by Lisa Jade
At the Mill, I never questioned anything. It wasn’t that I wanted bad things to happen; I just didn’t realise that they were bad. I allowed the Guards to drag Kane away. I allowed Nel to cry in the night. I allowed hundreds of people to suffer for years on end because I was too afraid to question the way things were. Maybe Maynard’s the same.
The Cull has been going on for much longer than she’s been alive. If the rules were already in place when she adopted her role, maybe she carried on in that vein because there was no other way. But now – knowing there’s no way out – she might start to ask.
“You have a choice,” I whisper, “tell them the truth. You can still save face if you do it now.”
Her lips part, and I half-expect her to curse me out – but instead, she extends a shaky hand. Relief floods through me. Maybe she’s willing to listen.
“Fine,” she replies, “have it your way.”
“I knew you weren’t totally unreasonable.”
I try to smile brightly as I reach out and grasp her hand in mine. I hadn’t expected this would be so easy. I’d expected fist fights with every available Guard until the others succeeded. But maybe that won’t be necessary. Maybe, for once, I can use words to solve a problem. Maybe nobody else has to die.
But then her hand locks around my wrist, and her face twists into a manic smile.
“As long as you’re still breathing… right?”
Before I can move she’s pulled out the baton, flicking a button on its side – electricity jumps from its surface, filling the air between us with an intense heat. Just like before. Just like Wirrow.
She swings it toward me and I move instinctively, blocking the baton with my left arm. Nate’s gauntlet does little to defend me from the shock – but I grasp at Maynard’s arm and we both soar backwards.
“Noah!”
Pain prickles through me as I lay sprawled on the floor at Jay’s feet. I can hear him above me, fear apparent in his voice. From the panic around me, it’s only been a matter of seconds since I turned the baton on one of Thorne’s leaders.
I take a deep, rattling breath. There’s a terrible pain in my wrist, but it’s fading fast. In a matter of moments I’m able to roll over onto my front, lifting myself up onto my elbows. Maynard sits in a frazzled heap on the ground, surrounded by concerned Guards. Her black hair stands on end and her eyes are bloodshot, but she seems otherwise okay.
By all rights, she should be dead.
By all rights, I should be too.
Jay stares at me.
“H-how did you…”
I glance at my arm. The second gauntlet Nate made for me has fared better than the first, but it’s still destroyed. There’s a deep scar in the metal where it’s melted, and as I tug it off, the rubber on the bottom sticks to my skin a little. I rub at the red patch of skin and sigh.
“Damn, Jensen was right. That does hurt.”
Jay stares disbelievingly for a moment, his jaw hanging. It’s almost laughable; or at least, it would be, if it weren’t so frightening. I suppose that, in his eyes, I just shrugged off the shock of a lethal attack. But he doesn’t know. Of course he doesn’t. I draw my lips back into what I hope is a reassuring smile.
“It’s okay. Jensen worked his magic. They won’t… they can’t kill anymore.”
A moment later, Jay mirrors my smile back at me. Realisation is dawning on his face; realisation that we haven’t just jumped in without a plan. I know what I’m doing.
Back in the tunnel, Wirrow had warned me. Maynard had declared a state of emergency – and the shock weapon database had been updated. Whether they’d liked it or not, every baton had been set to lethal. A necessary evil, no doubt; but that meant there was a master control. Where there’s a master control, there’s a computer. And where there’s a computer, Jensen can work miracles.
I stand again, a little more easily this time. Knowing that our plan is working, even in the tiniest way, is all I need to fill my chest with confidence. I draw myself up to my full height and pull my shoulders back. For once, I don’t feel out of place in this body. I feel strong. Intimidating.
And as Maynard clambers to her feet again, that’s exactly what the look in her eye tells me. She’s scared. Scared that I would dare to go up against her. Scared that I would turn her own weapon back on her. Absolutely terrified that I managed to survive.
Her hands shake as she stares me down. Any trace of her sizeable ego has faded away, leaving her looking exactly like what she is; a frightened, angry, somewhat dishevelled maniac. Knowing what’s coming next, I pull up the corners of my lips. A confident smile can only help to make her look less sane in comparison.
“What did you do?”
Her voice is high-pitched now, tinged with pain. I get the feeling she’s never been on the receiving end of a shock before. It’s frazzled her nerves. She doesn’t wait for me to answer. I don’t think any reply I could give would suffice, anyway. She waves at the Guards around her, pointing at me wildly.
“Get this thing out of my sight! Now!”
They start forward, but stop about a half-step in. Slowly, everyone’s eyes sink down to my hand. There’s a strange sense of power filling me as everyone realises I’ve plucked the incendiary gun from my belt – and that power only grows as I aim it directly into the sky.
“What are you doing?” hisses Jay. His breathing is even heavier now. For him, not being able to help is pure torture. I wish I could tell him to hold on. That it’ll be over soon.
“Maynard.”
My voice rings out across the silence, loud and clear and oddly captivating. It doesn’t sound like me. There’s too much sanity, too much authority. This is the voice of someone who knows what they’re doing; someone who’s entirely unafraid.
She doesn’t respond – she just shoots daggers in my direction. If looks could kill.
“I didn’t come here to hurt anyone,” I explain, “not even you. But I gave you a chance. I turned off the shock batons so I could explain. You could have told everyone the truth and ended this calmly, but you didn’t. Now, I’m forced to play my hand.”
I gesture towards the gun in my hand, trying to ignore the way my fingers shake against the trigger.
“Unlock the code on Jay’s restraints. Now. Or I’ll do it.”
A hint of that smugness reappears on Maynard’s face – but only for a moment.
“If you pull that trigger, nothing will happen. You’re aiming at the sky, Millchild.”
I smirk.
“You always tell the people of Thorne that there’s danger outside our borders. That one disaster could summon a whole army to our doorstep. If that’s true, then this incendiary shell will draw them just fine. Unless, of course, you weren’t telling the truth about the big, bad war?”
For a moment, we meet one another’s eyes. I can tell she’s mad; there’s barely-concealed fury in her eyes. She’s looking for a chance, even a half-second opportunity to send her Guards at me. Her bloodlust is so strong it’s almost palpable. But then her eyes lift to the gun in my hand, and she grimaces. She’ll do anything to keep up her lies.
“Unlock it,” she mutters.
They release Jay and he steps up behind me, one strong hand resting on my shoulder. His chest is swollen with pride; but I can tell he has his doubts. I suppose it makes sense. We’re still trapped, after all. Still vastly outnumbered.
He takes the gun from me and holds it up even higher. This is one hell of a bluff, even for us. Still, I’ve done my job. I’ve got Jay out of his binds. I’ve distracted Maynard. Jensen’s done his part, too. So where are Pan and the others?
“I sure hope you have a plan,” Jay breathes. I don’t respond. Instead I let my eyes slide shut and listen to the death-like silence that’s fallen over Thorne. Every citizen is watching with baited breath, still clueless as to the true nature of this scene. Waiting to know what’s going on. Waiting to find out what to do.
Now would be a great time for the cavalry to arr
ive.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The sound starts out quiet at first, a dull roar that blends into the sound of the wind and rain. But then it begins to build, a strong, repeating sound – like the chanting of a hundred furious voices in perfect unison. I quickly realise that’s exactly what it is. Pan hasn’t just rescued the others. She’s whipped them up into a fury. She’s given them words to scream into the chaos. She has – single-handedly – brought the Clover back from the brink.
And suddenly they’re among us, racing up through the glass windows of the building. For a brief moment, the world is awash with shattered glass and excited screams; and then there are people surrounding me, and their faces and voices are wonderfully familiar.
Jay turns to look at me, and his face is the most familiar of all. A pair of hands find me in the crowd, and Pan’s beaming face is all I can see.
“We did it!” she cries, throwing both hands over her head. Jay’s face breaks into a smile and he plants a kiss on her head – but the joy in my stomach vanishes.
We’re not done yet.
I turn back to Maynard with a heavy heart. Her Guards have been pulled away into the crowd, or have fled from the sheer numbers. More will be arriving shortly to come to her aid, but for the moment, she’s alone.
She stands in the broken glass of her own building, arms hanging limply at her side. Her face is a picture of defeat; but when she looks at me, there’s nothing but hatred there. She’s lost the battle, but as far as she’s concerned, the war is yet to come.
I realise with a start that she’s right. Even if we worm our way into the shadows tonight, the Cull will still happen next week. And we’ll have to keep on fighting it, every year until something finally changes. The idea both saddens and sickens me. In a matter of minutes we can be gone from her sight, and her Guards will return in full force. What then? What changes?
I pluck at Jay’s sleeve.
“W-what?”
“Here.”
I lean down and collect the now-broken gauntlet from the ground. I push it into his hand and he obeys immediately, fastening it around his own arm just like I did.
“What’s this for?”
“We need to do this now,” I say, my voice hard, “before the Guards get here.”
“Do what?”
I pluck the earpiece from the floor and jam it on. It’s twisted a little in the chaos, but after a moment of static, it comes clear.
“Jensen? Do you hear me?”
“Hell yeah, I do. Nice going out there!”
I turn towards the building. Maynard’s ego has paid off. There’s a large, holographic screen projected up there, too, bathing the entire building in blue light. I take a deep breath. This had better work.
“Put up all the evidence on the Feed. All the DNA matches, all the info on the war.”
“Everything?”
“Everything. And do it now.”
“On it.”
When I pull the earpiece off, Jay’s still watching me.
“What’s the plan?” he asks, “what do you need me to do?”
A smile plays on my lips. This is dangerous. Perhaps we shouldn’t do this. But then I catch Maynard’s eye again, and my decision is made.
“You’re going to address the whole city. You’re going to tell them the truth.”
He doesn’t seem convinced, but I smile. Somehow, I know this is going to work. One speech, one explanation, and Jay will win them over. He’s fought for these people for sixteen years – they won’t fail him now. And while the shock batons are harmless and the Guards don’t pose much of a risk, it’s the best time to rise up. This will work. It has to.
“Trust me. You can do this.”
As Jay steps forward, a solemn silence falls over Thorne. Even the sound of distant traffic seems to fall away into nothing. He eyes the multitude of Hoverbots around him, perhaps nervous about their closeness – but then his eyes settle on a green one floating nearby and he smirks.
“Is that Atlas?”
“I had it hiding nearby. It’ll keep filming no matter what,” I mutter, “you’ve probably only got a few minutes before more Guards arrive, though, so make it count.”
I push him a little further forward, something warm stirring in my chest.
“This is what you wanted, right? Do it.”
For a brief moment, I see fear in his eyes. I get it; for sixteen years, he’s fought to help these people and now he’s asking them to help themselves. Jensen’s made it easier than ever, but it’s still down to them. But if anyone can convince them, it’s Jay. It has to be him.
But then he turns to the crowd still gathered around him, and glances up at Atlas, who’s still circling.
“You know me. Even if sometimes, you wish you didn’t. I understand being frightened of the leaders and their brutish Guard – but the time has come to say no.”
As he launches into his tirade, Pan steps up beside him. The pain is gone from her eyes now; her face is once more filled with joy as she loops her arm through his. The other members of the Clover stand by with quiet confidence. They don’t doubt him, either.
In the moment of reverence, I realise that nobody’s watching Maynard. She’s still standing in the broken remains of the glass doors, tiny cuts covering her arms. Along with the missing tooth and frazzled hair, she looks insane.
As I walk up to her, she meets my gaze with vitriol.
“You stupid girl.”
Her voice is weak and afraid – perhaps she thinks I’m going to kill her. I must admit, I’m tempted.
“Stupid?” I chuckle, “I had a fantastic education at the Mill.”
“Don’t you understand anything? How do you plan on fixing this?”
“What?”
“If your precious leader manages to overthrow my Guard… then what? You have nearly a billion people in the city alone, and about a quarter of that number at the Mill. You bring those people back, you’ll be throwing us into chaos.”
For once, it seems like she believes what she’s saying. She’s even ignoring Jay’s ongoing speech, instead staring me down with distraught eyes.
“Where will you home those millions? Who will generate power and grow food and keep Thorne alive? These people can’t provide for themselves.”
That’s it, then. She knew the war was over; but she couldn’t find a way out of her situation. She thinks there’s no way for us to survive without the Mill – and for a moment, I worry there isn’t.
But then someone strides past. Darus, a confident smile on his face as he steps a little closer to hear Jay talk. Darus was never a slave. He never hated where he was. Even now, he plans to go home someday. And I don’t plan to leave the Mill behind forever, either.
So I just laugh.
“You need to have a little faith, Maynard. The people around here are stronger than you give them credit for. We’ll find a way. I’ll work the farmland myself if I have to.”
And I mean it. As she sinks back and lowers her head in defeat, I’m surprisingly unafraid. I will go back. I will chop wood and work fields, for as long as it takes. I’ll fish and dig and even scrape my way through the mines to help this city.
But this time, it’ll be my choice.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
“Are you sure about this?”
Pan brushes a lock of hair from my eyes.
We’re standing at the edge of Thorne, where the chain-link fence used to be. We tore it down on the first day, mere hours after Jay’s stirring speech to the masses. At the time, I’d been too amazed to do much more than sit in awe as he addressed them. I don’t even remember his exact words – but it doesn’t matter. All that matters is how the whole city had burst into life minutes later. Reports had come flooding in about people tackling Guards. Tying them up. Taking whatever weapons they had. All in all, the whole thing lasted less than two days. The Guards had been surprisingly unprepared for any kind of uprising, which I suppose is a testament to Maynard’s level of contro
l. Not everybody had immediately agreed with the choice to overthrow the leaders, but it doesn’t matter. Thorne’s in good hands now. The leaders sit in cells far cushier than they deserve, awaiting trial. Some call for their execution. Others sow empathy, asking for their release. Still others think they should be on the receiving end of a memory injection – a ‘fresh start’ of their own. Nobody’s asked what I think yet, but personally, I think a few years chopping wood would do wonders.
I glance up at Atlas. It’s hovering overhead, ready to follow me the whole way. Jensen linked it up to Atticus, right? I should be able to get updates pretty easily.
“Yeah,” I finally reply, “supplies are dwindling fast as more Mill workers are brought in. I did volunteer to go and help out at the farm. Besides, Jay needs to go and oversee the workers being shipped across, so it makes sense for us to head out together. I’ll help him out at the Dock and then carry on the rest of the way alone.”
“What a shame. We need you here, too.”
She smiles; and the sight is marvellous. It’s so good to see the life returning to her face. After the chaos that we’ve been through, I’d been scared she might never smile again.
The others stand behind her. I move to address them, but stop short. It’s not acceptable to use their old names anymore. Kane is Shaun. Darus is Michael. Sara is Daisy. Such simple names that don’t seem to link to all the chaos we went through to find them. All three are still in awe at the sights and sounds of the city. To them, this is all new. All incredible.
But then Kane – Shaun – glances my way, and I feel like all might finally be forgiven. Jensen leans unsteadily on him. He looks so strange now, with his hair trimmed and his leg mostly healed. It helps that he was seen by an actual doctor. When he smiles, his face is round and healthy. More alive than ever.
“Hey, I hope it’s okay but I… made this for you,” Jensen says, “for the journey. Just in case.”
