Since I’d finished my daily inspections, it was time to report my findings. I would use the AR comms for that, but my cruiser was sick of waiting for me. I whipped out my phone and scrolled through various icons until I found the one that accessed the cloud: not the official First Division cloud. Frost had turned off our phone data, so I had to rely on Surge’s version. Gray light burst out of my phone’s screen, and the outline of my keys formed inside it. I was used to blinding light, so I didn’t even blink at that. I snatched my keys as their physical form solidified. Then I held them up to my cruiser’s door, which beeped in response.
I pulled the door open and hopped into the ten-seater vehicle, which smelled just like the forge. Then I shoved the key into the ignition and turned it. The humming of the cruiser’s engine was the most pleasant sound on the whole base.
I pressed my foot against the cruiser’s pedal, propelling it onto the street. The vibrant sunset lit my way as I drove by small buildings and smiling faces. Thanks to the strong community that Surge had built, everyone in the Oppressed was friendly and nice to be around. It got weird when you realized that most of them had been raised to hate and oppose Frost since childhood, but that had ended up paying off. I would never replicate Surge’s actions, but they were the reason why a resistance existed in the first place.
I drove up to a seemingly small building with two huge windows. It actually sat above an underground lab. The whole base had been used for the Frontier Project, which was behind all the technology we used nowadays. It was also the birthplace of the AI. That was my least favorite fact about the place.
I parked the cruiser, stepped out, and walked up to the front door. Muffled voices were struggling to reach me from inside. It sounded like two people were having a conversation, and I recognized both voices. I gripped the doorknob and pulled it open.
As usual, the stench of smoke attacked my nose. I needed to get Surge an air freshener or something. Standing behind the desk was Surge N. Antant himself, the leader of the Oppressed. He was technically my boss and also technically my co-leader, not to mention that I kind of ranked above him because I was the ambassador of humans and the AI. My ranking didn’t make sense, but neither did the alliance.
Standing in front of Surge’s desk was my former instructor, Theodore Manning, a black man with smoky eyes that occasionally turned gold. He was the Theta Hybrid and the smartest man I’d ever known. He had also been in my grandpa’s team alongside Rebecca. He had risked his life time and time again in an attempt to defeat the AI and protect the First Division. In the process, he’d lost most of his friends, and, to make matters worse, he was now in an alliance with the aliens he had sworn he would destroy. All because of me.
“Wander,” Manning said with none of the pride he usually had when he spoke my name. It hurt a little every time he did that. “Good evening. How did today’s base inspection go?”
“Fine.” I refused to meet Manning’s gaze. The disappointment in those eyes was too much to handle. “Everyone’s doing their job. Same as every other day. How many people are expected to return from their missions today?”
“All of them.” Surge picked up a tablet and inspected it. It was one of his signature items on the desk, along with a stack of paper and pictures of all the Oppressed kids. Pictures adorned the walls too. So there were hundreds of faces smiling at me from every angle. “Everyone’s on their way back. They should be touching down any second now. Everyone will be in the same place for the first time in a while. Perhaps it’s time to make our move.”
Manning sighed. “There will never be a right time to strike. President Frost will always hold the advantage over us. The First Ship is constantly surrounded by the Asteroid Belt Formation. Even if it wasn’t, that ship is far more advanced than any of ours. It’ll be like throwing rocks at a force field that’s protecting a nuclear missile.”
“The Belt goes down for maintenance between three and four hundred hours every day,” Surge said. “That’s how my troops and I snuck on board and stole the shield generator a few months back.”
“I suppose we could send in an army of sleep-deprived teenagers during that interval, yes,” Manning said. “However, it’s more likely that President Frost has shifted the maintenance times since your theft. That, and this is more than a simple theft. This is about ending the war. We’ll need strength.”
I took a deep breath before I spoke. “I’m sure the AI have some ships that can plow through Frost’s defenses. We should ask them.”
Manning had never really glared at me before that moment. I looked at my feet to avoid dealing with it. That was why we were keeping our distance from the AI: every time I suggested working with them, I got the stink eye from everyone in proximity. Then Beth got mad at me for not trying harder to bring everyone together.
“We allied with the AI to get access to their tech,” Surge said. “They were fine teammates back on Epsilon, but I don’t trust them enough to work beside them. Neither do all the kids who lost their families to AI attacks.”
“I get it because I was one of those kids. If it was possible to properly punish them for everything they did, I would have done it by now. However, the best option for the galaxy is to let them help save it.”
“Apologies, but you cannot convince me that the AI are anything but bloodthirsty murderers.” Manning’s glare intensified. His eyes flickered gold. “I have scars that prove otherwise. I even have allies who have lost their lives to those demons. You knew all this, and yet you still formed this ‘alliance.’”
His accusation struck me like an arrow. “Manning, I’m sorry, but things happened so quickly back on Epsilon. There was no time to think about it, or fly back and consult you and everyone else. Surge can vouch for that!”
Surge buried his face into his tablet. “Fight your own battles, kid. I stay out of drama. It’s a skill I developed from raising a base full of teenagers.”
I knew we were at war, but did everyone have to be so grumpy and unhelpful? I opened my mouth, but Manning had already stomped past me. He slipped out the front door before I could get a single word in. After all we’d been through, one decision was all it had taken to get on his bad side.
“He’ll come around,” Surge said as he lowered his tablet. “It takes time to adjust to a change like this. I’m still worried that most of the kids won’t be able to. That’s why I’m not planning a field trip to Epsilon anytime soon. For now, we should focus on the AI tech your sister brought us. That’s serving us well. When’s her next visit?”
“Tonight, I think. She sure is taking her sweet time though. I’m off to the cafeteria. It’s about time for dinner, right?”
Surge nodded. “I’ll be there shortly.”
Translation: he’d show up once he’d quit being such a workaholic. I knew better than to save a seat for him.
----------------------------------------
I loved the cafeteria, but eating there was the quickest way to go deaf.
When I walked in, the indistinct chatter of a packed building wrecked my eardrums. There wasn’t a single unoccupied bench in the place. The people who worked at the forge had gotten used to eating by themselves, but recently, they’d decided to eat with the rest of the community. That’s why it had gotten so much louder recently.
I slid a plastic tray against the metal counter as I surveyed the food selection. Then I scooped mashed potatoes, peas, and some sort of beef onto my tray. It wasn’t something a gourmet chef would cook up, but it was good enough, especially after I drowned it in hot sauce.
Since friend groups had occupied all the benches, I couldn’t just sit anywhere. Luckily, I saw my own group of friends. I headed toward a familiar bench. Kaela and Anderson sat on one side of it, Laura sat on the other, and Nessa sat at the end of the table because of her wheelchair. I had fought the war for everyone, but these were the people I wanted to protect more than anything.
I plopped down between Laura and Nessa. “Any exciting topics I missed out on?”
“You forgot to tell Anderson he was a waste of space again,” Nessa said before stuffing a spoonful of green beans into her mouth.
Anderson sighed. “Don’t worry, she did it before you showed up. Twice.”
“It was pretty funny,” Laura said, smiling in spite of the look that Anderson shot her. “I would have joined in, but Anderson’s been cool lately. It’s almost disappointing.”
Kaela hummed to herself as she cut up her chicken. “Isn’t this great? I’ve always wanted a group just like this. I’ve only ever had Dylan, and, sometimes, he doesn’t even eat. Now I’ve got all of you.”
“I know what you mean,” I said. “I was really depressed when I lost my family, but now it’s like I have a brand new one.”
“Exactly. I was a total wreck when my parents died, and I’ve been a minor wreck ever since. Now I finally feel like I’m getting better. It’s all thanks to how much closer everyone’s gotten since you guys showed up.” Kaela looked at me and Laura. Laura quizzically pointed at herself for confirmation. Kaela giggled. “Yes, you. All I’m trying to say is thanks. I’m also saying that Frost had better watch her butt because we’re this close to kicking it.”
Kaela’s colorful vocabulary aside, she had a point. Unlike Frost and her soldiers, we were more of a family than an army. It sounded like a weakness, but it was probably our greatest strength. We’d defend each other no matter what. That was how we’d won the last time.
“Girl, are you carbo-loading or something?” Laura asked as she raised an eyebrow at Nessa.
Nessa was shoveling her tray’s contents into her mouth. She didn’t even seem to have heard Laura. The only time she stopped was when she picked up a napkin and wiped her face. I’d seen her like this before; I knew why she was doing it.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“She’s just excited for dessert,” I said. Laura and Kaela immediately shot me puzzled looks. I thought over my choice of words and realized how strange they were. “No, no! I mean we’re going somewhere after this. More specifically, we’re going to visit a certain person who doesn’t deserve our company. She always gets like this beforehand. I should hurry and finish my food too.”
“No, there’s no need to rush,” Nessa said, but her actions indicated the exact opposite sentiment. “He’ll still be there no matter how long we take.”
He had to be, or the base would need better security. Kaela and I continued to talk about family until the subject switched to nachos. Everyone but Nessa joined in, so, of course, she was the one who caught my attention. She ended up clearing her tray within a minute or two. Once she was done, she pulled out her phone and sat in silence. She got points for being somewhat patient.
Despite her silence, I felt the pressure to hurry up. This was my first relationship, so I didn’t want to ruin it. That meant scarfing down peas a little faster than I’d originally intended to. A minor sacrifice to make Nessa happy despite how difficult a task that was nowadays.
“All done.” I motioned to my empty tray. “Those mashed potatoes get better every time I eat them. Ready to go, Ness—”
“Yes.” Nessa rotated her wheelchair toward the door. “See you all tomorrow. Let’s go, Wander.”
She rolled herself toward the glass doors. I merely shrugged at the look Laura shot me as I stood up. I understood why Nessa wanted to see this jerk so badly, but tonight she was more eager than ever. It was concerning, but I wouldn’t comment on it…yet.
I followed her outside and unlocked my cruiser. Her cheeks went red as I bent down and picked her up. That was her preferred method for getting into and out of vehicles. Her metallic scent was better than any perfume. She struggled to keep her mouth from forming a smile as I lowered her into the passenger seat. I shut her door, wheeled her chair around to the back, popped open the trunk, folded her wheelchair up, and stuffed it in there. That was how things went every time she and I had to drive somewhere. She used to complain about how helpless she felt, but she’d gotten more relaxed about it.
I hopped into my cruiser and revved it up. Nessa stared down at her lap as I stepped on the pedal. My hands swayed with the wheel as I turned onto the main road. The silence was comfortable, not awkward. I was about to shatter it with a somewhat awkward question though.
“I know this is sudden, but what happened to your mom?” I asked, glancing between her and the moonlit road. “After your dad left, she shut down, didn’t she? Is that the end of the story?”
“Yes, and no,” Nessa said. “At first, my mother was just delusional: she held on to the hope that my father would change his mind and return to us. When that didn’t happen, she shut down. She didn’t even care that I was disassembling every piece of tech in the house. I accepted that my mother loved my father more than me at first, but I eventually realized something: I deserved better. That’s when I left, and I never looked back.” Nessa gazed out her window. “Who knows where she is or what she’s doing now.”
That threw my plan out the window. Since Nessa’s dad hated me and I strongly returned the sentiment, I’d thought I could at least meet her mom. I’d assumed I wouldn’t see her until after the war. Now it seemed like I would never see her at all.
“Oh…sorry I asked.”
Nessa turned to me. “Is there something you wish to tell me?”
I sighed. “It’s nothing serious. But yeah, I’ve never been in a relationship before, so I’ve been dying to try all those clichés that people come up with. Only problem is, I can’t do any of them. Our lives are too ridiculous. I can’t take you to the school dance, I can’t earn your parents’ approval. I can’t even buy you gifts because we’re banned from every single First Division supermarket…as well as the First Division itself.”
Nessa raised an eyebrow. “Your priorities are mildly concerning. Once we end the war, you can buy me useless trinkets from all the stores in the galaxy, okay? Until then, don’t rely on other people’s definition of normal. We enjoy being together. That’s all that matters, isn’t it?”
It was important, but it wasn’t all that mattered. Most guys would have been thrilled to be with the least romantic girl in the galaxy. Those were the same guys who’d had at least three girlfriends before they turned seventeen. I hadn’t had that experience. It had been just me and Laura for every year of school. Now I had the chance to see what all the fuss was about, and I was determined not to mess it up.
I eased off the pedal when I spotted our destination: a red brick building with a single door and no windows. Two teenagers with rifles and black space suits stood beside its entrance. This was the only jail on the base. It might have been impossible to believe, but the Oppressed didn’t take prisoners. The jail was meant for recruits who refused to play nice with others. It would have been perfect for Anderson a while ago.
Now it held one of the most dangerous individuals I’d ever met, and we were here to talk with him.
I parked the cruiser on the curb beside the building. Then I reached for my door with my left hand, but Nessa grasped the wrist of my right. I barely felt it since that was my bionic arm.
“No wheelchair, remember?” Nessa said as she furrowed her brow. “I have to face him at my strongest.”
I sighed. “Right. Just promise you won’t push it.”
I stepped out and reached for Nessa’s door. She pushed it open before I got a chance to open it for her. Again. She grunted as she lifted her right leg and planted it on the pavement, an impossible feat for the majority of wheelchair-bound people. Unfortunately, most of them didn’t have Nessa’s robotic legs and spinal attachment. They constituted a modification that I’d designed, but we’d finished it together with help from the forge.
Although her legs were technically ready, they didn’t have the most stable tech. She and I knew our way around tech, but we weren’t certified professionals.
Nessa continued to grunt as she stepped out with her other leg. She squirmed out of the cruiser and stood straight up. The spinal attachment on her back was illuminated with blue and silver lights. It served as a pretty good flashlight considering how dark it was with the Sun down.
“And you said the legs aren’t ready.” Nessa stomped in place, smirking as she remained standing. “You should have more faith in your own invention.”
“I guess, but just to be safe…” I held her hand. She tensed up for a second but immediately relaxed. “This way, you won’t fall.”
She smiled. “Smooth. Let’s go.”
We approached the guards, who looked us up and down. I couldn’t see their faces since their visors were tinted, but I probably knew them. I was well-acquainted with the security team. This prisoner required a lot of precautions.
“Here for the usual?” asked the guard on the left. His deep voice suited his role.
I nodded. The two guards stepped apart, freeing a path to the door. I opened it and stepped inside. There was a counter to the left and a dark hallway in front of us. The lights dangling from the ceiling lit it faintly. This would have been a great haunted house for Halloween. October was the following month, so I’d be sure to bring it up at the next meeting.
Now I’m just trying to distract myself, I thought. I guess I’m not as excited for this as Nessa is.
We trudged down the dim hall and stopped in front of a door on our right. Its plaque designated it as #7. The prisoner’s number. It was hard to believe that this place had at least seven prisoners. A keypad lay below the door handle and a red light notified me that it was locked. I tapped four numbers and stepped back as the light turned green. When I glanced at Nessa to make sure she was ready, she nodded in confirmation. Of course she was.
I tugged the door open and was glad I was using my bionic arm because the thing weighed as much as me. We stepped into the room that was even darker than the hallway. I coughed as the stale air invaded my lungs.
A man sat in the back of the room, huddled in the darkness. There was nothing separating us from him. It seemed like he could get up and run out the door if he wanted to. But he actually couldn’t because there was a solidios wall between us. It was invisible energy that felt solid.
The man wore a green jumpsuit that was ripped at the shoulders. Maybe he was stretching it out. His hands were confined in a pair of old twentieth-century handcuffs. Beside him were a toilet and a tray with an apple and a glass of water. Each step we took echoed around us as we approached him. The top half of his face was shrouded in darkness. His chiseled chin made him resemble a Hollywood actor. He was as charming as one but somehow even more fake.
“Sit up.” Nessa stepped even closer to the prisoner. She was centimeters away from the solidios wall. I couldn’t see it, but I could sense it. “Have some manners for once.”
The man smiled despite his unfavorable situation. “Funny. That’s something a parent would say. You should learn your place, child.”
His voice was weaker than ever, but it still had the confidence you’d expect of someone in an infomercial: confidence befitting a general. He sat up, allowing the light to reveal his face. His hazel eyes matched mine, which made me sick. His dirty blond hair was so disheveled that it was like he’d never touched a comb before. Our lovely prisoner’s name was Alhabor. He was the former general of the First Division and Nessa’s current father. If it had been up to her, he wouldn’t have had that title either.
Nessa grinned. “Your taunts have been weak ever since we threw you in here. Losing steam? It’s funny, you’re the one who should learn your place, because you’re exactly where you deserve to be.”
“Speaking of, you remember Ben Oak? The guy whose life you tried to ruin? He’s up and walking now.” I confidently folded my arms. “Funny how life works out, huh? Good people get rewarded, and the scum get to rot away.”
Alhabor smirked. “Oh, so that’s how life works? Sounds about right. I’m just a soldier, so of course some punk kid would know more than me. Did you two come to gloat about being ‘good,’ or did you actually want something?”
“You know what we want. We’ve been asking you weeks: what’s Frost’s next move?” Nessa leaned forward, moving even closer to the invisible wall. “If anyone would know, it’s you.”
He shrugged. “And I keep telling you that, thanks to my new living arrangements, I’ve missed out on a few meetings. She could be planning to surrender tomorrow, and I’d never know.”
“Then just tell us the last thing she told you. Don’t you like betraying people, Connolly? What do you have to lose here?”
His smirk widened. “Baby Girl told you our last name. Sucks. That little secret was all I had left, and now that’s gone too.”
He was right. Nessa had told me that her dad’s real name was Jason Connolly. No more “Alhabor.” Calling him that gave him too much power. Now he was human like the rest of us. Technically, I was a Hybrid, but whatever.
“Quit wasting our time, and spit it out.” Nessa curled up her fists. “I’m so sick of hearing you joke around like this is all a game. I’m sure the people you killed weren’t laughing.”
One of those people was Opifex’s mom, Maria. I still had nightmares about the gunshot that had ended her life. I couldn’t even count the number of times Opifex had just shut down in the middle of work. Sometimes he’d get right back to it, but, other times, I had to comfort him before the tears dropped. Sometimes…he had to support me in the same way.
“Everyone dies, sweetheart. I’m just the guy who speeds it up for people who annoy me.” Connolly stood up. He towered over both of us. I felt secretly relieved about the solidios wall’s presence. “You two think that putting me in here means you’ve won. It’s not that simple. All you’ve done is give me another reason to hate you and your little friends. Nessa here knows what spite can do to a person. Right, honey?”
Nessa slammed her fist into the invisible wall. Wisps of red funneled away from her hand. That was the solidios revealing itself. Despite his daughter’s rage, Connolly chuckled. Of course, the jerk found it amusing.
“I hate you,” Nessa spat. “I’ve dreamed of beating your face in since the day you left.”
“Maybe you’ll get your chance. You guys really want to know what Frost’s planning? If I had to guess…I’d say she’s finally gonna investigate a tip she received a while ago. You know the guy who gave it to her. I think his name was…Anderson Oak?”
Time slowed down as I struggled to comprehend what he was saying. Anderson sold us out to Frost? No. If he was a sellout, then Surge or I would have noticed, not to mention that he was spending all of his free time with Rebecca at the Punch Factory. Plus he’d changed. I knew that for a fact. There was no way he’d contacted her recently, so Connolly must have been talking about…the past.
Crap.
The room shook like a quake had ravaged the area. Nessa grunted and leaned against the solidios to remain standing. The shaking stopped, but it left a heck of an impression.
“What the hell was that?” Nessa asked.
“His saviors.” I looked at Connolly and found him wearing his biggest grin yet.
“About time they showed up.” He pressed his forehead against the solidios. The red wisps framed his sinister expression. “Being a damsel in distress was getting boring. I’m ready to be the bad guy again.”