In Pain
Caethes Faron
About In Pain
In a future ruled by an exploitative caste system, Malcolm, a member of the highest caste, and his lover Will, a member of the lowest caste, work with their family to change the world in which they live. Will’s found the solution to their problems: a way to infiltrate the Department of Genetic Integrity and hopefully find the truth they’ve been searching for. But just when victory is in their grasp, tragedy snatches it away.
Devastated, Malcolm seeks revenge for the horrors inflicted upon his family, but each of his victims draws him further form the goal he’s spent his whole life working toward. Will is left to shoulder the burden of leading the movement for change, but he can only do so much. To pull their family through the darkness and toward a brighter future, Malcolm and Will must rely on the unlikeliest of allies—an ally who may prove even more dangerous than the enemies they face.
In Pain is the second book in the In Distress series and is intended to be read after In Distress.
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Other books in the In Distress series:
In Distress
In Justice
Chapter One
“Rufus has worked out really well. I don’t know how a man with such large hands can do such delicate work, but he managed to get the assembly machine to run faster without overheating.” George, the foreman for Plant C, led Malcolm, Will, and Kaleana to where Rufus watched a machine assemble a chip for the Med Machines that would upgrade the precision of the laser controls.
Malcolm saw Will looking at his Glass Tab as he walked. He put a hand on his shoulder. “Please put that away. These plants are dangerous enough with both eyes watching where you’re going.” Malcolm hated saying anything that might bring attention to Will’s mangled left leg, but the truth was, he would have given a reprimand to any of the Betas who worked for him if he saw them walking across the floor with their eyes trained on anything other than their surroundings.
Will folded the tab and shoved it in his pocket. “Sorry. I’m just trying to keep an eye on things back at the office.”
“You used to beg to come over here, and now I can’t get you to leave the house behind.”
Will shrugged. “I’ve become disenchanted.”
“I told you there was nothing interesting over here.”
“It’s interesting, just not as interesting as some of your other work. I’m here to support Rufus.” Will entwined his fingers with Malcolm’s.
Malcolm squeezed his hand in acknowledgement. Will might be showing support for Rufus and his first completed project, but he also came to help soothe Malcolm’s nerves. When Rufus had announced that he wanted to work across the divide, it had been hard for Malcolm to adjust. He didn’t want any of his Zeds to feel as if they had to work, but Rufus had been adamant. He argued, quite effectively, that he’d tired of taking apart cars and putting them back together. He could use those same skills on the machines at Panacea’s plants to help. It was his way of contributing.
In the end, Malcolm had agreed, although he had insisted on waiting for new safety measures to be in place before Rufus started work. To accommodate Rufus’s lack of hearing, all of the alarms on the industrial side of the complex had been programmed to include flashing lights. Rufus’s Glass Tab synced with the alarm and would vibrate should it go off. He also had earplugs that had been modified with a little vibrator to alert him to a problem.
Kaleana waved to Rufus as they came within his eyesight. Rufus’s face immediately lit with a smile Malcolm didn’t often see on him.
“Hi, Kaleana, Malcolm, Will.” Rufus nodded to each of them. “Come to check up on me? As you can see, no missing fingers.” He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers in front of Malcolm.
He tried to take Rufus’s teasing, but Malcolm couldn’t help the shock of fear that gripped his heart at just the mention of missing fingers. Beta workers had lost worse working here. The difference was a Beta could have anything reattached at the on-site medical facility. As a Zed, Rufus wouldn’t have the same luxury. He couldn’t even have a broken bone fixed by one of the Med Machines if need be.
“Very funny,” Malcolm said, making sure Rufus could read his lips. “George told us you were making the first functional upgraded chips today. I thought we’d come see.”
Rufus nodded. “Take a look.”
Malcolm watched the machine spit out chip after chip at a much faster rate than the last time he’d seen it work.
Will waved his hand in front of Rufus’s face to get his attention. “How much did you increase the speed by?”
“Fourteen units per hour.”
Malcolm could see the gears working in Will’s head.
“It’d be worth it to stop shipment on the latest batch of Med Machines and upgrade them.” Will kept his face turned toward Rufus so he could read his lips even though the information was meant for Malcolm.
“We’ll need to do some more testing. I don’t want to go through a recall because we were too eager to get them out.”
Kaleana shook her head. “Testing won’t take long. See?” She held one of the chips up to Malcolm. He took it from her, admiring the intricacy of the work, the precision and smoothness of the lines. “Somehow he’s not only increased production, but he’s also fixed the cooling mechanism. You can tell just by looking at it that it’s more stable. Testing should go rather quickly.”
Malcolm studied the chip a moment longer. He couldn’t find any flaws in it. Finally, he nodded. “We’ll only ship out critical orders. The rest we’ll hold and upgrade. Well, Rufus, it seems you’ve done the impossible.”
Rufus shrugged his broad shoulders. “It was nothing, really. It’s the same concept as the cooling system on the cars, just smaller.”
Malcolm gripped Rufus’s shoulder and made eye contact. “It’s not nothing. I’ve got some of the best-educated Betas in New Cali working for me, and none of them figured it out. This chip has been in development for so long I was beginning to think it was a dream. Let’s go test it out.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Malcolm caught Will surreptitiously slipping his tab out of his pocket and glancing at it. Since he just as quickly put it back, Malcolm decided not to comment.
“I thought you might want to see one in action,” George said. “As soon as the first chip came off the line, I had my guys get to work installing it in one of the Med Machines. It should be ready.” George led the way to the testing area.
“Hand it over,” Malcolm said under his breath to Will as they lagged behind.
“I’m just checking the time.”
Malcolm raised an eyebrow. “For the fourth time in ten minutes? It’s rude. Give it here.”
Will sighed and handed him the tab. Malcolm could understand Will’s passion. In fact, he loved him for it. But Malcolm considered keeping Will balanced as much a part of his job as running Panacea. Their life only worked when he kept an eye on all the different facets he juggled on a daily basis. He wouldn’t see Will lose himself in work and pull their lives out of control.
“Here we are.” George had led them into a small room with a few technicians and a Med Machine. “We’ll go ahead and test it out on a dummy.”
Malcolm watched as they loaded the dummy into place. Instinctively, he pulled Will to him with an arm draped around his waist. It took more self-control than he thought he could summon to keep still. The love of his life stood next to him with a leg mangled from a break that hadn’t healed properly. A few minutes in the Med Machine, and Will’s leg would be fixed. No matter how many
times he tried, Malcolm hadn’t succeeded in obtaining a waiver from the Geneticists to allow him to bypass the law forbidding medical treatment for Zeds in order to test the Med Machines or any of the other medical devices Panacea produced.
“So I’m pulling up the laser controls now. Everything appears to be working properly.” George narrated his actions to the group. “The controls even feel smoother with the new chip.” George manipulated the machine to fix a hypothetical hand injury involving bones, nerves, and tendons.
“Look, Malcolm! It’s extraordinary the precision he has.” Kaleana’s eyes widened as she spoke, never deviating from the demonstration. “To be able to work with the nerves like that is amazing. There’s a whole new array of applications this opens up.”
Malcolm couldn’t help stealing a glance at Will. His lover appeared calm, but that just had him worried. Will never appeared calm. He had too much enthusiasm to keep anything from his face. He should either look bored or be as enraptured as Kaleana. The fact that he was neither bothered him.
Rufus stood relaxed, watching the demonstration with a keen eye, no doubt looking for flaws and places for improvement. Malcolm always worried about his Zeds’ reaction to seeing the technology they were forbidden. It was different for Kaleana. She was the only one of his Zeds who wasn’t physically damaged in some way. Her empathy for the others ran deep, but, like him, she could never truly know what it felt like.
“So what do you think, sir?” George had finished the demonstration and cast an expectant gaze to Malcolm.
“It’s excellent. Go ahead and take the old chips offline, but don’t start installing these until all the testing is done and I’ve signed off. We’re not going to skip any steps, but let’s go ahead and plan for success.”
“Will do. If there aren’t any problems, it should only take a few days. I’ll forward you the results for each phase as they come in.”
“Good. Now, do you need Rufus for anything else today, or can I take him back with me for lunch?” Allowing Rufus to miss lunch at home had been quite a concession on Malcolm’s part, but he couldn’t very well say it was all right for himself to miss lunch when work called him away and not extend the same courtesy to Rufus. Besides, Rufus rarely stayed away—he didn’t work full time, only when a project interested him—and this way he didn’t feel so much like a Zed. It was important to Malcolm that he felt like any of the other workers.
“I think he’s earned a break, as long as I can message him if we run into any problems.”
“That sounds fair.”
“Thanks again, Rufus. You’ve been brilliant.” George slapped him on the shoulder, making sure to speak only when he knew Rufus could read his lips. The Betas had taken well to working with a deaf Zed. “I can see now why you keep your Zeds hidden away, Malcolm. It’s job security for the rest of us.”
Malcolm chuckled. “I’ve got to keep you all on your toes. I look forward to the reports.” He nodded farewell and headed out to the car.
“That was amazing.” Once they stepped outside, Will’s enthusiasm returned. “Do you know what this is going to do for our output? I’ll have to factor in these new numbers. This goes beyond my most optimistic projections. The laser control chips were always the slowest part of production. Once we roll out this upgraded model and fulfill the initial demand, we may even be able to scale back and free up some space to bring a new product online.” Will chatted on but remained conscious of his speech so Rufus could understand. Whatever emotions he’d felt in the demonstration were safely tucked away for now.
“I just know how to put things together.”
“You need to stop being so modest.”
“Will’s right,” Kaleana said. “You don’t know how long we’ve been looking for a solution to that problem. You’ve certainly made things easier for us. You should feel proud of yourself.” Kaleana gave Rufus one of her beaming smiles that demanded the object of her affection return it.
The white of Rufus’s smile contrasted against his rich brown skin. Malcolm didn’t notice any awkward glances toward him from the Betas they passed. A foreign Zed was easier to get used to than a physically deformed one. Will’s leg garnered more attention, but that was still rare. He spent enough time over here that people were getting used to him. Malcolm tried not to glare at those who stared.
“Why don’t you drive, Will?” They had reached the black-and-chrome bullet car that Malcolm preferred for his everyday use. He hoped that letting Will drive would soothe any remaining hurt over Malcolm’s confiscation of his tab.
“Really? Thanks.” Will lit up and ran to the driver’s side.
Malcolm slid in behind him, next to Rufus, as Kaleana took the front passenger’s seat.
“You did really well, Rufus. I’m proud of you.” Malcolm looked him in the eye, hoping Rufus grasped his sincerity and didn’t think he just said the words to make him feel good.
“Thanks. Do you think I could do another project?” An almost tangible yearning entered Rufus’s eyes. Malcolm loved seeing the pride Rufus took in his work. Will had been right. His Zeds needed work to feel a sense of purpose—as long as they knew it wasn’t required.
“Sure. Why don’t you take some time with the boys over the next few days? George might have some questions for you, so you can be available to him. I’ll have Kaleana and Carson send you some schematics and information on what’s in production. If you find something that interests you, let me know, and you can start working on it as soon as this project’s done.”
Rufus’s face shone with excitement. “Thanks.”
“Of course.”
It didn’t take long for them to get across the divide to the residential side of the compound. Will pulled into the garage and practically flew out of the car.
Malcolm watched Will’s dash for the house with amusement. “Will, I think you’re forgetting something.”
“No, there’s still time before lunch. I promise I won’t be late.”
“Ahem.” Will finally turned to look at Malcolm, and he held out his Glass Tab to him. “You might want this.”
Will reddened slightly and swiped the tab from Malcolm’s palm. “Thanks.”
“I’ll go up with you, and you can tell me what has you so excited. We’ll see you at lunch, Kaleana.” Malcolm followed Will to their shared office on the third floor.
As soon as the door opened, Will was at his desk. He activated the display, bouncing his right knee as he waited for the Glass Screen to unfold from the desktop. It wasn’t even all the way out before Will started typing. Malcolm knew better than to try to speak with him at the moment. He’d give him a few minutes to find whatever he was looking for.
After a little while, he slumped in his chair. “Nothing new from the mole.”
Malcolm stood behind him and placed his hands on Will’s shoulders, lightly massaging. “That’s not so odd. I’m surprised he’s contacted us as much as he has. Every time it’s a risk. Now, what had you so excited I could barely tear you away this morning to go see Rufus?”
Will’s face fell. “I’m sorry about that. I know better than to let work get in the way of family stuff. Of course, there’s nowhere I’d rather have been than seeing Rufus, but I just…I need…” The words faded because there were no words to describe the enormity of what they were doing.
“I know. I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad. So what’s so important?”
“I think I figured out what division of the Department of Genetic Integrity our mole works in.”
Malcolm pulled his chair over and sat. The mole had made contact with Malcolm as the leader of the Spark of Life Movement, but they hadn’t known for sure if he was a Geneticist or not. To have an ally that far inside the organization they were trying to bring down would be a huge boon. “Well? Don’t keep me waiting.”
“I think he’s in the Early Zed Development division.”
The nursery. Each baby born in New Cali took a genetic test to determine if they would become an
Alpha, Beta, or Zed. If the child turned out to be a Zed, they were sent to EZD to be cared for by the Geneticists until they were either bought by an Alpha to be a companion for one of their children or were old enough to be put to work in jobs that were considered beneath Betas.
“What makes you think that?”
“The information he’s given us. The last drop included statistics on how many Zeds end up as companions and how many as laborers. Then there’s the information on Zeds who end up disappearing and getting reclassified. That in itself is not enough, but all of his reports are in a different format than the ones we got from hacking Geneticist Walken’s system, so it’s a safe bet he doesn’t work in the Research and Development division with him. There are other subtle clues. He’s not going to come right out and say where he works, it’s too dangerous, but I’m confident I’ve got it right.”
Malcolm nodded. “He probably won’t be able to help us get any information on the serum then.” The serum that all Zeds were injected with at their annual Eval fascinated Malcolm. Alphas were given immunizations, but the Zed serum didn’t have any stated purpose. If only they could get their hands on some, he felt they’d find answers in reverse-engineering it.
“No, but I think this will work out well. I’m going to try to take the information you got from the hack and the information from the mole and get everything properly indexed. My goal is to have a fully searchable system that will give us a big picture view of everything we have. I’m hoping it will help us learn what it is we don’t know, like looking at a puzzle and seeing the missing pieces.”
Malcolm couldn’t believe Will had thought Malcolm would think he wasn’t smart enough to help as an agent for the Spark of Life Movement. Malcolm would have never thought to use the data they had to find out what they were missing. “You’re amazing.”
“Amazing enough to come back up here to work after lunch?” The cautious hope in Will’s eyes pulled at Malcolm’s heart in unfair ways. He had hoped to spend some time with Will in the loft after lunch. It’d been more than a week since they’d escaped up there together. “I got hardly anything done this morning. This project is going to take long enough as it is. I need all the time I can get.”
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