Immersed

by Jenetta Penner

  "Good afternoon, Avlyn. I'm Medic—"

  "Rodriguez," I mumble.

  "Yes, that's right." He cocks his head and smiles warmly. "Ruiz and President Waters will be here shortly to assess your progress. For now, you should rest."

  Medic Rodriguez places his hands around the pillow behind my head and fluffs it slightly. From his pocket, he produces a Flexx and scans my eye. "It appears your implant is functioning properly."

  "Can I see the results?" I ask, nearly forgetting about my terrible dream.

  "Sure." He unfolds the thin material of the Flexx into a tablet, taps the screen, and hands it to me.

  My face mirrors back at me. My freckles are still there, sprayed over my nose. I touch the area surrounding my eye. I can't feel a difference, and there isn't any evidence of the surgery.

  "Why don't I see where they did the implant?"

  "It's a simple surgery. Your healing nanotechnology was also upgraded. I'm confident they explained that to you. In the few hours since you were released, it has completely healed. Even so, when you came from surgery, swelling and redness was minimal. If you have any additional questions, they can be answered when you begin training. Right now, it's an excellent time for you to relax. How about you watch the MV?"

  "MV?"

  He peers toward a black media viewer. "MV on." An image of a man appears on the screen.

  "Oh, I don't want to watch the news."

  Rodriguez chuckles. "Oh yes. In Elore, all you get is news. This is different. You should check it out. I'm sure you'll discover a show you like. To choose, say ‘next program' or use the controller to your side."

  I turn and find a glass of water and a device sitting on the side table.

  "Call me if you need any assistance."

  "Thanks."

  "No problem." He smiles a second time and walks from the room.

  On the media viewer, an attractive middle-aged woman speaks to a younger girl, maybe her daughter? They say something that I guess sounds funny. The scene then switches to another group of people saying equally funny things because a bunch of laughter sounds on the audio, although I don't see any of them.

  I grab for the controller, attempting to link with it, but can't. Waters must have also implanted a device that prevents me from immersing with tech until they allow me to.

  Instead, like a regular person, I tap the controller screen. A new program plays about wildlife and the animal population changes since the Collapse. Apparently, when so many people and birds died, it altered the ecosystem. While some animals flourished, others nearly died off. The few minutes I watch of it are interesting, but I flip through several more programs when my heart skips a beat as a stern face I know suddenly comes up.

  Manning. His hair, graying at the temples, accentuates his hawkish stare. As always, he's wearing a white lab coat, his eternal uniform. I suck in a breath, flinch, and deactivate the MV. I stare at the blank screen for a moment, but, unable to quiet my curiosity, I switch on the program again.

  "With great heaviness, I am here to give you the latest news of the most recent attack by Affinity on Elore." He leans into the podium, a predator patiently awaiting its prey.

  Of course, he doesn't mention New Philadelphia, as if Elore houses the remains of the world's survivors and barely anything else exists. He still wants to maintain that the Outerbounds is limited to a rogue band of traitors instead of a population of five million.

  "This terrorist group's singular goal is to destroy the way of life we have adopted. The same life which offers the best chances at survival after the Collapse."

  I shake my head at his old lies. His words and seeing him have made my hands go clammy. I rub them over the sheets.

  Manning continues. "Please know we have the situation well under control, and are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of each Elorian citizen."

  I gasp when Representative Ayers joins Manning. At the sight of him, Kyra's terrified face when she told me what he'd done to her comes to the forefront of my mind. Why would Manning be teaming with Ayers? His Level Two privilege runs deep, but if Manning were to defer to anyone else, it would likely be a Level Three representative.

  Manning finishes whatever he was saying and nods for Ayers to take his place at the clear podium. Ayers does so emotionlessly.

  "Elorians, I am Level Two Representative Ayers, and I am here to present you with a warning. From this day forward, anyone discovered as a member of Affinity will not only be taken into custody and publicly put to death, but so will the members of their immediate family, no matter what level." His nostrils flare and he puffs up his chest. "Direction will no longer tolerate anyone expecting to destroy all we have strived for."

  I clamber over the end of my bed and struggle for breath. "Turn off." I gasp and clutch my middle, squeezing at the nausea worming in my belly.

  This is my fault, because of my escape. Innocent people will be murdered because of me.

  I turn from the screen and make for the exit. There's not enough air in the room. Direction can't be doing this.

  I throw my hand up to activate the door and it slides back, but not from my opening it. Medic Rodriguez rushes in. I shove him off before he has the chance to slam his body into mine, but he recovers in a snap and blocks the exit.

  "I have to get out of here," I pant, looking over his shoulder into the hall.

  "No, no." He steps toward me, hands slightly raised. "You're not authorized to leave without an escort yet. Ruiz will be here soon." He gently places a hand on my shoulder and tips his chin to the MV. "I'm sorry you saw that replay broadcast. We didn't realize you were watching it until too late. I'm sure Ruiz plans to speak with you about it as soon as she arrives. Now please, lie back."

  "I don't want to lie down!"

  Rodriguez pinches his lips together. "I know, but running around out there is not going to do you any benefit."

  "Fine," I relent, but I don't move, and neither does he. I realize it's no use, so I back away from him, slink back to the bed, and flop onto it. "This is a huge mess."

  "Avlyn, this world has been a mess for a long time. It's nothing new."

  Behind him, Ruiz comes in through the doorway. For some reason, a new wave of mistrust wells over me.

  Is Ruiz a good person like I thought, or was Ben right in saying her giving me up was a way to save Affinity and her own skin?

  The feeling quickly passes.

  Adriana Ruiz

  Age: 64

  Sex: Female

  Security clearance: A.2

  "Thank you for containing the situation, Medic Rodriguez. I came as soon as I could."

  "Yes, ma'am." He gestures goodbye to me and leaves.

  "My dear," Ruiz says in a gentle voice, "that's not how we intended for you to awaken."

  "I don't want to do this. Any of it." I flick my gaze to her and quickly return it to my lap. "I'm responsible for Direction killing innocent Citizens. Their deaths are on my head."

  "Avlyn, this isn't your fault. It's Direction's. Manning is greedy, and he's found other greedy people to surround him. Take Ms. Lewis, for example, and what she was willing to do."

  My heart leaps at the mention of my best friend. "No, not Kyra. Manning's manipulating her."

  Ruiz steps toward the bed and sits beside me. "Power is a tempting problem. Since your escape, we've accessed Kyra's records. She has ambition. She sees helping Manning as an in. As a Level Two, she probably wouldn't make director, but the Level Representatives have a measure of influence. Kyra may have forged a political path for herself."

  "You don't know Kyra. Yes, she was focused, but not cruel. You don't know what happened to her." I pause and gulp down a lump in my throat. "What Representative Ayers did to her. She was threatened, I know it, and now Ayers is speaking for Manning. Something's going on."

  Ruiz tips her head, confused. "What are you talking about, Avlyn? Kyra almost got you killed. Her choices nearly killed all of us."

  I shake my he
ad. "I know what went on, but you're not seeing the entire picture."

  "Then tell me," Ruiz instructs patiently.

  Nervousness crawls up my chest and arms at the thought of telling her Kyra's secret. "A few days before the escape, she came to my unit and told me something had happened."

  "What exactly occurred to her?"

  "She … she was raped.

  Ruiz's eyes grow wide as saucers. "Raped?"

  "Yes. By Representative Ayers. He threatened her into keeping quiet, but she came to me anyway. While we were in my apartment, the guardians came and raided Lena's unit. The whole thing scared Kyra so much she ran away. When I tried to speak with her the next day, she ignored my messages." Hot tears threaten the corners of my eyes. "The last time I saw her was when she released me at the Representatives' building."

  Ruiz stands and shifts from me, crossing her arms over her chest. When she turns back a pained look dresses her face. "I feel terrible, but I don't know that there's anything we can do at this point."

  My fists clench. "So you'll just leave her there for Manning and anyone else to use her? To abuse her?"

  "I can't risk pulling her out at this time, Avlyn. There is too much at stake, too many larger issues. Also, she's not a member of Affinity, so what would we be able to do with her? Imprison her?"

  "There has to be something," I insist.

  She places her hand on top of my clenched fist. "If we can do something, we will. Right now, it's not a possibility. Our goal is to protect you. You are not merely necessary for your skills, but also as a person. Valuable to our team, to Affinity and New Philly."

  Sweat coats my hands and I wipe them on my pants. Ruiz seems sincere, but in the end her words are cheap. I'm sure without my ability I'd be a nobody to them, like Kyra.

  "Listen." She places her hand on my arm. "I've lost people to Direction too. Friends, family. Let's get started with training. With you on our side, we may be able to stop losing the ones we love. Including Kyra."

  Believing her or not, I twist and fall into her arms. Tears stream my face and soak the fabric on her shoulder. A light, sweet scent I'm unable to identify fills my nose and reminds me of my mother, even though she never smelled that way. If only it were her holding me instead of Ruiz.

  Mother's not coming back, but Kyra is still alive, and I must help her somehow. As far as Ruiz and Waters know, I'm the only individual with the ability to immerse. That alone gives me some sense of power.

  Ruiz envelops me in a tight hug and doesn't loosen it until I do. I wipe my face and slow my breathing.

  "When do I begin training?"

  "After tomorrow. We still have a few tests." Ruiz pats my leg. "Rodriguez will bring you a snack. After that, you should sleep. Don't keep yourself up with the news. There'll be plenty of that later."

  She rises and exits the room, and I stare at the blank MV. Manning's announcement replays in my head, his cold, gray eyes burrowing through my brain.

  Chapter

  Five

  Kyra's eyes burn with fear and her mouth opens into a silent scream. She stretches for me, but when I seize her hand, she explodes into millions of pieces of shimmery code. The blowback shoves me straight up from my pillow.

  Panting, I fumble to ring for Rodriguez and throw back the damp sheet from my body. Within seconds, the door slides free. A male frame stands backlit in the doorway.

  Rodriguez

  "I can't—sleep," I say between ragged breaths.

  "Let me provide you with something." Rodriguez steps into the room and reaches toward me with a handheld scanner. "Give me your hand."

  I don't obey and shove my hand beneath the sheet to my side. I've taken that MedTech before, and I didn't like it. "I thought that stuff was bad."

  In Elore, my friend Lena warned me about the sleep MedTech, but she's dead now. Killed in an attempt to rescue Meyer's adoptive father Jayson from Elore's detention center. Her memory raises a lump in my throat and I swallow it down.

  The moonlight streaming through the window falls over Rodriguez's face. A crooked smile works at his lips. "It can be addictive, but your upgraded nanos are designed to monitor the tech and won't allow dependence. In general, the nanos should keep you functioning optimally on their own, but …" He scans my head and body with the handheld and it beeps. "Your stress levels are decidedly high, so they need an additional aid. Remember, this isn't Elore. We're not trying to control you."

  I want to believe that, but a lifetime of lies tends to ruin you.

  Despite my doubt, I place my hand on the screen for the upload. The device beeps.

  "There." Rodriguez pockets the device and pats me on the head. "That should stabilize your elevated cortisol and any nightmares."

  "Thanks," I mumble, the tension already falling away. "Oh, is my guard still outside?" I haven't seen Ben since before my surgery.

  "He is. The guy seems rather devoted to your safety. See you in the morning."

  The thought of Ben standing guard outside my door overwhelms me with the warmth of security. Rodriguez exits and I focus on the moon out my window until it fades into a pinprick of light against the nothingness of sleep.

  ~ ~ ~

  A muffled female voice tunnels its way into my consciousness, rousing me from a dreamless sleep. "Avlyn? Wake up."

  A vaguely recognizable face cuts through my groggy state. Coppery skin and ice-blue eyes. Long, dark ringlets tickle my nose, and I wipe the itch.

  Sanda Brant and the rest of her information overlays my vision.

  "Sanda?" I ask.

  "Yeah. We don't have a lot of time."

  I bolt upright, looking past her for Meyer or Ben. Are we in trouble? Do we need to run? The muscles in my legs tense at the thought, but then she grins, confusing me.

  "Relax. You're released into Meyer's custody today for an off-grounds facility tour."

  My heart slows, and I scan the room. "Where's Meyer?"

  "He's on his way. When he messaged me this morning, I came straight over."

  Still unsure, I shake my head. "Why are you even here in New Philadelphia?"

  "Well, to see my savior, of course." Sanda smiles and pats me on the side of my upper arm.

  Sanda does appear immensely better than the last time I saw her, but I have a feeling that nearly dead people never look great. Direction tortured her and Jayson at the detention center and deactivated their healing nanos. After the escape, Meyer thought I should use my ability to attempt hacking her nanos. Unexpectedly, it worked, and here she is, alive.

  "You can't be here just to see me."

  "No, but it was a perk. Ruiz sent me to New Philly to recover. The medics are way better in the city than out in the field. I should know, since I have a little field training."

  "How are you?"

  She glances down at her body. "Healing up nicely, thanks to you." The sparkle in her eyes dims slightly. "My heart's still having a bit of trouble, though, dealing with my losses. I really miss my dad."

  Jayson was Sanda's bio father. He made sure we got Sanda out of the detention center first, and because of it, he and Lena didn't make it out.

  "I lost my mother, too," I say.

  She catches my gaze and places her hand on my shoulder. "I know."

  "Hey, ladies." Meyer's voice interrupts our moment of shared sorrow and Sanda swivels toward him.

  My pulse skips at the sight of Meyer, and thoughts of yesterday's kiss erase some of the sadness creeping over me. There will be time for mourning later, if I survive through this. Today, a little distraction will be good for my morale.

  "Hi," Sanda and I reply in unison.

  Meyer claps his hands together. "Well, let's get going. We only have today. After that ... who knows?"

  "I should go take care of a couple things before we leave. I'll see you two downstairs." Sanda waves and exits.

  "Did you sleep ok?" Meyer asks as he walks to the bed.

  I did when Rodriguez gave me the sleep MedTech.

  "I gues
s."

  He smiles, leans in to peck my cheek, and it's as if lightning explodes in my center. His clean, recently showered scent fills my nose, making me want to melt into a puddle.

  I snatch his hand. "Can today last forever?"

  "I wish." A gleam sparks in his nearly ebony eyes. "Now get ready. I'll be outside with Sanda."

  After he leaves, I find a change of clothes in the bathroom and quickly shower. When I come out, toweling my hair dry, Ruiz is standing stiffly in my room, arms across her chest.

  "Oh. Uh, hello," I say, slightly startled.

  "I wanted to see you this morning before you left," she begins. "I convinced Waters to let you go on a short tour of the city en route to your appointment. Getting your bearings is important, but be aware today will be your final outing for quite some time. At least until we have a better understanding of your abilities. You will be visiting a gentleman today who might be able to give us a better idea of this. Porter, your guard, will also be accompanying you on the excursion."

  "Yes ma'am," I say. "May I ask a question?"

  Her stance relaxes. "Please do."

  "Why are you still dealing with me if I was handed over to New Philly?"

  "Because I negotiated it. You require someone on your side who comprehends your background in Elore." She produces a Flexx and pokes at the screen. "I'm disabling your EP for the time being. She taps her handheld and the greenish glow framing my vision disperses. With that, she nods and exits the room.

  ~ ~ ~

  Outside, Meyer dashes ahead, leaving Sanda and I behind. Ben and another guard with a face full of freckles and hair the color of carrots trail us. His uniform identifies him as Smith, and without the enhancements from my new EP, that's all I know.

  Sanda's gold-tipped curls dance in the sunlight as we jog from the medical facility. It's an unassuming, two-story building, grayish and concrete. After living with the elegant buildings of Level Two in Elore, this one has an almost shabby appearance. Nothing too impressive.

  I'm glad Ruiz disabled my EP. There's a part of me that wants today to be a surprise, and the device would give me too much information for that to be possible. For one more day, I can pretend I'm a normal person.