Immersed

by Jenetta Penner

  "They're coming," I say, looking to the weapon holstered on his hip, just peeking out from his untucked shirt.

  He blinks owlishly. "Who's coming?"

  "Elore is en route to attack New Philly, and might be taking out the communities on the way."

  The sheriff's eyes grow wide. "Why would they do that? We're not a threat."

  "Gabrielle received a warning—Evacuation Code Two."

  All the blood drains from the sheriff's face. "Philly won't assist?"

  "Sheriff, bring up the grid again and warn the other communities. They won't know."

  He shakes his head. "I can't bring it up. A representative from New Philly came in and took the entire operating system off to repair it."

  "But the grid is still there. You can't access it?"

  "Yes, but it does us no use. The one thing to do now is get this place evacuated. There's little we can do about the rest of the communities. Please excuse me." He turns and scrambles behind the counter into the back room, returning with a coat and a pair of shoes. "Unless you want to help, you should get back to your people and evacuate."

  I gulp. He's going to find the next statement I have to say ridiculous, but I won't let the outlying communities be destroyed.

  "Did they take the connection to the information port?"

  "For what?" he asks, pulling on his shoes.

  "For the computer system."

  "They took everything." He reaches for the door to exit. "I need to go."

  "Let me look."

  The sheriff pulls his hand back from the doorknob. "What do you mean?"

  I swallow thickly. "I'll access it."

  "There's nothing to access," he insists, confused.

  "There might be." I scan the room where the system was. The table is empty.

  The sheriff narrows his eyes at me, realization rising. "You did it. You and your friends activated the grid. Why?"

  It's as if his words punch me in the stomach. "Let me help you assist the other communities."

  "You did something to the system, and because of it we're stuck out here with no emergency communications!"

  He kicks at the leg of the table, revealing the capped-off information port on the wall. "They put that on. Said it was a safety precaution and they'd have the system back in a day or two." He clenches his jaw and waves his hand, motioning for me to move.

  "I'm sorry," I whisper. "It was an accident. But I can fix it now."

  "Accident? Something like that is not an accident. Now leave before you make this situation worse than it already is." The sheriff latches onto my upper arm and forces me into the door he opens, pushing me into the street. "I have a town to save. Go save yourself."

  With that, he reaches to his hip and produces a gun. Not a stunner, an old-fashioned model. Without my EP, I'm unable to identify what kind.

  In shock, I throw my hands into the air. "But the communities—"

  "You're talking crazy. Now let me do my job."

  My mind spins, trying to find an alternative, but he's right. If there's nothing for me to access, I'm locked out of the system.

  Ben's voice enters my brain. Get out of there now.

  Why? I ask.

  Gabrielle has detected incoming ships on the scanner.

  Can you get me?

  Not yet. They're still making preparations, but Meyer's worried sick and Gabrielle won't let him leave the bunker. Hurry.

  I shake my head from the conversation with Ben and return to the present. I give the sheriff one final look, but he motions with his gun a second time.

  "Yes, I'm gone." I raise my hands in surrender. "But I just got word Elorian ships are coming right now. Get your people far from here."

  The sheriff tips his head skeptically and turns, bolting down the road, shouting for people to wake up. I can't do anything else for them now, so I sprint from Thornton.

  With the dark world lit only by the night sky, I come to a halt as something thunders over the dirt in back of me. I swing around at the sound. A shadowy horse and rider grow larger as the sound increases.

  "Who's there?" the rider calls, slowing his horse to a walk.

  I recognize the voice. Vincent. Instinct tells me to bolt, but he might follow.

  "I'm leaving," I shout. "But you should go help the sheriff. Elore is on the way."

  "Whoa," he says, pulling at the reins. The horse stops and Vincent stays seated on its back, never taking his eyes from me. "Evacuate?"

  "Elore is coming, destroying everything in its path."

  He directs the horse toward me. "How do you know?"

  "Gabrielle heard it on the Underground Comm. You said you have connections. You haven't heard?"

  "I've been out. What's your name again?" he asks.

  I grit my teeth at the unexpected question. Why does he care?

  "Um—Kyra," I spit out. I don't know why I said her name, but I couldn't reveal my real one.

  He pinches his lips together for a second. "You sure?"

  My heart tells me to go, but I know I won't be able to outrun him. I must play this carefully.

  "You really need to get to town," I insist. "The ships are arriving soon."

  "Kyra, huh?" Vincent leans forward on the horse. "I believe you're the girl Philly's searching for. A representative who came in to investigate on the grid activation was chatty. I like that type. Always get lots of information."

  Philly's looking for me?

  Of course they are. Both Manning and Waters need my ability.

  An uneasy laugh escapes me and my breathing picks up. "I don't know what you're talking about."

  Vincent sits wordlessly, a deep shadow cast on his face from the moonlight behind him.

  "You have me confused," I insist. "I'm here to visit Gabrielle. That's it—"

  Overhead movement catches my eyes. I gasp. That's an Elorian pod, and it's headed Gabrielle's way.

  "See, they're coming!"

  Without warning, the pod pitches and makes a slight descent. The horse whinnies and kicks at the ground with its front foot at the movement. The ship gathers speed, and I expect it will pull up at any moment, but it doesn't. Instead, it plummets to the earth.

  Fire lights up the sky as the pod collides with the earth, a crashing boom shaking the ground beneath my feet. I should leave. Now.

  "Something big is happening, and you're at the center of it, girl," he says.

  "Mister, that may or may not be true, but as of now, I have to go to Gabrielle's. Please let me."

  A second explosion blasts from up the hill and the sky lights red. The horse lets out a whinny and steps backward.

  "Whoa, girl!" Vincent calls. He yanks on the reins, but it's too late. The agitated beast rears up and I scurry from its kicking legs.

  Vincent flies from the saddle, landing in a heap on the ground. The horse gallops a few yards and pauses. It bobs its head, agitated. Fear swells in my chest as I stare at Vincent, lying on the ground unconscious. He knows who I am and that Philly is looking for me.

  My eyes flit to the horse, swishing its tail. I know I shouldn't leave him like this, but I can't risk helping him.

  I beeline to the horse and grab for the saddle, pulling myself onto its back. I click my tongue and lightly squeeze my legs around the horse's side, compelling it to advance. The two of us trot overtop the terrain, closer to the bunker and toward the burning wreckage of the ship. Its flames kick up into the dark sky, painting it orange and red. I send a message to Ben.

  I'm on the way.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Six

  Ben's response flows through my thoughts.

  A ship crashed halfway here. Be careful.

  I know. I'm nearly there.

  The horse struggles up the hill to Gabrielle's, but with my continued encouragement and leaning forward over the animal's neck, we make it faster than I could have on foot. As I ride, the smoking wreck grows closer, as does the acrid smell of burning foliage and metal. The horse becomes increasingly agit
ated, tossing its head. To avoid it throwing me off, I slow the beast and dismount, tying the reins to a low branch on a tree.

  "Shh, you're ok," I whisper to the animal, but it fails to soothe it much as it sidesteps and pulls against the tether.

  I leave it be, covering my mouth with the top part of my zipped-up coat to block any smoke and gasses. The poor horse can't do that, but I need him. As I get nearer, a strong caustic odor burns my nose, making my eyes sting. I scan the area for any survivors, but the state of the wreckage makes that scenario unlikely. The once-teardrop-shaped silver pod is smashed in on the front and sides, and flames lick skyward from the body of the pod. So far, I don't detect any life except the horse, who surprisingly remains patiently behind me despite the destruction ahead. What a time for my EP to be dead. I grab for the hidden stunner under my jacket and ready the cold metal weapon.

  What are you doing?

  I suck in a breath, but it's just Ben.

  I'm at the wreck.

  Circling the burning pod, I spot the globe and arrow symbol of Direction. Confirmed Elorian ship.

  Avlyn, don't worry about that, Ben urges. Meyer's already gone to check it out.

  I might be able to get some information we can use.

  As I continue to circle, I spot a shadow, pushing away the thought of Ben's request—order—and blocking him from my brain.

  There's someone about thirty feet ahead of the ship on the ground. They're not moving.

  If I only had my EP to tell me if they're alive or not.

  I keep my stunner extended and lock onto the injured person. I creep forward as the heat of the fire licks at my cheek. The injured male—maybe in his mid-twenties—is sprawled out on the ground. Brightness from the full moon highlights the dark blood dripping from the side of his head. His uniform, smeared with dirt and what must be more blood, displays the letters DPF—Direction Preservation Force—across his chest.

  This citizen is most likely a Level One citizen under Manning's control. Who knows what he's been programmed to do out here? The rising and falling of his chest is so infrequent and shallow I'm surprised I can even see it. Despite that, I continue with my weapon trained in his direction.

  From behind, an explosion rocks the ship. I whip around as the horse pulls loose from where I tied it and bolts back toward the town. Nothing I can do about that, but I can get this guy further away in case the pod completely destroys itself.

  I hustle to the fallen soldier's side, bracing myself. I grab his arms and drag him from the flaming pod with all my might. When I get him a safe enough distance, I drop him, bending to his side and studying his blood-smeared face in the moonlight. Something about him seems familiar, but I shrug off the feeling and place my hand on his shoulder to access his nanos.

  Instantly, the night disappears, replaced by silvery haze. Code swirls around me, but unlike the times before when the symbols felt warm and welcoming, this time it's cold. Stiffness racks my body. I'm not wanted here. I ignore the cold and make the tech obey.

  "Take me to his nanobots."

  The code vibrates and tightly whirlwinds. When it pauses, the representation of his nanos floats ahead of me. The teardrop-shaped tech hovers in the air, its tentacles released and hanging. The energy emitting from the tech is hot; red. If this were Ben and I read his emotions, I'd say he was angry—furious, in fact.

  Despite that, I need to figure out what Manning is doing to the DPF, and how to stop him.

  I thrust my hands out and grasp for the frame of the nano. A shock travels through my fingers and courses my entire self. Heat follows. A scream sticks in my throat and I focus the energy of it forward.

  "Display tracking program," I gasp.

  The code spirals in front of me and I manually sort the data strings, making sure to disable the program.

  "Download data," I say through gritted teeth when satisfied the tracking is no longer operational.

  A shot of electricity grips me, but I don't let go. Instead, I harness the power and direct it into the bot. Sparks fly around us and then freezes. In the tech's moment of weakness, I force into the surface of the nano. This time, heat spiders out from my hands, overtaking the tech. A deluge of information engulfs my body and brain, some of which is how Manning upgraded the nanobots to control the DPF and how he's using them.

  I pull my hands back and the calm of the floating code returns. The nano disappears and leaves me alone in the room.

  New knowledge spirals in my brain. These nanos are supercharged. Everything about them is upgraded. For some reason, they're not healing this soldier.

  I analyze the nano structure and they appear fully operational. They are designed as a general upgrade and not specific to the DNA of the host.

  What if these upgraded nanos might help Ben? Heal him? I have to get this back to the bunker.

  I release to the current reality, which is much colder and darker than the one in the immersed world. In front of me is the still-dying soldier. DPF-UNIT682 flashes in my mind. I must have downloaded that, too.

  I pat his body for anything he might be carrying and dig into his pants pocket, withdrawing a tightly folded piece of paper. Slowly, I peel open the folds, revealing a childish drawing—stick figures of a family. The largest is labeled Father, the second Mother, and a child with the word 'Me' scrawled over the head. Encircling the family unit is a heart.

  I fold the paper up and return it to the soldier's pocket, touching the place where the golden pendant Ben gave me sits buried under my jacket and suit. Manning stole this person from his family, and he won't see them again. Maybe he slipped the contraband paper into his pocket before Manning's upgrades took full hold, who knows, but it's there. Guilt grips me. I want to assist him, but at this point, it's likely impossible.

  His eyes start to flutter. There's no way for me to carry him, and even awake he'll be too weak to manage without assistance. I won't just leave him either. His nanos should be operational and could heal him, and I can't have him reporting Gabrielle's whereabouts to Manning.

  Not thinking, I stroke the metal of my stunner.

  It would be quick. He wouldn't even know it was happening.

  My head dizzies with the thought.

  No, I refuse to kill him in cold blood.

  I lean in, studying his face in the light of the moon. I know this man. I rack my brain to place him and then it hits me. I only saw him briefly, on the street of Level One, but he's the spouse of the woman who was experimented on in GenTech. The one who died in the explosion.

  DPF-UNIT682 … no, no ... his name is Jensen.

  How do I know that? I fumble for the drawing from his pocket and unfold it again. Sure enough, the woman in it has long blonde hair.

  What was her name? Naomi ... Naomi Jensen. I can't kill this man. If I do, their child will be left an orphan. Not only his mother, dead at my hands, but his father, too.

  I fold up the paper and shove it into my pocket, then shift back to him. Without warning, his hands are squeezing my neck. I gasp as he forces me to the ground and pulls the stunner from my grasp, turning it my way. It's set to stun, but at this range—

  The burst of the stunner explodes, but instead of me, the soldier flies back. I whip around, grabbing at my stinging neck. A moonlit figure races out of the darkness—Meyer, I think with relief—and slides up to my side, demanding, "Are you okay?"

  I glance over to the soldier. "Is he dead?"

  "I stunned him. You've got to get back. It's time to leave." A crease forms between Meyer's eyes. "What were you doing out here, anyway?"

  "Warning the town Elore is on the way. I was hoping to start up the grid again." I motion to the stunned soldier on the ground. "It's my fault they're going to attack the communities. They needed a chance to get out."

  "Did it work?" Meyer asks.

  I shake my head. "No. The sheriff wouldn't listen."

  Meyer lets out a frustrated sigh. "Did you tell him about your ability?"

  "It was the one wa
y to contact the other communities."

  "But now the sheriff knows who you are." Meyer latches onto my arm and drags me with him. "We should go. I brought the pod."

  "We're going to abandon the soldier?"

  Still gripping my arm, Meyer stops and looks me straight in the eyes. "We don't have time to deal with that guy."

  "He has a family."

  "Avlyn, you're my family, and I need to keep you alive."

  His confession sends a shock down my spine, filling me with emotions I'm lost at how to express.

  "Meyer … I can't leave him," I protest weakly. "I know who he is, and he might be useful. He's pumped with supernanos, the ones Manning is using to control the DPF. I downloaded data, but I think the actual tech might solve Ben's problem. We won't know for certain unless we take the soldier with us."

  Meyer releases his grip and furrows his brow in thought. "Fine," he finally says.

  He holsters his stunner and bends to gather the soldier. The stiffness in his body from the stun has dissipated, but he should stay unconscious for at least another twenty minutes. Lucky for Meyer, most Elorian males tend to be lean, and this one is no exception. Even so, Meyer grunts as he maneuvers the soldier over his shoulder and lugs him to the pod. I jump in the front passenger spot as Meyer dumps the soldier into a heap onto the seat in back of the captain's chair and secures the door. He then opens his door and slides into the front, activating the pod.

  "You should be more careful with him," I murmur.

  "I couldn't care less about this guy," he says gruffly. "I'm doing this because you think it's important. Sorry if I don't provide him with the preferred treatment."

  It's no use arguing with him. He's doing what I asked, and we're wasting time.

  The pod lifts off the ground, the engine humming lightly. Meyer flies it forward and over the wreck, rotating it toward Gabrielle's bunker.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Seven

  Meyer lowers the pod, and as soon as it powers off, I'm out. Quickly, I search the sky. There's a chance of a rescue ship coming to retrieve the missing soldier. His tracking is disengaged, but I'm sure they have his last known location. If I'm to do this, I have to hurry.