Infinity Reborn (The Infinity Trilogy Book 3) (7 page)

“As soon as we exit that hatch, our mere presence will trip the motion sensors and send the mechanoids toward us and away from Dome Two,” says Jonah.

“That’s suicide,” blurts Brent. “They’ll hunt you down and turn you into mincemeat.”

Jonah smiles. “Of course it’s going to be very dangerous, but believe me, I certainly don’t have a death wish. There’s an administration building a short distance from the second hatch,” he says, pointing at a rectangular block on the hologram. “We’re going to position ourselves on the roof. It should hold up against the R.A.M.s’ weapons long enough for Bit to get the slate, access the neural core, reset the computer, and shut the R.A.M.s down.”

“Why do all three of you have to go?” I ask. “Surely you only need one person to trip the motion sensors to bring the R.A.M.s running?”

“Yeah,” agrees Brent. “Just stand by the hatch and wave your arms around. As soon as you see them jump back in!”

“I wish it were that easy,” says Jonah. “Even after we distract the R.A.M.s, there’s a chance they may decide to turn back toward Brody, Bettina, and Dr. Pierce once they exit
their
hatch. If that happens I need to present a much bigger threat to the facility in order to keep the R.A.M.s heading toward us, away from Dome Two. That’s where these come in,” Jonah says as he puts a hand on top of one of the three gas tanks he dragged over from the corner.

“I’ve drilled the valves and rigged them with ignition caps from emergency flares. It’s an old trick I learned from my days in the military. Drop one of these from the roof in the right way, and it’ll go off like a bomb. The computer will surely prioritize the explosions as a more serious danger and choose to focus the R.A.M.s’ attention on us, giving Dr. Pierce, Brody, and Bettina time to complete their part of the plan in safety.”

“Ohhh-kaaay,” Jennifer replies unsurely. “But, how will Bettina and Brody know when the R.A.M.s are a safe distance away? It must be at least a mile between the hatches. And there’s all those buildings in the way,” she says, pointing up at the hologram.

“We’ll take binoculars, and we have walkie-talkies,” Jonah says, kicking a yellow duffel bag at his feet. “Hopefully we should be able to spot the R.A.M.s from the roof as they approach the border between Sectors B and C. Then we can report their locations back to you.”

“Hopefully?” Brent gives Jonah an incredulous look. “You’re pinning a lot on ‘hopefully.’”

“Actually,” Jonah says, looking over at Bit, “when it comes to tracking the movement of the R.A.M.s, our resident computer expert came up with an ingenious idea.”

“It’s not ingenious,” Bit replies sheepishly. “It was kinda obvious really.”

“Show everyone what you’ve done, Bettina,” prompts Jonah.

Bit smiles and nods. “Four hours ago Dr. Pierce positioned a stack of medical ultrasound-capable computer slates near the surface and sent a message carried on a high-frequency vibration. That’s what guided us down here,” says Bit. “Percy and Professor Francis were kind enough to spread those slates along the entire tunnel between the two hatches.” Bit jabs at the screen in her hands, and up on the diagram of the facility, ten orange circles appear along the red dotted line between the hatches. “Using the slates as sensors, we can monitor the vibrations of the R.A.M.s’ footsteps. Even when we can’t see them or hear them, we’ll know where they are when one of these circles starts flashing.”

“That’s very clever,” says Jennifer.

“Yeah it is,” Brody agrees, smiling at Bit.

“It was pretty simple,” Bit says shyly. “I just boosted this slate’s frequency scanner in a similar manner to my own one and tuned it to—”

“Yeah, yeah, the whole school knows you’re some kind of super computer geek,” interrupts Brent.

“So, after you get your slate from Dome Two, you’re gonna plug into the main computer and make it all friendly again?” asks Jennifer.

“That’s the plan,” says Jonah.

“How do you know you can even do that?” asks Margaux.

“I’m certain I can do it,” replies Bit.

“But surely Dr. Pierce knows more about the Blackstone computer than you do. Why doesn’t he reset it?” asks Brent.

“Because,” Dr. Pierce murmurs as he absentmindedly stares into space, “I have absolutely no idea how Bettina broke it in the first place.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Margaux turns and stares wide-eyed at Bit. Brent is frowning in confusion, and Jennifer’s mouth drops open.

“Miss Otto?” says Professor Francis.

“I . . . I didn’t know all of this was going to happen,” squeaks Bit. I can see her eyes beginning to glisten with a film of tears. “All I did was put our school on the visitors’ roster.”

“She’s being extremely modest,” Dr. Pierce says, smiling admiringly at Bit. “What she did was hands down the most brilliant encryption cracking I’ve ever seen. She accessed classified files that even I didn’t know were in there!”

Bit looks toward the floor and shakes her head. “I’ve never hacked an artificially intelligent system before,” Bit sniffles. “I didn’t know I would corrupt the whole system.”

“Onix,” says Dr. Pierce. “The artificial intelligence that controls the mainframe is named Onix. And you didn’t just corrupt him, girly, you seem to have damaged him quite severely when you decided to schedule this little field trip of yours.”

Professor Francis stares at Bit in disbelief. “You’re responsible for bringing us here? For all of this?”

“Ha! I knew it!” blurts Percy. “I knew there was something fishy going on the moment I saw that a bunch of high school kids were scheduled for a tour. But I didn’t say a thing, did I, oh no. Didn’t raise a fuss. I just did my job and led the tour like I was supposed to. Now everyone is dead, half the complex is destroyed, and I’m crawling through tunnels praying that I’m not the next one who’s gonna be turned into meat paste by giant robots!”

“Holy crap,” Brent says, glaring at Bit. “I bet that’s how the cyberterrorists got into the computer, too. Right behind you!”

“I’m not even supposed to work on the weekends!” Percy wails.

Bit is quietly sobbing and clutching the slate to her chest as I take a determined step forward.

“I’m just as much to blame,” I declare loudly. Jonah’s head snaps in my direction, and his eyes narrow as he glares at me with surprised confusion. “She never would have been able to get so deep into the computer’s systems without my help. I clearly remember sitting in our dorm room giving classified passwords to Bit so she could gain access to the Blackstone files and systems.”

“Wait,” says Jonah. “Your mind is still muddled, Finn. There’s no way that you could know how to access any information that could lead to a catastrophe like this. Head injuries like the one you sustained can affect people in very unusual ways. I don’t think you’re remembering anything properly right now.”

“Is that what happened, Bit?” I ask.

She sniffles and slowly shakes her head. “Nnnnooo . . . not really.”

“Did those passwords come from these lips or not?” I bark, pointing at my own face.

Bit frowns. “Yes . . . but—”

“Then it looks like I’m beginning to remember just fine,” I state, glaring at Jonah as a strange urge to punch him in the face ripples through me.

“Well, you’ve certainly got a lot to answer for as well, Mr. Brogan,” declares Professor Francis. “You gave your operative here the order to breach the security, and she clearly manipulated a naïve civilian to do it!”

“Now is not the time to be pointing fingers,” says Jonah. “We need to focus on the task at hand.”

“Well, considering what has recently come to light,” says Professor Francis. “I believe it is incredibly reckless to allow the young lady who caused this tragedy to have access to the computer yet again.”

Jonah levels his gaze at Professor Francis. “With all due respect, Professor, Bettina may have played a part in causing this, but she’s also the only one who can fix it. Sure, there are risks. What if the mechanoids don’t take the bait? What if Bettina’s slate has been destroyed? What if we retrieve her slate and she can’t reset the mainframe? The truth is, we’re pinning our survival on a whole lot of luck. Our chances to get through this are slim at best, but if we don’t let Bettina try, the alternative is certain. None of us are getting out of here alive.”

“It’s very difficult to argue with that little logic bomb,” murmurs Dr. Pierce.

The Professor’s brow is creased with frustrated anger. But after a moment he eventually sighs and grudgingly nods in agreement.

“I know what I did was unforgivable,” says Bit. “But I don’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me. I need to do this.”

Percy nods solemnly. “She needs to undo whatever she’s done.”

“And I’m going every step of the way, right beside her,” I say determinedly. Bit looks up at me, and her lips twitch into a trembling smile.

“Absolutely not, Finn,” says Jonah. “Your head isn’t clear.”

“She’s my best friend,” I growl. “And this is my fault, too. I’m going.”

“No,” he grunts. “It’s far too dangerous.”

“That’s all the more reason why I should go!” I shout at him.

“You’re not well!” barks Jonah. “What if you black out again? Not only will you endanger your own life, but you’ll jeopardize the plan as well. I won’t allow it.”

“I’m telling you . . . I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not!” Jonah yells. “Do you remember what happened in the other room? You don’t, do you? Well, I’ll tell you what happened. You attacked me!”

The room goes completely silent. Everyone else looks just as dumbfounded by Jonah’s outburst as I do. What he just said is so ridiculous I actually laugh out loud. “Why on earth would I do that?”

A highly flustered, red-faced Jonah almost looks embarrassed as he takes a breath and tries to regain his composure.

“Give me one good reason why I would attack you?” I ask, frowning at him. “The man that raised me since I was two years old?”

Jonah opens his mouth and raises one finger, but he’s obviously stumped for an answer.

“That’s what I thought,” I sigh.

“Look, all I’m saying is . . . you’re not a hundred percent and . . . you could get hurt out there,” Jonah says.

First he tries to keep me down here with a lie about how I attacked him, and now he’s being a patronizing dick. I feel a flicker of anger growing in my belly. This argument is starting to piss me off.

“Any one of us could get injured or even killed up there,” I growl. “You heard what Dr. Pierce said. I can heal instantly without even thinking. And if that can help keep Bit alive, then
I’m going with her
.”

“The only thing Dr. Pierce has is a theory,” argues Jonah. “So stop being so pigheaded, and leave this to us. You’re staying down here.”

Suddenly a burning fury surges through me. I quickly scan around. I spot a scalpel sitting in a tray on top of a trolley just behind me, and I swear I can hear a voice in my head whisper,
“Do it.”
It almost feels as if my hand is lunging out on its own, and before Jonah has a chance to make up another ludicrous story or bark another order at me, I quickly pull the sleeve of my top all the way to my bicep, snatch the scalpel up from the trolley, and stab the point hard into my flesh. With one deft stroke, I slash the blade all the way from my wrist to my elbow.

Everyone in the room instantly recoils in shock as my skin splits open in one long, clean gaping incision. The pain hits immediately, but I can hear chiming tones ringing in the back of my mind as well, the sounds and the sensation mixing into a stinging thread that sears along my arm.

“Finn!” screeches Bit.

“Oh my god!” shrieks Margaux.

“She’s gone insane!” shouts Brent.

Panting short, adrenalized breaths, I place the scalpel back onto the trolley and hold my fist out as blood streams in thick rivulets down the sides of my arm. I stare at Jonah’s stunned face, and ribbons of unfettered anger thrash through every inch of my body like tentacles of fire. Suddenly, I don’t know why, but I feel like I want to leap across the space between us and choke Jonah to the floor until his eyes bulge out of his big bald head. In fact, I’m picturing it so clearly I can almost see it.

“Her arm,” Dr. Pierce gasps gleefully. “Look at her arm!”

“I can see it!” screeches Brent. “She’s lost her freaking mind!”

“No!” a grinning Dr. Pierce blurts. “It’s working! Just like I said!”

The bleeding has stopped as quickly as it began, and I watch with my own eyes as the ten-inch gash in my flesh seals closed as if the edges were being drawn together like strips of magnetic tape. My rage begins to fade, and I smear the blood away with the palm of my hand. Everyone in the room is staring at my arm, and it’s plain to see that the cut is completely healed. Not even a scratch remains.

“This conversation is over. I’m going with Bit,” I say, calmly tugging my sleeve back down to my wrist. “And Margaux was right; I won’t be needing any Band-Aids.”

Jonah eyeballs me with a military glower. “Was that reckless little demonstration of yours really necessary?”

“It got my point across, didn’t it?” I reply. “And now we know that Dr. Pierce was right about my healing ability.”

“Hell of a way to test it,” says Jonah. “The Finn I know would never be so foolish.”

Another confusing surge of anger ripples through me. “Yeah, well . . . I guess I’m not the Finn you used to know.”

“Clearly,” Jonah sighs. “Obviously it’s pointless for me to argue with you. I can’t force you to stay behind.”

“If you did try to stop me, one of us would get hurt,” I reply venomously. “And I think you know it sure as hell wouldn’t be me.”

Jonah glances at me disapprovingly, then looks begrudgingly around the rest of the group. “Is everyone else willing to let her participate?”

Bit and Brody nod enthusiastically.

“Like I said,” Percy chips in, “I think we’ve got a better chance of pulling this off with her help.”

Jonah’s indignant expression becomes one of resentful resignation. “Fine then. But if you mess anything up,” he says, pointing at me. “It’s on you.” With one last glare at me, he leans down, grabs the handle straps of a bright-yellow canvas duffel bag sitting at his feet, and hoists it onto the trolleys. The holographic map of Blackstone Technologies flickers and vanishes as he sets the bag directly on top of the slates.

“I was preparing a training simulation inside Dome Three when the power failed and the dome collapsed,” says Jonah. “I stumbled over this rescue kit when I was digging my way out of the grains.” He unzips the bag and begins unpacking the contents on top of the array of slates.

When he’s done, I take a quick inventory. There are nylon ropes, carabiners and harnesses, six walkie-talkies, six heavy-duty metal flashlights, and three sets of binoculars, as well as a bunch of road flares, a first-aid kit, and a loose collection of survival-type objects like waterproof matches, a packet of foil blankets, a snare kit for catching small animals, a compass, glow sticks, and a few other moderately useful knickknacks someone might take on a hiking trip.

“This is some of the equipment my specialized team uses during training exercises,” Jonah says as he arranges the gear.

“The ones that pulled us out of the wreck when our transport crashed into Dome Two?” asks Jennifer.

“Yes,” says Jonah. “Bettina told me they were a big help.”

“We nearly escaped on that transport,” Jennifer says sadly. “We were so close to flying far away from this horrible place.”

“But we didn’t get out, did we,” murmurs Brent. “We’re still here, and thank you very much for reminding me just how screwed we are.”

“The only reason you’re alive to be reminded is because of Major Brogan’s rescue team,” Bit says, eyeballing him disdainfully.

As Bit mentions Jonah’s team, a strangely familiar voice suddenly whispers through my head. “We’re the Saviors,” it says. The words echo in my ears, and a shape begins forming out of the fog in the back of my mind. Wisps of smoke curl and mold into the blurry peaks and curves of human features. The image condenses and solidifies, then flushes with color before it sharpens into the pretty face of a teenage girl. She must be fifteen or sixteen years old, with dark pixie-cut hair and kind light-brown eyes. “I’m Caitlin,” she says, smiling down at me. “But everyone calls me—”

“Gazelle!” I gasp.

“Finn? You remember Gazelle?” asks Jonah.

“Yes,” I reply. “I . . . I remember she was carrying me, on her back. The wind was rushing through my hair, and I was holding on as tightly as I could, and . . . and then there was an explosion in the distance. The last time I saw her, she was running faster than I’ve ever seen anyone run before . . . and she was heading straight toward the huge cloud of black smoke and fire.”

“That sounds like her,” says Jonah. “Running toward danger is second nature to the Saviors.”

“The Saviors? Is that what they’re called?” asks Margaux.

“That’s right,” Jonah says, nodding proudly. “They’re some of the most capable young people I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with.”

“What are they exactly?” Brent grumbles. “More freaks like her, I bet?” He looks sideways at me.

“Well, Major?” Professor Francis says, eyeing Jonah suspiciously. “Are those children another one of your experiments? Adolescent spies hiding behind a heroic title perhaps?”

“No, Professor,” Jonah says with polite annoyance. “All the members of the Saviors were once military operatives, but all of them were injured in some way and retired from service. I repurposed them, and now they’re part of a rescue team with very special abilities.”

“Like Finn?” asks Brody.

“No,” replies Jonah. “Finn is one of a kind. The Saviors’ already considerable skills are complemented by their advanced cybernetic implants.”

“What can they do, Major?” Bit asks with a fascinated expression on her face.

“Well, I assume some of you saw Gazelle. Her real name is Caitlin Grant, and her replacement limbs enable her to run at extraordinary speeds. Lila Volkov is code-named Bulldog. She has a reinforced skeleton, and her torso and arm implants give her incredible strength. Jackson Pike, code-named Jackdaw, was a brilliant young technical engineer until his accident, and now his right hand is a sophisticated multitool of his own design. William Solarin is known as Kestrel. He’s the pilot of the group, and his neural implants provide him with lightning-quick reflexes and dexterity. Saloma Lasonde is the fifth member of the group. Her ocular implants can receive and project almost every wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum, giving her remarkable vision. Her code name is Mantis.”