The Uprising: The Forsaken Trilogy

by Lisa M. Stasse

  “You can’t go any farther,” he says. “You have to wait here because—”

  “She’s coming with me,” Liam interrupts. “To say good-bye.”

  The guard lowers his hand and looks at me. “You sure you want to?”

  “Of course,” I tell him. “Why not?”

  He shrugs. “Fine. This way, then. But don’t say I didn’t warn you about the cold.” With those words, he starts walking again, up the tunnel. Liam and I follow close behind.

  “Are we traveling by boat? Submarine? Helicopter?” Liam asks him.

  “You’ll see soon enough,” the guard calls back to us.

  “I’m getting sick of hearing that,” I mutter.

  As we keep walking, I feel the air getting colder. Liam puts his arm around me, and I snuggle into him.

  The hall comes to a dead end in a small room with a low ceiling. It has black-and-white checkered tiles on the walls and the floor. I glance around. Ancient-looking electrical switches hang on the wall to our left, with red wires dangling loose from them. The guard presses a black button attached to a metal switch box.

  “Get ready,” he says.

  And then, a moment later, the entire ceiling of the room begins sliding back, letting in drifts of snow and chunks of ice. Freezing air instantly floods the space, blowing back my hair. It’s nearly as cold in here as it was inside the gray zone back on the wheel.

  The guard folds a metal ladder down from one of the walls. “Up and out,” he says. “No time to waste.” Liam moves over to the ladder and helps me up. He and the guard are right behind me as I climb to the surface. I curl my fingers up inside the sleeves of my thin jacket, so I don’t touch the metal with my bare skin.

  I crawl out onto the ice and stand up. The biting wind cuts through my clothing, making me shiver.

  I look around, my eyes narrowed against the light. It’s not sunny—just gray. But the light is reflected off the white landscape, making everything overwhelming bright. My teeth are already chattering.

  Liam is at my side. He gives me his heavy jacket, and I put it around my shoulders.

  I glance behind me and see the massive concrete walls of Southern Arc a few hundred feet away. The strange tiled tunnels must stretch well beyond the confines of its walls. I wonder how far the tunnels run underneath these ice fields.

  “Check it out,” Liam says, nudging me, and I follow his gaze.

  To our left, a huge, black military-style helicopter with two sets of rotors sits on the ice. It looks old, like maybe it’s been here since the base was founded. I see metal patches riveted onto one side. They look like they’re covering old bullet holes.

  Guards move around the helicopter, brushing off snow and ice. And in their midst, dressed in white furs, black gloves, and boots, stands Dr. Barrett, barking out orders to his men.

  “Come on,” the guard says to Liam, heading in the direction of the waiting helicopter. “It’s time.” But I’m not ready for Liam to leave yet.

  “I can’t believe we’re saying good-bye to each other,” I murmur, huddling against the freezing wind, suddenly realizing what we’re doing. Am I crazy to let Liam go? More than anything, I want him to stay—or I want to go with him on the journey. I didn’t know that making the right choice would feel this hard. I wonder if it’s too late to change my mind or make Liam change his.

  “If you want me to stay, I’ll stay,” Liam says, like he’s heard my thoughts. His breath is warm against my cheek.

  I hug him tighter. “I know. But you’d end up hating me for it.”

  “I could never hate you.”

  “Maybe not. But I’d hate myself.” I pull back from him. “So I’m not giving you a choice.” I begin stripping off the coat he gave me, despite the cold. “You’ll need this on your trip.”

  The helicopter rotors start up with a clatter, kicking up bits of ice.

  “Liam!” Dr. Barrett calls out, his voice barely audible over the noise. “Aren’t you coming?”

  “Go,” I prompt, handing him the coat. “Find your dad. I’ll see you back on the wheel.”

  We kiss. His lips are warm and soft. I could stay like this forever. But the moment comes to an end.

  “Be safe,” he tells me, staring into my eyes. “I don’t know what kind of communication system they’ll have on the helicopter, or on my dad’s hydrofoil, but I’ll try to contact you and send a message. And don’t be too trusting when it comes to Cass, or anyone else. Keep your guard up, like you did when you first got to the wheel.”

  “I will. But only if you do the same when it comes to Dr. Barrett,” I tell him.

  “Agreed.”

  The noise of the helicopter gets louder. The guards are waving impatiently for Liam to get on board.

  “You better go back inside where it’s warm,” Liam says, slipping his coat on.

  We kiss a final time.

  Then we let go of each other, and Liam starts jogging toward the waiting helicopter.

  Without him there, the cold wind kicks back in. It’s so intense that I crouch down, trying to shield myself from it. Liam reaches the helicopter, turns back and waves at me, and then climbs on board. I see the helicopter door swing shut behind him.

  Almost immediately, the helicopter begins to lift off from the ice. I stand up and wave, hoping that Liam can see me through the windows. I can’t see him anymore. The light of the sky reflects off the curved glass. I keep waving anyway. The helicopter flies higher, heading due north.

  I stand there watching it depart.

  Soon, the helicopter is just a speck in the clouds. I can’t believe that Liam is gone. I shut my eyes, telling myself that it’s going to be okay. That Liam will help save his dad, and that we’ll reconvene on the wheel without any problems. I’m just not sure that I believe it.

  A guard emerges from the hole in the ground behind me. “You’ll get frostbite,” he says. “Come back inside.”

  Freezing, I trudge over to the opening. I quickly descend the icy ladder, glad to be out of the wind.

  I step onto the tiled floor, barely able to feel my fingers and toes. I glance back at the guard. He’s closing the opening to the outside world. Sealing us inside Southern Arc again.

  I begin walking back down the tunnel toward the rest of the station.

  As I walk, Liam’s absence hits me like a physical pain in my chest. Liam is really gone. I want to race back up and out of the base, and chase after the helicopter—as crazy as that sounds.

  I’m crying, but I fight the tears back down. I vow that I will save my tears for when Liam and I are reunited again, and they will be tears of happiness.

  I reach the main hallway. My arms and legs are tingling from the warmth of the station. I take a deep breath. I feel very alone and out of place here now. I haven’t been this alone since I first woke up on the wheel, before I met David. And that was a terrifying time.

  I step into the hallway and start walking down it, heading to one of the large chambers. I decide that I need to find Cass and Emma. The least I can do while Liam is away is try to learn as much as I can about what’s happened on the wheel since we left it. And the key to doing that involves finding out more about David.

  It doesn’t take me long to locate Cass. She’s in the cafeteria, sitting at a table next to one of the three thuggish boys with shaved heads. The one with the eye patch. Cass sees me coming and nudges him with her elbow. He looks up at me.

  “Hey there,” I say, feeling awkward. Before, I always had Liam at my side.

  “ ‘Hey’ yourself,” Cass says. The boy doesn’t say anything.

  I slowly take a seat across from them. “You heard anything more from David?” I ask.

  “Maybe.” She pauses. “Where’s Liam?”

  I hesitate. I’m about to lie, but then I realize that she’ll learn the truth soon enough. “He left the station. He’s gone with Dr. Barrett to find his dad, who got stranded halfway here after Base Lerato was bombed.”

  Cass nods somber
ly. “I hope he succeeds.”

  The boy next to her suddenly reaches out a hand across the table, startling me. “My name’s Alun,” he says. “Spelled with a u.”

  I shake his hand. He grins sheepishly. His unexpected smile makes him look sort of goofy and endearing instead of bulky and menacing. “Sorry if I’ve been kind of rude to you. Cass told me not to say much when Liam was around. Not to make Liam mad. He’s got a reputation.”

  I want to laugh. If they knew Liam like I do, then they’d know that there was nothing to worry about. But of course to the drones, Liam is a fearsome warrior. A killer. “No problem,” I say to Alun, nodding. “You drones have a reputation too.”

  “Former drones,” Cass corrects me. She runs a hand through her short hair. I see more old scars on the insides of her arms. They’re the remnants of deep horizontal cuts, and they look self-inflicted. “We’re still going to meet tonight,” she continues. “But later than dinner. Just a few of us. To talk about David, and about the scientists’ plan for Island Alpha.”

  “Can’t you just tell me now?”

  She gestures at the tiled walls. “I learned my lesson at Destiny Station. Someone might be listening—or watching.”

  I follow her gaze. I only see the omnipresent checkered tiles. But I’m sure she’s right. I feel like no matter where we are, we’re constantly under some kind of surveillance. Why should it be any different here?

  I nod. “Fine. Tell me what you can.”

  Cass leans forward, and gestures for me to do the same. “I’ll come and get you late tonight, at two-fifteen in the morning,” she whispers in my ear, her words barely audible. “We’re going to break into one of the communication centers and meet up there.”

  “Break in?” I say. “Are you serious?”

  Cass shushes me.

  I lower my voice. “We’ll get caught,” I whisper. “They’ll think we’re spies and lock us up! Dr. Barrett’s guards are incredibly paranoid, or haven’t you noticed?”

  “Breaking into places and stealing stuff is something I do pretty well,” Cass says. She doesn’t sound proud of these skills, but she doesn’t sound guilty either. Just matter-of-fact. “Be ready at two fifteen, okay? If you’re interested, that is.”

  I glance over at Alun. He smiles at me encouragingly.

  “I’m taking a risk here,” I say to Cass. “This could be a trap.”

  Cass sighs. “Listen, most of us drones acted the way we did on the wheel because of the UNA drugs. You got lucky, and the drugs didn’t affect you the same way. But do we seem crazy or wild to you now?”

  “Breaking into a control room here sounds kind of crazy, or at least pretty dangerous.”

  “We want the same things you do,” Alun adds softly, sounding almost wistful. He gazes at me with his one good eye. “To get our friends back from the jungle and from the archive. We think that David is the only person on the entire wheel who the scientists are able to communicate with.”

  “How do you know that?” I ask.

  “It’s just what we’ve heard,” he replies cryptically. “We don’t know why, or how exactly.”

  Cass leans forward and whispers, “Tonight, we’re going to try to get the communication system up and running ourselves. See if we can talk to David directly.”

  “How will we get past the guards? I assume the communication center is watched around the clock.”

  “I’ll take care of that.”

  “And if we do get caught? We’ll need a good excuse.”

  Cass nods. “I’ll create a distraction and take the blame. The rest of you can run.”

  I look at her and then at Alun. “Okay,” I sigh. “I’m in.”

  Cass grins. “I knew you would be.”

  Alun gestures at the refectory behind us. “Want some food?”

  “I’m not hungry,” I tell him. My stomach feels sick over Liam.

  “You should eat now, before they tighten the rationing,” Cass says. “I heard that’s coming next.” She stands up.

  Alun does too, swigging the last of his water.

  “See you tonight,” Cass says. Then she pauses and adds, “But if you tell anyone about our plan, we’ll find out. And then everything’s off.”

  “I don’t have anyone here to tell,” I murmur honestly.

  I watch as Cass and Alun walk away from me. Right now, I’m missing Liam more than ever. And Gadya, Rika, David, Markus, and everyone else. Even Meira. Not to mention my own mom. I still don’t know if she’s really safe, despite Dr. Barrett’s words. I wonder when she’ll arrive here. I feel like at Destiny Station I was just getting used to being alive and free again, and it was ripped out from under me before I could enjoy it.

  I walk over to one of the canteens and get my ration of water. I drink it down in a few gulps. I hope Cass is right about being able to communicate with David. A million questions for him run through my mind.

  First, I want to know if he’s okay. Second, I want to know how he escaped from that feeler. And third, I want to know how he’s in communication with the scientists and the guards at Southern Arc. The more secrets we can figure out together, the greater our chance of success when we return to the wheel.

  As I leave the cafeteria, I look around for Emma—or anyone else I know—but I don’t see any familiar faces. So I decide to use the rest of the day to explore as much of the station as I can without getting stopped by the guards. I stroll down the tiled halls, trying to project an air of confidence. I’m looking for the underground greenhouse, desperate to get a glimpse of something green and alive in this barren place.

  The hallways seem endless, all lit by naked fluorescent light-bulbs. Every now and then, guards on patrol pass me by, as do other residents of the base and streams of refugees from Destiny Station.

  I occasionally see groups of kids too. Former villagers, but no one that I know. For a moment, I’m tempted to join up with some of them. Most of them look pretty friendly. But I don’t want to waste any time right now.

  I keep walking, descending a short staircase.

  I arrive at a low, narrow tunnel, curved on either side. There are fewer people here, and a loud thrumming noise fills the air. It gets louder the farther I walk. I eventually reach a series of large steel doors, guarded by men with AK-47 assault rifles.

  “What are you doing down here?” one of the guards calls out to me, as I try to blithely stroll past him.

  “Going for a walk,” I say.

  “You can’t be down here.”

  “Why not?” I glance at the steel doors. “What’s behind there?”

  “Generators and batteries,” the guard says warily.

  “Where does the fuel for Southern Arc even come from?” I ask, realizing that it must take a huge amount of energy to power this station.

  “Everyone always asks that,” the guard says. “It’s from renewable sources. Solar power, turbines, and water. We have a windmill array not far from here, and underwater turbines offshore. Our generators convert the power harnessed by those sources into electricity.”

  I nod.

  “Now get back to wherever you came from.” He gestures up the short flight of stairs dismissively. “Go.”

  I want to keep moving forward. I can see that the tunnel extends farther into the distance. And the noise of the generators gets even louder down there. But now other guards are watching me closely, and I don’t want to draw too much attention to myself.

  “Thanks a bunch,” I say, faking politeness, as I head back toward the stairs.

  I wonder if the communication rooms are somewhere down this hallway, past the generators. I haven’t stumbled across them so far.

  But I know that tonight I will have my chance to find them. And if everything goes well, I will get an opportunity to talk to David again and try to unravel some of the mysteries that haunt me so deeply.

  9TRANSMISSION

  THAT NIGHT, I SIT huddled on a bunk bed in a room with twelve other refugees from Destiny Station. I�
��m unable to sleep, knowing that Cass and Alun will be coming for me at two fifteen. For a while, I’m worried that the other occupants of the room won’t be asleep at that hour either. They shuffle and twist, flailing on narrow bunks as they try to find sleep. Some of them have nightmares, crying out and then waking up, just to repeat the cycle again.

  I can’t stop thinking about Liam. I wonder where he is right now, and if he’s okay. Is he close to finding his father yet? I hope he’s thinking about me, too.

  I wonder what he would advise me to do right now. Maybe I’m making a huge mistake by listening to Cass. I could always ignore her and pretend to be asleep tonight. But my need to find out more about what happened to David outweighs my fear.

  To pass the time, I flip through some pages of The Myth of Sisyphus, hoping to find some guidance there. The paperback copy is old and some of the pages are missing. As I skim through it, a phrase catches my eye: “There is scarcely any passion without struggle.” From my experiences on the wheel, I know this to be true.

  I’m about to read more, but the fluorescent lights only stay on until eleven, when they abruptly cut off. We’re plunged into semidarkness. Only a red exit light above the door provides any light. I assume this is a way to conserve power. I can barely see the hands of the old analog clock hanging on the wall near the exit, so I close my book and put it down.

  Finally, one by one, the other people in the room fall asleep. I can hear their deep breathing and their snores. I lie there on the bunk under a thin gray blanket. My clothes are on, including my boots.

  I grow increasingly nervous as two fifteen grows near. I keep staring at the clock. I feel like my adrenaline is the only thing keeping me awake and alert. I wonder if Cass will even show up for me. Maybe she’ll have second thoughts about inviting me along.

  But then, precisely at two fifteen, there’s a soft knock at the door. I pull the blanket off me and sit up slowly on my bunk, making as little noise as possible. I gently lower my boots onto the ground.

  The knock comes again. It’s so soft that if I weren’t waiting for it, I might not have heard it. I stand up and walk to the door as quietly as I can. I take hold of the handle and turn it, swinging the door inward.