Outside In

by Maria V. Snyder

The Outsiders had the stairway blocked so no one could go to the upper level. I’d assumed they guarded the other stairs and the lift as well. I hoped Takia and Hana had found a way to bypass them.

  As we climbed to level four and walked down the deserted corridors, I asked Ponife how they managed to convince everyone to leave.

  “A trick,” he said. “We asked them to come along on a…tour of the great Expanse. To see their world beyond the white metal walls. To go inside the vehicle to see the Outside.”

  “It’s an effective trick.” I tried to meet Bubba Boom’s gaze. He ignored me.

  “Fosord’s idea. We also avoid them begging to bring personal belongings along. There is no space for frivolous things.”

  “Are food and water included as frivolous things?” I asked.

  “No. But there won’t be enough. However, our ancestors did not have enough either and they survived.”

  “How?”

  “Survival was the reward for the bravest, the smartest and the strongest. All the others died quickly.”

  He avoided answering my question, but from his comment, I could guess it hadn’t been pretty.

  All the living quarters had been emptied by now. The Outsiders corralled those they found in Sector H4 and the few holdouts in the main Control Room. I started my sweep in Sector F4. Ponife and Bubba Boom stayed close, but couldn’t be with me the entire time.

  I spotted Takia and Hana in one of the apartments and the tightness in my throat eased. Takia slouched on the couch while Hana paced. I caught a snippet of their conversation as I passed above them.

  “…sure this is a good idea?” Hana asked.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Takia said. “This is our only idea.”

  Hurrying to the room where they had kept Logan, I dropped from the vent and searched for those little Video Cameras. None in the living room. I glanced at the clock. Ponife would grow suspicious if I took too much time. I checked the washroom and the bedroom. Nothing.

  My whole plan hinged on finding them. I never claimed it was a stellar plan. It was the best I could devise in two hours. These thoughts weren’t helping. I stood in the center of the room and put myself in Logan’s place. Where would he hide his most prized device? His most fragile device. His smallest creation.

  I returned to the bedroom and picked up his pillow. Stripped of its case, it had been tossed into a corner. Examining the edges, I found new loose thread. I ripped the seam open and dug inside the pillow. Four video cameras were nestled in the stuffing.

  I tucked them into my tool belt and raced to where Takia and Hana waited. They both jumped in surprise when I swung down between them. I gave two cameras to each woman.

  “If you can, place two of these on the wall of the port without calling attention to yourself. Aim them at the transport ship.” I showed them how to activate them. Holding my receiver to my ear and the microphone up to my mouth, I hailed Sloan and recited the frequencies to him.

  “What about the other two?” Takia asked.

  “Place them inside the ship at locations where we would see what it’s like.” Their confused expression didn’t reassure me. I tried again. “Think of it this way. If you wanted to show an Outsider what’s it like in here, you would place one of these in the dining room. It’s crowded and noisy and busy there. Understand?”

  “Yes,” Hana said.

  “Ready?” I asked them.

  They shared a look and nodded. I escorted them from the room and found Ponife and Bubba Boom. Ponife clutched my X in a tight fist, but he relaxed as soon as he saw the women. He called for an escort and soon one of Hank’s men arrived to take them up to the port.

  As I searched the remaining rooms, I checked in with my team, receiving progress reports. Not too bad so far. Domotor’s curt reply indicated Logan’s computer expertise would be helpful. I told him to ask Sloan if he knew of anyone. Jacy had probably recruited an expert once Logan disappeared.

  At one point Bubba Boom and I lagged behind Ponife. He touched my shoulder, stopping me as Ponife disappeared around a corner.

  Leaning in close, he asked, “Is it a coincidence Hana and Takia had been missed by the Outsiders?”

  I studied his expression. Trustworthy or not? Based on his actions this last week, I decided to trust him. “No.”

  “You have a plan?”

  “Yes.”

  “It won’t work,” he said.

  “Why not?”

  “You don’t know enough about them.”

  “Then tell me.”

  “There’s too much.” He jerked back as Ponife peered around the comer.

  “What is problem?”

  “I’m dizzy. The air is too thin up here,” I said, placing my hand on the wall as if to steady myself.

  “It will be thinner in the transport,” Ponife said. “You will get used to it. Unless…”

  “Unless I’m not brave? Or do I need to be smart and strong as well?”

  “No. Unless we decide to keep you.”

  It felt as creepy as it sounded. “Keep me?”

  “On this ship. We will need…” He glanced at Bubba Boom. “Workers.”

  “You mean like scrubs?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Why did you change your mind?”

  Annoyed, he removed the X from a pocket. I had asked one question too many. Encouraged by my conversation with Bubba Boom, I rushed Ponife, hoping to surprise him.

  I grabbed his wrist just as he twisted the X. The pain rolled through me. I clung to his hand for a moment longer, before dropping to the floor. Even with the deafening sound of my heart slamming in my chest, I heard Bubba Boom’s boots as he ran past me.

  “You’re enjoying this. You’re a sick bastard, Ponife,” Bubba Boom said.

  A thud followed a yelp. The pain stopped. Once I recovered, I glanced up. Ponife sprawled on the floor next to me. Bubba Boom crouched over him. He had my X.

  We locked gazes. For a second, I thought he’d keep it, but he handed it to me.

  “How do I—?”

  “I’ll show you later. Put it in a safe place for now,” he said.

  I tucked it into my tool belt. “Thanks. How did you knock him out?”

  He showed me the used syringe. “The doctor was very helpful with finding a way to free you. I just needed to find the proper motivation. It was a difficult decision.”

  “Why did you help me?”

  “When I saw how you and Doctor Lamont tried so hard to save their people and treated them not as an enemy, but as a person in need, I knew you were right. They’d planned to send all of us out to die.”

  “Now what?”

  “You’re the boss. You tell me.”

  “Can we rescue Logan, Anne-Jade, Jacy and Riley?”

  He flinched a bit when I said Riley’s name. “Not Jacy. He’s been collared and Fosord holds his key. Anne-Jade isn’t in the brig. She’s been helping us…them. It’ll be dangerous to free the other two. Why do you need them?”

  “Logan for his computer expertise and Riley for his knife fighting skills.”

  “Knives, huh?”

  “All we have besides a few noise makers. Should we look for something else?”

  “No, they might work.”

  “Might isn’t a reassuring word.”

  “A sharp blade can cut the hoses on the Controllers’ air masks, making it hard for them to breathe. That is, if you can get close enough. So might is the best I can do.”

  According to Bubba Boom, Lamont had filled the syringe with one of her narcotics. I estimated Ponife would sleep for another three hours.

  Bubba Boom “escorted” me to my cell on level five. The main entrance to the brig was now guarded by two armed men. He joked with the guards, but when the guy on the left turned to open the gate, Bubba Boom moved.

  Punching the man on the right, he then took the guard’s stun gun and shot them both.

  “So much for being subtle,” I said as he unlocked the gate.

 
“No turning back now.” Bubba Boom dragged them one at a time to an empty cell and locked them inside.

  We released Logan first. He rushed out and hugged me. “If I live through this, I’m having a spacious suite built just for me. I never want to be locked in a small room again!”

  Riley stayed calmer than Logan. He kept his guard up as he eyed Bubba Boom. The gash over his left eye and temple had scabbed over, but black and blue bruises colored the left side of his face. His shirt was torn and bloody. I wanted to make sure he had no other injuries, but settled for a quick hug instead.

  “Are you sure we can trust him?” he asked me.

  “Yes.”

  He relaxed a bit. “Then let’s go.”

  I stayed next to Bubba Boom and Riley. Logan followed us as we headed to the exit.

  Unfortunately, Hank had beat us there.

  At first Hank was confused as to why no one guarded the gate. And why Bubba Boom had three prisoners with him. Bubba Boom didn’t say a word, just waited for Hank to catch up.

  When Hank put it all together, I feared for Bubba Boom’s life. Murderous rage filled Hank’s face as he drew his weapon—a kill-zapper.

  He stepped close to Bubba Boom and said with a voice of steel, “You’re a traitor. You’re no son of mine.”

  Hank shoved the nozzle of his weapon toward Bubba Boom’s chest. I yelled and squeezed between the kill-zapper and Bubba Boom. Pushing Bubba Boom back with my hips, I leaned forward as Hank pulled the trigger.

  21

  THE KILL-ZAPPER’S NOZZLE BURNED MY SKIN AS CURrent slammed into me. My muscles twitched with the pulses of power, but the pain seemed minor in comparison to the collar’s. I remained standing as Riley and Bubba Boom ran past me. They tackled Hank and wrestled the kill-zapper from his hands.

  By the time Bubba Boom stunned Hank, the tremors in my arms and legs had ceased. Riley scooped me up in his arms intent on rushing me to Lamont.

  I wriggled from his grasp. “I’m fine.”

  But Riley wouldn’t let go of my arms. He stared at me a bit wild-eyed. “The kill-zapper made contact. Your shirt is burnt.”

  Glancing down, I saw the scorched fabric. I pulled the material away. My skin underneath the black mark was red and blistering.

  “My heart’s beating. Besides the burn, I don’t feel any pain,” I said.

  “Maybe it didn’t have enough time to do any damage,” Logan said.

  Bubba Boom shook his head. “It has a very high amperage so it only takes a fraction of a second. The command collar saved you. It has a surge protector so an EMP can’t damage it. Ironic, isn’t it.”

  “You’re still wearing it?” Riley asked.

  “Don’t worry.” I showed him the metal X. “It’ll soon be gone. Although…” I touched its smooth surface. “Maybe I’ll wait until after we’ve taken back our ship.”

  “It might neutralize the stunner’s blast as well,” Bubba Boom said. He dragged Hank to an empty cell and then he relocked the gate to the brig.

  “How do we get down to level one?” I asked Bubba Boom.

  “The lift. It isn’t guarded on this level, just the other four,” he said.

  “And what happens when the doors open on level one?” Riley asked.

  Bubba Boom handed Riley one of the stunners he had taken from the guards. He offered the other to Logan.

  “No thanks,” Logan said. “That’s not my thing.”

  As we descended to Quad A1, I asked Bubba Boom about Hank’s comment.

  “Yeah, he’s my father,” he said. “Hank kept track of his four children and made sure we were all assigned as maintenance scrubs. I didn’t know until all this started.” He met my gaze. Sadness filled his eyes. “I also learned Cogon was my half-brother. Cog believed in the Controllers, but he wouldn’t have believed their lies for as long as I have.”

  “By helping us, you’ve made up for your mistakes,” I said, hoping that when all was said and done, I could say the same thing.

  The guards outside the lift on level one had already been incapacitated. Quad A1 teamed with people. Groups of them sat together. Wary, suspicious, angry and uncertain, they glanced at the buzz of activity around Domotor. Murmurings of resentment increased as they noticed my arrival.

  Riley went to search for his father and brother, and Logan sprinted toward Domotor. He understood what they had been trying to do in an instant and immediately took charge.

  “How long?” I asked.

  “Give me a few minutes to sort this out, and then I’ll give you an estimate,” Logan said.

  Sloan sidled over to me. “Where’s Jacy?”

  “I’m sorry we couldn’t rescue him. He has…” How to explain? Not many people knew about the command collars. “A tracer on him that we can’t remove without hurting him.”

  He scowled and jabbed a finger at Bubba Boom. “But you could bring him along?”

  “Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to free Logan and Riley.”

  “How do you know they don’t have tracers?” Sloan asked.

  “Only a few have them,” Bubba Boom answered.

  “And you trust him?” Sloan asked me.

  “With her life,” Bubba Boom said, pointing to the burned patch on my shirt. He turned to me with a puzzled expression. “Why did you? You didn’t know the kill-zapper wouldn’t work.”

  “You saved me from the fire. Consider us even,” I said.

  “No. You didn’t hesitate. There was no moment of consideration.”

  He was right. “As I told my mother a while ago, it’s what I do,” I said.

  Sloan snapped his fingers. “Almost forgot. The Doc’s been trying to reach you.”

  When I pulled out my receiver and microphone, I laughed even though it sounded a bit like hysteria. Blackened and half-melted, the devices would never work again.

  “What happened to them?” Sloan asked, marveling over the ruined pieces.

  “Kill-zapped. Do you have more?”

  Sloan stared at me a moment. “Not if you keep frying them.” But he dug into one of his pockets and handed me two more sets. “One for Riley.”

  Inserting the receiver into my earlobe, I clipped the mic on, hailing my mother. The relief in her voice came through, but she remained professional, reporting that she was in position and would await our signal.

  Logan estimated he would have the computer working in fifteen minutes. It was week 147,027, hour twenty-eight. Time for my speech.

  I stood on a table as Sloan used a loud and high-pitched whistle to get everyone’s attention. Quiet descended and they focused on me with various expressions—all unhappy. I sought the little group of smiling faces and took courage from Riley and his family.

  “Thank you for being willing to listen to me. Scrubs and uppers coming together is vital now. But I first want to apologize for turning your lives upside down and then abandoning you. For letting a Committee make important decisions without your input. For dismissing your beliefs in the Controllers and life Outside.

  “But these people who have entered our world are not the Controllers. They’re Outsiders and they plan to exile us. Send us into Outer Space to die.”

  Voices rose, yelling I was crazy or deluded. Others reminded everyone I had gotten them all into this mess. Sloan used his whistle to settle them down again.

  “I understand why you won’t believe me.” I glanced at Logan; he gave me a thumbs up. “Even if you can’t trust me, at least you can trust your own eyes.”

  The lights dimmed and a large bright rectangle lit up the north wall. Images appeared. First of the transport ship clinging to our world, then of the port. Outsiders hustled people into the belly of the transports and then the scene switched to inside the ships. Every image was crammed with people. Scared and frightened people.

  The buzz rose again, but it had a more muted, uncertain sound.

  “These are live images of what the Outsiders are doing,” I said. “They pretended to be the Controllers so they could g
et into our ship. They’re people from our world who had been exiled for crimes against us, and are now planning to exile all of us Insiders.”

  Sloan joined me on the table. “She’s right,” he said over the din. “We’re trying to stop them, but we need your help. Trella freed us from the Pop Cops. She can free us from the Outsiders.”

  A man stood up and asked, “How can we trust her? The Committee and Mop Cops were just as bad as the Travas and Pop Cops.”

  “This time I promise not to let a Committee make the decisions. You…” I swept an arm out. “You are going to make them.” I waited until the ruckus died down. “You will vote for your leaders.”

  Then the image on the screen showed two Outsiders dragging Anne-Jade toward the transport vehicle. She fought and broke free for a second before the Outsider on the right tack led her to the ground. I glanced at Logan. He stared at the screen with his mouth gaping open in horror.

  I turned back in time to see the other Outsider twisting a metal X.

  “NO!” Logan screamed.

  Everyone watching gasped as Anne-Jade bucked and shook in obvious agony. The Outsider kept zapping her over and over until she lay still. Her lifeless gaze stared at nothing.

  Logan screamed again and bolted for the door. Sloan and Bubba Boom chased him down. Chaos erupted as fear and outrage rolled through the assembled. Numb with shock and horror, I couldn’t move. Anne-Jade was my friend.

  A third Outsider came into view. It was Fosord. He pointed at Anne-Jade’s body and then pointed directly at the camera. Instant silence followed his gesture.

  Fosord reached to the side. When his hands reappeared, he held a wipe board. Three words had been written on the board: Surrender or die.

  My grief for Anne-Jade would have to wait until later. I shoved it deep down and took advantage of the stunned silence. “They’re scared of us,” I said. “We need to act now before they do.”

  “Before they can poison our air?” one man called.

  “Before we die of thirst?” a woman asked.

  “No to both. We have a team at the air plant. And we’ll either win or lose by the time water becomes an issue.” I conferred with Sloan.

  “I’ll need two groups of twenty each to secure the stair ways,” he said. “I’ll lead one team.”