“All right, we’re off to bed then,” Tony said as he stood and pulled Nick to his feet. “There’s no need to worry. This isn’t just another collar change. We’re doing something this time, not having something done to us. There’s a big difference. We made the collars that are going around our necks, not the Geneticists.”
Malcolm watched as they all left. Will stayed seated beside him, content to wait until he was ready to leave. From his position in the middle of the sofa, Malcolm watched as Nick and Stu went into the same bedroom together, as did Carson and Syrus. They’d stay up talking. The two of them hadn’t expected to ever have to go through a collar change again. And Nick would be doing a lot of comforting. Malcolm thanked his lucky stars that Stu warmed to Nick so well and that Nick welcomed the companionship.
“It’ll be fine.” Will’s hand rested on his shoulder, gently rubbing the muscle, soothing away the tension.
“I know.” And for the first time, Malcolm really did know.
Chapter Thirty
The cars had arrived at the Eval Center a half hour ago. Trent, the head of Malcolm’s security, had let Will track the GPS on the vehicles the family had taken. Some of the collars had to have been changed already, but he didn’t know how long it would take to do all six. His memory of his own collar change didn’t seem to be an accurate representation of the time involved. The recollection of the day passed too quickly and too slowly at the same time to be reliable.
Ajax: Are you there? At least one collar should be online by now.
A minute or so passed while Will waited for a response. Technically, all of the transmitters were activated when Will’s was. They couldn’t isolate a single collar or know which collar was assigned to which person. However, nothing would be transmitted until the collars were attached.
Oculus: The first one just came online. Everything is looking good on this end.
Will released the breath he’d been holding while awaiting a response.
Ajax: Keep a note of the order that the collars come online. When they get back, I’ll ask what order they got them in and we can match the Zed with the collar.
Oculus: Will do.
It’d probably be at least another ten minutes until the next one came online. Will tried to distract himself with work, but nothing could hold his attention. Instead, he pulled up a game of Solandra and played while his thoughts wandered to the Eval Center and the men he loved.
Liaison: Are the collars still being changed today?
The liaison from the settlements was late. Will had thought he had decided not to message as planned.
Ajax: Yes. One is already online.
Liaison: Excellent. All of the server space is set up on our end. We’ll be able to handle everything you’ve got coming.
Will glanced at the clock display on his desk. Only a few minutes had passed. At this rate, he was in for a long day. At least now he had the liaison as well as Oculus to pass the time with. Malcolm had given him the go-ahead to ask about the rumors they’d heard.
Ajax: We believe there might be some Betas smuggling Zed babies out to the settlements before they are able to have the collar put on. Do you know anything about that?
Will waited for the liaison to answer. Nothing. Another two minutes and nothing. What did that mean? Had the liaison deemed the question inappropriate? Would he take enough offense to go back on their deal for the server space?
Liaison: I can’t comment on anything other than Spark of Life Movement activities.
That seemed more of a yes than a no to Will.
Ajax: I understand. But if there’s a way we can help, we would like to.
Liaison: I can’t comment. How many collars are being replaced today?
Ajax: We don’t know, only that Lazarus’s Zeds will be the first, but we assume they will do more today.
Liaison: Are his Zeds agreeable to the new collars?
Ajax: Yes. They were nervous but excited.
Liaison: They should be. This is a large step the movement is taking. It has us excited.
Ajax: Are there any other groups doing as much as the Spark of Life Movement?
The thought of someone sitting in a building in a settlement outside of the Federation with no castes, collars, or Geneticists fascinated Will. He knew from Malcolm that the settlements kept an archive that contained more knowledge than any other one body had. They would know if any of the nation-states were close to their system toppling.
Liaison: I can’t comment.
Ajax: Do you have contact with other nation-states?
Liaison: I can’t comment.
Ajax: Has any nation-state abolished the caste system before?
Will knew that if it had happened before, the New Cali government would keep it from the people. Only the government, the DGI, and a few Alphas in high-level business exporting and importing had any contact outside of New Cali.
Liaison: I can’t comment.
Will clenched his fists and shook his head. He hadn’t expected more, but he hated knowing that this person had answers that he couldn’t get.
Liaison: I’m sorry. We’re willing to help you, but we can’t get involved or interfere in any real way.
Will’s other message window blinked to the forefront of his display.
Oculus: The second collar is online. We’re getting information from both of them now.
Ajax: Excellent. I’ve been informed that we have more than enough space.
Oculus: We have a situation. More collars are coming online. It’s too fast for it to be another of Lazarus’s Zeds. It appears they are doing more today than we thought. We won’t be able to tell which collar goes with which person.
Dammit. It had been a long shot that they’d be able to get away with knowing which data came from which collar. It would have been so much more useful to know that information. Now the data would have to be read in a much more general way.
Ajax: We knew that could happen. We’ll just have to work harder to figure out which serial numbers go to which Zeds.
Oculus: I’ll keep monitoring the situation, but there’s no need for me to keep checking in unless there’s a problem.
Ajax: Agreed. I’ll message you with any issues that come up.
Oculus: It will all go smoothly. Congratulations.
Ajax: You too.
The absence of Oculus left Will feeling more alone. There was no reason for him to remain in the office. It would still be a little while before everyone left the Eval Center. He could go talk to Marcy and Jess, see if they could keep him company. He just needed to sign off with the liaison.
Ajax: Everything appears to be going smoothly. I’m going to sign off unless you need me.
Liaison: I can see the data coming in. We’re fine over here. You should be proud.
Ajax: Thanks.
* * *
Down in the kitchen, a sweet scent filled the air. Actually, a few sweet scents. Marcy turned her head from where she was rolling out dough on the counter at the sound of his entrance.
“Ah, need someone to pass the time with?”
“Yeah. I can’t concentrate on anything right now.” Will sat on a barstool around the island in the middle of the kitchen.
“That’s all right, dear. We never can either when you all are gone. Why do you think there’s always a mound of treats waiting for you when you get back from the Eval Center?”
“I thought it was to make us feel better.”
“Well, it is, but Jess and I bake to keep ourselves occupied.”
“Here, taste this.” Jess brought him a spoonful of a yellow substance.
“Mmm.” A creamy lemon zing danced across his tongue. “That’s delicious. Can I have some more?”
Jess’s smile lit her usually dreary face. “Of course you can.”
“Not too much,” Marcy admonished. “We don’t want to spoil your lunch. If you want, we can have it early.”
“You mean break one of the rules?” Will mocked.
&nb
sp; “Well, the rule is that the family eats together. As soon as I get this lemon tart in the oven, Jess and I were planning on fixing lunch, and since we’re the only family here today, that means it’s lunchtime.”
“Put like that, I guess I don’t have much of a choice.”
Marcy placed the dough in a pie pan, and Jess scooped the lemon filling inside. They pulled some cookies from the oven and replaced them with the tart.
“What are you going to do with all of these?” Will already saw a cake on the counter and there were dozens of cookies that kept Jess busy putting them on cooling racks.
“Like I said, it helps keep our minds busy. We should be cleaning, but there’s something comforting about a warm kitchen that smells good. We usually give any extras to some of the Betas who live nearby, Trent, and the landscaping crew.”
Will didn’t have much interaction with the other Betas except for Trent, and then only when he wanted something. “I should probably take some cookies to Trent. He’s letting me track the cars so I know when they leave the Eval Center.”
“I’ll make a plate for you to take to him then.”
Marcy and Jess fixed ham sandwiches and refused to let him help. They placed one sandwich, a glass of milk, and three cookies in front of him, each a different flavor. He didn’t think he could eat much, but he supposed that’s what the sweets were for. Sugar seemed to always find a place no matter how weak his appetite.
“There’s nothing to worry about. Malcolm’s made a good collar. You haven’t had any problems with it, have you?”
Marcy, like the rest of the Betas in the compound, thought that this was nothing more than Panacea rolling out a new product. They knew Will and Kaleana had been chosen as the initial testers, but none of them knew that there was any covert purpose behind the new collars.
“No, it’s been great. It’s a lot lighter and more comfortable than the old model. I’m glad the Geneticists decided to use it.”
“Only because it’s better for them. If they really cared about the comfort of Zeds they’d just do away with them,” Jess sneered. They all knew that the new collars made the sensors more effective.
“Shush. I’ll not have talk like that.”
Jess rolled her eyes. The air tensed. Will didn’t want to sit in awkward silence for the rest of his meal.
“Marcy, how’s your friend?” Will remembered that Marcy’s request for time off had mentioned that it was to help a friend who’d just had a baby. He hadn’t talked to her since her return.
“Oh, she’s doing well, thank you for asking.”
“Do you have any pictures of the baby?”
“You know, I don’t. But he’s the cutest little boy you’ve ever seen.”
“Well, I’m glad he’s a Beta.” Will wanted to ask Marcy if she’d ever heard anything about Zeds getting out, but it wasn’t appropriate. They couldn’t involve any of the Betas in anything to do with the movement.
“Thank you,” Marcy said.
“Every Beta baby is a gift,” Jess agreed.
“I’m sorry yours wasn’t, Jess.” Will had never really spoken with her about it, but at the moment, she appeared to need something, some word of kindness, of understanding, even though he would never understand the pain of living through a pregnancy, cautiously making happy plans, only to have the baby torn away to a life of objectification and dehumanization.
“I appreciate that. I only had a little bit of time with him, but Sky will live forever with me. I’ll never forget the sight of him being taken away for one of those cursed collars.”
“So how can you work here for the man who makes them?”
Jess’s face softened, as if she came back to herself. “Mr. Price is a good man with a lot of good people working for him. I hate the collars, but I’m glad he’s the one making them. Besides, the collars are only part of what he makes. He supplies the hospitals that have provided life-saving care for my loved ones. Marcy’s the one who recommended I come here.”
“How’d you meet Marcy?”
Jess exchanged an uneasy glance with Marcy. “We met around the time I lost my baby. I don’t know if you know, but Marcy participates in something like a support group for those of us who have lost children.”
“It must be a large group.”
A humorless snort sounded from Jess.
“There are a lot of small groups, dear,” Marcy said. “Not every woman likes to participate. We all grieve in our own ways.”
At least there was something for the Beta women. It must be a thin line to tread, grieving for a lost child while not being able to criticize the system that had taken him. “I’m really sorry you had to go through it. Do you have any other children, Marcy?”
“Yes, three of them. They’re all grown now. Jess has only ever had the one.”
“And one’s enough. I won’t do that again. I won’t be a breeding machine for this sadistic system. If the DGI wants more Zeds, they’ll have to get them elsewhere.”
“Come now, Jess. There’s a good chance you’d get to keep the next one.”
“It shouldn’t be a matter of chance. Greg and I are determined that we’re done. We can’t escape this system, so this is our little act of defiance, not that it’ll do much good.”
No one would expect such vehemence from such a petite woman. Her blonde hair framed thin cheeks and blue eyes sat in a kind face marred by early signs of aging. Beta genetics couldn’t spare her the stress of living in this world.
Somewhere, Will’s own mother lived with the same pain Jess did. He didn’t know anything about her. He could only guess at her coloring by looking in the mirror. But it was a futile exercise. For all Will knew, his physical appearance resembled more of his father.
Nothing good ever came from thinking about his nonexistent parents. It did nothing but put his mind in a place he’d rather not be. Even if he did find out who his parents were someday, he doubted meeting them would be anything but awkward. That was a life he could never have, even if they did succeed in removing the collars.
“Are you all right?”
Will shook his head to clear his thoughts, startled back to the present by Marcy’s hand on his arm and her concerned tone.
“Yeah, just got caught up thinking. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go take these cookies to Trent and see if everyone’s left the Eval Center yet.” He grabbed the plate Jess had set aside and left his sandwich only half-eaten behind him.
Chapter Thirty-One
Six Zeds with six new collars filed into the two cars they had taken for the trip to the Eval Center. Malcolm climbed into the driver’s seat of the first car. The second one would follow in tandem on autopilot. While everything had gone smoothly, he wouldn’t feel at ease until they were safely behind the walls of his compound.
While he appreciated Will staying home, Malcolm wished he were here now that the danger had passed. Something about Will’s presence calmed him. He’d see him soon enough. Malcolm reached over to the passenger’s seat and placed a hand on Stu’s knee. “Ready to go?”
Stu had the most difficult time with the exchange. It had helped to have him watch the others go first, but he had still trembled so much during the actual procedure that Malcolm had feared it would interfere with the safe attachment of the new collar. Already color refilled his cheeks, bringing back the bright-faced Stu Malcolm was used to.
Stu nodded while absently fingering the lightweight collar, and Malcolm steered them out of the parking structure. Through his rearview mirror he saw Rufus and Syrus sitting quietly in the backseat and beyond them Carson, Nick, and Tony in the other car. The arrangement had been intentional. Malcolm didn’t think he could handle much chatter at the moment.
The tall buildings on either side of the car seemed to close in on him in an oppressive manner. City life would never have worked well for him. The early afternoon hour meant little traffic stood in his way. Only a few more minutes and he could accelerate freely on the open road toward home.
“W-w-what w-w-was that?” Any color that had returned to Stu’s face had fled at the sound. Malcolm wanted to comfort him, but he had to focus on getting them home.
“I don’t know. It sounded like a bomb. Did you and Nick see any chatter about the fanatics doing something?”
Stu shook his head violently.
“Malcolm!” Nick’s voice rang from the car’s comm system. “I think it was a bomb. We should go see.”
“Boy, shut up your crazy talk. We ain’t goin’ nowhere but home. I oughta…” Carson’s line of thought mirrored Malcolm’s. What kind of crazy man would want to run toward an explosion?
“Everyone, turn off your tabs. They’ll be trying to contain the story. I don’t want them seeing any signals coming from our cars. Stay seated, be quiet, and don’t worry about anything.” Malcolm realized that his tone and directions inspired nothing but worry, but he needed everyone to stay calm.
Up ahead, he could see the edge of the city. Police officers sped to set up checkpoints, examining every vehicle attempting to leave or enter. Malcolm gripped the steering wheel harder, his pulse quickening. This had nothing to do with him. There was absolutely nothing to fear. The worst that could happen was a delay, and that’s exactly what any other Alpha would be thinking as he came to a halt.
“Excuse me, sir.” A police officer on a hover bike knocked on his window. The Beta should be easy to intimidate.
Malcolm lowered his window. “Yes? I hope you have a good reason for bothering me.” Unfortunately, behaving politely would actually rouse suspicion.
[In Distress 02.0] In Pain Page 20
