by JM Butcher
Tyler interrupts, “So now she wants us to go on a secret mission to rescue her boy.”
“It’s probably a good idea to get out of the Union,” I say. “For now, at least. I’m assuming that I’m not the only one they’re looking for, considering you’re all here.”
Tyler perks up. He says, “You should’ve seen it, Margie! Them Coats came in and tore up your entire school. The whole town came out to watch.”
“You weren’t there,” Lexa reminds him. “You’re too scared to walk five steps away from any of us! Wimp!” I’m thankful that Lexa’s kept it together after losing Ronnie. Without her, I’m not sure what shape Tyler would be in. He wouldn’t be joking around like this. That’s for sure.
“Touché,” Tyler says. “But still, they wiped out the place looking for stuff on you and Billy and ways to frame Ronnie. School’s been out all week. Prob’ will be longer after that Northfield debacle.”
“Do you even know what ‘debacle’ means?” Lexa jokes. She addresses me. “Someone on the news used that word, and now Tyler applies it to almost everything.”
“They found a picture of Mom in your locker,” Tyler says. He calls her “Mom.”
If they found the picture, I’m in trouble. There’s no returning home for me, but I won’t tell Tyler that for now. “Anyway,” I say, “when did you all get here?”
Lexa answers, “Jack came and got us yesterday. He said some trouble was going down and that we had to go. Our condition was that he had to bring you.”
I’m sure Jack knew trouble was going to start right after Hayden volunteered to upload Mother’s thoughts to my chip. That’s the last time I saw him at the compound. Or Hayden did send him on some errand, not expecting Jack to return so fast. Either way, Jack’s smart and took action. Maybe he is an alright guy.
“He came through,” I say without explaining that all of this was his fault in the first place. They might already know, but I’m over it for now. I’m just happy to be back with Tyler and my friends.
“Margie,” Tyler says, “I told Lexa how smart I am. You know, knowing what you meant by ‘go see the Queen.’”
“Yes, Maggie.” Again, Lexa rubs Tyler’s head. “He’s so proud of the secret language you put together.”
“Thank you, Lexa,” I say.
“For what?”
“For taking care of Tyler.”
She nods. “This brat is nothing.”
I’m not sure whether Tyler allows Lexa to patronize him because she’s his crush or if this is his way of coping with the traumatic experience. He tries so hard to be tough, but he’s fine with being the baby of the group right now. As long as he’s surviving, I’m happy.
“Hey, Lexa,” I say, “do you mind if I have some time alone with Tyler.”
“Be my guest,” she says. “Take her over to the lake, Ty-ty.”
Tyler immediately grabs my hand, eager to lead me to the lake.
“Let me clean up first,” I say.
***
“It’s beautiful here,” I say. Tyler and I lie on our backs and stare at the sky. There’s enough shade for us to watch the birds fly overhead without needing to squint.
“Yeah, you should see it at night,” Tyler says. “The stars are awesome, not like Columbus.”
The stillness and quiet of nature is not something I get to take in much. The noise of cars, sirens, construction, and people are inescapable in Columbus. It doesn’t matter where you are; there’s no chance to sit back and listen to the birds chirping.
But what’s more amazing is that everything is real in nature. The artificial holograms and bright city lights don’t disrupt the serenity. I find it hard to believe that someone could ever have disturbed night thoughts in a place like this.
“How are you doing?” I ask, unsure what sort of answer I’m going to get.
Tyler avoids the question entirely. “Listen to the frogs.”
“Pretty cool, huh?”
“Yeah,” he answers. “I wish we could hear the frogs like this back home.”
I sit up and watch the lake. The water looks like glass, except for the small ripples that follow two geese and their goslings. I remember feeding the geese with Dad and Mother when I was young. They would wobble up to us and quack, begging for bread. I tried to pet one, but Dad warned me not to. That was before the community pond was filled and covered with condominiums.
I lie back down.
“Maggie?” Tyler asks. Tears cloud my eyes; he never calls me by my real name. “What’s going to happen to me? To us?”
I buy time to think about how to answer. “What do you mean?”
“We’re gonna end up in an Unfavorable Home, aren’t we?”
I don’t have the courage to tell him the truth. “What are you talking about? You’re going to be cleared, anyway, so you’ll be fine.” I turn my head to discover he’s watching me.
“You don’t have to lie to me,” Tyler says. “There’s no way I won’t be chipped. I’ll probably be listed as an Unfavorable before taking the test.” I shudder, conscious of the fact that his chances are dismal. Between me and Mother, there is no hope for Tyler. He’s at a severe disadvantage, and that’s without taking into account that all orphans are chipped.
That’s what we are now. Without Dad, we are orphans. And even if Dad is alive, the Coats won’t let us return to being a family.
I gaze back up at the sky. A flock of birds pass in a V shape. “I don’t know, Tyler. I really don’t.”
“I miss Dad,” Tyler says. He starts to cry. “Why did those guys come for you?” Nobody has told Tyler the truth. It’s for the best. He won’t understand and he’ll blame me.
I reach for his hand. “I’m sorry,” I say. “I don’t know. I miss him too.”
I’ve been so caught up in the mess at the compound, chasing a boy, and worrying about Mother that I haven’t really thought about missing Dad. I knew he was gone, but I was too busy trying to grow up. Not once did I consider what life will be like without him. If we survive all of this, we probably will end up in a home.
Tyler asks, “You love me, right, Maggie?”
My head snaps back in his direction. “Yes,” I say, “and don’t ever think otherwise.” From now on, without the T-Blox, I can love him like I should, love him like a sister should love her brother.
“I love you, too,” he says. It’s sad and beautiful at the same time. While I’ve been forced to grow up, Tyler’s become younger. More innocent. A scared child.
“Melli, Lexa, and I will take care of you,” I say. “We won’t let you go to a Home.”
“You have good friends, Maggie.” He’s right. And they won’t let us go to Homes.
Tyler and I join hands. Neither of us talks for quite some time. We just listen to the birds and frogs.
I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.
***
“There you two are.” It’s Melli. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
The sun is down and the crickets are out. A whiff of smoke is in the air. In the distance, people are singing and pounding on drums.
“Wow,” I say. “Tyler, how long have we been sleeping?”
“I didn’t sleep at all, Margie,” he answers. Back to Margie. That’s a good sign. “I didn’t want to wake you up. I thought you’d punch me or something.”
“That was very kind of you,” I say, jokingly. “You’ve really matured.”
“C’mon, Maggie,” Melli says. “You’re missing the fun!” I would prefer to lie back down and listen to the festivities from here. The bright half-moon is enough entertainment for me.
“Oh, yeah!” Tyler shouts, getting up almost immediately. “They’re having a bonfire tonight. Olivia said she would play me a song on the guitar. She’s freakin’ awesome.”
“Oh, God,” I mutter. Tyler officially has become Olivia’s fan boy.
“Get up, Maggie,” Melli says, offering to help me up. “They got hotdogs and soda. You need to eat something.
And you might even enjoy yourself.” With Melli’s help, I pull myself up.
The smell of burning logs gets stronger as we walk through the trees toward camp, and the music gets louder. When we emerge from the trees, I see orange light outlining the silhouettes of hundreds of people. Some are talking. Some are dancing. Some are sitting down and listening to the music. Everyone, though, appears to be enjoying themselves—kids, teenagers, and adults alike.
Gia is the first one to greet us. Shoving a hotdog in her mouth, she says, “Can ya believe it, Maggie? They have hotdogs!” A couple pieces of the bun fly out of her mouth. “Let’s get ya a dog.”
I look at Melli and Tyler. “Go ahead,” Melli says. “We’ll grab a seat. Bring us each one.” Gia and I walk off toward a table and a few coolers.
Gia turns to me. “You missed Johnny,” she tells me. That’s right. He won’t give me information while my chip records.
“That’s okay,” I respond. “Not like I’m going anywhere. It can wait.”
“Yeah,” she says, “he’ll be around. Here, take these.” She puts about six hotdogs on a plastic plate and hands it to me.
"Thanks,” I say, almost dropping the plate. “I’m gonna go find the others.”
“See ya around, hotshot.”
I search for Melli and Tyler. Someone is strumming a guitar in the middle of the large crowd. I follow the sound of the music, squeezing through the crowd, until the fire pit is visible.
Forming a semicircle around the fire, several people play music. A small child and her father beat on a plastic bucket to form the drumline. An older man with a gray and red flannel shirt blows into a harmonica. Jack is on the tambourine, and a few others clap along and hum a tune in sync. In the middle of them all, Olivia plays guitar. The instrument complements her black hair nicely.
I spot Melli and Tyler sitting on a wooden bench behind the band. Lexa is with them. “Here’s some food,” I say, handing out hotdogs to the group. “The line for ketchup was too long. Sorry.”
Tyler rolls his eyes. “That’s Margie for ya,” he replies. “She can’t do anything right.” Lexa elbows him in the arm, hard enough for him to wince. I laugh and take a seat.
I focus on Olivia while she plays. She glances over and sings while she grins at me. If this is what the YRL is about, she’s in the right place. Protests and action during the day, live music at night. I smile back at her.
The song ends. A roar of applause fills the air. Jack notices me, then beats on his tambourine. “Hey, hey!” he yells. “Everyone! Please welcome Maggie Gordon!” Complete silence, alarmingly fast. Again, I underestimated the degree of my celebrity status.
Tyler breaks the silence. “What in the hell?” He’s in awe at the response to me. I shrug my shoulders.
A little boy, maybe two years old, walks up to me and slaps my knees. It’s impossible for me not to smile at him. At the sight of that, people start clapping and cheering. Jack winks at me. I shake my head at him.
“All right,” Olivia shouts, “this song goes out to my buddy Tyler. My favorite freakin’ yahoo. It’s an original.” Tyler stands up, pumping his fist, and Olivia starts her solo act—strumming and singing. She has a beautiful voice. It’s not until the song is almost over that I pay attention to the words. It’s hot next to the fire, but I shiver at the lyrics. They could not be more appropriate.
I won’t say goodbye without a promise
Of your love and trust, with tears of solace.
When I leave, you know it means forever.
I’ll kill for the chance that we’ll be together.
“Hey, guys,” I say. “I’m gonna head back to the tent. I’m exhausted.” Melli frowns, but understands that I’ve had enough attention for one night.
“I’ll take you back,” Lexa volunteers. She turns to Melli. “You got Tyler?”
Melli nods and says, “Yeah, I’ll see you two back at the tent.” We exchange goodbye-hugs.
On the way out, people separate, creating an aisle for Lexa and me to walk through. I try my best not to acknowledge them. They are okay with it; my presence is enough for them.
Walking to the tent, I can’t get the lyrics out of my head.
I’ll kill for the chance that we’ll be together.
Chapter 23
WHITE COAT u-POD
In the last thirty-six hours, you have heard us using the term “Cyber Transgression” quite a lot. Nobody has ever seen these extreme measures taken by Transgressors. So if you don’t know what a Cyber Transgression is, it is understandable. In all honesty, we did not think a transgression of this nature was possible.
Today, we have seen a new sort of cyber-attack, what we are calling Cyber Transgression. This is what Northfield Juvenile Unfavorable Home suffered from. The Transgressors—a group of militant rebels—not only hacked into the chips of Unfavorables; but they also sent a code that infected the chips with a virus. We think the virus was encoded with manufactured thoughts. Similar to the way deletion sends a charge to the brain to erase its memory, this virus sent a charge to the brain that filled it with new memories. Or, rather, new thoughts.
The personalities of these Unfavorables were altered—leading them to actually believe that the thoughts were authentically their own. The seemingly contained Unfavorables transformed into active Transgressors. This does not mean that the hackers are in complete control of their subjects, but if the manufactured thoughts are more powerful than actual thoughts, then the subjects are vulnerable to do as the hacker wishes.
In the meantime, we are working closely with President Washburn to seek out a temporary fix. We have an idea and are confident that it will work if there happens to be another Cyber Transgression. And let it be known, we do believe there will be.
-White Coat Intelligence Officer Preston Smith, 16th October, 2040
“Yo, hotshot.” Gia pops her head inside the tent. Her hair is pulled up; the brown roots under her bangs show. “Wake up!” I’ll never get used to her voice serving as my alarm clock.
“Dang,” Melli grunts. “It’s too early.” She sits up, shading her eyes with her hand.
“Nah,” Gia responds. With her feet, she nudges Lexa and I until we both sit up, too. “Gotta get a move on.” She claps her hands. “Hey, is that short stack over there? I’ve heard so much about ya.”
“Yeah, like what?” Tyler snarls.
“Actually, nothing. Just wanted to make ya think people talk about ya.”
“Meet Gia,” I tell Lexa and Tyler. “This is her being nice.”
“Sounds like she sucks,” Tyler responds. He looks confused as to why I laugh so hard at his comment.
“I’m just playing with y’all,” Gia says. “You’ve got a kick-ass sister here, though. Don’t forget that, short stack.”
I laugh again and say, “I need to remember tonight that you said that. That way, my chip will always have on record that you gave me a compliment.”
“Nope,” Gia replies. “Don’t expect that ever again.”
“You two are freakin’ weird,” Tyler says, standing up.
“He’s been hanging out with Olivia, huh?” Gia asks.
“You have no idea,” Lexa answers.
“Okay,” Gia says. “More reunion time later. Johnny–”
“Who the heck is Johnny?” Tyler asks. I crack up at this, too.
Gia grunts. “Jack…needs everyone in the center of camp. He’s got an announcement or something.” The four of us slowly start moving and follow.
Jack’s not the only one in the center of camp. When Gia said “everyone,” she meant it. The crowd is as large, if not larger, than last night’s music fest. If Jack wasn’t the true leader at the compound, he sure is here.
Lexa leans over my shoulder and whispers, “Dude, what can be so important this early?”
“I have no idea,” I answer, though I do have an idea.
If I had to guess the topic of this morning’s conversation, I’d say it has to do with Hayden’s next move.<
br />
***
“Welcome. All of you, welcome. And thank you for joining us today.
“As most of you know, my name is John A. Kowoski. A lot of you call me Jack, and a special few of you call me Johnny. To some, I am J.A.K. Today, call me your brother. Heck, call me your sister. But please, call me your friend.
“Two days ago, there was a premeditated attack on a Juvenile Unfavorable Home in Northfield, Ohio. Just outside of Cleveland. I have seen the restlessness around camp, and I have heard rumors that the act is a government conspiracy.
“I’m here to lay those rumors to rest. Although the government ‘contained’ the situation, it did not start the incident. At the same time, this is not the result of an organized rebellion by the residents themselves.
“The tragedy at Northfield JUH was, indeed, an act of transgression. More specifically, it was an act of Cyber Transgression. A fellow anti-government group, a group that advocates violence and sacrifice at all costs, is responsible for the Cyber Transgression. That’s because they are not like us. They are not a resistance. They are Transgressors.
“For those of you who do not know what a Cyber Transgression is, let me explain it to you. This group hacked into the chips of the residents at Northfield Juvenile Unfavorable Home. Once in control of the chips, the group infected the chips with a virus—a message of sorts. The virus’s message instructed the kids to rebel, to cause as much havoc as possible no matter what the costs. The residents’ brains reacted to the virus as if the violent thought was their own. When this happened, the residents instantly rebelled.
“You might know that a bomb detonated shortly after the rebellion began. The person responsible for setting the uprising in motion must have known the government would act. He did not care about the loss of people. He knew that every resident in the Northfield JUH would be dead by the end of his little experiment.
“The initial report stated that sixteen residents and eight Keepers were killed. The numbers are much higher. It is my estimate that closer to thirty residents and ten Keepers were killed. The group responsible for the transgression wanted more. It wanted total destruction.