Coded the connection sag.., p.18
CODED (The Connection Saga Book 1), page 18
“Cloning has been approved,” Ayster starts. “The Enlightenment would like to pursue the project of cloning prisoners who are taken to the Mirror’s Edge.”
“Sounds like a hell of a place,” Astraea interjects.
“Shhh,” Ayster continues. “Those who are taken there will undergo a procedure where their DNA will be extracted and copied to form a new human. We will recreate humanity as we know it. The nation will be ours, guided by our creation. The better human.”
Ayster stops, his expression conflicted.
“What else?” Zane pushes.
“That’s it,” Ayster says. “The rest of the file is lost because of me.”
“Who was it written by?” I ask.
Raelyn looks closer, trying to read the signature.
“Octavio Oxton,” she whispers.
Gasps erupt through the space.
The man Claire mentioned when she first brought me here—the architect of Black Web.
As we exchange looks of bewilderment, the intercom crackles above.
“Attention, attention. All members of the web are to report to the Director’s office immediately,” the voice, similar to Amity’s, says.
We exchange glances, our expressions all asking the same question:
What has happened?
ACTIVATION
30
“I’m going to keep this short because we have to act. Intel about your assignments will be transferred to your navs with further detail that you can use on your way, but for now…” Claire takes a short breath. A sharp gaze of want and determination transfers throughout the room. “We’ve received word that the Enlightenment have approved their time frame for their nationwide address. It will be Enlightenment Day, as I predicted. Furthermore, it’s not certain, but Ezra may have been spotted in Area 1.”
Whispers flow and heads turn among the web. From my normal corner of the briefing room—my honorary comfort zone—I move to the oval table, joining the others. Ezra’s name drags the stirring emotions out as I ignore the looks of Zane and Ayster. After helping them, I thought I would be welcomed at least a fraction more than before. I guess I was wrong.
“I’m sending Zane, Ayster, and Mason to Arcadia. Specifically, to the Panoramic Diner where Daniel was killed.”
Daniel. The memories of his politeness and shy nerves that rose when he poured my coffee quickly flash through my mind. I still find it hard to believe he tried to kill me. Trace’s smile beckons and I think about how he saved my life.
A map appears on the table, glowing with a hologram of the Panoramic diner. The red hue rotates around the destruction of one of my favorite places to relax. It shows the aftermath of the events when we fled. Claire flicks the hologram, and it zooms in, adding the letters ‘VPK’ above it. The letters separate into names, and I remember the introductions from the rooftop.
Codenames.
Viro, Phoenix, and Kasper.
“Zane will take the lead. Your goal is simple.” She looks them over with a death stare. “If Ezra does show his face, do not engage. Your primary objective is surveillance. Take your teams and use your talents to track him. If he is carrying valuable information, extract it, but do not engage in any form of combat. And if there are any signs of Black Web we may have left behind, get rid of them.”
“Director,” Zane replies.
“Dismissed.”
The three walk out in single file, without another word.
“Eliza.” Claire pauses, gathering her thoughts. “You know your assignment. It goes through today.”
“Director.”
“Dismissed.”
Eliza exits, following the boys’ departure. The thought of saying goodbye is thwarted by the sound of the door closing. My shoulders unintentionally fall from not knowing if I’ll ever see her again.
“Astraea and Raelyn,” Claire says, changing the map, revealing the letters ‘I’ and ‘L’. Illusia and Lumina. “Here in Techdon, there are whispers about other Enlightenment members moving in to help Ezra with controlling the sector. I need you to find out when, where, and how.”
Claire’s voice turns maternal as she dismisses them. In her emerald eyes, there’s the sliver of a tear, begging to be released. The director’s fierceness shows as it evaporates after a hard blink, and she watches her daughter leave.
“Ariadne,” she says softly.
“Before you try to assign me anything. I was able to help crack the encrypted code on the file Mason and Raelyn gathered.”
“What did you find?”
“A lot was lost, but the most important thing is, the Enlightenment, along with a man you know, Octavio Oxton, have been producing clones of people somewhere called the Mirror’s Edge.”
Claire takes a step back as her brows furrow.
“Do you know what that is?” I ask.
“Yes, it’s one of the Enlightenment’s maximum security prisons. But cloning wasn’t something recorded back when it was infiltrated by your parents, years ago.”
“So, the Enlightenment has been cloning people more recently. I wonder if my parents had an idea. It could be another revelation they found.”
“Maybe,” Claire says, looking around, and judging by her sporadic movements, I’d guess she’s looking for a drink. “Thank you. I’ll have our silk of decryption look at it more thoroughly. I know you have more important matters at the moment.”
She’s right. A concrete lead has finally shown itself, giving me the drive to pursue it and achieve what I was meant to. Even though the idea of cloning sends a sharp chill down my spine and warrants my curiosity, it’s not my primary mission.
“I want to send you to Millennia, if that’s okay.”
“Why there?”
“Given Millennia’s history of being the most guarded sector, I think there is a better chance of Ezra being there, versus Arcadia.”
“So why not send the guys there?”
“There’s still a chance I’m wrong, and he goes to Arcadia. The reason three of them are going is because there is more ground to cover, including the cleaning aspect of the diner.”
The map closes and the table rises. Holograms flicker and return to view as she walks around the table to meet me, and I’m engulfed in her arms. There’s a sweet scent hidden behind the clove, reminding me of my mother. It tugs at my heart as I return the hug, pulling us further into an embrace.
She holds me at arm’s length and smiles.
“I know you want to kill him, but I ask you to reconsider. I want you to have your revenge, but the time has to be right. Whatever Ezra is doing in Area 1, we need to know, and I believe you can be the one to retrieve that intel.”
Again, she praises me, and I haven’t done anything to deserve it. The pressure makes me tense as the biggest question I’ve never answered comes to light. Do I kill the Enlightenment? Or find another way to enact my revenge.
“We’ll see what happens,” I say, readying myself to leave. “But, I’ll have to go to my home in Arcadia first. There’s some things I’ll need for the operation you don’t have here.”
“Be careful,” she whispers.
“I will. And thank you for everything.”
“Anytime, love.”
I smile and head to the door.
“Amity, it’s time to go home.”
31
“Welcome home, Ms. Young,” Amity says over my inter-network.
Everything is exactly how I left it. The center seat, arranged by my parents. A table hovering a few inches above the floor, directly in front of it. Cool air rushes through the room, gently sending chills along my skin. Being underground the past few days has given me a new appreciation for being above it.
I pace toward the kitchen, sliding my staff out of its holster and place it gently on the floating island. The lights flicker on with a quiet hum. I trace the island top and absorb the feeling of my own space again. Following the rectangular shape, my fingers find the edges as they slide on the hard surface. My eyes scan the black cabinets until falling, stopping at the refrigerator, instantly igniting my taste buds. Bronze liquid sloshes in the container as I pour it, filling a small glass. The potent smell makes my mouth water, as I imagine the taste.
Excitement fills my body when the first sip of crisp bitterness lands on my tongue. As I swallow, the sweet tangy aftershock refreshes my mouth with a relishing experience I didn’t know I could miss. The drinks at Black Web didn’t satisfy me the way this tea does. The food was also different. Here, in Arcadia, food is always fresh–especially seafood which I’ve missed. I suppose being underground in Techdon makes the food bland, but I would think they would have some kind of tech to make it for them.
As I think about Black Web, Eliza comes with it. The time I spent there, meeting Claire and the others who share in my cause, lights a fire of joy in my heart.
I move past those thoughts before I delve deeper into the memories of my time with Eliza. The thoughts fade as I reenter my living room and take a seat on the couch that faces the glowing ‘A’ on my wall. The insignia reminds me of the pen Claire gave me, once belonging to my mother. I remove the pen from its secure hiding place along my belt and hold it high between two fingers. I twirl it in my hand and notice a weight transfer inside, as if something is sliding from one end to the other. I twist the pen open, and inside the hollow tube is a small chip, the perfect size to fit into Iris, which requires custom made chips. Chips designed by my parents.
“Amity,” I say. “Scan.”
I toss the chip into the air, and take another sip of tea. The smooth buzz of my drone’s wings hover above me as the chip lands on it. The scanning begins. Rigorous and thorough, to provide a secure encryption to protect my own devices if this chip happens to be corrupt.
“Scanning complete, Ms. Young. The chip is clean and ready to be used.”
It falls back into my palm and my drone glides away. I attach the chip to Iris, securing the connection, and place it on the table in front of me. The ‘A’ along the wall begins to pulse like a soft heartbeat before activating. An optic scanner displays, hovering over the table. It rotates, searching for eyes. I move into its view, and it glows green.
“Young DNA verified,” Amity says.
The scanner fades and the word ‘Amity’ displays in white lettering.
“What is this?” I ask.
“It appears it’s a main source connector, Ms. Young. The interface is gathering data from an unknown source inside the home.”
My core tightens as my lungs stall. I don’t like the idea of an unknown source being connected to my interface.
“Data transfer complete, Ms. Young.”
The letters fall like a code and reveal an algorithm I’ve seen before, during a training session my mother once gave me.
“What transfer?”
“A database transfer found in a room beneath the house.”
“What?”
“It appears the unknown source has been revealed inside of your simulation chamber. There’s a hidden compartment the chip managed to unlock once it connected to your systems.”
My breathing starts to settle from Amity knowing the source’s location. I’ve lived in this home for seven years now and had no idea. I don’t know if I should be angry with myself for not realizing or grateful to Claire for giving me the pen. She must have known.
“Ms. Young, the data found inside the compartment was left by your parents,” Amity adds. “Before they died, they transferred all data held in your former home.”
My former home.
Tears stream down my face at the mention of both it and the deaths of my parents. Memories I have forced to the deepest place in my mind return with a force, breaking my heart once again.
They ‘d fought and killed so many of them, I was sure we’d be okay. That thought had been erased when my mom took a bullet. It’d pierced her chest, and as she’d wavered backward, I’d screamed as loudly as I could. As much as I’d wanted to come to her aid, I couldn’t. My screaming distracted my father, who hadn’t realized she’d been shot. He’d turned to face me, sadness embedded beneath his eyes. Pain and anger had ripped through me when his hand touched the fresh blood that slowly spread across his coat.
He’d fallen to his knees after taking my dying mother’s hand. The world had paused, black and white, filled to the brim with the hues of my inner darkness. My mind took a picture of them at that moment, reminding me to never forget. My father then kissed her hand, and it fell dead to the ground. Agents had flooded inside, but my dad still smiled with his head high. His eyes had found mine when an EA pointed a gun to his head and pulled the trigger.
Stunned by a broken heart and fractured mind, I hadn’t fought back when the agents rushed in and grabbed me. I was carried out of my home in the arms of hooded people as I got one last glimpse of my parents’ bodies. More agents had ignited an explosion, incinerating everything I’ve ever loved. Thrown into the back of a flar, I vowed to avenge them. To cause the same pain they’d caused me. I promised myself I would never be hurt by them again.
“What data was transferred?” I ask, new determination grounding me.
“Data for new equipment and upgrades to your gear.”
Perfect time for my upcoming mission. The hologram fades and I’m on my feet, tracking the location Amity mentioned, past my living room through my narrow hallway. Before the end, I walk down into the basement, where my simulation device lives.
A blue glow appears on the floor, something I never noticed before. When I reach the hidden door, a hologram rises from it, my mother’s insignia, highlighted like everything she’d ever owned.
The hologram flickers, and a red beam shines directly in my eyes, blinding me for a few seconds.
“Young DNA verified. Failsafe aborted,” Amity says.
A hiss escapes the door as it unlatches, reminding me of the doors in Black Web. The door slides flush into the floor, releasing stairs leading underground. Bright light illuminates the small space as I reach the bottom step.
“Woah,” I say.
My eyes find silver plated boxes tucked into a corner. Floating desks hover along the walls with holograms labeling with what they contain. Weapons line the three walls with other equipment I don’t recognize. I take a few steps deeper, and the holograms on the tables flicker, waiting to be activated. One, labeled ‘Prototypes’, catches my eye amid the crowd of equipment. I activate it, revealing different methods for extraction, chronologically numbered from one to five. Dates appear at the corner of each file. Dating back to the technological war. I open the first file, and the contents aren’t displayed how I expect them to be. Instead of a written document, there are video components and demo reels. As a video plays, my parents talk about refined weaponry, letting me know the primary focus for this file.
I thought I had everything I needed but here I stand with more. My parents must have known I would follow the path they lead. What other reason could explain this? They left me with an A.I., which looks after me and helps me pursue my goals, money, a large amount of equipment, and the skills to use them.
When I first escaped prison, I had no idea where to begin in my quest for vengeance. Now, in knowing who my parents’ murderers are, I have a chance.
“Ms. Young, might I ask a question?” Amity says.
“Yes?”
“Is the plan to kill the members of the Enlightenment?”
The question returns.
I thought I knew the answer when I saw my parents die in front me. To kill was the only option. And when Wren died, that pushed it further. But, after finding Black Web and meeting Claire, I’m not sure anymore. The talk about the bigger picture and how the entire nation could be affected causes my original decision to waver. I’m stuck with the question of whether my personal vendetta is worth whatever will happen to the country afterward.
“When the moment comes, I’m sure I’ll know,” I say. “For now, we have a lot of work to do.”
“Seems preparation is in order.”
“I want to work out every possible scenario. Good and bad. We need to make this essentially perfect. This could be our last chance.”
“Where do we start?”
The holograms glow around me, waiting to be analyzed. All the possibilities play in my head. With Claire’s help, I know where he may be, giving me a head start.
“The beginning,” I say, activating the first prototype.
No mistakes. This is what I live for.
32
Yesterday, after the chip revealed a new database inside my home, I used every minute to learn from it. As I lie in my own bed for the first time in days, regret builds inside of me. I could have jumped to pursue Ezra, but I stayed to prep. I do believe my preparations will help me as I still don’t have an exact location for him, but it doesn’t stop the itch to get moving.
One thing I can be grateful for is Claire. Without my mother’s pen, I wouldn’t have been able to discover what my parents left behind. The weapons, equipment, and knowledge all came from meeting her. The director, and how she’s leading a revolution against those in control, comes to mind, including how I might possibly be a part of it. As my mind wanders, Eliza appears behind my closed eyes.
Her gorgeous blue eyes always seemed to pierce through me. An everlasting smile that made me feel wanted. The way she thinks and how it translated into her voice. It all makes me miss her. How can I miss someone I barely know? She has left a bizarre and strange imprint on me. Foreign to my emotional and mental capabilities.
Wren quickly invades my consciousness, replacing Eliza. Her smile, which made all my bad feelings go away. When I lost her, all hope for happiness was gone and I didn’t know how to move on. Only through memories of her was I able to fully escape the iron grip of the Enlightenment. The first person I ever loved outside of my family. And now, with Eliza, I don’t know what to think or feel.
I rise out of bed before I let the thoughts drown me and step out onto the balcony. With each step, my legs feel tight and sore, like I’m trying to walk up a steep mountain. My arms feel numb and heavy. I finally make it to the balcony’s edge and lean all my weight on the marble rails. My eyes find the sky and I’m in awe of the untouched blue. Like the ocean, vast and open for imagination to soar with no end in sight.
