The Alpha Drive

by Kristen Martin

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  Even though twenty-four hours had passed since Emery had dropped Alexis off at the airport, it felt longer. If there was one thing Emery hated, it was saying goodbye. Goodbyes always came too soon.

  She stared up at the ceiling from her uncomfortable twin mattress. She and Rhea had spent all last evening, and this morning, getting acquainted with one another, but Rhea still seemed to be somewhat of a mystery.

  Designer labels filled the room as Rhea unpacked the last of her jeans, shoes, and accessories. Emery wasn’t sure why her roommate had packed so many nice clothes, seeing as they were required to wear their school uniform to class. She flipped onto her stomach where she had a direct view of Rhea’s desk, noticing miniature bottles of whiskey and vodka protruding from her purse.

  Rhea caught her staring. “I hope you don’t mind. I brought some party favors—you know, to celebrate being roommates.”

  “Oh . . . um, that’s cool.” Warning bells sounded off in her head.

  “Yeah. It wasn’t easy to sneak in, but I always find a way. Even at my old school,” Rhea gloated, “and they were way stricter there.”

  “You’re new to Darden too?”

  “Yeah. I got kicked out of public school in California, so here I am.” She turned back to the half empty box and pulled out some light scarves and oversized derby hats. “I’m thinking we should decorate this little shoebox of a room.”

  Emery wanted to ask why she’d gotten kicked out, but figured her roommate had probably changed the subject on purpose. “How do you want to decorate it?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe we can ask our residential advisor if they have some fabric or stringed lights or something. It’s just so drab in here.”

  Emery sat upright and looked over at the window where Rhea was standing. She seemed to be deep in thought, trying to visualize the room with whatever color and decoration scheme had appeared in her head.

  “So . . . do you have any brothers or sisters?” Emery asked in an attempt to keep the conversation going.

  Rhea turned toward her, a boot in one hand and a necklace in the other. “Nope, it’s just me. I’m an only child.”

  This was surprising. Based on what she’d seen so far, her roommate seemed like the kind of girl who’d have at least one sister. Emery scrunched her face, taking a minute to study Rhea. She wore cut-off jean shorts that were slightly frayed at the ends, an edgy band shirt, and red sneakers. Brown hair cascaded down around her shoulders into soft waves, her porcelain skin nearly flawless.

  Emery felt her cheeks flush with envy. Damn, she’s pretty.

  Rhea waved her hand in the air. “Earth to Emery. Did I lose you?”

  “Huh?” Emery replied, snapping out of her jealous trance. “I’m sorry. I zoned out there for a minute.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Rhea smiled. She turned back to the window, then meandered over to her closet. “God, this is a mess. There just isn’t enough space for all of my shoes.”

  As Rhea pondered over her underwhelming closet space, Emery’s phone rang. She grunted and hopped off the bed, landing with a soft thud onto the floor. She ducked her head and reached across the desk, knocking over a picture frame and coffee mug in the process. Even though she didn’t recognize the number, Emery decided to answer it anyway.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello. Is this Emery Parker speaking?” The voice on the other end was raspy. A male’s.

  For a brief moment, she considered hanging up, but decided otherwise. “Yes, it is. Who is this?”

  “I’m with the Darden administration. We need you to come down to the lobby of Rosemary Hall to discuss your class schedule. A couple of changes need to be made.”

  Feeling confused, Emery thought back to the check-in process the day prior. “The girl at the front desk said everything was fine—”

  “—we need you to come downstairs at your earliest convenience.”

  She hesitated. “Um, okay. I guess I can come now. Whom should I ask for?”

  “When you get to the lobby, take the south elevator to floor B2,” the voice instructed. “Knock on the door at the end of the hallway. I’ll meet you there.”

  Emery was about to ask him to repeat the information when she heard a click on the other line, followed by the dial tone. She drew the phone away from her ear and stared curiously at the blank screen. Tucking it into her back pocket, she turned to tell Rhea about her confusing conversation with the mystery caller, but her roommate was nowhere in sight.

  Emery tried to ignore the wave of uneasiness washing over her as she jotted down a quick note for Rhea. She stuck it to the screen of her roommate’s laptop, then grabbed her things, locking the door behind her. Padded footsteps echoed in the empty space as she made her way down the stairwell. She swiped her key card and pushed the door to the lobby open, jumping as it slammed shut behind her.

  The lobby was unnervingly quiet. The front desk was unoccupied and there wasn’t a soul in sight. Where is everyone? She searched desperately for any sign of movement, but there was nothing.

  It was entirely deserted.

  Emery tried to ignore the peculiar atmosphere as she strode toward the south side of the lobby. She made her way over to the silver-paned elevators and pressed the button, jumping as the elevator doors shot open almost immediately. With caution, she stepped into the elevator and pressed B2, watching as the doors closed in front of her. Emery glanced at the walls around her, the hair on the back of her neck rising as she recalled what her sister had said yesterday.

  Rosemary Hall didn’t have elevators.

  4

  Panic-stricken, Emery looked over at the button she’d just pressed, realizing that it was a one-way ride.

  There was no option to return to the lobby.

  She shuddered and took a deep breath, her mind racing with every horrible outcome imaginable. The elevator chimed and the doors opened slower than a sloth scaling a tree. Emery peered at what lay before her: another dimly lit hallway, one that led to a single door.

  With no option to return to the lobby, she stepped out of the elevator and cautiously made her way to the looming, maroon-shaded door. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she knocked twice, then stepped back a few feet. When there was no answer, she knocked again. The door rumbled as bolts and locks underwent their rickety rhythm on the other side.

  The unknown side.

  Emery’s eyes grew wide with fear as she watched the door open. Much to her relief, a young girl with a blonde, pixie haircut stood on the other side. The girl held a black tablet, and an elaborate earpiece jutted out from her right ear. “She’s here,” the girl stated into her headset, flashing an award-winning smile. “I’m Naia. It’s so wonderful to meet you. Please come in.”

  Emery stepped into the room, comforted by the fact that a normal human being had been on the other side of the door. What else would it have been? A robot?

  “Please have a seat,” Naia instructed as she gestured to a gold-trimmed, leather chair. “Theo will be right with you.” She turned on her heel and walked to a smaller door within the room. The door closed gently behind her, leaving Emery completely alone.

  The room itself was of decent size, but it wasn’t overwhelming. It was brightly lit, unlike the hallway she’d just been in, and the walls were painted a crisp gold with maroon and black embellishments. The marble crown molding was a spectacular swirl of black, grey, and white specks.

  Emery peered over the edge of her chair, looking back toward the door from which she had just entered. It was the same color as the exterior—a deep shade of maroon. Standing on either side of the door were two exquisite white, marble columns that had clearly been influenced by Roman mythology.

  Emery turned in her seat to face forward, noticing that the only other chair in the room was the one sitting in front of her. They were almost identical—massive and made of leather—except the one across from her was adorned with maroon trim instead of gold. There was an emblem on the seat
of the chair that was difficult to make out, but the letters looked like F-C-W.

  The door creaked open, causing Emery to straighten her posture immediately as a lanky, male figure sulked toward her. He was dressed in black from head to toe, wearing a sharp blazer, dress pants, penny loafers, and a suede fedora with petty feather accents. His face was jagged and worn, as if he’d spent many sleepless nights pondering philosophical arguments.

  “Emery, it’s so wonderful to finally meet you,” he drawled as he extended his hand for her to shake. “I’m Theo Barker. Welcome to the Headquarters of the Federal Commonwealth.”

  Emery couldn’t help but notice his square jawline and the way his mouth pressed into a harsh line as he spoke. She hesitated before standing to shake his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  “I hope your trip down here wasn’t too uninviting.”

  “No, but the elevator—”

  “I know this meeting may seem out of the blue,” Theo interrupted, “but we’re so thrilled you came.”

  Out of the blue is right. He’s definitely not a school advisor.

  “I bet you’re wondering who I am and why I’ve brought you here,” Theo continued, as if he could read her mind. “What I’m about to tell you may seem hard to believe. In fact, you may choose not to believe it at all.” He paused, attempting to read the expression on her face. “I highly encourage you to keep an open mind. Can you do that for me?”

  “Sure . . . I guess,” she stammered.

  “Please have a seat.”

  Emery obliged, her eyes locked on the mysterious man in front of her. As Theo fluffed his blazer and took a seat, a tiny patch at the bottom of his jacket caught her eye. Trying not to be too obvious, she craned her neck for a better look. The patch looked like some sort of emblem—likely the same emblem she’d discovered on the seat just moments earlier.

  “Miss Parker,” Theo began, “I’ve brought you here today because I want to extend to you an opportunity. One that has the ability to change the course of your life and the lives of those around you.” He stopped for a moment, the corners of his lips curling upwards.

  “What I’m about to tell you here must not be repeated outside of these walls. If you accept our offer, we will move forward as planned. However, if you decline, you will have no recollection of this encounter once you’ve left. Your memory of your time here will be expunged. Do you understand?”

  Emery hesitated before answering. She was certain the look on her face was one of complete and utter horror. She nodded, hoping that it would suffice in place of a verbal agreement.

  “Lovely,” Theo remarked. “Now, where to begin?” He cleared his throat before continuing. “I’m the head chairman of an organization called the Federal Commonwealth, or FCW. Before you can understand why the FCW was created in the first place, there is something very important you’ll need to wrap your head around.” He eyed her warily, waiting for a cue to continue.

  Emery scooted forward in her chair. “And that is?”

  “This whole world . . . it isn’t real.”

  “Pardon?” Emery tilted her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught that.”

  “This world isn’t real,” Theo repeated, his expression serious.

  Emery’s expression matched his until she couldn’t keep a straight face any longer. “Ha-ha. Very funny,” she laughed. “Now what are we really here to talk about?”

  Theo narrowed his eyes. “Exactly what I just said.”

  Emery eyed the exit as she lifted herself from the chair. “Right, okay. Well, I have a lot that I need to do, seeing as it’s my second day at Darden and all.” She shook her head, disappointed. “You know, if this is some sort of joke for freshman initiation, I highly recommend you rethink it.”

  Theo sighed. “I should have guessed that this would be your reaction. Allow me to approach this from a different angle. Ms. Parker, have you ever wondered why technology hasn’t advanced in twenty-eight years?”

  Emery stopped dead in her tracks.

  She turned back around to face Theo. “The government . . . they stopped it . . .”

  Theo shook his head slowly as soft tisks slipped from his mouth. “Or is that just what they want you to believe? Twenty-eight years, Emery. Surely if it had been a question of funding, it would have been resolved in a year or so. But twenty-eight years?”

  Emery stifled a yelp of disbelief as her body went rigid with shock. He was right. She looked down at her trembling fingers, then squeezed her hands into fists to calm her nerves. After taking a deep breath, she slowly gazed back up at Theo.

  “Good. Now that I have your attention, let’s circle back, shall we? This conversation we’re having right now technically isn’t real. Your years growing up in elementary school, middle school, and high school, thus far, haven’t been real.”

  “Of course they were real,” Emery shot back, feeling offended. “I’m sitting right here in front of you. I am the product of those years in school. I am the product of my life thus far.” She could feel her anger rising. “I am living proof that my life is real!”

  “Emery,” he soothed, “I need you to calm down and keep an open mind.” He raised his eyebrows, the lines in his forehead creasing. “Remember?”

  Emery circled the chair, then paced back and forth, running her nails along its plush surface. After taking a deep inhale, she sat down, her heart seconds away from exploding out of her chest.

  Theo waited for her to calm down, tapping the tips of his fingers together. “Ever since democracy was founded, mankind has assumed that the government is the most powerful entity in the world. Unfortunately, this assumption is profoundly incorrect. Some odd years ago, an organization called the Seventh Sanctum, or 7S, successfully invaded every continent on the planet and overthrew the governments. They couldn’t stand the idea of free will—it disgusted them. In 7S’s eyes, the laws previously enforced by the world governments were not stringent enough. Crime rates were rising, birth rates were dropping, and chaos ensued. We were living in a world of exploitation, degradation, and corruption. The Seventh Sanctum had a plan to end it all, so they did.” His eyes gleamed with malevolence. “By inducing a worldwide coma. You’re living in their fake world—in Dormance.” Emery looked at him with a bewildered expression. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again.

  A comatose world? It was impossible. No one in their right mind would do something like that . . . would they?

  “Have I always been in this,” she struggled with the words, “fake world? In Dormance?”

  Theo nodded. “That is correct. You’ve always been a dormant.”

  Emery took a deep breath. I’ve been in a coma ever since I was born.

  She was silent a little while longer. “I guess I’m confused. If mankind was so terrible, what was the point of rendering everyone comatose? Why didn’t they just kill us all?”

  A clever smile touched Theo’s lips. “I knew you were a smart girl. You see, the plan entailed that 7S’s new society be built from scratch. But, as with everything, there are limitations. There is no way for them to make this strategy a realization without us. We may all be in a comatose state, but our cells—our DNA—are still needed to create new life. Without our DNA, 7S has no way to create new life.”

  “Hmm,” Emery murmured as she processed the information. “And what happens to all the people living in Dormance after 7S finishes building its new world?”

  Theo looked down at his hands before responding, then whispered, “7S will kill all of the dormants. The new population will be able to reproduce, so there won’t be a need for the previous inhabitants.”

  Emery shook her head. “It doesn’t make any sense.

  What will 7S’s new world have that ours doesn’t? What will it look like?”

  “That, my dear, is something we’re still trying to figure out,” Theo clucked as he licked his lips. “I suppose it’ll be a world with more order, more stringent rules, and less freedom.” He waved h
is hand in the air in a sarcastic, huzzah motion.

  Emery bit her lip. Something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t fitting together. “Hold on a second. How do you know all of this if you’re supposedly in Dormance too?”

  “Simple,” Theo responded. “We have a source on the outside. Or, I suppose I should say, on the inside.” He chuckled, the sound almost inaudible in the vast, marble chamber.

  Emery raised her eyebrows. “You’ve made contact with someone in the Seventh Sanctum?”

  He nodded. “Once our source was able to provide proof that the world is completely comatose, the Federal Commonwealth was born. Our inside-source wants to end the 7S reign as much as we do.”

  Emery squeezed her eyes shut as she desperately tried to make sense of it all, but there were still so many questions that needed answering. “If Dormance was induced by the Seventh Sanctum, then isn’t there a way we can break out of it?”

  “Bingo,” Theo chimed. “Do you see where I’m going with this?”

  Emery blinked as the realization hit her. She felt like her eyes were going to fall out of their sockets. “You’re building an army to free the dormants.”

  A wide grin spread across Theo’s face, his teeth crooked and unsightly. “Right you are. We’re calling this initiative, The Alpha Drive. Now, if we don’t defeat 7S, we’ll be doomed to live our lives in Dormance until we’re eventually killed off.” He brushed away an imaginary piece of dust from his blazer as if what he’d just said was of little to no importance.

  Emery stared at him blankly, her mouth agape. It was all too overwhelming for words.

  “You’re probably wondering how this involves you,” Theo chortled. “This may sound strange, but we’ve kept tabs on you for quite a while now. We know everything about you, from your birthday to your favorite color to where your family vacations in the winter.”

  Not creepy at all.

  “Which is why you, Emery Rae Parker, have been selected as a candidate for The Alpha Drive.”

  5