"What are you doing?"
The voice makes me jump and I swing around toward it. Meyer is dressed in pants and a hooded jacket, much like the night I first saw him on the streets of Elore, except when I face him this time, he seems a little confused.
I hug myself tighter. "I … I needed some air."
Meyer pushes up his sleeve and checks his antique watch. "At this time of night? And in the hangar? The air seems rather stuffy in there to me."
"It was, and that's why I'm headed back." I rotate to face the bunker, but Meyer grabs me by the shoulder.
"What were you doing?" he asks again.
"Nothing." I don't look at Meyer. The bright glow of the moon would give my lie away.
"You were testing to see if Sanda's pod has a tracker on it."
My stomach roils. "Yes."
"And was there?"
"No."
"Avlyn, eventually you have to start trusting that we know what we're doing."
I turn toward him. His eyebrows are furrowed, but not angry anymore. Only sad.
"I spent my life trusting in a broken system, and the worst part is, I knew it was broken the whole time. I'm sorry, but I have a bad feeling about Ruiz, too, and I want to listen to that part of myself instead of just ignoring it again."
Meyer's face softens and he reaches a hand out to me. I take it, and he gathers me into his warm, strong body.
"You're shivering."
"What do you think? It's freezing out here."
He rubs my arms. "I'm sorry. I wasn't considering this whole thing from your point of view. It must be frightening to go through."
"You have no idea. First, taking the risk and joining Affinity, then discovering I have this ability. It's dangerous in the wrong hands, and I don't know who the right hands belong to."
He finds my fingers and interlaces his into them.
"I trusted Ruiz, but Waters is controlling her."
"Ruiz saved you in Elore," he reminds me. "If she wouldn't have, you probably would have been dead, or worse, in Manning's possession. Who knows what he would do with you."
The thought sends a shiver down my spine. Kyra is still in Elore. Who knows what they've done to her.
"But Meyer, after my EP implant surgery, I saw something."
His eyes narrow. "What?"
"Experiments. A project named ‘Ascendancy'. It was a lot like the lab in Elore, so I thought it was there. There were medical pods with humans inside them. As far as I can tell, they were attempting to recreate my ability. At first, I thought it was a dream, but when we were at Dr. Sloan's, I saw a reference to it on the screen. So, on the way out of New Philadelphia, I commed Ruiz and asked her."
"And what did she say?"
"She knew about it."
"She confirmed that?" Meyer asks.
"Yes."
Meyer shakes his head as if trying to sort out the information. "Just because she knew about it doesn't mean she's involved. Did she say who's in charge of it?"
"I didn't give her time. I needed to get Aron and myself out of there."
"Then it might not be Philly. You realize they're not the ones doing the attacking, right? Direction is. Right now, we're lacking the whole picture. Before we make a judgment, we have to have that."
I run through my conversation with Ruiz once more in my head, but it's cloudy. I was so worried about getting Aron out that I could have cut her off. I don't know anymore.
I look up and present Meyer a paltry smile. "Yes. Get me the whole picture."
He leans in and places a gentle kiss on my forehead. Even that tiny, sweet gesture sends a spark up my body, making me crave more.
Meyer pulls away but continues holding my hand. "We're working to keep you safe."
"Ben and Aron, too?"
He grins. "Them, too."
"Both?" I insist.
"Yes, both."
"Let's go inside, please," I say through nearly chattering teeth. "These pajamas and slippers aren't cutting it anymore."
Meyer gestures to the opening. "Lead the way."
Chapter
Fourteen
I lean back in my chair, fanning myself to ward away the stuffy air of the lab. Last night's conversation with Meyer keeps rolling through my thoughts.
Everything will be okay. Sanda's arrival yesterday just caught me off guard.
On the opposite side of the room, Ben slumps in his chair, eyelids drooping as if he's about to fall asleep. I chuckle. He tilts his head up and looks straight at me, now smiling. "Bor-ing," he whispers under his breath.
"I heard that." Gabrielle laughs, maintaining her work at the system. "Why don't you remove the connectors and come review?"
"We didn't do anything yet," I say.
"I know, but you need to see this first."
Ben and I remove the wires and walk to join Gabrielle. Both our brain activities show on the screen, different sections lit into a colorful rainbow effect.
Gabrielle rises and gestures to her chair. "Have a seat."
I plop into the chair and Ben comes up beside me.
"So far, this is the data we've collected from the tech immersion tests we did, and the ones from yesterday up top." She points to a large section of red on Ben's scan. "From this, it appears Ben's ability is nearly stabilized. On the other hand," she points to my scan and a much smaller red spot, "yours is much more underdeveloped."
I reach to the screen and trace the section. The word underdeveloped makes me cringe. It brings back old memories of not being good enough.
"But your ability is progressing so quickly, it could easily surpass his," she says.
Still touching my brain image, I look toward Ben, who suddenly seems to be lost in thought, and pat him on the arm. On contact, a tingling sensation travels my hand and the room goes white. An image of Ben as a young boy fills my mind. No, not just Ben, but Devan again slumped on the ground and Ben's childish body draped over him, sobbing.
"I didn't mean to—please wake up!" the child version of Ben cries.
I yank my hand back, and with a gasp, the vision is instantly gone. An expression of terror blankets Ben's face and he steps back, stunned.
"What was that?" Gabrielle yelps.
"You saw it?" I ask breathlessly.
"I saw the screen go crazy."
My hand continues touching the screen, and the brain scan has modified. The red area in my scan has grown and intensified in color, nearly twice as bright at Ben's scan.
"What did you see, Avlyn?" Ben demands.
"What? Um … I don't know. You and Devan. I saw the same scene before, too, after we first met, but it was different this time." I stretch for Ben. "What became of him?"
Ben collapses on his knees onto the floor, his head in his hands. "You'll hate me if I tell you."
"Hate you? You're my brother." I spring from the seat and find myself on the floor beside Ben. "I could never hate you."
Ben sobs, in much the way he did in the vision, and I wrap my arms around his shoulders. The space goes colorless again.
A few feet from me is the young boy lying over his father. The Ben I know now is gone.
"Don't go … don't. I didn't do it on purpose! I was trying to help. …"
Devan's lifeless figure lies on the ground. I lightly pad over to the younger version of Ben, kneeling and gently placing my hand on his shoulder. He jerks toward me. Child Ben's hazel eyes plead for me to help, but it's too late.
"What happened?" I ask.
"He was sick … I tried to heal him." Tears stream Ben's boyish face. He can't be older than nine.
"What do you mean?"
"His nanos stopped functioning, and we couldn't get to a medic. I tried to restart them."
The memory of healing Sanda's nanos sends a shudder up my spine. I might have killed her and myself when I did that. Somehow it worked then, but apparently not for Ben.
"I killed him," Ben whispers.
I envelop his petite body into mine and envision a sa
fe place, a place that is not here. The white space converts to endless blue sky and sand, waves lapping the shore. Meyer's safe place.
"Your intentions were good," I say. "You couldn't have known."
Ben's rapid breathing slows and the sobs subside. In front of my eyes, Ben's nine-year-old self morphs into the Ben I know now.
"You couldn't have known," I whisper.
Ben pulls from me. "I know, but he was my father. Our father. I should have saved him."
"You were a kid and had no understanding what you were doing."
Ben shakes his head and wipes away the tears on his face.
Concern for him engulfs me. I need answers about his past. "Where did you go after Devan died? Did you live alone?"
"We lived in a small town. The residents took care of me for a while, but when I turned sixteen, I traveled to New Philly and enlisted in the Guardsman training program. I figured I could help people, protect them. Maybe I knew it would lead me back to you."
"And it did." I graze the heart necklace Ben gave to me so many years ago.
The corners of Ben's lips sink into a slight, sad smile. "Let's get back."
The beach scene dissolves and we're back in the lab with Gabrielle staring at us.
"You know, the two of you are starting to affect the systems without touching them or being wired up." She gestures toward the screen and the colors in the images have shifted again. Ben's slightly, but mine continues to brighten. The red area grew a significant amount. "Your brain is quickly adapting to these new experiences, Avlyn."
"Why isn't mine changing much?" Ben asks.
"I'm not certain," Gabrielle replies. "You've both been forced to use it a lot in an extremely short period of time. Ben's brain might be responding differently."
"I think I know," I say. A wave of fear from Ben hits me, but I press on. "Ben is afraid of his ability. In the past, he's held back in using it. If he didn't, people would get hurt." My eyes meet his. "Devan would want you to use your gift for good."
Ben sighs.
"You're trying to control it now and your brain is fighting it," I say.
"She's right," Ben admits grudgingly. "I've worked on developing it in secret over the years, but every time I'd advance it to the next level, I'd back off. When I used it to contact Avlyn, I almost forgot I was afraid, but even then I withdrew."
"So, possibly if you let go, the ability will naturally progress." Gabrielle rotates to her viewing screen to type in some data. "How about if I keep Ben in here for a few hours and complete some additional tests to see what we can come up with. You can take some time off to rest, Avlyn."
My heart leaps at the opportunity, but I also want to stay here with Ben.
"I can wait in here and watch."
Gabrielle shakes her head. "It will be easier to focus with just Ben and me."
Sanda walks into the lab, breaking our conversation. "Mom?"
"Sanda," Gabrielle scolds, "I asked you to stay away while we're testing."
"Sorry." Her lips form into a sweet smile. I think it's difficult to keep mad at Sanda for very long. Funny how she and Meyer aren't bio siblings, but they still share this trait.
"What do you want?" Gabrielle asks.
"You're out of a ton of supplies. Aron needs additional parts to continue his work, and the kitchen is pretty much bare except food bars. Plenty of those."
Gabrielle scoffs. "No doubt. I wasn't expecting all you hungry kids."
"We need to make a trip into town," Sanda says.
My ears perk up at this. Meyer mentioned a town was nearby when we first arrived. That would be another experience I've never had. Living in Elore for seventeen years, I thought barely anything existed in the Outerbounds, yet I came to find out there are people everywhere, scattered here and there. How do these people in Gabrielle's town live? What do they do?
"I'll go." It's a perfect opportunity for me to see more of the world if Gabrielle doesn't want me in here with Ben anyway.
"That would be fun." Sanda looks to Gabrielle.
Ben nudges my shoulder. "No, you don't."
"It doesn't matter," Gabrielle says. "You're not going anyway."
"Why not?" Sanda pouts. "I've been there a bunch of times. It's not as if it's a hub of activity."
"That's why I say no. The townspeople like their lives simple. What we've got here ..." she motions in Ben and my direction, "is not simple. Avlyn could be recognized or at least identified later."
I focus on my hair and watch as the tips of it surrounding my face turn to a much lighter shade of brown.
Gabrielle stares at me, stunned. "How did you do that?"
"Something called CosmoNano tech," I explain, ordering the tech to return my hair to normal.
"Humph," she grunts. "I've heard of it. Haven't seen it in action, but I still don't want you out there."
"Come on, Mom, it will be fine," Sanda insists. "No one will recognize Avlyn. Most of the people there barely get the news. We'll keep to ourselves, get the supplies, and get out."
I look toward Gabrielle for her approval.
"Yes," she says at length.
"I'll get the boys," Sanda calls over her shoulder as she zips away.
Too much energy, that girl.
"But you must lay low," Gabrielle warns me. "You don't understand those people at all."
"What do you mean?"
"She means they're non-techie," Ben says.
Gabrielle nods. "The townspeople, as many of the small communities, fix on simple living. A lot of them feel as if technology played a role in society's downfall; too much reliance on artificial intelligence and lack of real personal interaction. Living in an antiquated way suits them. They're fine with me living on the outskirts and using them for trading, but they like things the way they have them set up."
Gabrielle's description of these people fascinates me even more. The townspeople are essentially the opposite of how I've lived my entire life. I thought New Philly was different than Elore, but this? What would they think about me?
"I get it," I say. "Hang back and observe."
Gabrielle eyes me for a few seconds too long. "Yes."
"I'll see you later." I smile at Ben and make for the door to go and get ready for the trip.
I make it halfway through the hall—into Aron's slender frame.
"I heard you're joining us?" Aron says, sounding chipper. Probably excited to get the drone parts he needs to replace the broken one from yesterday.
"I am. You ready to see more of the Outerbounds?"
"Very. I've barely met or seen anything since I've been out of Elore. Unless you count the inside of a holding cell and this bunker." He motions his hands in the air. "But what I've seen is amazing, and I'd love to see more. It makes me believe I can be more than I ever thought possible. Choose what I want to be, who I want to be with."
A lump forms in my throat, and suddenly I'm unsure whether to be happy for him, or slightly offended. Aron did choose me, once, but it doesn't matter now, and I shove the thought away.
Excitement flutters in my stomach and I flash him a smile. "We should quit wasting time, then."
"You should go change first," he says, stopping and pointing toward my quarters. Aron's dressed in khaki pants, a button-down shirt, and a brown jacket. Not at all like the typical uniform-style clothes we wore in Elore. These clothes suit him though. He seems relaxed, more at ease with himself.
He catches me looking him over and smiles. The dimple on his cheek makes an appearance, causing me to smile also.
"Sanda should have clothes to allow you to blend in with the locals. Not that it will disguise the fact we're not from around here, but at least they might not know we're from the city. Can you do the thing where you change my hair color?"
"The thing?"
Aron tips his head. "The … what did you call it?"
"Immerse," I say, and touch Aron's hair. As I do, the strands shift from golden to brown. "There you go."
As if c
ompelled, he reaches out and strokes my face. "You know how amazing you—" Aron pauses and drops his hand, looking slightly embarrassed. "How amazing the ability is, right?"
My heart skitters and I glance away, a little taken off guard by the fact that I enjoyed the touch.
Aron steps back and turns to exit. "Um, see you soon."
Chapter
Fifteen
In my room, I find a pair of blue pants and a green sweater in a small chest of drawers and slip them on. Before I leave, I check myself in a small mirror on the wall. As I smooth my bob with a brush, root to tip, the strands change from blonde until the color adjusts to my liking. I concentrate on my eyes and decide on green today to match my sweater.
My Flexx vibrates on my wrist with a message from Meyer.
Where are you?
I'm almost ready, I message back.
Great. Make sure to leave your Flexx behind. We need to blend in.
I shrug, and as I exit the room, I pull the device from my wrist and toss it onto the bed. Might as well sleep my EP, too. I blink and the green overlay on my vision I barely notice anymore vanishes.
Sanda, Meyer, and Aron are waiting for me up top. When Sanda spots me, a wide smile overtakes her face. "Your hair?"
Nervously, I touch at it, unsure if it looks right.
"No," she says as she walks to my side and wraps her arm around my waist. "It's beautiful. But quite a difference. It's nanotech right?"
I nod.
"Wish I would have thought of the nanotech option before I cut mine." Sanda raises her hand to her dark, short curls. "At least this is super easy to take care of now."
"Why did you cut it?" I ask.
"Same as you. Everyone in Elore has seen me on the news. A wild mane of curly hair isn't exactly the style there. If I ever have to go back in the city, I'd stand out too much, like the last time. I could have pulled it back, but decided short was easier."
I shudder at the thought of Sanda's face on the media viewer after she graffitied the building in Elore, and how Manning used her to help make citizens believe Affinity is a terrorist group.
"Aren't you afraid to go back?" I ask.
"Of course, wouldn't you be?" she replies with the raise of an eyebrow.
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