by Zoey Indiana
"Good morning." Her attention snapped back and realized she hadn't noticed Bash approach her at all. This fascination with him would get her killed if she didn't get a hold of herself.
"How did you sleep last night?"
"I slept great, probably the first time I've slept through the night." He went over to the replicator and pushed a few buttons. After a moment he turned back to her. "I'm guessing this is how you got your food, but how do I work this thing?"
She'd forgotten he wasn't raised around tech. Quickly she demonstrated how to order anything he wanted. He smiled at her when the food appeared.
"So much faster than preparing food."
"You've had real food?" She'd never heard of anywhere on the planet where there was non-replicated food available, but it made sense when she thought about it. If they didn't want him around any electromagnetic radiation, then it would be counterproductive to have a replicator around him..
"You haven't? Every cabin at the camp has a garden. We grow our own veggies and eat them." He took a bite then paused. "This doesn't taste right."
The grin appeared before she could stop it. "It's replicator food, it can chemically reconstruct food from its database. The tech is a little outdated, but there is nothing wrong with the food." She made a note to run diagnostics on it later, just in case.
"Hmm." He ate slow with an odd look on his face. "What do you mean by chemically reconstructed?"
"All replicator food has the same basic nutrition base. Then the chemicals needed to recreate taste, smell, shape, and color are added to make the experience. It prevents nutrition deficiencies and plays into the human desire for variety." She thought it was a great idea, but according to experts in the resistance, there were theories the government also added chemicals to modify behavior and hormones. As Nova once put it, the Sovereign controlled the population with drugs that made them more accepting. It helped cover the nefarious actions the government did. Hence why all the resistance replicators were older models with easy to access code so they could review it for reassurances that nothing extra was added.
"That's really fascinating, I've read about replicators in books, but they never me allowed to use one. They kept one in the camp in case something happened to our food supplies, but they never wanted me to eat any of the food, argued it might corrupt my genetics.."
Freya found their argument odd. All Resistance installments used a cloaking barrier to keep them hidden from ARI, especially since the base was rather close to the camp. Violet Five and the other bars were the only exceptions. The amount of electromagnetic radiation given off by a device like that was minor, but still almost triple what a replicator would emit. On top of that, the radiation would travel throughout the camp with minimal degradation because of how the devices worked. If it was a risk to him, they would have a vastly different set up, but something nagged at her about the whole thing. It made her think they had ulterior reasons to keep him from tech.
"Did they ever let you around any tech?"
He shrugged, "A few times when I was young, I think, but something happened one time. I was playing with something and it exploded and since then, it was too much of a risk."
Which made her question what the real reason was for stopping him. "You said you've read some tech books, I'm surprised they would let you."
"They didn't, I had a secret stash of books. Mainly stuff I talked Lux into getting for me, but I stole a few when I could." He shrugged and took a bite. It explained a lot of things she'd noticed about him.
"Did you know the light outside gives off almost as much radiation as the replicator that made your breakfast?"
"No." He set the fork on the empty plate with furrowed eyebrows.
"That's why when you spend too much time outside in the light, your skin turns red and burns. The term sunburn is misleading though, what it means is you've received enough radiation that your cells are mutation. When your skin peels off, it's because they killed themselves off trying to prevent the genetic mutations from spreading. If they let you spend enough time outside for you to develop that tan, then it's not the replicator or other tech radiation they are protecting you from. I'm not sure about their reasoning for lying is, but I think you may have hidden talents you didn't realize."
"Like what?" He sat intent for her next words.
"I think you might be a natural hacker." She couldn't think of another reason to keep him away from anything computerized, but still leave him around the electromagnetic radiation. Some things she'd uncovered during her time as a spy included how the Sovereign had found a way to test for natural strengths along with IQ. It was the whole reason she did what she did. According to her own sealed records, she had an affinity for reconnaissance and infiltration. The experimental serums and surgeries used on her were to strengthen a natural talent which developed into controllable abilities.
"How is that even possible? I wouldn't know how to hack something even if it was right in front of me." His hands waved around as an emphasis.
"I know it sounds ridiculous, but hear me out. You know how the government is always trying to correct some genetic mutation? They use genes to determine a lot of things. The secret philosophy is to mark people by their genes and point them toward what their genes determine they will excel at. Most soldiers don't realize this when they first enter ARI, but as someone born into it, I know more than most." She stood up and rummaged around the house for the handheld left for the safe house. Grabbing it and a book off the shelf, she sat in the seat next to him.
"Here is the handheld for the house. I've been using my personal device, so you can use this one. I want you to try something." She held the book out to him and then the device. "I have to send a message to Nova. While I'm gone, I want you to add a program on this. Pick something in this book, it doesn't matter which one."
"I'm happy to try, but I don't think anything will happen because I've never used something like this before."
"Just try it. At best, I'll be right and at worst, you'll be busy while I'm gone."
"All right." He agreed and flipped the book open, starting to read. He turned the page a few seconds later, and then another page just seconds after. By the time she grabbed her pack and headed out the door, he'd read almost a fourth of the book. He could read extremely fast, and she knew for a fact by the time she returned, the new program would be on the handheld. ARI would kill him on sight if they found him because his existence would destabilize their entire system. Not only was he a natural hacker, but he was the key she needed to destroy the Sovereign.
Safe House: Bash
According to the book Freya handed him, this safe house was running a lot of outdated tech. After comparing information in the book to what the handheld displayed, he followed the instructions using intuition when the book was unclear. He updated settings and added another security feature which would alert them if someone neared the perimeter. Putting the finishing steps on the second new program, he saw the alert indicating someone was approaching instead of waiting until they breached the perimeter. Watching the protocols and programs initiate to let Freya through, he set the device on the book as she closed the door behind her.
"Looks like you were right." He gestured to the handheld, "I'm not sure how or why I understood everything, but it just made sense." Shaking his head, he slapped his hands on the table. "I don't get it. Well, I do, but that's the problem. How do I innately understand all of this?"
Freya walked over, picked it up, and examined it. She nodded a few times before she looked up and smiled at him. "I knew it!" she set the handheld down, "This makes more sense than radiation."
"That's the reason they wouldn't let me near tech, wasn't it?"
She nodded. "Something probably happened when you were younger, or they did genetic testing. Though, I didn't think anyone outside of ARI had the tech to test for that."
"But why can I do this?" His voice strained as he waved his hands about.
Freya's eyes unfocused as s
he stood silent for several minutes. He couldn't sit here in silence any more.
"Why did you join the Resistance?"
Her attention snapped back when he asked the question. He knew it was a personal question, but didn't know if it was appropriate or not.
"I didn't mean to pry. I'm new to all of this and back at the camp, everyone was open." He looked down at his hands while he tapped his fingers. "You know what? Nevermind. I shouldn't have asked that question." He started to stand up but her hand on his arm stopped him.
"It's not a secret. The day I was born, a member of ARI took me from my mother. They killed her and put me into a special program."
He didn't like where this was going. "What kind of program?"
She looked away from him. "The kind where they experiment on newborn babies to make super soldiers."
He stopped himself before he asked the next question on his mind., what did they do to you? Instead, he asked something less personal. "How did you find out and become part of the resistance?"
Pacing the floor, she answered. "When I was seventeen, they sent me on my first mission. I was to infiltrate a suspected traitor and eliminate them. During the mission, I was interrogating a woman from the Resistance." Wrapping her arms around herself, she continued. "Just as I was about to kill her, she recalled a memory of a woman that looked just like me. Nova realized who I was and told me about my mother. While she talked, I heard one of her thoughts about a vid my mother left for me. When I demanded to see it, I think she knew I would default."
Wait, what did she say? He replayed her words before he asked, "You heard one of Nova's thoughts?"
Freya looked at him, letting out a curse. When she didn't respond, he tried again.
"Can you hear other people's thoughts? Wait, can you hear my thoughts?"
"Yes and no, I can hear everyone but you, and I have no idea why."
"Why what?" He wasn't convinced.
"Why can I read everyone or why can't I read you?" She stopped pacing and leaned against the wall.
"Both." She didn't scare him, but he wanted to know if he needed to keep his thoughts in line when she was around. Was that how she knew about this innate ability?
"I can read thoughts because of the experiments they did on me." She looked him in the eye. "I have no idea why I can't read you, but every time I try there's just static."
"What else can you do?" In response to his question, she pointed. He looked and saw the handheld sitting on the book. Then it moved, hovering over the book for a while, then drifted over to him. Unsure of what was happening, he reached out and grabbed it. Unable to find any reason it would move, he tried to nudge it, but it remained where it was floating in front of him.
"What's happening?" He kept himself calm, but he'd never seen anything like this.
"I'm Telekinetic and Telepathic, sometimes Clairvoyant." Now that was a word he wasn't familiar with. He pulled up the mental image of the word in a dictionary. The ability to move items with mental or other non-physical ability. Pulling as hard as he could, the handheld remained motionless. Releasing the device, he watched it drift back to the book.
"I'm sorry that happened to you." He couldn't find any other words, but knew now what the wrong time to ask for more details. She'd had a hard life, and without thinking, he cradled her in his arms. "You deserved none of that." If she stayed around him, he would do everything he could to make her life just a bit happier. He was about to release her when she returned the embrace.
"I'm returning to base." Her soft words jolted him.
He didn't want to let go of her, especially if she had to go back to ARI. The only thought that went through his mind was to protect her. And he wasn't even sure how. If he could free himself from the women at the camp, then they would have one last thing to worry about. After she left, he would return one last time to take his life back. And this time he wouldn't fall for Lux's mind games.
"Stay here, you can help the Resistance without going back." He hoisted her up until his cheek was resting against her breast.
"Nova assures me my cover is intact, I have to." His heart swelled when she rested her cheek on his head. "Besides, if I can get into Lay'ata Base, I can bring you back some stuff to tinker with."
"It's not worth it, not if you have to leave." His heart was breaking apart at the idea.
"Bash." Her hands gently ran through his hair. "I have to go back. This is the first time the Resistance has been so close." He felt a gentle kiss. "I can't give up now."
"If I can't change your mind, at least let me show you how great tonight can be."
"I should prepare, I leave in the morning."
"Please Freya, let me give you something good to remember before you risk your life again." He looked up into her eyes and waited for her to answer. She nodded, and with purpose, he carried her into the bedroom. Tonight he would spend every minute showing her how special she was. And after they were both exhausted, he would listen to anything she had to say. Tomorrow he would say goodbye one last time, because somewhere inside of him, he knew she wouldn't return.
Chapter 6
Outside Lay'ata Base: Freya
Disconnecting her handheld from one of the outside maintenance access panels, it had taken her less than five minutes to hack the grid and put an addendum on her own personnel file. This was a sign of the pathetic security of Lay'ata Base. Now all she had to do was stroll back into the base and act like she wasn't a spy. Easy right? Freya expected alarms to sound the moment they spotted her, followed by a narrow escape, and then a hasty retreat to Bash. No, she meant a hasty return to the safe house.
Dammit. The last thing she needed was to think of him. While the last couple of days had been amazing, she had to remember he could have any woman. If the Resistance had its way, he would be with as many women as possible. The idea made her pulse increase and pain sparked in her temple. The emotion he invoked caused the implant in her brain to send out a negative reinforcement shot of pain. Since he'd entered her life, she was losing the tight grasp she kept on her emotions. Going over the preset limit would cause a small electrical shot to deter her from doing it again. It was the scientists' way of forcing her to withdraw.
Refocusing on the mission, she backed away from the access panel on the south side of the base perimeter and circled around to the east. When she'd sent a message to Nova saying she'd been compromised, the last thing she expected was the response saying otherwise. Racking her brain, this had been the best idea she could come up with for returning to base. While heading toward the base, Freya pulled out a knife and cut a few holes in her clothing then pulled at them so they were frayed and misshapen. She didn't bother to add more dirt to herself since she was covered in it, from when she'd lost her footing and rolled down a hill.
One of the security guards came into view, it was now or never. Freya returned the knife and walked towards the entrance maintaining a straight spine and intentional steps. The security guard straightened. "Stop! Identify yourself!"
"Private First Class El'Sandsa, Kaun'az Squad." This was it, the moment of truth.
The guard checked her handheld. Freya found her inner calm and reached out with her mind. The guard was easy to read, no resistance at all.
According to this, Freya was missing and possibly died in action after a reconnaissance mission. Oh! I remember this. Didn't only two people come back from that mission? I have to call Major Tas'Ki.
Freya withdrew and fought the sudden lightheadedness plaguing her. She'd pulled back too fast, but the fact the guard's mind hadn't called Freya a spy was a good start. When Base Major Tas'Ki marched out with several other officers, Freya considered retreating. A light telepathic light scan of the newcomers still didn't catch anything resembling 'a capture the spy' tactic.
"Where have you been?" Major Tas'Ki demanded. Now it was time for Freya to sell the lie she developed.
"Monitoring the Resistance camp as ordered by the mission parameters."
"Follow me."
Without a pause, Major Tas'Ki turned and walked through the entrance of the base. Still not hearing anything indicating she was compromised; she followed the major. It was a swift walk as they went through the long echoing metal halls. Trying to figure out exactly what was happening, the fast pace kept breaking her concentration. They arrived at the major's office within minutes of reentering the base. The door hissed as it closed, and Major Tas'Ki laid her hand on the wall next to it. Locking them in put her on alert, but she didn't sense an attack.
"Where the hell have you been?" Tas'Ki wasn't shouting, but her neck flushed red and her hands clenched while she glared at Freya. Dropping into her chair, she flung open a drawer and pulled out her tab.
"I told you, I located and monitored the Resistance camp." Freya watched her quickly touching the tab screen, most likely issuing orders or reading them.
"Do you seriously think I believe that? There isn't even a Resistance camp in the area."
Freya frowned and tried to make sense of what was happening. "I can guarantee you that there is, I saw it with my own eyes. The same camp Kaun'az Squad was sent to locate." Major Tas'Ki set the tab down and looked directly at her.
"No you didn't, you may have hallucinated and thought you saw a camp, but I assure there isn't one there." This wasn't what she'd expected. Accused of being a spy, absolutely. Being called a liar and the camp they searched for didn't exist, wasn't even on her long list of remotely possible.
"Then what did I see if it wasn't a Resistance camp?" Hoping to read Major Tas'Ki's thoughts, Freya tried to penetrate her mind to get the real answer instead of the lie the major would speak.
"You choose, but it wasn't a camp for the Resistance." Freya heard only the words from Major Tas'Ki's mouth. Nothing came from her mind, no static, no thoughts, and no visuals. Freya pushed harder to get something, anything from her mind, but there was nothing. The handheld chimed.