Rebellion (20 page)

Anyone who even dares to wear the mask is considered a traitor of Elysium and is therefore a threat to our fair city. If you find someone, no matter who they are, shoot them on sight.

—
M
OTHER'S
I
NSTRUCTIONS TO
G
UARDS

Evie

It's not surprising that it doesn't take long for Mother to call another assembly. Despite her increased security measures, the earlier curfews, and her ever-present Enforcers, nothing has stopped the trickle of people who've decided to join. I'm positive it hasn't been lost on Mother that the reason her Enforcers can't catch the mask wearers is because the Citizens are protecting us.

Enforcers and Guards have stepped up their patrol, but there are simply not enough of them to keep up with our growing numbers. And no matter how often or how close they get to catching us, the Underground has remained so far untouched. That doesn't mean we let our own guard down. Even so, I decide I need to make an actual appearance at Mother's assembly.

“Absolutely not!” Father slams his fist on the table, causing everything on it to bounce. We're in the artifact-turned-War Room, where I've called another meeting. “It's ludicrous, completely irrational, and an unnecessary risk to show up there.”

“I've been going out every day,” I say calmly. “It's no more of a risk than that, and we have everything to gain by going.”

“Name one thing.”

“For most of these people, Mother is still the boogeyman who hides under their beds and in their closets. But if I can visibly rattle her before everyone in Elysium, it will show she's just a human like the rest of us.”

“You showing up isn't going to rattle her. She'll just clap and an Enforcer will capture you.” He shakes his head.

“Not kill?” Asher asks.

Father shakes his head. “The meeting she held this morning with the Enforcers explicitly stated that if the person behind the mask was you, you were to be taken alive. Anyone else would be quietly eliminated.”

Evangeline tugs on her ear. “Why quietly eliminate anyone else? Wouldn't you want to make an example of them?”

“No,” Asher says. “If you publicly eliminate them, you make a martyr of them. That's the last thing she wants.”

“Then why not quietly capture Evie and kill her, too?”

“Mother made me a martyr already. There was a reason for it.” I glance to Father, who shrugs. “But we haven't figured that out yet.”

“And not to mention, you know where you've been hiding and who's keeping you. If she captures you, Conditioning you and getting answers from you will be easy.”

“Another reason not to go,” Father says.

“I don't have to actually be there,” I explain. “Just virtually.”

“I don't think I understand.”

“We got into the camera system before, we can do it again. I just have to transmit instead of receive.”

“It's going to be harder to push a signal than to just piggyback off one to see it,” Asher says thoughtfully.

“But it's doable, right?”

“Technically, yes, but I don't think we have a long enough time frame to figure out how to get in. After Joseph, Mother probably has a million firewalls in her system to prevent anyone from doing what he did. And I don't think we have another person willing to open them for us.” Asher looks to Father, who shakes his head.

“Well, I don't need
every
Slate in Elysium to see me. Just the holoscreens in the Square so Mother can. What if we just managed to splice into the lines supplying video to the Square? Couldn't we push a signal from there?”

Father steeples his fingers and presses them to his lips. “With your training, I suppose you could. But I don't think you'd be able to keep it open for long. The people in the Palace Wing would cut you off as soon as they realized what was going on.”

“I only need a few seconds.”

“I can help,” Asher says.

He was a huge help before, it probably couldn't hurt to have him with me again. I nod to tell him I agree.

“I suppose that's it then,” Father says. “There's no changing your mind.” I shake my head and he sighs. “I have to get back to Mother. With everything going on, she's naturally twitching if I'm out of her sight for too long. Right now she thinks I'm just taking more samples from the anthropomorphic substrate in Three.”

I shudder to think of the somehow living creatures made of green muck oozing around Three. “How's that going?”

“Well, we've found that Dr. Friar's device makes them bubble.”

I blink and then shake my head. Nope. Don't want to know more. “Are they a danger to us here?”

“No. They respond more like jellyfish. No actual intelligence and they seem to be quite happy staying mostly where they are.”

“Good to know.” And … that's enough of that. If they're not a danger to me, I've got other things to worry about.

I dismiss the meeting and Father and Nadia leave, Father toward Elysium, Nadia in the general direction of the main part of the Caverns.

Asher and I wait, slowly counting down the thirty minutes after Father leaves to make the same journey. Asher squeezes my hand before we go. A subtle
I support you, but be careful,
that I return before I lead the way to the tunnels above the Square. It's not an easy feat today. Twice I have to stop and hide because Mother has her Enforcers in the tunnels. I have to admit, I'm second-guessing this plan with every second that passes.

But we finally make it to the designated location and with our knowledge of connecting our holo-projector to it from before, we easily do the same again. Hopefully, we're not setting off any alarms in the central monitoring center, but there's no way to tell unless they show up here looking for us. Connecting our own camera is a bit more tricky, and sweat trickles into my eyes as before, but finally I think I've managed to get everything set up.

So we hunker down in our spot, keeping an ear out for anyone coming our way. We kill time glancing around the Square with the cams, until Mother decides to grace us with her presence. I'm pleasantly surprised to see six people in the Square wearing masks. The masks they're wearing are obviously not as advanced as the ones we've made. They're extremely crude, like the one Asher first made, but it's the thought that counts. Considering we've only been at this a little over a week, the fact that six people
not
in our original group have decided to put their lives on the line to stand with me of their own accord warms my heart. So I decide to try and figure out a way to make more and get them to the people that need/want them. Solidarity is the key to this particular lock.

However, it does make me extremely worried for them. They're not as observant as I am, and Enforcers are quick. I wish I had some way to communicate with Kara and Tate to try and help the Citizens, but it's too late now. It's just another thing to add to my to-do list. For now, I sit on pins and needles while the masked Citizens move around and manage to steer clear of the Enforcers with the help of their fellow Citizens.

I'm impressed with the way they're working together. Considering everything that's at stake. The fact that those not wearing masks are helping those who are is, in a word, amazing.

Finally a hush falls over the crowd and Mother steps onto the stage. She's clearly wearing one of her “power suits.” But this one is subtler. It's blue, probably in the hopes of seeming calming, and its cut and shape are more feminine. It highlights just how gorgeous she is. But even a rose has thorns.

She surveys the people around her. I notice every time she sees someone in a mask, because her whole body tenses and her eyes take on this wild look, but then it fades and she moves on. As if their presence means nothing to her.

Finally she clears her throat, an unnecessary move considering everyone is already quiet, and folds her hands over the top of her podium.

“People of Elysium. Last week, as you all know, I had to make the necessary but regrettable decision to liberate Elysium from the negative impacts of one of our own. It was necessary that I do so publicly so that my children see that although his decisions to betray his brothers and sisters led to the death of my daughter, I am, as always, merciful.”

“Merciful?” Asher's voice is filled with derision. “How is murdering someone merciful?”

“Mother has a warped way of seeing things,” I respond, then focus back in on what she's saying.

“My decision has upset a few of you, but I assure you that was not my intent. I only meant to cleanse Elysium of the affliction that the Surface Dweller has brought upon us. I was fearful of his influence becoming a cancerous malignancy among our proud and virtuous people.

“While I understand that my resolution of this matter has troubled you, I must insist that this situation with the masks and the lies that are being spread about our great city, including Dr. Friar and myself, stop immediately.”

She gestures toward the left side of the stage, where Dr. Friar stands in a relaxed but regal manner. He puffs up his chest a little when Mother continues.

“Dr. Friar has done nothing to deserve this mistreatment. His development of the nanite technology—the technology our city uses to prevent pressure sickness and other ailments that once decimated our population—deserves acclaim and respect. Not intolerance and fabrications.”

Father stiffens and his face reddens at her words, but he says nothing. Mother's right. The person who developed the nanite technology does deserve acclaim and respect. It's a shame that hasn't happened and that the man who's helped Mother turn it against her people is the one getting all the credit.

“As far as my Enforcers, they are merely vessels that I employ to keep my children safe. They are not, as the fabricators would have you believe, something to fear. Unless, of course, you are members of the terrorist cell that is using an effigy of my fallen daughter to spread their fallacies. In the name of peace, and to preserve all that she stood for, I will no longer tolerate these injustices.”

Her voice hardens and she glares into the crowd of people at her feet.

“If you are a member of this extremist group, if you dare to defile the memory of my daughter by wearing the mask, if you are responsible for misleading my children with their lies, I will have no choice but to have you brought to me, where you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Enough! I think, pulling on my mask. I can't stand to hear any more of her nonsense. I want to stand and scream, “Stop using me to justify your agenda!” But I only nod once to Asher, and suddenly the image of me with my mask on pops onto the screen behind Mother. I don't say anything. I wait for the buzz in the audience to catch her attention. She trails off midsentence, frowning, but doesn't turn around, so I say, “Mother.”

Mother spins around, but before she can see me on the screen behind her, my image is gone.

The chaos that ensues is alarming. The crowd is in an uproar, Mother is screeching something to her Enforcers, who have dived into the crowds, and people are running, trampling those in their way as they try to escape the Enforcers.

That's when a familiar sound tears through the bedlam. A gunshot. It's followed by the kind of silence that you can feel. I can only stare at the Enforcer whose arm is still extended, her fingers still wrapped around the grip of a gun. Her eyes are barely visible, but in them I can see the same thing that I'm sure is in mine. Disbelief warring with self-condemnation as she stares down at the boy who can't be any older than ten, bleeding out at her feet. And centimeters from his fingers, splattered with his blood, is one of our masks.

 

C
HAPTER
S
EVENTEEN

The death of the child at the assembly today was an unfortunate but necessary show of force. My daughter must be taught a lesson for her insolence.

—
M
OTHER'S JOURNAL

Evie

We run—Asher and I—as soon as I disconnect all the wires and shove them in my bag. We crawl as fast as we can on our hands and knees, practically sliding down the ladder, pounding on the wall until Nadia opens it. We race down the corridor—Nadia calling after us, asking us what happened—until we reach the War Room. I lower myself so I'm sitting on a chair. My legs are jelly and I just don't think I can stand anymore.

I killed him. Not with my own hand, but I might as well have.

Asher leans against the wall. His hands are balled into fists, which are clenched so tightly they're bloodless. He keeps swallowing as if there's something in his throat. I know the feeling. I have it, too. The need to cry. To scream. To rage at the unfairness of this all. But I can't.

Tears solve nothing. Emotions are worthless. They only show weakness
.

The mask is still on my face. I can feel it tugging at my skin. I rip it off and glare at it, before throwing it at the door and turning away. Nadia and Evangeline step into the room I don't know how long later. Nadia looks a little shell-shocked, so I'm assuming Evangeline told her what happened.

Evangeline immediately takes the seat next to me and grasps my hands in hers. “Evie—”

Right away tears burn the backs of my eyes. I pull away, twisting in the chair to shove onto my feet, but my legs still don't want to support my weight and I have to grab the table for support.

“Don't. Just … don't.” I can't handle this with her. Not right now.

“It wasn't your fault,” she says quietly.

Slowly, I lower myself back down into the chair, trying unsuccessfully to blink the tears away. But they just keep dripping, falling one by one onto the back of my hand. I know she's right, deep down, but I still can't help but feel like it is. My mask. My rebellion. My decision to try and push Mother.