A gusty breeze clattered through the open shutters.
Fran’s belly growled.
She sipped her tea and avoided eye contact.
Finally, after Mom pulled up a stool from the far side of the room and joined them, Doc cleared his throat and pulled out a satchel of water. He took a swig and pushed it across the table to Fran.
“Have some.”
“Oh, no thanks, Doc. I’m fine.” Fran pointed to her steamy mug.
“Please. Take a sip,” he said.
An odd request from an odd man. Surely, she could trust him. He was smart. No, not just smart. He was the smartest. And, sure, his odd stateliness sometimes intimidated Fran, but he had a pure heart. Fran shrugged and lifted the satchel to her lips. She was still not a huge fan of the earthy flavor of unprocessed water, but the cold trail down her throat did cool her off a bit.
“Thanks.” She slid the vessel back to Doc.
With an expression like a professor in lecture-mode, Doc began with a question. “What did you just drink?”
“Um, water?”
“Anything else?”
Fran resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “You tell me.”
The corner of Doc’s mouth twitched, and Fran experienced another round of prickly irritation.
“I’m not trying to mess with you,” he said. “And yes, you drank water. But I was wondering, did you taste the living microorganisms that just entered your body?”
Fran sucked in her breath, but Doc waved her off. “Nothing harmful. Just the normal stuff that lives in our liquid. A bit of bacteria, a fragment of fungus,” he smiled. “Nature’s nuggets.”
Fran put a hand to her mouth. Revolting.
Ema elbowed her husband, and he clarified. “It’s not very odd, actually. Within our bodies lives an ecosystem that’s pretty mind boggling. Right now, you house about 90 billion invisible organisms.”
“That’s disgusting.” Fran responded deadpan.
“Nope. It’s just nature maintaining a natural balance of life. A perfect system.”
“Here’s the thing, though, Fran.” Doc lowered his voice and leaned forward. “With the help of some brilliant biologists and physicists, the Council found a way to corrupt the organic character of water.”
No surprises there. The ruling party inside the city of Impervious had been well known for putting their dirty little fingers into everything else. Plus she’d already learned of the toxic water when she’d read Doc’s diary―the one Chan had bequeathed to her when he was released.
“Unlike the water we have out here, the water you drank not so long ago in the city―” Doc waved his hand around the room, “water we all drank for that matter—contained man-made microorganisms.” Doc cleared his throat and stopped as if trying to find the right words for his explanation.
“Have you heard of Nanobots, Fran?”
Fran’s brows shot up. “Like robots, you mean?”
“Sort of. Microscopic robots.”
“Cool.” Fran nodded her head. “Sounds interesting.” She lifted her mug and sipped her tea.
“Under the right conditions, yes. However, these invisible robots have actually been added to the entire Impervious water system.”
He let out a sigh and shook his head. “They are ingested on a daily basis by everyone in the city. Once absorbed into their host, they bind with DNA and act as trackers and identification markers.”
Fran’s eyes grew wider. She placed her mug back on the table. “What exactly are you saying, Doc?”
“I’m saying that a person’s status is a moot point. Whether Accountable to the Council, or off-the-grid as a Rebel, security is able to identify each and every living, breathing creature within the city.”
Fran felt a rising of her old panic mixed with a blur of confusion. “That doesn’t make sense. What about the iris scans and RITs? I thought that’s how they kept us Accountable.”
The silence in the room compounded her growing fear. “Right?” Her voice came out a raspy whisper, and Fran licked her lips.
Doc shook his head. “Those methods were simply for show.”
Fran pushed back from the table. “And so, I’m … I mean we all …?”
The room began to spin. She couldn’t seem to communicate the right response. But Doc put her fear into words. “I’m sorry, my dear. You’re still on the grid.”
Chapter 6
FRAN
Fran’s throat clogged with fear but somehow she managed to squeak out, “Can they see me now?”
Doc blew out a weighty breath and nodded his head. “Yes. I’m afraid you’re loaded with Nanobots—circulating your bloodstream—fully functional.”
Fran jumped up and her chair toppled backwards. Her breath came out ragged as her emotions tangled in a mix of fear and anger. “They don’t own me!” She looked from her mother to her father. “Or you either.” She waved a hand around. “They don’t own any of us. We’re not part of Marcus’s make-believe world anymore.”
Fran kicked at the chair. “He can’t hold onto us forever.” A picture of Sasha’s convulsing body splayed out in the Agora during the Forfeiture Procession ripped through her brain, and Fran felt a growl roll up her throat.
Four solemn expressions remained fixed on Fran as she ranted. Why are they just sitting there? Are they playing some sort of joke? Her eyes darted to each face hoping to see a smirk or chuckle. Maybe then they could get back to some real business, like planning Pete’s and Ted’s and everyone else’s escape. But it didn’t come. And the longer the silence prevailed, the more anger and fear squeezed at her soul.
Finally, she slammed her fist onto the table. “What’s wrong with you guys?” She held onto the edge to steady herself while the room continued to whir around her. “And why didn’t you mention any of this in your diary, Doc?”
“I could only reveal pieces, Wolf. I knew if anyone had eyes to see, they would see.” He smiled. “Like you did.”
Ema chimed in. “You see, dear, when a resident is released from Impervious with the decline, we introduce their detoxification. Although we’re never completely free of the Council’s virus, the process renders the Nanobots dormant.”
She walked around the table and stood just a few inches from Fran. Cool hands touched Fran’s burning cheeks, and the chill generated an odd, calming effect. “We can begin the process for you today. You’re strong and healthy, you’ll be back up and running in just a few days.”
Mom righted the toppled chair and eased Fran back into the seat. “We wanted to allow you an opportunity to acclimate to the earth. The detox can be pretty rough. But now that you’re wanting to roam …”
“Wait, rough? How?” Fran interrupted.
“Fair question.” Doc agreed. “We’ve discovered most of the bots hide out in the liver and kidneys as well as the spinal fluid. In order to pull their charge, we put the body through a rigorous cleansing with a combination of potent herbs fashioned by Ema.”
To Fran it sounded like an untried witch’s brew and she inched her chair away from the table.
“You need to understand, Wolf. This isn’t some sort of experimental treatment. Ema and her team have worked diligently in the lab perfecting the formula.”
“Lab?” Fran whispered.
“Yes.” Ema chimed in.“We set up shop years ago, when more scientists began to join us out here.”
“It’s really not so horrible, dear. And Ema will keep you mildly sedated during the detox,” Mom added while rubbing her comforting circles on Fran’s back.
Fran’s breathing began to slow. Maybe it was the new revelation, or maybe it was the effect of being comforted by Mom’s touch. Either way, Fran suddenly felt small, like a child.
“Are they going to come for me, Mom?” Fran wished for her old canvas blanket to rub between her fingers. She could almost feel the comforting soft edges. Right now it was probably still in her little home-away-from-home in the city’s ventilation system.
Her thoughts wer
e interrupted by Doc. “Frankly, dear, I think they’re happy to be rid of you. Nosey Rebels are a thorn in their side. I’m sure they assumed you just wandered off to die anyway.” He stood and began to pace the floor. “You see, since the detox arrests the tracking signal, when our beacons fade out we believe the Council takes that as an indication that we’ve passed.” He shook his head. “If only Marcus knew what we’ve built out here …”
As he spoke, a glimmer of hope began to ignite within Fran. Her pulse slowed as she began to formulate a new plan. A plan that involved her old mentor. Between the two of them, they would set things right. Once she did this detox. Once her Nanobots were down for the count, she and Chan could go back in.
Fran lifted her chin and turned to Ema. “I’m ready.”
Ema nodded and stood. “Well, then, shall we head to the healing cottage?” She moved to the doorway and paused for Fran.
“I’ll be along shortly,” Mom added, and gave Fran an encouraging smile. Just enough to get Fran’s feet moving.
As Fran and Ema strolled through the center of the village, life moved about with afternoon activity. At one end of camp, the fire crew split an endless supply of logs creating an almost musical chorus with rhythmic thwacks and thuds. Edam, head of the crew, waved to Fran as she passed. Nearer to Fran and just a few steps away from the cooking hearth, a dozen or so villagers scurried about the food prep pavilion. As they readied fish and vegetables for the evening meal, a heady mix of chives and garlic wafted through the air. Fran’s stomach growled again, and she considered postponing the treatment until after the community dinner.
As if Ema could read her mind, or maybe because of the obvious stomach roar, she turned to Fran. “An empty stomach really is a better fit for detox.”
Fran nodded and a moment later, they reached the cottage where Chan, Marie, and a host of ex-residents from the city slept soundly. They seemed to be in various stages of healing, and on the third bed, the very top of a shaved head peeked out from below the blanket. Fran realized it to be the latest resident to be released from the city. Although not one of the four Team-Fran members, this resident’s demise had allowed for her final escape a few days prior. Fran felt a moment of gratitude and touched the shoulder of the new release as she walked past.
Ema moved to a low counter and pulled mounds of dried leaves from covered baskets. As she ground them in a small bowl, a bitter essence filled the air, reminding Fran that like the others in this room, she would soon be a sleeping, sickly bundle. Sweat prickled along the back of her neck, and she swallowed hard to rid the lump forming in her throat. She’d always been healthy by Impervious standards and before today, never thought much about being sick enough to need constant care.
“Go ahead and get comfortable in one of the beds. It will only take me a few more moments to ready your first treatment.”
Although she would have liked to be next to Chan, other than a lone bed towards the back of the room, it appeared that each of the beds already housed a patient.
“Ema, why are so many residents here?”
“Hmm?” Ema turned from the counter and brushed Fran with an inquisitive glance. “Oh, no, dear one. These aren’t all declined residents. Some are here because of other illnesses.” She indicated a sleeping bundle a few beds away from Chan. “Cora, for instance, came down with lethargy and a high fever after the mosquitoes feasted on her blood by the river.”
Ema turned back to the counter and Fran noted her shoulders lift and dip as she worked the mortar and pestle. “You do know about protecting your skin with lemongrass oil, yes?” she added.
Fran peeked at her bite from earlier while nodding a silent response. The herb-scented air made her nauseous, and Fran shuddered as she took a tentative seat on the edge of her bed. She fought a wave of panic by untying her soft moccasins. Then she pulled back the tucked linens and slipped beneath, not expecting such soft coolness. She snuggled in, stared at the thatched ceiling, and thought about her blanket back in the tunnel. Had someone else taken it? Was there anyone left?
Pete.
She closed her eyes.
A moment later Ema approached carrying what smelled like something from the Agora waste receptacle.
“Take small sips,” Ema said. “It’s potent.”
It tasted every bit as unpleasant as the odor implied, and Fran gagged with each swallow. When she’d finished the last of it, she lay back on her pillow, wondering how long it would take.
Within minutes her head felt big and heavy. An unrelenting, weighty sleep pulled at her lids, even though she tried to open her eyes. She heard her mother’s voice, though it seemed to be a great distance away. “It will be okay, Sarah Frances, I’m right here with you.”
As she slipped from consciousness, her mother’s whispers of encouragement helped Fran experience a sense of peace, and she was soon carried away on a cloud of sleep.
Chapter 7
RETTER
Ret stepped from the shadows of the forest into the clearing that made up the growing village. He shook his head as he looked at the community of small cabins with warm memories of the archaic lean-to of his first home. Because Dad still dwelt in the city up until around the time Ret’s head reached Mom’s shoulders, many of his childhood memories were of just Mom and himself. Yet they hadn’t been without provision. This community, Mom and Dad’s vision, had been a well-laid plan. Their unified response to Marcus’s citywide takeover.
Fueled with a love for mankind, Dad, along with his second-gen bride, had planned the foundations. They were educated and endowed with intelligence beyond the norm and armed with the original schematics of the new world. And once Mom discovered she was carrying their chance for change, the plan had taken flight.
Ret’s earliest memory was curling up next to Mom at night, watching the stars and listening to her heartbeat. In the colder season, they made shelter in the caves. He could taste the ghost of the salted fish that they ate in front of a warm fire while Ret practiced his letters and numbers on a tablet Mom had fashioned.
Over the years, as the community grew with builders, farmers, and old-time engineers, the face of the landscape began to change. Cabins replaced lean-tos, and greenhouses fashioned for optimal crop growth replaced their small garden. Recently, a single windmill had been erected to bring power to the newest addition to the village. A laboratory fit for a king. Or at least a super biochemist. As head of the building committee, Ret was eager to add more power producers to integrate even more advances in the community.
As he strolled through the center of the village, Ret noticed his old friend Tanya sitting by the fire, enjoying a steamy mug of tea. He took a seat on a nearby log, smiled and nodded as Tanya looked up.
“Hey there,” Ret said.
“Hey,” she returned his greeting.
“Looks like I caught you at a moment,” Ret said. Tanya definitely did not have her same enthusiastic shine.
She shook her head, staring into her steaming cup. “My daughter turns twenty-six today. I could be a grandmother. Seems impossible …”
Ret remained quiet. Over the years, he’d learned it was best to just let them talk.
“How old are you now, Ret?” Tanya asked.
Ret shrugged. “Eighteen? Nineteen?”
Tanya laughed. “My son is just a few years your junior, then.” She smiled as she looked back into the fire. “I can’t even imagine …” She trailed off and Ret allowed her a moment of reflection. “He was so young when I declined. My memories of him are quite spotty,” Tanya added as an afterthought. The fire snapped and popped, sending glowing ash into the air. Ret watched quietly as the hot cinder cooled to a white fleck and floated away. The steam from Tanya’s tea lifted into the air and a slight scent of ginger drifted on a breeze.
Tanya shook her head and chuckled as she swiped at a lone tear. “I know I’ll see them again.”
Ret nodded. “Hopefully soon.”
She sighed. “Sometimes, the wait can be challenging
.” Tanya waved her hand through the air as if erasing the conversation.
“So, what have you been up to? Are you enjoying having someone to hang out with who is closer in age?”
“You mean the Wolf?” Ret barked out a laugh. “Yeah. She’s alright.”
“She’s in the healing hut right now. Undergoing her detox.”
Ret stood. “Right now?”
“Mm hm. I’m actually surprised your parents waited so long.”
“Yeah. So long.” Ret parroted Tanya’s words, but his mind was back at the river. He looked at Tanya and then over his shoulder to the healing hut. He’d promised that he’d keep her accident between the two of them, but then again …
“Thanks, Tanya. I think I’ll head over and see how she’s doing.”
Ret hurried away from the fire with a nagging gut. He didn’t like it. He knew Wolf would probably hate him for sharing, but the information was crucial to her healing.
Chapter 8
FRAN
Fran moved in and out of consciousness wrapped in heat and fire. Her cheeks burned, and her throat ached for a drink of water. She wanted to open her eyes, but they were stuck as if lined with thick adhesive. She moved onto her side, and her muscles screamed. She turned onto her back, and a moan escaped from deep within, feral and animalistic to her own ears. The sound was like the groaning of the air ducts. Was she still there, trapped inside? Surrounded in darkness? Something tickled her face. A venting spider? She tried to smack at it, but her arms were tucked tight to her sides. Mummified. She wanted to wake, but she was pulled back down into an endless cycle of dreams.
She thrashed in angry rapids, was chased by hungry bears, and then she was running from Ret who hunted her with his mighty sling. A moment later, she was back inside the city, and an image of Marcus hung like an angry avatar over a gaming arena. Sitting on his velvet throne, he flew with the grace of a hawk while shouting, “Quite odd for such a ghastly creature, Rebel!”
Implanted (The Ascension Series Book 2) Page 3
