The Uprising: The Forsaken Trilogy

by Lisa M. Stasse

  Liam tenses up. I can tell he’s getting ready to fight again.

  “We’ll think about it,” I say quickly, taking hold of Liam’s hand. My mind is racing. I don’t want to turn down an opportunity to talk about rescuing our friends. Even if it involves working with drones. Or sneaking outside.

  Cass nods. She motions for the boys behind her to back down. “If you decide you want to meet, then follow me after the concert tonight.” She pauses. “There’s a secret set of underground tunnels. They open into a nearby cave in the dunes. The scientists don’t know that we use it to meet. I’ll take you both there.”

  “Sounds like a good place to get ambushed,” Liam says.

  “Actually, there’ll be some villagers there too. You’ll see. If you’re willing to take the chance.” She glances at me. “And I might even have some information about your friend David Aberley.”

  I can’t hide my shocked expression. “David? How do you know about him?”

  Cass gives me an enigmatic smile. “Meet us tonight if you want to find out. We really need your help—or we wouldn’t be asking.” She pivots on one heel, turning back to the boys. With a final glare, the boys turn around too. The group slowly starts walking away.

  I look over at Liam. “I assume we’re going to meet them tonight?” I ask softly. “Given what they seem to know.”

  He nods reluctantly. “They could have a trap waiting. We’ll need to come prepared.” He’s staring after them. “But I hope they’re telling the truth. If they’re not, I’ll make sure they pay for everything that happened to us back on the wheel.”

  “Same here.” But I’m also thinking that if they’re telling the truth, then we’re in more trouble than I thought. They’ve been at Destiny Station longer than we have. And if they don’t believe that the scientists are going to liberate the wheel in time, then they might have good reason to think so. I need to talk to my mom and see if I can get some answers. Cass doesn’t seem crazy or brainwashed to me. And she knows about David somehow.

  “I want to hear these kids out,” I tell Liam. “But I’m ready to fight if things go haywire. We should bring some knives.”

  Liam suddenly smiles at my words, like he can’t help it. “That sounds like something I would say. We can grab a couple from the kitchen.” His smile fades. “I’m sure the drones will have weapons too.”

  We start walking to the elevator again. I don’t have long before the concert, until I’m on stage in front of everyone with my guitar. And music is the very last thing I’m thinking about.

  Instead, I’m thinking about David. On the wheel, after he was taken by a feeler, he just vanished. There was no sign of him on any computer system when we reached the observation deck at the specimen archive. It was like he’d completely fallen off the grid. If Cass has any answers about his disappearance, I need to hear them. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him.

  I exhale slowly, realizing that I’ve been holding my breath. Between the machine attacking us today and the ex-drones, I’m starting to realize that the politics of Destiny Station might be just as complicated as those on the wheel—and staying here might prove just as deadly.

  3DESCENT

  AN HOUR LATER, I still can’t stop thinking about our encounter with Cass and her friends. I know that I’m going to have to clear my mind for a while, or the concert is going to be a disaster. It’s only half an hour away, and I’ve just finished getting dressed. I walk across my living quarters, my bare feet padding on the cold rock floor.

  I tap on the sliding door between my room and Liam’s. “I’m ready,” I say. “C’mon.”

  Liam slides the door open.

  “Wow,” he says, hesitating for a moment when he sees me.

  “What? Is something wrong?”

  He doesn’t move. “You look beautiful.”

  I feel myself starting to blush. “Cut it out. I do not. Get over here and zip me up.”

  He steps into my room and slides the door shut. He walks up behind me. Then I feel his strong hands brush against my back as he slowly zips up my dress. It’s one that my mother gave me the first week I arrived here, when she was helping me gather some clothing. I don’t know where or how she found something so luxurious. Maybe someone here made it. Or maybe it was donated years ago by the Australian government.

  I adjust myself in the dress, trying to get comfortable. It feels too tight in the wrong places. “I look terrible,” I mutter. I push back my hair, trying to flatten it. Shampoo is limited here, like so many other things. “I’m a mess.”

  Liam gently takes my elbow and steers me over to a small circular mirror hanging on one of the rock walls. “Look,” he says softly.

  I gaze into the mirror and lower my hands.

  The girl staring back at me doesn’t look like one I’ve known very much. Not in the UNA, and definitely not on the wheel. The girl in the mirror has surprisingly decent hair, and is wearing a knee-length, flowing blue dress with a beaded neckline. The girl almost looks glamorous. Almost.

  “Okay, I’m officially embarrassed,” I mumble, glancing away.

  Liam pulls me toward him. “Don’t be. You look fantastic.”

  “You better not expect me to always look this good,” I tell him. “It’s not like I’m Meira or something.” I can’t help but think of her right now. Meira was the only girl in our village on the wheel who always looked good—with spotless clothes, perfect skin, and sleek blond hair.

  “You’re way better-looking than Meira.” Liam gazes into my eyes. “To me, you always look great.”

  I lean up and kiss him. Softly at first, my lips pressing gently against his. He kisses me back, hungrily. I pull him closer to me, feeling the muscles under his shirt. I also feel his hands moving up and down my body, caressing me.

  But then I tear myself away from him, worried. I can’t lose track of time now.

  “What is it?” he asks, looking bemused.

  “I’m nervous. I’ve never played in public before, and some of these other kids have. I really don’t want to screw up.”

  “There’s no chance of that happening, believe me.” Liam looks around, like he has just remembered something important. “Wait—Do I need to get dressed up too? Is this like some fancy dress thing?”

  I laugh. “No, you’re fine. Unless you want to join me onstage. Only the performers get dressed up.”

  He looks relieved. “Good. I don’t have any clothes except jeans and T-shirts.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” I tease him. “Besides, that’s your choice. They’ve got plenty of decent old clothes here in the stockroom. Or one of the scientists could loan you something.” Then I glance at the clock on the wooden bedside table. “It’s six forty. We better get going.”

  My mouth is starting to go dry. And not just because of the concert. I’m nervous about what’s going to happen afterward—when we meet up with Cass. Liam managed to sneak two sharp knives from the kitchen, and he’s hidden them both in a homemade ankle sheath.

  I pick up my guitar from the bed with one hand, wishing I had a case for it. But there isn’t one. I just feel lucky that there are any instruments here at all.

  Liam holds out his hand and I take it.

  “Come this way,” he says.

  He leads me out of the room and into the rock tunnel. The tunnels are more crowded than before, with a mix of kids and adults. A lot of people are heading for the cavernous underground space where the concert will be held. It’s the size of an auditorium. The scientists often use it for meetings and presentations, but tonight it will be our theater.

  “Look,” Liam says, noticing someone up ahead in the tunnel. “It’s her.”

  I follow his gaze and see Cass. She’s walking side by side with another girl. One with long, dirty-blond hair, wearing a yellow dress. Possibly a former villager. There’s no sign of the three menacing boys that accompanied Cass earlier.

  “Let me go talk to her,” I tell Liam quickly, sensing an oppo
rtunity. “I’ll see if I can find out more about their plan for tonight.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “No, stay. Cass might be more open if it’s just us girls.”

  Liam nods. “Okay. But be careful, because I definitely don’t trust her yet. Just look for me in the audience.” He shoots me a grin. “Front row, of course.”

  I smile back and give him a quick kiss. Then I move forward, negotiating the rock tunnel with my bulky guitar. “Cass!” I call out, trying to catch up to her. “Wait for me!”

  She turns around when she finally hears my voice, and she pauses for a second with her friend. “So, have you decided?” she whispers when I reach her. “Are you and Liam coming tonight?”

  I nod. “Yeah. Why not?”

  Her friend glances my way, pushing blond hair away from her oval face. She has friendly green eyes, and she’s wearing tortoiseshell glasses. “I’m Emma Sivertson,” she says with a shy wave. “From a village in the blue sector, just north of you.”

  As we start walking again, I introduce myself. But it turns out she already knows my name from Cass. We head toward a flight of narrow stairs, chiseled into the rocks, leading down to the lowest level.

  “I’m glad you and Liam are going to hang out with us tonight,” Emma murmurs.

  “So you and Cass are friends?” I ask her, unable to suppress my curiosity.

  Cass laughs slightly. “Yeah. Imagine that. A drone and a villager. Shocking, I know.”

  “Things are really different here than on the wheel,” Emma adds. “Honest.”

  “I hope that’s true,” I tell her.

  We start descending the staircase. I hold my guitar close to my chest so that it doesn’t bang against the rock walls and get damaged. I glance back, trying to catch a glimpse of Liam. But he’s gone from view in the crowd.

  I notice that Emma is gripping a small wooden case with one hand. She sees me looking at it. “Flute,” she says. She gestures at Cass. “Cassie’s a singer. Doesn’t need anything but a microphone.”

  “And an audience,” Cass adds.

  “Yeah, that helps,” Emma replies.

  I can sense the closeness between these two girls, despite their different backgrounds on the wheel. Their friendship makes me optimistic. It also makes me miss Gadya more than ever. I wish that she were here with me and Liam right now. She didn’t deserve to get stranded on the wheel. Not after everything she did to help us.

  We enter a wider hallway, with a mob of kids and adults surging around us. Up ahead, I see the entrance to the large auditorium. Everyone is heading inside. I want to ask Cass more questions about our upcoming meeting tonight, but there are just too many people around. So I stay silent.

  I walk through the open metal doors with the rest of the crowd, side by side with Cass and Emma. The space beyond the doors is large and warm. According to Vargas-Ruiz, it’s a natural cavern that the scientists discovered years ago under a section of the mesa, when they were digging their tunnels.

  The chamber is about forty feet deep and sixty feet wide. Lights have been hung in clusters above us in the ceiling, like primitive chandeliers. And benches have been cut into the rock to provide seats. At the other end of the cave is a raised wooden platform. It’s painted black and resembles a stage.

  I glance up and see that beyond the lights, huge metal rafters support the ceiling. The walls are also buttressed by riveted steel beams, much like the ones I saw on level five. It looks safe here. I get the feeling that this cave could be used as a bunker against assaults or bombing raids.

  I walk down one of the aisles alongside Cass and Emma. An older man is guiding all of us performers to an area behind the stage.

  “They’re trying to make us feel like we’re regular kids again,” Cass mutters. “But we’ve been on the wheel. We’ve seen what life is really about.”

  I know exactly what Cass means. It’s uncomfortable to act normal again, like I’m putting on a fake personality.

  “I really don’t want to be here right now,” Cass continues, sounding frustrated. “It’s a waste of time.”

  “Didn’t you sign up for this?” I ask.

  Cass laughs. “Yeah, but I’m regretting it right about now.”

  Emma just looks at me. “Don’t be fooled by her bad attitude, Alenna. Cass loves singing. But she loves grumbling and complaining about stuff even more.”

  Cass snorts, but she doesn’t contradict Emma.

  The three of us keep walking down the aisle until we reach the steps leading to the backstage area. “This way, girls,” the older man says, guiding us up the stairs toward the room.

  It’s another natural cave—one that’s much smaller than the auditorium. A black curtain has been pulled partway in front of the opening to give us some privacy. I wonder if these caves are connected to the tunnel that Cass mentioned. The one that provides a secret passage out of Destiny Station. The scientists must know that the tunnel exists. They probably just don’t think anyone would be reckless enough to use it.

  As I step into the smaller cave, I look back. I catch a glimpse of Liam. He’s entered the auditorium, and is striding up to the front. Probably headed for the front row, just like he said. I wave at him, but he doesn’t see me. He looks preoccupied about something. Maybe even worried.

  Then I’m swept along backstage, and I lose sight of him. Maybe he’s thinking about our meeting tonight. Or maybe he’s thinking about his father, Octavio.

  Octavio was once a famous rebel leader, but he got kidnapped by UNA soldiers and disappeared. According to Vargas-Ruiz, there’s a chance he escaped and might be alive—living in another secret rebel base in the Highveld of South Africa. But no one has confirmed that to us yet. Communications between the rebel bases are sporadic and heavily encrypted, so that they don’t get intercepted by the UNA, or another government. The entire world remains at war, mainly due to the UNA’s ravenous desire to conquer the globe. Liam has been waiting for any news about his dad the whole time we’ve been at Destiny Station.

  I realize then that I don’t see any sign of my mom. She said she was coming tonight, but I also know that time becomes meaningless to her when she’s working. Just like it did when I was ten years old. Still, I hold out hope that she’ll make it. I want her to be proud of me. And I want to feel like I have a mother again.

  I take a seat backstage on a small bench. Cass and Emma settle on either side of me. Handwoven tapestries line the walls to keep this cave warm.

  “How are you feeling?” Cass asks me. “Got the jitters yet?”

  “I’ve had them for a while,” I admit. “You?”

  “Sure. This is only my third time onstage. Ever.” Then she leans in closer, her voice going to a whisper. “Don’t forget about our plan, okay? I mean, if you and Liam are really coming.”

  “How could I forget?” I ask. Then I pause. “Are you sure you know something about David? Like, what happened to him? Or where he is?”

  She nods. “Not everything. But something. You’ll see tonight in the caves.”

  “Can’t you tell me now?”

  “No, because then maybe you and Liam won’t show up.”

  Emma hushes us both. “Keep it down, Cass. The walls have ears.” She opens her carrying case and takes out her flute.

  Cass and I exchange a final glance. Then I start tuning my guitar, getting ready for my big debut.

  • • •

  Twenty minutes later, I find myself walking onstage with my guitar and guitar pick, my heart caught in my throat. The order of performers has been chosen randomly, by picking numbers out of a ceramic bowl. I’m the second person to go on. I was hoping I’d be closer to the end.

  The audience applauds as I reach the center of the stage, where a wooden stool awaits me, sitting in front of a microphone. I peer out and see Liam. He gives me a thumbs-up. I can’t help but smile back at him.

  It’s hard to see much beyond Liam. Two work lights have been propped up on either side of the stag
e like spotlights, to illuminate the performers. But they’re blinding. From what I can tell, the auditorium is about two thirds of the way full.

  I keep gazing beyond the lights as best I can, scanning the benches for my mom. There’s no sign of her. Typical, I think.

  But then I see the door at the back of the auditorium slide open, and a figure steps through the opening. I can tell right away that it’s her. I watch her take a seat as the door closes behind her. I’m relieved and grateful that she’s here. But now I’m even more nervous.

  I sit down on the stool and bring the microphone forward, up to my lips. There’s a brief snarl of feedback over the PA system. It dies down almost immediately.

  “Hey there,” I say tentatively into the microphone. My voice booms out into the echoey space. “I’m Alenna Shawcross. I’m new here. . . . And this is the very first time I’ve ever played for a crowd.” I’m not sure what else to say.

  The audience claps again. I lock eyes with Liam. I’m amazed that I’m so nervous. How can it feel harder to play music to a crowd than face down death on the wheel? I swallow hard, telling myself that it’s incredibly stupid to feel like this when so many serious things are going on in the outside world.

  I glance back into the smaller cave where the other kids are waiting to go on. The curtain is pulled back a few feet so that they can watch the show. I see Cass inside, smiling encouragingly. I still can’t tell if she’s going to turn out to be an ally or an enemy.

  I bring the microphone forward again, even closer to my mouth. “Okay, here we go,” I murmur, as my fingertips find their places on the frets. I stare at Liam again.

  My thoughts are tumbling into a nervous swirl. Maybe I shouldn’t be up here. Maybe I’m not good enough. I try to calm myself by taking slower breaths.

  I decide to just focus on Liam when I play, and pretend that the crowd isn’t there. That way, it will feel a lot easier. I know that Liam is on my side, no matter what. I sit back a bit on the stool and bring the guitar pick up to the strings.