The Arrival (5 page)

It made sense now, what Dimas had told
me, and why they hadn’t let us go. They were determined to not only save their
race, but also create the perfect specimen, a pure Eslite.

Even if they killed us in the process.

“We have to get out of this place,” I
said with a heavy sigh. “We can’t let these Eslites take advantage of us any
longer. We have to fight. But we also need to send the Eslites back to their
planet. We have to let the authorities know that we may all end up sterile, if
not dead. And if we’re lucky enough to have babies, they may not be human.
Worse, we may become aliens, ourselves.”

“And who’s going to listen to us?” Kate
asked, in a small voice.

“I don’t know. How about the cops?”

“The cops?” Gaby shot me a disdainful
stare.

“Yeah, we can start there.” I shrugged.
“And if they don’t believe me, then I’ll tell the Feds. Isn’t that what they do
in the movies?”

“I guess.” Gaby frowned.

“What about your dad?” Kate chimed.

A snicker slipped from my lips. “Well, I
don’t know.”

“What? He’s the city mayor, for cryin’
out loud.” Kate pounded her fist on the tub. “That’s his job, to respond to the
citizens of Myrtle Beach.”

“She’s right.” Gaby came alert in an
instant. “You should talk to your dad. Let him know what they are doing to us is
not only putting our lives at risk but also is endangering the human race. And
how many girls are they shuffling through this prison? A thousand or more a
month? I know at least six thousand girls are here right now.”

With Gaby on board, I had hope for the
first time. And they had a point. It would be hard to convince my dad, but it
was worth a try. “And what if he ignores me?”

“Then do what you said. Go to the police
and then the Feds,” Gaby encouraged.

“Yeah, and if that doesn’t work, then we
can go to my uncle, who’s a senator.”

“A senator?” I asked.

“Yeah, Senator Wesley Bosch.”

“Oh, that’s right. I think I recall
meeting him at one of my dad’s campaign rallies. I guess he could help us.”

“You’re darn right he can help us.” Kate
pumped a fist in the air.

“Shhh.” Gaby flushed the toilet. “Not so
loud, Kate.”

“Sorry.”

“We have to remember to keep our voices
down.” I gritted my teeth. “If they find out about our plans, we’re toast.”

“Agreed.” They nodded in unison.

 “I guess I can tell my dad what’s going
on, and then we can meet with your uncle. Together, they can go to the senate
and rally supporters to reverse the bill.” The Eslite bill required all females
between the ages of fourteen and twenty-five to undergo donor testing. The bill
Congress signed that actually gave the Eslites authority to exterminate the
human race.

 “Sounds like a plan, but how are we
going to reach my uncle? I don’t think it’s safe to call him, because they will
be listening. He lives in Columbia, South Carolina,” she said, all hope
diminishing from her face. “That’s over the sixty mile restriction they gave us
for traveling.”

“Crap, you’re right, Kate. Dimas said
they will be watching us, which means they’ll be tracking us.” I had never told
anyone what I learned in the Technology Lab, where I worked and contributed to
the Nidus community, mainly for fear of the consequences. I had sworn to keep
the information private, as had Gaby. But things were changing, and I had to
take that risk.

“I think you have a great idea, Miranda.
It won’t be easy and it’s dangerous,” Gaby said, flushing the toilet one more
time. “The good thing is I may be able to help.”

At that moment, something told me Gaby
knew what I knew. “How do we block the nanocytes in our blood?”

“The what? What’s in our blood?” Kate cringed.
Despite her fear, I had to include Kate in the conversation. I needed her
support, especially with her uncle being a senator.

“The day we arrived, they injected us
with microscopic robots that are circulating in our veins. It’s how they track
us,” I explained.

“Eww. Seriously?” Kate examined the crook
of her arm, as though trying to detect the microscopic bots through her skin. “They’re
floating around inside me?” I had to admit that every time I thought about it,
it made me shudder. I didn’t like the thought of little spies flowing in my
veins.

Gaby nodded. “Dr. Ridus gives everyone
an injection when they leave for good. However, it takes about four weeks for
them to die.”

“We don’t have that long.”  How were we
going to get to Columbia? Were we insane for even conjuring such a plan? And
could I successfully convince my dad and Kate’s uncle about what was happening?
Most importantly, would they do anything about it? I had no idea if it would
work, but I had to take that chance. “We have to find a way to get them out of
our system quickly.”

“We?” Kate squeaked. “Miranda, I don’t—”

“Kate, I really need your help.” I jumped
off the counter and knelt before her. I took her hand and squeezed it. I had to
get through to her. “I can’t do this without you. Besides, it’s only you and me
that have political connections.” She said nothing. The hesitation in her gaze declared
her reluctance. She was backing out. Great, I get Gaby on board and Kate decides
she wants to bail.

“That you know of,” Gaby reminded us.

“You’re right.” I released Kate and
stood. “We need to find out if anyone else is leaving and if they know anyone
that might be able to help us.”

Kate folded her arms and compressed her
lips in an expression of fear. I waited for her to break down in tears, but she
never cried. “This is so dangerous, and I don’t think—”

“Yes, you can.” Gaby placed her hand on
Kate’s arm. “You can do this.” Kate nodded but didn’t seem onboard with the plan.
“And so can you,” Gaby said to me. “I have to be at the Med Center in an hour
for my shift. Let me see what I can do.”

“Okay. Kate and I will talk to the other
girls. Let’s meet this evening, after dinner. Well, girls, I think we have
arrived.”

“Arrived?” Kate’s wrinkled her nose.

“Yep. We have finally arrived at the
decision to get out of Nidus for good!”

“You’re damn right we have.” Gaby stomped
her foot on the floor.

“And from now on, we only communicate
through handwritten notes.” I pulled out the sheet I had written on earlier.

“Got it,” Kate replied. “Just like our
mom’s did in high school.”

“Perfect thinking.” Gaby tapped the side
of her head. “They’ll never be able to track that information.”

“Exactly.”

“I better get going,” Gaby said, walking
to the door.

“Gaby?”

She paused before hitting the open
button. “Yes, Miranda?”

“Be very careful. There are hidden eyes
in the waiting area, the urgent care room, and the hallways. The examination
rooms are safe.”

“Got it. See you tonight. Same bat-time,
same bat-channel.”

I winked and pulled Kate by the arm. “Come
on, we have work to do.” I realized that I would have to direct her every step.
I didn’t mind because it meant one thing.

Freedom.

θ

Kate and I discussed a strategy to talk
to as many girls on the tenth floor as possible. Once we told them we were
going home and of our plans, hopefully we would have their support. I reminded
her to have all conversations in the bathroom or through handwritten notes. No
exceptions. It was the safest way to communicate.

Before I could leave, Shiloh alerted me
that I had a message. At Nidus, they scanned our electronic messages before
releasing them to us. They also filtered everything we sent and kept a tight
control on our virtual interactions outside the facility, limiting them to a
few messages a week.

I hadn’t tried to contact my parents
because I received a message from communications, confirming that my parents
would pick me up. The Eslites did a superb job of keeping my parents informed
of my grades, work status, and donor status. They knew almost everything before
I had a chance to tell them. Except for what was really going on there.

My heart stopped when I saw it was a letter
from Bryce. We had exchanged messages earlier in the week, before finals
started. Did he know I was going home?  Part of me was excited because it would
be my first time returning to my family since entering Nidus nine months ago. Another
part of me felt guilty. Is it possible to be guilty without even doing anything
wrong? Unless fantasizing was wrong, I didn’t have anything to be guilty about.

I reclined on my bed with my tablet,
eager to hear Bryce’s voice through his words.  Nothing brought me comfort like
reading his notes. It’s what helped me through the last nine months.
Immediately, I knew something was wrong because of the way he began the message.
I had to re-read the first few sentences because it didn’t seem real.

Miranda,

Every day I can’t help but wonder if you
will ever come home. Things… life, isn’t the same without you here. In fact,
nothing is the same without you. I imagine you walking down the halls with me,
my arm wrapped around you, and your hand hanging out the back of my jean
pocket. Then I realize that we may never get to walk down the halls together
again. As my junior year ends, and I start what should be one of the best
summers of my life, I’m forced to remember that it will be without you.

Miranda, we’ve been together since the
eighth grade, and I don’t know how to like or love anyone else but you. You are
all I know. But I can’t keep going on without you. Yet, I can’t keep going on
with you.

I stopped for a moment, unable to focus
on the screen. Shit. Did he know about what happened in Dimas’ quarters? He
couldn’t possibly know, unless Dimas told him. Damn him. He had no right.
Ugh.
I couldn’t wait to give Dimas a piece of my mind. I hated him more than
ever.

I studied the message, determined to
find an answer. The letters mushed together, my stomach ached to the point I
felt the acid eating at my insides, and I drowned in his words.
‘I can’t
keep going on without you, yet I can’t keep going on with you’.
The meaning
was clear. He was breaking up with me.

But—why?

More confused than ever, pieces of me
lingered on the edge of remorse for obsessing over Dimas. While a huge part of
me realized that Bryce was responsible for the breakup. In the end, my
penitence resulted in me being alone? It wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t right. I
gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut.
Don’t cry. Don’t do it.
I
kept repeating the words that Dad had engrained into my head since I was
little.
Mays do not cry. We are strong leaders and never show weakness.
It
didn’t help. Tears filled my eyes, blurring everything.

I dropped my tablet to the bed and
buried my face in my pillow. It hurt so badly, and no matter how hard I tried,
I couldn’t stop the pangs deep inside my heart. I hated that I needed him. I
hated that I couldn’t live without him. Didn’t he know that he was the reason I
lived and fought? What kept me sane in that hellhole for the past nine months?
Damn it. Why did he have a part of me that I wished I didn’t need?

“Miranda? What’s wrong?” Kate shook me,
trying to get me to turn around.

I hated not being strong enough to
handle the situation. I curled my body into a tight ball. The last thing I
wanted was for her to see me break. I had to be strong for her, Gaby, Aliah,
and everyone else, including myself. I couldn’t let her know that Bryce, the
core of my strength, had broken me in half, and he didn’t even know it.

“Miranda, please.” Kate begged me to
answer her. For some reason I couldn’t. I wanted to tell her but my stubborn
pride kept me from opening up to her. Although she was a great friend, she wasn’t
my BFF. But did I still have a BFF? It had been nearly two months since I heard
from Carlie. Part of me wished I would suffocate and die.

After several attempts, Kate finally
gave up and reclined next to me. It was exactly what I needed. Knowing that I
had her friendship helped bring some level of comfort even though I needed
Bryce’s more than anything.

A few hours later I woke up, all cried
out with Kate still lying next to me. A part of me didn’t care if I lived or
died. But if I didn’t care, no one else would. I had to get past the misery,
and lying in bed feeling sorry for myself wasn’t going to help. I was my only
hope if I wanted to try and get out of Nidus. Besides, if I did manage to get
out for good, then maybe I could get Bryce back.

I tried to move but Kate had me pinned
between her and the wall.

“Shiloh, what time is it?” I asked in a
hushed voice.

“The time is sixteen-forty-five hours,”
she responded in the same low tone.

We had slept through lunch and were
about to be late to dinner. “Kate, we need to get up. Dinner’s in fifteen
minutes.” I gently nudged her.

She turned around, mumbling a few
indistinct words. Then she blurted, “What? I think you should…” before
returning to a rhythm of deep breathing.

“Kate, wake up.” I shook her harder that
time.

“What?” Her eyes popped open, and she gazed
in a dazed manner. “Did I fall asleep?”

“Yeah, I guess we both did.” I crossed
over her, getting off the bed. I walked to my wardrobe and pulled out the
required
dining
outfit, although it resembled all the others.

She moved to the edge of the bed,
looking at me with me heavy eyes. “Are you okay? Why were you so upset?”

I hesitated to answer, but I at least
owed her an explanation. Silently, I took a deep breath and quickly said,
“Bryce broke up with me.” I pulled the drab, scrub-like dress over my head,
avoiding any eye contact with her.

She gasped audibly. “What? How come?” There
was no sympathy or understanding in her response—only seething anger.

“I don’t know.” I turned away.
Otherwise, I would’ve surrendered to another crying spell. Even if I didn’t
have a drop left in me. I slipped on my shoes and swallowed the huge lump in my
throat. “Come on, Kate. We’re going to be late, and besides we both have work
to do.”

“That asshole!” She punched one of the
bed pillows with her fist. “You’re stuck in here and he dumps you?” She stumbled
out of bed, tripping on the cover. With one quick tug, she yanked the
comforter.

I took a step back. “Shouldn’t I be the
one going psycho? I mean, I was the girlfriend, not you.”

She brushed her hair from her face.
“Sorry, it’s just…ewww, it makes me so mad. It’s not fair!”

“Thank you,” I said with a smile.
Despite wanting to tell her that maybe I deserved it because of what
really
happened in Dimas’ room.

“You don’t need this shit.”

“I know.” I shrugged. “And I can’t worry
about him right now. We have about twenty-four hours before we leave, and
there’s a lot to do. Go change, and do what you need to do,” I said, trying to
brush the knots out of my hair.

“You’re right. The hell with him. Give
me a second,” she said, darting to the bathroom.

After a few minutes, she returned,
looking freshly made up with glossy lips and blushing cheeks. “Are you going to
be all right?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine.” I pressed the open
button for the door, and we stepped into the busy hallway. Everyone wore the
same scrub dress, and walked in the same direction to the elevators, for
dinner. The dining room happened to be the one place I didn’t mind going. Maybe
because it wasn’t the typical lunchroom, and I happened to enjoy the food. It
felt more like an upscale restaurant with leather chairs and wooden tables,
instead of the classic folding tables with benches that were in high school
cafeterias.

“You still want to go through with
this?” Kate covered her mouth while we waited in line to board one of six
elevators. Several girls looked at us and waved a greeting. Some even gave us
big smiles. Something told me they knew we had passes to go home. But why were
they so happy?

“Yes,” I whispered, reminding myself
that I had to stay tough. It was imperative that I kept my focus on my primary
task at hand. If I didn’t do that, then I’d never get out of Nidus, and I’d
never have a chance at getting Bryce back.

“Maybe we should take the stairs.” Kate
rose on her tippy toes, peering over the girls in front of us before stepping
out of the long line. “Do you want to take the stairs?” The whispers grew
louder and louder, until everyone stared at us and stepped aside. It was as
though someone had parted the line for us. Why was everyone being so nice? Had
they heard about our plan?

“Looks like we don’t have to,” I said,
pulling her through the walkway. “Thanks,” I said giving a small wave.

“Why is everyone going out of their way
for us?” Kate said, smiling through her teeth. “Oh, thank you. That’s so nice
of you to let us cut,” she told several girls.

A young girl, who was friends with
Aliah, ran to me.  Without warning she embraced me and whispered, “Good luck.”

Before I could respond, she darted into
the crowd.  But who spread the word? Gaby? We stepped into the elevator with
several girls. No one said a thing, just kept smiling. Right before the doors
opened, the girl in front of me turned around and grabbed my hand.

“I wish you the best,” she whispered, as
she pressed something to my palm.

I realized she’d passed me some notes
and quickly shoved them into the front pocket of my jumper.

“Good luck, Kate. Stay strong.” Another
girl gave Kate a quick hug and repeated the same stealth maneuver.

“What’s this?” Kate said, holding the
items.

I quickly tugged her arm down, hoping
the eye in the corner of the elevator didn’t see. “Thanks, we’ll be back in a
few weeks.”

The doors opened, and the elevator
cleared. I immediately pulled Kate to the side.

“It looks like word already got out. By
who, I don’t know. But we have to hide what they are giving us. Got it?”

“Yeah. I just wasn’t expecting this,” Kate
replied in a hushed tone.

“Me either. Let’s go.”

We made it to the dining area without
anyone else stopping us or handing us anything. I followed Kate to the shortest
line and waited to get my food.

“We can probably save some time by
talking with the girls here.” Kate glanced at me as she grabbed a plate of
roasted chicken, kale, and carrots.

“That’s kind of risky, don’t you think?”
I scanned the vicinity, trying to remember how many eyes were in the dining
room.

“Probably. But we’re running out of time.”

“I guess we can keep it short and sweet.
We’ll start with Destiny, Jessica, and Aliah,” I said in a low voice, as I leaned
to pour a bowl of chicken noodle soup, the only thing that sounded good to eat.

“Okay, I’ll let you do the talking.”
Kate led the way to our usual spot.

As I steered through the tables, a girl
I didn’t know dropped something on my tray. It took me a second to figure out it
was the US flag made out of beads in the center of a bracelet. The art teacher,
Pyros, had gotten approval for us to make our own jewelry using glass beads and
leather straps. It was nice, since they didn’t allow us to bring any of our own
jewelry from home. Of course, they had restrictions on how much we could wear
at one time, but at least we had something. I turned to see who it was but lost
her in the crowd of people.

Jessica, Destiny, and Aliah sat, eating
their food. The minute we set our trays down, the chatting stopped, and they
stared at us.

“Well, well. Funny how things are
working out for you two,” Jessica said, wiping the corners of her mouth
methodically with her napkin. “How lucky can you get?”

“I know, and I’m sorry. If only we were
all going home. But I didn’t have a say,” I replied, as I got the impression I
wasn’t welcome at my usual table.

“I know you didn’t, but you can at least
do this for me.” She pushed one of her textbooks in my direction, pointing to a
piece of paper sticking from the top.

“Of course.” I nodded, taking the book
in my possession.

“How did you guys find out?” Kate smiled,
and then began eating, like it was no big deal.