the hands of anyone else. If you sense danger, you drop them. They will shatter and spill the contents.”
Farouk looks us over to ensure that we were paying attention.
“But please, try not to. They are hundreds of years old and mean a lot to me.” She gives us an uneasy smile.
Farouk puts his arm around Paz and leads her away. “Be smart, you two, but work fast.”
13 and I don't respond. We don't even watch them walk off. The vials transfix us; they shimmer when I hold them up to the dim lights of the stadium. I'm awed by the casing itself. Glass is not a material you see much of, at least not in such a clean state. The shape is also so beautiful. The long, thin bowl looks like it took hours to craft.
“I'll take these and hide them in my room.” I break the silence. “Tomorrow, I will look for a place we can take the drones for the turn. You try to figure out how we can separate two drones from the others to be able to do this.”
“That's easy. I'll tell two to go wherever we need to. I'm still their superior. They have to listen to me.” 13 smiles at me.
I laugh. I forgot about 13 being so high-ranking here. I salute him. “Well, excuse me, sir.”
He joins in on the laughter, and we make our way back to the stadium. “What I'll do is keep an eye out to try to make sure that no one is catching on to what we are doing. I'll make sure that the drones report to me first and let me know of anyone trying to undermine my authority over them.”
I look at 13 as we reach the corridors, where we’ll continue on our separate ways. “Yes, definitely do that.”
“Perfect. Let me know what you find tomorrow so we can get started.” He walks off toward his part of the stadium.
The first thing I do when I enter my room is look for a place to hide the vials. I don't think anyone comes in here while I'm gone, but I can't risk it. I search around for a few minutes and finally find a perfect spot. The bed frame has a gap at the corners right below the mat. I grab a pair of my socks and wrap the vials before placing them in the gap. I'm hoping they won't have to be there for long.
I shed my clothes and climb into the bed to rest. The pace of life has been quickening lately, and I need more rest to keep up. Tomorrow I will head to the city early. I'll try to spot KJ before she makes it to the assembly line, and she can help me out. She knows the city better than I do and will make the search much more fun and efficient. I'll have to remember to bring her some pouches so that she doesn't feel like she missed out.
My eyes grow heavy, and I fall deep into the darkness of sleep. The bed swallows me up, and the last thing I experience before succumbing to the abyss is my body relinquishing control over its functions. Soon after, flames burn strong before my eyes.
I check my surroundings and am encircled by fire. Everything is burning. Buildings, rubble, people. All of it charred to its core, or soon will be. The thunderous sound of the fire overwhelms the screams. I run. Not sure where to, but I run. Though it feels like I'm running deeper into the fire, I stop when I realize that I'm not getting burned. I check my body, and when I look down at my arms, my heart drops. Both of my hands are holding torches. I look back up, and the scorched bodies of all the people in the city run at me.
The fear wakes me, and sweat covers my body. My hands are clutching something, and when I look at them, I see a vial in each hand. This scares me more than the dream, and I almost throw them across the room. I could have sworn I hid them under the bed last night. I sit up and see the socks that I wrapped them in,
now on the floor. I must have grabbed them in the middle of the night while I was dreaming. I need to make sure we move fast on this mission before I break these. Either that or secure them better.
I bundle the vials back up in the socks and place them in the same place. As long as I'm awake, I know I won't touch them. I stumble into the bathroom, intent on the hot water washing me clean of my dream. As the first few drops hit me, it dawns on me. The place in my dreams that was aflame was not the city outside of this stadium. It was the compound back in Egypt. I set it on fire. I destroyed everything. I stopped the Ragnarok!
The smile that graces my face strains the muscles in my cheeks. This dream. This vision. It's my purpose. It's why I am cleansing myself of who I was. I will bring the Ragnarok to a stop. I will burn Egypt to the ground.
I scream at the top of my lungs. The adrenaline has taken over, and all the rage I've built up releases in a single, primal burst. No more time can be wasted, so I end my shower sooner than I planned. The primordial scream is cleansing me better than anything else could. My body is still wet when I put my clothes on, but that is the least of my concerns now. I step into the hallway and am startled by the small congregation of scientists gathered outside my door. Their eyes accost me, and I know it's because they heard me yell. One of them, a tall, darker-skinned man with fabric wrapped around the top of his head, approaches me.
“Are you okay?” His delivery is direct, but there is compassion in his eyes.
I remember that I'm still supposed to pass as a drone, so I straighten my posture. “Yes, sir. The water in the shower was cold and scared me. Sir.”
The man looks me over and laughs. This prompts the other scientists to laugh. “Oh, we've all been there, haven't we?”
Most of the other scientists agree, with various gestures and head nods. They are enjoying themselves a little too much for what I confessed. The man leans in closer to me and whispers, “That was a good save, but you need to be more careful. You won't always have allies around you.”
I smile as he pats me on the back and leads the scientists down the hallway. It's not until the echoes of their steps disappear that I finally make my way through the corridors and out of the stadium. I've noticed that the more I walk with a purpose, the less people pay attention to me and question my being there.
The bright sun smacks my face and warms it the way the fires should have in my dream. When my eyes adjust, I notice that many outsiders are making their way toward the stadium. They are gearing up for another day of long, thankless work in hopes of collecting some protein pouch rations. Watching them makes me realize that I forgot to grab a few pouches for KJ. I will have to make it up to her, but more pressing things need to be addressed today.
I hustle in the direction of the crowd and weave myself a little deeper into the city, hoping I didn't already miss her. I make sure that I'm far enough away that a drone won't spot me. I place myself on a mound so that I can scan the horde. I yell at anyone who looks up at me, trying to maintain an official look.
“Are you an idiot?” a familiar voice speaks up behind me. I turn to see KJ's eyes repeating the sentiment. “People have seen us together. They know you are looking for me. Do you want to get us both in trouble?”
She's right. It was pretty reckless of me, but I was desperate to make sure I saw her. I climb down from the mound. “Sorry. I needed to see you.”
“This couldn't have waited until later, when we could have been a little more discreet?” She smiles through her words.
“No. And does it matter now?” I grab her hand and take her away from where we'd be too exposed.
Her hand holds tighter. “I guess not. What is this about?”
“I need your help.” I smile. The warmth of her hand in mine calms me. Her fingers are as delicate as a breeze. “Do you know a place where we would be able to barricade a couple of drones for a day or two?”
She looks up at me, her eyes questioning my motives, but she increases her pace and starts leading me. “Do I want to know why you need this place?”
“We are trying to turn as many drones as we can—to build an army that will help us stop the Ragnarok.”
My nonchalance has her perplexed. “I didn't understand any of that. Do you mean for the end that you were talking about at dinner?”
“Yes.” Looking around, we have entered a part of the city filled with smaller buildings, each with about two or three floors. What stands out the most is how clean the area is compared to the rest of the city. “Do people live out here? It's much nicer than the other areas.”
KJ walks us to the door of one of the buildings. “Not really. The water here and in the surrounding areas is so polluted that it was making people sick, so they moved closer to fresher water.”
“Oh.” I look up at the building before us. “Is this it?”
“Yes.” She walks in. I follow close behind. “When I was younger, I used to come to this area with Jean. Mom had to stay at home with Pocket because she was a baby. So Jean and I would run here and pretend we were the rulers of this part of the city. It would almost always end in an argument between us, and I would lock her in a room until she agreed I was the ruler. I don't know why she kept wanting to come back here.”
I try to picture a younger KJ playing here, and it makes me laugh. “Sounds like a fun game.”
“It was for me.” KJ laughs with me.
We walk halfway down a corridor and then take a set of stairs to the third floor. At the top, she enters the first door on the right. It's a large room, with smaller ones off to the sides. The interior of every room is empty except for the skin of dust that covers every surface.
“These used to be apartments when people lived here.” She walks up to an open door with a bathroom on the other side. Her hand grabs the handle. “The previous tenants put this knob on the door backward. Get in.”
I do as she says, and she closes the door behind me. With a click, I know she has locked the door. The room is small and crowded with the shower, toilet, and sink, but it should still hold two drones without a problem.
“Try to get out,” she yells from the other side of the door.
My hand grabs the handle, and I twist as hard as I can. The knob won't budge. My hand slips over it. I try to force the door open with my weight and then slam into it, but it remains steadfast. “This room is perfect. Okay, let me out.”
“No,” she snaps back.
This catches me off guard. “What?”
“Do you like me?” KJ whispers through the door.
“What?” I heard what she said, but I'm not sure what she means.
“Do. You. Like. Me?” She emphasizes every word.
I'm still not sure why she's asking me this. “Yes. Of course.”
She unlocks the door, and when I open it, she lunges at me, wrapping her arms around my body and pressing her lips on mine. My body melts to my feet. I'm still standing tall, but any structural integrity in my body has been replaced by a warm air that wants to lift me off the ground. I put my arms around her and kiss her back. The moment is both quick and slow, and all my senses heighten. I hear her breathing. I smell her hair.
When she pulls away, her eyes lock with mine. Her smile is the biggest I've seen, and mine matches. “So, what did you mean about turning drones?”
Wait. Why did she change the subject? I want to talk about what happened. I want to do more of it. I sigh. “Have I told you what happened to my eye?”
“No. I thought it would be rude to ask.” She grabs my hand and pulls me to a set of window doors. Opening them, she steps outside to the balcony. She sits, and I sit beside her. KJ keeps my hand in hers and places her head on my shoulder. “Tell me.”
I put my other arm around her shoulder and start in, “I was shot while protecting the main Genesys, Atom. Under normal circumstances, I would have been killed immediately after, because I was no longer useful. Atom, however, is very compassionate. He protected me and made sure I recovered. It was thi
s near-death moment and the subsequent recovery that opened my eyes to the world. I saw the fear, and I saw the suffering. Then I felt the fear and the suffering. I was no longer a drone, set on doing what I was told and serving only one function. I became more than that. I became complex. I turned. I became human.”
“And this is what you are trying to do for the other drones? You want to liberate them?” she asks.
“Exactly.” I pull her closer. “Not just for their sake, but everyone else's too. Hundreds of drones guard the main compound in Egypt. For us to have a fighting chance to try to stop the Ragnarok, we need to turn as many as we can.”
“I'm glad you turned.” She kisses me on the cheek.
I kiss her on top of her head. Her soft hair caresses my lips. “Me too.”
I know I should be getting back to the compound to tell 13 that I found a spot, but I don't want to leave where I am. I don't want to abandon the company or the feelings I have right now. For the first time in my life, I have a sense of belonging. I am home.
CHAPTER VIII
KJ's urgent whisper wakes me up. “80. There are people down there.”
My eyes blink to try to clear the haze. The clouds have come lower, and the remaining glow of the sun is fading fast. I don't know how long we were asleep, but we spent a large part of the day curled up on this floor. The chatter from the people on the ground brings my attention down to them.
I peer over the edge and see about a half-dozen drones patrolling the area through the fast-setting fog. I'm not sure if they are on a standard patrol or if they are looking for me. Either way, I need to make sure we get out of here unseen.
“What do we do?” KJ asks with a quiver in her voice.
“Follow me.” I squeeze her hand to reassure her.
We make our way back down to the first floor and head in the opposite direction from the door we came in. I saw a second door at the end of the corridor earlier, so I know it will take us away from the open area at the front of the building. I inch the door open, looking for signs of trouble. The fog has set enough now that I can't see beyond forty to fifty feet. This is both good and bad. They can't spot us from far, but we also can't spot them.