by Stefan Bolz
Chapter 16 — Hunted
"Hunter's moon, comes too soon, comes to claim its own.
Follows me, down the tracks, turns my heart to stone."
[—The Midlands]
Aries opens her eyes. For a moment, she is disoriented. Max lies next to her on a blanket on the floor, facing her. His breathing is slow. He seems to be sleeping. Tevis had told them earlier that they should eat and drink something and rest in order to get their strength back, and that this time she wouldn't take no for an answer. Aries hadn't wanted to go to sleep. Not without coming up with a strategy to get Kiire back. But in the end, she couldn't stay up any longer. Now awake, she realizes her whole body aches. The palms of her hands hurt; so does her right shoulder. Before she went to sleep she’d discovered several blisters on her feet. Her sternum is still sensitive to any movement of her arms in front of her body. Without thinking much about it, Aries stretches out her hand and touches Max's hair. He seems so peaceful.
That feels nice, she hears in her thoughts.
She pulls her hand back.
Why would you do that? She hears Max's thoughts when he opens his eyes.
Because I was just... You looked so peaceful, she replies, realizing that she’s embarrassed.
I don't mean you touching me. I mean you pulling your hand away, she hears. You don't need to feel embarrassed.
"Well, I do."
Max stretches out his hand and touches Aries's hair and face. She lets it happen until the thought occurs to her that he is going to kiss her. She can feel the blood rushing into her face as she realizes that he’s fully aware of what she was thinking. Max smiles.
Would you like me to?
Would you like me to what?
Kiss you.
I can't think anything you don't know instantly? she thinks.
I guess not, he replies. It's not so bad.
What do you mean, it's not so bad. It is! I have no private thoughts with you.
Do you want to?
Yes. I would like to at least filter out the thoughts I want you to know and keep others to myself.
What's the fun in that? he replies.
You should kiss each other already and get it over with, Aries hears in her thoughts.
Born-of-Night? Aries sits up. You’re listening as well?
Sorry, the hawk replies. He is a nice boy.
Well, thanks! Aries replies. I'm glad I have your blessing.
You're welcome. I'm just looking out for you.
Where are you, anyway? Aries looks around.
Not far, Born-of-Night replies.
They couldn't have slept that long, maybe two or three hours. Amber and Jeremiah lie a few feet away, quietly talking to each other. Sam and Seth are having a conversation as well. Then she sees Ty make his way to her and sit down on her blanket. He reaches in his pocket and takes out a few crackers and a tube with seaweed paste.
"So? Anything to report?" he says, as if she had just repaired a faulty motor somewhere in Electrical and he expected an exact account of what was wrong with it and how she had fixed it.
"Where do I start?" she asks.
"How about the elevator ride up," Ty says, handing her a container with water.
"How much of that do we have?" Aries asks.
"We've got plenty. There is a spring that pools back there."
"What is this place?" she asks.
"You know as much as I do. But why don't you tell me what happened."
Aries begins recounting the events of the last six hours. The elevator ride up, finding Seth and freeing him, discovering the sky bridge to the next building and their crossing it. When she gets to the part where they’d freed C.J., her voice begins to crack. Until now, she has had no time to process what she saw when she looked into the rooms where the other girls were held. The thought that C.J., together with the others, had been tied to a bed somewhere with nobody to comfort them, no friend by their side, was almost unbearable.
"I should have done something sooner," she says.
"You couldn't have known," Ty answers. "Up until the note on your pad, we all thought she was sick."
"How is this possible?"
"What do you mean?"
"How can the Corporation have that much power? Why did nobody do something about it?" Aries can feel the anger rise in her.
"There have always been people who tried," Ty answers. "But their numbers were either too few, or the Corporation shut them down right away."
"What about us? Are our numbers sufficient? When we crossed the sky bridge, we saw at least two hundred androids in that spot alone. They were there just to protect the bridge. How many do you think there are altogether?"
Ty doesn't say anything at first, as if to consider his answer thoroughly.
"Tens of thousands, in my estimation."
When Aries doesn't say anything, he continues. "Their numbers are infinite. Over the last decade, they have perfected the design and function of androids, I'm sure. And drone technology has made several exponential leaps in the last few years."
"So why don't we give up?" Aries asks. "It seems what we're doing here has no point. To them it's of no consequence."
"I wouldn't say that," Ty replies. "The simple fact that they're looking for you is telling us that they must be at least a little scared. And now that they have someone who escaped from a brothel in building two, they're getting nervous, I'm sure. Sometimes the truth is the most powerful weapon one can have."
"But how do we do that? How do we expose them without getting ourselves killed in the process? And how do we get Kiire out at the same time?"
"You might only get one of the three in the end."
Ty had spoken aloud what Aries has been thinking for a while, that this might not end well for them.
"We need to expose them in a way that they can't turn around and manipulate into something else," he says, after a while.
"How?"
"I don't know."
"We could tell everyone that if nobody buys clips of memories of loved ones ever again, if nobody enters the advanced corporate management program, if nobody uses the screen images of the sunsets and the forests and the oceans in their rooms, that might do something."
"That might not be enough," Ty says.
"What's enough, then?"
"We need to expose the lie."
"The lie?"
"The lie on which the rest of them are built. The foundation of it all. The Corporation says that having an image of a sunset in your room at night gives you freedom. Or watching an hour of the life of a loved one will bring you peace. And the biggest lie of all is that we cannot change our fate in any way, that we cannot escape this prison. We can."
"How?"
Aries becomes aware that Ty looks older than he normally does. Worn. Tired.
"You have to tell them," he says.
"Me? How would I do that? Get a giant megaphone and stand on the sky bridge between the two buildings and shout?"
"That's a start," he says, with a smile. "Someone has to tell them of their right to reclaim what is theirs. Someone has to tell them that they need not live like this."
"You're talking like it's easy. And possible."
"It's not easy. Far from it. But you said it yourself. You convinced an old man to leave everything behind and follow you. You said that we need someone who doesn't stop after the first step, one who goes all the way to the end of the line. Are you telling me that you didn't mean it? Because if you are, I'll tell you in no uncertain terms that you absolutely meant it. I believed you. I believed everything you said."
There is a pause, during which his eyes don't leave hers.
"We are far superior to any android, be that a single one or tens of thousands," Ty continues. "And what makes us superior to them is one simple thing. It's so simple it escapes us. I realized it when you said something to me. You said that if you ask 'why' enough times, you'll get to the bottom of everything. You're young, Aries. And I'm not sure if you pi
cked that line up somewhere or if you actually thought about it, but I'm going to assume it's the latter. What I'm saying is, in order for us to do this, whatever 'this' is, we need to answer the question 'why?' And we can't be okay with the first answer. We have to ask it again and again until we come to the truth all the way at the bottom. Only then can we even think about continuing."
"Right now, I want to stay alive," Aries says, after a moment.
"Okay," Ty replies. "Why?"
"Because I like to live, to be alive."
"Why?"
"That's a strange question. Why wouldn't I want to live?"
"I don't know. You tell me."
Ty's eyes won't let go of hers. She thinks about turning her head and looking away, but there is something in him that won't let her do that.
"Why do you want to live?" he asks again.
"To be alive."
When Ty doesn't answer, Aries continues, "To finish what I started. To go all the way, to not stop."
"Why?"
This is getting a little annoying, Aries thinks.
Not to me, Max answers.
She expects him to have a smile on his face. But his face is serious. She doesn't think she has ever seen him with a serious face, at least one she can remember.
"Why do you want to finish what you started, Aries?" Ty asks again.
"Because nobody else has. Because I'm here right now."
"Why?"
"Because... I believed Born-of-Night, who told me to go to the Forgotten Floors."
"Why did you believe her?"
"I don't know. I just did!"
Aries becomes aware that many of the kids are now looking at her. Her voice echoes in the cave. It must have been louder than she’d meant.
"Why?" Ty continues. His voice is relentless, pushing her. "Aries. Why?"
"Because what she told me made sense."
"Why did it make sense?"
"I don't know! Because she said I can do it."
"That's not enough. That's not nearly enough! You can't expect to just go and knock on somebody's door and tell them to stop what they're doing! So, as long as you don't have a better reason—"
"BECAUSE OF THEM!"
Her words echo through the cave. The faces of the others reflect her own surprise over her outburst.
"Because... of the children," she adds quietly. "The children in the orphanage. Because of the people in Electrical and the ones who... can't do anything. Because of Kiire. Because of my parents."
She can't stop the tears from running down her face.
"Because they died and I'm still here. Because people... people need their freedom. They need it like air, like water, like love. Like love."
She looks at Max. Then she puts her hands to her face and cries. Ty holds her, strokes her back, rocks her gently back and forth.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm so sorry."
"Aries Egan," one of the children says into the silence.
"Aries Egan," another one says.
"Aries Egan," Tevis says as she walks over to them. She repeats the name two more times.
Now all the children say her name. They say it quietly, as if to give it power through that. Sam repeats it. Jeremiah and Amber repeat it. Mila and the others, too. When everyone is quiet again, Aries looks at Ty. He nods.
Aries. Born-of-Night's thoughts reach her. With that comes an image that Aries at first cannot identify.
"What is this?" she asks.
She exchanges a glance with Max, knowing that he sees it as well. Mila pushes some of the blankets to the side and begins to draw something on the stone. The drawing looks like crescent moons laid next to each other in a circle.
"What do you think this is?" Seth asks, as he comes closer.
"I don't know," Aries says.
It looks as if it is built into the rock or a cliff, Max thinks.
Born-of-Night, where are you? Aries asks.
Not far.
Can you lead us there?
I think so, the hawk answers.
"How big do you think this is, Mila?"
"Must be easily one hundred and fifty feet in diameter," she answers.
C.J. approaches the sleeping area as well.
"I want to come with you," she says.
"Me too," Amber says.
"S-s-so do I," Jeremiah.
Seth nods. So does Sam.
Ty gets up from his blanket. "I'm coming with. Somebody needs to make sure you don't fall or get lost."
"We should not be long," Tevis says to one of the older kids. "And the younger ones can use some rest."
"I'll stay here with them," Tuari says.
Tevis walks over, goes down on one knee and hugs both of them.
"You are the bravest of the brave," she says when she kisses their foreheads.
Born-of-Night flies toward them and lands on Aries's shoulder.
How far? Aries asks.
Not far, the hawk answers. I'll lead the way. She lifts off again and flies into one of the tunnels.
Aries counts ten, including herself. Ty and Tevis walk together. Their growing support for each other is heartwarming. Max, who walks beside Aries, smiles at her.
Why are you smiling? Aries asks.
I smile because of you.
Mila turns around and looks at them, a big grin on her face.
"How come you can hear what we are thinking?" Aries asks.
She shrugs her shoulders and turns around again. Mila, Jeremiah, and Amber walk together. So far as Aries can understand them, Amber and Jeremiah are discussing the geometrical patterns of the crescent-moon-shaped objects. Seth and Sam seem to have taken a liking to each other as well. Sam, from the moment Aries had first seen him, has felt like a big brother to her. Someone she could trust completely. Seth can use an older brother, for sure, she thinks. We all can.
C.J. walks on the other side of Aries. She can't help but be in awe of her. She always seemed a little like a doll—fragile and beautiful. The work in Electrical had been rough at times, but despite her delicate exterior she had always proven more resilient than Aries had expected. You can never judge anyone by how they appear, she realizes. You never know what powers sleep inside, that simply need to be awakened. Someone's strength can be hidden behind weakness sometimes. Just like love might be covered up by fear.
Aries lets her thoughts pass through her without holding on to any individual one. The fragile bond she begins to feel with the others is at once strange and comforting. They met less than a day ago and yet she feels whatever it is that connects them is stronger than anything she has experienced before. Sam and Seth, who are walking ahead of everyone else, stop. From here, the tunnel begins to slope downward.
Born-of-Night, where are you?
Ahead, she answers. I can hear you.
The tunnel walls emit a low glow, illuminating everyone in a soft, slightly surreal light. After about three hundred feet, the tunnel levels out again and they see the opening at the end. When they reach it they stop and stand there, looking at what lies before them: a circular, vertical shaft of immense proportions. Easily one hundred and fifty feet across. The walls, made from the same material as the tube, lead straight up. So far, in fact, that the ceiling is invisible.
Below them, about fifteen feet or so, a massive steel construction is built into the rock. There is a small walkway along the wall, following it in a circular fashion. The crescent-moon-shaped objects that are arranged in a circle are actually plates, spanning the distance and filling the opening completely. To their left, metal stairs, built into the wall, lead upward in an immense spiral.
"Does anybody know what this is?" Aries asks. Something about it seems familiar but it escapes her whenever she tries to remember it. Most of them shake their heads.
"A shutter. Like in a mechanical camera lens," Ty says. "I've seen a couple of those when I was in my twenties. But they were only a few inches in diameter."
I don't know what it is but I think I know where we are,
Max thinks.
"Where?" Aries asks.
We are right below Tier Zero. The center of the building. Only much deeper.
Aries and Ty exchange a glance. Aries repeats what she’s just heard.
"Now I know what it reminds me of," she continues. "The distance from here to the other side is the same distance as the opening in the core. The large space in the center of the building is the same size, I'm pretty sure."
"I think you're right," Ty answers.
"But what could possibly be its purpose?" Aries asks.
"I have no clue," Ty replies.
"Maybe light?" C.J. suggests.
"Can we walk on it?" Seth asks.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Aries says.
"I think we should check it out," Seth replies. "It looks sturdy."
When nobody objects, Seth climbs down the ladder to the outer ring of the structure. Jeremiah begins to climb down as well. "I have to s-see this," he says.
One by one, they all climb down and move onto the narrow walkway surrounding the shutter. To the right, there is an opening in the floor, with stairs leading further down. Aries can't see past the first steps so she decides to investigate it later. Seth steps without hesitation onto the shutter plates. Aries breathes in sharply, expecting the whole thing to open and send Seth falling to his death. But nothing happens. Amber steps onto the plates as well. With the two of them on there, the structure looks even more imposing.
There is another one, further up. Aries hears Born-of-Night.
She closes her eyes for a second. Through the hawk's eyes she sees the group far below.
"There isn't even dust on them," Ty says, as he kneels down to take a closer look. “It's made of steel but has some kind of coating on it. And the plates are very thick, judging by the feel of it."
Aries walks to the other side, staying on the walkway rather than moving straight across the plates. When she gets there, she turns around. The others are dwarfed by the immense size of it.
This must have been man-made, Max thinks. Not only the structure but the opening itself. I'm almost certain that if we were to measure the distances, this would be an exact circle.
