Rebellion (21 page)

“I stayed behind to see what happened until Mother forced everyone back to their apartments,” Evangeline says. I peer up at her through blurry eyes. “It was an accident, Evie. A misunderstanding, actually. Someone dropped the mask when that Enforcer got too close. The boy saw it and, no one knows why, but he was reaching to pick it up. I assume the Enforcer shot because that's what her orders were. That's what most are assuming.”

“That doesn't make me feel better.” My voice wavers when I speak. In fact I think it's worse. The boy wasn't even part of the Underground and he was killed because of me.

“Well it should!” Nadia says in her typical, no-nonsense tone. “It proves everything you've been trying to show everyone. It is horrible. No doubt about it. But that Enforcer revealed more about Mother in that second than you could have in six months.”

“But was it worth an innocent dying for it?”

“No,” Asher says. “It absolutely wasn't worth it. Nothing is worth taking another life. But
this
life is on Mother's hands, and that Enforcer's, not yours. And it's been done. There's nothing we can do to change it. We can only make sure he didn't die in vain.”

I stare at him. How am I supposed to do that?

I guess the only thing I can think of is to keep doing what I'm doing. But I don't think that's enough now. The random acts of kindness are still needed, especially now, because my people need to know someone cares, but they aren't going to be enough, either. I need for Mother to realize her ivory tower isn't as safe and impenetrable as she thinks it is.

“I have an idea,” I say slowly, finally putting into words the plan that's been formulating in my head for weeks. “We've spliced into the cameras twice now, but we can't keep doing that. With the increased security measures Mother's put into practice, and more she's sure to put in now, we're going to have to access the central monitoring completely.”

“How?” Asher asks.

“I can install a program that will run in the background of the mainframe—so Mother won't even know it's there no matter how hard she looks—that will allow me complete control of the computer from here using a power line communication system.” At least I
should
be able to. If all my time with the Enforcer manuals Father managed to pilfer for me after the almost-mishap the last time has paid off. “That way we can use our terminals
here
to access everything
there
. And at the same time, the computer will appear to be completely operational, except Mother won't be able to access the visuals or audios from the cameras.”

“Wouldn't Mother be able to fix that?” Nadia asks.

“That's the best part,” I say with a grim smile. “I can”—should be able to—“program it in such a way that there is absolutely no way to even access that part of the code without a data cube that will supply the rest of the ‘key.'” I hold up one of the cubes. “But I think we need to take it a step further. We need to cut her off from being able to use it as well. I'm not going to lose another Citizen because they got caught helping me. This way we can control the only way she has to communicate citywide, leaving her blind, deaf, and mostly mute. It should be easy enough, especially if we cause a little bit of a problem first.”

“What kind of problem?” Asher asks.

“We set off the alarms. All of them. Fire, water breach, Surface Dweller, everything. The Guards and Enforcers will be going insane trying to figure out what to do. So will Mother. I can slip in as an Enforcer, run to the CMR, and get the access codes we need. Plus, it has the added benefit of scaring Mother when she examines the very last bit of camera footage we leave her and she sees her little masked friend has infiltrated her sanctuary.”

Asher nods. “I like it, but I think we need to go even bigger…” He taps a finger to his lips. “… like deleting the Citizen registry?”

Both Evangeline and I shake our heads quickly. “No. If we do that, the turrets go off,” Evangeline says.

“With nothing to compare samples to, the turrets will just assume
everyone
is a Surface Dweller and will probably kill everyone,” I explain when Asher looks confused.

Asher purses his lips. “Can it be done, though?”

Evangeline and I exchange a glance. “Yes, but, like we said…”

Asher interrupts me. “If it
can
be done, so can controlling what the turrets respond to. Right? Why don't you just take over the entire system? If you're going to take Mother's eyes and ears, take her arms, too.”

Nadia shrugs. “That's … actually a really good idea.”

I nod. “I agree.”

Evangeline still looks slightly unhappy, but says, “You better have as good of a plan for getting out of there alive as you do for getting yourself in unnoticed.”

“Of course. The maintenance tunnels.”

“When do you want to do this?” Asher asks.

“Today. She'll never think we're planning something of this caliber so soon.”

*   *   *

A few hours later, I stand at a hidden door leading to Elysium's maintenance tunnels. I've spent the last two hours memorizing the way through them to the Palace Wing. I close my eyes and take a deep relaxing breath, then another, counting to ten before opening them again.

I turn to leave, but Evangeline touches my shoulder. “You remember the way?”

“Yes.”

“Remember to keep your hood up and your face blank. That way even if there's someone in the tunnels they won't think anything of it. And remember, the less emotion the Citizens see, the better.”

“Evangeline! I know. I've been going out there as an Enforcer for almost two weeks,” I say, trying not to laugh. I'm not sure if it's nerves that make me want to laugh or the fact that she's obviously nervous and doing exactly what I would do.

“When you get to the Palace, keep as close to the shadows as you can. Enforcers never stray too far away from them.”

I smile. “I know.”

“Don't stop and talk to anyone, even if you recognize them. Enforcers don't have friends.”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes again. For real this time. We've been over this hundreds of times in the last few hours. “I know.”

“And if another Enforcer stops to talk—”

“I'll tell them I'm on a mission for Mother,” I finish with a smile.

She pulls the hood over my face. My mask is tucked safely in the shirt of my dress. I'll need it for when I trigger the alarm.

Nerves threaten to attack me again, but I clear my mind of everything except what I need to do, both hoping for, and worrying about, that click that makes all my worries go away.

I turn and step into the tunnel without saying a word. The door shuts behind me and I take a moment to get my nerves in line. I can't shake the feeling that I won't be returning here.

But then I take a deep breath and move forward, taking what could be the last steps I ever take.

I focus completely on the path I've only ever seen on screen. It's supposed to be straight for twenty meters, then down four flights, then straight again for six junctions, then a left at the seventh—

A scraping sound breaks into my thoughts, and I stop walking, trying to focus my hearing to where I heard the sound. I don't hear it again, so I slowly start forward, pausing only momentarily at one of the junctions.

I glance around and continue forward, but a young man, a few years older than myself, runs around the corner. Not looking where he's going, he barrels right into me, knocking us both to the ground.

Immediately I push myself back up and tug at the cloak, making sure that none of my skin shows, and turn my head so my face isn't visible.

The young man jumps up and immediately starts apologizing. His heart is racing, visible in the bulging vein in his neck.

I want to tell him it's okay, that I won't hurt him, but that would blow my cover, so I only shove past him. “I will not be so lenient next time, Citizen.”

“Yes, ma'am. Of course.” He takes off in a fast walk in the opposite direction.

I don't start to breathe again until the echoes of his shoes disappear several moments later. I push away from the wall and hurry on, wondering if I should wear the mask now or keep it off.

I decide to keep it off because I'm so nervous even my lungs hurt as I breathe. I don't want to impede them further by slapping that thing on my face.

When the architecture of the tunnel changes, I take a moment to straighten my clothes again and brush off all the dirt before attaching the mask and readjusting the hood. I find the door that leads to the marble hallways of the Palace Wing without any trouble. According to the missive Father sent a few minutes ago, Mother should be out of the Palace Wing right now, along with most, if not all, of her Guards and Enforcers to determine how my earlier breach of the Square's vid system happened.

But I have to hurry; I doubt she's going to leave the safety of her nest for long.

I push out the door and glance around, looking for people that aren't supposed to be there. Namely other Enforcers. Father's intel is usually spot-on, but after today? Who knows?

I take a moment to orient myself. I know the Palace Wing by heart, but it's been a few months, not to mention I've been through a complete memory wipe. I dart down the path I've outlined in my head to where the CMR is, sticking as close to the walls as possible, and moving quietly in order to hear other people before they hear me. I run until I get to the Citizen's entrance to the Palace Wing. I hit the emergency lock on the tube, shutting off the Palace Wing from the rest of the complex. A necessary safety precaution should there be a leak in this Sector or on the other side, so that as few lives are lost as possible.

Of course, it also allows me to use it as a time delay.

When I reach the door to the CMR, I'm uneasy. I thought this would be harder. Not to mention that déjà vu feeling is back, and that's
never
a good sign. It's usually the harbinger of bad things to come.

Mother is far from stupid. She wouldn't just let me saunter right in here. Then again, she
is
arrogant, and the arrogance is what's going to get her in the end. She may not think we're brave enough—or stupid enough if I really want to admit the truth to myself—to do what we're doing.

The Guard stationed inside is completely fixated on the monitors in front of him, and for the first time in a long time, I feel that little click in my head and all of my senses become heightened. Even though part of me is scared of what I can do in Enforcer mode, I don't feel out of control. In fact, I feel the most in command of myself I've felt in a long time. And I'm going to need as much restraint as I have because with him in that room, I'm going to have to go in hard and fast.

So I do.

I yank open the door. I'm behind him before he even has a chance to turn his head to see who's come in. I hit him with just enough power on the back of the neck that I knock him unconscious and he falls to the floor. After a quick double check to make sure he's only knocked out, I drag him out of the room and into another, locking him in before returning to the CMR.

Following the information I remember, and the advice from Asher, I open the wall where the computers for the cameras are stored and insert the data cube into the computer. Then—after taking a deep breath, wiping my sweaty hands on my pants, and saying a silent prayer—I slowly start tearing down the security walls in the computer until I'm looking at nothing but code. With a few keystrokes, in my program goes. It'll block Mother from using the cameras in any way and run a loop of the past two hours, giving me a much longer time frame before it's discovered the camera system has been tampered with.

I shut down the turret system, remove and redirect their power sources, and then delete the program that controlled them so all the turrets are permanently powered off. Then, with fingers crossed, I delete the entire Citizen register, watching the cameras carefully to make sure the turrets don't do anything.

I think this is the only time I've been grateful for Mother's curfew.

I wait five frustrating minutes for a reaction, and only then, when nothing happens, do I risk breathing a sigh of relief. I've done it. I've essentially made Mother blind and deaf and removed her claws.

I'm sweating, despite the chill in the air, and my heart is racing, but I feel great. Now, I move on to the fun part.

I add in another program that will run—hopefully unnoticed—in the background, automatically setting off the alarms throughout the city and Palace Wing at random times and places. All I have to do is pull one and the rest will follow in a randomized pattern.

When I'm certain I'm completely finished and every trace of me even being here has been erased, I drag the still unconscious Guard back to his rightful spot. If I'm lucky, no one will even know I was in this room.

When I pass the closed doors of the tunnel entrance, I see the Guards frantically trying to open them, but I keep going. I've been here entirely too long. They've probably alerted Mother, and I have no wish for a confrontation. Yet.

When I see the little red lever on the wall, I pull it, but I don't stop even though the bells of the alarm echo in my head. I just keep going before hiding back in the maintenance tunnels, ripping off my mask, and hurrying back to the Caverns, trying not to laugh as a giddy feeling overtakes me.

 

C
HAPTER
E
IGHTEEN

Collect the body of the Guard. Hang him from the Square with a noose. His idiocy annoys me.

—
E
NFORCER ORDERS FROM
M
OTHER

Evie

Words fail me as I stare at the image on the screen in front of me. If I didn't know better, I would have thought someone was playing a nasty trick on me. Or that I was having a nightmare after sleep dragged me down following the all-nighter Asher and I pulled getting our new command center set up in the artifact room. It took some time to figure out how to connect Elysium's mainframe into the antiquated machines we have in the Caverns. We don't need to access
everything
Elysium's computer network can do, just the cameras and Father's Slate. So as long as we don't try to view the whole of Elysium at the same time, our devices work well enough. Not fantastic. Not even great. But they'll do.