Modified- The Complete Manipulated Series

by Harper North

  “NO ONE MOVES!” the tall op nearest to me snarls. “We wait until we get our orders.”

  I struggle to breathe in a lungful of hot, thick air, raking over my already parched tongue and throat. How much longer?

  Heavy boots clanking on the metal floor jar me back to my senses. Commander Reinhart marches into the cargo hold with Lacy tailing him. A smug grin stretches across her lips, and a large, silver pulse rifle is strapped across her chest. The combo sends a shiver down my spine.

  Reinhart breezes straight past us to a button alongside the bay door and presses it. The action triggers a mechanical release. There’s a pop, followed by the slow whirling sound of the massive back cargo hold door opening. I gasp as a gush of fresh, warm air circulates through the room. It’s not great, but it’s better than the stifling heat. I flick my attention outside. Rays of sunlight shine against the door, casting deep shadows—late afternoon.

  More soldiers wait on the outside of the cargo door. No way can I take down the ops inside on my own. Even with Elias, Emma, and Talen, the possibility of making it out alive is low. Maybe fifteen percent. I chew on my lip.

  “Get up!” an op orders.

  In an instant, I’m on my feet.

  My guard leans in closer. “Don’t even try to fight, cause if you do,” he hisses, “I’ll be the first one to put a bullet in that pretty little head of yours.”

  “Get away from me,” I snap as he seizes my arms and drags me toward the exit.

  Behind me, two ops pull Talen to his feet and a third grabs Emma, bringing her to my side. I strain my neck to get a better view of outside, where I can make out several more hovercrafts and some large operational equipment.

  “Welcome to Ethos,” Commander Reinhart says to Elias in a superior tone.

  Elias struggles with the operative restraining him. “How did we get here so fast?” he demands, twisting away.

  Commander Reinhart’s self-righteous smile shrinks to a stubborn line. He narrows his eyes as the operative fumbles to regain control of Elias. A second op intervenes, jabbing his gun against Elias’ lower back. Elias winces and relents.

  “Why are you trying to fight?” I snap in his direction. “You must’ve done the calculations, too.”

  “She’s right,” Reinhart says, glaring at Elias. “Escape is pointless. The transports are faster than citizen vehicles. You’ll find that many things you believed about your capabilities are nothing compared to what the EHC is truly capable of.”

  There’s something plastic about Reinhart, phony and irritating. Just his presence sends a shiver down my spine. He slowly turns and heads down the ramp with Lacy. The ops pull us behind, and I squint in the afternoon light.

  Around us are dozens of hovercrafts and other military vehicles, lining an immense airbase. My chest tightens at the sight. There’s more technology in this one base than I’ve seen in my entire life. On the hazy horizon are tall, sleek buildings with red lights flashing on their roofs, and transports on the ground zip after one another. Everything is structured, perfectly synchronized.

  Underground, in the mines, we were covered in dirt most of the time and totally devoid of the advanced tech that pours out of every corner of this place. And it was all built on our backs. The corners of my eyes sting with angry tears as we’re marched toward another hovercraft, this one smaller than the one we arrived in.

  “Get in,” an op orders us.

  Talen reluctantly climbs up. Emma follows. Before the ops shove Elias inside, he turns to face me.

  “I don’t have any brilliant escape plans,” he says, catching a glimpse of my expression.

  I swallow and shake my head. He should have told me what Ethos would be like, but I wonder if he didn’t in the hopes that I’d never have to feel the way I do right now.

  The op shoves me from behind, flinging me into the vehicle in a heap. Drape’s already inside, but barely conscious, propped up in the corner.

  Lacy grins as she and Reinhart climb in last and sit in front of me.

  “Where are you taking us?” Emma demands.

  Reinhart ignores her. There’s no point in trying to get anything out of him.

  The transport shifts and again we’re moving, but the ride is so smooth you might not even know it if you weren’t paying attention. The air in the cabin is clean and filtered, the seats comfortable. Unable to bring myself to look at Lacy again, I turn my gaze through the long windows. Outside are more transports and a larger terminal that I’m sure we’ll never see the inside of. Not the likes of us. Criminals and the citizens of Ethos will never interact.

  As the transport glides right, we’re suddenly out of the operations base and entering the city. My eyes widen as I try to take in my surroundings, mind bouncing, processing the new sights. The transport weaves around other vehicles seamlessly. Towering above us are the buildings I spotted from the landing site. Up close, they’re even more spectacular. Glass windows reflect images of transporters and a city full of movement. The pathways are unnaturally lined with bright green grass and towering trees between the buildings and roadways. Hovercrafts zip and zag above us with perfect precision. On the walkways below, well-dressed citizens mill around, their clothes nothing like our worn shirts and bland, functional cargo pants. Everything about this city is modern.

  A pit forms in my stomach. Underground, we went days with little food, doing hard labor using equipment that sometimes worked, but more often failed. Angry tears well up in my eyes again as I bite down on my lip, refusing to let Reinhart see me like this.

  “You never stood a chance,” Reinhart says, drawing my attention away from the window.

  I release a slow breath, then raise my eyes to him. “How can you treat the Dwellers so badly? They’re given so little—”

  “You may find it surprising to know I have family underground,” Reinhart says.

  My heart clenches. “What?”

  Reinhart lowers his gaze. “Everyone has a place in this world. It’s not personal. Each person serves an important function in maintaining life on a radically changing Earth.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” Elias spits.

  Reinhart shifts to face him. “If the underground system was to fail, so would society, and no one would survive.”

  Elias leans forward, determination filling his eyes. “A unified population would create harmony and the collective efforts would adapt to the Earth much faster.”

  “Our studies and projections show a much different picture,” Reinhart says flatly.

  “A suppressed people will only lead to constant conflict!” Elias argues.

  “That is why we have a legal system. To maintain order.”

  Emma raises a brow. “I was part of this society before and witnessed over and over again the potential of humanity buried in order to maintain power.”

  Reinhart scoffs. “You’ve been away for too long to understand the ways of a successful society.”

  “So much effort is used to keep the privileged in power,” Emma says. “The progress of Ethos has been slowed. Everyone is on the brink of extinction.”

  “Look around,” Reinhart says, pointing to the towers in the distance. “Does it look like we are on the brink of extinction?”

  “All your studies are skewed to your advantage, you’re just too blind to see it!” Elias shouts.

  Reinhart’s jaw clenches. Lacy tightens her grip on her gun, but I’m not ready to back down.

  “One more uprising and there won’t be any more Ethos,” I say.

  Lacy is on her feet in a flash and lunging for me. In one quick motion, she shoves her gun into my chest, her other hand reaching out to me. A pit forms in my stomach at the thought of feeling another Aura attack.

  Without flinching, I stare hard into her dark eyes, almost inviting her to kill me. Reinhart clears his throat, pulling Lacy’s attention away. She returns to her seat, leaving me with my heart crashing into my ribcage.

  Talen shifts himself to glare at Lacy. He sh
akes his head at what must be a reflection of his former self.

  Reinhart leans back in his seat and folds his arms across his chest. “Stomping out rebellions is just an everyday task for the EHC. It’s no more of a hassle than stopping common theft.”

  Emma opens her mouth to speak, and Reinhart raises his hand to stay her. “Your little rebellion was pathetic. Where did it get you?”

  No one answers.

  “All the death and loss you went through,” Reinhart sighs, “and for what? A simple media spin and quick trial. Everything you’ve done only helps our effort to eliminate uprisings even faster and more quietly than before.”

  “No,” I say, blocking out his attempt at brainwashing.

  As the commander opens his mouth, probably to spit more insults, a crackling sound from the cockpit interrupts him.

  “We’re arriving at Command,” the disembodied voice says.

  I gaze out the window again. The landscape has shifted while Reinhart was insulting us. The transport glides smoothly up the side of a massive skyscraper. Within moments, we land on top of the building. The Commander opens the door, and again the ops drag us out of the transport. Drape is on his feet now, but the way his eyelids keep drooping shut I’m pretty sure he could pass out again at any second.

  “Take them to Bellaton,” Reinhart commands, then looks straight at me. “Lacy and I will meet up with you later.”

  My mind spins as I study our surroundings. Outside of the transporter, the warm wind blows my hair in every direction, ripping through my flimsy clothes. We’re led through a side door and into a building. Inside, I’m hit with cool air, and goosebumps form on my arms. Must be artificial climate control. We’re forced down several flights of stairs and in another few moments we’re taken to an open area in the heart of the building.

  “Take a seat,” the guard behind me barks to all of us, shoving me toward a series of tan, fabric covered chairs.

  I obey and lower myself into it. Whoa. The soft fabric and cushion gives beneath me. If I weren’t about to die, or whatever, this would be about as close to heaven as it gets. The ceilings stretch up fifty or so feet above, with ornate light fixtures hanging from smooth white tiling. A wall of glass surrounds us, and lush trees line the edge. The polished ground sparkles so cleanly I can see my reflection, which is not sparkling or clean. My hair is a tangled mess, desperate for a good wash. To avoid dwelling on that, I turn my gaze to the moving staircases that spiral upwards, carrying citizens to every corner of the building.

  The ops hover a little too close, as if they’re worried we might interact with some of the people, especially Talen, whose size and physique stands out from the rest of us.

  From across the room, a woman wearing a grey, stylish suit emerges from a side room. Head held high, she’s tall and slender, mid-forties, with medium-length blonde hair. She walks straight toward us. When she finally reaches us, she smiles, revealing a row of perfect, white teeth.

  “Hello,” she greets us. “My name is Director Flora Bellaton.”

  Elias sneers in her direction.

  “Director of what? The EHC?” Emma demands.

  Bellaton shoots Emma a don’t-mess-with-me glare. “Correct. Get them up,” she orders the ops, who promptly bring us to our feet. She then turns a cold stare on us. “Follow me, please.”

  Bellaton is the head of the EHC. She’s the one that shapes every aspect of our lives from behind the walls of this glass tower.

  The director leads us back through the atrium to a smaller room with large floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, a crack of sunlight settles over the city, but the floor lights illuminate the space. A long metal table and several chairs fill the room. My attention goes immediately to the dozen or so glasses of water in the center of the table.

  “Sit,” Bellaton says, holding out her hand.

  No need to tell me twice. I race for a chair at the far end and grab a glass of water, downing it. Emma, Jase, Drape, and Talen do the same. The coolness of the chilled water coats my throat as it goes down. I hold back an exhilarated sigh, not wanting them to see how much I enjoyed that, but I’m sure they already know.

  Bellaton sits down across from me. “Take another,” she offers.

  I don’t resist and grab a second, quickly drinking half of it.

  “I understand your frustration,” she continues.

  “Really?” I wipe a drip of water from my chin with the back of my hand.

  “Your human nature drives you to do what you do. The problem is that human nature is flawed.”

  I examine Bellaton’s flawless face. I bet there’s not a flaw in her at all, inside or out. “You want me to be less human?”

  She folds her hands on the table. “We tried to weed out the defects in your genetics.”

  “My genetics?”

  Bellaton raises a brow. She’s all business now. “Not yours, per se, but your kind. There’s an innate desire in the lower class to strive for more.”

  “By more,” I lean in, “do you mean equality?”

  “Humanity has already established a hierarchy.” She leans back. “We have to protect what we have earned.”

  Hate burns in my core for this woman. “What’s your plan for us?”

  “If dwellers cannot be tamed, you will be erased and made an example of.”

  Talen pounds his fist on the table, face tight with anger. “Taming people and turning them into your personal pets is not how humanity works. I’ve lived in your system and I want nothing to do with it.”

  A slow smile spreads across Bellaton’s face. “Take him.”

  “Take him?” I cry out. “Where?”

  The ops surround Talen and pull him out of his chair.

  “Leave him alone!” I shout.

  Elias leaps up, but an op shoves him back down into his chair. Emma’s face is calm, as if she’s already prepared for all of this to happen.

  As the ops drag Talen to the doorway, Bellaton slowly stands. “You have already been tamed once,” she says to him. “All you need is an upgrade and you will be the asset the EHC needs to protect our way of life again.”

  My mouth drops open.

  “You’ll never succeed,” Talen says with confidence.

  Bellaton ignores him and waves her hand at the air. “Get him out of here.”

  “You should take him more seriously,” Emma warns.

  I watch Talen, expecting rage or fear to be consuming him, but instead, with a sly grin, his determined eyes meet mine.

  He’s got other plans.

  CHAPTER 4

  MY EYE CATCHES Emma’s. A wry smile broadens across her face, and my mind races through what she could have programmed Talen with. A secret skill of sorts, I’m sure, but what? Can he break through that neck brace? Take on three guards at once? Maybe he’s had the capability this whole time, but if he did, then why didn’t he use it before we were dragged in front of Bellaton?

  “I knew your mother,” Emma says, interrupting my thoughts.

  Emma stares at Bellaton now. There’s a calm, all-knowing look in Emma’s eyes.

  Bellaton lifts her chin. “Did you?”

  “She worked at the same research facility as I did. I was a bit younger than her. She was a good person, almost like a mentor.”

  Bellaton narrows her eyes. I press my back into my chair, enjoying the show.

  “Do you think she would be proud of you?” Emma asks.

  My chest tightens as the two women glare at one another. I take another gulp of water and glance to Elias, whose hands are folded in his lap.

  Bellaton crosses her legs as a smirk stretches across her lips. “Your trial will begin as soon as possible. First, there will be a public announcement of the accused.”

  “Don’t leave out any details.” I laugh. “Make sure you broadcast to all of Ethos that you caught the criminals who dared to threaten your phony empire.”

  Without missing a beat, Bellaton shifts her gaze to Drape. It’s like I don’t even exist. �
��This is where the EHC states the crimes to the people and announces the trial.”

  “A perfect way to steer public opinion,” Elias says.

  She waves his comment away. “Next, you will be assigned a Combatant Defender.”

  There’s a twinge in my gut at the mention of us being made to look like the combatants when we weren’t the ones who started this.

  “You will have twenty-four hours to plan your defense, and then the trial begins.”

  “A closed trial, right?” Emma asks.

  Bellaton nods. “The trial will be closed.”

  “Convenient,” Emma sighs.

  “After that, the verdict will be read to the public.”

  There’s no use in listening to her talk. I already know what a performance this whole thing is. Nothing good will come of it. I swivel my chair closer to Drape. His face is pale. I pour him a glass of water. He takes it and sips the liquid.

  “Why bother with the trial?” I ask, shooting Bellaton a dark glare of my own. “Why not just say it all happened the way you want to spin it and be done with it?”

  “We have certain procedures to be followed.” She straightens her jacket. “Without them, society fails to function.”

  “Your system is broken,” I say.

  She slowly pushes back from the table. “There’s no use in arguing. This is the procedure.” She stands and turns toward the guards. “Take them to be processed, then straight to the holding center.”

  “Is that it?” I yell, jumping out of my seat. “Why’d you bring us here if you’re not even going to consider what we said?”

  “There’s no use,” Elias says to me. “Don’t waste your breath.”

  As Bellaton leaves the room, the guards surround us.

  “I’m going,” I snap as one of the guards pulls on my arm a little too hard.

  I follow Emma and Elias, making sure to help Drape along. We’re taken across a walkway that connects us to the building next door. Never once do we have to step outside. How convenient of them to make sure we don’t mingle with the rest of the population.

  We pass through double doors, and the moment we step foot off the walkway and into the second building the air-controlled temperature disappears. Blocks of cemented walls separate one room from the next. A dim yellow light clings to everything in the windowless space. Blank brown walls jut up against a sterile white ceiling. My body tightens the farther we go, and I turn back to see the doors have closed behind us. No going back.