Abby and Caleb were still looking over blue prints while Hadley was busy talking to Connor. Over the last few days, they had become close; Hadley talking his ear off about this and that and Connor listening dutifully. Ethan smiled at them, happy for Hadley to have found herself an equal. He knew she would settle for no less.
Across from them, Tarq and Hendrick unfolded city schematics, pointing and writing in various locations in the underground tunnel system. They were in the process of figuring out which entryways to block and which to fortify, since it would be easier if they were attacked, to know exactly where they could and could not hide. At first, the thought of minimizing their escape routes was heavily contested but Ethan argued that it would be better to have less locations to guard.
The tunnels that were not guarded would be wired with explosives. Should MalJari soldiers decide to take refuge there, they would be dealt with swiftly. Ethan’s entire attack was based on defense as opposed to offense. He was aware that they were heavily out-numbered but the one thing Ethan had on his side was intelligence. Not only himself, but everyone around him. If he couldn’t beat the Commissioner physically, he would do it mentally. After all, Daventry was his city and he wasn’t about to let it fall.
Edred walked in with Declan following closely, the pair holding bags of supplies. They plopped them noisily on to the table before Edred took Halson’s arm and ushered him to a corner with Declan and Doryn. Ethan watched as they spoke in hushed voices, Edred appearing concerned about something. Every now and then Halson would sneak a glance at Ethan as if to say Sorry, this might take a while.
Ethan just nodded, turning his attention back to the box of zip drives in his hand. He didn’t know exactly what he would say but he expected a lot of questions, most of which he was certain he couldn’t answer. He was terrified of what he might find, but regardless of his fear, it was now essential that he get through all the data. It would be a lot of work, which was why he was being left out of certain meetings regarding the impending attack, giving him time to focus on his research. He thought about the things he had seen, how disturbing they were, how difficult they would be to forget. How would he explain it to his friends when it was so hard for him to believe it himself?
A hand on his shoulder startled him, causing him to look up. Halson smiled warmly, gesturing for him to address everyone. Ethan had not even realized everyone staring at him. He fumbled out of his chair, careful to not let go of the drives clutched tightly in his hand.
“Um…”
He cleared his throat, swallowing audibly. “These files were found in Godrik’s office.” He waved the box in his hand. “There are twelve drives in total and the information… it… the information…,” Ethan looked down, flustered. Halson gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. “The information we found goes back as far as 2024,” Halson said. The reactions varied from shock to anger to contemplation.
“Are you sure?”
“That’s over two hundred years!”
“It’s not possible!”
Ethan regained his composure and spoke. “It’s real. The first video is dated April 10th, 2024”
“But that’s before the MalJari even landed,” Edred stated.
“I know,” Ethan replied.
“Well then, what’s on the videos?” Saia asked.
Ethan turned his head, unable to meet her eyes. “I’m still looking into it. There’s um… a lot of data to sort through.” He really didn’t want to get into specifics considering he wasn’t even sure of what he had found. “What I do know is that according to these files, Godrik is the one responsible for the technology that limits our thoughts and abilities to dream. And he created it before the MalJari came.”
Whispers and murmurs echoed as Ethan scanned the room, gaging everyone’s reaction. His friends appeared stunned while Saia and Edred looked angry. Elora was hurt. She thought of herself as Godrik’s closest friend but even she didn’t know about this. Both Halson and Doryn were disgusted. What Godrik was doing was not the MalJari way.
The process of awakening was a bit different for everyone. While most citizens regained their ability to dream and lost the sense to obey all the rules, they still didn’t remember much. Everyone in that room had lived at least six or seven lifetimes but the memories of those earlier lives were essentially gone. If the videos were correctly dated, then it would mean that Godrik was not only awakened in every life, but also remembered his past. And that was unheard of.
Ethan knew a little bit about struggling with memories. The images of Ender’s life continued to haunt him and on bad nights he would still wake up screaming. How was it possible that Godrik could hide it so well? How was he not plagued by the things he had done? How could he keep track of his memories when Ethan was barely hanging on? Ethan thought back to his conversation with Godrik about dreams and how the doctor told him that he had them too, that it was normal. Was this a clue into who Godrik really was?
As conversations broke out amongst the Awakened in the room, Doryn pulled Halson aside and whispered to him. Ethan watched Halson’s face change from consideration to panic. “Halson, what is it?” Before Ethan could walk toward him, Halson addressed the room.
“The Commissioner is coming. It’s been confirmed.”
“How much time do we have?” Edred asked quickly.
“Is his army coming with him?” Saia inquired.
“We’re not prepared!” Tarq yelled.
Ethan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to drown out the noise of frenzied hysteria around him. The Commissioner was coming, of that there was no doubt. He would be there in a few days giving them very little time to put their plan into action. He glanced at Halson and realized there was more to it. “What is it? What aren’t you telling me?” Halson’s lip trembled. “My father is missing,” he whispered brokenly. “What?”
“Doryn said he disappeared and no one can find him. What if something happened? What if the Commissioner killed him?” Ethan grabbed Halson’s arm, petting it gently. “Let’s not jump to any conclusions. Your father is a smart man. I’m sure there’s a good explanation for this.” Halson nodded and reluctantly stepped away.
Suddenly, Ethan felt the severity of the situation weighing on his shoulders. His vision narrowed and his stomach twisted as he thought about all the people that were counting on him. They looked to him for answers but his mind was coming up blank. Did he honestly think they could beat the Commissioner? Probably not. Would they even have a fighting chance? In that moment, no. And what about Halen? Was he okay? Ethan had no idea.
But something inside of Ethan told him everything would work out. Something within his mind was telling him that defeating the enemy was possible. A spark was igniting, flickering from his heart, spreading throughout his body. Abby tugged his arm incessantly as the distress in the room continued. “Ethan,” she said. “What do we do?” He surveyed the faces staring back at him in anticipation. They were waiting to hear what he had to say. He had become their leader whether he wanted to be or not. It wasn’t a role he signed up for but he couldn’t turn back now.
The fire in his heart intensified. He looked up to see Halson staring at him. The intensity on his face told Ethan that he was sensing the spark as well. What it meant, he didn’t know. All he could feel was possibility and hope running through his veins.
“Ethan, what do we do?” Abby pleaded once more. He dug deep inside himself and realized he already knew the answer. He repeated the words over in his mind, making sure they were the right ones. He quickly glanced around before he answered.
“We fight.”
To be continued …
About the Author
Georgina Kane grew up in Minnesota where she pursued a degree in English Writing and Literature from St. Cloud State University. A self-proclaimed movie nerd, she loves 80’s teen romances, super hero movies and anything supernatural, especially Buffy the Vampire Slayer. When she’s not writing, she’s cooking, traveling or painting.
She lives in Florida with her husband, Darren.
Georginakane.com
Awaken_Ethan Drake Chronicles Page 29
