I shrug and look around. “What's the time?”
Caleb laughs. “It’s morning. Here.” He hands me a generic cardboard box labeled: CRACKERS.
I nod in a silent thank you and turn to leave. But Caleb has one more thing to say to me. “By the way,” he starts. “Nice tattoo.”
I lift my right hand to my face to get a look at the graffiti swirls around my fingers. My reply is “Thanks.”
He doesn’t ask where I got it, so I walk off.
The whole room is crowded with people. To ignore them, the best choice would be to head back to the room with my blanket. These crowds of people remind me of the cafeteria back at home, and I wonder when I'm going to stop thinking about that white building.
I'm alone in the room, but I suddenly feel cold. I don't leave, only sit down in my corner and eat the crackers.
After half the box is gone, I realize I desperately need water. I find Caleb quickly, but he doesn't let me go this time. He has something else to show me.
“I’m not sure how long you’re planning on staying here,” he tells me as we walk toward a door. “But I think you should try out the training room.”
The door is pushed open, revealing yet another large room surrounded by concrete walls. Light bulbs hang from the ceiling, and I wonder what would happen if they sudden fell down.
There are more people inside room, but not many. Wooden targets have been propped up against a wall. The many times they were used shows. They're covered in holes and peeling wood.
Worn-out punching bags hang from the ceiling on the other side of the room. The different patches of cloth they're covered in show me that someone has crafted these by hand. And they've done a good job.
A girl has already called one. She's driving her fist into its hard body over and over again.
Caleb gestures around the room. “We’ve assembled this a while ago. You can use it whenever you’d like to. I’m not sure how good of a fight you are. Can you fight?”
I take a sip of my water and watch the girl attacking her punching bag. “Uh…sort of?”
Caleb throws a skeptical look my way. “We have plenty of trainers here. I'm sure one would be willing to help you out.”
Learning how to defend myself will be more than helpful. “Okay. Who’s available?”
Caleb points to the girl at the punching bag. Her blond hair, pulled back into a ponytail, swings back and forth with every hit she puts into the bag.
“There’s Violet right there. She's helping someone else, but I'm sure she's free enough to help you.” He pauses, thinking. Then says, “Then there’s Tobin. He was one of the guys you met last night when Sabine showed up. Then there’s Louis, but you've never seen him. There are quite a few other trainers. You have a lot to choose from.”
The girl at the punching bag stops what she's doing. With a swift gesture, she slides her black gloves off her hands and makes her way toward me and Caleb. She looks well-built, just like many people around here.
When she reaches us, she nods at Caleb. “Sir.” Her eyes move to me. “And you must be...?”
“Vivian,” I say too quickly.
She brushes her shirt off. “Sir, I overheard your conversation. I'm sure I can help in some way.”
“I would appreciate that,” Caleb says.
Violet smiles and points to the door. “Great. I'm just waiting for my trainee.”
Caleb returns the smile. “You can introduce Vivian to this. There are a couple things I need to finish.” He leaves without another word and Violet leads me over the bag she had been punching earlier.
She taps on it. “While we wait for Grace, I suggest you show me the power of your punch. Don’t worry about posture.” Grace must be the girl she’s training.
“Okay.” I stare at the punching bag and try to figure out how I should stand. Which arm should I use to hit the bag? My right or left?
I shake out my right. Before I can get a good hit, Violet says, “How old are you?”
“Twenty-one.”
Violet tilts her head to the side. How old does she think I look? Fifteen?
“I’m five years older than you,” she says. “Anyway, punch the bag already. Give it all you’ve got.”
CHAPTER 9
V I V I A N
It’s silent in the room as I take my first swing.
When my fist makes contact with the punching bag, I immediately know it was a pathetic hit. I back up and fold my arms over my chest.
“Well,” Violet says slowly, rubbing her chin. “That was good.”
I laugh. “No, it wasn't. I bet the girl you’re training can knock me out in a second.”
I can fight, but only by weak kicks and flapping my arms around. I’ve been attacked a couple of times back in the white underground building by Rob, the psycho who tried avenging his dead father—the one that I apparently murdered years ago. I fought Rob back when he had invaded my room in the middle of the night, but I admit, I had not put up a good fight.
Violet shakes her head back and forth. “Actually, Grace is new here too. She’s only been here for a couple of weeks.”
Violet is about to say something else when the door to the training room opens.
A tan-skinned girl walks through the doorway. Her dark and frizzy hair is tied back into a ponytail. When she reaches Violet and me, I notice both of our heights match. This must be Grace.
She barely pays attention to me. To Violet, she says, “Hey.”
Violet puts a hand on Grace’s shoulder and introduces both of us. “Grace, this is Vivian. She’s twenty-one. Vivian, this is Grace. She’s fifteen.”
Grace smiles. “You’re short for someone your age.”
I mirror her. “And you’re younger than I thought you’d be.”
Violet motions to the bag and takes a few steps away from it. “Grace, I want you to hit this. I’m thinking Vivian wants to see how you hit.”
Grace casts me a look I can’t interpret and positions her hands in front of her face, fists clenched and facing the bag. They strike the bag, one by one. I try to study her movements but she stops too quickly.
“Do you want to hit the bag again?” Violet asks me. I would if it wouldn’t make me look like an absolute moron. But no matter how reluctant I feel, I get ready anyway. Besides, I don’t think Violet’s giving me a choice.
I clench my fists and punch.
Violet has something to say. “You’re standing too far away from the bag. Your arm stretches out too much when you attack, and we don't want that.”
I try again.
The door to the training room opens and a few people stream in. They take their positions in the room.
“Not too bad,” Violet finally tells me.
Grace and I take turns punching the bag. I try copying Grace’s stance as she hits but it’s harder than it looks. By the time we finish, the room is already crowded.
My knuckles are stiff and red, but I don't think I've improved my posture.
With my oversized sweatshirt hanging from my arm, I step out of the training room. I'm still wearing that white t-shirt I had on when I woke up in that white container.
It feels cooler in this room than the training one, and I'm glad I'm out of it.
Sabine passes me, clapping her hands and calling out to people in the room. “Okay, we’re going on a supply scavenge. Anyone need anything?”
Two people are following behind her. One of them is the guy who was with Sabine when they found me yesterday. The other person is a girl I don't recognize.
I get an idea, but I don't know if it's a good one. “Hey, Sabine,” I say, my voice hushed at first. I clear my throat and say louder, “Would you mind if I went outside with you guys?”
Sabine turns to me. The girl and guy with her follow. The guy speaks first. “Aren’t you supposed to finish your training?” He’s laughing at me even though he has no smile on his face.
Sabine nods, pointing to the guy. “Actually,” she says, “Tobin’s ri
ght. It’ll be too easy for them to catch you. You should just stay here.”
Tobin? Caleb mentioned a trainer named Tobin. That’s the reply I prepared myself for.
Sabine continues. “I’m sorry but no.”
The unfamiliar girl standing next to both of them speaks up for the first time. “I say let the girl have a chance. Maybe she’ll be of use to us.”
Sabine throws the girl a look. “No, we’re not taking Vivian along. Sorry.”
“That’s fine.” The words come out as barely a whisper as I watch them leave. I sigh. I came down into this hideout, so I might as well stay here.
It’s my own fault. If I wanted to go outside so badly, I should have declined their invitation to this hideout. I rub my face and throw my sweatshirt back on, wondering how the hell I could be of use to these people here.
CHAPTER 10
R I A N
I've been sitting in this chair for quite a while.
The only thing I've been listening to are the murmurs from the crowd. But the one important thing that catches my attention is Jack Welds, the main leader of this underground complex. He stands in front of the large room, informing us of yet another problematic event. His hands go up in the air with every words he says, but I'm starting to just go with it and focus on his words instead.
But this new mission isn't anything that has been tried before. Jack is sending humans outside...to go after Vivian.
“We tracked her location,” he's saying. “We see she’s still on the move. Miss Clancy is showing us that, in fact, there is something out there, not just land and dust. This past month, we’ve been designing new safety suits. The time has come for us to test them out. For people have been chosen for the mission. We're not sending regular people, but ones with our mechanical hearts inside of them. Fox, Rian, Addison, and Laurey. You must be aware that this is a dangerous mission.”
Jack’s speech ends, and I realize it hasn't been going on long at all.
Fox, Laurey, Addison, and I find ourselves following a small crowd of people through a narrow hallway. This is the same hallway I walked through a few months ago. But instead of four people, there were only three. Me, Fox, and Vivian.
Laurey and Addison, the two girls with us, aren't regular human beings, just like me and Fox. And Vivian.
We all have a synthetic heart inside of us, beating like a normal one would. But we're not normal, and I refuse to think of myself as that way. These hearts are supposed to save our lives, power our human bodies as we head outside into the toxic air. We've done it once, and succeeded. But Vivian was the one that went down. And now she's gone.
My palms start to sweat from the idea of going outside again. Until now, I have not stopped to think about the mission and where I'm going, so I wasn't bothered.
Once Vivian's chip signal was tracked, Jack Welds already knew what he wants to do. It only took him a couple of hours to plan it all out. He must have had this planned out for a while, in case something like this ever happened. But who would have thought?
But no one's sure if Vivian is alive or not. There's still hope, at least in me. What happens if we do get where she is, and something?
I don't know what I'm supposed to be thinking right now, so I focus on Fox beside me, who has started talking in a whisper. “Funny how we're risking our lives just so we could find that little girl, isn’t it?”
I frown and decide it's not such a good idea to focus on Fox. He's reminding me of Vivian and the mission. That's not what I want to hear about. I cross my arm to keep them steady, hoping no one sees them shaking.
Fox continues, his voice low. “It's pretty obvious the only reason we're being sent out is because Jack is interested in finding out what's out there, and how Vivian can walk all of a sudden. I'm sure he doesn't care much about her.” Fox scratches his head. “He just cares about figuring out the reason why she's moving. But...if she’s able to survive out there that means we can too. That machine must have worked…” He trails off and mutters a few things I can’t understand. Then he continues speaking at a louder volume. “But what if we don’t—?”
I point all of my fingers at him. “Fox, please just shut up,” I say, struggling to keep myself as calm as I can. Every step I take toward the room we’re heading toward makes my stomach tighten. I'd rather go the opposite way instead.
Fox raises both of his eyebrows but keeps his mouth shut. The group continues walking through the silence.
~~~
The suits we used several months ago were heavy, baggy, and brown. The updated version is less cumbersome, but not by much. And instead of a light coffee color, the material this time is gray and black.
Pulling the suit on is easier this time, requiring no one else but its wearer to zip it up. Once I'm done, I take a few steps in it. Flexible enough.
Fox stretches, while Laurey and Addison just stand. This is the first time going outside the building for both girls. I have pretty good idea for how they feel. This is my and Fox's second time.
I look down at the suit wrapped around me. The thick material hugging my torso and arms is gray. It wraps around my neck also. A black vest is attached to my chest, and I can't help but wonder if it's bulletproof. The black boots and pants I’m wearing are connected together. I'm used to boots and pants being separate. This almost feels like one-piece pajamas. There's a holster attached to one of my legs, just above my knee. If we're bring guns, then we should expect to run into trouble.
Seeing the end of the gun sticking out of the holster brings a shiver through me. Half a year ago, Jack Welds told me something about my previous life, long before I lived inside the underground complex.
My younger self had been trained to become a soldier, fighting in a war I don't remember. That time, I might have been good with gun, but now I don't know if I will be able to bring myself to pull the trigger. There are so many mysteries from my past life, but Jack refuses to tell me.
A woman in a white lab coat walks up to me, telling me to give her my hand. I stretch out my fingers and watch as she slips on black gloves. Once she's done with me, she moves on to the others.
All four of us stand there, waiting for the next instructions. With a clear of his throat, Jack Welds reviews the situation. He warns us about the guns. We're only supposed to use them when there's a threat around, not at each other. He says he trusts us to handle them carefully.
The group of four are given small devices. They're meant to tell us where Vivian is located. I stare at the green dot on the screen. It’s not moving right now. She's too far away from us. I just hope she’s alive, although it seems impossible. How can she be breathing when she was pronounced dead?
Fox is handed a rifle. I can't take my eyes off of it, and neither can Addison and Laurey.
Fox laughs as he looks around at us. “Don't worry, I was trained to use these.”
I don't know when Fox had the time to train, but I don't say anything. Nobody says anything either. Fox only swings the gun behind his back to attach it to its own holster.
I'm handed a black helmet. Slowly, I pull it over my head, wondering when will be the next time I'll be able to take it off. Or will I ever be able to take it off after this? I don't know what's waiting for us outside.
A panel of glass is in front of my face, protecting me yet letting me see what's in front of me. Just like the last mission, we're able to communicate with each other through the built-in radio inside our helmets.
“You’re ready?” Jack asks the four of us.
If I had a choice, I would turn around. But I nod and watch as the others follow my lead. My feet take me to the elevator that has revealed itself from behind the wall. Fox, Laurey, and Addison trail behind me.
Jack only has two words for us. “Good luck.”
CHAPTER 11
V I V I A N
The week that passes is filled with hitting punching bags, sitting, cleaning, and eating. I constantly worry about the amount of oxygen that we use here, but
everyone seems fine.
Violet continues to help me with my hits. She's starting to get less lenient with every day that passes with me. My punches have improved, but not by much.
I barely speak with anybody, but I feel like the longer I stay, the more comfortable people get around me. I'm no longer the short, new girl. I've moved up a level. I'm the short, gradually-adapting girl.
Despite my friendly surroundings, a thought continues to invade my mind every day. What if the guards topside find out about this hideout. What's going to happen? What sort of consequences will we have to endure? But maybe the people here have never had a problem, so why am I worrying?
I have received a different set of clothes, which I am grateful for. I feel more comfortable moving around and not worrying about the baggy outfit slipping. Instead of the oversized sweatshirt and pants, I’ve been given a brown t-shirt and regular jeans. They’re not brand new, but they fit me perfectly. I’m even more grateful for the shoes that they’ve given me. They’re solid black sneakers, a little worn from whoever had previously owned them.
The lack of fresh air makes me antsy. Everywhere I look, I see walls. A dead end.
I keep telling myself I'm overreacting; there's nothing to worry about.
~~~
Sabine appears inside the large room I'm in. It's filled with people, but no most of the population here. She announces that she's going to be heading topside to get a couple of items. Not many people are listening, which tells me they don't care too much about it.
Tobin is right behind her. He joins her for every supply hunt she goes on. I’m not sure if he feels the need to watch out for her, or they're just really good friends.
A young woman decides to join Sabine and Tobin in the supply hunt. I turn away, knowing there's no use to ask for permission to go with them. Sabine will just turn me down, just like last time. I'm tired from the day anyway. Some sleep with do me good.
But I've only started walking away when I hear Sabine call my name.
I turn at a tap on my shoulder. The face of a grinning Sabine greets me.
“You wanna come with us?” she asks.
I feel my eyes narrow. She wants me to follow them. Why now? Is there something I did that finally made her change her mind?