"Okay," Miles says, his arms shaking slightly, "you should be able to just swing your legs over the top now."
Sabrina looks nervous, but probably realizes that she doesn't have much time before Miles' strength gives out, so she quickly pushes off and brings her legs to the side, clearing the laser and falling to the ground. I release her hands and she hits the floor and rolls, looking altogether unharmed. I exhale and glance down at Miles. It looks like a couple of his arm hairs were singed off.
"That was close," he mutters.
Sabrina stands and runs back to Miles, wrapping her arms around him and almost pushing him back into the lasers.
"Thank you so much for coming after me!" She exclaims.
I stand there awkwardly, trying to find something interesting to look at.
"We've got to get going," Miles announces, breaking out of Sabrina's embrace. "I'm sure someone will have heard that."
We run out of the building the way we came, making so much noise I'm sure anyone that might be on the barge will hear us. Sure enough, as we emerge from the building I look back and see two burly figures in pursuit. I try to slow down as we approach the edge of the barge, which has been steadily ascending into the air since we got on, but Miles grabs my arm and keeps running full speed, dragging me along behind him. He pulls two small discs out of his jacket pocket and throws one to Sabrina. He presses the other one to his chest and immediately straps emerge and wrap around his shoulders and back, along with what looks like a small pillow.
We're almost at the edge of the deck, and I'm really concerned that we're not slowing down. I try to free my arm from Miles' grip, but he won't let go.
"What are you doing?" I yell frantically.
"Just hold on to me!" He yells back, and before I can argue, he jumps over the edge and pulls me over with him.
"Hold on to me!" He repeats, pulling me to him as much as he can manage while falling through the air. I have just enough resolve not to scream and thrash my body around. I wrap my arms and legs around Miles and bury my face in his chest. In any other situation, this might be a pleasant experience, but as it stands, I'm fairly certain we're going to die. A few moments later I feel a sharp tug upwards and cling even tighter to Miles. I realize we're not descending as quickly, so I venture a glance over Miles' shoulder and see a parachute billowing above us. I look at Miles and he smiles at me. My heart leaps into my throat, and I don't think it's entirely because we just jumped from a barge that was thousands of feet up in the air.
As soon as we hit the ground I untangle myself from Miles and punch him in the shoulder.
"What was that?" I ask angrily.
"It's a micro parachute," Miles responds easily, pressing a button that retracts the parachute and harness back into the disc. "Blaine developed them in the innovation shop a few months ago. They automatically deploy at 2000 feet."
"Why didn't you tell me about those before you threw me off the edge of the barge?"
"I didn't want you to be alarmed," he says innocently, trying not to smile. I stare at him in disbelief until I notice Sabrina running over to us from where she landed. I turn and address her.
"Hey, what did you mean when you said the Governor was going to inject you with the 12-Hours Virus?"
Sabrina looks over at Miles. "You didn't tell her?"
Miles looks at the ground.
"Oh, great," Sabrina grumbles. "So I get to be the one to tell her that the virus is not a naturally occurring infection, but instead an agent engineered by the Governor to kill off non-Amplified people? I get to tell her that her father and a bunch of other innocent people didn't just die but were actually murdered?"
Miles looks slowly up at me.
"I guess so," he mutters.
Chapter 22
After a nearly silent ride back to the base, Miles and I are sitting alone and uncomfortable in the truck. When we arrived, Sabrina jumped out and headed directly to the kitchen. I guess she wasn't lying about being hungry. I don't really want to talk about the virus, but I can't think about anything else.
"You knew?" I ask sullenly, breaking the silence.
"Yeah."
"When did you find out?"
"I was suspicious even before I left our compound. When I joined the Dissenters and started watching surveillance of the Governor and the Restrainers, I saw that my doubts were confirmed."
"How does somebody get the virus?"
"They put the agent in the nutrition capsules. They don't have to be careful about where they distribute them, because if an Amplified person gets the virus, they can just cure it with their Amplifiers. But it seems like this last time was a more concentrated effort since the capsules were mostly sent to the schools."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, that's the thing, Mari. The Dissenters aren't really in the habit of just telling people this information. They let them find out for themselves."
I let that sink in. I think about all the things I've learned in the last few weeks. If someone had walked up to me when I first came here and told me that my mother and brother were spies, that my house was going to be blown up, that the 12-Hours Virus was created by the Governor, and that the Community used to have more sectors, including the North, that seceded, I would have laughed in their face. I wouldn't have believed them. But as I've found out these things little by little in different ways, it slowly paints a picture of how truly horrible the Community is. How could they have killed my father?
I sigh and get out of the truck, thinking about finding a quiet place to sit and calm my mind, maybe see if I can't try and fix my ancient music device. Miles comes up behind me and puts his hand on my shoulder.
"If you want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen," he says gently.
I turn around and look at him in bewilderment. He can be so confusing sometimes.
"I appreciate that," I respond, "but I'm sure you'd rather be spending time with Sabrina. You must have really missed her."
Miles furrows his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"Well, aren't you two ... together?" I venture.
Miles lets out a loud laugh, which echoes off the walls of the entry chamber.
"No," he answers definitively. "She's a great asset to the Dissenters, but personally, I can't stand her. Sabrina might want us to be together, but no, there's nothing between us besides training techniques and battle strategies."
I review all of the times I've seen Miles and Sabrina together. I guess all of the personal contact was initiated by Sabrina. I can't keep myself from smiling.
"Although, she does have her priorities straight," Miles adds, glancing up at me.
I'm not smiling anymore.
"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask indignantly.
"Well," Miles says carefully, "even though Sabrina grew up with the potential to have the best positions and the best Amplification, she had the brains to see how evil it all was and reject it."
"So you're saying I'm brainless?"
"No," he answers, "I'm just suggesting that maybe you have a little more trouble seeing right and wrong than Sabrina does."
I try to match Miles' level of calm, but it's difficult when I'm seething inside.
"Oh, I see. So this is why you never tried to recruit me to the Dissenters, because of my screwed up sense of morality? I know you're the one who brings everyone in. You honestly thought Brexlynn was more qualified to join the Dissenters than me? She couldn't wait to be Amplified!"
Miles shakes his head. "Brexlynn is easily swayed. With her sister here and her parents in prison, she won't have any trouble renouncing the Community. But you, Mari, you don't change your mind so easily. You're far too stubborn."
"Yeah," I retort, "that stubbornness saved my life a few times."
"If you weren't so stubborn, you wouldn't have gotten into those situations in the first place."
"Why do you care so much?"
Finally, Miles explodes.
"I had to watch you almost die o
ver and over!" He yells. "Do you know how much I hated that! All because you got Amplified! And you still want to be Amplified!"
"Of course I do!" I shout back, surprised at my own words. "I could do anything! It was exhilarating! I just didn't want to be controlled, and in the end that desire won out, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it! If there were no threat of the Override, I'd become Amplified again in a heartbeat!"
"Mari, your Amplification almost got me killed!"
"The Override almost got you killed!"
"No! It was your choice to become Amplified without thinking through all of the consequences that almost got me killed! It was your selfishness, your desire to be like everybody else that ultimately led to you pointing a gun at me!"
I'm so angry, I'm shaking. "You have no idea how much self control it took for me to go against the Override and not shoot you in the head that night!"
Miles rushes at me. I'm so startled that I try to back away, but I run into the wall. His face is inches from mine.
"Don't talk to me about self control," he says, his voice hushed and fervent. "For three years I watched you, Mari, watched you live your life without me, watched you forget about me, watched you make decisions that embedded you deeper into the Community. For three years I wanted to go to you, to see you, to talk to you, to tell you how I feel. But I couldn't, because there are more important things at stake than how I feel about some girl."
A moment of charged silence passes. I don't know if I should be angry or flattered.
"And how do you feel?" I ask hesitantly.
"More than I want to," he admits, his intense eyes looking straight into mine. I almost forget to breathe. He moves in closer, sliding one hand around my back and the other behind my neck. He lowers his lips to mine and I close my eyes, ready to take him all in.
But the next moment, he's gone.
I open my eyes and see that Miles is across the room, his body stiff and his hands balled into fists.
"Self control is made up of hundreds of choices," he says shakily. "The more you resist, the stronger you become."
He walks away, and it takes all of my resolve to keep myself from screaming in frustration.
Chapter 23
"You can really find water with this?" Brexlynn asks, waving around a metal pole with several prongs on the end.
"Yes," Blaine answers, carefully taking the pole from her, "and it's very fragile."
"You made all this stuff?" She marvels, walking around and touching almost everything, much to Blaine's irritation.
"Not everything, but a lot of it," he responds. "Would you please return to the table so you can help us with this motor?"
Brexlynn and I have spent the morning in the innovation shop assembling duplicates of some of Blaine's inventions. It's been incredibly tedious, but I didn't want to go to training after the argument I had with Miles. Every time I've seen him since then my head starts pounding with anger, so I figured it'd be best to avoid him. Brexlynn reluctantly comes back to the table and we each grip a side of the motor as Blaine screws in the last few bolts.
"Beautiful," he proclaims as he inspects the competed mechanism.
"What is it for?" Brexlynn asks.
Blaine smiles mischievously. "Would you like to see?"
"Sure."
We follow Blaine down several corridors until we get to a huge enclosure that's filled with farm equipment.
"Did you steal these from my compound?" I ask, recognizing several of the big machines.
"No," he responds impatiently, "I built them based on the ones from your compound."
He disappears under one of the tractors to install the motor.
I turn to Blexlynn. "What's it been like in the Community these past few weeks?"
"It's been terrible Mari," she whispers, her eyes glazing over as if she's seeing it all again. "People are weak and desperate from starvation, and the Amplified have been doing some really crazy stuff as part of the Override Program."
"Yeah, we saw some of that from the surveillance," I say quickly, not wanting to recall the horrific images.
"That's what made me change my mind about getting Amplified," Brexlynn admits. "I can't imagine anything good can come of Amplification if people end up acting like that."
I'm about to respond, but I'm cut off by a loud noise. Blaine has started up the tractor and is driving it around the enclosure, but it doesn't drive like a normal tractor. He's careening around at dangerous speeds, and I'm afraid he's going to flip over during several sharp turns. As he passes near us, the vehicle lifts off the ground and is airborne for a few seconds before bouncing back onto the dirt floor. Whatever he did to that motor gave the tractor a freakish amount of power. Finally, he skids to a stop right in front of us, spraying dirt in our faces. He jumps down from the tractor, looking exhilarated.
"That was awesome!" Brexlynn shouts. "Can I try?"
Blaine's expression shifts from ecstatic to severe. "Absolutely not."
____________
The music from my ancient device is putting me to sleep. I had Blaine fix it a few days ago, and I'm really glad it's working again. It's almost time for dinner, but I don't know if I'm going to make it. Usually I would be spending this time doing extra training with Miles, but the past few days I've been in the library or laying on my bed listening to music like I am right now. I glance around the dwelling space they've assigned me. There's not many things of interest to look at and the room is incredibly small, but it's nice to have some privacy. Despite how bland it is, I really like the space, especially since I might end up living here for good now that our house is gone.
Suddenly the door opens and my mother walks part of the way in. I remove the wires of my device from my ears and sit up on my bed.
"Oh, you are here," my mother says. "I was knocking for a while, but there was no answer."
"Sorry, mom, I didn't hear you. I was listening to music."
"Oh." She stands awkwardly in the doorway. I really haven't seen her much, she's been spending so much time planning with the committee. "Can I come in?"
"Of course." I stand up and lead her over to the bed, then sit beside her.
"Mari, I just wanted to apologize," she says, reaching up and stroking my hair. "I know all this has been difficult for you and we probably should have told you earlier, but I didn't want you to be in danger."
"How would I have been in danger?"
She sighs. "The Restrainers were getting closer to discovering me every day, and it was only a matter of time before they came for all of us. Your ignorance would likely have saved you. I had a lot of responsibilities with the Dissenters, but I went to great lengths to protect my children."
My breath catches as I comprehend the full gravity of my mom's sacrifice.
"You chose to remain blind to protect us?"
"Yes."
Tears are streaming down my face before I'm even aware that I'm crying. I wrap my arms around my mother, realizing that no amount of hugs or kind words will be able to repay her for what she's done for me. After a few minutes, I pull away.
"So this is why you never became Amplified? Because you've been a Dissenter all this time?"
"Actually, Mari, your father and I founded the Dissenters."
"What? Seriously?"
"Yes, along with Roxy and a few others," she says casually. "We saw how dangerous the Amplifiers were for the Community and decided to start a covert group that protected the ability to choose freely."
"So that's why you guys are always after those Override machines."
"Well, yes, that's a big part of our mission, but we also do small things to try to help other people see the downfalls of the Amplification system."
I suddenly remember something that resonates with this. "That's what Brexlynn's parents were trying to do."
"That's right," my mother affirms. "Unfortunately, they tried to convince too many of the wrong people."
I absently rub the tip of my shortened finger. It's
hard to believe that the Dissenters started out with just my parents and a few other people and have grown to this.
"So did you guys build this place?" I ask.
My mom smiles. "Sort of. This was a huge system of caves that we found a while back. Our headquarters was very simple back then. Over the years we've built and added to it to accommodate new people and operations. Your father actually made the tables and benches in the dining hall."
I feel tears filling my eyes again. I'm relieved that some of my father's work has survived. My mother is looking wistful. I realize that this base is probably as much of a home to my mother as our house was. Maybe that's why it wasn't that difficult for her to blow it up. She's been very candid with me, I wonder how much longer she'll answer my questions.
"Mom," I start timidly, "why is Miles so important to the Dissenters?"
Her expression changes. She bites her lip. "Miles is an incredibly skilled young man and he has done a lot of great work for us. The reason we try so hard to protect him, however, is because the Governor wants him so badly. He has broken so many of the Community's laws that if he were caught, there would be no mercy. With all the technology they have at their disposal, they would force Miles to become one of their most effective weapons."
I shiver. Miles is very strong willed, but I doubt that even he could withstand the Governor's arsenal of mind-controlling technology.
"It's too bad it's all coming to this," I say regretfully. "I mean, the Override is awful, but if we could just have the Amplifiers alone-"
"Mari," my mom interrupts, "even without the Override, the Amplifiers are poisonous to a person's ability to survive. No one should be completely dependent on themselves. When their abilities cease, so does their will to live." There's a tone of finality in her voice, and I realize that our conversation is over.
"Let's go," she says, standing up. "We're late for dinner."
As we walk to the dining hall, I mull over all the information my mother has just shared with me. I'm so lost in my thoughts that I almost don't hear Felix yelling from the surveillance room.
"Help! Somebody get Roxy quick! She needs to see this!"
The Dissenters Page 10