We had to step over both the guards to get down the corridor, the files in my shirt making every step I took seem stilted and stiff.
“You’re not going to get away with this,” the guard said as we jumped over him. Every breath cost him a piece of energy he didn’t have. “If you think you’ll be able to leave this place, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“I’ll take my chances,” I replied without looking back.
We hurried to put distance between us and the guards, heading out into the main foyer. I almost ran straight into McGee as he flew around the corner.
“You have to come quick, we need to get out of here,” he said while gasping for breath. He didn’t look injured but something had startled him.
“Why? What happened?”
His eyes darted everywhere but focused nowhere. “It’s the clones. The… scientists.”
“The scientists what?” I grabbed both his shoulders in my hands, trying to make him look at me and focus on the conversation we were having. I needed the information he had, otherwise we weren’t going anywhere. “Tell me, McGee. What happened?”
He gasped in some deep breaths before speaking so quickly I had to concentrate to keep up. “They killed the clones. Right in front of us. They injected them with something and they all dropped to the ground, dead.”
Shit.
“Are you sure they weren’t just sedated? Are you sure they were killed?” He nodded quickly and sincerely. “Where are the others? Tell me, McGee.”
“They headed for the van. We need to get out of here.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
“No, Thompson. We can’t abandon the mission,” Trenton yelled beside me.
“We have to. Otherwise they’ll just continue to destroy the clones,” I replied evenly. My trooper training coming in handy amidst the chaos surrounding me.
Alarms were blaring down every corridor, the ear-shattering echoes hitting as heavy as weapons. If we continued on with our original plan, the body count would stack up higher.
If we left, maybe all wouldn’t be lost.
Trying to convince a civilian like Trenton of that was difficult.
“Anything we do now won’t work. We need to regroup and adjust our plans,” I explained.
“Come on, we have to go,” McGee whined.
We both stared at Trenton for a long time before he finally agreed to come with us. We ducked through the foyer and sprinted for the van outside.
Guards appeared from the side of the building, running for us and shouting commands to stop. I ignored them, pumping my arms at my side to run faster. We just had to reach the van and then we’d only have the security gates to get through.
Samson was already sitting in the driver’s seat, the engine rumbling low and angry. The side door was hanging open, waiting for us to join them.
Bullets hit the ground around me, barely managing to miss my feet. If it wasn’t for the darkness of the night, the guards would have had a much better shot. I doubted I would have been able to run two feet away without them getting me.
My lungs puffed in air before spitting it back out again. I hadn’t run that fast since I was in trooper training and the last recruit to finish the drills was lumped with cleaning duty.
The van came closer, grew larger.
Until, finally, I could jump inside.
Trenton and McGee followed afterwards and I slammed the door shut. It was a tight fit in the back of the van now, the other men had managed to save a few clones in the process of our spectacular failure.
Sampson put his foot on the accelerator and we charged towards the first security checkpoint. The young kid was still on duty, gaping at us wide eyed as he watched our approach and knew there was little he could do to stop us.
I crossed everything I had as we crashed into the boom gate. I half expected the gate to fling us backwards like a rubber band. But it didn’t, the wood snapped in two and went flying into the air as we flew through it.
The second barrier broke in the same place. The van was going to need some repairs when we got back, but it had held up when we really needed it to. The rust bucket was stronger than I gave it credit for.
Samson guided the car back onto the road and hit the accelerator. We lurched forward but remained tense. The mission had been a complete failure and now the guards knew what kind of tactics we were using to gain access.
They were going to tighten their security systems and make sure we could never break into a lab again. There would be no more sneaking in, no more missions to the labs without a whole lot more trouble.
And innocent clones had died in the process.
I didn’t dare ask how many the scientists had killed in rebellion, how many lives were lost because of us. We weren’t taking many back – maybe five, at the most – which meant the majority were still in there.
The ride back was somber and tense. The guards never gave chase, probably unable to get a vehicle quick enough before we disappeared into the night.
Walking back into the shelter was terrible. Joseph and a small gathering of the leaders were waiting for us. They were anticipating a triumphant return which they wouldn’t get. Nobody said a word as we faced them.
“Your report, Thompson,” Joseph said.
“We failed.”
My heart sank as I told him what had happened. The others all listened intently while the rescued clones were taken away to calm down and learn about the Resistance. They would be given a choice to stay or leave, it was up to them. We kept no prisoners.
When I’d finished my report, Joseph only nodded. It was personally confronting to have disappointed him. “Get some sleep, we’ll regroup in the morning.”
I wanted him to yell at me like Sergeant Malone or Washington, I deserved to be berated for having left the mission without achieving the objective. If I were still with the troopers, they would have made sure we knew about their disappointment. They would punish us until we made sure to succeed in the future.
Being told to leave felt worse.
Joseph’s quiet demeanor was unreadable.
The team I had led into a disaster slowly moved away. Tired and slumped shoulders went for the sleeping quarters, a few went to sit in the rec area to gather themselves together.
I wanted to apologize to them. Not because we had failed but because we weren’t equipped enough to take on the scientists and guards. We charged into the battle with few resources and a plan with no backups.
We were doomed to fail.
And I should have known better.
I should have spoken up when the mission was outlined. I should have told Joseph that it had such a small chance of succeeding that it was ridiculous. I was the one with proper training and I should have been more forceful.
Sleep was no refuge for me that night. Even my dreams taunted me with the failure. I kept picturing all the clones being killed at the hands of the same people who had given them life. They were doomed anyway but we had ensured their deaths were swift.
I awoke in the morning with more sore muscles and no nice memories of Wren could take them away. As I turned over, something crunched underneath me.
Then I remembered the files.
Chapter 11: Wren
I heard the news at breakfast.
Reece’s mission had failed.
At first my only concern was for his safety. It wasn’t until I saw him with my own two eyes that I trusted he was okay. He didn’t look injured, just defeated.
Sometimes the mind caused more damage to the body than any physical injuries.
He didn’t eat at my table, instead taking his meal to sit alone in the rec area. I wanted to go over and comfort him, offer some empty words that wouldn’t fix anything. But I didn’t. Reece obviously wanted to be alone and it would be selfish to deny him that.
After breakfast, everyone went to do their assigned chores and missions. I had been given none of either so was left alone to stare at Reece’s back. Now wouldn’t be
a good time to ask him for some training, not even if it took his mind away from the tragedy of last night.
“Wren, would you mind talking to the clones that came in last night?” Soleil, one of the members, asked. She had to snap her fingers together to garner my attention first.
“Um, yeah, sure. What should I say?”
“Just make them feel welcome. It’s a lot to take in and I think you’re more qualified than I am to speak.”
“Okay.”
She smiled. “They are in the television area.”
The clones were all seated in two rows when I approached them. I saw at least one defect but I couldn’t be sure they were all Defective Clones. Some might have been Valid Clones.
I stood awkwardly in front of them, cutting off the view of the television. A few moved to try to look around me. It wasn’t the best start.
“Hi, um, I’m Wren.” A few snapped their attention to me. “I’m a Defective, got a bad foot. You’ve probably got more questions than I have words so does anyone want to start?”
A boy in the front row put his hand up. “They said they’re trying to get rid of clones, why would they do that?”
“They are trying to free clones and ban any new ones being made. That way the humans can’t kill us when they need an organ. We’ll have all the same rights as humans.”
“I had a great life,” he argued. “My Maker took me everywhere, I had everything I could have ever wanted. I was about to Fulfil My Purpose.”
A few of the others nodded in agreement. They were so brainwashed by their Makers and the scientists that they didn’t realize our purpose should not have been as organ donors. Our purpose should have been the same as humans – to live a long and happy life.
“You shouldn’t have to die just because your Maker needs a donation,” I replied. “What the scientists do is murder and it is directed by your Maker. It is wrong and it has to stop.”
“But it’s our purpose.”
“Only because they tell you it is. Wouldn’t you like to live longer? Die of old age like everyone else?”
They murmured between themselves as if this was news to them. They probably never even thought about a future away from their Maker, spending their whole lives just waiting to Fulfil Their Purpose and repeatedly told how wonderful it was.
Organ donation was wonderful.
But not when you had to sacrifice your life to do it.
I continued on before they could get too rowdy. “The Resistance is trying to make Aria a better place. They are trying to make sure the rich aren’t the only ones with good lives. Do you know how many humans are living in poverty? This organization isn’t just about us, it’s about everyone in Aria.”
“So what are we supposed to do now?” The delicate voice belonged to a little girl, probably no more than ten years old. Her Maker wouldn’t have been much older. Most rich people ordered a clone at the same time their child was born. That way there was always spare parts, even in childhood.
“Now you have a choice,” I continued. “You can stay here and be protected by the Resistance or you can leave and try to survive on your own. I’ve only been with the Resistance for a few weeks but I can guarantee you it is better here than out there.”
“My Maker will die without my lungs,” another of the clones said. He was a male, probably about fifteen if I had to guess. “I have to go back.”
“So you die and he lives? How is that fair?” I asked.
“It’s my purpose.”
I pointed to the door. “You may leave at any time. I merely implore you to consider your options and future first. Do you want to die or do you want to really live?”
“I want to kill them all,” a girl said. She was the one with the deformity, her right arm was half the size of her left one. “There’s no way I’m going back out there.”
“Who’s your Maker?” the lung-boy asked.
My first instinct was to lie but there was no point anymore. Someone else there would tell them at some stage anyway. “President Portia Stone.”
Gasps of disbelief ran through my small audience. One girl covered her mouth to hide the sharp intake of breath. It didn’t stop the boy from sharing his opinion. “I’ve heard about you. You’re the reason the village was burned to the ground.”
My wince was involuntary. I still carried the guilt of putting so many Defectives in danger. Instead of letting it weigh me down, I used that guilt to fuel my anger and fight back.
“I am the reason the troopers continually attacked the village, yes,” I confirmed. If he thought I was going to argue with him, he had another thing coming. I would never shirk my responsibilities for my prior actions.
They went quiet.
It was difficult to tell whether I had got through to any of them but I hoped I at least made them consider their options and understand them better.
The Resistance wasn’t perfect, but it was a thousand times better than being out on the streets. They would have protection here, and more food than some of them had seen in their lifetime. The shelter was almost a utopia compared to what we were used to.
“I’ll leave you alone to think it through,” I said before leaving. Through the back of the rec area I could see Reece moving and I wanted to make sure he was okay. Even if it meant encroaching on his solitude.
I followed Reece all the way to the meeting room. There was nobody else there. He jumped, startled, when I spoke to him. “How are you doing?”
He spun around to face me, clutching his heart with his free hand. “Wren, you scared me. How long have you been standing there?”
“I only just followed you in.”
He relaxed a little. “Did you hear about last night?” I nodded. “It was a complete disaster.”
“At least you tried. You wouldn’t have saved the ones you did if you didn’t go.”
His lips quirked up into a small smile for me. It instantly made his face look even more handsome. “Thank you for saying that, it’s more than I deserve.”
“Things go wrong all the time, you can’t take all the blame. We won on Foxtrot, they won on Echo. We’ll get them eventually.”
He gestured to the seats and pulled one out for me, taking the one next to it for himself. “There’s a few more things I took from Echo last night.”
Reece spread out a series of files on the table, all with numbers on their edges. “What are all these?”
“Files I stole from Echo. They are the ones for the members of parliament that we know are clones,” he explained. His eyes sparkled now, alive at the thought of achieving at least one win over the Echo guards. “I haven’t shown them to anyone yet, I wanted time to look through them myself before I did.”
I took the one closest to me and flipped it open. There were a lot of medical terms that I didn’t understand, even more numbers that seemed foreign to me.
My nose scrunched up. “These make no sense to me.”
“Me either. But there has to be something in here that can help us. Why were these people cloned? What was so special about them?”
We studied the files in silence. I made myself read every word before moving onto the next one. I might not have understood everything, but at least I knew what they contained.
The files were all largely the same and contained similar information in each. There were several full medical examinations where the scientist had noted a blemish here or an illness there. It seemed they were being very thorough in their checkups.
I read through them all, as did Reece.
Time ticked away.
“There’s something weird about these forms,” I said.
Reece looked up from his file. “What is it?”
“Check out the dates. These were signed only three years ago.” I pointed to the dates in the files, quickly flipping through them all to prove my point.
“That’s impossible. Those clones are adults, they are fully grown. That takes a lifetime, not just a few years. Unless…”
“Unless what? What are you thinking, Reece?”
All the cogs were working in his brain, trying to connect the dots that didn’t want to be connected. A moment of realization rushed over him. “Unless the scientists have a way of aging someone quickly. They could have manipulated the genes so they take only a fraction of the time to age as a regular person. Someone mentioned the theory at a meeting the other day.”
“Why would they do that?”
“So the clones could Fulfil Their Purpose and replace their Makers,” Reece spoke quickly, excitedly. “We don’t know what the scientists are doing in those labs, they are off limits and don’t have to report to anyone but Stone.”
“Those poor clones.” Aging rapidly could not have been good for them, there had to be some collateral damage in the whole process. I would have bet my life the scientists never took their wellbeing into consideration.
We fell back into silence again, studying the files in earnest. We’d already discovered one anomaly. Chances were there were more secrets to be found yet.
“Hey, who authorized those clones?” Reece asked, pointing to the few files in front of me.
I flicked to the pages I needed, remembering exactly where the authority contracts were. “Dwight Edgar.”
“Same for this one.” He grabbed at the remaining files and flicked through them. “Dwight Edgar authorized every single one of these clones. He couldn’t have been the Maker for all of them, otherwise they’d all look like him.”
“Some are female,” I pointed out.
“Exactly. So who is he?” Reece stared at me for so long I thought he was expecting me to know. I shrugged, not recognizing the name at all. “If we find Dwight Edgar, we’re going to know who is behind everything. We’ll find our enemy.”
“Where do we start looking?”
“Start looking for whom?” Joseph asked as he stepped into the room.
“The man behind all the clones in parliament,” Reece answered. He launched into his story, explaining how he stole the files and the fact they were all connected by Dwight Edgar. He also discussed the date anomaly. Joseph listened closely with his wise old eyes blinking slowly as each new piece of information was fed to him.
One Spark of Hope Page 11