"Yeah, they're pretty easy to come by these days."
"Are you sure it's from the Override and you're not just imagining it?"
"Believe me, Mari, I can distinguish from my own thoughts and someone else's words in my head," he answers testily. "And we don't complain about those commands, they're much better than some of the others we've been getting lately."
"I thought they hadn't been using the Override Program much."
"They barely used it at all after the North attacked, but now we're doing more and more every week."
"Like what?"
"We've been building up a new facility over by the hospital," he tells me. "I still don't know what it's supposed to be used for. But the worst is when we're commanded to lie still."
"What's the point of that?" I ask.
"Who knows? It started out with just a few minutes. We thought maybe it was to relax, but now it's up to 40 minutes and you can't move or even go to sleep. You just have to lie there. It's torture!"
I stare at the wall behind my brother, wondering how all these things might be connected. I'm about to ask Adrian where the Euphorics are made when another worker comes into the office.
"The machines are mixing up the Satisfy and Protein capsules again," she announces dully.
"Dang it," Adrian says, putting his Transcriber down. "I have to go check on that. Thanks for visiting me Mari, maybe you can come hang out at my apartment tomorrow night?"
"No, I'll be back at the prison," I reply, "but we'll get together soon."
I walk out of the nutrition factory and start heading toward the hospital. I want to check out this new facility that's being built thanks to the Override Program. I'm just passing the control tower when I notice something that looks slightly out of place. There are several trucks lined up along the back of the tower, but one of the trucks seems a bit different. I get closer to investigate, and see that each truck is loaded with several large bags of Euphorics capsules. The truck in question is somewhat lighter in color, and it has a few scuffs and scratches, almost like it's been used more than the others. I'd bet anything it belongs to the Dissenters.
I make a risky (and probably stupid) decision. I look behind me to see if anyone is around, and then I jump into the truck. I hurriedly cover myself with the bags of Euphorics, and I wait. It's probably only 15 minutes before someone gets into the truck and starts it up, but it feels like it’s been hours.
What am I doing? I think as the vehicle starts moving over the uneven ground, I could be going anywhere. But I don't know when I'll have a free day again, and I can't think of anything I'd rather do than try and get into the Dissenter base. This could end in so many unfortunate ways, but it's worth it if I'm somehow able to see my mom.
It's sweltering in the back of the truck underneath all these bags with the sun beating down, but I don't dare uncover myself. Finally, we stop and I'm relieved when we start descending on what I'm pretty sure is the platform that leads to the base. I need to act quickly. For a few moments we're in total darkness, and I take advantage of the obscurity to climb out of the back of the truck and crawl beneath it. Once the platform has lowered us down to the floor of the entrance chamber I'm able to see where I can safely grab onto the undercarriage of the vehicle. I pull myself up under the truck as it drives off of the platform.
I see two pairs of heavy boots appear next to me.
"How'd it go, Jerry? Did you have any trouble?"
"Nope. I don't think anyone suspected a thing."
I hear rustling as the two Dissenters unload the bags of Euphorics and walk out of the chamber. I'm about to roll out from underneath the truck when I hear voices coming from the hallway outside the chamber. It sounds like Jacqueline and Blaine.
"I'll bet she's still loyal to the Dissenters and is planning something against the Governor," Jacqueline says. "Why else would she have unlocked our cell?"
"She probably helped us escape because she knew us and felt guilty," Blaine responds. “I’ll keep my eye on her, but I don't think we should trust Mari just yet. It's because of her that Miles is in prison."
"Yeah, I don't think she did it on purpose though. She cared about him a lot."
"Not as much as he cared about her," Blaine states. "Miles spent a lot of time keeping track of her on surveillance. Whenever she was in danger, he was a wreck."
Tears are streaming down my cheeks. I do everything I can to control my breathing. It would be pretty lame if I gave myself away because I was crying.
"Well, I guess Miles has other things to worry about now," Jacqueline says soberly.
"Definitely," Blaine affirms. "I hope we can break him out, but when Felix went out to the prison, he said it was nearly impossible to get into Miles' cell."
The rest of their conversation fades as they walk away from the chamber. I'm still a little shaken from what they said about Miles, but I'm also amazed that Felix managed to get in and out of the prison unnoticed. I know he's a talented spy and stowaway, but the fact that he breached the Community's most heavily guarded structure is impressive.
I quietly emerge from underneath the truck and creep out of the entrance chamber. From the distant sounds and smells, it seems like they're having dinner. I fight the urge to sneak into the kitchen to steal some real food, something I haven't had since I left several months ago. I'm careful as I pass the surveillance room, remembering that there was always at least one person on duty. I see a man in there, but he's too focused on a screen of some people kissing to notice me walking by.
I'm just starting to go down the hallway that leads to the dwellings when I see two people coming from the other end of the hall. I casually walk into one of the dwelling rooms on my left, lucky that most people leave their doors unlocked. I'm hoping I was far enough away that the people coming didn't recognize me.
I glance around and realize I must be in Roxy's room. Her clothes are hanging in the closet and I spy some documents on the table which are addressed to her. I skim over the papers; they appear to be a report of some chemical creation. At the bottom of the page is a small, handwritten note: "dulled by Euphorics."
Suddenly, I hear someone at the door. I follow my first and only instinct and dive under the bed. Moments later, I hear Roxy mumbling to herself.
"Where did I put that message I copied from the surveillance?"
I see the lower half of her body bend down and her arms begin to reach under the bed.
"Did I put it under here?" She muses as her hands come dangerously close to brushing against my side. I close my eyes and imagine what I'm going to do when she discovers me.
"Oh that's right," she says to herself as her arms abruptly pull back, "I put it under my pillow."
I exhale in relief as silently as I can. There is some rustling of paper, and the bed springs squeak as Roxy sits to read the letter.
She murmurs it as she reads. I can only catch some of the words and phrases.
"Dear Roxanne, I was disappointed… I was hoping… but your juvenile methods… disclose the location of your base… two weeks… his surgery will be complete. Regards, Clarence Plenaris."
Roxy lets out a long sigh as she falls back on the bed. I'm trying very hard not to make a sound, but small fibers keep drifting down from the mattress and tickling my nose. Sooner or later I'm sure they'll make me sneeze. After several minutes, I hear a wheezing sound and realize Roxy is snoring. This is my chance to get out, otherwise I could spend the entire night listening to Roxy sleeping.
I slide quietly out from under the bed and get to my feet. There's still a dim light in the room, so I can easily make my way to the door. But just as I reach it, I hear Roxy calling out after me.
"You'll never get away with this, you know."
I turn around slowly, preparing to explain myself, but I see that Roxy is still relaxed on her bed, her eyes closed. She's talking in her sleep. I turn back to the door and silently slip into the hallway.
Chapter 13
It's late enough n
ow that I think mostly everyone is asleep at the base. I move quickly down the hall until I get to my mom's dwelling. I push open the door and find my mother sitting on her bed, staring vacantly at the wall.
"Who's there?" She asks calmly, looking expectantly toward the door. "Daniel, is that you? Are you having nightmares again?"
Nightmares? I think. In another situation, I might have made fun of him for something like this, but not now. I wonder what he's dreaming about.
"Who's there?" My mother repeats, shifting slightly on the bed. I inhale sharply. I'm afraid of how she'll react when she learns it's me. Will she be angry?
Suddenly, her expression changes and she sits forward.
"Mari?" She whispers. My uncertainty fades as my mom reaches her arms out, welcoming me. I rush forward into her embrace, burying my head in her shoulder.
"Mari," she cries, "I'm so glad you're here! Are you going to join the Dissenters again?"
"I...I just wanted to see you, mom," I choke out, speaking for the first time. My mother's grip loosens a bit around me and she's silent for a few moments.
"So you're still a Restrainer?" She asks softly. I can hear the disappointment in her voice.
"Yes," I reply.
"But you haven't given away the location of our base?"
"Of course not."
"Good. The reason we haven't abandoned this place yet is because I insisted you were trustworthy, but everyone is still on edge about it."
"I promise I'll never give them that information."
"I know, but they have other ways to get it out of you."
I'm about to explain how that wouldn't be possible, but my mom changes the subject.
"Why are you doing it?" She asks earnestly.
"For Miles," I respond without hesitation. My mom sighs and takes my hand.
"Mari, I admire your bravery, but even if you save Miles, you might lose yourself."
Just then, there's a soft knock on the door.
"Felicia, are you still awake?" A woman's voice asks.
"Just a minute," my mom calls out.
She grabs my face and whispers in my ear. "Get in the closet."
I jump up and slip into the tiny enclosure on the other side of the room.
"All right Patricia," my mom says, "come on in."
"Hey," Patricia says as she enters, "we're you talking to someone?"
"Just myself," my mother answers nonchalantly, "it helps me think through things."
"Well, I just wanted to let you know that it looks like the spray we used on those Restrainers and soldiers was effective. This morning -"
"You know what Patricia?” My mom interrupts. "I've got a really bad headache. Do you mind if we discuss this tomorrow?"
"Not at all. I hope you feel better Felicia."
There's some shuffling and the door closes.
I wait a few moments before I emerge and tentatively sit down on the bed. My mom looks tense.
"You should leave," she announces abruptly. "There's a small trap door that you can climb up to next to the platform in the entrance chamber. Just make sure you cover it up with dirt after you reach the surface."
I want to stay longer and talk with my mom, but her instructions seem final. I give her one last hug and then walk out into the hallway, heading back towards the entry chamber.
I manage to make it to the chamber without being seen and find the trap door without incident. I emerge out into the cool night and start on my long run back to the city. I'm really glad I was able to see my mom, but from the way she acted when I was in the closet, it's clear that she doesn't completely trust me.
———
The ride back on the transport to the prison is uncomfortable, to say the least. All the other Restrainers still hate me, so I'm sitting alone in the back again, but I'm smashed up against a bunch of supplies they decided to send to the prison. I'm sore and tired from running all night, and I can't stop thinking about the things I overheard at the Dissenter base.
Most worrying is the threatening message Roxy received from Governor Plenaris. I'm afraid it was referring to Miles, that if Roxy didn't give up the location of the base in two weeks, Miles would have some type of surgery. What could that be? Aren't they doing enough to him already? Maybe they're planning to change him completely so that he doesn't resist anymore. I shudder at the thought and try to concentrate on something else. I listen to a conversation between the two Restrainers sitting in front of me.
"So they all had to have their Amplifiers replaced?"
"Yeah, whatever those Dissenters sprayed at them made their technology less effective."
"What do you mean?"
"Their Amplifiers were still working, but they didn't respond as fast or as strong as they normally did."
"Wow. I bet the Governor wasn't too happy about that."
"Not at all. Assembling those Amplifiers takes a lot of time, so now the Community's behind schedule. Some of the new trainees have to wait an extra three weeks to get Amplified."
I want to dwell on this information, which lines up with the things I saw and heard at the Dissenter base last night, but I don't have time. We've arrived at the prison and some guards are waiting for us at the entrance to give us our assignments. I'm told to go to the observation room, so I drop my stuff off in the guard's quarters and hurry over there. When I walk in, Rosheta is there to greet me.
"We need to pick up where we left off," she says casually, motioning to the arena. I look through the two-way mirror and see Miles standing alone in the massive enclosure. I expected that he'd be there, but that doesn't make the situation any less frightening. Rosheta reaches down and picks up a silver Override machine.
"It's time for you to command prisoner 568.”
Chapter 14
I reluctantly take the microphone of the Override machine, trying to find a way out of this and coming up with nothing. Even if I avoid this today, I'll have to use the Override on Miles eventually. That's part of the reason I was sent here, to try my luck on the obstinate prisoner. If Miles doesn’t already know I’m here, he will now.
I stare out at Miles in the arena. If he wasn't standing I'd think he was dead. His face is slack and his arms hang limply at his sides. But there's still a fire in his eyes.
I raise the microphone to my mouth, feeling it's coldness on my lips. I can only manage to get out one word.
"Smile."
Immediately, Miles' head jerks up and he stares fiercely at the two way mirror. Before I can really process what's happening, Miles runs full speed at the mirror and slams into it. A tiny crack appears at the top. I can vaguely hear Rosheta calling for back up. He retreats several feet, then comes at the mirror again. This time, he lowers his shoulder and crashes through the glass.
In less than a second he's on top of me, pinning me to the ground. He doesn't strangle me or punch me like I imagined he would. He just glares at me. The look in his eyes hurts me more than any physical force could.
"So it was you I heard the other day," he whispers intensely, each word dripping with loathing. "I wasn't just imagining it?"
I can't find my voice to respond, but I give a tiny nod. Several pairs of hands appear to pull Miles off of me and out of the observation room. A few other guards have gathered to look at the damage done to the mirror and listen to Rosheta's frantic account of what happened. Luckily, no one seems to be paying attention to me. I slowly get to my feet and leave the room. I walk around the prison absently until I find an empty cell. I sit down in the farthest corner, bring my knees up to my chest, and cry.
———
I'm not surprised when they call me to the arena again the next morning. I walk across the prison trying to suppress a feeling of dread, knowing that I'll have to see Miles again. When I walk into the observation room, Rosheta and several Restrainers are already there.
"Marianna, we need you in the arena," Rosheta states.
My pulse quickens as I stare through the repaired mirror. Miles is again s
tanding dejectedly in the middle of the massive room and looks much like he did yesterday, except now he has bandages on his arms and face from where he was cut by the glass. Rosheta must see the apprehension on my face because she tries to console me.
"Don't worry, we'll have guards ready to intervene if things get too intense."
Great, I think as I step through the heavy door into the arena, but who's going to protect me from the daggers of hatred shooting out of his eyes?
I see Miles get tense when I walk in, but otherwise, he doesn't move. I'm instructed to stand in front of the mirror, facing him. He starts doing rudimentary movements; I can tell the Restrainers on the other side of the mirror have started giving him basic commands. He raises his arms, then touches his face, then sits on the ground, but he never takes his eyes off me.
This continues for several minutes and I'm starting to wonder what the point of me being in the arena is when Miles suddenly does something they've never gotten him to do before. He performs an intricate twisting kick followed by a punch in the air. I can't believe it. This is the first time he's done any combat maneuvers, and he keeps on doing them. I guess when he broke through the mirror yesterday to get at me they realized he does have an aptitude for violence, but only when I'm involved. With me present, he's not able to concentrate on holding off the Override.
Now he starts moving toward me slowly, all the while punching and kicking. I should do something, but I don't move. Maybe I'm just curious to see if he's really going to hurt me. Maybe I'm just stubborn. His fists are only inches from my face when all at once, he stops. He's trembling from the effort of resisting the commands. I allow myself a half smile, which is a mistake. In the next moment, Miles furrows his brows and lands a fierce uppercut into my ribs. Pain shoots through my body and I crumple to the floor.
A half dozen Restrainers rush in to repress Miles, but there's no need. He's distanced himself several feet away from me and is shaking with anger. I can't be sure, because the hit has made me a little dizzy, but I think I see a hint of remorse in his eyes.
———
"This time," Rosheta calls out as I'm about to enter the arena again, "feel free to fight back." There is a slight tone of mocking in her voice. I guess a lot of people were surprised that I let prisoner 568 hit me without any resistance. Some thought I was scared, others thought I was just stupid. In any case, I'm now more ostracized than I was before. Nobody really wants to get near the weird girl who has such an effect on the untouchable prisoner.
The Restrainers: Third Book in The Amplified Series Page 6
