Will wondered how much the mysterious poster actually knew. “Is there a way to find out the identity of Clarion23?”
“No. Everyone who’s in this part of the darknet knows to keep themselves anonymous.”
“I don’t understand how they don’t know that someone from the government is in there,” Syrus said.
“It’s invitation only, and each person is vouched for by another member before being allowed in. There’s no way to accidentally end up there or get in without knowing someone. And like I said, even if there was someone from the government or DGI snooping around, they can’t trace anything that’s said back to anyone.”
“W-w-we were hoping you could f-f-find out more from the movement or at l-l-least let them know.”
“I will.” Will nodded. “Keep an eye on that conversation. It might be more than just rumor.”
“And if it is?” Nick asked.
“It’d be nice if we could help in some way. Maybe we can. Who knows, maybe it’s the movement doing it,” Will said. “I’ll tell Malcolm about it as soon as he’s free. Thanks for telling me.”
“Of course. Let me know if there’s anything you want us to post, you know, to support it or try to say it’s just rumor.” Nick’s face lit with eagerness.
“Will do.”
* * *
Back in the office, Malcolm looked up at Will’s entrance, and Will nodded in greeting. Neither man said a word. Malcolm focused back on his computer, absorbed in the Europania mission.
With everything happening, could it have simply slipped Will’s notice that the movement currently smuggled babies out to the settlements? No, that would have come up with Malcolm by now. Will unlocked his computer and brought up the last drop from the mole, looking at it with new eyes.
Now that Will had heard Nick’s explanation, it seemed too obvious. Of course, the number of deaths that occurred between the time of testing and the collar being fitted was small, but it was a larger percentage than the number of deaths that occurred between the testing and application of a Beta mark. Some of the deaths had to be genuine, but Will knew in his heart that some of them were babies who were smuggled out to the settlements. He wanted to reach out to their liaison immediately, but something this big required that he run it by Malcolm first. He might know some relevant information.
A glance at Malcolm revealed no sign that he would be done soon.
The new information would have to wait. In the meantime, Will had plenty to do. Malcolm’s comm accounts showed new messages. Scanning the senders, Will’s breath caught. A new message had come from the DGI. He opened it and quickly scanned, hoping for the news they’d been waiting for.
“Yes!” Will couldn’t help the exclamation that escaped his mouth as he saw the final numbers for the pilot program. The DGI would be rolling out five hundred collars to some of the Zeds who belonged to DGI personnel and a few others, such as Malcolm’s Zeds.
“What?”
Will turned to see Malcolm looking at him. “It can wait.”
“No, go ahead. The mission’s done. My paranoia is the only thing keeping me watching to make sure we weren’t caught.”
“So we got in?”
“Yes, though it’s not as much of a victory as I’d like, but it’s still the furthest we’ve gotten into a DGI. We can now see interdepartmental communications. The way their comm accounts work is ridiculous. I had hoped to get some personal comm accounts or even be able to monitor all communications, but the way they have it set up, messages between departments are routed through a different system, which proved far easier to get into unnoticed. It’s safer and is still something. I didn’t want to risk anything more.”
Sometimes Will wished Malcolm would throw away caution and go for a bigger catch. Then again, there was a reason no one had ever caught Malcolm and why his predecessor had chosen him to serve as the movement’s leader.
“Well, that’s something.”
“What did you have to tell me?”
“A few things, actually.” As exciting as the pilot program was, Will wanted to talk to Malcolm about his meeting with Nick. Once Malcolm found out that all his Zeds would need to be taken to get new collars, he wouldn’t be able to focus on much else. Will would have his hands full dealing with Malcolm’s nerves. “Nick and Stu came across something interesting.”
“And what’s that?”
“Have you ever heard of Betas smuggling Zeds out of New Cali?”
“Those rumors have been around since I was a child.”
“That’s what Syrus said, but this time there’s more to it. A user claims that there are Betas who take babies who are classified as Zeds and get them out before they can get the collar on. This poster says that the babies are then given to someone who takes them to the Wastelands.”
Malcolm shook his head. “But there’s hardly any time between when a baby is tested and when they’re collared.”
“There doesn’t have to be much. Look at this last report from the mole.” Will pulled the relevant information up on his screen while Malcolm rolled his chair over. “See, there are some deaths between the test and the collar being fitted or a Beta mark being applied. Some of those Zed deaths could be babies who are taken away. Have you ever heard of something like that?”
“No. It would have to be done from the inside.”
“Yes and no. That’s what I thought originally, but at the hospitals, the Geneticists aren’t really directly involved. All it would take is a Beta nurse or doctor in the right place. I’m not sure of the details, and the poster didn’t want to give much, but it makes sense. Would the settlement where our servers are tell you?”
“They haven’t said anything before, but that doesn’t surprise me. They value secrecy, which is why our arrangement works. They could very well be doing this and wouldn’t say anything. They wouldn’t want to compromise this operation or our own.”
“I was wondering if we should ask our liaison about it.”
Malcolm sat back and stared at Will’s monitor as he thought. “We can, but I doubt we’ll get an answer. We should wait until after we have everything with the new server space sorted.”
“I asked Nick and Stu to keep an eye on the discussion. If you want them to make any comments, just let them know. They want to believe it’s true and to help if we can. I hated not even being able to tell them about the settlements. I don’t know how you’ve done it all this time.”
“It was easier before when I was doing this alone. You said you had a few things to talk about. What else?”
“Only one other thing, really. The Geneticists have decided the pilot program will be five hundred collars. They’ve chosen your Zeds and the Zeds of some of the Geneticists to take part.”
Conflict swirled in Malcolm’s eyes. Excitement to be sure, but nerves showed themselves as well.
“It’ll be all right, love.”
“Have you told anyone?”
“No, I just got the message myself.”
“Well, let’s round everyone up. They’ll want to know right away.”
“Are you going to be fine?” Will watched Malcolm stand.
“I’ll have to be.”
And Will would support him every step of the way.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Twenty-four hours and it would all be done. The magnitude of what would happen the next day didn’t seem to match the idea that in twenty-four hours they would all be back in this lounge. The only difference to mark the time would be the six new collars that Malcolm would see encircling the necks of the men he held dearer than anyone in the world.
It seemed unreal, which made him not trust it. He couldn’t keep his thoughts from wandering to the very real possibility that tomorrow night there would be more of a difference than the collars he saw.
“I want to be there with you all.” Will appealed to the group to settle the argument he and Malcolm had earlier.
Malcolm didn’t miss how every set of eyes in the room exc
ept for Syrus’s sought him out after Will’s declaration. “We had this discussion earlier. Will wants to go with us tomorrow. I want him to stay. Since we couldn’t settle it, we agreed that we’d put it to a group vote.”
“I’m sorry, but I’d much prefer you stay, Will,” Tony said. “There’s no need for you to come, and it will only add more stress. It’ll give me peace of mind knowing that you’re safe at home.”
“Yeah, why would you come?” Nick asked.
“Because we’re a family. I want to be there with all of you.”
“No offense, but you’re not exactly a good luck charm when it comes to the Eval Center.” Nick chuckled, though the mirth didn’t reach his eyes, and Stu joined him.
“We appreciate the gesture,” Syrus said, “but I think we’d all much prefer it if you stay here.”
Will turned his gaze to Carson, no doubt hoping that the frank and pragmatic man would dismiss the worries of the others. It didn’t matter. The votes already cast outnumbered any that Will could sway to his side.
“I don’t know what you’re lookin’ at me for. I think you’re crazy for even thinkin’ of comin’. Never thought I’d have to convince someone to not go to an Eval Center when they don’t have to.”
Only one voice left to be heard. Rufus spoke. “I already carried you out of the Eval Center once; I don’t want to do it again. I never want someone I love to be in one of those places if I can help it.”
“So there you have it. The group has spoken. You’ll stay.” Malcolm had known the rest of the family would side with him. A certain amount of relief filled him at both the knowledge that Will would be safe at home and at the fact that he needn’t be painted as the bad guy for denying him.
“Fine. If you’d all really rather I stay, then I will.” Will’s face fell a little. Malcolm didn’t like to see him disappointed, but he didn’t let it affect his decision. There’d be time to make it up to him.
“D-d-did it hurt?” The apprehension in Stu’s face as he asked Will his question pulled at Malcolm’s heartstrings.
“Nah. You’ve had your collar changed before. They take some blood, but you’re used to that. Malcolm’s going to be there the whole time. Just relax, and you won’t feel a thing. Actually, it will feel a lot lighter when it’s done. You’ve felt the difference between the new model and the old.”
Stu nodded. They’d all examined the new collars in detail. And Will was right, Malcolm had been assured that, after last time, the DGI had no problem allowing him to have his Zeds fitted one after the other, all in his presence. However, he didn’t know how his presence would help if the DGI decided to poison one of his Zeds again. Earlier, Will had made a good point when it was just the two of them. If the Geneticists wanted any of them dead, there was nothing any of them could do to stop it, so they might as well go forward with their plan so someday it would no longer be an issue for anyone.
“We’ve all had collars replaced before as we were growing up, so let’s not think about that,” Tony said. “After this pilot program, they’ll be giving everyone the new collar. That means we’ll be able to see what the Geneticists see, right?” He directed his question to Will.
“Yeah, the movement is collecting all the data from the new collars.”
“What do you think we’re going to find?” Nick asked.
“The truth.” Rufus spoke softly, emphasizing his conviction.
“Exactly,” Malcolm said. “The movement has been behind every reform that has come along to make things better, and they’ve always done it by revealing the truth. Whatever truths we discover, we can use them to make the world better.”
“How do you know?” Nick asked.
“Because the ultimate truth is that this system is wrong. No one deserves a collar around their neck or to be considered a second-class citizen for any reason. Any truth we can uncover will support that. It’s what science is supposed to be for: the pursuit of truth.”
“B-b-but the fanatics s-s-say that the only way to f-f-fix the s-s-system is to trust in the S-S-Spark.”
“That’s the difference between the Spark of Life fanatics and the Spark of Life Movement. I’ve told you that they’re not one and the same. The fanatics believe in something more akin to religion. The movement believes that the Spark of Life is simply the unknown, and that it’s our goal, and should be the goal of science, to uncover the mysteries of life. Science should be used to enrich life, not to condemn it. This system has used science to kill our humanity instead of enhance it. So the fanatics are looking for our humanity elsewhere, in the same type of beliefs our ancestors had. We’re hoping that once we discover the truth to how the Geneticists are manipulating and distorting science, the fanatics will see that science isn’t the problem, the people in charge of it are.”
“Honestly, I don’t see a lot of people looking for answers,” Nick said. “They’re mainly just angry.”
“And that’s why they’re violent, Nick,” Tony said. “But weren’t you telling me that there are some Betas who are saving Zed babies?” Hope shone in Tony’s face. Malcolm felt certain that if Tony were a Beta, he’d be one of the ones doing the smuggling.
“They’re just rumors.” Defeat colored Nick’s tone.
A glance from Will implored Malcolm for a bit of the truth, something to give them hope that they weren’t the only ones working to better the world.
“The movement has reason to believe they’re not just rumors.” Every set of eyes in the room focused on Malcolm.
“R-r-really?”
“Yes, really. The violent attacks of the fanatics get all the attention because they are more in the open. We don’t see all the quieter acts of defiance.”
“Is there a way we can help?” Of course Tony would want to be involved. No doubt he would like to raise some of the babies himself. Malcolm would love to let him.
“Not at the moment. We don’t know anything for certain, but it does appear that some Zed babies are being taken to safety outside of New Cali. The most important thing we can do to help is to play our part. We’re hoping to learn more about the serum that is injected at Eval as well as more information about the general health and well-being of Zeds in New Cali. Betas who know the truth tend to be sympathetic to our cause. Our goal is to pull heads out of the sand by finding more truths to confront them with. I do believe that, ultimately, the people of New Cali will do the right thing. We just need to give them the opportunity. I don’t know what we’re going to find out, only that it’s truth, and the truth can only help us.”
“Aye. If most Betas knew the truth of our lives, they might be more willin’ to do somethin’. As it is now, the Geneticists and Alphas have them so convinced that Zeds are subhuman that they don’t even realize that we’re people, same as them.”
Carson’s statement stirred an idea. “You know, that’s a good idea. I think you all should write down or record your stories. The world needs to hear them. I don’t know how we would get them out—maybe Nick could post them—or how much we would need to alter them for our protection, but I think there should be a record somewhere. If nothing else, we could have them entered into the movement archives.” Malcolm had never bought in to the idea that Zeds were inferior, but that was in large part because of the Zeds he had been exposed to as a child. Having Kaleana helped. Alpha children were urged to exert dominance, but that had never come naturally to him. He didn’t believe hate came naturally either. Tony’s own story proved that. The Alpha children he cared for loved him until their parents taught them hate. Malcolm’s father had tried to teach him that Zeds were less than, but the lesson could never stick when he had Kaleana and Billy to show him what Zeds really were.
“That is an excellent idea.” Syrus nodded his approval. “We could all dictate our stories to our tabs and then you or Will could edit the files as necessary. I like the idea that no matter what happens to us, our stories will be preserved in the movement’s archive.”
“People can see that n
onviolence does more to help,” Rufus said. “Someone chose to smuggle me to safety instead of blowing up a government building or whatever. I know Sharan would have never just let Malcolm buy me.”
Malcolm had always wondered how much Rufus knew about how he had come to be in this home. Kaleana had assured him that Rufus didn’t know enough to compromise Oculus or the movement.
“If the Betas knew that some of their children were locked in a barracks with me to burn to death, I bet it’d get them off their comfy backsides to actually do somethin’,” Carson said.
“People don’t like their lives disrupted.” Syrus shook his head. “It’s why the Alphas can treat us so poorly and no one does anything to change it. Any move to humanize us is a threat to their power. There are a lot of Betas who hold the same fears. They don’t want Zeds suddenly competing with them for jobs that are scarce enough as it is.”
“So are you saying it’s hopeless, Syrus?” Nick furrowed his eyebrows, confused at the sudden turn.
“No, I’m saying they’ve got to be hammered with the injustice of it before it will make a difference to them. Mark my words, it’s the Beta women who are going to do the most to help the Zeds because it’s their children we’re talking about. Each of us has a Beta mother out there who thinks about us every day even though she doesn’t know who we are. Look at Marcy and Jess. They’ve always treated us like people because they know the babies they gave birth to were people deserving of dignity.”
“Syrus is right,” Malcolm said. “There’s a good deal of opposition that we’re facing, but there’s also a lot of people who want things to change, they just need to see how to do it. And there are others who would join them if they only knew the truth. That’s what we’re doing. Now, we’re leaving early in the morning. It’ll go smoother if we’re all well rested.” The talk had calmed even Malcolm’s perpetual fears for their safety. They needed to keep their eye on the goal. Any glances down or to the side would only distract them. Tomorrow wasn’t about collar changes; it was about the pursuit of truth. If only he could convince himself of that in the moment.
[In Distress 02.0] In Pain Page 19