by Nathan Pedde
“What did I do?” Des squealed, collapsing to the floor.
Elsie walked back toward the door. “Nothing. But while you’re hiding here like a fool, I’m going to go and find Susan and my family. Maybe while I’m out, I’ll find Sheemo and save him too.”
“Wait,” Des said. “I have reasons.”
“Reasons? Talk quickly.”
“Your family was a discussion between Captain Kusheeno and me.”
“Captain…”
“Yes,” Des said. “I expressed to him private concerns about Susan and your family. I was worried about the threat the Mysterious Man made.”
“As you should be,” Elsie said.
“Regardless,” Des said, sitting on the floor. “I was worried even with the Captain moving our houses, we would still be found, and therefore we’ll be targets.”
“Back when I was with the Jovian Intelligence, the plan if an agent is compromised is to move them to another colony.”
“Exactly,” Des said.
“What did Captain Kusheeno say about it?” Elsie walked up, sitting beside him on the floor.
“He said he can protect your family if they are in their house,” Des said.
“And Susan?”
“And Susan,” Des said. “They have protective agents living beside us monitoring any potential threats. If a few van loads of robots showed up at the townhouses, agents would enter the house through secret doors. Then escort them through secret tunnels leading into the Undercroft. The houses we were given weren’t chosen at random.”
“So?”
“Chances are your family is safe,” Des said. “They would be at home in their beds when we got attacked.”
“And Susan?” Elsie said.
“I don’t know,” Des said.
“You don’t know?”
“I tried to follow her, but she doesn’t keep a straight schedule.”
“How many jobs does she have?”
“I have no idea,” Des said. “Like three not including college.”
Elsie looked at the floor for a long minute before she continued.
“How do we find out my family is safe?” Elsie said.
“The protocol states once I’m secure,” Des said. “I’m to send an encrypted message, and the response will tell me who is all safe. And instructions.”
“Captain Kusheeno will know you have gone to ground?”
“Should,” Des said. “I saw Cryslis send a panic code.”
“What will he do?”
“Hopefully, he finds station guards to track those robots down and deactivates them.”
“I hope so,” Elsie said.
Des walked up to the small computer and booted it up. It was an older system, which took a moment to turn on. He turned on a program, and the computer struggled to boot.
“Does it have a connection to the network?” Elsie asked.
“Not really,” Des said. “I’m piggybacking on a nearby connection. Something that will hide who I am.”
After a moment, the program beeped, and Des turned around.
“I’m in,” Des said.
“That fast?”
“Program does most of the leg work for me,” Des said, pointing to a window on the screen. “That is my connection. It’s being piggybacked from three dozen nodes throughout the city.”
“Will Sheemo’s scanner pick it up?”
“Of course,” Des said. “Most likely going nuts.”
“What’s the timer?”
“That is how long it will take for Sheemo’s scanner finds me,” Des said.
“Then you should type,” Elsie said.
On the screen was a chat program, ancient in design, but simple to set up, use, and easy to hide.
Authenticate,the screen said.
Wandering Pup,Des wrote.
Is?the screen typed.
Is sitting in a tree, Des wrote.
Authentication confirmed,the screen said.Lady and the Tramp have been confirmed safe. Sweeping Willow’s family confirmed safe. Lookout, location unknown. Smart boy, location unknown. Sweeping Willow, location unknown.
Sweeping Willow here,Des wrote.
Please confirm,the screen said.
Des looked at Elsie, “you need to type your code phrase in here.”
Elsie leaned over Des and typed.
Sweeping Willow goes up a hill,Elsie typed.
Then?The screen said.
Sees the stars and tumbles down,Elsie typed.
Sweeping Willow confirmed,the screen said.No instructions for Wandering Dog and Sweeping Willow. Stay tight. Wait for further instructions.
Des looked up at the timer, a solid five minutes remained on the screen. Des closed the program and turned off the computer.
“Now what?” Elsie said.
“I don’t know,” Des said. “Cryslis and Cooley are safe. As well as your family.”
“Susan and your brother aren’t,” Elsie said.
“That worries me,” Des said.
“Do we go after her?”
“I have no idea where to start.”
Elsie sat back on the chair, her face a frown making her look like her mother. Des wasn’t going to tell her that. He liked breathing.
“You’re very careful,” Elsie said. “I like that.”
“Thank you,” Des said. “I thought I was paranoid.”
“Paranoid. Careful,” Elsie said. “Not much difference between the two.”
Des nodded, getting up from the desk and walked towards the couch. He plopped down on the old cushion and leaned his head back.
“You don’t have a plan,” Elsie said.
“Not even the semblance of one,” Des replied. “My plan was to get us here, checked in, and then follow instructions.”
“Maybe we can do something…”
Des looked back at Elsie,still stood by the computer. Her shirt was still wet from the parking garage. However, the fabric wasn’t as transparent as before. Des couldn’t make out her small peaches.
He looked away, up at the ceiling.
“I don’t even have a deck of cards,” Des said.
Elsie walked up to the couch, sitting next to him. She laid back with her head on the headrest and her legs on Des’s lap.
“Whatever will we do to pass the time.”
Dirty thoughts passed through Des’s mind, and his face turned red.Elsie laughed long and hard at Des.
A phone rang, the ring tone echoing in the basement.
Des and Elsie both ran for their phones, both laying forgotten by the computer. Elsie reached hers first, the phone dark and silent. However, Des’s phone wasn’t dark or quiet.
“Who has your number?” Elsie said.
“No one, I think,” Des said. “Not even Cryslis or Cooley. We have Neuronet and the computer system.”
Des picked up the phone once more as the ring pierced the silence of the room.
“Hello,” Des said.
“Thank god,” a woman said on the line.
“Who is this?”
“Susan.”
“How do I know this is Susan?”
“You’re from Europa, your parents died, you have a crush on—”
“Fine,” Des said. “What do you want?”
“I need help,” Susan said. “I’m being chased. I have found a place to hide for now, but I don’t know for how long.”
“Where are you?” Des said.
Susan gave Des an address.
“Alright,” Des said. “I’m on my way. Hold tight.”
Chapter Eight
Sheemo woke up at some point during the ride to wherever he was being taken. He wasn’t sure where he was, except he was wrapped up in a rug. He guessed he was in a hover-van.
He stayed still, assuming his kidnappers were watching the rug he was wrapped in. Sheemo didn’t want them to know he was conscious. He hoped he could make use and manage to make some type of escape.
After he lay in the stifling rug for a while, Sheemo
felt little movement in the van. He still had no idea where he was.
A distinct scent hit him, rotten eggs. Sheemo hated the smell, it was worse than Des’s room. The aroma was only prevalent in one sector — Gold. It didn’t mean they were going to stop. There was where for them to hide.
We are going to the Gray Sector, Sheemo thought.
There were abandoned warehouses and buildings they could be headed to throughout the sector.The smell soon left and dissipated into nothingness.After a little while later, the van jerked to a stop as the hover-van landed on its landing gear. The whine of the engine stilled. Van doors clicked open as the rug was grabbed and dragged out.
I need to move soon. I’m going to have to risk it.
The rug was dropped onto a hard concrete floor with a slam. Sheemo felt rough hands on his side as his kidnappers pushed him over.
Sheemo didn’t resist, letting them push him over. As the rug finished rolling, a wave of cold air collided with his skin. He continued to roll over as his eyes focused on the room around him.
A half-dozen thugs stood around the room, none of which paid much attention to him.
“Hey,” one thug yelled. “He’s awake.”
Sheemo jumped to his feet, kicking the closest thug between the legs. The thug collapsed to the ground in pain.
He turned around as three of the thugs had stun guns pointed at him.
“Stop right there,” the waitress said.
The woman stood in front of him with a stun gun in her hand.
Seeing his options limited, Sheemo raised his hands.
“I had to try,” Sheemo said.
Sheemo examined his surroundings, from what he was taught in the Military Academy. Any piece of information he could learn about where he was, how many enemies guarded him, and the like would help his escape.
The warehouse was large, spacious, and abandoned. Broken windows sat on the top of the walls, not all them were boarded up. In the middle of the room was a scattering of crates and boxes. A large pit dug in the middle through the floor into the dirt below.
Flickering lights flashed from the pit like someone was using some type of cutting tool on the metal of the undercroft. Sheemo was puzzled by this.
“I hope maybe after a bit of time in solitary, you will be more willing to cooperate,” the waitress said.
Sheemo looked over at the woman, who squeezed the trigger of her stun gun. A set of pins struck Sheemo in the chest. He looked down at the two metal yellow pins with two metal strips.
Oh good,Sheemo thought.These aren’t the coma-inducers. Just the knock out ones—
Des hung up the phone, striding back to the couch. He collapsed, sitting on the edge of the cushion.
“That’s a trap,” Elsie said.
“Of course, it is,” Des said.
“What are we going to do?” Elsie asked. “And how do we know if the call’s been traced?”
Des turned the phone around. “It’s a scrambler. As long as you keep any calls within two minutes, they can’t track you.”
Elsie nodded, going quiet for a few moments. “What do we do?”
“With being the poor sap having to hide,” Des said, referring to Mr. Smith’s assignment. “I’m inclined to stay put.”
“And with your brother?”
“I have orders to stay put.”
“And with Susan being attacked.”
“I’m tempted to risk it,” Des said.
“I knew you’d say that. What are you thinking?”
Des checked his watch, pondering his options. “It’s still dark out, and the game starts in two hours. If I can do it in time, I’m golden.”
“Use your disguise?”
“I threw it in the fire,” Des said.
“Shit,” Elsie said. “I forgot. Mine is there too. You don’t happen to have another one?”
“Nope. My only option is to hope no one recognizes me with my helmet on.”
“Like getting here?”
“Exactly.”
“Wait. What do you mean by your only option?”
Des stood off the couch, stretching his back out. He was feeling the long string of late nights and early mornings.
“Because this is something I’m going to have to risk on my own,” Des said.
“I don’t think so. That’s bullshit. If you are going, then so am I.”
Des pulled out his phone and opened a map application, it took a moment to load. Once it did, it showed the station.
“Where is she?” Elsie said.
He entered the address which Susan had given to Des. The map went out of focus as it moved to the new information. It stopped and refocused, showing the street layout of the station.
“This is where Susan is,” Des said.
“Where? Why is the screen on the phone so small?”
“I couldn’t afford a bigger one. And she is in the Grey Sector.”
Des showed her the map, the red dot representing Susan hovered over a large warehouse. Des knew it was abandoned due to the war, the owners out of business. Des didn’t know what was stored in the abandoned warehouse. However, he didn’t want to find out.
“It’s most definitely a trap,” Elsie said.
“Yes… My guess is either one of three things.”
“One, it’s a trap,” Elsie replied.
“No shit. A full trap with robots that will spring out of shipping crates or something.”
“Two?”
“Susan is bugged. And bugged well. They are hoping I won’t catch the bug, and she will lead them back to us.”
“And what’s the third?”
“They are hoping to follow her.”
“Follow?”
“Probably a drone of some kind.”
Elsie scoffed. “Drones are illegal.”
“So’s kidnapping and burning down a diner.”
Elsie leaned against a wall, crossing her arms, her face a mask of different emotions.
“You think there’s not a fourth option?”
“Fourth? Like what?”
“Maybe Susan managed to get away from them and is only needing our help.”
“I doubt that’s the case,” Des said.
“Wanna bet?”
“Sure. What are the stakes?”
“If I win,” Elsie said, “you’ll be my manservant for a full day. You’ll have to do anything I say?”
“Are we twelve?” Des said.
“I’m seventeen,” Elsie said, cocking her hips over to the side suggestively.
Des’s face turned red for a moment.
“Fine,” Des said. “If I win, you have to clean my room.”
“Clean your room?” Elsie asked, her face turned from a grin to a scowl. “Kill that with fire. I’ve heard stories about your room.”
“Is that a deal?” Des said.
“Fine. Deal.”
Des spat into his hand and held it out.
“Gross,” Elsie said. “I’m not doing that.”
“Then how do I know that you are serious?”
“Umm…” Elsie said, after a moment she spat into her hand and grabbed his.
“Good,” Des said. “I didn’t think you would do that.”
“Now,” Elsie said, “What’s the plan?”
Des was silent for a moment. His mind racing.
“First, we need to get there,” Des said. “Then, we scope out the area from afar before we go in.”
“Even though it’s a trap—”
“You don’t have to come with.”
Des left the underground room, going into the surface and the darkness of night. Rain pattered on his face and clothes. He wished he planned to bring a jacket. He would have to figure that part out later.
There were still many hours before it became light out. Des could see the different sectors and their lights. Looking out, he spotted the gray sector in the distance.
Des was always impressed by all the lights. It wasn’t as lit up as some of the residential
or commercial districts. However, it was brighter than the agriculture districts.
Elsie followed him up the ladder. He locked the door behind him, clicking the button to remove the camouflage from the hover-scooter.
Des hoped on the front with Elsie riding behind. They zipped across the field. The grain flattening out as they passed, popping right back up to hide where they’ve been.
He drove the hover-scooter, passing the gate, and onto the road. He paused to let Elsie shut the gate. Des traveled down the road as he headed for the Gray sector. The sector was halfway around the station, it would take him hours to travel to it. By the time they got back, it would be daylight.
Des hoped to be on his way back before Mr. Smith’s assignment began. At that point, not only would he have kidnapping robots, but he would have a plethora of classmate spies to deal with.
Exhaustion filled his bones as he drove the hover-scooter. The lights blurred Des’s eyesight. They would soon be out of the agriculture sector. Des suspected things would get very crazy for him.
Cryslis Mak entered the hovel she called her back-up safehouse. It was one she hadn’t told Des nor Elsie about. Cooley knew. However, she trusted he wouldn’t tell.
The hovel was a small single room in a seven-story tenant block, in the poorer Green sector. This sector was worse than the Teal Sector, where she was usually found. The neighborhood was filled with those displaced and marginalized by the war. The refugees created a sea of people anyone could hide in, which Cryslis hoped she could hide in.
Her single room was on the fourth floor, filled with individual rooms. A single bed sat along one wall, while a sink, hotplate, and fridge on the other. A single door led to a bathroom.
Cooley pulled out a scanner. He ran the machine over the walls, surfaces, and appliances of the room. It hummed and whined as Cooley went. Luckily, it didn’t squeal. When he finished, he set the device on the kitchen counter.
“Have you reported in yet?” Cooley asked.
“I have,” Cryslis said.
“And what are the Captain’s orders?” Cooley asked.
“To wait.”
“That’s it?”
Cryslis walked over, sitting on the bed. “That’s it. I’m worried about Des and Elsie.”
“I’m not,” Cooley replied, “That kid has a good head on his shoulders. After we arrested Alix, I gave him a hint about having a plan B.”