Gene. Sys.

by Garcia, Aaron Denius

  “Fine,” she says and walks off down the hallway.

  I know better than to go after her. If I do, I will probably just make things worse. A grunt escapes my mouth out of frustration. All I want to do now is sleep, so I head down the hallways to my bedroom.

  When I enter my room, I fall right onto my bed. I know I should shower, but I just don’t feel like it. I’ll do it when I wake up.

  Just as my eyes begin to shut, a loud knock at my door jumps me out of my bed. For a split second I think about ignoring it and falling back into bed, but I know I should answer it. I open the door and see Ev standing there, holding a tablet.

  “I need to show you something.” She steps in and sits on my bed. Shock covers her face when she sees the wall of monitors in my room.

  “It’s intense, isn’t it?” I sit next to her on the bed.

  “I had no idea you had all this in here.” She scans the various screens.

  “It gives me a headache looking at them.” I turn away and face her, crossing my legs on the bed.

  She turns to me and shows me the tablet. On it is Dr. Peters’ profile. “After you asked me where Dr. Peters was, I got curious. So I looked at his profile and found that he was actually recruited from the city outside the compound.”

  “Really?” I perk up.

  “Yeah. He was originally an outsider,” she says as she messes with the tablet.

  “Which means he might sympathize with them,” I add. This is a big deal. This gives the outsiders an access point to the scientists.

  “That’s not all.” She shows me the tablet again. This time there is a series of messages.

  “What is it?” I try to scan the messages, but Ev turns it away from me to look at them.

  “It’s an exchange between Dr. Peters and Dr. O’Neal about gathering a small group of doctors to go out into the city and care for the outsiders,” she states.

  I think for a moment. “Maybe they were just being philanthropic.”

  “In here they talk about not telling Rene or letting anyone see them leave the compound,” she counters.

  “Yeah, that’s definitely peculiar. Plus, why help them if they know that they won’t have much longer to live anyway?” I add.

  “Well, I would do it to make their last days a little easier to bear, but I know what you mean,” she says. “So do you think Dr. Peters is also a Mutineer?”

  I hear her but my attention has been drawn to the screen. I notice Ev’s head turn to the screens as well and she instantly sees what I see. Dr. Kivuli is running in one of the screens.

  “What’s she doing?” Ev asks.

  “I don’t know, but she doesn’t seem like someone who would run for fun. She’s up to something.” She leaves the frame of one screen and enters another screen. I can tell by the screen that she is outside near the library.

  I get up and head for my door.

  “What are you doing?” Ev stands up behind me.

  “I’m going to catch her doing whatever it is she is doing. She’s probably running to meet with the other Mutineers.” I head out to the hallway.

  “I’m coming with you.” Ev follows.

  I stop and look at her. I know she won’t take no for an answer. “You head around to the front of the library; I will run around to the back. We can cut her off.”

  “Okay.” She takes off in one direction down the hallway; I head in the opposite direction.

  I run through the hallways and through a set of double doors. I stand briefly in the field that is right behind the scientists’ quarters and look around. There is no activity going on. In fact, I only see a couple of drones patrolling, an obvious reduction from the last night I was out here.

  As fast as I can, I run to the back of the library. It only takes me a couple of minutes to get there. I look around, but I don’t see her. All I see is the back of the building and the various vegetable and fruit plants. Maybe Ev caught up to her.

  I’m about to start running again when I see Ev come around the corner. She runs up to me and looks around herself.

  “You didn’t see her?” I ask.

  “No, nothing. In fact, the whole area looked deserted.” She catches her breath.

  “Yeah, something doesn’t seem right.” Chills run over my body. The air seems colder all of a sudden.

  “You think she went inside?” Ev looks around again.

  “I think she went to wherever the Mutineers have their meetings.” I let out a frustrated groan.

  “Should we try to find it?” Ev looks at me.

  “Yeah.” I walk towards the building and Ev walks next to me.

  “Atom,” A faint and gargled voice calls out behind me. I look at Ev and she shakes her head. We look back towards the plants and listen.

  “Atom,” the gargled voice calls out again.

  “It’s coming from over there.” Ev points at the corn stalks.

  “Yeah,” I say as we begin to inch forward. I am a bit on edge because I don’t recognize the voice and whomever it belongs to can see us, but I can’t see them.

  We get to the edge of the corn and listen again. In the silence, Ev grabs my hand. It startles me at first, but I actually don’t mind it. It gives me comfort knowing that I’m not out here alone.

  “Atom,” the voice says once more. It seems that whomever it belongs to is using every ounce of energy they have in them to say it.

  “Right there!” Ev jumps back.

  Less than ten feet in front of us is a body lying on the ground. As my eyes adjust I see that it is Dr. Kivuli. Ev and I run to her side. I glance over her body and see that her hands and face are covered with blood.

  Ev kneels down next to her. “What happened?”

  Dr. Kivuli reaches for me. “Atom.”

  “Who did this?” I kneel next to her. Did someone else figure out that she was a Mutineer?

  “Tomorrow. Tell Rene.” She struggles to get it out.

  “What’s tomorrow?” Ev asks, looking around at Dr. Kivuli’s body to see how she can help.

  “They attack.” Dr. Kivuli slowly looks at Ev.

  Ev spots something and looks up at me. “Atom, she was shot.”

  “Who attacks? Who did this?” I demand. I have no need to be gentle with this traitor.

  Dr. Kivuli grabs my arm with her bloody hand. “Everyone.”

  “Who?!” I yank my arm away.

  “Outsiders. Drones. Scientists,” she says.

  “Why should I trust you? You were working with the Mutineers!” I lash back.

  “Rene had me infiltrate.” Dr. Kivuli finds some strength. “I was a mole, gathering information.”

  “I believe her,” Ev says.

  “Tell Rene he has to start the Ragnarok.” Dr. Kivuli pushes herself up on her elbows. “Tomorrow!”

  Ev looks at me. “This is why it seemed so quiet. There weren’t very many drones out.”

  It does make sense as to why there were less tonight. I had never thought that any of them would be involved with the Mutineers. Now it seems like they are working together with the Outsiders. With all of them working together, we don’t stand a chance. We do have to tell Rene to start the Ragnarok tomorrow.

  “Atom,” Ev says, holding Dr. Kivuli. She seems to be on her last breaths.

  “Who shot you?” I ask her.

  “80,” Dr. Kivuli gargles out.

  My head spins. This can’t be true. Would he really do that?

  18

  “Atom!” The voice seems far away.

  “Atom!” Ev grabs me and snaps me back.

  “Yeah!” I look at Ev and then look down at Dr. Kivuli’s body.

  “She’s dead,” Ev says. “What do we do?”

  I look around. I don’t see any activity and it doesn’t look like we have drawn any unwanted attention. “Go get all the Genesys and take them down to the simulation room.”

  “What about you?” she asks.

  “I’m going to get Rene.” I start to run but turn back to Ev befor
e I get too far. “Mag and Ox are in the medical ward.”

  I run towards the door that leads into the scientists’ quarters. Ev is not far behind me. In the panic I had forgotten that the Genesys are staying in the scientists’ rooms. We enter and I head down the left hallway as Ev continues forward.

  After a couple of turns, I reach the corner just before Rene’s hallway and a noise forces me to stop. I peek around the corner and see two drones with rifles walking towards me.

  “I think this is his room,” one of the drones says as they stop in front of Rene’s door.

  They slowly raise their guns and aim it at the door. Before I know it, I am running down the hallway at them, my feet light and quiet so they won’t hear me. It’s not until I’m a few steps away from them that they notice me.

  “Stop!” one of them shouts.

  I ignore him as I lower my shoulder and slam into the closest drone. I keep driving my feet until I feel that we have collided into the second drone. We all fall to the ground, but just as quickly I am back on my feet. With a swift kick to the drone’s head, I knock the first one unconscious.

  The second drone has rolled over to his back and has his gun pointed right at me. “You are the reason we have to die.”

  Just before he pulls the trigger, I jump to the side of the hallway. A couple of shots hit the ceiling. I kick myself off the wall and land on top of him before he can aim the gun at me again. I punch him as hard as I can with both fists; his face becomes less skin and more blood. In a last ditch effort, he swings his rifle and connects with my temple. Pain shoots through my body and I use that rush of adrenaline to throw one last knockout punch.

  I grab his gun and stand, the blood streaming from my temple stings the corner of my eye. I pick up the second rifle and then slam my shoulder into Rene’s door. The door flies open and I step through.

  The noise has obviously scared Rene out of his slumber since he is sitting up in his bed with fear in his eyes. He removes his breathing mask.

  “What’s going on?” he asks as he shifts to the edge of his bed.

  “We have to go!” I grab him by his arm. “They are all about to attack!”

  “Who?” He stands and moves as quickly as he can to the door.

  “The outsiders, drones and the Mutineers.” I hustle him through the door and he stops when he sees the two drones on the ground. I push him forward. “They were about to kill you.”

  Shock rises in his face. He looks at me as we walk as fast as possible. “Who told you this?”

  “Dr. Kivuli.” I try to get him to move faster.

  “Where is she?” he asks.

  “Dead,” I say flatly. He looks at me with horror in his eyes. This is a lot of information for him to wake up to. I try to calm him a little. “I told Ev to gather all of the Genesys and take them to the simulation room.”

  Rene stops. “No. No. No. That’s the wrong way. We have to get you to the Flyz on the other side of the compound.”

  “What do you mean? Won’t we be safer underground?” I look at him.

  “Not if they are all attacking.” He grabs one of the rifles from me.

  “What are you doing?” I hold on to the rifle. When I look in his eyes I see that all the fear, shock and horror are gone. What I see is determination. I let him take the gun.

  “You get them and bring them back to the other side of the compound. It’s past the surveillance room you followed Grant into,” he orders.

  Did Grant tell him about that? “How did you…”

  “Listen to me carefully.” He grabs my shoulders. “We have six Flyz ready for you. Al and Hydro in one. Ox and Mag in two. Titan and Sodi in three. Cal and K in four. Sil and Fe in five. You and Ev in six. There will be a scientist that I trust flying each one.”

  “What are you going to do?” I ask.

  “I need to start the sequence for the Ragnarok,” he states.

  “Okay.” I feel my heart pound even faster than it already has been. This is actually happening and now I have to lead. I start to jog away.

  “Atom!” Rene calls after me.

  I turn and look at him.

  “Once I start the sequence it can’t be stopped. We’ll only have an hour to get into the air if we want to be ahead of the blasts.” He turns and walks briskly away.

  I turn and run at a full sprint down the hallways. As I run I can’t help but think of Rene’s choices for the Flyz. Why would he put Fe with Sil? Why wouldn’t he put her with Cal? I guess it does make sense that he would put Ev and I together.

  An alarm going off snaps me out of my mind. Rene must have set it off to warn the others of the impending attack or perhaps that the Ragnarok is about to happen. I weave down a couple more hallways, pass my old bedroom and reach the elevator to the simulation room.

  When the elevator opens in the simulation room I see chaos. The Genesys are panicking. Some are shouting and others are crying. They all look at me. I look around and count eleven heads, but one of them is unfamiliar. It’s Dr. Metzger. Someone is missing and when I realize who it is, my heart drops.

  “Everyone quiet!” I yell and they all go silent and look at me. I look at Ev. “Where is Fe?”

  She steps up to me. “I couldn’t find her. No one knows where she is.”

  I do my best to hold my composure. We will find her, but right now I need to get everyone here ready. “Everyone listen up. This is it. We are about to be attacked and Rene is going to start the sequence to set off the Ragnarok.”

  I look around at all their faces. They all are scared. “We have to get to the other side of the compound where Rene has six Flyz waiting for us. Al and Hydro you are in one. Ox and Mag in two. Titan and Sodi you’re in three. Cal and K in four.

  “Sil and Fe in five.” A knot in my stomach tightens. We will find her. I look at Ev. “You and I in six.”

  A small smile graces Ev’s face and it makes me wonder if she had anything to do with the pairings.

  Suddenly a loud boom resonates above our heads and the room around us shakes. A few screams escape from some of the Genesys. There’s another boom and more shaking. It’s obvious that the attacks have started.

  “What do we do?” Ev shouts over the shaking.

  “Everyone grab a close range and a short range weapon,” I yell.

  “Those are non-lethal,” Sodi says. “They won’t do much damage.”

  “It’s better than no weapons,” Cal answers for me.

  We all scamper to the weapons cache and grab our choice weapons. I pick up my chain and fling it around my shoulder. When I look over, I see that Mag is still on the ground in the middle of the simulation room. Dr. Metzger is by her side.

  Ox steps up next to me and grabs his ax. “We had to pull her out prematurely and she hasn’t healed completely. Dr. Metzger also said that forcing her out of that induced dream state might affect her brain.”

  “We’ll get her there safely,” I comfort him.

  After a few more moments, all of the Genesys are geared up. I even give Dr. Metzger a rifle. The booms over our heads are happening more frequently and the shaking of the room has become so consistent that it no longer startles us.

  “Let’s go!” I shout.

  We head to the elevator as one big group. Ox picks mag up and carries her in his arms. We all cram tightly into the elevator and ride it up.

  Just before we get to the top, I hand my rifle to Titan. “This one is real. Switch with me, you are a better shot than I am.”

  Titan smiles and we exchange rifles. His eyes show a focus I have never seen before. “Thanks.”

  The elevator door opens and we pour out into the hallway. The distinct smell of burning fills the air. The booms that were muffled before are deafening. There isn’t much activity in our area of the compound, which makes sense since most of the area has already been destroyed. All that remains in this area is the library and the simulation room, hardly a threat to the attackers.

  I motion for the Genesys to follow me d
own the hallway. We move together and quietly as a group, making our way past the boys’ rooms and then the girls’ rooms. As we walk I am careful to check my surroundings for any threats and for any signs of Fe.

  Just as we reach the hallway that leads to the scientists’ quarters, shots fire to our right. I raise my hand to get the Genesys to stop and I look around the edge of the fallen wall. Drones are firing on other drones. This means that some are fighting to protect us, but when I look, I can’t tell which ones are which. A bit further behind them, closer to the exterior wall of the compound, I see outsiders attacking drones.

  I turn back to the Genesys and signal for them to move forward. Suddenly, a bullet flies by my head. I look up and notice Titan aiming the rifle I gave him at my head. A noise behind me gets me to turn and I see a drone fall to the ground. Blood seeps out from his forehead.

  I look back at Titan and he winks at me. I smile back and motion for him to check around the corner for any more. He steps past me and peeks around. I grab Sodi by the shoulder and point for her to grab the fallen drone’s rifle. She slides down and switches the drone’s gun for her simulation gun.

  When Titan and Sodi return to the group, I huddle everyone together.

  “There are four more at the end of the hallway. They are checking each room,” Titan says under his breath.

  “Okay. It seems like some drones are still trying to protect us.” I look at the Genesys and then make a very difficult decision in my head. “If you have even the slightest doubt as to what side someone is fighting on, shoot them.”

  Ev looks at me, surprised.

  I look her in the eye. “We don’t have the time for a conscience.”

  I pat Titan and Sodi on their shoulders and they walk over to the corner of the hallways. Sodi crouches down and Titan remains standing. They both peek around the corner and take two shots each. After a few seconds, Titan looks back at me and waves us over.

  We quickly walk over and make our way down the hallway to the door to the scientists’ quarters. Ev, Cal, Sil and K grab the rifles from the ground. We push through slowly and enter an empty hallway. Just as Ox passes through the door, carrying Mag, I see a scientist run around the corner and head straight for us. Titan raises his gun.