Our three drones join in with a group of others, a mix of both Guardian and Aerrx on their last evening runs. The EP alerts that we've dropped into Level Two and are approaching the GenTech building. My teeth grind together as I clench my jaw. A drop of sweat forms and trails from my neck into my suit collar.
The words Genesis Technologies move across the top floors of the building, and we glide toward them. My stomach flips, either because of the descent, or the sight of our destination. Probably both.
"This is it," Meyer whispers.
The streets below are deserted, save for drone activity and a few human guards. The transports maneuver to the building's rear service entrance. A few other units hover in the modest bay, waiting to be scanned for entry into the main structure. We fall in line, and my heart thuds.
"Step one," Preston whispers through the comm.
"One hundred to go," I mutter.
Meyer's drone floats in first to receive the scan. I let out a breath when the screen on the front of the SI attendant glows green and the bay door clears. Preston's next and does the same.
My drone propels forward and the scanner moves over the front.
It's fine… This will be fine.
The AI's screen turns bright yellow, and I clasp my hand over my mouth to halt a yelp that tries to work its way out.
Delivery item description missing displays across the screen.
No, no, no… It can't end here because of something stupid like a missing description.
The SI reaches out toward the pod with its metal claw. I wince and press my hand against inside of the tiny prison.
What would I be if I were a delivery?
My mind races and pulls up an image of a beaker I saw Corra working with in the lab.
The machine manually rescans the front of the unit, and this time, the screen glows green.
50 beakers for Lab Suite 1008 are the words displayed while I waft through the now-open door onto the main level. I relax as the wide space comes into view, both Meyer's and Preston's drones hovering high above through the exposed ceiling.
The drone makes its way to the seventh floor, to the office of Margo Yates, the president of GenTech. Intel maintains Yates should be gone from her office. Even the president can't be here after hours.
I thought we'd just be returning to the lab to finish the task of destroying the research. The idea made sense in my mind, but the mission overview explained the easiest access to the mainframe was through Yates' system.
My drone sails over the half-open wall lining floor seven and follows the corridor to the office. The EP confirms the other two have arrived safely as well.
Floor 7 Suite 752, Arrived flashes in the EP.
It alerts me to no immediate danger, and the compartment door slides free. Fresh air envelops me, and I shake my head as I squeeze out from the oppressive inside of the drone. The compartment seals, and the drone immediately whirs back the way we came, leaving me in the corridor, exposed and alone.
10.27 minutes before next security check displays in my EP, and a countdown starts.
Preston and Meyer round the corner.
"Where were you guys?" I whisper.
"Waiting for you." Meyer eyes the security pad beside the entrance to Suite 752.
I hold my breath and press my gloved hand onto the surface, then I close my eyes. Blank. Nothing happens.
"Is she in?" Preston mumbles.
Hands shaking, I squeeze my eyelids tight. It's gone. Again, I try, this time with my other hand, calming my mind…
But nothing happens.
Maybe the ability was a fluke, and if it's dead… so are we. I snap away from the pad as if it's hot and swing around toward Meyer.
"It's not working," I hiss.
"Well, something's happening because no alarms have triggered yet," he replies. "If I touched that pad, security would be blaring."
Preston turns away and rakes his hands through his hair. "This won't work," he mumbles.
"Listen," Meyer says. "You fully understand the stakes this time, and you're scared." He holds my terrified gaze. "But don't make it more than it is. You've done it before, and you can do it now. Avlyn, I believe in you."
Intently, I drink in his concerned face as a wisp of his dark hair falls in the middle of his forehead. A feeling stirs inside me that I've been trying to push away.
I love Meyer. I have no idea if he loves me, but he believes in me… just like Lena did.
I can't let either of them down. If I have to die, so be it. At least I finally have a glimpse of understanding the gift of love Ben wanted for me.
The feeling consumes me. Love for Ben. Love for Meyer. Kyra… my parents… Lena... even Bess… the Level Ones whose lives are at stake and don't even know. It's my responsibility to love them more than my own life. To give my all.
I inhale deeply, focusing my mind on the heart necklace encircling my neck under the collar of my suit, a symbol. After a three deep breathes, I slow my heart rate and lower my palm to the pad. Dizziness engulfs me.
The door to the president's office slides back with a soft whir.
29
I steady myself, and the three of us hustle into the sparse office. The door closes. Preston stands guard at the entry while Meyer pulls out his handheld and monitors security. Yates' large system sits on the desk, and I slam into the chair in front of it. I fumble for the data port to the side and struggle to relax. My heartbeat pulses under my skin.
I take a quick glance at Meyer, hoping for one of his signature grins, but he's still engrossed. No doubt with something extremely important… like keeping us alive.
"Your security is confirmed," Meyer says to Preston.
"I'll lay the explosive, then meet you up top."
Preston rounds out the door, pack on his back, and disappears.
The EP displays the countdown.
8 minutes 55 seconds
I force air into my lungs and grip the port. I shut my eyelids and the room falls away, my vision glowing hot white. Then, the vision dissolves, leaving me in a vast, empty space, trying to will away the lightheadedness that threatens me again.
"I need access to Project Ectopistes."
The files flutter in, filling the blank room, surrounding me. It's the same as Meyer's files, except there's much more information. Thousands of tiny cabinets of labeled information from the mainframe wait for me to access them.
Where to start?
This project is huge, and the EP shows less than eight minutes for me to complete it. This needs to be a mass wipe. Manning wanted a virus, and I'm going to give him one. The InfoSec remote crew will be standing by, so this will need to be quick.
I call up the Network virus and brace to release it into the system. Heat moves from the tips of my fingers and climbs my arm. Gently, I place my palms onto the surface of my vision of cabinets.
Release, I think.
The code flows from my hands into the system.
The symbols move out in circular patterns as I will them into correct placement. When the last pattern configures into place, my brain and hands surge. Despite the urge to back down, I force myself into the collection of files, collapsing, straining.
Gradually, the fire ripping through me moves forward into the data. Bright, red-orange shapes glow from the spot under my hands. The orange bleeds out from the marks and spread deeper and wider over the file containers. I concentrate on targeting and overwriting the Ectopistes files with new, random data, destroying every last bit. As the hue envelops each repository, it dissolves and floats away.
"Estimated time for the completion of the destruction of Project Ectopistes?"
3 minutes 18 seconds
I have 58 seconds more than I need. At least I can pay my respect.
Floor ten, lab ten-oh-eight b, I think.
The white room filled with the half ruined files dissolves, a shimmering, generated version of the lab replacing it. Glass domes containing human research subjects in coma
s and numerous climate-controlled units housing vials line the back wall.
I study the unconscious Level One woman's dome. There's nothing I can do for her, even if this was the real lab.
"I'm sorry," I whisper as I stroke the top of her encasement. Her only desire was to protect her child, but instead, she ended up unconscious, strapped to a table under a dome. A mutated virus eating her from the inside.
"What was her name?" I ask the system.
Naomi Jensen. Level One, flashes across my vision.
I make a mental note of it, thinking of her son, how he cried for her. If I live through this, I will find him, tell him that his mother was brave and loved him. He should know.
Nausea waves over me, but it's not as bad as the last time. Maybe my body is adjusting to immersing. The counter flashes red, alerting me it's time to go. I inhale deeply and blink my lids, opening them to Meyer's face.
"Nothing like waiting until the last second," Meyer growls.
I shove the chair backward and surge to my feet.
Weapon in hand, Meyer forces me into the hall. I grab my stunner and position it the way Meyer taught me, but the weight still feels off. Combat is not something I'm made for. The EP display shows a Guardian drone arriving seconds behind us, and Meyer motions me into an alcove. It passes and floats out over the balcony ledge behind us into the exposed space in the middle of GenTech.
Human security detected. ETA 29 seconds.
"I'll meet you at floor ten," Preston whispers in the comm. "This is taking longer than I thought."
"The drones are waiting. Hurry," Meyer replies.
We continue toward the stairwell. We've got to make it up seventeen floors to the roof and meet up with Preston without being spotted. However, the EP still indicates we're in the clear, and the security guards seem to have rerouted from our location.
As we work the stairs, my head throbs with each step.
At floor nine, the EP flashes red.
Immediate human security alert
Exit stairway and retreat to floor 9
Meyer checks above and below us. "I don't see anything yet." He runs ahead of me and bursts into the corridor of nine. "Are you getting this, Preston?"
No answer returns.
I follow Meyer's lead, stunner in hand, as the footsteps reverberate below us in the stairwell. The security team must be a few floors below. We crouch against the wall, Meyer inches behind me, until the rumble of feet meets our level and continues. The EP says it's safe. Meyer's rapid breath hits my neck, reminding me to slow my own.
Continue to rooftop, flashes green.
"Preston, come in," Meyer says, urgency in his voice.
Still no answer.
"Be on alert and have weapons ready," Meyer says.
Climbing the stairs again, I keep my gaze fixed above and push forward. When we pass the entrance to floor ten, I peer down the corridor to look for Preston.
"Maybe he's already there," I say.
The EP goes instantly red, sensing unknown danger. The door to the lab bursts open. On instinct, I raise my weapon and train it on the person exiting.
Preston.
Meyer flanks me and lowers his stunner immediately, as do I.
Preston rushes to us. "We need to move. Something went wrong. The timing's all off." He grabs my arm and pulls me forward.
A rumble from the hall echoes and builds. Suddenly, the door to the lab explodes and slams into the corridor wall. Flames erupt through it and hurtle toward us. I'm knocked to the floor, my heart racing.
I scan to find my team in the smoke-filled corridor. Meyer crouches behind me, and Preston still stands, gripping the hand rail. A loud crack splits the ceiling, and I cover my head to shield myself from the falling debris.
"Let's go before this thing blows again," Meyer says. "Security has to be on the way."
Meyer stands and extends his hand. I catch it and pull myself up. As we take the stairs up, Preston in the lead, another explosion sends us off kilter, and flames lick at the stairwell above.
"The pressure must have gone up and out on eleven, too," Preston says.
He starts toward the stairs again when I reach for his arm. "It's not safe."
He glares back at me. "Stop wasting time. It's not safe to go either way, and the EP still says to meet the drones on the roof, but not for long."
Meyer pushes again my back. "Go, Avlyn. The suit is fire resistant. Just cover your face."
The EP lights red. Company is on its way. I gather myself and vault forward. At the landing of the next floor, water gushes from the ceiling, and an alarm blares, nearly deafening me.
Water rushes over my suit, and drenched hair clings to my face and scalp, but it's better than being burned or blown to bits.
On our way to the roof, we have to exit onto floor seventeen to wait out a passing Guardian. According to the EP, the rest of the commotion is still below us. By the time we reach floor twenty-five, we're doused in a mix of sweat and water.
Preston arrives first to the exit. It's locked, but the door has a security panel to the side.
"Got it," I say, jogging past Preston and leaving Meyer on the last of the stairs. I put a palm to the panel and the door skates back. Cool air from the rooftop blankets me and sends a chill through my wet suit.
Preston throws his arm out in front of me. "Wait here." He inches out onto the platform, weapon poised. "Looks secure, and nothing's showing in the EP."
When we step out, a drone whooshes by above us. I instinctively duck until it passes, my heart pumping wildly.
"Keep alert," Meyer says. "We're not out of here yet."
The three Guardian drones sit parked, waiting for us.
"You're first, Avlyn," Preston whispers. "Meyer and I will cover you."
Panic rips my body, and I turn back toward Meyer. He nods for me to go.
Weapon ready, I dart toward the silver pod and reach for the open package compartment. Wedging myself into the tight space, I suck in my chest and stomach as if it will make me more compact. Once I'm in, the hatch closes, the EP artificially dissolving the metal walls, showing the surroundings again.
The rest of the team enters their transports, and the panorama view provided by the EP engages. We all lift from the rooftop. My breath hitches from the weightless sensation, and a smile turns up the corners of my lips as we move away from the top of GenTech.
My pod keeps the lead, but both Meyer and Preston's transports show in the EP view. We sail through air and over the high-reaching buildings of Level Two. Our heading is east, toward the closest exit of the city.
"We did it—"
Pop, pop. The drone vibrates. Drowsiness threatens me, followed by a start. In my vision, I catch the end of a green scanner trailing through my body. I shake off the sensation and whip my head around to try to see what's happening, but I can't see anything.
I throw my hands against the inside of the unit, asking, "Did they scan us?" But no one replies.
Preston's drone takes a dip, and then careens to the side.
"Meyer!" I screech. The comm is dead. My breathing goes erratic, and my mind races, but I have no solutions. These drones aren't even armed. In the silence of the pod, I can hear my pulse drumming in my ears.
Meyer's drone still flies behind mine, but breaks formation and moves to the side.
My chest seizes, and I thrust my hands onto the metal again, hoping for a chance to connect and control the flight pattern.
The EP lights red too late. Three jumbo model 4000 Guardians surround us.
A hefty drone dives in above our transports, tentacles and pinchers extended. My pod jolts, and metal against metal screeches in a deafening howl as the tentacles intercept me.
Meyer's drone pitches and swerves to avoid the clutches of his pursuer, then rights and somehow speeds out of sight, but his tracking still displays in the EP. One of the drones shoots after him…
And then Meyer's gone.
The second drone clutches Preston
's pod, and a green light glows around the surface in my EP. The tentacles retract to release him. The pod pitches and languidly spins, dropping to the ground. A terrifying, high-pitched whine follows it as it plummets.
"No!" I scream and thrust forward, my pod still trapped in the clutches of the Guardian.
Far below, fire and smoke plume up, extinguished as promptly as it lit. An echo of the impact meets my ears as Preston's drone tracker blanks out.
They… they blew him up…
30
Shaking and gasping for air, I wait for the same to happen to me. To be dropped to the ground and exploded into tiny bits…
But it doesn't come.
Unsure what to do, I rake my hands through my wet hair. The dampness coats my palms and I drag them over my thighs, but it's no use. I'm sodden. My hand curves over the edge of my Flexx on my other wrist. I pull the device off, access the Affinity app, and message Meyer. There's no way he's making it out of this alive… but just in case…
It was worth the risk.
Then I run the self-destruct operation to wipe the account, but not before I will the app to download to my nanos. They won't even know how to look for it if they tried.
Next, with a shaking hand, I rip the EP from my eye, blink, and the illusion of seeing outside the drone goes dark except for a tiny light from the internal panel. Everything's gone; the starry sky, the buildings and streets below, and the Guardian which clutches me like I'm a package to be delivered.
Everything but the simmering dread in my gut telling me I'll die soon.
I sob and crush the EP, then tear the tech in half. It's nearly dark, and I can't see it, but the device shrivels and dissolves in my palm.
Clunk.
The air's knocked from my lungs when the drone comes to a stop. I clutch the stunner pressing against my hip. I'd be stupid to shoot, no matter how skilled a shot I am in a sim. This is not a good time to test Meyer's crazy theories.
Configured: (Book #1 in the Configured Trilogy) Page 24