by Ramona Finn
Kev blinked rapidly for several seconds. He put his hand over mine and squeezed. “You know, that day I fell into the vat… when everyone laughed at me? I saw you laugh.”
My cheeks burned. I had laughed. I was stupid.
The corner of his mouth curled upwards. “You were laughing because it was funny, and I admit, in hindsight, it was. The others were mocking me, but you were just having fun. And afterwards, you were kind, like you were sorry that you’d laughed. I could feel that. That’s how I knew you and I could be friends. Tylia, I’m so glad it’s you and me that won. I couldn’t imagine moving up to the Labs with anyone better.”
I returned Kev’s gaze with an encouraging smile, trying desperately not to show my true feelings. To be honest, I was a mess inside. I was excited to be there, but terrified that I would be discovered to be the cheat I really was. I had to succeed because I had this new mission, and yet I didn’t know if I had what it took to accomplish it. I wanted so badly to experience the luxury of life in the Labs, but at the same time I knew that I was there to upend it all. Even though I had no idea how I was going to do that, I knew it had to be done. And, somewhere deep inside, I was sad. Did that make me a terrible person? Was I just being selfish?
“Oh, did you hear that?” Kev had his hand over his stomach. “That was the loudest growl my stomach has ever made.”
“Didn’t we just have breakfast?” I laughed. Kev, like me, had needed to get used to all the food they served us after we’d won. It was the strangest thing. The more we ate, the hungrier we got, as if we were making up for the years of starvation. Kev was living proof of the phenomenon.
He got to his feet and headed to the back end of the transport. There was a counter there with cupboards and drawers. Curious, I followed.
“I bet there’s food in here,” Kev said, opening a drawer to find paper napkins and eating utensils. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if we helped ourselves to some.”
I looked over to the EFs at the front. They were both staring straight ahead, strapped into their seats. I wondered if they had learned to sleep sitting up, behind their dark-visor-helmets. They hadn’t moved since we’d begun this trip.
“No one’s stopping us,” I said to Kev. “But I wonder if we’re still on TV, and if we are, what will our friends say?”
“Since when did you care what people said about you?” Kev grinned, opening and shutting drawers, but not finding anything to eat. “Just wave at them and they’ll cheer us on.”
I looked for cameras in the transport but couldn’t find any obvious ones. Perhaps they were small and hidden. So, we both waved in several general directions and hoped that was enough.
Kev chuckled as he finally opened a cupboard that turned out to be stocked with snack foods. He helped himself to a couple of bags of dried greens. He handed me one that said “Popped Corn” on the bag. I’d never heard of such a thing.
“I’ll give it a try,” I said, “but we’d better not take too much. We don’t want to appear greedy.”
Kev stuffed a handful of crunchy, dried greens into his mouth, chewed, and grinned. “You know, Ty, we’ve lived our entire lives scrounging up food vouchers or eating scraps of produce the Elite threw away. We won the Acceptance. We made it to the Labs. We’re Elites now. We deserve to think of ourselves for a while.”
“I guess,” I said uncertainly. “I just wish our friends could share in this, as well. I can’t help thinking of them down below.”
“Well…” Kev rubbed his tummy. “The way I see it is, you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. So, stock up, my friend. You’ll need the energy to help our old compatriots in the Geos.” Then he let out a loud burp and we laughed.
“We’re about to cross a section of sky that may be a little bumpy,” Ben’s voice came over the intercom once more. “Seatbelts on. Nothing to worry about, though. It’s temporary.”
As we strapped ourselves back into our seats, I couldn’t help thinking about Kev’s words. In a way, he was right. I wouldn’t be able to help my friends in the Geos or my new friends, the Rejs, unless I was rested and strong again. I’d have to fit in in the Labs, be no trouble to anyone, so that my mother could continue to get the medical attention she needed. I would have to think of myself for a time while I figured out what I could do to unite our factions and stand up to the Farrows. Still, I was just one person who was unusually good at hacking computers. How could that change an entire civilization?
And yet, something felt wrong about Kev’s philosophy. I was not the same person who’d hacked into the Acceptance to save my mother. I was now a Rej, and I was a GEO, and now also an Elite. I represented all people, and I had the backing of the Rejs. Somehow, the different factions would have to find common ground so that everyone would have the opportunity to live safely and prosper. The Elites weren’t a special variety of human. They were merely lucky to have ancestors who’d had the means to buy their way into the Labs. But that happened generations ago, and the Rejs had convinced me there has to be a better way. I was here for a purpose. They backed me for a reason. And even though my people in the Geos didn’t know all this, they were in need of help too. I couldn’t afford to simply think of myself or my family anymore. Bigger things were at stake.
My head throbbed. This was too much to work out right now. I turned to say something to Kev, but before I could open my mouth, a terrifying boom exploded through our transport. Windows shattered, spraying glass into the cabin. The ship shook more than I imagined a machine could tolerate. A scream filled the air, and it was a few seconds before I realized I was the one screaming. The ship tilted to one side and the engines wailed. I had the strangest sensation that we were falling out of the sky as the straps over my shoulders bit hard into my flesh
This couldn’t be the turbulence Ben had been talking about. I reached for Kev, looking for reassurance, but he had his eyes shut tight and he was hanging on to his seatbelt straps for dear life.
The EFs at the front of the transport were still strapped to their seats. Their bodies shook like rag dolls in the wind. One of them began to desperately try to get out of his restraints, pulling at the straps with both hands. The other yelled something at him, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. Then Ben’s voice came over the intercom. This time, it wasn’t the calm, amused voice of a confident pilot. He was clearly as panicked as I was.
“Everyone, strap down and lean forward!” he yelled. “We’ve been hit! Brace for impact!”
Chapter Two
We were going to crash. After everything we’d been through, was this the way it would end? I couldn’t think. Every nerve in my body was on high alert and my hands burned as they clutched the arms of my seat. The screeching of metal tearing apart was so loud that it hurt my ears and my head. Ben barked some orders over the intercom, interlaced with several swear words, but I was frozen. I couldn’t move. I had no idea what to do.
I squeezed my eyes shut and an image flashed into my mind. I saw my parents. They were holding on to each other and crying, looking down on my wrecked body. Next to them, I saw Skylar Two looking distraught. Beside him, R.L. and Ben Farrow watched, disappointed.
No. This couldn’t be the way things ended. I had too much work to do. Too many people were depending on me.
“Hold on, everyone!” This time, Ben’s voice had come through the speakers more clearly. It was back to his calm, in-charge voice. “We’re going to try to crash-land on the emergency platform. It’s going to be rough.”
I managed to inhale and hold my breath. The transport rattled and creaked so loudly that no other thoughts could enter my head. As we descended at a break neck speed, my stomach and all its accompanying organs rose up into my throat. The straps over my shoulders, holding me to my seat, cut further into my body as I was thrown about. Each time I landed back in my hard seat, pain shot up my spine from my tailbone to my neck.
I heard Ben scream something like “Now!” What followed sounded lik
e the ship was being torn apart bit by bit, all while being rattled and chucked around by a giant baby throwing a tantrum. The rumbling lasted forever. I felt sure my heart had stopped for a moment, because when the motion ended, everything was so quiet, I could’ve been dead.
Nothing moved. Nobody even breathed for the longest time. Slowly, I began to feel the pain of the straps that had eaten their way into my body, but still no sound escaped from my lips. Or maybe I had lost my hearing in all that chaos.
Breathe, Ty, I reminded myself. It took so much effort to take that first breath. Then, the sweetest sound ever came over the speaker system.
“We’re safe, everyone. Check for injuries.” Ben was my hero.
The EFs peeled themselves out of their seats and headed to the back end of the transport. They pried apart what remained of the emergency hatch. Sunlight flooded into our compartment, followed by emergency responders dressed in deep blue uniforms and wearing masks. They carried stretchers and med-kits.
One responder, a woman, knelt before me. “Are you all right? You’re safe now. Where does it hurt? Can you move?”
Too many questions. I didn’t know which one to answer first. I was aware that my eyes were the only part of me moving. They darted from the responder’s face to where Kev should’ve been. I opened my mouth, but even that movement hurt.
The emergency responder scanned me with her handheld machine. It beeped and whirred quietly. “You have no major internal injuries,” she said. “It’s quite a miracle.”
That’s me, the miracle girl. I survived the Virus. How would I not survive a transport crash?
I tried to smile, but that hurt, too.
“I’m going to remove your straps now,” the responder said. “It might sting because they’ve cut right through to the bone. But you’re in good hands, okay?”
I blinked to acknowledge her. She placed something cool at the base of my neck and I felt a prickle. Then my whole body went numb.
“That’s for the pain,” she said as she cut me out of my seat straps. There was a squelching sound, and the responder swore under her breath. It was then that I blacked out.
When I awoke, I was lying down on a stretcher. Several emergency responders were fussing over me. I blinked over and over again to focus my eyes on my surroundings. A face hovered over me, blocking out the glaring lights on the ceiling. It was Ben.
“Hey there,” he said. He was smiling, but his eyes showed worry. He had bandages on his temple and his hands were wrapped up. One arm was tied close to his chest.
“What happened?” My throat hurt when I spoke, and my voice sounded like it came from somewhere else.
Ben put his free hand on my arm. “Don’t worry about that now. The medics will fix you right up. You’ll be as good as new.”
I tried to shake my head, but it was strapped down to the stretcher. “What happened?” I repeated. I had to know. “Kev?”
“Everyone survived,” Ben reassured me. “We were very lucky.” His brow furrowed, and his light eyes went dark. “Somehow, an explosive was brought on board. The EFs are searching the ship for evidence right now. I’m more than certain that this was the work of the Rejs. They’re no longer satisfied with hiding out in their filthy caves—they’re actively coming for us.”
“That can’t be,” I murmured.
Ben sighed. “You don’t know the Rejs. They’ve been attacking our Sky Tubes, disrupting supplies going up to the Labs. They’re getting braver and rasher. They’re reckless and dangerous.”
I wanted to protest, to tell him that wasn’t the Rej way. But how would he react if he knew I was one of them? The fury in his face told me that I had to keep this part of me a secret.
“It’s not just the Labs they hate, Ty,” Ben said as he gently squeezed my arm and continued. “They hate the Geos, too. In the last months, we’ve found old rags stuffed into vents, power cables that have been cut, and holes punched into the Geos’ supply pipes. It’s like they want us all dead. I swear to you, they will pay for this.”
The emergency responder from before returned to my side as Ben stepped back. “We’ve repaired most of the surface issues on your body. You can sit up now. You’ll just be sore for a few days.”
She removed the heavy blanket that had been holding me down on the stretcher, and Ben took my arm as I sat upright. The world tilted as I steadied myself.
“Take it easy,” Ben said. He was being so gentle and thoughtful; my heart melted a little right there. He really did care for me. And I was grateful.
I looked around. We were in some kind of hangar. The wrecked transport was at one end, surrounded by people and machines going over every part of it. Kev was sitting up on his stretcher. He managed a grim wave. He didn’t look too damaged. I took a deep breath and shifted sideways, then stood up. The responder had been right about the ache. But I was all right. I’d survived. A shiver went through me, and Ben must’ve thought I was cold. He draped a blanket over my shoulders.
“I want to help you find out what happened,” I said, looking up into his eyes. They were glistening with relief, and I couldn’t help but stare. The way he looked at me with those beautiful eyes made my legs go weak.
An EF ran up to us. He addressed Ben. “Sir, there’s no way for us to get off this emergency platform. A weather front has moved in and it’s too windy to get another transport up here, even a small one, to take you back to the Greens right now. We’re going to have to wait it out.”
Ben frowned, looking at me now instead of the EF. “How long?”
“Probably another 12 hours, sir,” the EF said.
Ben waved a hand and dismissed the officer, who then turned and ran back to the wreckage.
I tried to give Ben an encouraging smile. Physically, I was all right. Emotionally, I was still shaken. And, to be honest, confused. The Rejs would never have sabotaged the transport. They knew I was on board and they wouldn’t deliberately hurt me. No, this was something else. And I had to know what.
“It looks like we have time now,” I said, handing the blanket back to Ben. “I’m fine. And I’m serious about helping you find out what happened to the ship.”
Ben’s frown smoothed out into a worried smile. He ran his fingertips over my forehead, down my temple, and then he rested his hand over my cheek. “To think I almost lost you.”
Another shiver went through my body. I took his hand in my own and reassured him that I was all right. The medics had done an amazing job fixing me up so quickly.
Together, we headed to the ship, my heart pounding with each step. If Ben was right, we’d find evidence of the Rejs tampering with our transport. If I was right, though, who knew what we’d find? It just didn’t make sense that the Rejs would’ve done this.
Kev joined us. On the surface, he was completely unharmed, but I wondered if he was trembling as much as I was beneath his skin. “I’ll go help the EFs search the engine room. Maybe we’ll find something.”
“Good idea.” Ben nodded at him. “We’ll search through the passenger area.”
It felt strange to stand inside the transport once again. It had only been a few hours since we’d crashed, and seeing my seat again made me dizzy. But I was determined not to let Ben see my weakness, so I leaned casually against the emergency door, pretending I was surveying the area.
Ben went straight to work, turning over jagged pieces of wreckage that had been ripped off during the landing. I took my time. I didn’t really know what I was looking for, but I hoped it wouldn’t lead me to Skylar Two and his people. There were other communities of Rejs. Could they have done this? But why? What would be the point of killing the winners of the Acceptance? We’d survived so that we could help find the Cure. And wouldn’t everyone benefit from that? Even the Rejs couldn’t go everywhere on the surface because of the contaminated areas, so the Cure could benefit them, too. And that was part of my mission—to make sure everyone would get access to the Cure once it was found.
But not every Rej knew that
.
So, was it possible that the saboteurs had simply been after Ben? Or simply wanted to disrupt the lives of those in the Labs? Did their hatred run so deep?
“Could there be any other possibility for this happening, Ben?” I asked, looking in every seat in the passenger area. “What would the Rejs gain by tampering with the transport?”
Ben turned to me, holding a large section of the outside of the ship that had found its way inside the passenger compartment. Its edges were jagged, and its surface was charred and black. Looking at it made me shiver again.
“Tylia, you’ve lived a very sheltered life,” he said. “You don’t know what’s happening out here. The Rejs have always been dangerous. They reject our way of life—both in the Labs and in the Geos. They deliberately separate themselves because they believe they know better. I think they’re jealous of what we have, and now all they seem to want to do is bring down Farrow Corp, even while we’re fighting to save them and everyone else from the Virus. Their efforts to disrupt our lives have escalated recently. We have no choice. We must stop them at any cost, before they destroy everything Farrow Corp has worked for.”
I didn’t know what irritated me more: the way Ben was speaking to me as if I was a know-nothing child, or the threat he was making against my friends. Ben had no idea what he was talking about. It was he who was sheltered, not me. But I certainly couldn’t say that. So, I just continued my search in silence.
“I’m going to check the storage area,” Ben finally said. “There are fuel cells in there that may have been tampered with.”
I followed Ben, my curiosity growing. The storage area was a room behind the supply closet where Kev and I had found the snacks. It was a small room, only big enough to hold a few people standing up, dark because there were no windows, and it smelled musty, as if no one had been in here for a while. There were sealed drums with serial numbers on them stacked neatly in a row against the far wall. Everything seemed to be intact. Even the dust seemed settled over everything, as if nothing had been touched in a long time.