My orders are to report to the same room our training sessions were held in. From there, we will get further instructions. I climb the stairs at a slow and steady pace, wanting to preserve my energy for whatever surprises the day will hold. Soon, my legs get me to the upper levels. Passing through the hallway, my speed increases when I realize how close Mr. Vaden’s quarters are. I hope to be able to avoid another encounter with him, especially after what happened last night. Whether he was watching or not, he must know about the kiss by now.
Standing in the corridor outside my destination, I hear multiple voices already inside. The typical detail is made up of six individuals as well as a host of support personnel. I have already met two of my teammates but have not received any information on the other three. Remembering Abira’s warning, I enter the room cautiously. I doubt Aamon would try anything so soon, but keeping my guard up is prudent. Rupert stands at the front of the room, waiting to welcome each member to the detail. Today, his involuntary tremor has become so pronounced I worry he might lose balance and fall. As usual, his true strength is only revealed by his voice.
“Kagen, welcome to the first day of the detail,” he says.
The others look back at me as I come to join them. Balum sits close to Rupert, and appears anxious to get the day started. Next to him rests another light-haired woman bearing the insignia of Leadership. She appears to be slightly older than I, but the dullness in her eyes makes me think she is about as bright as Balum. Beside them stands a familiar looking man. He does not have a Leadership uniform on, so I already want to like him. The man has much darker skin than the others and also lacks their simple minded stare. I am sure we have met before, but am unable to place him.
“Kagen, this is Eldin and Jadyn. You already know Balum,” Rupert says, introducing me to the others.
Soon after I arrive, Nyree comes in and meets the rest of the group. We both sit away from the others while waiting for the final member of our detail.
“You ready?” I ask her.
“As ready as I ever will be,” she says
“It looks like we have our work cut out for us. I get the feeling Jadyn’s going to make Balum look like a genius,” I say.
Nyree laughs. Apparently she was thinking the same thing. Finally, the last man on our team slowly walks into the room. Despite being a young man in his early twenties, he is built nearly as frail as Rupert, and his overt fear makes him tremble almost as much. His pale skin contrasts against dark hair and eyes, highlighting his trepidation.
“This is a sad looking team,” Nyree whispers as the newcomer reaches the front group.
“Everyone, this is Ardal. He’s an electronics expert and will be taking care of the more technical issues we need to fix,” Rupert announces.
I examine the group one at a time, figuring out if any of them could be a threat. I already trust Nyree, so she is off the list. Ardal looks like he is only a threat to soil himself, so he is out. Jadyn does not seem clever enough to be involved with any covert plans. That only leaves Balum and Eldin. I really need to remember why Eldin looks so familiar. Placing him would make it easier to figure out how closely he needs to be watched. From what I know of Balum, he is definitely one who would collude with Aamon. So for now he will be my top priority to monitor.
My foot repeatedly taps against the floor. Sitting here waiting for Aamon makes me anxious. I would much rather just get started. Eventually, I hear his approaching voice in the hall. A tremor runs through my spine when realizing he is not alone. This is exactly what I hoped to avoid.
Chapter 20
Mr. Vaden walks into the room with Aamon attentively following behind him. His eyes scan the area before locking onto their intended target. I look down, avoiding his piercing stare. This time, Nyree does not hesitate to briskly walk away as he comes toward us.
“Kagen, when this detail is over we need to have a discussion. It seems I was not clear with my instructions regarding my daughter. I will not make that mistake again.” The calmness in Mr. Vaden’s voice masks his true emotions from the other people in the room. But from my vantage point, the fury in his eyes is unmistakable.
“Of course, Mr. Vaden. Although I expect Talia will want to be present for that conversation,” I say, emboldened by the fact I may not even be alive when this detail is done. For the first time, Mr. Vaden does not have the words to respond. Or maybe he knows he cannot say what he wants to in front of the others. He quickly recovers from his surprise at my response.
“I’ll worry about my daughter. You have other things to be concerned with,” he says before leaving the room.
Any other time his words would have stricken me with fear. Now they are robbed of their power. You can only kill me once, but if I’m successful, you’ll be the one who has other things to be concerned with, I think to myself.
“Kagen, come and join us,” Rupert calls out.
All of the others have already gathered around him and Aamon. Finally, we are going to get started. As soon as I am with the group, Aamon gives our instructions.
“We’re going to have different assignments for each day of the detail. Today we’ll focus on clearing the fields of plant overgrowth. We cannot have an obstruction in our paths or allow the forming roots to compromise the equipment. Take the stairs one flight up. They’ll lead you to the exit chamber. In there you’ll find your bio-suits. I’ll be waiting in the substation. Once you’re ready, I’ll split you into teams and give you your specific objectives for the day. Now go,” Aamon commands.
The substation occupies a large part of the upper level. Most of us have never been to that level because it houses most of the technology used to convert and store power generated by the Solar Panels. Only people responsible for maintaining the equipment and those working in the adjacent operational center, called the Control Room, are allowed up there.
We ascend the stairs to the upper level. In the hallway on the upper level, a sign labels the room in front of us, Exit Chamber. We all go inside. The room has been divided into two distinct areas. The initial half is a changing area for us to get into our bio-suits. On the other side of the room lies a large open area, separated from this half by a familiar nuisance, a decontamination chamber. It makes sense we would have to return through the chamber each day to protect Securus.
I turn my attention to the changing stalls. They have marked each of our individual stations with our names placed on a label above the hanging bio-suits. There are seven identical stalls lining the wall, with mine being near the end. The changing stalls have short walls made just deep enough to afford privacy when the outer curtain is closed. The station to my right is empty. To my left, Balum’s name rests on a label above his bio-suit.
When the others are enclosed in their individual stalls, I reach for the extra bio-suit in the empty one next to me. This bio-suit is reserved for use as a backup in case anyone else needs to go to the surface while we are out on the detail. I decide to switch this one with mine in case Aamon has tampered with my bio-suit in any way. Meticulously, I go through the process of securing my protective suit, making sure any accident will not be my fault. Any careless mistake up here would undoubtedly be my last. To my surprise, when I emerge from my stall, nearly half of the others are not ready. They are being every bit as careful as I.
When we are all dressed, Aamon joins us in our changing room. He intentionally avoids direct contact with me while addressing the group as a whole. It must be harder for him to look me in the eye knowing he has something planned.
“Okay, time to split up into teams. Balum and Jadyn, you’ll work on clearing the central field. Ardal and Eldin will clear the north field. Kagen and Nyree, you’re responsible for the south end. All the equipment needed will be in the storage bunker located near the exit. You all have been given the code to get in. Any questions?” Aamon asks.
No one speaks. The only sound comes from the incessant nervous shuffling of Ardal.
“Okay, be safe and productive,�
�� Aamon says as he dismisses us.
I almost laugh when hearing him steal Mr. Vaden’s closing line from the announcements. Aamon is trying hard to appear important. Apparently, his way of doing so is by emulating the most powerful man in Securus. He sees my amusement as he looks at me in the eye for the first time today. Only this time he does not look upset by my reaction. Aamon’s lack of a reaction concerns me. I decide against another confrontation and instead turn my attention to Nyree.
“No point in procrastinating. Let’s get this over with,” I tell her.
She nods in agreement. We both walk through the inactivated decontamination chamber, toward the ladder leading out to the surface. The chamber is not currently set for decontamination, though it does have a pressurized system to prevent airflow from passing into the changing area of the room. This prevents The Agent from entering the main room when the outer hatch is opened. The others follow our lead, forming a line behind us.
My legs feel heavier and heavier as I climb the ladder. I am both nervous and excited at the same time. I can no longer avoid the painfully real threat awaiting me on the surface. My fear is not the only emotion driving me now. I have always dreamed of being free to explore the surface of this beautiful planet. The scenery from past images on my computer has always visited me in my fantasies and now, I finally have a chance to see the surface’s splendor with my own eyes.
The first thing that strikes me when I emerge from the tunneled exit is the intensity of the Sun’s light. Though we have many levels of artificial light, with some of them modified to mimic some of the Sun’s properties, the real thing feels so different. Its blinding warmth holds me in a trance, halting my movements, and inadvertently blocking Nyree from finishing her ascent. Her not so gentle push returns my focus. I move to the side to allow her and the others to join me on the surface. The light strains my eyes, so I activate the tinting function of my visor to limit the glare.
With the Sun no longer holding my attention, I look to the sky. I have never been in any place that did not have a ceiling of some kind. Even in the largest chambers in the depths of The Caves, rugged stones always cover us from above. Now, nothing but openness surrounds us. The immensity of the sky staggers me. Nyree is much less impressed by the beauty and vastness of our surroundings.
“Hey, Kagen, if you’re done absently drooling at the sky, maybe we can get our work done. I don’t want to spend any more time up here than we have to. I swear I already feel The Agent trying to pry its way into my suit,” she says.
“Sorry, but you have to admit, this place is amazing,” I respond while turning toward the supply bunker.
“Sometimes the most beautiful things can be the most dangerous,” Nyree mutters as she follows me.
The storage bunker is much larger than I could have imagined. In front of us, a massive steel double door entrance protrudes from a hill covered with soil and wild grass. Even from here, the raised biohazard symbols on each of the steel doors are clearly visible. The entrance is large enough to obscure our view of the entire Solar Panel field. I remember being told early in school that this was the original entrance to Securus. After the facility was filled to capacity, the stairway beneath it was sealed off to add a double layer of protection.
Standing here makes me think of the horror faced by the desperate hordes of people trying to escape The Agent. Their only chance for salvation was denied by these immense doors and the solid steel floor inside. The barrier was so efficient we left it in place and created another exit once it was deemed safe. The ghostly remains of the countless people stuck outside were removed years ago. Now, the only reminder of their futile attempts to find a way inside Securus is the numerous dents and gouges in the steel barrier. The thought is depressing. Even thinking about this makes me glad I was not the one who had to make such a painful decision.
Nyree enters the security code into a keypad located next to the entrance. The doors shriek as the automated system pulls them open. Before going inside, I turn around to look out from the entrance, surveying the rest of the area. The view is limited but stunning none the less. A high, metal chain fence encloses us from the magnificent forest beyond. The fence emits a gentle hum from the electricity surging through the barrier. This function is meant to keep the animals out of the Solar Panel fields. The terrain beyond our border makes a rapid transition from relatively barren land to a thick cluster of thriving life. Nature is doing quite well without us, I think to myself.
To avoid irritating Nyree any further, I return to the task at hand. Inside the storage bunker are numerous piles of different equipment, tools, and supplies. Seeing the amount of equipment in here makes me glad we do not have to haul it up from Securus and sterilize it every day. Doing so would probably double the time needed to complete the detail. Close to the entrance are the machines we need for today’s work. We each have a motorized vehicle assigned to us, a Land Clearer, as Leadership calls them. They are big enough for two passengers though we each will operate our own.
As I approach my Land Clearer, the reason this fierce piece of machinery has been dubbed, The Grinder, by our workers becomes evident. Attached to the front of the vehicle are intimidating, hardened claws that rotate to clear the unwanted plant life encroaching on the Solar Panel fields. Behind the claws sits an encapsulated compartment for the operator, perched atop spiked wheels designed to maintain grip on any terrain. I disconnect the battery charger and get inside. Before getting started, the system diagnostics need to be checked. The batteries are fully charged and the attached Solar Panels are functional. I am ready to go. Sitting in this machine makes me feel safe, but unfortunately, I cannot stay in here for the entire detail.
With my progress initially slowed by my awe of nature’s surroundings, the others have passed me and are already clumsily maneuvering their Grinder’s out of the bunker. Nyree and I follow. Despite the relatively simple controls it takes a lot of effort to get a feel for the movement of the machine. We did not have enough room for a full demonstration inside Securus, so this is the first time any of us have actually operated these machines. My Grinder lurches around the side of the bunker as the Solar Panel field fills my view. The panels are so large they obscure the forest behind them. The field is an impressive maze of endless machinery that forms its own metallic forest, constantly rotating on their bases to efficiently absorb precious energy from the moving sun.
As I continue toward our designated area, the true size of the monstrous panels humbles me. They are mounted on a base as large as tree trunks, easily dwarfing me in my small Grinder. Driving through the field in the shade of these mechanical trees feels unnatural. With the light being mostly blocked by the panels, the plant life below is significantly stunted. Still, the fields are vast and will take most of the day to clear, especially with our uncoordinated operation of the Grinders.
*
Our helmets are equipped with communicators. There are multiple frequencies so each team can communicate with each other without annoying the entire group. Even with this function, Nyree has been quiet for a while. She may be used to working in silence, but I am not.
“So, Nyree, are you getting the hang of your Grinder yet?” I ask wanting to break the monotony of the work.
“Actually, I was thinking they should get one of the electronics people to make these things remote controlled. Seems like they could cut back on some of the detail’s work and lower our risk that way,” she says.
“That would be nice. These things are tricky to operate. Imagine what Ardal looks like driving his,” I say, laughing at the thought.
Nyree laughs with me before her thoughts are interrupted. “We have a problem, Kagen.”
“What is it?” I ask, already fearing the worst.
“The fence over here has a huge hole in it. It’s ripped open so wide I can almost drive through it,” she answers.
“What could’ve done that?” I ask, knowing she must be as puzzled as I am.
“I don’t want to f
ind out, but we’re gonna need to fix that soon,” she says.
I drive over to where she is working to see the gaping defect. She was not exaggerating. The damage does not look like the effects from simple aging of the fence. We need to let the Controllers in the substation know so they can advise us what steps to take. I change the communication channel to the main frequency.
“Substation, this is Kagen. We have an issue with the fence,” I say through my communicator. “There’s a very large defect in it.”
“Don’t concern yourself with the fence for now. You’ll have a chance to fix the defect tomorrow,” Aamon answers.
“Do you know what happened?” I ask, becoming suspicious.
“Your orders are to continue clearing the field. When you need further information I’ll let you know,” Aamon replies sharply.
Arguing with him now would be pointless, so I return to my work. We both focus on clearing the ground by the fence so we can move away from the area as soon as possible. Neither of us wants to find out what was capable of creating the damage.
Working in our bio-suits is more comfortable than I anticipated. That is, once you adjust to the discomfort of the waste collectors. The temperature control system shields us from the heat of the Sun as well as the warmth generated by our own bodies. Even though I constantly remind myself to keep my guard up, the added protection of my Grinder makes relaxing a little too easy. On top of that, I am having a hard time not being distracted by the wonders of nature, beckoning to me from beyond the fences. My eyes are constantly drawn out to the towering trees as I yearn to be able to walk amongst them. I am so close, but the forest may as well be another image on my computer screen. Wandering out into the wild forest with The Agent just waiting to infect me would be far too dangerous.
The Death Detail (The Securus Trilogy Book 1) Page 19
