Immersed

by Jenetta Penner

  "They're here!" Aron shouts, one of his drones buzzing over his shoulder. He waves the rest toward the back of the pod hull. They settle on the outer surface as if magnetized.

  I turn to Ben, whose face suddenly is too tired and pale. Sweat dots his brow. I'd been so consumed with the download I'd forgotten how weak he's become.

  A lump gathers in my throat. "I can't lose you this time," I choke out.

  "We might have to make sacrifices."

  Stunned, I try to read him but I get nothing back. "You mean yourself?"

  Ben is silent.

  "Don't make me choose between the mission and you," I whisper.

  "Life is making choices you'd rather not," Ben growls. "Get used to it."

  That's the problem. I am used to it.

  "Are you two ready or what?" Meyer calls, waving us to the pod.

  Ben gives me a last look and motions for Meyer. I clutch my bag and hurry forward, Ben moving slowly behind.

  "Have we got what we need?" I ask, swinging my attention back and forth between Aron and Meyer.

  "Probably not," Meyer says. "But it's good enough."

  "I double checked your fuel and operating system," Sanda adds as she steps up next to me. "Everything looks like a go."

  "Are you coming?" I ask her, my thoughts whirling with confusion from the chaos.

  She smiles and combs a hand through her short curls. "I have an assignment I need to get to, remember? I'll help my mom finish securing the bunker, and then I'm gone."

  "What about the soldier?" I ask.

  The smile disappears. "You worry about you now."

  There's no way my mind or heart has the ability to discard these problems, but I push the worries aside and stuff them down. I wrap my arms around Sanda's neck and squeeze, which she returns with an equal amount of vigor.

  "Be safe," I whisper.

  "Same to you." She releases me and hustles to the bunker.

  Gabrielle's voice comes over the comm inside the pod. "You haven't left yet?"

  Meyer swings into the captain's seat and taps the front console. "Give us a second." He spins toward me and tosses a gun to Ben, who weakly catches it. "You have yours, Avlyn?"

  I nod and pat the stunner on my hip.

  "Good," he says. "Now we all have them. Everyone get in."

  I fling my bag into the open hatch onto my spot in back of Meyer.

  "I have incoming," Gabrielle's voice says.

  Meyer leans into the comm. "Incoming what?"

  "On the radar, five miles out. Multiple ships, and these aren't all tiny pods."

  My heart aches for the residents in Thornton. These are families, mothers and children, people who want a peaceful life, and Manning could be coming for them as we speak. Maybe he'll pass them up.

  I throw myself into the seat alongside Ben and reach to lower the hatch. Aron taps the Flexx on his wrist and waves a drone into the front with him. It settles to his side. All the hatch doors click to lock in place and the pod lifts from the ground as Meyer's hands fly over the controls. No one speaks, but the air in the pod is thick with tension. There's no need for words. Meyer sets the course and the nose of the vehicle rises slightly as we make our way above the trees flanking and concealing the bunker.

  My mouth drops at the sight several miles away.

  I stretch my neck to see the pod's viewing screen. It indicates one large warship as well as a few smaller vessels hovering atop Thornton. Through the front window, a bright pulse emits from the main ship and at least a quarter of the city center erupts into bright yellow and orange flames.

  Chapter

  Thirty

  Horrified, I watch the night sky light up with embers and fire.

  "Why are they doing that?" I yell, working to get a better view out the front window of the pod. "The townspeople have no defense system."

  Wordlessly, Ben clutches my arm, guiding me back.

  "Stop it!" I yank from his grasp, adrenaline racing my veins. All I can think of is that nice woman, Katherine, and the little boy, Ash, who gave me that flower. "We can't leave those families to die!"

  "Avlyn!" Meyer snaps. "I don't know what you believe we can do for them. We're four people in one pod with our own limited defense system. The fact that Manning is attacking them is the very reason we need to get you two away. You must see the bigger picture. If we go in there and all get killed, you can't help anyone."

  He's right, Ben's voice says in my mind, and it brings an overwhelming sense of calm. I know you want to fix this, but getting us out of here is what needs to be done.

  I tear from the horrible view of Thornton and stare at my lap, my eyes stinging with hot tears. "Fine."

  The pod responds to Meyer's touch on the console and turns slightly right to follow the coordinates Gabrielle gave us.

  "I'm headed out," Sanda's nervous voice sounds over the pod comm. "After this, we're all on radio silence."

  Meyer lets out a long, steady breath. "I'll miss you, sis. Good luck."

  "You too," she says. The comm goes silent, as does everyone else in the pod.

  It's going to be okay, Ben thinks to me.

  I stare at him. You have no idea if that's true.

  You're right. Ben looks from me and exits my thoughts. He leans back in his seat and closes his eye, his body slumping in exhaustion. Loneliness buries me as I twist toward the view behind us. Thornton becomes a small, bright dot, slowly swallowed up by the night and distance.

  A pinging sound comes from the console.

  "What's that?" Aron asks, his mini-drone humming to life and lifting a few inches in the air, agitated.

  Meyer is silent as his hands fly over the controls, nervous energy radiating off him. "We have visitors. I'm unable to identify them, but it must be the DPF. Probably caught a whiff of our pod outside Gabrielle's scrambler. I'm changing course for now."

  I lean forward to study the screen. Three glowing green dots are set on an interception course for us.

  "These are definitely not friendly. Aron, it's time to release your drones," Meyer says. "How many are there?"

  "Twelve, not including the one in here. Aron grabs his Flexx from his wrist and unfolds it into a tablet. The golden drone inside with us buzzes excitedly. His fingers tap over the screen and the popping of the drones affixed to the pod hull release sounds from behind. The drone purrs at the window as if it's ready to join its clan. Aron reaches out and pulls it down.

  "Kill or disable?" Aron asks Meyer.

  Meyer pauses and rechecks the screen, jaw tightening. "Kill."

  The word sends a shock down my frame and I fight the urge to protest. It's what has to be done.

  Without hesitation, Aron taps the screen. I watch as the drones flying alongside the pod go from green to red, and they zip away in sets of two in the direction of our pursuers. The screen on the console matches with the tops of each piece of tech lit red.

  Meyer redirects our pod and increases the speed, throwing all of us to the side. Aron nearly drops his Flexx, but recovers and studies the screen that also displays a visual of the drones. Ben and I remain silent in the back, allowing the two of them to do what they need to. My shoulders tense, and I rack my brain for additional solutions, but there's nothing either of us can do. I look to Ben, realizing I've lost our emotional connection again. A painful emptiness rests in my mind. He glances back, and by the expression on his face, I can see he knows, too.

  "We'll make it through this," he whispers.

  "How can you know that?"

  "I just do. It's the same feeling I had all those years when I knew I'd come back to you."

  For the briefest of seconds, yellow and blue emotion surges over me, filling the void like a strange mix of happiness and sorrow synchronized. Then it's gone.

  A crack of thunder sounds from outside the pod.

  "Got one!" Aron shouts triumphantly.

  I stretch up to see the tracking on the console, and sure enough one of the chasing ships has disappeared from
the screen. Two of the red dots loop toward the other enemy ships, but the ships take evasive action and a streak of light flies past our craft. Extra bursts illuminate the sky in back of us as a battle between the drones and the enemy ensues, and two of the drone dots disappear.

  Meyer curses under his breath. "They're in firing range. Get those guys on them."

  "That's what I'm doing." Aron swipes at his Flexx screen frantically, and the micro drone with us buzzes about. Explosions sound and two more drone lights disappear from the screen.

  I gasp as Meyer dodges another streak of light. Ben reaches out and grabs the little drone from alongside Aron. The thing calms instantly in his hand. He immersed with it. I throw him a look to tell him not to do that, but he ignores me and angles his face away. I grip my armrest to hold my body in place, trying to anchor myself from Meyer's ever-changing maneuvers.

  "They're pushing us back to Thornton," Meyer growls.

  I strain to see the console again. We're several miles out from the town.

  "It's why they haven't shot us out of the sky yet," I say. "They want us back there."

  "Manning must know where you are," Ben mumbles.

  As he says it, a pulse jolts the pod. The humming of the flight mechanism slows.

  "What happened?" I yell, swinging around as two added bursts light up the sky behind us. The two green lights on the display go dark, and then the screen goes black.

  "We're hit and losing power." Meyer's hands fly over the controls and he switches to manual. "I need to land. It's going to be bumpy."

  The pod pitches as Meyer shifts into a different flight capability. The craft lifts slightly and then lurches forward, gliding toward the earth. My stomach contracts at the sudden altitude drop and the four of us brace for impact.

  Bam.

  The underside of the pod hits the ground, throwing our bodies ahead, only to be held back by the safety belts securing our waists. A shuddering screech from the metal hull dragging over vegetation and rocks fills the inside of the cab. My lip trembles as I attempt to form logical thoughts. Ben blinks beside me.

  "Are you okay?" I ask him, my eyes flitting to the front seat to visually assess Aron and Meyer. They appear unhurt.

  "I'm fine," Ben gasps, letting loose the drone still in his hand. The golden orb floats up and buzzes to Aron.

  "What did they do to the pod?" I ask Meyer. "Can I can fix it?"

  "They took out the operating system and overheated the engine, so unless your ability can cool it off, no," he says.

  "Should I try?"

  "There's not time." Meyer hits the activation for the hatch door, but nothing happens. He curses in frustration.

  "I think there might be a manual release." Aron fumbles his hand over the bottom of his door. I turn and do the same to mine, catching on a hidden handle. I pull and the hatch slides up. The other doors slide up immediately after mine. They found the latches too.

  I scurry out, ignoring the pain charging down my neck and back and run around toward Ben. He's bent over, hands on knees, and his face is pale, as if all the blood has drained. Eight remaining drones join the one hovering over Aron. As I reach for Ben, he collapses into my arms. Aron lunges forward to help me catch him.

  Meyer rounds the pod. "Stop wasting—" He pauses when he sees the state Ben is in.

  "You need to leave me," Ben whispers in my ear. Aron and I lower him to the ground. Memories of my mother dying in the tunnel overwhelm me and my knees give way.

  "No, way," I protest. "I'm not doing that again."

  Meyer grips my arm and draws me up. "Avlyn, we don't have any other choice. It's miles back to Gabrielle's. Even if he makes it, he's going to slow us down and put you at risk."

  I jerk from him. "You won't make me do this."

  Avlyn, Ben's struggling voice enters my conscience. Be logical and go. Do it for me. I need you to live.

  I detach from his connection.

  Ben looks at Meyer as he stands on wobbly legs, using the side of the pod to help him up. "Take her, now."

  Meyer grips my arm a second time and readies his stunner with his free hand. He addresses Ben. "You have a gun. We'll come back for you if we can."

  "I've programmed the drones to stay with you," Aron says to Ben. "Hide. If anyone moves to attack, they'll protect you." Six of the orbs zip into place over us, following Ben's every move. The other three whir to Meyer, Aron, and my sides.

  I throw my arms around Ben's neck and squeeze. "I'll make him come back for you."

  Ben doesn't reply. I release him, tears streaming my face. Aron, Meyer, and I spin and pound over the terrain to safety, wherever that is.

  "Where are we headed?" I ask, pulling my stunner off my hip.

  "Back to Gabrielle's for her hover," Meyer says.

  My mind reels. There's no way this will be successful, and going back puts Gabrielle in more danger.

  "What if they're already there?"

  "We'll have to risk it."

  When we've gotten maybe a mile away from Ben, another unmarked ship flies overhead. The three of us bolt for cover, but it's too late. The vessel shifts and descends in our direction.

  "We have to split," Aron says.

  I go light-headed and all I can do is think about Ben. I reach out to him with my thoughts.

  They've found us. Are you hidden?

  No voice comes back. Panic rips through me and a voice jolts me back to reality.

  "That way," Meyer says, pointing north and giving me a shove. "Try to make it to Gabrielle's."

  Gripped by my panic, I scramble to my feet and swivel my head, searching for Aron. His frame, shadowed by night, rushes in the opposite direction, but his drone is still with me.

  "Go!" Meyer shouts over the roar of the descending ship.

  I bolt, and a surge lights up the space above me. The drone shot at something. I turn to look and my body slams to the dirt. My hands rake over the gravelly surface, and fiery pain launches from my wrist up my arm. Ignoring it, I push up, but some force won't allow it. I try again, but some invisible energy surrounds me. I'm trapped.

  "Meyer, help!" I scream.

  No answer comes back.

  Ben! My thoughts shriek as a figure comes toward me. The moon casts light on his shoulders, and down the sleeve I see familiar markings. Three red stripes.

  These ships are not the DPF.

  I gasp as the soldier lifts his weapon. A blast emits and racks my body.

  Then the obsidian night consumes me.

  Chapter

  Thirty-One

  A sharp jolt of electricity upshots me against something stiff and covering my body. I can't move. My lungs heave desperately for oxygen. Dark and pale shapes crowd my vision, and I blink to clear them. I try to lift from the lying down position I'm in, but it's no use.

  "She's up," an unfamiliar female voice shouts as my memories rush in and my vision returns. The voice belongs to a woman not much older than me, but with reddish bobbed hair. The lantern street light confirms what I saw before I passed out; the woman wears the identical tan uniform with red stripes on the sleeves as Ben wore when I met him. These soldiers are from New Philly.

  What happened to the Direction ships?

  I turn my head, which is still somewhat free, and dart my eyes to locate Aron and Meyer, spotting them to my right about twenty feet or so, unconscious, a guard with a gun trained on each of them. At least they're alive. Ben is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he's still hidden.

  I struggle again to sit and press into whatever it is that's constraining me. As I force myself against it, a shimmery grid appears in my vision, covering my body. It's some sort of netting, but it's also tech. I close my eyes and try to merge with it, but only resistance comes back.

  "What do you think of it?" a deep voice from behind me says, severing my unsuccessful attempt to free myself. "There's no use trying to immerse with it. The data we collected from you allowed us to develop the restraint. Part nano, part organic. You can release her. We've pr
oven our point."

  In seconds the pressure dissipates, and I push up into a seated position. I twist to the voice. A man with a stocky build stands to my side, the overhead moon lighting his leathery skin. It's Waters. He's responsible for this. Another guard, with a weapon pointed my way, beside him.

  "You are a difficult one to find. So many rumors to investigate. When one came in about a grid activation, it made me curious, yet we get out here and nobody says anything. Still, I had a feeling you were here. I just didn't know exactly where yet, so I had to give them a bit extra incentive. They were reluctant for some reason, so it's a good thing you emerged."

  I realize that most of the townspeople seem to be rounded up beyond him. Overhead, a layer of smoke floats in the air, a remnant of the destroyed buildings.

  "Where are the Direction ships?" I ask, ignoring his words.

  "Direction? No, that was to stir the pot. I figured I'd start my own rumor."

  "But there was an Elorian ship. It … it crashed," I say thoroughly confused and glancing up at the two smaller, unmarked ships hovering above Thornton and the larger metallic craft on the road cutting the middle of the town.

  He shrugs. "Well, thankfully we were able to get to you so soon. Who knows what Manning would do to you."

  Meyer groans. I whip my head toward him lying on the ground, then turn back to Waters. "So it was you who destroyed Thornton?"

  "My intention was to play nice with you. If you'd stayed in Philly, none of this would've occurred."

  "Nice?" I snap back, standing with my hands on my hips. "How were you nice? By planning to send me off somewhere to study my ability against my will for who knows what while planning to dispose of my friend?"

  Waters shakes his head. "You don't see the big picture, do you? All you do is focus on the immediate. We could have gotten more data from you and used it to fight Direction without all this," he waves his hand in the air, "extra destruction. But, Manning had an overblown sense of superiority, and it's dangerous to everyone. His attempt to let a new virus loose on us was the final straw. I'll be making the first move this time, and you're my ticket to that."