The Uprising: The Forsaken Trilogy

by Lisa M. Stasse

  Other than the cliffs, the wheel looks just like I remembered it. A dense, tropical island with colorful flowers blooming everywhere in the jungle. The only difference is that in this sector, thick wisps of white fog roil over the landscape. But other than that, this could be the blue or orange sector. Teeming with animals and birds of great beauty—but hiding within it the madness and chaos created by the UNA and the drones.

  “Home sweet home,” Cass says sarcastically, as Emma joins us. Alun is right behind her.

  Our airship slows, now that we’re close to the island. I see the other nearby airships doing the same thing. Our compartment shakes for a moment and then settles down again. The speed of the propellers decreases even more.

  I’m scanning the sky for feelers. I’m also looking at the wheel for any sign of Dr. Barrett’s helicopter or Octavio’s hydrofoil. So far, I see nothing.

  I tell myself that they have to be down there somewhere, unless we’ve beaten them to the wheel. Maybe they’re hiding themselves until we arrive.

  I exhale, trying to force the fear out of my body. I’m shaking a bit, and my mouth is dry.

  I’ve been refusing to think about what life would be like for me if Liam didn’t make it back. I need to be strong now, or I’m not going to survive. I haven’t forgotten what a harsh, unforgiving place the wheel is. Liam and I barely escaped with our lives the last time we were on it.

  “Nervous?” Emma asks me gently.

  “Yeah. You?”

  She nods. “Very. Do you see our landing site yet?”

  I shake my head. “No.”

  She leans in and squints at the screen through her glasses. “Me neither.”

  Our craft keeps moving forward, over the shore and then over the cliffs. We’re trying to figure out where our fleet of airships will be touching down. We’re coming in low, so we can’t see everything clearly yet.

  Suddenly, there’s a loud cracking noise outside our compartment. Alarms start going off. I haven’t heard any alarms on this airship, not during the whole six days that I’ve been on it. This is not a good sign.

  “Feelers?” Cass asks urgently. “Or maybe fireworks from the drones?”

  I keep watching the screen. Everyone is rushing around, trying to see out the windows. The noise didn’t sound like feelers or fireworks to me.

  The sound comes again. Louder this time. A few people get frightened by it, and they cry out. The alarms continue blaring.

  “Take your seats!” one of the guards yells.

  “What’s going on?” I ask him.

  He doesn’t answer. Our airship just keeps moving forward. The pilot lowers our altitude even more.

  “Birds!” Alun exclaims in a rush of understanding. “It’s just birds. Look.” He starts laughing with relief.

  I stare at the screen, and then feel a flood of relief too. He’s right. We’re passing through a flock of seagulls. They’re hitting against the skin of the airship, making the strange thumping sounds that echo down to us in the compartment.

  Emma looks pale. She wipes sweat from her forehead.

  “Deep breaths,” Cass is telling her.

  We keep moving lower. Our ship is in the lead now, heading down to the wheel with the others trailing behind and above us.

  “Look down there,” I say. We’re rushing past the tops of green trees shrouded in banks of white fog. I’m amazed that we haven’t been attacked by feelers yet.

  I finally see something far ahead of us. It’s a gigantic open patch of land in the jungle nearly a mile long, and at least half a mile wide. It has a cliff covered with trees on the left-hand side of it, and thick jungle surrounding the other sides below.

  This must be our landing site.

  As we get closer, I see why this area is so flat and empty. The whole region has been burned to the ground. The trees have been incinerated, and transformed into ash and rubble. Even some of the ones left standing around the edges of the clearing are blackened and dead.

  Our airship keeps moving forward, coming in lower. Everyone is staring out the windows or at the view screens. I’m waiting for a feeler to locate us and explode into action. But it doesn’t happen.

  As I peer at the view screen, I suddenly see a ragged figure emerge from the dead trees and stumble into the scorched wilderness. My heart instantly starts beating faster. The figure staggers through the thin fog that drifts across the field, and begins waving at our airship. Is it Liam? David? I squint to see, my heart pounding.

  The figure keeps waving. Signaling for us to land. The person is obviously trying to steer us into position. He can barely stand up, and his clothes are tattered.

  As we get closer, I realize who it is with certainty.

  “David!” I say.

  “No way!” Cass says, leaning in to look at the figure. “You’re right. It’s him. He’s helping us down.”

  Our airship moves closer to the ground. This whole area is completely deserted, except for David and the tendrils of fog. Maybe the fire drove everyone else out. Or maybe this is one of those desolate patches on the wheel that David once told me about, when he suggested that we run away together and form our own colony. The kind of place that few drones or villagers call home. I sometimes still think about David’s offer, although I’m not sure why.

  “Steady yourselves!” a guard yells, as our airship lists to one side. I grab on to a nearby railing. “We’re coming down fast!”

  I glance at the screen and see the other airships near us descending as well. We’re going to be landing in this huge, scorched field. I can’t wait to get off this ship and see David again. I’ve missed him so much. Against the odds, he has survived.

  We keep moving until we near the ground. Guards fling open hatches beneath the gun turrets and start throwing down ropes with pointed weights attached to the bottom. I watch as some of the guards slide down the ropes to the ground below. They work to plow the weights into the earth and secure the crafts.

  The warm, humid air of the wheel instantly starts flooding into the passenger compartment. It smells just like I remember—musty and dank, like rotting leaves.

  Cass stands up. “I guess we won’t have to go looking for David after all.”

  I gaze out one of the open hatches at the sprawling landscape stretching beyond us. The fog is very thin here, but gets thicker around the edges of the jungle. Liam and his dad have to be around here somewhere, even if I can’t see them yet.

  Guards start lowering the steps in the front of the compartment. Everyone is rushing forward.

  On the video screens, I can see David in the distance, signaling at the other airships. They are in the process of landing on the burned field. There still aren’t any feelers here, nor any drones. Just David. I don’t understand what’s going on, but I’m so relieved to see him that it doesn’t matter. Hopefully, he’ll know where Liam is.

  I join the throng of people exiting the airship, eager to get into the fresh air after so many days on board this craft. Cass and Emma are at my side, trailed by Alun. We reach the stairs, and I step out onto them.

  The air feels good on my skin. A warm breeze dances across my face and through my hair as I descend the steps. I try not to think about the fact that I’m returning to the very island that I spent so long trying to escape. I tell myself that things are different now. That I’m with a large group of heavily armed rebels. That I’m safe. But I’m not sure I believe it.

  I reach the bottom of the stairs and step onto the charred earth. My feet disappear into the thin layer of drifting fog. I stare down at them. It’s like standing on a field of cinders and ash. The jungle looms around us at the edges, except for the large, gray cliff face to our left rising up about sixty feet in the air. I move to one side, to let people past.

  Cass joins me and hesitates for a moment. Like Emma, I know that Cass’s last memories of being on the wheel probably involve getting snatched by a feeler. She looks dazed.

  I glance around. Some of the other kids wear
the same stunned look, like they can’t believe they’ve returned. It doesn’t matter whether they were villagers or drones—they look shell-shocked. A few of them kneel on the ground, trying to steady themselves. Some are crying. For them, returning is far worse than it is for me. I left on my own terms, but they didn’t. Also, Liam is here somewhere waiting for me. I would rather be on the wheel with him than safe but alone in Southern Arc.

  Cass still isn’t moving.

  “At least there aren’t any feelers here,” I say to her. I glance up at the gray sky. “And the guards have guns. It’s not going to be like it was before. You don’t have to worry about being taken again.”

  She looks over at me. “I’m not afraid of the feelers.”

  “Then let’s go find David. C’mon.” I can see him ahead of us in the distance, signaling to people. But Cass just stands there near the stairs. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m afraid of turning back into who I was,” she says softly. “When I was here before, I wasn’t thinking clearly. I mean, at first, I chose the drones’ side because of what happened to Vincent. And because I thought I could always switch sides again if I wanted to. But then my thoughts got muddled, and I felt half crazy. I guess it was the drugs. It’s like some kind of nightmare. I’m scared it’s going to happen to me again.” She turns to me with anguished eyes. “I’m afraid I’ll lose my mind.”

  “Cass, you’re going to be fine. They gave us an antidote to any drugs here, remember?”

  “Yeah, and it better work or I’m going to be really pissed off.” She glances down at the scars on her wrists. “I bet you noticed these, right?”

  I nod.

  “I don’t even remember doing that to myself. That’s how messed-up I was. Apparently, I did it with pieces of broken glass one night. I’m lucky that I survived.” She glances back at Alun. “And he lost his eye when he was drunk and setting off fireworks. Life for the drones means nothing.”

  “The antidote will work,” I tell her, wanting to reassure her. Wanting to help her feel better, and make the pain and fear go away.

  People keep moving around us, pushing past. Emma and Alun are waiting nearby. “Will you watch me in case the pill doesn’t work? Let me know if I start acting weird?” Cass asks.

  I nod. “Promise.” I see David moving farther away from us. “But right now, we have to focus on getting to David. You’re going to be okay. I’ll make sure of it.” I start moving forward, pulling Cass with me.

  Half of the other ships have landed now, all of them near our end of the field, and the area is getting crowded with kids and adults. Guards are already moving out, guns drawn, to form a perimeter around our landing site.

  Emma and Alun join me and Cass as we head toward David. Between the people and the encroaching fog, he’s becoming increasingly hard to see. An elusive figure in the mist.

  We race directly toward him, darting through the throng of refugees and guards. I’m afraid he’ll disappear before we can reach him. I speed up my pace.

  “David!” I call out, rushing the final yards toward him.

  He hears my voice and turns. “Alenna?” he yells back, hobbling to meet us. Then he sees Cass, Emma, and Alun behind me. “You guys made it!”

  “Of course we did!” I yell, as we finally reach him. He leans forward and hugs me. I hold him tight for a moment. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” Then I let him go. He’s wearing his glasses, but he looks wirier and tougher than I remembered.

  “Nice to meet you in person,” he says to Cass.

  “Likewise. You’re shorter than I expected,” she replies.

  “Thanks for that,” David says. The two of them hug.

  “You’re hurt,” I point out to him. David has scratches down one cheek, and burn marks across his forearms. Not to mention scabs and bruises over the rest of his body.

  “It’s nothing,” he says. “Just life on the wheel.”

  We stand there watching each other. Emma and Alun both introduce themselves to him. Nearly all the airships are on the ground now, being secured by ropes, weights, and stakes. People flood the field. The guards are barely able to contain the crowd. Voices yell in a cacophony as the guards try to organize everyone.

  “So how much does Alenna know?” David asks Cass.

  “Everything,” Cass says.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about you and Cass, and about the resistance cells in the UNA all communicating with each other?” I ask David.

  “I wanted to, but I knew if stuff like that came out, no one would trust me at the village. Especially not Veidman and Meira.”

  “The scientists at Destiny Station said both of them might be spies,” I add.

  “I wondered the same thing,” he says.

  “Have you seen Liam?” I ask. “He left Southern Arc with Dr. Barrett, to find his father. They’re supposed to meet us here.”

  For an instant, I think I see something dark flicker behind his eyes. Like he knows more information and just doesn’t want to say. But maybe I’m imagining it. The moment passes.

  “They’re not here yet,” he says, his eyes completely clear again.

  I try to calm my rising panic. “But they left before we did. We got a dispatch that they’d encountered some UNA crafts. Maybe—” I break off. I can’t even say the words. Maybe they didn’t make it. But that’s not possible. I refuse to let myself believe it for a second. “Maybe they’re just taking longer.”

  “They could have landed someplace else in the purple sector,” Cass points out. “Maybe they’re headed our way right now.”

  “I gave them the same coordinates that I gave you,” David replies.

  “Hey, how come there aren’t any drones around here?” Emma asks him. She’s been pretty quiet since we arrived here.

  “Yeah, and how did you find this clearing?” I ask David.

  “I found it when I was running from the feelers—and scouting for a place large enough for the airships to land,” he says. “Must be the remnants of some fires that the drones set. The only other option was one of the beaches, but most of those are full of drones now. Except for the beach in the gray zone, and obviously you couldn’t land and set up camp there because of the cold temperatures.” He pauses. “And most of the other sectors have too many feelers in them.”

  I glance up automatically at the mention of feelers. But there’s nothing in the sky. I guess Dr. Barrett knew what he was doing when he designed the airships. I was sure that our arrival would trigger hidden motion detectors and set off a wave of feeler assaults, but somehow we’ve sailed through the air unnoticed.

  “But why aren’t there any drones here at all?” Emma presses David, frowning. “Back in the villages, we thought this sector had been conquered by them. Were we totally wrong?”

  David doesn’t answer.

  Suddenly, people start surging forward around us. I get buffeted by the noisy crowd. It feels like everyone is on the move at once for some reason.

  “I have to go,” David calls out abruptly. “I’m supposed to talk to the captains of each ship and Dr. Barrett’s second lieutenant, too. I need to coordinate everything and let them know what I’ve learned.”

  “We’ll come with you,” I say.

  David shakes his head. “It’s better that I do this alone.”

  I don’t understand why, but I assume he has his reasons. Maybe it’s part of Dr. Barrett’s security protocol. I know that there will be plenty of time to catch up with David later. “I need to look for Liam, anyway,” I tell him. We hug a final time. Then he starts moving away.

  A moment later comes a sharp crack. A loud pop. Everyone hears it, and the volume of the crowd increases. I glance up at the sky again, expecting to see a firework display from the drones. But the gray sky remains clear of anything but clouds.

  Then the screaming starts.

  I hear more sharp pops.

  And I remember that this time around, people on the wheel have guns. I’m not hearing fireworks—I’m hear
ing gunshots.

  “Get down!” voices start yelling.

  I sink to the charred earth in the fog, ducking behind a set of steps descending from one of the airships. Cass and Emma stay with me, but Alun dashes off somewhere else nearby for shelter. He’s too large for the steps to shield him.

  I hear more gunshots. They sound like they’re coming from the other end of the rectangular field. I squint between people and airships. Our guards are firing into the jungle beyond the clearing, although I don’t know why.

  People are starting to panic, and they’re using anything they can to shield themselves, in case a drone attack is imminent. Some run back up the steps to seek shelter in the ships.

  Emma is hiding her face. Cass looks startled, but alert. I try to locate David, but I don’t see him anymore. I stand and move a few feet to my left to get a better view. I see more of our guards rushing down the length of the field, firing at something unseen in the trees ahead of them. The thin fog makes it hard to see anything distinctly.

  Then there’s a burst of noise, as the airship closest to the other side of the field unleashes its machine guns, pointed away from us in the direction of the forest. The bullets spray into the jungle, lashing at the tropical leaves and branches like a hailstorm.

  I’m filled with the sudden fear that maybe this is a mistake. Maybe Dr. Barrett is leading Liam and Octavio’s men toward us through the forest right now, and the guards have mistaken them for an army of drones. I almost scream out for the guards to stop shooting.

  But then the guns stop for a moment, and in the deafening silence, a loud, distorted voice slices through the air. It’s coming from within the jungle, amplified by some hidden mechanism. All of us can hear it clearly.

  “Heathens! Hold your fire!” the voice says, booming across the landscape. “We have captured your leader, Dr. Neil Barrett, and the other infidels with him!” The voice is strange and metallic-sounding. I don’t recognize it at all, but I know it must belong to a drone. Perhaps a watcher or leader from this sector. “If you fire on us again, we will kill the infidels. They are now our prisoners of war.”