by Leigh Walker
I doubted Althea Remington’s judgment. She’d pronounced us all guilty, worthy of the death penalty. So I watched her back, imagining a target on it.
And that was cold comfort enough to keep me going.
20
Uncomfortably Numb
If I’d been calculating correctly, there was still time before the reset. I kept counting, and I stayed close to Finn. Althea punched in a code that led us through a set of heavy double doors. I recognized them as government-issued: fireproof, waterproof, bulletproof.
Finn and I walked silently and obediently behind her into the lab. It was a large, open space, with tables and beakers and enormous, blinking machines. One lone worker sat at a table, hunched over what looked like slides.
She jumped up when she saw us. “Your Highness.” The young woman, dressed in a lab coat, was clearly startled. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“I’m here to pick up the donors and the equipment.”
“Of course.” The lab worker bowed. She peered at us when she raised her head. “Where’s Andy?”
“He’s dealing with some paperwork back in his office. He sent us directly. I’m on a tight timeframe. We have a helicopter waiting.”
“Of course. I’ll go get the donors.” The woman frowned. “Do you know what equipment you’re taking? They didn’t go through the specifics with us.”
Althea smiled, and this time, she projected a friendly warmth. Sociopath! “I know exactly what I need. Thanks.” She motioned to the guards. “Go with her and get them. I’ll mark what needs to be taken.”
They followed the lab worker and Althea stalked through the rows of equipment. She helped herself to a laptop, some sort of small hard drive with flashing lights, and a box filled with beakers.
When the guards came out, they had two people with them: a man and a woman, both in their sixties. They wore what were either prison garments or scrubs; I couldn’t tell which.
The woman had pale hair and blue eyes. The man had thick brown hair and a square jaw. Both of them looked familiar, yet strange, as if I were looking at some sort of trick mirror. The woman looked like me, the man looked just like Finn…
What the what?
They visibly paled when they saw Finn and me. Neither one of them bothered to look at Althea. It was as though they’d been expecting her.
Her, but not us.
“Take them to the copter and secure them in the back. Then return to the lab. There’s more equipment than I can carry.” She surveyed the room. “Where’s the girl?”
“We put her in their cell.”
Althea nodded and went back to shoplifting goods from the lab.
The man and the woman watched us, pale and silent, as they were escorted from the room. The helicopter was going to be pretty packed.
Unless…
I glanced at Finn. He was immobile, as though he were waiting to be ordered around. Althea was barely paying attention to us. She was like a kid in a candy shop. She examined each device she passed, her eyes lighting up the way mine lit up around square chocolate cake with fudge-y frosting.
I tried to communicate with Finn again. Finn. But there was no answer.
By my countdown, the reset was near.
I got you, buddy. I am going to fortify your monitor so they can’t do this to you anymore. And then we’re going to…
Curse word that rhymes with truck. I had no idea what the heck we were going to do after that. We had several competing issues.
Althea Remington.
Her guards.
The two strangers.
We were trapped in Washington, D.C., far away from our team and our families. And there were civilians in the building, people I didn’t know and didn’t trust.
Feeling as if I were about to implode, I pushed the thoughts from my mind. When had I ever known what I was going to do? All I had was my power, my love for Finn, and my love for our families and friends. It might not have seemed like much, but at the same time, it was everything.
Althea was examining another set of test tubes, her back to us. I closed my eyes. By my count, we were on the verge of the reset. I had no idea if Nora was supposed to do it or if we’d been automatically programmed for a rollover. But I could feel, at the base of my own neck, the outside influence that threatened to penetrate me. I could feel my monitor turning, as though it were about to click into place. I had no idea what this meant, but my telekinetic energy turned with it, protecting its new configuration.
Three, two, one. Making sure my own fortification was intact, I reached my brainwaves out toward the base of Finn’s neck. I mentally searched for the location of his monitor. I couldn’t visualize it, but I sensed the device embedded in his flesh.
I gave it everything I had.
I felt something retracting from Finn’s monitor, changing and shifting. My power rushed in, eager to fill in the small cracks. I could feel the outside power receding from Finn’s monitor, and my telekinetic energy brushed against it. It was like we were heading in opposite directions in a too-tight hallway.
The other power was so close, it almost felt as if it passed through me. It felt uncomfortable—all wrong, like swallowing an ice cube on accident—and almost painful, but over quickly enough to make it bearable. I shuddered, but I kept going. I got you, babe.
All of a sudden, I heard Finn inhale. In my head.
Don’t say anything! I snapped my eyes open. Althea had amassed a pile of equipment, and she was examining what looked like another hard drive.
She thinks we’re still in pet-Terminator mode, I thought at Finn.
Where are we? Even in his thoughts, he sounded groggy and disoriented.
Someplace in downtown Washington, D.C. We’re getting the donors—the guards just brought them upstairs. I think Althea’s planning to make an army of psychic clones. Or she plans to somehow dovetail this to create an AI robot army. Actually, I have no freaking idea. I just know that she’s crazy. She just killed another innocent man, and the donors look suspiciously like they might be our biological mommy and daddy—
Whoa, whoa. Hold up. Finn blinked. She’s right there. Tell me how to act.
Stare straight ahead. Don’t acknowledge her or any other movement you see. All we’ve been doing is walking and not tripping. We’re handcuffed and chilling. That’s literally it. We make really boring robots.
Finn blinked again, his face a pale mask. Back up to what you said before. About the mommy-and-daddy thing.
Relieved that Althea was perusing yet another hard drive—damn, the woman liked her lab equipment—I tried to explain to Finn. Althea and Nora kept talking about the “donors,” like they’d made some sort of trade for the donors or something. And then we flew here, and it’s some sort of office. It’s weird. People are wearing skirt suits and ties, and there’s a conference room and—
Hanover. Focus.
I tried to calm down, but my heart thudded in my chest. Althea killed the guy we met with, then we came down here, and the guards went and got the donors. They’re two humans, a man and a woman. Older, in their sixties. The woman’s coloring was like mine, and the man’s coloring was like yours. They didn’t seem surprised to see Althea. They basically ignored her, like they’d met her before or something. But they kept staring at us. It was weird. Then the guards took them up to the helicopter.
Finn continued staring straight ahead. But they aren’t actually both of our donors, are they?
I have no idea!
The muscle in his jaw jumped. You don’t get what I’m saying, do you?
Um… No?
He recklessly gave me a sideways glance, and I almost recklessly elbowed him in the ribs to tell him to knock it off. Don’t! She can’t know we’re awake!
Finn sighed inside my head. Two things. First of all, we need to kick Althea’s ass. Second of all, I’m asking you if our mommy and daddy donors are actually our mommy and daddy. Do you get it now? I don’t exactly want to hear that you’re my sister!
We each gave the other a forbidden glance. They wouldn’t, would they?
Finn changed the uncomfortable subject. Why haven’t you smashed Althea against a ceiling or a nearby wall yet?
Because I’ve been waiting to see what she’s doing!
She finished assembling the hard drives and other items then rubbed her hands together. She was way too excited about whatever she was doing for it to be a good thing.
I think it’s pretty clear that she’s doing something bad, Finn thought. Yeah, I’m going with bad. Very bad.
You want me to smash her into the ceiling? I mentally cracked my knuckles.
Hold on. We’ve got company.
The guards came back and bowed stiffly. “Your Majesty, they’re secure in the copter. Handcuffed and ready to go.” The closer one nodded in our direction. “Shall we take them up?”
“Take the equipment first. Make sure that it’s packed carefully. Did anyone stop you in the halls?”
“No, Your Majesty.” The guards briefly looked at one another. “We think they inspected the conference room. They’re giving us a wide berth.”
Althea smiled a real smile, all perfect, glistening white teeth. “Excellent.” She turned back to her pile and started organizing things for the guards to take. “Let’s start bringing this out. Then we’ll leave immediately.”
Finn was doing a good job of looking like a hot robot without an assignment. He just stood there, immobile. We need a plan.
There are cells in the back, somewhere, I thought at him. They put the lab worker in one.
Are you suggesting we lock them up?
I am.
How very civilized of you, Hanover. But I think we’re going to need to bring Althea with us, at least for now. The smashing will have to wait. He sighed. Ready when you are, babe.
Althea selected a hard drive and was about to hand it to the closer guard.
Making sure my monitor-blockers were ticking along, I focused on the handcuffs around our wrists.
Three, two, one…
21
Prime Motivating Factor
The handcuffs clattered to the concrete floor.
Althea whipped around, her hair flying. “What the—”
I mentally took the hard drive from her hands and placed it on the table—it might be important. Then much less carefully, I lifted Althea into the air. She hung, suspended, and I watched her face.
First, there was a flash of rage. Then she visibly calmed herself. She was back to looking like the reigning champion in a matter of seconds, her face smooth and serene.
Damn, she’s good.
Finn arched an eyebrow. She’s a mom, remember? Moms have game faces locked.
Althea looked at her guards, who were staring up at her, their mouths agape. “And you’re waiting for…what, exactly? Get them!”
The guards ran for us, but I lifted them, too. They reached for their blasters, but I was faster, disarming them in an instant. Their guns clattered to the floor.
“Can I have one of those?” Finn asked. I sailed one of the blasters into Finn’s outstretched hands and he grinned. “Right. Let’s get them locked up. We need their gear, though.”
“And me?” Althea had quickly adjusted to her new position. She lay on her back, calmly, as if she were riding a float in some luxury-hotel pool.
Finn glowered at her. “You don’t want to know.”
She shrugged. “I think I liked you better on the leash.”
“I bet you did.” Finn nodded at me. “Let the soldiers down. I’ll deal with them.”
I nodded, telekinetically lowering the soldiers back to the ground. They landed with a thud, and I smiled.
“I’d wipe that look off your face if I were you,” Althea said.
I looked up to find Althea watching me. “Did you seriously just say that to me?” I itched to ram her into the ceiling, hard enough to crack the plaster.
“I did.” She inspected her manicure. “You might think you’ve won the battle, but you’ve already lost the war, young lady.”
I gritted my teeth. The ceiling was so close and so very appealing.
I tore my gaze from her, making sure Finn was okay. He’d used our discarded handcuffs to secure the soldiers and had both of their blasters. “I’m going to take their uniforms, and I’ll put them in the cells. Should I let the worker out?”
“Yes,” I said.
“No,” Althea said at the same time.
Finn rolled his eyes, stopping long enough to glare at Althea again. “I know you’re used to people following your orders, but stop being ridiculous. I was so not talking to you. Keep your mouth shut. That’s an order.”
Althea bristled briefly, but then her serene mask of superiority slid back into place. I swear to God, her smug face was like a Jedi mind trick—it kept me wondering what she knew that I didn’t.
Althea fluttered her eyelashes at Finn. “I can’t wait to get you back on the clock, handsome, so you can be my bitch again.”
He smiled at her, but it was not a nice smile. “I love it when you sexually harrass me, Your Highness. No, really.”
Althea smiled back sweetly. “I’m going make you my number one manservant. I might even put a toga on your fine ass.” Her gaze flicked to me. “Remember Cardin? You took mine, so I’m taking yours.”
I telekinetically raised her a few inches, itching to use the ceiling to scrape that smile off her face.
Finn bit back a curse, but then he laughed. “I admire your optimism, Althea. Seriously. It’s going to make crushing your twisted, little soul even more fun.”
Althea shook her head disapprovingly as Finn led the guards from the room. “Men. They love to think they’re in charge, don’t they? I’ve purged almost an entire population, but he’s still talking to me like he’s the boss.” She snorted.
“You’re seriously trying to girl-talk me right now? After you just threatened my boyfriend with a toga?” The woman had zero idea that I was about to end her.
“I’m just making conversation. A conversation fit for the end of the old world.” Her voice was supremely confident. No fear or even real concern emanated from her. Althea literally looked as if she were waiting for a spa appointment as she hung in the air, suspended by my power. She was largely undeterred as she floated calmly, intermittently inspecting her nails.
“It’s not the end of the old world yet.” My voice came out hoarse.
“Are you sure about that?”
I kept watching her, trying to take her measure. Althea obviously had faith. But in what? She believed she would come out of this on top. What was she basing that belief on?
No time like the present to find out. “Why do you say that? I’m genuinely curious—a conversation for the end of the old world, like you said.”
“Fair enough. I’m telling you because you’re either going to end up working for me, or you’ll end up dead.” She pursed her lips. “Your admiral and I made a deal. She gave me you two, the donors, and the means to replicate their special DNA so that I could harvest it. I’m making clones.”
I nodded. “Go on.”
“In exchange, I helped her with the antidote. They hadn’t been able to figure it out, but I did it for them because I’m very good at what I do. There’s no one else like me.” She paused for a moment, letting that sink in. “Nora needs me, and so do you. They’re planning to use the antidote sparingly. They’re only keeping special segments of the remaining population.”
I lost my ability to breathe for a moment. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“The virus is already set for delivery,” Althea explained calmly, as if she were speaking to a skittish horse about to buck and run. “The government’s been holding the remaining civilians in an underground system, as you know. The virus will work quickly in such close quar
ters, just like it did on your mother and Lover Boy’s sister.”
I opened my mouth then closed it. She knew about that? I clenched my fists together and looked up at the ceiling, wishing I could crush her bones to dust instead of listening to the evil things coming out of her mouth.
But I’d been lied to enough to know when I was being told the truth.
I swallowed hard. “Why are we killing our own people?”
“You know my position. I view this as a reset. It’s the second chance that we probably don’t deserve.”
“Who gets the antidote?”
“The civilians who’ve been deemed ‘worthwhile’—the ones with advanced degrees, special skills, high intelligence, and aptitude scores. They’ve been separated from the others.”
“How do you know all of this?”
“The admiral has come to see things from my perspective. She’s the one who reached out to me. We’ve known each other for a while.” Althea watched me, enjoying the effect her words were having on me. Unlike her, I had no game face.
“She’s the one who told me about you. It was something I’d never considered—the scientific possibility of enhancing humans with extraordinary DNA. It was funny when I met you in the Sonora Caverns. I didn’t put it all together at first. But then I saw what you could do and assembled the pieces afterward when I was considering that idiot Cranston. I knew you were military then. And then I knew what Nora had been talking about all those years ago.”
“You’ve known her for a long time?”
“Yes.” Althea circled above me lazily, looking as though she were enjoying herself. “But she didn’t know what I’d planned. Not until after. I didn’t want her to try and stop me, and I didn’t trust her back then.”
I scowled up at her. “You trust her now? She just tried to gyp you out of your special equipment.”
