by Aaron Denius
“We don't got enough weapons and ammo.” The old outsider turns to walk with me.
“I'll send Brianna or some Integers like me out here with some munitions.” I pick up the pace of my step. “You can tell it's them because their hair is different, and they have a burn mark on their necks.”
The outsider stops and salutes me. I nod in his direction and increase my pace to a jog. My stomach rumbles, and I realize that I've been so busy that I have forgotten to eat. I want to get back to the barracks to grab some protein pouches and start to strategize.
I reach the barracks and see 13 leaning against the exterior wall. He must not like his room, given how much time he spends outside.
He notices me approaching and steps away from the wall. “You good?”
“Yeah.” I walk past him. “I need to figure some things out in my head.”
“Sounds good.” He leans back against the wall, and I close the door to my room. I look toward the wall he's on, and the high sun seems to have burned an outline of his body on the wall.
I sit on my bed and look down to the floor, recalling the drawing of the compound. I try to mentally visualize the different areas and discern what the most vulnerable parts must be.
“80, the chosen one wants to see you,” 13 yells through the wall and startles the image away from my mind. He must be referring to Atom.
“I'm not the chosen—” Atom snaps back.
“Save it.” 13 cuts him off. He leaves when he sees me step out.
I stand behind Atom. I'm not really in the mood for a long talk. “Hey.”
He turns to me. “How's it going?”
“What do you need?” I whip back. He seems hurt by my shortness, so I back off a bit. “Sorry. I have a lot of work to do.”
“No worries,” he smiles. It lingers a little too long, making me a bit uncomfortable. “Can we set up a Breekbal game between the Genesys and you guys?”
His question catches me off guard. What is he getting at? So many drones have died playing Breekbal; why would he risk injuring any of the Genesys? I turn and walk toward the playing field. “Why do you want to play? It's not the best time with all the attacks.”
“I need them to learn to work as a team. I thought this would be a good way to do that,” he answers.
“None of us have played since we were brought back.” I stop in the middle of the field. If any of the Genesys did get injured, they would have to delay the Ragnarok. “I suppose it could be good for morale.”
“Awesome!” He's excited. “Would we be able to do teams of twelve instead of ten?”
“Sure. When?” I grab a couple of pieces of rubble from the ground, tossing them away from the field.
“After our classes tomorrow,” he replies.
“Fine.” That's much sooner than I would like, but the less time he has to prepare, the better our advantage. I head over to one of the holes in the field that serve as a goal and take a quick look to see its state. “Anything else?”
“Actually, yes. I was hoping you could help me with something more important, but you have to promise to keep this to yourself.” He pulls me close to make sure I'm the only one who can hear.
I raise an eyebrow at him. “Yeah?”
“So, there is a group of scientists who are planning to sabotage Rene's plans,” he divulges.
“Really?” How much does he know? Does he know that I'm involved?
He continues. “Last night, I saw two of the scientists meeting outside, on the opposite end of the compound, by the library. I was hoping you could maybe have the drones—”
“Don't call us that.” I cut him off. I'm not one of them anymore.
“What?” He's caught off guard.
“We are Integers. Drones makes us sound like we are incapable of our own thoughts,” I explain.
“Okay, sorry.” He backs off. “Well, I was hoping the other Integers could let you know which scientists have been meeting, and then you could tell me. Don't tell them why they are gathering this information, though.”
I study him over. He doesn't know much yet, but he will find something eventually if he keeps poking around. Maybe he'll back off on his investigation if I tell him I'll help. “Yeah, that's fine. I'm afraid many of us don't know the scientists by name, though.”
“That's okay. A description will be enough. We have a database of pictures that we can reference.” His enthusiasm is unsettling.
I still care about Atom, but he is in the way of my survival and that of countless others. If he remains in my way, I will move him by any means necessary. I put my hand on his shoulder and smile. “I'll see you tomorrow, buddy.”
He smiles back. “Yes you will.”
I run off to my quarters to explain the plans to 13. He sees me coming, and I point to him to meet in my room. He enters the door before I get there, and I shut it behind me.
“What was that about?” he asks.
“Do you remember how to play Breekbal?” I dive in.
“Of course. Get the ball into the other team's hole by any means necessary. First to three wins.” He smiles with pride. “Why?”
“Atom want to play a game tomorrow. All of the Genesys against us.” I'm trying hard not to let my thoughts get ahead of me.
“Aren't there twelve of them?” He sits on my bed. At this point, he's spent more time on it than I have.
“Yes, we'll add two more to our team.” I press on, “I'm guessing that the other Integers haven't played Breekbal, since I never saw a game at the stadium.”
“Nope. Lucie never let us. That field in the middle would have been great, though.” His thoughts drift off.
I pull him back. “Okay. This is what I need you to do. Pick the ten you feel will pick the game up quickly and be the most aggressive. I want you to take them out to the field for the rest of the day and train them. Teach them the best strategy.”
13's eyes light up. “Oh man, this is going to be a lot of fun. What about the others?”
“Tell them that I will have a mission for them to do during the game.” I stand and head for the door. “Right now, I need to take care of a couple of things.”
“Okay.” 13 walks out of my room with me and heads deeper into the building to collect the other Integers.
I head out of the building and away from the barracks. I want to take a closer look at various parts of the compound to get more familiar with the territory. More specifically, the area Petros marked as the hangar. If I'm right about what I find in there, I can get everyone to focus their attack on the hangar, and we can at least delay the Ragnarok.
When I reach the fenced-in area and take a closer look, I see a small gap around the perimeter. The ground must open up to let what I believe to be the escape Flyz for the Genesys out. I need to find a way in, to confirm this. If we can destroy those, then the Genesys have to stay at this compound, and Dr. Anfang can't set off the Ragnarok.
I double back through the barracks toward the part of the compound that the Flyz landed on when we returned from Nairobi. That part of the field has a ramp that leads down toward all of the compound's vehicles: the roll pods and other Flyz. Perhaps there is an entrance to the hangar.
Aside from a few drones whose gazes follow me down, there isn't much activity in this area. The ramp's opening is big enough to fit an entire building, and when I reach the bottom, I see dozens of roll pods and Flyz. I make a mental note to ensure the drones don't get to them, because they pose a considerable disadvantage for the outsiders and us.
I spot a door to the right of all these vehicles and confirm that my instincts were right. This must lead to the hangar. I double-check that no one is around and head straight for the scanner. I place my hand on it and speak my name. “80.”
The latch on the door unlocks, and I place my hands on the door to push it open.
“What are you doing there, 80?” The older voice startles me.
I turn, attempting to cover up my intentions, and see Dr. Anfang looking right at
me from the other side of the ramp. He approaches with his slow steps and waits for my answer.
“I, uh, am looking for the surveillance room.” I stumble over my words. “Farouk left me in charge of some of the security, and I'm still trying to familiarize myself with this compound again.”
Dr. Anfang smiles at me. “Of course. Farouk had mentioned the same to me. Come, I'll lead you there.”
He turns and walks toward the opposite side of the ramp. I want to turn and steal a glimpse of the hangar behind me, but I'm relieved that my impromptu excuse worked, and I don't want to press my luck.
I let the door lock behind me and I follow him into a labyrinth of hallways. “What was back in that room?”
“Just some backup generators—and the Flyz to take the Genesys to their bunkers,” he throws back at me.
I'm surprised by his openness. Farouk must have done a great job convincing him that I am an ally, or else he doesn't see me as a threat. It's most likely a little of both. I search for something to say to build trust. “Will you be at the Breekbal game tomorrow with the Genesys.”
He stops and turns to me. “Excuse me?”
“Atom came and asked if he could challenge us to a game of Breekbal to try to get the Genesys to work together and grow as a team.” I ease his worries. I hope that by me sharing information he didn't know, Dr. Anfang will continue to expand his trust. Even if it ends up getting Atom in trouble.
“Make them work hard, but take it easy on them,” he suggests.
“Atom asked me to ensure my team goes hard, but I'll pull back a bit.” I try to alleviate his concern.
He looks at me and points at a closed door. “Surveillance room is in there.”
Dr. Anfang looks me over once more and then scurries off. I can tell that the news of the Breekbal game threw him off.
I wait until he's out of sight and then step through the door. The room is covered from floor to ceiling in monitors, each with a different image. A handful of scientists watch the monitors' activity, and none of them turn to look in my direction.
This suits me well, because I can study each of the monitors. Most look to cover the compound's front side, including one that shows the ramp I walked down. This must be how Dr. Anfang found me.
Upon a second look, I see that only three monitors have a feed to the back of the compound. There are a lot of blind spots. They must have confidence in the compound's geography, knowing that any outsider would have a tough time working their way to the back walls without getting detected. Unfortunately, I would not be able to take advantage of this lack of surveillance during an attack, because the shortest and most direct route to the hangar is through the front of the compound and down the ramp.
I look at a couple of the other monitors and see drones building the walls, and much faster than I anticipated. If we want to take advantage of the structural weakness, we need to attack soon. The stimulation of the monitors somehow hones my focus, and my eyes light up. I know the perfect time to start the attack.
“Tomorrow!” I blurt out. I try to catch myself, but it's too late—the scientists in the surveillance room have all heard, and almost in unison they turn to look at me.
CHAPTER XVII
“What are you doing here?” One of the scientists stands and walks over to me.
“I'm looking for Dr. Anfang.” I step out through the door and hustle to the end of the hallway. I'm not sure if the scientist saw me, but I don’t want them to question me further.
After turning down a couple of hallways, I spot Dr. Anfang speaking to Dr. Kivuli. I sneak around them using an adjacent hallway and make my way back to Brianna's room.
A few seconds after I knock, she opens the door and pulls me into her room. I can't tell if her aggressiveness is paranoia or if she's always this intense, but it has caught me off guard both times I've met up with her.
“What?” Her dismissive tone makes me feel like I'm a nuisance.
I step over the mess on her floor and make space to sit on her bed. “There is a Breekbal game tomorrow between the Genesys and us Integers. The next attack needs to start tomorrow night, and it has to be the biggest attack possible.”
She calms herself as she contemplates my suggestion, then leans against the wall with her arms crossed. “I'm listening.”
I explain how during the Breekbal game, she'll step away and sneak munitions to Petros with the help of a couple of Integers. She will also need to relay the attack plan to him.
During the game, my team will attempt to injure as many Genesys as possible to put them in the medical bay and delay any attempt to start the Ragnarok.
I tell her that attacking this soon means they haven't built back the walls or created more drones. The compound will be shorthanded, especially since they are unaware of the Integers' intentions.
I explain that we need to go all out to destroy the Flyz that are intended to be the transport for the Genesys to get to their respective bunkers. If they can't leave the compound, then Dr. Anfang can't set off the Ragnarok.
“We should get rid of Rene,” Brianna mumbles out loud, interrupting my explanation.
“Dr. Anfang?” I ask, and she nods. “I thought that there were others that can set off the Ragnarok if he dies?”
“There are,” she says. “But every time I see him, he seems more and more anxious to get the sequence started. He wants to be alive when it happens. He wants to see his life's work completed. The closer he gets to death, natural or otherwise, the more trigger happy he becomes.”
I see her point. Even if the next person in line might be as trigger happy, it's a risk worth taking. “I'll take care of it.”
“Also, I'm pretty sure there is a mole in the Mutineers,” she adds.
That's not good. If anyone finds out about these plans, we will lose the element of surprise. “Any idea who it might be?”
“I'm working on it.” Her eyes dart back and forth as she mentally recalls the faces of the Mutineers, searching for the mole.
Throughout the night, we go over the plan multiple times so she can relay it to Petros with accuracy. We talk about the types of munitions to take to Petros and speculate on who the mole might be.
When we both can't stop yawning, we realize that we should get some rest, especially since I need to have a lot of energy for the game and the attack.
Our last few hours spent together must have eased her paranoia, because she walks me out to the back of the compound. The early-morning sun greets us and reminds my eyes of how tired they are.
“I'll give you a signal when the game starts, and I will try to make the game last as long as I can to buy you as much time as possible,” I reassure her.
“Let's hope your plan works. It might be the last chance we get to stop this.” She turns back toward the door.
After a couple of seconds, I head in the opposite direction to go back to the barracks. When I arrive, I see a few of the Integers chatting outside. They quiet down as I approach. I realize that they might all respect me and see me as a leader, but they don't see me as a friend. I'm not available enough to befriend them. Perhaps when this is over, I'll have the time.
“Are any of you not playing in the Breekbal game?” I ask.
“Yeah.” Two of them raise their hands. “Yup.”
“Good.” I stifle a yawn. “13 mentioned to you guys that I would need you to do something during the game.”
They nod.
I continue. “You will take two other Integers and go to the back of the compound, where you will meet with a scientist named Brianna. Her hair is very red. You will be helping her with a mission and protecting her. She will tell you what needs to be done.”
“What's going on?” 13 joins the group.
“I told these two what their mission is during the Breekbal game.” I put my hand on 13's shoulder and walk past him.
“Perfect,” he responds.
“I need to rest. Wake me up before the game.” I turn into the building and walk in
to my room, shutting the door behind me.
When I fall onto my bed, my eyes shut, and absolute darkness greets me. My brain tries to dream, throwing images of KJ at me, but my exhaustion wins, and the darkness persists.
My eyes open to the sound of the banging on the door, but my eyelids shut to alleviate the burning screams my eyes yell in need of more sleep. My body seconds the sentiment. I have not rested enough. That time will have to come later.
“80.” I hear 13's voice come through the door. “It's game time.”
“I'll meet you all there,” I mumble as loud as I can. The lack of any more knocks lets me know that he and the other Integers have left for the Breekbal field.
My legs shake beneath me when I stand. I am not in the right place mentally, physically, or emotionally to compete. I just want to fall back down on the bed and sleep for days. Too many people depend on me, however, so I know I can't.
Needing adrenaline to fight this darkness, I take a deep breath and let out the loudest scream I can. My muscles flex all over my body, waking my limbs and heart up. The lids over my eyes stretch to their extreme and expel the burn. When the last of my air has escaped my lungs, I take another deep breath, driving oxygen to my mind, and slamming it to attention. The hair on my skin stands on end, sending shivers of adrenaline to every corner of my body. I'm ready.
I throw my door open and run toward the field. Spectators have already gathered. Most are scientists, but there are also some drones off to the side. Among the mass congregated on the closest sideline, I see Brianna speaking to a couple of other scientists.
When I reach the huddle of Integers, they all quiet down and look up at me, anxious for whatever wise words will come out of my mouth. I look over at 13.
He smiles at me and motions toward the group. “They're all yours, Captain.”
I look at the group. Some are anxious, but most are ready for blood. I look across the field and see the Genesys approaching the field. I smile at my team. “Hurt them.”
The primal survival instinct kicks in for the Integers, and they all scream. The Genesys might be physically superior, but they will not match this intensity.