Judgement: The Undergrounders Series Book Three (A Young Adult Post-apocalyptic Science Fiction Thriller) (11 page)

I
aim
my weapon in front of me and pivot slowly as I scan the area around the holding pens.

"What's wrong?" Trout asks, slipping his gun from his shoulder.

"The Ghost's gone." I walk over to the holding pen and step inside. "He couldn't have escaped, he was too heavily sedated. And there's no sign of the ties we secured his wrists with. Someone took him."

"The delegation might have moved him." Trout casts a furtive glance over his shoulder. "Where are they anyway?"

"No idea. Let me make sure the rest of the Rogues are still here." I hightail it down the corridor and peer through the viewing monitor on the door leading to the living quarters. A pierced tongue slaps up against the glass and a tattooed fist pounds soundlessly on the door. I jump back startled. "They're in there all right." I grit my teeth. "Temperature's rising by the looks of things."

Trout tents his eyes and peers in. "There's a Rogue lying in the middle of the floor. Do you think he's dead?"

I wipe a hand across my brow. "I don't know, but at least they're contained for now. We need to find the delegation and see if they took The Ghost somewhere. If he starts talking the game is up."

"What other Sektors has the delegation visited?" Trout asks.

"Just Research and Intake."

"Then they might be headed to the Biotik Sektor--it's almost dinner time after all."

I stare at Trout, my mind cranking furiously. The day's almost gone. The delegation will be getting ready to leave soon. We need to make sure Viktor sets up the incoming transmission.

We crisscross back through the tunnels to the Biotik Sektor, keeping a watchful eye out on the off-chance The Ghost is on the loose. Common sense tells me it's not possible. Viktor gave him enough of a dose to knock him out for several hours. It's more likely someone moved him. But who, and why?

W
hen we arrive back
at the Biotik Sektor, the Sweepers are seated in pod chairs eating a lyophilized meal. The Undergrounders have retreated to the far end of the room, no doubt to avoid being drawn into any conversation that might arouse the Sweepers' suspicions.

I make a beeline for Viktor and pull him aside.

"I was about to take care of the transmission," he says, flustered.

"This isn't about the transmission," I say under my breath. "The Ghost's gone."

Viktor's eyes dart to Dimitri and back. "I know."

"What do you mean you know? Where is he?"

Viktor furrows his brow. "He was gone when we arrived at the Intake Sektor. I thought you moved him."

A clammy fear grips me. I shake my head.

Viktor blinks at me, his expression deadpan. "So who took him?"

I balk at the unlikely but deeply unsettling option that comes to mind.

Rummy
.

I turn to Trout. "Are you sure Rummy left through the tunnel after he untied you?"

"I didn't hang around long enough to watch." Trout scratches his head. "It's possible he doubled back after I left."

"He'll wait until The Ghost comes to, so he can find out where Blade parted company with him," Viktor says.

"
If
he parted company with them," I say. "The Ghost could have killed Blade. And I'll bet Rummy's thinking the same thing."

I let the picture sit in my mind for a few minutes. I helped Rummy escape once because I was afraid he would die at The Ghost's hands. Seems all I did was reverse the odds. The Ghost's too drugged up to even defend himself--something I'm responsible for.

"You'd better get back to the delegation." Viktor flicks his eyes in Dimitri's direction. "Be sure to hang behind our scientists so you're not asked any questions."

One of the Sweepers throws a curious glance our way. I avoid making eye contact and pretend to be absorbed in what Viktor is saying.

"I'm going to slip into the office and send a preliminary report off to the outpost," Viktor continues in a low voice. "I'll set up the incoming transmission to come through about thirty minutes from now. Whatever you do, keep the delegation out of the office until I'm done."

Trout and I stroll across the room to join Dimitri and the others. The conversation is highly technical and after a few mentions of recipient cytoplasts, germline genes and methylation of DNA, my eyes glaze over. Trout studies the floor, hands stuffed deep in his pockets.

I lean over to whisper to him that I'm as bored as he looks when one of the scientists brings up ossification. I stiffen, ears pricked to attention.

"Perhaps there may be time for a demonstration of your technique, Doctor Petrov," a Sweeper suggests.

Dimitri runs a hand over his jaw. "Without the specialized equipment at my outpost, it would take an inordinate amount of time to extract and resplice the defective DNA from the clones, weeks, months maybe."

My heart sinks. We may not have that much time before we are exposed.

"How many clones at your outpost have undergone the procedure?" the Sweeper asks.

"We have only just completed the clinical trials," Dimitri explains. "The next step is to attempt the corrective procedure on select subjects."

"How will those subjects be chosen?" another Sweeper pipes up.

"Impeccable health records, naturally. More importantly, they cannot be older than–

"Dimitri!" Viktor comes running out of the office. "Incoming transmission from your outpost. Would you like me to feed it through?"

Dimitri raises his brows, faking surprise. "Yes please. We should all be informed of any updates."

I look away, trying to keep my frustration under wraps. I didn't anticipate an age restriction on the procedure to reverse ossification. I'm guessing Sven's still young enough to undergo whatever it involves, but what if Jerome's too old? As soon as I get a chance to talk to Dimitri alone, I need to find out exactly what the cutoff is.

A holographic ticker appears above the CommCenter on the back wall of the room. My pulse quickens as I read along with the transmission.

Orders to the delegation under Doctor Petrov: remain at Craniopolis until such time as full operational capacity has been restored to all sectors within the facility, including Sektor Sieben.

The Sweepers murmur among themselves for a few minutes before turning to Dimitri. "We agreed not to reopen Sektor Sieben until the other research programs are at full capacity," one of them says. "It could take months to rebuild the participant program."

Dimitri rubs his hands together briskly. "My fellow colleagues, we have been entrusted with the task of restoring the Craniopolis to full capacity as a bastion of scientific advancement. Let us strive to accomplish our task and not disappoint in this worthy endeavor, no matter the time and effort involved."

I break into a round of applause, and Trout and the others follow my cue. The Sweepers clap politely, but few are smiling. My gut tells me they won't be eager to sign on with us once we give them the option of joining forces or becoming our hostages.

Viktor addresses the delegation next. "I suggest we all enjoy a lyophilized dessert together and refresh ourselves before retiring for an early night. There is much work to be done tomorrow in light of the new orders."

"What about Doctor Fu?" a Sweeper asks. "Shouldn't he be back by now? We need to inform him of what's transpired."

"Yes, of course," Viktor replies, blinking rapidly. "I'll contact Terminus right away." He scuttles across the room to the CommCenter and taps in a command.

Almost immediately Jerome's hologram pops up.

Beads of perspiration break out on my forehead. If anyone insists on speaking to Fu via holograph, our cover will be blown. I can only hope Jerome makes a compelling case.

"Greetings, Terminus," Viktor says. "We've received a transmission from the outpost. The delegation has been ordered to remain on-site until such time as the Craniopolis has been restored to maximum operating capacity."

"Excellent," Jerome says, smiling. "We welcome their expertise."

Viktor tilts his brows in a grave expression. "Did Doctor Fu complete his data collection on the virus yet?"

"I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news in that regard," Jerome says. "Doctor Fu's bio-hazard suit was defective and he was exposed to the virus. It will be necessary for him to remain in Terminus under quarantine for the time being."

As I look around at the Sweepers' faces I can't help but think that Fu is not a popular colleague. They almost seem relieved that he's been confined to Terminus until the virus scare is over, which works to our advantage.

Dimitri assumes a suitably shaken expression. "How could this happen? Surely quality control would have eliminated such a possibility."

Jerome bows his head in assent. "Ordinarily, yes. However, the events of the last few days resulted in destruction and disarray on a scale that we have never had to deal with before. Therefore, we welcome all the more the delegation's assistance in helping us refurbish and restore our programs."

Doctor Petrov folds his arms across his chest. "Perhaps it is for the best that we have been called upon to facilitate the recovery process. Doctor Fu can continue his research in Terminus as long as he is under quarantine."

"We'll notify you as soon as Terminus is clear of the virus," Jerome says. "In the meantime, please keep us apprised of your progress." When he fades from view, Viktor turns to the delegation. "I'll send a message to the Schutz Clones in the docking station to let them know you will not be departing this evening as planned. There's nothing more we can accomplish tonight. Please eat and relax. We will begin our work in the morning."

Trout and I take our lyophilized cheesecake and join the other Undergrounders. A few minutes later, Dimitri and Viktor slide into two pod chairs beside us. We pick at our dessert in silence, all too aware that the other end of the room is full of ears.

Dimitri stifles a yawn. "I'm ready to turn in."

Viktor throws a wary glance across at the Sweepers. "We need to be up before our guests start sniffing around."

"I'm an early riser." Trout winks at me. "I'll wake you all before the Sweepers start stirring."

We hit the orientation modes on our pod chairs and tilt them into the optimal sleeping position. I stare up at the ceiling, my thoughts drifting to Sven and the military clones. I hope they're safe and that the Schutz Clones haven't become suspicious of them.

When the last of the Sweepers falls asleep, Dimitri whispers across to me, "We can't reasonably expect to dupe the outpost for more than a week or two. What's your plan after that?"

I sit up on one elbow. "Find the Megamedes."

Dimitri and Viktor exchange subtle nods.

"I know someone who can help," Dimitri says.

I
raise a skeptical brow
. "Who do you know who can help us?"

"The woman who designed the computer system for the Megamedes," Dimitri says.

My jaw drops. "Is she on board the ship?"

"She's at the Superconductor," Viktor says, quietly. "She's my daughter."

I stare at him, bewildered at first. Then my mind flashes to the scientist who connected us to Viktor. I knew she was hiding something, but I never suspected anything like this. I chew on my lip, trying to wrap my head around the implications."Can she hack into the Megamedes?"

Viktor cocks his head to one side. "Lyong kept a tight control on everything at the Craniopolis, but now it might be possible."

"Has she been in contact with the Megamedes?" Trout asks.

Viktor shakes his head. "No, but she's intercepted transmissions from the Megamedes to other outposts enquiring about geological readings. It's a good indication the sovereign leader is eager to return to earth as soon as it's safe."

A surge of anger goes through me. "We can't let that happen. I won't let him disappear under the radar to some outpost. He has to be held accountable for what he's done."

"It's true the experimental programs are completely out of control," Viktor says, a somber look on his face, "but maybe that wasn't his intent. The world government said all along they wanted to help humanity and prolong lives--restart life in the case of the brain dead. Power-hungry scientists could have forced his hand. After all, he was far removed from day-to-day operations."

"Yeah, in the safety of his ship," Trout retorts.

"Nothing you've said absolves the sovereign leader," I say. "He knew what was going on, but he didn't try to stop it."

"Derry's right," Trout says. "We need to get on board the Megamedes and find him. It's the only way to end this once and for all."

Dimitri nods, eyes gleaming. "The Megamedes is outfitted with state-of-the-art weaponry. If we can take command of the ship we could destroy any remaining outposts in a single strike."

I stare at him, horrified. "We can't just kill everyone at the outposts."

"We can't let them continue to operate either," Trout says. "There could be Sweepers out there even crazier than Lyong, developing entire armies of Schutz Clones for all we know."

"We can evacuate the outposts first and then destroy the facilities," Dimitri says.

Viktor sits back and wipes his fingertips across his brow. "Iskra, my daughter, could make contact with the Megamedes at any time. We need to be clear where we stand on going to war against the sovereign leader. Make no mistake, it will be a bloody fight to seize control of the Megamedes." He studies me intently as if sizing up my commitment to hold the sovereign leader accountable.

A shudder goes through me at the sheer weight of responsibility I feel for everything I've set in motion, and the chaos yet to be unleashed. There will be more bloodshed before freedom can be secured. But without it, we're doomed to exist in a laboratory or on the run for the rest of our lives. "We go to war," I say, looking around at the scientists and Undergrounders, "as soon as Iskra secures the Megamedes' coordinates."

T
rue to his word
, Trout is the first to rise the next morning and he shakes the rest of us awake before the Sweepers begin to stir. Viktor gets to his feet and stretches. "Dimitri needs to go to the docking station and brief the Schutz Clones on the new orders. We have to follow protocol so we don't raise any suspicions."

I nod distractedly. "I'll go with him. Sven can arrange for the Schutz Clones to sleep in the Sweepers' quarters tonight. They'll be more comfortable there."

"Count me in," Trout says.

"Don't engage the Sweepers while we're gone," I warn the Undergrounders. "Keep a low profile and let Viktor and the scientists do all the talking."

"I'll let the delegation know where we're going," Dimitri says to me. "I'll catch up with you in a minute."

"Stay alert in the tunnels," I mutter to Trout as we exit the Biotik Sektor. "We haven't accounted for Rummy or The Ghost yet--Rummy may well have got his hands on a weapon by now."

Trout throws a furtive glance over his shoulder at Dimitri who's engaged in a heated conversation with a member of the delegation. "Did you tell Dimitri there are Rogues at large?" he asks.

I shake my head. "He might send the Schutz Clones to search for them. We can't have them swarming all over the Craniopolis in case they uncover something."

"Everything all right?" I ask Dimitri when he joins us in the tunnel.

He gives a tight nod. "One of the Sweepers is raising questions about all the private conversations you and I are having. If anyone asks, tell them we were discussing the ossification breakthrough."

My chest tightens. "I wanted to ask you about that."

Dimitri looks at me curiously. "You're actually interested in my research?"

Trout gives a knowing grin, and I feel a flush creep over my cheeks.

Dimitri squints at me with a pained expression on his face. "Tell me this isn't about a particular clone."

My face grows hotter. "He's a friend. A friend who risked his life for me more than once."

Dimitri's expression softens. "It wouldn't be the first time a human has fallen for a clone. But, it can never work in the long run."

"Why not?" I ask. "You've resolved ossification. Anything's possible now."

Dimitri passes a hand over his face, hiding his eyes. "We have yet to attempt the reversal on a clone. And once we do, it could be years before we know for sure if we were successful or not--that's if the procedure doesn't kill them. There are no guarantees."

"But the clinical trials have been successful," I say.

Dimitri throws me a troubled look as we walk along the tunnel in the direction of the docking station. "He would be my first subject outside of clinical trials. It would be unlikely to work flawlessly the first time."

"Lyong believed in you," I say. "He was willing to let you do the procedure on his son."

Dimitri furrows his brow. "How does your
friend
feel about it?"

I suck in my breath, remembering Sven's haunting words, and the glow in his amber eyes when he looked at me.

Without an expiration date, you ... I ...

"He wants it too," I say.

"You'd better believe it." Trout shoots me a wicked grin.

Dimitri gives a somber nod. "I wish we had his inception date. The younger the genetic material, the greater the chance of a successful outcome."

A flicker of hope goes through me. "He found his inception records. He's nineteen units."

"Nineteen?" Dimitri frowns.

"That's good isn't it?" My heart beats faster. "He still has several years before his expiration date."

"I was hoping he was closer to your age. I've never worked with DNA older than fifteen units before."

Trout lets out a snort. "If nineteen's the new old, I'm screwed."

"It's old in clone years," Dimitri says.

I turn to him. "Please--"

A gunshot cuts me off, ricocheting through the tunnel. I flatten myself against the wall and pan the empty corridor.

"Which direction did that come from?" Trout asks, chambering a round.

"I don't know," I say.

"Were they shooting at us?" Dimitri asks, fear flickering in his face.

I grimace. "I don't know. There are a couple of Rogues on the loose, and each one wants the other dead, but they'd kill me too if they got the chance."

Dimitri's eyes widen. "How did they escape?"

"One of them came here to find his brother. The other one is--was locked up in Intake."

Trout throws me a knowing look from beneath his brows. Viktor never got a chance to dose The Ghost a second time. He could be back on his feet by now, armed and dangerous.

"We need to eliminate them before someone from the delegation gets wind of this," Dimitri says. "If they find out the Craniopolis isn't secure, they'll order the Schutz Clones to tear this place apart to find the escaped extractees."

"And when they do," Trout adds glumly, "The Ghost will sell us out."

"Not if we find him first," I say.

Another shot rings out and I jump back against the wall.

Trout puts a finger to his lips. "That came from the direction of the docking station," he whispers. "Rummy might have dragged The Ghost in there before he realized the place was crawling with Schutz Clones."

"We need to end this," Dimitri says. "We can't have the delegation waking up to a gunfight."

I signal to Trout to stay close by, and then pad silently around the corner in a crouched position, hoping I don't run into Rummy or The Ghost.

My heart thumps as I edge closer to the docking station. I listen for a few minutes, but no shots ring out inside. Tentatively, I reach out and punch in the entry code on the keypad. The double entry doors yawn open. I blink in disbelief. The Schutz Clones are gone. And so is Sven.