The Alpha Drive

by Kristen Martin

  “Okay. Um, well, for starters,” Torin stuttered, “I was suspended from 7S. So that’s been great.”

  Emery’s eyes widened. “You’re suspended? For how long?”

  “Six more weeks,” Torin sighed. “But, the good news is while I’ve been trying to reach you, I’ve also been working on hacking into the 7S system to regain access. Once I figure that out, I can enter the building again and the system will recognize me as an active employee.”

  Emery wiped her eyes. “About that . . . I’m starting to think that I’m not cut out for this.”

  Torin shifted in his seat as he brought the hologram closer to his face. “Don’t say that. We can do this. We’ve already come so far.”

  “I don’t know, Torin,” she sighed. “Look at everything that’s happened. Anthony’s memory has been erased and now Rhea’s gone.” She sniffled. “I can’t lose anyone else.”

  He nodded as her words sunk in. “But isn’t that more of a reason to fight?”

  Emery raised her head. “I’m not sure I follow.”

  “Maybe, if we defeat the FCW and deactivate Dormance, we can bring their memories back. Maybe it’s not a lost cause,” Torin suggested.

  A glimmer of hope crossed Emery’s face. “Do you really think so?”

  Torin nodded. “I do. So, what do you say? Are you in?”

  Emery nodded as she took a deep breath. “You’re right. I won’t let them win.”

  “You’re right about that,” he said with a smile. “Okay, we have a lot to catch up on. How about you take me through what’s happened since the last time we talked?” He pulled up a schematic of the Federal Commonwealth’s underground quarters, a document he’d sent to his personal computer before he was apprehended. He figured it would come in handy.

  Emery eyed the schematic, recognizing the common room, and pointed out where the rest of the training rooms were. He switched the schematic to edit mode, then drew them in.

  Emery’s eyes followed the movement of the stylus. “I haven’t had the opportunity to walk through the corridors yet, so I have no idea what else is down there.”

  “That’s okay,” Torin said as he finished his edits. “Tell me again about your training.”

  “Well, my first training was aquam, where I almost drowned to death. My mother was floating at the bottom of the sea and was holding an orange capsule.” She shuddered, thinking back to her mother’s lifeless body. “My second training was ignis, where I had to save my best friend from burning to death even though some voice told me not to. Come to think of it, she was also holding a capsule.”

  “An orange one?”

  Emery shook her head. “No, it was green.”

  “Hmm.” Torin tapped his stylus against the table, waiting for her to continue.

  “In aeris, I could fly. I dodged bullets that came at me from every direction. A green mist filled the room—at least, I think it did. I can’t remember because I ended up blacking out. And in terrae . . .” her voice drifted off, her concentration fading.

  “Go on,” he urged. “What happened in terrae?”

  Emery sighed as her head fell into her hands. “I was in shifting landscapes. First, I was in a forest, running from some genetically mutated animals I’d never seen before.” She paused. “Well, that’s not entirely true—they were manticores. I learned about them in my Latin class. To escape, I had to answer a riddle.”

  “Then what?”

  “After that, I was in a city where a bomb went off. The same green mist filled the air and I passed out.”

  “The Seventh Sanctum Headquarters are in a city,” Torin thought out loud, looking for any plausible connection he could find. “Did the city look like Chicago?”

  Emery crinkled her nose. “Honestly, I don’t know. All cities kind of look the same.”

  “Did you see the Chicago Bean?”

  She shrugged. “I wasn’t looking.”

  “Well, do you know what kind of bomb it was?”

  “I don’t know. The kind that kills you?” she retorted.

  He pressed his mouth into a firm line. “Emery, I know you’re upset, but this is important.”

  “I don’t know,” she grunted as she threw her head back in frustration.

  “Come on, Emery, I need you to think. We need details if we’re ever going to figure this out.”

  She sighed. “Like I said, there was a green haze after the bomb went off. That’s all I remember.”

  Torin scribbled a few things on his virtual notepad, his eyes scrutinizing the words.

  “Is anything connecting?”

  He hurled the stylus across the table. “I’ve got nothing. Zip, zero, nada. A big, fat goose egg,” he said as he massaged his temples. “I need some time to process all of this. I haven’t slept in days.”

  “Well, you should probably get some sleep then. Let’s call it a night. I can’t think straight anyways,” Emery sighed.

  “You’re right. We both need some sleep. Don’t stay up all night thinking about this,” Torin ordered as he shut down the virtual blueprint. “We’ll reconvene in a couple of days.”

  “Okay,” Emery agreed. “Oh, and Torin?”

  His eyes locked on hers as he waited for her to continue.

  “Thank you.” She smiled. “For listening to me. You’re a good friend.”

  Before he could respond, the line clicked. He watched as the holographic image of her faded away, much like their lives would if they didn’t figure this out.

  And soon.

  35

  Theo tapped his fingers impatiently as he waited for the other line to pick up. He’d found his numerous attempts to contact President Novak rather annoying as of late. About a year ago, he’d suggested that the President move his office into Dormance so that the members of the Federal Commonwealth could have easier access to him, but Victor had refused. “There needs to remain an air of mystery around the President,” he’d said. “I can’t be at everyone’s beck and call—it’ll look like I have nothing better to do.”

  Theo rolled his eyes at the thought. He hung up, then dialed the number again, this time pacing back and forth across the room, his recently polished shoes clacking against the marble floor. The pacing stopped when he heard heavy breathing on the other end.

  “What is it?” Novak’s voice was harsh.

  “I’m calling to confirm that Rhea Alexander is no longer a participant in The Alpha Drive,” Theo responded.

  “Marvelous,” Victor drawled. “I’m hoping this was completed with as little impact as possible to Emery?”

  “For the most part,” Theo lied, praying that Victor wouldn’t ask any further questions.

  The President cleared his throat. “You’ve always been a terrible liar, Theo. Lucky for you, I don’t care to know the details. Just keep an eye on Ms. Parker.”

  Theo wiped his brow, letting out a faint sigh of relief. “Yes, sir.”

  “On another note, is the lethargum ready?”

  “The final batch will be ready tomorrow, sir.”

  “And has our strategy been finalized?”

  “It’s in the final stages, sir. It should be ready within the next week.”

  “Now that just won’t do,” Victor chided. “Finalize it. Tonight.”

  “But sir . . .” Theo warned.

  “We deploy tomorrow. No excuses.”

  36

  Emery looked over to the left side of the room, where Rhea’s things had sat just a week prior. The bed was stripped of its colorful sheets, the desk bare except for the dust accumulating in the corners. Not even a trace of a fingerprint remained.

  She walked over to Rhea’s old desk, running her hand along the dilapidated wood. As if she didn’t have enough running through her mind, today was the day she’d find out whether she’d passed or failed her training. It’s about time.

  Emery pulled out a pair of black jeans and a black tank-top from her closet. After many months of training, it was easier to show up downstairs wea
ring the basics, since she’d just have to change her clothes anyway. As she searched for a pair of socks, her hand brushed over a silk pouch at the back of the drawer. A smile spread across her face as she grabbed the strings of the pouch, noticing that it felt lighter than last time. She drew open the strings, only to discover that the ring her mother had given her wasn’t there.

  Emery lowered her head into the closet drawer, searching frantically for any sign of the ring. Five frustrating minutes later, she sat on the floor with the drawer sitting beside her, socks and underwear strewn everywhere. She racked her brain as she toyed with the pendant around her neck. Had she moved it elsewhere? Not that she could recall.

  Her focus was interrupted as her phone buzzed with a reminder to head to the FCW’s underground quarters. Emery gathered the heap of socks and underwear as quickly as she could, threw them into the drawer, and placed it back on its hinges. Still feeling puzzled by her ring’s disappearance, she grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

  She made it downstairs in record time, her heart beating rapidly from within her chest. Her nerves heightened as hundreds of questions filled her thoughts. Did I pass? Will I finally get to meet the other participants?

  The common room looked the same as it always did. Emery slowly walked through the door, her heartbeat audible in the eerily quiet room. As per usual, her clothes were folded in a neat, orderly pile, but, at second glance, she noticed that something was different. The long-sleeved shirt she’d worn for every training session now had a zipper with a tiny charm dangling off the end.

  It bore the same symbol as her now-missing ring.

  How peculiar.

  Emery pulled the shirt over her head, eyeing the next piece of her ensemble. Long gone were the black nylon pants she’d come to know and love—they’d been replaced with a pair of leather pants, the color suggestive of freshly spilt crimson blood. She slipped the leather pants on, relieved to find that they had some elasticity to them.

  The crystal dials Torin had given her glimmered in her bag and Emery dropped them into her back pocket for safekeeping. The footwear was the same, but there was one other item sitting on the table that was completely unfamiliar to her. She picked up the foreign object, examining its odd shape.

  It looked like an earpiece of some sort.

  Emery stuck the contraption into her ear, her finger grazing a raised button. Just as she was about to push it, a door creaked open behind her. Theo slithered in, his hands wrapped around a miniature tablet. “We’re ready for you.”

  Her pulse quickened as she followed him out of the common room and down the hallway to a chamber labeled Arbitrium. Emery recalled the word from her Latin class; it meant decision. That class had already paid off in ways she never could have imagined. It was a good thing she’d paid attention.

  Theo turned around, pulling a blindfold from his front left pocket, and made a spinning motion with his fingers. Emery obliged, relaxing as the cool silk was draped across her eyes. He led her into the chamber, positioning her in what felt like the center of the room. She stood there, heart pounding, ears alert for any sounds that might hint at what was going on. All she could hear was the rustling of shoes and the clearing of throats.

  She wasn’t alone.

  “Welcome candidates,” an unfamiliar voice announced. “We know you’ve all waited for quite some time and are anxious to get your results.” There was a pause. “So, without further delay, let’s get started.”

  Emery gulped, her palms covered in sweat, mind racing. What if I didn’t pass?

  “Because there are so many of you,” the voice continued, “we’ll announce the results all at once. We’ll start with those that have failed since we won’t be needing your services.”

  Suddenly, all Emery could focus on were the deafening thuds of numerous bodies as they dropped like sacks of potatoes onto the marble floor. She tried to count the number of thuds, but there were so many that it was nearly impossible. A whoosh of air hit her as the person to her right collapsed to the ground, one of their extremities landing on top of her right shoe.

  Oh god. This is it.

  Emery panicked for a moment, her body rigid, waiting for her bout of unconsciousness to swoop in. She squeezed her eyes shut. Any minute now.

  But it never came. She relaxed her muscles and let out a small breath of air.

  “Congratulations to those that are still standing,” the voice resumed. “You have passed.”

  Emery tried not to smile, but couldn’t help the slight upward movement at the corners of her mouth.

  “Welcome to The Alpha Drive,” the voice rumbled.

  Almost immediately, she felt her body jolt, her arms and legs tingling like crazy. An ice cold wind surrounded her as her hair whipped viciously back and forth. It was the same feeling as teleporting to the 7S world. Emery reached her hands up against the current to pull off the blindfold as she hurtled through time and space. Right as she pulled it off, her body fell hard against the ground.

  In the blink of an eye, she found herself lying face down on an asphalt street, her legs shaking from the bumpy ride she’d just taken. Her eyes widened as people began to materialize next to her out of nowhere. Her attention shifted to her fingers. No moving particles. She lifted her hand to touch her face, then her arms. I’m not a hologram. This is my real body.

  Emery pulled herself up off the ground, her smile fading as her eyes focused on the unmistakable landmark in front of her.

  It glimmered in the remaining sunshine, rays of light bouncing off its edges.

  The Chicago Bean.

  They’d been deployed. To Chicago. To the 7S world.

  Trying not to panic, Emery reached for her phone. She had to find Torin—he needed to know that they were here. “It’s too dangerous,” she whispered to herself, watching as Theo’s body materialized on the ground in front of her.

  She observed her surroundings, realizing that she was in an alleyway of some sort. Tattered, brick buildings lined the street, begging to be restored. The clouded sun lowered overhead, the rays of light ceasing to reflect off the silver structure.

  Emery turned around, noticing two familiar heads of hair lying face down in the street. She watched as they raised themselves up slowly, like the walking dead.

  Mason and Warren?

  Emery sprinted over to them, disbelief radiating from her face. Mason looked up, his expression one of pure bewilderment. She stopped a few feet from him, eyes wide, her expression matching his. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Theo came up behind her and pressed the button on her earpiece. A bulbous force-field emerged, much like the one in her aquam training, and wrapped itself around her head. She waved her hands in front of her face, bringing them close to the energy barrier buzzing around her. Before she could say anything, Theo grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side of the alley, his expression stern.

  “Reach into your left boot,” he commanded.

  Too stunned to ask why, Emery bent down, her fingers grazing a small pocket on the inside of her boot. She pulled out a black, spherical device the size of a golf ball.

  I’ve seen this before.

  Turning the ball over in her hands, she noticed it had a similar button to the one on her earpiece. Before she could gather her thoughts, Theo grabbed the device from her and opened it. He inserted a small green capsule, just like the one from her terrae training, into the four center prongs.

  “Our strategy,” he beamed as he closed the device, cupping it securely in his hands.

  Torin was right. Emery tried to maintain a neutral expression. Her last landscape in terrae had been a city—she looked around her, realizing that the training landscape and this landscape matched.

  I have to find Torin.

  Theo turned and walked down the alleyway, gathering people along the way. Emery tiptoed away from the group and snuck around the corner, peeking her head around to make sure she couldn’t be seen before pulling out her phone. Oddly enough, a familiar voice echoin
g from a few buildings down as her phone began to ring. As if he’d read her mind, Torin’s head popped out of a window just a block down the street.

  “Oh, thank god,” she muttered, eyeing the entrance to the apartment’s stairwell. Emery jogged over to his building and grasped onto the side rails, pulling herself up until she made it to the top floor. She tumbled gracelessly into the window, yelping as her head hit the corner of the wall.

  Torin rushed over to lift her to her feet. He dragged her away from the window where they couldn’t be spotted. “Holy smokes,” he breathed. “So, you’re here. And you brought friends.” He crossed his arms solemnly as if he didn’t trust her anymore.

  “We don’t have time for hurt feelings,” she grunted, pacing in the small space.

  “What on earth is on your head?” he asked, reaching out toward the moving particles.

  Oh, that. She’d almost forgotten about it. “Don’t touch it,” she scolded as she slapped his hand away. “It’s a force field or something.”

  He stared at her miraculously. “For what?”

  “I don’t know yet, that’s why I’m here.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

  “How could I, Torin? I literally just found out that I passed my training and in an instant,” she snapped her fingers, “I was here. In Chicago.”

  “You’re telling me that they brought all of you here, force field helmets and all, without going over the strategy first?”

  Emery looked at him, realizing how crazy that sounded. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but yes. That’s exactly what happened.” She peered out the window, hoping that no one was looking for her.

  “I have to go back out there before they get suspicious,” she said hurriedly, “but I need to tell you something.”

  Torin uncrossed his arms and moved closer to her.

  “I didn’t give you as much detail as I should have after I finished my terrae training,” she said, taking a deep breath. “The same spherical device and green capsule I saw in the training . . . Theo has them. It’s a bomb. Their strategy is a bomb.”