Alien Minds: Dimension Drift, Book 1

by Christina Bauer

  “I’m here,” Fritz announces with a frown. “Give me your plans.”

  Tilting my head, I look the man over. Fritz was definitely part of my life before my memory wipe. Chloe and Zoe confirmed it. But standing before this guy now? I feel nothing, unless you count the fact that I’m annoyed.

  I’m here. Give me your plans.

  Whatever happened to saying hello?

  “Chloe and Zoe are on their way,” I explain. “We can start when they get here.”

  “Why aren’t they present now?” asks Fritz.

  “They are,” I say slowly. “Just in different parts of the lab.” I snap my fingers as if an idea is forming. “I’ve got it. While we’re waiting, you could practice saying hello to me. Like a person.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Thorne smiling. He loves it when I’m sassy. Maybe that’s part of his alien DNA. After all, he could consume emotions like I eat tacos. Well, not Authority-made tacos, but you get the idea.

  I shake my head again.

  Focus.

  “Fine,” grumbles Fritz. “Hello, Meimi.”

  “Hello, Fritz.” I look to Thorne. “Hi, you.”

  His smile deepens and dang, there are those dimples again. “Meimi.”

  Chloe and Zoe march in from different directions. Today Chloe’s in another set of gas-station-style coveralls. She makes that look work. Meanwhile, Zoe’s in a fitted white coat and matching boots that say, this look goes from laboratory to conservatory.

  Zoe pauses to my left; Chloe’s on my right.

  “So, you’re that dickhead,” snaps Chloe.

  “What?” Fritz shifts his weight from foot to foot. “I didn’t do anything. It was all the Scythe.”

  Zoe looks down her nose at Fritz. “You worked Meimi half to death on all your little projects and paid her next to nothing. She should have been able to afford her own country for the money she earned you.”

  I step forward. “As interesting as this is, we have to get to the plan.” Although I’ve only hung out with the twins for a few days, I’ve already learned that they are queens of getting conversations derailed. Sadly, I’ve also been doing a good job of distracting myself with brainstorming details about Thorne’s alien status. If I don’t take charge here, we’ll never finish.

  Chloe raises her hand. “I’ll get our data pads.”

  “Thanks.” I gesture toward the couches. “Do you want to hang out in our conversation pit?”

  “No,” snaps Fritz. “We stand here.”

  Chloe hands out the data pads and I launch right into things. Sort of.

  “Okay, we’ll just stand here awkwardly by the door then.” I lift up my data pad. “As you can see, there are two sets of plans. One is the scheme for Godwin’s official Engine.”

  Fritz looks up from his data pad. “Is this place secure?”

  “No, I’m broadcasting this to President Hope. Of course this place is secure.” Fritz is really getting on my nerves. “As I was saying, Godwin wants to launch his so-called Engine at the Liberation Celebration. It’s a massive spider bot called a Crawler that will be loaded with an omnivoid generator, which is a device that can send multiple versions of the same Crawler to many places at once. Make sense so far?”

  “Umph,” says Fritz.

  “I’ve got it,” says Zoe.

  “Me, too,” adds Chloe.

  Thorne meets my gaze and winks. In this moment, all my worry about his alien status melts away. He’s here and winking. That helps. I can do this.

  All of a sudden, I realize Thorne and I have been looking at each other for an overly long period of time. Oops.

  I clear my throat. “So that was Godwin’s scheme. My plan is that we get to the Crawler first and swap out the Lacerator with a replacement. That not-a-Lacerator will then go to the many millions of undesirables, but instead of killing them, it will heal them.”

  “What if they’re just poor?” asks Fritz. “Many people get ranked as undesirable after losing their job.”

  “We have a list of everyone and why they’re undesirable. We’ll set up logic for each fix. Most cases, it’s just as simple as erasing their unemployed status from the master database.”

  “And you’re sure a not-a-Lacerator can do this?” asks Fritz.

  “The correct term is knowledge sentient swarm,” states Thorne. “And yes, that’s exactly how they work.”

  “But you don’t have this swarm thing,” counters Fritz. “Do you?”

  “I will,” says Thorne. And the way he says those two words, Fritz knows one thing. If he continues pushing, Fritz will end up with some free tooth extraction courtesy of Thorne’s fist.

  So Fritz flips through screens on his data pad instead. “How will you get this replacement Lacerator into the actual Crawler?”

  “That’s all in section 92,” I point out. “The celebration schedule calls for a puff of smoke to roll out before the Crawler goes onstage. Zoe will develop a mega-smoke thingy that goes backstage as well. I’ll use that as cover while I swap out the Lacerator for our replacement.”

  Zoe raises her hand. “Although, I’m working on a hallucinogen too. That was in the original plan and it’s much cooler from a chem perspective.”

  I do a double take. Huh. I thought I’d talked Zoe off the hallucinogen option.

  “Either way,” I continue, “the Authority will broadcast the event from the Golden Pantheon at ECHO Academy. We’ll need you to get Zoe’s smokescreen chemical in there.”

  The more we speak, the deeper Fritz frowns. We’re not convincing him, and there’s a still whole list of semi-illegal supplies we need from his organization. Worry corkscrews up my spine.

  “Look,” I continue. “My goal here is not to kill millions of people, but to help them. And if we can take down Godwin at the same time? That’s a bonus.”

  “Sure,” says Fritz. “And how do you see things ending at the Liberation Celebration?”

  “It’s like this,” I reply. “Godwin already confessed that he set up the Hollow and wants to overthrow the government. By the end of the celebration, we’ll expose that. The good doctor will end up in a bad jail cell. The Hollow will be free. The undesirables will be alive. Everybody’s happy.”

  For the record, I also wanted to squeeze in overthrowing the government into this scheme. But as it turns out, that’s a tall order. Not something that I can do in two months. Still, it’s on the list.

  “There’s more to your scheme than that.” Fritz finally looks up from his data pad. “Let me get this straight. In front of millions of people, you’re going to set off his Crawler … but turn it into a tool to help the undesirables instead of killing them … expose Godwin as trying to set up a coup against President Hope … all while keeping your names out of it, clearing the Hollow of wrongdoing, and freeing the Lacerator.”

  “That’s it,” I say. “We’d also like to attend ECHO Academy in September, but that’s more of a bonus thingy.”

  “Oh,” adds Chloe. “We also-also want a big board to track everything. Like a monitor we suspend from the ceiling. So we can see how things are going.”

  “That’s the only part of this plan that’s reasonable,” says Fritz. “The rest is impossible! A complete fantasy!”

  Thorne has mostly been quiet this whole time. Now he steps forward, stopping when his body is directly between me and Fritz. It’s a very Thorne thing to do. He’s so protective, and in this moment, I totally appreciate it.

  “Explain,” states Thorne. “What’s so impossible about Meimi’s plan?”

  “First, Godwin’s got some third party company developing his Crawler. It’s under huge security. You want me to get you access to wherever they are storing it backstage so you can swap out Lacerators. That won’t be easy.”

  “You used the word impossible,” says Thorne.

  “Because you’ll only have a matter of seconds while the smokescreen rolls out. That’s not enough time to break in, open the Crawler, swap out Lacerators, and g
et to safety. And your whole plan for making that happen is a puff of smoke? Like I said, impossible.”

  I lift my chin. “It’s all in the plan.”

  Fritz shakes his head. “Plus, there’s just too much stuff that you’re making for the first time with only two months to do it. Meimi must invent an omnivoid generator. That’s never been done. And how do you know what this Lacerator replacement can really accomplish? Maybe you can save these undesirables one day, but they’ll be dead the next. It’s a waste of time.”

  Thorne steps closer to Fritz. “I saw the same specs, and I think Meimi’s plan is brilliant. If you’re too scared to get us information on how to access the Crawler, admit it. But don’t go after Meimi and her team.”

  “Team?” asks Fritz. “That’s the worst part of all. These three are not a team. Chloe and Zoe are building up their own parts of lab. Meimi is more traffic cop than leader.”

  Before, Fritz was just mildly irritating. Now his bad attitude is making me see red. Mostly because he does have a point.

  “Are you done?” I ask.

  “No,” replies Fritz. “One final problem. You have all of this controlled by a simple master mechanism.”

  “Three master mechanisms,” says Chloe. “The official one for President Hope, the secret-but-fake one for Godwin, and the real one for us.”

  “Here’s the thing,” says Fritz. “The mechanism will never work. You’ll need to calibrate millions of sets of data at the same time, all in tandem with drift voids.”

  “I thought of that,” I state. “If it gets too complex, that’s just another reason to have the Hollow on the team. She’s got information-processing implants that should make all that work easy. Plus, she’s already slated to be executed at the Liberation Celebration. We just need to free her early and get her to hook her into the Crawler’s systems.”

  “And that all comes back to you, Meimi. Now you’re running around backstage, accessing the Crawler, swapping out the new Lacerator, and freeing the Hollow … all in a matter of seconds.”

  “It’s tight, I know.” With each round of pushback from Fritz, I feel like I’m shrinking. “But Godwin already has Thorne and I on standby backstage. I won’t be doing this solo. And if you get us the information we need, there’s enough time to both alter the Crawler and get the Hollow loose. Not a ton of time, I’ll admit. But it’s possible. I’ve run every scenario.”

  “No,” says Fritz. “Just no.”

  Thorne pokes Fritz in the center of his chest. “Stop playing games. I was there with Meimi when you had her build a drift void generator that fit inside a suitcase. She got the job done in less than twenty-four hours. And that was her working alone. Now she’s got me, Chloe, and Zoe to help. We will do this, whether you’re in or not. The only question is, do you want to be on Godwin’s side when this is over?”

  I step closer to Fritz as well. As I get nearer, there’s no missing the shimmer of light around his skin. I’ve seen that particular look before at the Simulacrum.

  “Wait a second,” I say slowly. “That’s not Fritz.”

  “I know,” adds Thorne. “You want to come out and play, Scythe?”

  A burst of light surrounds Fritz’s body. A moment later, the Scythe stands in his place. I’ve only met the guy a few times, but the ultimate crime lord looks unchanged. His dark suit is perfectly matched to his black hair, olive skin, and strong bone structure. The guy could be a model from an old Earth magazine, if it weren’t for the fact that his eyes look right through you. That part’s unsettling.

  “This is one of my newer technologies,” says the Scythe. “A mini hologram projector. I’d prefer it if you’d keep it under wraps.”

  “We’ll keep your secret,” I say. “But I want an answer. Will you do this? You’ve said it’s impossible, but you haven’t said no to helping us.”

  “I haven’t, have I?” The Scythe sets his hands in the pockets of his dress pants. “So I have two parts in this plan. One, I ensure you can get access to the Crawler. Two, I get the Hollow moved to this floor so you can work together.”

  “And three,” I add, “there’s a list of supplies we need. Screen 7 on your data pad.”

  “And our list includes that tracker monitor,” says Chloe. She’s already told me twice how she can’t wait to set it up. I guess as an engineer, this is like playtime for her.

  “Understood.” The Scythe goes back to scanning the data pad. A long silence follows. Has the Scythe made his decision?

  “Well?” I ask.

  “Your friend Thorne is right,” says the Scythe. “I’d rather bet on you than against you. I’m in.”

  My shoulders slump with relief. “That’s great news.”

  “But I have my price.”

  An icy feeling crawls up my spine. Somehow, I suspect that I’ve had this particular price conversation with the Scythe before. “What do you want?”

  “A favor,” replies the Scythe. “To be called in when I want it. That’s all.”

  Thorne shakes his head. “Not a chance. Let me owe you. Leave Meimi alone.”

  “Not a deal.” The Scythe glares at Thorne. “I’d bet against you in a heartbeat.”

  “It’s fine,” I say quickly. “I agree to the terms.”

  The Scythe pulls a small data chip from his pocket. “Place this in your spider bot. It will enable us to stay in touch without so much fuss.”

  Thorne swipes the black chip from the Scythe’s fingers. “I’ll take care of it.”

  A predatory gleam shines in the Scythe’s dark eyes. “Protective of her, aren’t you?”

  “I am her guard.” Thorne opens the lab door. “I’ll see you out.” The words are there, if unspoken:

  If you screw over Meimi, you’ll regret it.

  As Thorne leads the Scythe away, I can’t help but smile. This may be impossible, but don’t some of the best things start off seeming that way?

  Even relationships.

  As I turn that thought over, I drag Zoe and Chloe over to our conversation pit.

  There’s so much let to do.

  20 Meimi

  Not sure how long I spend in the lab. It’s hard to track clocks in the Underground. Time also gets slippery when you’re trying to keep Zoe and Chloe loaded onto a single train of thought.

  And yes, I keep staring at the lab door.

  Thorne still hasn’t returned from escorting the Scythe out of the building. Whenever that was.

  By the time we decide to quit the lab, it’s close to midnight. As I approach my dorm room, I notice a light gleaming from under the door. My pulse speeds up. Maybe Thorne has come back at last.

  After the talk in the lab, he and I have tons to discuss, starting with the fact that I’ve adjusted to the idea of him being an alien. I’m smiling when I pull open my door. What I see inside isn’t Thorne, though.

  It’s Godwin, Luci, and Josiah.

  A jolt of worry moves through my insides. Before I can stop them, words fall from my lips. “What are you three doing here?”

  “Why, we’ve stopped by to congratulate you,” says Godwin. “You’ve done well. Your recruits look capable. The lab is a bit unorganized, but you’ll soon put that right, eh?”

  “Sure.” I keep staring at Luci and Josiah. They haven’t said anything, and Godwin hasn’t mentioned them either. So why are they here?

  “I can call you Meimi now, I assume?” asks Godwin.

  “Sure.” I really string out the word sure. There’s another shoe coming and I really want it to drop already.

  “Before I forget,” says Godwin. “I put Thorne in the room next to yours two days ago. But when I came in here, the adjoining door wasn’t open. Now, why would that be?”

  My tired mind tries to catch up with this news. I didn’t realize Thorne had moved in next to me. In fact, he hasn’t touched that adjoining door. He didn’t even tell me he’d moved nearby.

  Of course, the truth won’t help me here. The doctor thinks Thorne seduced me on the trip to th
e Berkshires. I suppose that means I’m easier to control, by his scummy standards.

  “Well?” prompts Godwin.

  “I’m a neatnik,” I lie. “I like to keep it closed when we’re not using it.”

  “Ah,” says Godwin. There’s that smug look of his again. It’s like he knows every secret I have and can’t wait to ruin my life.

  And sadly enough, that might be true.

  “And you brought Luci and Josiah?” I ask.

  “Yes,” answers Godwin. “I thought you may want some company. My treat. Consider it a reward for a job well done.”

  Josiah eyes me from head to toe. Once again, there’s that disgusting leer of his. “Yeah, lots of rewards,” he says slowly.

  No way do I want to know what that means.

  I make a great show of yawning. “Hoo-wee! I am so, so, sooooo tired. I’d love to visit, but I must snooze.”

  Josiah steps toward me, that disgusting leer still stuck on his face. “Sure, babe.”

  I hold up my hand, palm forward. “I rest alone. As in, all of you must be far away from me. Just to be one hundred percent clear.”

  Luci strolls up to my side and links her arm with mine. “Why don’t you guys go on ahead and we’ll have some girl time?”

  Josiah frowns.

  Godwin shrugs.

  I grab my chance to get rid of them both.

  Crossing the room, I reopen the door. “I love Luci’s idea! Run along now.” I make sure to give Godwin my very best impression of a grateful puppy. “Thank you so much.”

  The doctor chucks me on the chin. “Keep up the good work.”

  “I will.”

  It seems to take forever, but eventually the doctor and the Leer Master cross the room and step out the door. I close it behind them and sigh.

  “Apologies about Josiah,” says Luci. “He means well. It’s just that he gets overly excited.”

  “That’s one way to put it.” I lean against the closed door. “So, what do you want to talk about?”

  Luci rushes across the room and takes my hands in hers. “You don’t remember this, but I’m your sister.”