by Elin Wyn
“If the outside world was filled with things like the Devourers,” she mused, “no wonder they built underground until they had the security dome running.”
Doc snorted. “You mean that kraken hybrid in the water? Nasty thing, blades on its tentacles? Wasn't there until he put it there, child.”
Valrea and I watched as Doc continued down the tunnel without us.
She recovered first. “What do you mean?”
“You saw the tanks it was born in when you rescued me. I got bored, locked in there, pulled up the notes from the engineers who worked on it. Nothing like that in the waters here until the general decided he needed some extra security.”
“Of course he did,” I said. “Security from attack, and one more threat to use against his people.”
Doc smacked my arm. “You should've realized it was unnatural. How’d something like that mate without cutting itself to pieces?”
“I was busy trying not to be cut into pieces myself when I encountered it,” I said grimly. “Next time, I'll ask for its pedigree.”
The tunnel suddenly ended, closed off by a thick ceramisteel door. It echoed when Valrea tapped her fingers on it. “She said we’d be able to get out this way, so there's got to be a mechanism somewhere.”
After long minutes of searching we found nothing. I realized Valrea wasn’t with us, instead had gone back up the tunnel, standing in the middle with her eyes closed.
“Are you alright?” I worried.
“If he built this for her, if he loved her, he knew Rhea well, right?”
“I’d think so, yes.” Not sure where this was going, but we weren’t making progress by just searching.
“He’d hide the lock in a place that made sense to her, that she’d remember. And she’s the one who trained me, gave me the things she loved.”
“Still true.”
“So, if I were hiding a control panel of some sort, where would I put it?”
I thought it through, came to the same conclusion. It made sense, in a sideways sort of way.
Valrea turned in place slowly, walked back up the tunnel, toward the door.
“Here.” She stretch up to graze an outcrop of rock that jutted from the tunnel side like a finger pointing to the ceiling, and pushed it into the tunnel wall. Next to it a palm lock popped out, blinking and ready for input.
“She would've loved that,” Valrea smiled. “It would've been better if it had actually been a flaming torch in a dungeon, but it'll do.”
I definitely needed to read the rest of the stories.
She reached for the plate and pulled her hand back. “Doc, if we leave, if something happens to us, you'll be trapped in here. We can’t count on Rhea being able to come back for you anytime soon.”
“And that would be different from when you found me how exactly?” Doc patted her arm. “Thanks for worrying about me, but I've got plenty of things to keep me occupied.
Doc shot a steady look at me. “And if things get difficult, well, I'm sure there are plenty of tools I can use in those crates. I can take care of myself.”
The message had been clear, though I hoped Valrea didn’t pick it up. If Doc really thought we weren't coming back, if things got bad, she'd make her own way out.
The rest of the Pack already thought she was dead; they'd never know.
I nodded my agreement and Valrea opened the door.
I shook out one of the stats scatter cloaks and tucked it around Valrea's shoulders. “No need to turn it on to until we’re out of the tunnel.”
I covered myself and readjusted the pack that carried the two other cloaks.
We emerged above the same valley, just further up the ridge from our last point of entry.
Staying to the shadows, Valrea searched until she found the winding river.
“It's further, it will be a longer hike. We better get going. Tianna doesn't have a lot of time.”
“Hold on a sec.” I helped her adjust the facemask, pulled up the deep hood that hid her face until only her eyes showed from the gray, glinting fabric.
“If we get separated, stay still as much as possible. I’ll be able to find you.”
“How?”
“I’d know your scent anywhere.”
“That’s so strange,” she complained.
Rather than argue about facts, I flipped my own hood up and switched on the scatter field.
She gasped, eyes wide. “That's amazing,” she murmured. “I know I'm looking right at you, but you just disappeared.”
I reached for her and she squeaked at the surprise.
“All the better to capture you, my pretty,” l I growled.
She pushed me away, laughing. “You told me you were working on inventory while I slept. You found the fairytales, didn't you?”
“Maybe. A couple of them. I’d still rather have you read them to me. Later.”
With one hand on her shoulder, I switched her cloak on then scooped her up into my arms.
“You've got to stop doing this. I don't know what you've read in those books. But really, I’m capable of walking.”
“I know that. We've done plenty of it. I’ve done plenty of watching you walk.”
“You said that was to guard the rear!” she protested.
“I can do both.” I ran towards the river camp at at an easy, ground devouring lope. “Don’t you want to get there as quickly as possible? This is just for the sake of efficiency.”
“I suppose.” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Besides, I like holding you.” I squeezed her just a bit. “Keeps reminding me of all the things I have to look forward to.”
“Geir!” She poked my chest then tucked her hand back under the cloak quickly. “You can't be thinking about that now.”
I wished I could see her blush.
“Thinking about how you feel? How you taste? The look on your face when you come apart in my hands? Sure I can.”
Valrea was quiet for the rest of our trip. Hopefully she was thinking about things,too.
When we got to the river side I slowed my steps. Caze and I hadn't just been making fools of ourselves catching fish, we’d talked about the best places to set up a perimeter alarm system. Should be right about here.
A thin braided length of grass stretched from one bush to the next.
I stepped over it, making a note to talk to him about getting a little more complicated later.
But as I took the next step I felt a tightening around my ankle.
A snare trap?
“Hey, it's us!” I called out.
Valrea pushed the hood back from her face.
Abril came running, then stopped at the sight of Valrea’s disembodied head floating mid-air.
“What in the Void? Val?”
Once I was untangled, cloaks were off and we gathered under the trees, I looked around.
The two of them had been busy, making a lean-to under the branches of the largest tree. Woven mats covered the floor.
“It's not much, I know, but it's wonderful.” Abril stared at the river. “I feel like I can take a deep breath for the first time in I don't know how long.”
Valrea reached over, squeezed her hand. “I know. And I'm sorry but we have to ask you to come back.”
“Not a chance!” Caze exploded. “I don't care what's going on back there. They cast us out, tried to kill us. They don't need us.”
“Tianna risked everything to save you,” Valrea reminded him. “And she's been caught.”
“You rescued us, you can rescue her the same way.” Case insisted.
We could, I agreed. Over and over again. Probably until we messed up, until the Devourer sliced me with a cut I wasn’t fast enough to block. Until it decided not to be tricked by the fish anymore. But what happens when we leave?
Abril wrapped her arms around her knees. “Mother’s in the cage,” she repeated as if everything else had been just noise.
Valrea nodded. “One of her subordinates turned her in.”
“Even if we go back,” Caze reasoned, “what are we going to do? We can't change anything.”
“You're wrong.” Valrea insisted. “You said other people were watching when they took you and Abril, right?”
Abril looked up blinked. “Sure. Zaria and-”
Valrea cut her off. “I don't need to know their names. How many of them do you think would fight if they had a chance?”
“I don't know. Four or five, maybe.”
Caze joined in. “I know a few more that would help, if they thought they could trust someone.”
“Well, since Melchior tried to kill you, that's your best credential for trustworthiness.” I added. “Think of it as a badge of honor.”
“I've gotten used to it here, gotten used to having the sky instead of the dome above.” Abril tossed a rock into the river. “Got used to the rushing sound.”
“When we’re done, when we’ve won,” Valrea said, “there's nothing to stop you from coming back. No one to stop you from doing anything you want.”
She tossed her own rock into the river.
“When we’re done, you'll be free.”
I pulled the scatter cloaks out from my pack. “ Let me show you how to put these on. We've got a bit of a hike ahead of us.”
Valrea
Once the warehouse tunnel sealed behind us, Geir sprinted ahead. “Stay here,” he called over his shoulder. “I want to be sure no one found us.”
My breath caught. Just because Rhea thought no one knew about this place, we couldn't be sure.
I sent Abril and Caze to stand by the door, while I remained by the lock plate, ears straining for any sound, any warning.
But in moments Geir was back. “Just Doc.” He grimaced. “I should warn you. She's been tinkering.”
“Is that a problem?” Abril asked.
“Not necessarily. But sometimes,” he ran his hand through his hair. “Sometimes she gets a little carried away.”
Whatever Doc been doing she had it well tucked aside by the time we made it into the main body of the warehouse.
Chairs had been pulled into a rough circle and she busied about, handing warmed drinks to everyone.
Geir watched her, a bemused expression on his face. “This isn’t exactly like you. What's up?”
Doc glared at him from narrowed eyes. “It's not like I poisoned them.”
I put my drink back down quickly.
“But if you boys are bringing women home I'm going to have to brush up on my social graces, aren't I?”
Her face contorted and I realized she was trying for a smile. She turned to a confused looking Abril.
“How’s the weather?”
Geir set his face. “Doc, I promise you’ll have time to practice pretending to be normal later. But for now, how about we figure out ways to destroy everything General Malchior has, alright?”
She leaned back in her chair, rigid smile relaxing. “Oh that's much easier. Come on kids, I've been making bombs.”
As she led Abril and Caze away I hung back.
“Is Doc...” I trailed off trying to find the right word. Hopefully one that wouldn't offend him.
He nodded. “I never really thought about it, but she didn't leave the lab much. Raised us with teaching vids and strategy games. Besides a few other scientists and clients that half the time she was running a scam on, I'm not sure how many social interactions she's actually had in the last,” he paused thinking, “twenty or thirty years, maybe?”
“Well, this should be exciting. Let's go see what she’s showing them.”
“You’ll want some of these,” Doc handed a stack of small films from the table. “Thin enough to slide between door panels. Tear this corner and it should blow them apart nicely. Try to stay back.”
“Oh,” her face brightened when she saw Geir. “I made you some new keys.”
She brought over four tablets, larger than the one Tianna had given me.
“They're not really keys, because I don't know what the codes are. More like crackers. They'll run through every combination, should get you in to any place soon enough. It’d be better not to have anybody shooting at you while it’s running, though.”
She handed one to each of us and I noticed that Caze’s face looked a little pale.
“Maybe we should go back, make some plans and then see what else we’ll need.” I patted her shoulder. “Thank you so much for building these for us.”
“It’s good to stay busy”. For a moment, her face froze, eyes distant. “Nothing to be done about that right now.” She snapped back. “So get to planning, and I’ll get tinkering on it.”
I thought about what Geir had told me, how his brothers had died.
She must know.
Everyone had their way of working through grief, I supposed. I glanced back at the workbench and shivered. Apparently, hers involved vengeance, and lots of explosions.
I thought about my own sisters, about what Rhea had suffered.
Maybe mine did too.
“You have two missions,” Geir started to explain. “Locate others who are ready to resist, even in small ways. And-”
Caze interrupted. “Kill the cadre.”
Geir tilted his head to the side. “For someone who didn't want to come back and get involved, you're kind of jumping the gun a bit. No. We shake them up first.”
I picked up the thread. “Father, Stanton, the cadre, there's not that many of them, not really. They've kept everyone in line because we don't know who to trust. It all seems like this huge, monolithic entity that there's no point in fighting against.”
Abril nodded along. She got it. “It seems impossible.”
“That’s your job. Show them it’s possible, that other people are fighting back.”
“But be careful,” Geir cautioned. “It's too easy for a cadre member to pretend. Just test the waters a little and then say nothing. If they want to join in, they’ll make their own noise.”
“Make disruptions, jam the replicators, clog the sewer lines,” I joked.
Abril grinned. “I went to work with Mom enough times. I think we could create plenty of mischief.”
“Just make sure that people know that it's on purpose,” Doc said. She tossed Abril a small canister and I went still.
“More explosives?”
“Nope. Paint. Sometimes a bit of graffiti can be the most effective weapon there is. Tag where you’ve been. Tell everyone you’re resisting.”
“Doesn't seem like this is enough to bring the General down,” Caze argued.
A wild grin spread across Geir’s face. “Doesn't have to be. Just has to be enough to get them shaken up, make his troops a little off balance, make the rest of the compound a little slower to fight at his side.”
He tossed another can at Caze. “Instead of everyone blindly following a dream, make them think, make them question. And then we can take care of the rest.”
“But what about my mother,” Abril asked. “None of this gets her out of the cage.”
“We’ll save her, I promise. You need to be the ones to talk to the other scientists, the sons and daughters that don't want to be here anymore. They know you. They don't know me. They'd never trust me.”
Abril smiled and reached to grab my hand. “Maybe you should give them a chance.”
“You won't be able to see each other under the scatter cloaks,” Geir explained as we helped Abril and Caze get theirs on and adjusted. “Remember, just because no one can see you, doesn't mean they can't hear you. So, make your plans before you head out.”
“A rendezvous point in case you get separated probably isn't a bad idea,” I added. “We should have one, as well.”
“Maybe,” he pulled me to him, “except I plan to carry you to the cage. It'll be faster.”
“You can't carry me everywhere. I have functioning legs, I'm an adult.”
“But I like it,” he pouted.
“What if you have to fight? Are you going to do that while holding me?�
� I looked at him sidelong. “That sounds dangerous. I thought you wanted to protect me.”
He scowled. “That's a low blow.”
“No, that's being practical.”
“Fine.” He sighed, then refocused. “If we get separated, don’t let anyone touch you. I’ll find you. If you have to leave the area, go back to the side entry to the Hall.”
Before we activated the cloaks, I grabbed Geir’s hand, wrapped my fingers around his. “Reasonable compromise?”
He leaned over for a kiss before flicking out of view. “It'll do,” came his disembodied voice.
We moved slowly across the campus, shifting to avoid people as they walked around, doing their daily tasks.
So many of them that I'd never really paid attention to before. So strange to be in the middle of them, and still, so separate.
Geir tugged my hand and I fell back into pace behind him, focused on our mission.
I couldn’t stop from wondering. How many were faithful to the plan, faithful to my father? And how many were trapped here, just like I had been?
We slipped through the campus towards the execution grounds. A hilly cliff not far from where I had first perched down and seen the tattered remains of Geir’s vest blowing in the breeze, and made the decision that changed everything.
Normally the grounds were an abandoned spot. But today a line of cadre stood guard, weapons lowered but at the ready.
I pulled Geir back around the corner of a storage building. “That's new,” I whispered as softly as I could, knowing he'd be able to hear me. “They've never needed guards before.”
I felt movement and his warm breath on my ear. “You said Tianna was valuable. Maybe they've had some trouble with this particular decision to remove someone.”
“But how are we getting through the guards?”
“Don't worry, it'll be even better this way.”
Silently we approached the line.
Geir squeezed my hand twice and I froze as per our prearranged signal.
The softest clink of rocks hinted at where Geir was, but I could only guess his plan.
Clank! Clank Clank!
Helmets rocked backwards with the impact of each thrown rock as Geir hurled them at the line. Before they recovered he had returned to my side, his hand wrapping around mine.