by Ann Bakshis
“Yes,” the female voice answers. “Max has seen it for herself in her vision. It is imperative that you gain control of Pentras Tower. We need to end this senseless slaughter.”
I can tell by the expression on Garrett’s face that he believes them. There is some truth in what the Patrician are saying, but I’m not sure how much.
“Then I need something from you,” I say, lowering my weapon.
“What is it?” the male voice answers.
“Control of the drones. There are other players from Thrace Tower scattered across the Dead Zone. They’ll be useful in order to access the tower.”
“We will locate these people for you and transmit their locations to your wristband, but drone control stays with us,” the man says.
“Fine,” Garrett says before I can respond.
The Patrician send us back to the spot by the dome wall, but the sun still hasn’t risen. Time must not exist when you’re with the Patrician. But how is that possible? Who are the Patrician, or what are they? They’ve always kept their surroundings in darkness when they’ve looped me. I wonder why that is.
“Do you want to go back to the tower now that we won’t need to blindly hunt for the others?” Garrett asks.
I sit on the ground.
“I take that as a no.”
“They knew the Dead Zone wasn’t toxic anymore, yet they make everyone believe that it is.”
Garrett sits down next to me. “So?”
“Why lie about it? What’s so valuable in the Dead Zone that they’re keeping everyone isolated from it?”
“You’re over-thinking this, Max.”
“You don’t find this strange? The Keepers clean up the toxicity of the place so that it can be re-inhabited, but the Patrician tell everyone it will kill you. Why? What are the Patrician after that they are lying to their own people to keep them out of this area?”
“Tell me about your nightmare again.”
The sun finally rises as I recount the entire event, not leaving out any detail no matter how small.
“The Patrician called it a vision, so it’s obvious they are the ones who projected it into your mind. The part before you wake up bothers me, though.”
“Yeah. How could the Dracken have been in Pentras Tower then and not get into it now?” I say.
“There aren’t any suggestions of anyone having been in that building for ages, except for the sterile environment and fresh food. If the Dracken had been in the tower, where are they now? Why not let the Keepers in if they’re on the same side?”
“I need to get onto those sealed floors.”
My wristband chimes and a map pops up, showing a group huddled along the southern rim of the dome. I tap the image and it minimizes into an icon on the tiny display. I don’t move right away because I want to think a few things over, but I only wind up giving myself a headache. We stand, I take Garrett’s hand, and loop us across the city, heading south. After an hour, we stop. I recheck the map and it’s showing that we’re still a good hour away from the group. I hadn’t realized how large the city was.
The more we move south, the fewer structures we come across. The land has started to reclaim the urban area. Tall grasses and trees cover much of the surroundings. My next loop lands us next to a river, its muddy banks covered in footprints.
Our footprints.
“Garrett,” I say, letting go of him.
“I know. This looks just like the battle floor for round two, right down to the impressions in the mud.”
I pull up the map and the red dot indicates that the group is on the island across the river. The area is a lot easier to make out now that we have light. I step into the water. Garrett grabs me, trying to pull me back on shore. I shove him off and start to make my way across. The water only goes up to my thighs, like it did on the battle floor. I climb up onto the ridge of the island, unsheathe my weapon, and begin trudging my way forward.
Smoke billows like a cloud in front of me, but on the other side of the glass. The drone that located the group still hovers in the sky off to my left. It shines a beam that penetrates the glass and illuminates the players on the other side. I run down to that position so I can get a better look.
Frey is leaning against the glass. He’s covered in soot and barely breathing. There are others from our unit around him. Some lay burned and are either dying or dead. I pound on the glass, but it’s useless since it’s too thick for him to hear me. I try looping, but I can’t, which bothers me. I stare up at the drone, and it’s almost as if it’s looking back at me. The Patrician know he’s a Dracken, so they won’t let me rescue him. So, not only do they have the ability to modify my body, but they can also control when I use my abilities.
I look back through the dome. The world on the other side is filled with fire. Buildings burn beyond control. It reminds me of the devastation from my nightmare, only this is live. I can’t let them die. I move along the edge until I come up to the river. I can’t tell if it’s able to flow under the dome or not. I take off my belt, drop it to the ground, and jump into the water. It’s much deeper on this side, allowing me to dive further under. The glass does penetrate the river’s floor.
I kick at the dome, mainly out of frustration since there isn’t any way to break it. But my foot goes right through the glass. I pull it quickly back out, startled by the event. I swim to the surface to get some air. The suit begins to change. The material stretches down my arms and over my hands creating gloves. It creeps up my face, covering my head. I feel as if I’m being suffocated, yet I can easily breathe and see through the material. I dive back down and swim through the glass.
Rising to the surface, I grab a hold of a tree root and pull myself out of the water. The sleeves and gloves retract, as does the mask and hood. I run over to Frey, take him by the collar, and drag him through the mud to the water. I wrap my arms and legs around him as we dive, hoping the uniform knows what my intention is. It wraps the both of us up so we can pass through the barrier. I get him onto the island and go back for those I can, but I’m only able to get two more as the fire has spread to the city’s rim.
Garrett is standing over Frey when I surface with the last one. I get out of the water and I’m instantly dry. The uniform returns to its normal state as I begin checking on their injuries. Frey is starting to come around as another drone flies over our heads.
“What happened?” he wheezes.
I lean into him, placing my mouth almost against his ear. “Now isn’t the time to ask questions. Keep your mouth shut until I can get us someplace safe.”
He looks at me, puzzled. I secure my weapon, take hold of the two who are still unconscious, with Frey and Garrett holding onto my waist, and begin to loop us to the others. It takes several hours before were back inside Pentras Tower. The drones weren’t able to follow since I made sure to make my loops quickly.
Van is in the lobby with several others when we arrive. They take the two Loopers from me, placing them on the couches to tend to their wounds. Frey is fully awake now, so Garrett and I escort him to the lift and up to the forty-ninth floor. Garrett shows him to the communal showers while I secure an empty room for him and the two other Loopers.
I stand in the hallway and wait for Garrett and Frey to return. Frey is wrapped in several towels and freshly scrubbed. I open the door to his room and the three of us step inside. Garrett closes the door while I take a seat on the bed.
“I don’t get to dress alone?” Frey says, winking at me.
“I just want to make sure you’re all right,” I respond.
“And him?” Frey asks, pointing to Garrett.
“I’m with her,” Garrett answers, pointing to me.
“Well, isn’t that cozy,” Frey says, a hint of contempt in his voice.
He drops his towels, exposing himself. Garrett turns away, but I don’t.
“How did you wind up outside the dome?” I ask.
“I’m not really sure,” Frey answers, digging through the drawer
s and removing a few items of clothing. “We were sent to the Dead Zone by the Keepers when the Aedox invaded, but then half of us were looped beyond the dome.”
“You mean those who joined the Dracken,” I state.
He shakes his head.
“Was the place on fire when you got there?” I ask.
“No. The buildings were old and falling apart. The structures looked ancient actually. Like they were from another time period.”
“How did they start burning?” Garrett asks, turning back around now that Frey is dressed.
“Firebombs rained from the sky. We couldn’t tell where they were coming from. They fell everywhere, trapping some of the unit between collapsed structures. Some were able to loop out, but then we wound up being blocked by the dome. I hadn’t realized we were outside of it until you came and got us.” Frey walks over to me, wraps his arms around my shoulders, and pulls me into his chest. “Do you have any food? I’m starving.”
Twenty-Two
Garrett glares at Frey while he eats, his eyes full of disdain. Brink and Van join us a short time later. The other two I rescued are being treated for second-degree burns and smoke inhalation on one of the medical floors. There are several groups of us on the top floor, but Frey is the only one eating. I should eat since I haven’t had anything all day, but I have no appetite.
“What happened in Thrace Tower?” Brink asks, sitting next to Garrett.
“We were all in the common room watching round two. Each screen was dedicated to a different team, so we were constantly bouncing from one display to another. The moment Max touched Garrett’s bow all hell broke loose. The two Aedox who were stationed on our floor opened fire on anyone with a dragon tattoo. Matron Kaniz activated an alarm under the bar. Our wristbands began to glow and our weapons appeared. We fought back as much as we could, but the shields weren’t designed to block bullets.” He takes a gulp of his water, washing down the rest of his meal. “We began being looped out of the building. I knew it was the Keepers moving us to safety.”
“But the two with you aren’t Dracken,” Brink says.
“The Keepers looped everyone. I think because those two were in a group made up of mainly Dracken members, the Patrician must not have known they weren’t actually a part of us and teleported them outside the dome with the rest of us.”
“Wait a minute,” Garrett says, almost knocking the bottle of water from Frey’s hand. “Are you saying the Keepers were saving all the players, even if they weren’t Dracken and that the Patrician moved you out of the Dead Zone?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Frey says, setting the bottle down.
“How do you know?”
“Because it’s what both sides would do, Garrett. You’ve been so hung up on believing everything the Patrician have fed to you that you think they’re incapable of that kind of cruelty. Lok has made you think the Keepers are the enemy, but he’s wrong.”
“Where is Lok?” I ask.
“No idea. The Keepers scattered us, so the Dead Mark unit could be anywhere.”
Dead Mark and Rapid are the only units we haven’t come across yet. Where could they be?
“How many do you think are out there?” Brink asks.
“Not many,” I reply.
“Who all have you found?” Frey asks me.
“Addie’s group, the blue group, and the red group from round two, you, and the two other Loopers.”
“That’s not a lot,” Frey says.
“No, it’s not. And since the Patrician have an army, we’re greatly out-numbered,” Garrett adds.
“What do you mean they have an army? How is that possible?” Frey asks.
“Maybe they recruited people like the Dracken did,” Brink says.
I think back to round two, particularly to Van’s sister. She had the Patrician mark on her wrist. So was she part of the army? How did she get onto the battle floor? Did the Keepers transport her from Icarian so that Van could see what his sister had become? But that would only work if the army was made up of the winners who were sent to Icarian. Didn’t someone tell me that all previous winners had been Patrician favorites who somehow modified The Litarian Battles and won?
I get up from the table and head towards one of the lifts. Garrett rushes up behind me. I catch Frey glaring at the two of us before the lift door closes and we descend.
“What’s on your mind?” Garrett asks when we pass floor thirty.
“Where are the Patrician getting their so-called army?”
I hit the emergency stop button when we get to the sixth floor, and we come to such a jarring stop that we almost fall off our feet. I take my Kopis and try to pry the doors open, but they won’t budge.
“Don’t do it,” Garrett says. “You could wind up looping into something.”
“I have to try.”
I go into the void and think about what the other side of the door looks like, then project myself there. The room is filled with light cascading through the large windows that line the walls. The tiles on the floor resemble those from the battle floor, right down to the blue light lining each. The entire space is empty with the exception of four thin, white pedestals positioned in the center of the room. I cautiously walk up to one. A thin display sits atop the pedestal. I tap the screen and it comes to life, displaying a menu of options. I carefully review them before choosing the one marked “Cities”.
Large panels slowly descend over the windows, throwing the room into darkness. A few seconds later, each panel shows what look to be ancient cities, many destroyed beyond repair. I have to walk around the room to view them all. At least twenty cities lay in waste before me. Among the destruction, I can still make out pieces of buildings, homes, statues, and roadways. When I get close to one panel, the image flies over the area and I feel like I’m actually soaring above it. Three panels behind me show the Outer Limits, Tarsus, and another location I’ve never seen before. The Outer Limits is burning. I catch glimpses of people scrambling to safety as buildings collapse. Tears pour down my eyes when I recognize the orphanage, or at least its outer shell. It’s the only truly recognizable piece of the structure. I put my hand to my mouth as Aedox parade up and down the ash-covered streets shooting at anyone they find.
The flashy signs that hang from Tarsus’s buildings still glitter in the waning daylight. It looks like Thrace Tower was the only building affected by the raid. Aedox are stationed at every intersection around the building. Citizens pass by them without a second look. Life appears to be normal in Tarsus. Nothing burning, everyone walking about the streets, carriages swinging around corners full of passengers, and no signs of war.
The third city I don’t recognize, but it’s full of young people all wearing player-style uniforms. I squint my eyes and notice they all have a laurel tattoo on the side of their wrists.
“Where is this?” I say to myself out loud.
Icarian flashes across the screen. I’m startled by the response.
“The Patrician army?” I ask, wondering how much information I will be given.
Yes appears.
“Former battle winners?”
Yes.
“How?”
Go to the seventh floor.
I hesitate, but comply with the request. I loop back into the lift, take off the emergency stop, and bring us up one floor. Garrett doesn’t ask any questions when I reapply the brakes. I loop again and I’m immediately stuck between the outer door of the lift and a security gate. Red lights spin overhead, but I don’t hear an alarm. The room is poorly lit with only glows from the monitors that hang down from the ceiling every three feet giving off any kind of brightness.
I touch the handle of the gate, but it won’t turn. The suit begins to glow a soft yellow, which radiates to the metal. The door swings open and the red lights shut off, but no additional lights turn on. I step into the room, the gate closes behind me, and feel the temperature drop ever so slightly. Square metallic pillars break up the open space. Between ea
ch are steel-plated walls that only come up waist-high, and with openings into another workspace. I walk around the center, glancing at each monitor I pass. Different views of the exterior of the building appear. Computer banks hum in the corners of the vast room. Large windows line the walls, but the tint of the glass is darker than the rest of the building.
I walk into the center and am mesmerized by the amount of workstations that are still running with no one manning them. I bump into a wide table in the middle of the area. It’s glass-shiny, but with a blue fluid racing from side to side under the surface. I place my hand on the tabletop and an image automatically appears, hovering just inches above the surface. It’s not a picture, but a list of my personal details.
Name: Mera Thomas, aka Maxine Sutton
Creators: Liam and Clio Thomas
Place of creation: Tarsus
Place of residence: Outer Limits
Directive: Save us
I remove my hand and the image vanishes. A shiver runs down my spine and enters my core. I step back, hitting one of the workstations with my legs.
“Max,” a voice speaks behind me.
I turn and see the face of the woman from my nightmare in the monitor attached to the workstation.
“You’re not real,” I say more to me than to her.
“We are quite real.”
“Who are you?”
“We thought this type of communication might be easier for you, so we took a face from your memory.”
“It’s from a nightmare, and one I would like to forget.”
The image changes to my mother, but I still don’t know what to make of any of this.
“How do you know me?”
“You were selected by the Patrician for a task. One that will change all of humanity. Not just in this world, but in all others. Because of this, we have been monitoring you closely.”
“You’re the Keepers.”
“No, we are not.”
“Then who are you?”
“We are the Dracken.”
“The Keepers and the Dracken are the same.”
“No, Max, we are not. The Dracken are the original inhabitants of this world. The Keepers are not. And neither are the Patrician.”