“Hi, Kagen, how was the day?” she asks cheerfully.
“It was a long one. But hey, that’s two down and only three more to go,” I say.
“You look tired. Have you been getting enough food and rest?” my mother asks.
“Yes, I have. We had a lot of manual labor today, so I’m a bit worn down,” I reassure her.
Arluin does not speak. But the appearance of his usual prying stare tells me why. He knows I am withholding the truth, but does not want to pressure me front of our mother. Neither of us wants to make her worry. We spend some time talking as if everything was normal. Even though nothing feels normal now, the brief respite comforts me. My time is limited however, since they will soon be closing down the upper levels. I hug my mother and Arluin before walking toward the exit. Hadwin, Sayda, and Abira all follow under the pretense of walking me up to my quarters. I know our attempt to be covert does not really fool my mother. She is too smart for that, but plays along anyway. Now in the hallway, away from potential spies, I turn back to the others.
“Did anything happen up there today?” Sayda asks before I have a chance to speak.
“I think Aamon tried to electrocute me. Hopefully he doesn’t have too many more surprises planned,” I answer. Hadwin takes a deep breath and Sayda clenches her fists when they hear that part. “How about you guys, any new developments?” I ask, deflecting the focus from my injuries.
Sayda glances at Abira and hesitates. She obviously has something to tell me but does not trust Abira enough to speak with her around.
“Abira, if you see Aamon, make sure to mention I look to be handling the detail well. I don’t want him to think he’s getting to me,” I say.
“I will. I hope you don’t mind me waiting for you. I needed to know you were okay. If there’s anything else I can do to help, just tell me. Some people may never be able to forgive me for giving in to Aamon, but I want to try to make up for it.” Abira is brave enough to look over at Sayda when she says the last part.
“Thanks, I appreciate that,” I tell her. She hugs me and wishes me luck before leaving the rest of us alone.
“What’s on your mind, Sayda?” I ask as soon as Abira is out of sight.
“I’ve been monitoring the tracker in the equipment. The shipment has left Securus. It’s still on the move, but as of now it’s already far into The Caves. If it goes too much farther, I’ll lose the signal,” she replies.
“Looks like we were right about that, but where are they taking it?” I ask, knowing none of us has an answer. “How about the tracker in Trent’s case?”
“So far he hasn’t gone anywhere out of the ordinary. I’ll keep watching,” she says.
“There’s one other thing,” Hadwin says. “Talia got a message to me today. She wanted you to meet her outside of the Control Room in the substation when you go back up there tonight.”
“And why didn’t you tell me about this?” Sayda demands, poking him with her finger as she speaks.
“Because if I told you earlier you would’ve mentioned it to Abira, just to irritate her. We’ve both seen how she reacts when Talia’s name is mentioned. I don’t think you could’ve passed up the opportunity to throw that at her. I figured it would be better to keep this quiet,” Hadwin explains.
“You’re gonna get it for that,” she says with a playful push. “No more secrets. I can be discrete when it’s needed.”
“Is there something else I should know?” I ask them both, noticing how they have been closer lately.
“No, that’s it,” Hadwin says. He clearly did not understand what I meant. Sayda, on the other hand, gives me a wide-eyed stare intended to make me shut up. That look combined with her silence answers my question.
“Alright, I’ll see you guys tomorrow. I have to get back up there before they close the level down and put me in the Detention Center. Have fun with your secret admirer,” I say motioning to the man loitering in the hall, unsuccessfully attempting to look like he is not watching us. He must be another of Aamon’s spies.
*
The upper level is quiet when I arrive. Inside our temporary quarters, everyone has already fallen asleep except for Nyree, who has not yet returned from the lower levels. She is going to be cutting it close. I bunch up the blankets and pillow to make my bunk appear occupied, in case anyone comes to check on us. When the lump looks convincing, I sneak out, heading to the Control Room.
Surprisingly, this level has no security personnel and very few cameras around. I suppose since Leadership members are usually the only ones up here, they are less concerned with oversight. Nearing the entrance to the Control Room, I peer around the corner to see what awaits me. Talia stands alone beside the door, fidgeting with her fingers while waiting for me. The area looks clear, so I walk to her.
When Talia sees me coming, she reaches out to me. I embrace her with more force than intended and accidently lift her from the ground. I ease my grip and look at her. As I do she leans in for another kiss. That was unexpected, but unlike all of the other surprises following me lately, this one is welcome.
“Are you okay? I heard about what happened with the fence,” she says.
“I’m okay, just really sore,” I tell her. “I wanted to ask you about that. Is there really an automated system that would turn the fence on like that?”
“Yes there is, but it has to be separately activated. Normally, when you shut the power down, everything turns off. The automated system was created to conserve energy, only activating the fences when needed. The reliability of system ended up being too erratic, so unless there’s an energy shortage, we don’t typically use it,” Talia explains.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” I say. “Is there any way for me to see the security system in the Control Room? I want to know what else Aamon has access to.”
“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to meet you here. There’s only one operator at night. Tonight it’s my friend, Cyrina. She’s waiting for my signal so we can go in there alone,” Talia says.
She knocks on the door with three faint, spaced taps. The door opens. A tall woman with a natural dark complexion appears. She nods at Talia as she passes us, continuing down the hall. Her slender frame moves quickly, and she soon disappears around the corner.
We enter the room and close the door behind us. I walk over to the main control panel, surveying the sophisticated setup. There are four work stations facing the various gauges, readouts, controlling levers, and buttons. Most of them appear to be controls for the Solar Panels themselves. Behind the workstations is a larger, elevated chair. In this position, its inhabitant would have an overview of the entire operation. This must be where Mr. Vaden or Aamon sits during the detail. I go to sit in the chair. The seat feels even softer than the luxurious couch in our temporary quarters.
From here, I have an unobstructed view of the wall of screens placed above the control panel. The setup reminds me of the security feeds from Mr. Vaden’s office, except these screens show the surface instead of the inside of Securus. Right now the images all have a green hue to them. Talia explains this is a special setting for being able to see clearly with minimal visible light. The overall coverage of the fields and fence by the cameras is far less thorough than I thought. While studying each one, I realize the areas I have been assigned to work in just happen to have the best coverage by the cameras. Other than the controls for the Solar Panels and outer fence, most of the equipment seems to be either surveillance oriented or directly related to the power generation.
I scan the rest of the room. Off to the side are monitors for the energy levels. Most of the information is beyond my understanding, but one of them catches my attention. The readout has a small label beneath it that reads, Caelum. That is the same name Hadwin came across when he was looking into the electronics diversion.
“What’s that?” I ask, pointing to the display.
“I’m not sure, I’ll ask Cyrina later,” she offers.
After finishing my
examination of the controls and screens, I turn back to Talia. “Did you see Rana today?” I ask.
She shifts her stance and tilts her head before answering. “Yes, she gave me the vaccination guns. While I agree something’s going on with Aamon, I doubt it goes that far. I’m analyzing their contents anyway. We should get the result by tomorrow. I’m sure it’ll turn out to be nothing.”
“I hope you’re right, but you don’t know everything that’s happened so far. Whatever the result, I need to know for sure. Then I can tell you everything. I’ve been doing my best to keep things quiet as much as possible so no one else is put in danger,” I explain. “Unfortunately, the situation has been forcing my hand. One way or another, something’s going to happen soon. The one thing I do know is the farther this goes, the more I wish none of it ever happened. Well, except for getting the courage to tell you how I felt.”
She stops me from my rambling speech and hugs me again. Her touch erases the pain of my aching muscles and temporarily replaces it with a delirious contentment.
“We have to go, but I’ll try to see you again tomorrow unless my father finds out. I’ll get word to you,” she says.
“Just say where, and I’ll be there,” I tell her as she lets go.
My fatigue becomes overwhelming. Now even Talia cannot keep me distracted from it. We part ways, and I sneak back into my bunk. The soft bed and smooth blanket is a merciful end to this grueling day.
Despite the comfortable bed, for a while, sleep eludes me. My body tosses and turns as my mind wonders what could happen next. Eventually I do get to sleep, but as has been the trend lately, the rest does not last long enough. It feels as if I barely closed my eyes when the alert wakes me for another day on the detail. The exhaustion from the physical and mental rigors of the detail shows on everyone within our group. They all look tired.
Nyree and I have been keeping to ourselves as much as possible. Eldin barely speaks a word to anyone while Balum speaks too much, and most of what he says is annoying, condescending, or both. I have given up trying to remember why Eldin seemed so familiar to me. After almost running me over, I already know he needs to be watched, so asking him would be pointless. Jadyn fumbles her way through the work. Everyone has lost patience with her incompetence, while Ardal has been surprisingly efficient. Despite this, he has kept persistently withdrawn from the rest of the group.
While we are dressing, another special breakfast is announced. The meal is different than the day before, but tastes equally delicious. This time we have a mix of small crab meat with a vegetable soup, along with another fruit flavored drink. I almost feel guilty enjoying such good food while the rest of Securus continues to slowly wither away. After breakfast, we return to the exit chamber to get ready for another trip to the surface. My routine of switching the suits has become efficient. I even have some time to sit and rest before Aamon shows up to give us our assignments.
“Good morning and welcome to the third day of the detail. Today we’ll be switching up the teams. Jadyn, you’ll be paired with Eldin. Nyree will work with Ardal, and Balum will team with Kagen. Today we begin the replacement and repair of the Solar Panels themselves. Since this will take the next three days to complete, you’ll no longer be assigned specific areas in the field. Instead, we’ll direct you where to go as you work. If there are no questions, you may start your day. Be safe and productive,” he says, staring directly at me with the last sentence.
The change in plans is problematic. While teaming with Nyree, I could focus more on the work itself and avoiding accidents. Now a lot of my attention will have to be given to watching Balum. With her narrowed eyes and obvious frown, I think it is safe to say Nyree is also less than happy with the change. Ardal has been working better than expected, but she knows his nervous affect can easily lead to an accident. Resigned to the new hardship, I walk over to Balum.
“Let’s get to work,” I tell him as we head toward the stairs.
Back up in the light of the surface, I stop to look at the clouds and their varying shapes drifting across the sky. With the angle of the rising sun casting shadows and sprinkling colors on them, the sky looks more like an artist’s creation than a physical reality. I turn from my distraction, remembering that diverting my attention today would be unwise. We walk into the bunker and then pack as much of the equipment into the Grinders as possible before driving into the fields. I do not trust Balum to drive the Grinder, even though it is doubtful he would do anything to endanger himself. Still, I do not intend to take any unnecessary risks.
The controllers direct us to a nearby Solar Panel needing repair. I park the Grinder near the base and check my equipment before getting started. We need to climb up to a small platform near the top of the panel so we can replace damaged section. Getting everything up there will be challenging.
“I’ll carry the tools up. We can hoist the panel up when we get to the base plate. You go first so if anything falls, it won’t hit you,” I tell Balum while gathering the tools.
He agrees to the plan, likely because he will be kept safe while I do the harder work. After placing the tools in a cloth bag, I sling the pack over my shoulder and head to the ladder. While walking, I test out my ankle. The injured joint feels stable. Even my aching muscles have improved greatly since the electric shock yesterday. But as soon as I step onto the ladder, a deep burn reminds me both injuries are nowhere near being fully recovered. After a few steps, the tension in my legs lightens slightly, making the ascent bearable.
In my life, I have climbed more stairs than I could ever count, but none of them were like these. The restriction in movement caused by the bio-suit, combined with the dizzying height of the Solar Panel makes for a frightening climb. For some reason, this feels a lot more intimidating than climbing rock walls in The Caves. The difference is not only because of my situation and injuries, but also because out here I actually see the height so much clearer than in the darkness of The Caves. I continue going up, focusing on one step at a time until the top is near.
We have a safety strap attached at our waist to secure us to the base plate, preventing the possibility of a fall. Seeing Balum standing on top makes me realize I should have gone first. He crowds the entrance and could easily knock me off the platform before I secure my safety strap.
“You’re moving too slow. Do you need a hand?” he asks as I approach.
“I got it. Give me some space to get up there,” I tell him while motioning for him to back up.
He only takes a single step back. Before releasing my grip from the ladder, I lock my legs around the rungs to solidify my position. With my legs firmly holding me in place, I reach out to clip my safety strap to the support above. When my strap is securely fastened, it is safe for me to let go of the ladder and step onto the platform. I force myself to look away from the stunning view of the tree canopy, stretching across the rolling landscape. Up here, Balum needs to be my main focus.
“Let’s get the replacement panel up, that is, if you’re done daydreaming,” Balum says.
Ignoring his comment, I place the tools onto the floor and attach the rope I carried up here to a pulley. The other end is already connected to the panel, so we can hoist it up to us. Balum is as strong as he looks. With his help, we get the panel up to our platform quickly. Balum signals the Controllers to position the panel for repair. With a vibrating, mechanical groan, the enormous panel above moves its angle so the damaged section hangs directly over us. Even though its movement is restricted, I instinctively crouch down to avoid being crushed by the massive Solar Panel.
With the panel now being close enough to reach, we can easily distinguish all of the smaller sections of the Solar Panel making up what looked to be a single piece from the ground. I use one of the electric tools with an impact function to effortlessly shake the bolts free of the locking adhesive so we can remove the individual panel. When the segment is loose, Balum uses another multi-armed tool to deal with the electrical components. He extends the grippi
ng arm, which grabs and cuts the wires. Then another arm adds a connector to the exposed end. Removing the damaged piece is surprisingly fast and sets us up to secure the new piece just as easily.
We gently lower the old segment to the platform and find the source of its defect. A small crater has been formed in the middle of the panel with a feather embedded into it. This segment was a victim of the falling birds. After securing the replacement to the structure, we use the rope to lower the broken segment back down to the Grinder. Like most things in Securus, this piece will be repaired and reused on another detail. With this panel fixed, we climb down to move on to the next repair. If only the rest of the day would go so smoothly, I think to myself. Immediately after the thought comes to mind, the sinister smile covering Balum’s face as he comes down the ladder erases any hope of a quiet day.
Chapter 25
Because of my suspicion, I wait until Balum reaches the bottom of the ladder before beginning my own descent. I carry the extra tools, but am prepared to drop them if needed. Balum watches me from the ground. When I get close to the bottom, he activates our communicator.
“You know, Kagen, I’ve heard a lot about you lately from my friends in Leadership. Now that I’ve met you, I don’t understand why there was ever so much concern. But that won’t really matter anymore, anyway,” he says ominously.
I stop my descent and turn to look back at him. He presses some buttons on his bio-suit’s control unit. Whatever he is activating, it will not be good for me. I move faster down the steps, wanting to get onto solid ground and into a better position to defend myself.
The Death Detail (The Securus Trilogy Book 1) Page 23
