Sector 1
Matt felt completely useless. He’d felt useless for six years. After the sheer exhilaration of escaping from The Grid and saving his life, the implications had become slowly clearer.
When he’d first descended in that elevator six years previously, he hadn’t had a clue what he would find. He didn’t know if he’d survived The Grid and if it was The Justice Walk he was experiencing. Neither could he tell if something extraordinary had happened, something that was not supposed to have taken place. When the elevator doors opened on The TriPlex, he didn’t know what, if anything, would be there to meet him. As he later discovered, there was no way he could have even got into the elevator if he wasn’t an Immune. He’d have been terminated immediately. No warning, no alerts, just an instant violent death. When the Sectors had been created, it had been deemed essential for the survival of humanity that no plague carrier could ever enter The TriPlex. If the plague or a mutated version of the disease got in, the pandemic could begin all over again. If Centrum fell, the population was on its own.
It was equally impossible for those in The TriPlex to enter the Sectors. They were to remain sealed off zones, nobody was to enter or leave. The population in Centrum had been carefully balanced. It was made up of Immunes, of course. That was an extra level of protection in case any strains of the virus should get through, but also there was a balanced ecology of society in there: scientists, engineers, horticulturists, doctors, mechanics, teachers and political leaders were carefully blended to ensure Centrum would continue to thrive for the hundred years needed for humanity to increase its chances of survival. They did not know what their role was, only to maintain the systems of Centrum to ensure the system continued to operate correctly and to safeguard the disease-free integrity of the establishment at all costs.
Matt Parsons was the second person to make the crossing from the Sector to Centrum. As the elevator had worked its way below ground to its destination, he’d braced himself for a violent reception. He was familiar with working elevators, having lived and worked on Silk Road all of his life, so he understood there would be a momentary delay before the door opened.
He’d stood there, tired, wounded and weary, not sure if he had much fight left in him. He’d almost given himself up for dead in The Grid, then from nowhere the exit had appeared.
The doors slid open. A young man was there, unarmed.
‘Come with me,’ he’d instructed. ‘This way!’
Matt followed his lead. Alarms were going off in the vast glass-domed area, and this man seemed to offer the chance of help.
They ran across to another elevator marked ‘Sector 1’. The young man activated the door and they stepped inside. Matt saw guards appearing on a circular transportation area in the centre of the atrium as the elevator door closed.
‘Where are we heading?’ he asked, alert to the fact he might be about to step back out into The Grid.
‘Don’t worry, it’s safe up here. It’s very different to what you came from.’
The elevator door opened. They were standing in a vast hangar crisscrossed with blue lines. They were at its centre, they’d walked out into an empty arena.
‘This is The Grid in Sector 1,’ the man began. ‘It’s deactivated now, it’s safe to come though. They’re all dead here anyway.’
‘What?’ asked Matt, ‘Who are dead?’
‘The entire Sector,’ the man replied. ‘They’ve all been dead for years, looking at the decomposition levels. I never go out there, I can see it on the cameras though. Not sure if it’s safe. It’s much nicer out there than in Sector 2, but the bodies tend to spoil the view.’
Matt was stunned.
‘There’s another city? How can there be?’
‘There are three cities actually, but two of them are dead.’
‘But we were told we were the only survivors. It’s not possible.’
‘You’re in Sector 1 right now. This is the first city. We’re not in Fortrillium, they called it Sympozia: it was the same tech, same sort of set-up, but a different social structure and another group of people making the rules. I don’t actually know that, I’ve just figured it out from what’s left here.’
‘Who the hell are you anyway?’ Matt asked. He felt he was asking the right questions but in the wrong order.
‘Jacob Carley,’ he said, reaching to shake Matt’s hand. Silk Road, Matt thought immediately.
‘Matt Parsons.’
‘What’s happening, Jacob? None of this makes any sense to me.’
‘I’m only slightly ahead of you, Matt, so don’t worry. I was brought here by President Delman. As far as I can tell, I’m the only one alive in this Sector. He hasn’t told me much, but as far as I know there are three Sectors. Two of them are dead, only Sector 2 has survived. I don’t know what killed them, plague I assume, but who knows? Delman has me up here to stop anyone else coming down into The TriPlex.’
Jacob clocked Matt’s expression. He saw that more explanation was needed.
‘The TriPlex is where you just came from. Nobody is supposed to be there. It’s the last point at which the plague can be stopped. Nobody enters The TriPlex and nobody leaves Centrum. Only it hasn’t worked out that way. I’m here and you’re here. And President Delman seems to have his own key.’
‘This is incredible, Jacob. How can it have happened?’
‘I don’t know. I’m piecing a lot of this together myself. I think they created three cities when the plague came. They call them Sectors. We’re in Sector 1, you’ve come from Sector 2. I haven’t been to Sector 3, Delman told me not to even think about it. You never know what you’re walking out into. I’m a Gridder, Matt. He moved me over here. I didn’t have a choice really. He stuck one of those things in my head. Damn, that hurts – have you got one?’
Matt nodded, and yes, it hurt.
‘Those implants are what got us through The Grid in the first place. Without them, we’d have died on entry. They’re dangerous things. He took mine out, he needed to use it on somebody else, I think. I’m an Immune apparently. I didn’t know, but Delman seems to understand it. You must be an Immune too or you never would have made it into that elevator. You’d have been terminated. It’s Immunes only here. The plague has to be kept out of The TriPlex. We’ve been specially chosen.’
Matt was struggling to take it all in. He was being presented with a lot of information – what Jacob was telling him challenged his entire world view.
‘I need to get you out of here quickly, we don’t have long. I’m not supposed to be talking with you and you’re definitely not supposed to know I’m here. I got you out of The Grid, it was me who opened the door for you. You must never talk about me when they take you into Centrum. You can’t visit me and you won’t be able to contact me. Forget that Sector 1 is even here and do not tell Centrum that this city is dead.’
‘Why did you contact me then? What are you doing here?’
‘Look, I got caught up in this by Delman, I don’t really have a choice. Same as you, I’m just protecting my family. But I think Delman is trying to save us, I don’t think he’s the bad guy here. Sector 1 is dead, our Sector is still alive, Sector 3 is gone. I’ve decided to trust him, I don’t have much choice anyway – he’ll kill my family if I betray him. You’re my insurance, Matt. I need someone to know I’m here in case I’m wrong. We’re going to wait for The TriPlex to clear, then you’re going down there again and you’re going to come out of the second elevator. Just like it should have happened all along. You’re going to tell them you went back up and thought better of it. Then you’re stepping out and you need to keep your mouth shut. Just remember I’m here and remember what I told you about Delman. I think he’s here to help us, but I may be wrong. If it all falls to pieces, remember me in Sector 1. The Grid here is activated at all times, don’t think of coming up unannounced. It’s for my own protection.’
‘What are they like in Centrum? Will I be a prisoner there?’
‘Unknown. They’re going to be pretty scared of you at first, but once they make sure you’re plague-free, they’ll relax. They’ll want to know what it’s like in The City, I’m sure.’
Matt nodded. He could see the sense of what Jacob was saying. Given that everything seemed completely mad, there did seem to be a grain of sanity in his proposal. He wasn’t at all sure about what would greet him in The TriPlex, it couldn’t be worse than what was in The Grid.
‘Remember, Matt, you can’t tell anybody about me, don’t even think about it. We’re allies, right? We’re pretty well the only people who know we’re still alive! We’re each other’s security if it all goes to hell.’
‘Won’t my family know I got out?’
‘No way. Fortrillium blacked it out. They won’t know what happened, but they can’t come in after you anyway. If they do, unless they’re Immunes, they’ll die when they enter the elevator. And that’s if the Gridders even let them get that far. Their instructions are to keep everyone away from the centre of The Grid. I’d always wondered what was there, now I know. The Grid is there to keep us all out of The TriPlex. It’s all a big plan. Delman knows what’s going on, I don’t. You can send a message to your family if you want, if you do it quickly.’
‘Can you get it to them?’
‘Well no, not exactly. I can access Fortrillium’s systems via the Sympozia network, it’s how Delman and I are talking. He figured it out, if he wasn’t so damn scary, we’d be admiring him as a genius. All the Sectors are linked by a central matrix. I never knew about it when I was working for Fortrillium, I don’t know anybody who knows about it in Sector 2. But it’s there. You worked for Fortrillium. Do you have a secure area I can drop the message into?’
‘I was hiding data in an encrypted folder. I gave it to my son, Joe, before the Centuria hauled me away. It shouldn’t take him long to figure it out, but we can leave it in there. Only Joe will find it.’
‘Okay, I’m recording now. Just speak, I’ll get it.’
Matt delivered the message which would be seen by Wiz six years later. It would lie hidden for too long to give Joe and his family any comfort, but it would prove essential to giving Talya Slater the confidence to press ahead with the rebellion.
‘Okay, got it. I cut you off a bit sharp at the end. Can you leave me your codes? It’ll take me some time to work out how to get that into your folders without leaving a trace. Hope you’re confident your son will be able to access it, he’ll have to be pretty good to get onto the Fortrillium servers.’
‘Don’t worry. I trust him, he’ll get there eventually. I left him enough clues, and he’s a resourceful kid.’
‘Okay, Matt. Much as I love having your company, you’ve got to go. I’m on my own up here, just the occasional message from Delman and an instruction not to let anybody out of The Grid. You’re lucky, Matt. You played well, you made it to the centre so I could get you out without a fuss. It won’t happen again. You’re my ally now, okay?’
Matt nodded.
‘I’m still confused about what’s going on here, but I’m grateful for you saving my life. There was no way I was getting out of there alive, I owe you that. I’m not sure about President Delman. I don’t share your view of him but I hear what you say, and I’ll reserve judgement for now. I’ll keep quiet about you being in Sector 1, but if things change and I find out that something else is going on, I can’t guarantee I’ll stick to our agreement. For now, though, thank you. I appreciate that I’m still alive.’
It was the best Jacob could hope for. He was alone in Sector 1. He’d got plentiful supplies since he was the only one left alive. Power seemed to come from a central system. He was secure there and he understood the tech. There was nothing else he could do, other than to sit, wait, see what the President wanted, and try to keep his family alive. He had an ally, somebody knew he was alive. That was security which he might rely on later.
He escorted Matt across the Sector 1 grid and took him as far as the exit.
The two men shook hands and parted. Matt wasn’t at all sure about Jacob’s take on Delman, but he believed him to be a good person. In The City they all had to do things they weren’t comfortable with. You could speak up and take the consequences or you could stay quiet and keep your family safe. Most chose the latter. Matt certainly had. It’s what had kept his boys alive and his wife safe.
He headed down in the elevator, calmer now but in urgent need of medical attention. He craved rest, he just wanted the torment to stop for a while. The door opened, and as instructed he ran across to the Sector 2 elevator. He waited outside the door until the Transporter area activated. Three armed guards were there. They weren’t Centuria, they seemed defensive rather than hostile.
Matt held up his hands to show that he was unarmed and not a threat. There was somebody else standing behind the guards, he hadn’t seen him at first. He stepped forward.
‘Welcome to The TriPlex. My name is Philip Schaelles.’
The Address
Wiz was delighted with his new tech rig. He wished he’d had all of the equipment earlier. It almost made it worthwhile having to dangle from the scaffolding and risk his life in the elevator. He’d finally been able to do what he’d set out to do.
The tech teams had re-established the signal from the sewers, across The Climbs to the rebel base. The Centuria had located the mast at Harry’s apartment and torn it off the side of the tower block. That was a nuisance, but not an insurmountable problem. They hopped the signal via a nearby high-rise, it was probably better that way. The Centuria would struggle to track the path that had been created across from the other buildings.
Wiz made a few adjustments and confirmed that everything was in place. He’d got direct access to Matt’s data on the Fortrillium servers and he’d got the feed Delman was using to communicate beyond the walls of The City. He’d been allocated assistants, a tech team of three rebels who knew the equipment well. They were from Silk Road and, like Joe and his family, they’d been sent to The Climbs for one reason or another. Each had a grudge to bear, they were perfect members of a resistance movement. They had specialist tech skills from their former lives on Silk Road, fused with a hatred of Damien Hunter and all things Fortrillium. It was the perfect combination.
Wiz needed to prioritize. There were people in The Grid depending on him. Dillon was doing well, and he felt relieved that at least he’d managed to keep Joe’s brother alive. He’d accomplished something. He intended to do his best to improve on his results. That was not going to be the only thing he achieved, he was determined about that.
Talya was ready to make her address. He needed to locate the holographic message from Matt. He got his team to interrogate Matt’s data files. There was a lot of information in there, they would be able to work through it much faster than he could on his own. It was a case of sifting through notes, images and diary entries – it was time-consuming but should be productive too.
Everything worked better and ran faster in the rebel base. It was a help that Wiz didn’t have to monitor the power levels continually. Eventually he was ready and called Leo over so that he could talk discreetly.
‘I want to show Talya this message alone at first. I think she’s going to find it quite a shock.’
‘That’s okay, use the briefing room, Wiz. Send your data to console 3c, you’ll be able to access it from there.’
Talya had been checking in on Dillon. She was quite clearly nervous. Wiz had always known her as confident and assured when he’d seen her taking part in debates and news items on the screens, he wasn’t used to her being like that.
‘I want you to see this alone for the first time, Talya. We need to decide if we’re going to show this during your address. It’s explosive stuff, and it may put people in danger.’
Wiz accompanied Talya to the briefing room and began a replay of Matt’s video message. Talya watched quietly until the end, hanging onto Matt’s every word.
‘I’m still alive, Joe, and you need to come to me now ...’
He spoke his last words and the holographic message ended. There was silence for a moment.
‘Do you think it’s a trick, Wiz? Was it recorded before Matt died?’
Talya was looking for explanations and reasons for it not to be true. The implications were too great. She’d never seen Matt’s final moments, Tom’s body had never been recovered. Could her own husband still be alive?
‘I’m sure it’s for real, Talya. I’ve done some checking and this message was placed on Matt’s server area just after he was supposed to have died in The Grid. It makes sense. If Matt had handed Joe his data card it would be the ideal way of getting a message through to him – if Matt could still access Fortrillium, that is.’
‘What if Joe hadn’t managed to access the data? It’s a bit of a risk to take, isn’t it?’
‘What other options did Matt have, Talya? He was arrested by the Centuria without warning. Although he was so young, even then he knew his tech, and Matt wanted to pass the data over into safe hands. If he thought he was about to perish in The Grid, what other choice did he have?’
‘And what about this more recent message? Where might it have come from?’
‘I just don’t know, Talya, but it makes sense that if Matt were alive and wanted to get a secure message to Joe, that’s where he’d place it. He’d set up a secure area already and had managed to give Joe the key to access it. If you were in a place where you were unable to get a message directly to Joe, what would you do?’
Talya considered this for a moment. Wiz was right. It was the ideal way to try to get a message to Joe. It was a long shot for Matt, but what other way did he have to communicate with Joe from wherever he was? Talya thought about Tom. Was it possible that he too could still be alive? It seemed incomprehensible. She and Lucy had gone through the grieving and the nagging sense of loss, they’d rebuilt their lives without him. Might he be alive too?
Talya reined in her thoughts. There was no evidence to suggest that her own husband could be living. She needed to focus on the facts. It seemed to make sense that Matt might be alive. His disappearance had been very similar to that of Joe and Lucy, a sudden interruption to the screen feeds. No evidence of death. And then there was the most recent development, the use of clones of Joe and Lucy in The Grid.
She’d had to slip off quietly into a room to get to grips with that development. At first she’d thought her daughter was back in The Grid, in much better health, clean, clothed and armed. Joe was the same, he seemed to have had some time to recover from his previous battles, he appeared much stronger and alert. Then Fortrillium began to play a new show reel explaining that these were just clones sent in to trick the Justice Seekers. They looked so real. She could swear she was looking directly at Lucy. After composing herself, she’d checked in on Dillon. She had to remember she was responsible for more than just Lucy. There were Joe and Jena to think about, Max, Mitchell and Hannah. The lives of so many were hanging in the balance. And now, alongside the resistance, she could finally fight back. It would no longer be with words alone, she would now be able to back things up with force. For the first time in the history of The City, or certainly during her lifetime, they were capable of striking back.
‘Let’s use this video, Wiz. The citizens of The Climbs are going to need something more than just hate to get them to take action. We need to give them hope, hope that something else is out there. Let’s get ready for broadcast, I want to do this now.’
The address was put together at great speed but its impact was dramatic. Talya and Leo wanted the message to be released as soon as it was ready.
The broadcast area was set up. Wiz’s tech team located several damning images of Damien Hunter from Matt’s files. Wiz prepared the holographic image for replay. They were ready.
‘Okay, Talya. Standby, we’re breaking into the screen feeds now. There’ll be a short delay. I’ll give you a signal when you’re on.’
Leo controlled events with assurance in the makeshift broadcast room. Talya had had enough experience on the end of a TV camera to know exactly what to do. She was calm and ready. She’d rejected writing a script, she wanted her message to be spontaneous and straight from her heart.
‘You’re on, Talya!’
Talya waited a moment, looking at the camera. This was being broadcast across all the screens in The Climbs. It was possibly being seen on some screens on Silk Road, they couldn’t be sure. Thousands would be watching this. How many would it take to begin a revolution? It was in the early hours of the morning – who would even be watching at that time?
‘Many of you will know me already. My name is Talya Slater. You will be aware that my daughter is currently fighting for her life in The Grid. You will also know that I was recently made a Law Lord, at President Josh Delman’s request. One of my first duties was to pass sentence over my own daughter. I’m sure you will understand how that felt.’
Talya paused. The crowds watching the screens throughout The Climbs had fallen silent. Images of Damien Hunter committing atrocities in The Climbs were being shown on a screen behind her. They needed no words, they spoke clearly enough for themselves. Those watching did not know what was going on, but they sensed immediately that it was unauthorized and important. There was a charged atmosphere in The Climbs. Those who were in their apartments felt the sudden change in mood on the streets below, and many looked out of their windows to see what was going on. It was the middle of the night, yet The Climbs was alive with activity.
‘We’ve all known loss in The City. The loss of my own daughter to the justice system is just one story. Many of you will have lost family members in The Grid. Others will have disappeared. It’s rumoured they go to a place called The Soak, but even I as a Law Lord was denied access to this facility. People of The City, we’ve been fed nothing but lies!’
A murmur rippled through the entire city, from one screen audience to the next, along the streets and throughout the tower blocks. Talya had kindled a spark.
The Centuria became unsettled. Those who were part of the increased street patrols had been drawn to what was happening on the screens, they’d felt the mood beginning to change among the crowds. There was silence, everybody waited for Talya to continue.
‘Like you, I have been terrified to raise my voice in The City. Where I saw injustice, I protested meekly, then I was silent. I was scared for my own life, but even more fearful for the life of my daughter. I have been privileged to live a life on Silk Road. My friend, Jena Parsons, was thrown into The Climbs six years ago. She and her family were left to fend for themselves. Jena’s son, Joe, has fought to keep my daughter alive. Jena is now incarcerated in The Grid and her youngest son, Dillon, is safe with me after being hunted like a criminal. He is still a child.’
Another pause from Talya. She’d learned many tricks during her time making appearances on the screens. She wanted what she was saying to have time to percolate. It was important that her words created an impact. The Centuria teams began to seek guidance from their command centres. They could sense that the mood was beginning to change.
‘We are all mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children. Whichever side of the gates we live on, we are all trying to survive and protect those we love. But we do it in fear. It does not matter if you live on Silk Road or in The Climbs, we all live in fear for our lives. We dare not speak openly for fear of punishment. We dare not protest for fear of repercussions. The shadow of fear was cast over our lives a hundred years ago and it has stayed with us ever since.’
People watching in the crowds began to shout out in agreement.
‘That’s right, Talya!’
‘Yes! Keep talking, Talya!’
The calls were tentative at first, then they became more frequent and confident. The Centuria quietly and unobtrusively began to form offensive positions around the gathering crowds. Many people were running down the staircases in their tower blocks, anxious to see for themselves what was being said.
‘You will have heard about an explosion in The Climbs today. The news reports are claiming it was an accident. The truth is it was caused by a resistance group which has been operating in The Climbs secretly for many years. I am with that group now and I have agreed to be their spokesperson. The explosion was caused by their soldiers rescuing two young people who had been trying to save my daughter and Joe Parsons from their fate in The Grid. They were trying to do what any of you with loved ones would do if they had been thrown into that terrible place.’
The mood of the crowds had changed from interest, to surprise, then on to acknowledgement and finally to increasing anger. The Centuria sensed it, fingers tightened on triggers. Their instructions were not to fire unless it became absolutely necessary.
‘Many of you will remember that I lost my husband, Tom, six years ago. I lost a husband and my daughter lost her father. He’d been working with Matt Parsons, who we all believed had perished in The Grid. Today I have been handed this holographic message from Matt which was sent securely to his son.’
Wiz played Matt’s message. The holographic projection was placed just to the right of Talya. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought about Tom and the possibility he was alive. Everything was seen by the people watching the screens.
‘I believe we have been lied to. If this message is true, Matt Parsons is still alive and he is safe somewhere outside The City’s walls. That means there is life beyond these walls and we are being held in a prison which is run by Fortrillium.’
Talya steeled herself. She had to take care, she was rousing the crowds to action. The Centuria were often innocent too, their hands had been forced in different ways. She didn’t want a bloodbath on her hands.
‘I have no doubt that, as I have been speaking, the Centuria in your streets and in your squares have become increasingly restless. Many of them will be gripping their weapons right now, wondering what is going to happen next.’
The crowds looked around, suddenly becoming aware of the armed presence on the streets. There was a growing sense of unease. Revolution had consequences after all.
‘Two of the Centuria have helped to rescue my friends. One of their own friends, also a Centuria, is currently incarcerated in The Grid where she may perish alongside all of the other Justice Seekers. It will be hard for many of you to sympathise, but the Centuria are people just like us. They also live in the shadow of fear, but I have learned today that the Centuria can be compassionate human beings too.’
Had Talya been addressing the crowds directly, she would have sensed confusion. The message she had seemed to be giving was changing. They’d assumed Fortrillium was their enemy.
‘We have been lied to and our families have lived in fear and danger for a hundred years. We came here to escape the plague, but we became prisoners of a different scourge – the disease of fear. I do not know what lies ahead, but I know there has never been a better moment to seize the opportunity for change. That time is now. Centuria, I ask you to lay down your weapons. Citizens of The City, I ask you to reclaim this city.’
Talya had not been certain of what she was going to say, but as she had worked through her address, the enemy had become clear to her. She had known it all along, but she had always hoped a deal might be forged.
‘The enemy here is Damien Hunter, Fortrillium’s head. You have seen the images behind me. They were gathered by my husband, Tom, and his friend, Matt Parsons, before they disappeared. They had discovered what Damien Hunter was doing and had collected the evidence. You can see with your own eyes who has been holding us to ransom. I urge you to reclaim our city and reclaim justice. There has never been a better time to take action. If we fail now, we may never get our chance again. Stand together citizens of The City, it is time to banish the fear!’
Talya finished her message and the screens went blank before the Justice Trial feed reappeared. There was a tense silence. Somewhere in The Climbs a man and a woman emerged from the crowd and walked up to a group of Centuria. Weapons were lifted, aimed directly at them. They continued to move forward.
They were the parents of a man called Chris. He’d been taken away from them and placed in the Institute. He’d later appeared in The Grid, dazed and confused by what was happening to him. Lucy Slater had cared for their son and shown him kindness and compassion. The Justice Seekers had fought to protect him and keep him alive. Their son had been so moved by Lucy Slater’s kindness that he’d repaid the debt by saving her from Schälen. He’d died, not as a victim but as a warrior, surrounded by a group of supposed villains he would have been proud to call his friends.
Lucy Slater’s mother had just spoken. She had asked for their help. They were going to give it.
As Chris’s parents walked up to the Centuria, they gently took their weapons and placed them on the ground. The crowds watched on, terrified the gunfire would begin at any moment.
Rebellion
Damien Hunter’s face was bright red. He had clumsily interpreted the events of the day, and his complacency was coming back to bite him. He’d had to sit through Talya Slater’s address and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it.
He’d tried. He was immediately on his WristCom demanding the feed be taken down. The tech teams did their best, but the rebels had circumnavigated Fortrillium systems. The only consolation seemed to be that it was the ring main which served the screens in The Climbs that had been hijacked, so residents on Silk Road were not seeing Talya’s feed. Hunter was getting his feed directly from the ring main, and his internal feed continued to show what was going on in The Grid.
Hunter had established within five minutes that there was nothing he could do to prevent the sabotage. Sitting in anger and frustration, he listened to what Talya Slater had to say.
It wasn’t so long ago that he’d seen her himself. How had she gone from leaving the Fortrillium building to leading a rebellion in a space of a few hours? Had she been involved all along? He called up her Gen-ID data, looking specifically for her crossings into The Climbs. There were several over the years, but it had all seemed to be above board and connected to her legal activities. Had he been blind to what was going on? There had been no sign of organized resistance in The City for many years. The explosion earlier that day had been the start of things.
Hunter’s brain made a connection. Law Lord Sivil hadn’t been present for the beginning of Mode 3. Sivil was always there. Was he connected too? Hunter cursed the deception and lies.
His only sense of relief came when Talya avoided making a call to arms. Her misplaced sense of justice meant she still couldn’t make herself place the order for death and vengeance. Hunter actually laughed at that and shouted at his feed.
‘You can’t win a rebellion without spilling blood. It won’t all be sorted with a hug!’
Reports began to cascade in via the Centuria teams which were placed in The Climbs. The crowds were becoming agitated. People were beginning to shout their agreement with Talya. They were getting more confident and brazen.
Damien Hunter ordered the Centuria teams to open fire at the first sign of unrest. The reports continued, the tension was growing. Then they stopped. There was no news of shooting or riots. The feed of information suddenly broke off.
Hunter understood that he would have to seize control. The President would be chasing him soon for a full briefing. He held the upper hand as far as the Centuria were concerned, and he’d be able to turn events quickly and halt any rebellion.
First, he ordered the complete lockdown of all of the security gates allowing passage from The Climbs to Silk Road. The vast iron doors which had remained open for decades were closed, their aged ironwork creaking and groaning in protest. The Climbs was contained, and groups of Centuria at the gates were withdrawn to Silk Road before they got wind of what was going on and joined in the rebellion.
The next thing Hunter did was to make his own impromptu address via the screens. He didn’t send his message to the Silk Road residents, he didn’t want them to know what was going on. The Fortrillium building was safe against attack, but if any effort at rebellion spread to the Silk Road side, the facility would be vulnerable.
‘Citizens of The Climbs, it is with a heavy heart that I make this address. Talya Slater has made some serious and deeply damaging claims to you this evening. This is a woman who was due to be scrutinized by the Law Lord panel for her level of competence and ability to perform her duties. Today she has stood up before you and made certain claims about my leadership and the functions of Fortrillium. The images you have seen are fabrications, those events did not take place. The claims that there is life beyond the walls of this city are ludicrous. There is no life out there, this is our home and our sanctuary.’
He borrowed one of Talya’s speaking techniques. He thought her pauses had been a particularly useful device.
‘Talya Slater’s sanity and judgement have been under scrutiny from her peers. Her daughter had been plotting against The City and it’s likely that her husband was murdered six years ago because he was involved in dubious activities too. This is a family which is working against Fortrillium, the organization which has fought to protect you and your families for a hundred years.’
Another pause. He looked directly into his ConsoleCam. He liked to use the screens to broadcast direct messages from his office, and he preferred not to have to go through the nuisance of studios, lighting and camera crews to do that.
‘I ask you now, in sadness and genuine concern, if this is a woman that you wish to follow. You must question her sanity and her motives. She is unreliable, unstable and she will stop at nothing to see her daughter rescued from our justice system in The Grid. Fortrillium has fought to protect you all from the ravages of the plague for a hundred years. I am your guardian, I am here to preserve all life in The City.’
Damien Hunter felt he’d done his bit as far as diplomacy was concerned and it was time to start on the threats. These were always best framed against a background of rationality and legality, but when there was no alternative, he was prepared to slaughter anybody who stood in his way.
‘I need to remind you that your Gen-ID chips allow me – us – to ensure that order is maintained at all times. You will not be able to cross the boundaries of The City onto Silk Road. This is for the benefit of everybody in our community. I understand that a number of Centuria will be deciding whether or not to believe Talya Slater’s lies. I remind those servants of Fortrillium: think of your families and your own lives. Reflect on the allegiance you pledged when you first took up your role.’
This was Hunter’s direct threat to the Centuria. He understood how it would be in The Climbs in the heat of the moment. The Centuria would be terrified of being overrun by the crowds, they’d also find Talya earnest and convincing. They’d probably forget what he could do to them. No problem, he’d remind them.
Hunter’s camera feed continued as he turned his back to his audience and typed at his console. He made no apology for this and gave no explanation. He pulled up the list of every member of his Centuria army. He polled Gen-ID chips to isolate those who were in The Climbs at that moment. He then terminated twenty of them at random by invoking the terms of the contracts they’d signed when they joined the service. Not that that would have mattered. The contract was what gave him legitimacy, but he would have killed them anyway.
He sneered as he thought of what would be happening in the squares and streets of The Climbs. The Centuria would have watched as some of their colleagues dropped on the streets in front of them. No warning, no chance to surrender, just randomized terror. They’d wonder if they were next. He’d rule them with fear, they just had to be reminded who they answered to. He could do the same to their families too. He’d save that for later if things escalated. Damien Hunter understood the requirements of information flow. He did not want Silk Road to know about any rebellion if it could be helped.
He turned back to his screen. He looked directly into the camera and thought carefully about his next words.
‘Some of you may be standing close to Centuria who have dropped to the ground and appear to be dead. They are dead, and their families may follow. If you are one of the Centuria, your duty is to pick up your weapon and to protect the interests of Fortrillium. Fortrillium is here to guard The City, that is our primary objective. It saddens me to have to remind you of this, and you should consider it carefully when you decide what to do next.’
It always came back to fear. You could inflict many injustices and grievances upon human beings, it would take a lot to force them beyond their fears. Hunter understood this better than most people. Whatever the crowds thought about Talya Slater, even if they believed everything she said to be true, they would still be paralysed by the fear of what might happen. He was relying on that. He needed to finish, he had things to do, he wasn’t going to get caught unawares twice.
‘Centuria within The Climbs, the gates are lowered, there is no way to cross onto Silk Road until they are opened again. They will be opened when you present me with Talya Slater’s dead body. I wish also to see the bodies of Leo Bachus and Jody Carn. I will accept, dead or alive, the fugitives, Shen Li, who is also known as Wiz, and Dillon Parsons, the brother of the traitor, Joe Parsons. I will terminate ten Centuria at random each hour until this is done and order is restored in The Climbs. I expect this to be completed by 06:00, the end of Segregation.’
Hunter shut off his camera. He was confident his broadcast would immediately put an end to the unrest in The Climbs. It was contained within the walls anyway, and he’d leave them to fight it out until it was over. He then put his final plans into motion.
First, he instructed the Fortrillium buildings to be placed on full alert. All staff were forbidden to leave the building, full fortifications were enabled, and guards were deployed to defensive positions around the perimeter and at the security gates separating The Climbs and Silk Road. That would protect the main vulnerabilities. He deployed armoured vehicles on the streets too, but their teams were under instructions to position themselves at key vantage points, they were not to cause panic or alarm on Silk Road.
Next, he gave firm guidance to those operating the screens output that absolutely no indication should be given about what was going on in The Climbs. He demanded a full information lockdown.
Finally, he instructed the Gridders to prolong the trial and to make sure it was good. He wanted there to be a distraction on the screens. He would look for opportunities to throw in rebels and make an example of them. He’d have to sacrifice Talya and the two Centuria as soon as possible, they were too capable and influential, but Wiz and Dillon would make excellent fodder for the screens.
Damien Hunter took a moment to think things through. Had he done everything he could? He was still expecting Delman to contact him for an update. It seemed unusual that the President had not yet requested a security briefing. He would certainly know what was going on, security protocols ensured he was kept constantly updated on Fortrillium developments. That excluded, of course, the events Hunter made sure were hushed up.
He needed to examine the Psyche-Evals, it was going to be a long night. There would be no sleep for him, that was for certain. He hoped that by 06:00 he’d have the bodies of the key rebels and the temper tantrum experienced in The Climbs would be over.
When Hunter was under particular stress, he would either go to shoot off some rounds in The Climbs or visit his family in the Umbilica. The Climbs option was closed to him, though if ever there was a good reason for shooting its filthy, disgusting citizens, he figured this was certainly the night for it. He’d have to abandon that course of action until the gates were opened and the rebellion over. Instead, he went to visit his family in the Umbilica. They calmed him and reminded him of a simpler life before the responsibility of running Fortrillium had been placed on his shoulders.
Hunter was alerted the moment he entered the area. There was a persistent buzzing sound as soon as he went into his family’s chamber. He assumed it was just the machinery at first, calibration perhaps, or going through some routine maintenance.
He held out his hand, stroking his son on his head, touching his daughter’s hand and whispering to his wife through the thin membrane that kept them apart. He was sure they moved when he came to them. In his imagination, he believed they knew he was there.
‘Soon, darlings, soon. We’ll be together again very soon.’
The buzzing persisted, it was beginning to annoy him. He became quickly agitated when things annoyed him, but he did not want to feel angry in this of all places. It was his personal sanctuary, the place where he came to feel human again.
Hunter walked round to the control panels. This was not his area of expertise, but he understood it showed life signs, health, brain patterns and so on. As long as the screens were active, his family were alive and well.
He’d checked several years ago that there were fail-safes in place. He understood what would happen if there were power failures, and he’d confirmed maintenance routines and health checks. He was not going to leave the welfare of his family to chance. Delman might have the final say on whether they lived or died, but while they lived he would do everything he could to care for them.
He studied the screen which was emitting the buzzing he had heard when he came in. He scanned the dials and readings. There was a red bar forming at the bottom of the screen, red bars were never good. What was it? He couldn’t see what it was monitoring.
He hurried to the door, keyed in his access code and shouted to the operative outside.
‘Come in here, take a look at this data. I think there’s something wrong!’
The operative didn’t need to be told twice. She jumped up and followed Hunter into the chamber. She scanned the information on the screen and it was clear she didn’t want to deliver the news.
‘This unit is being switched off, sir,’ she began. ‘It’s been done on an override setting, there’s nothing I can do to fix it.’
She looked at Hunter, waiting for his reaction. She did not want to have to be the one who delivered that news. He looked at her calmly.
‘Are you certain there’s nothing you can do?’
‘No, sir, it must have been activated at a senior level, the order must have come from the President’s office. I’m sorry, sir.’
‘How long until the situation becomes critical? Are my family in immediate danger?’
The operative studied the data once again.
‘The command was initiated a few hours ago, it will take some time to reach a critical status. Your family can continue to live for a short time, even when the system is entirely shut down. You need to speak to the President’s office as a matter of urgency, sir. There must be some mistake here.’
‘Oh, I’m sure it’s no mistake. I think President Delman knows exactly what he’s doing.’
The operative had not expected Hunter to take the news quite so well. He was calm and measured, there was no shouting. She began to make her excuses so she could leave the chamber.
‘One moment!’ Hunter commanded, seeing that she was edging towards the door.
‘Is there anything you can do to alleviate this situation or am I entirely in the hands of the President? I just need to be absolutely clear on this.’
‘Of course, sir. The President has a full override on these chambers, as you know, and there is nothing I can do to reverse the situation. You need to deal directly with the President’s office.’
‘In which case you are no use whatsoever to me.’
Hunter hadn’t expected to be able to get a kill in that night, but here was his opportunity. However, he did not want to sully his family’s chamber with something as unsightly as a dead body.
He put his hands around the operative’s throat and began to squeeze hard. She was taken aback by the shock and the force. She looked into his eyes, but he was calm and in control as if this was a routine task for him.
She was not dead when he pushed her out of his family’s chamber, but her neck was broken shortly afterwards. Hunter waited for her body to go limp in his grip, then he let her fall to the ground by her workstation.
So Delman had begun to make his move, the endgame had started. It was the perfect time as far as Hunter was concerned. It would be easy to overthrow Delman while the rebellion was being extinguished. He could even apportion blame to him, he’d have to think that one through. But with the disruption in The Climbs came an opportunity. A chance to remove the President and take control of The City.
As Hunter let go of the operative’s neck, his attention was drawn by her console. She’d been monitoring events in The Grid and the feed was playing out with muted audio on her second screen. It was the way of moving that had drawn his attention. Justice Seekers usually looked cowed and scared. This person was confident and assured. He was also very old and accompanied by a younger woman.
President Josh Delman had just entered The Grid. The President was finally making his play.
Error
‘We need to leave now, Teanna. I hope you dealt with the Umbilica.’
Teanna looked at the President’s face on her console. It was top-level encryption, he didn’t want anybody to monitor this message.
Delman had just seen Talya Slater’s address on his own console. He’d known the woman was clever, that’s why he had made her a Law Lord in the first place. But a rebel? He’d missed that completely, it seemed unlikely in spite of the evidence.
Delman had known his time was up when he’d watched the scrolling images of Damien Hunter’s atrocities in The Climbs. Delman had been no part of that, but he immediately knew them to be true. Hunter was an animal, it made perfect sense.
The combination of Talya Slater’s words and Damien Hunter’s atrocities would spark dissent in The Climbs. Besides, Hunter would be on the defensive, he’d be protecting his own back, things would get nasty.
With Catharsis almost upon them, Delman had to act immediately. He’d secured Clay as his escort through The Grid and Teanna had begun the process of shutting down the Umbilica. The timing was far from perfect but he had to move. They’d all die in a matter of hours if he didn’t get out of there. He’d have to leave behind whatever unrest was brewing in The City.
The holographic image of Matt Parsons had been the final blow. Here was proof there was something beyond The City’s walls. Could Fortrillium kill that rumour? They could claim it was fabricated by the rebels and try to quash it before things got out of control, but they’d never succeed. Life beyond the walls was the impossible dream. If the citizens believed there was even a remote possibility of life outside, the idea would quickly gather a life of its own.
It was the time to act. He called Teanna and told her to meet him at the Fortrillium buildings. They’d both need to be armed.
He then made a call to Reevil96. He’d noticed that his contact was getting jittery – there was something in the air, everybody could feel that change was coming. Reevil96 responded immediately. After all, he had nothing else to do, there were no distractions where he was.
‘I want you to clear me a way through!’ Delman demanded. ‘This is your last mission now. You get me through this and you’re free. You get to see your family again, it’s all over. But you must get me through The Grid safely.’
‘Understood, sir, but Fortrillium is on complete lockdown. The Gridders are under massive scrutiny. I’m going to have to tread very carefully. If they detect me now, they’ll close me off and you’ll be at the mercy of Fortrillium.’
‘You have to make it work or you will never see your family again. You understand that, don’t you? If I come to any harm in there, I will activate the death codes, it will be the last thing I do. You have to get me through there, and you have to make sure the man Clay is unharmed, he will escort us through. Once we exit, finish him.’
‘Understood.’
Reevil96 thought through the options. As usual, there was no way out. Either he did as he was told or he’d never see his family again. The President had assured him he was protecting them all, that his actions were for the greater good. Reevil96 had believed that for many years, even though he’d seen plenty of evidence to the contrary. Block the exits to The Grid, assist the President, keep The City safe from plague, see his family again. It seemed simple enough, but nothing in The City was ever that simple.
‘This is the last time we speak, next time we’ll meet in person,’ Delman continued. ‘You get me through this and it’s all over for you, just as I promised.’
Delman seemed uncertain as to whether he was pleading or threatening, but he held the upper hand, all of the power was his. Reevil96 still believed the President’s actions were for the greater good, in spite of his way of going about things.
‘There’s one thing …’ Reevil96 began to speak just at the wrong moment. The feed was terminated, that was it, Reevil96 was on his own. This feed had been his only company for six years. He hoped he would soon be free to see his family and friends again. His sentence would be over.
Josh Delman made sure he was armed. He took two firearms and a knife. President’s privileges, he would not be without some form of self-defence. You could never be too certain.
He opened his safe and pushed the pages he’d torn out of Hunter’s copy of The Pact into his pocket. He left the rest of it, he wouldn’t be needing that. In his rush, he left the safe half-open. A car was summoned and Delman was driven to Fortrillium’s HQ. As he made the short drive to Hunter’s domain, he observed the presence of armoured vehicles and was not surprised to see the fortifications on the gates. He passed through them and saw Teanna standing by a wire fence, awaiting his arrival. It wouldn’t be long before Hunter came for him. A rebellion in motion, a lockdown on the Fortrillium facility, it was the perfect time for Hunter to make his move.
‘We’re going into The Grid. You know this is the end now, Teanna, don’t you? We get through this alive and you get to see your father again. We’ll put it all right.’
Teanna looked at the President. She knew she had no choice in the matter, but she still didn’t trust him. What had her father said? Not to trust Delman. They’d been his last words. Why would a father’s final words to his daughter carry a warning?
She’d got insurance: the Umbilica had been tampered with, she was armed, and she had her WristCom so she’d be able to access Hunter if she needed to. Hunter would be her guarantee, he’d do anything to be reunited with his family.
Delman and Teanna made their way through the corridors of Fortrillium. The Centuria were tense but they passed through without challenge. Delman was the President after all, ranking higher than Hunter, there was no reason to block his access.
They passed through many of the areas which Talya had seen on her tour of the Fortrillium penal facilities, but she had never got anywhere close to the heart which was where the President was heading.
He and Teanna moved closer and closer to the entrance to The Soak and the holding cells for the Justice Seekers. They passed the cell where, only days before, Joe, Lucy, Clay and the others had awaited trial. The guards acknowledged Delman with the respect a President commanded, but Teanna could sense their inquisitiveness. Why was the President visiting the heart of the penal areas? What business did he have there?
Delman strode into the Prep-Room.
‘Check our implants!’ he commanded the medics. There were three of them, a doctor and two assistants. They leapt out of their chairs, they had not been expecting a visit from the President.
Delman took out his weapon and shot one of the assistants through the head. He’d seen the look of enquiry in their eyes, he hadn’t got much time, he needed to get into The Grid and begin his final journey.
There was shock, stunned silence, then the doctor started to move. Teanna was startled. She’d seen that Hunter was capable of this irrational behaviour, but Delman had always seemed more calculating. He certainly got the reaction he was looking for.
The doctor ran a scan on both of them.
‘Both implants are fully operational, sir. Yours is a unique model of course—’
‘Give me an extractor!’ Delman demanded.
The assistant rushed to a safe in the wall, entered the codes and authorization, and handed Delman the unit. It could be held easily in the hand, it fitted in his pocket. Delman raised his weapon and shot the doctor and the assistant. Teanna gasped.
‘What did you think would happen, Teanna? You know what’s required here. We’ll need to get these cursed implants out as soon as we reach Centrum.’
Teanna did, of course, understand that in matters of security sometimes extreme action had to be taken. She knew they were in a rush, they had to start making their way to The Core, but had the deaths really been necessary? He was the President, they would have done whatever he wanted.
She kept quiet, not wanting to betray her disgust at what had just happened. She was going to need a stronger stomach whichever man she finally aligned herself to, Hunter or Delman.
She followed the President through the corridors to an area she had not been before. He went through the authentication protocols and they entered. It was empty, there were just electro-cuffs and shackles waiting for the next inmates. This was the transportation area where Justice Seekers moved from Fortrillium to The Grid.
It was bothering Delman that he’d cut off Reevil96 before he’d finished what he was going to say. He’d been in such a rush – he had to hurry, Hunter could begin to close things down at any time. He hoped it was something trivial. They had to move, he had to get to The Core.
‘Stand on the platform,’ he motioned to Teanna. ‘Draw your weapon, you might need it. Ask questions later, and any sign of threat, you eliminate it, alright?’
Teanna nodded and reached for her weapon. Delman touched his WristCom. He was trying to reach Clay inside The Grid. There was no response.
‘Damn him!’ Delman cursed. ‘Be ready for anything, Teanna!’
He went to the control panel at the side of the transportation area and keyed in the commands. It was a single function area, there was only one place to go. This transporter was taking them to The Grid.
The platform began to activate, and Delman stepped alongside Teanna and drew his weapon once again. It was bloodied from its recent use, he’d been close when he’d shot the doctor.
The transportation process was completed. They were in The Grid. Their implants had ensured they got in there safely, but whether they would survive was another matter entirely. They were in a cityscape – it looked very much like The Climbs. Delman was familiar with it, Teanna much less so.
Delman tried his WristCom again, cursing when he couldn’t raise a response.
‘We need to locate the Justice Seeker named Clay Hillman, he’s our guide through this place.’
As his words trailed off, Delman got the answer to two of his most recent questions. He’d been concerned about what Reevil96 wanted to say to him and also Clay’s whereabouts. The answer came in the form of two drones which came out of nowhere from among the rubble and high-rise buildings.
Teanna and Delman split off in different directions, both tracked by drones. Delman ran and fired his weapon. The drone dodged and weaved but kept on its target. Teanna tried to take cover. She ducked into an alleyway just as her drone shot out its needle. It hit the side of the wall, shattering and dropping to the ground. She thought she’d dodged it, pointed her weapon and took aim to shoot the drone. It flew over her head, came up fast from behind and shot a second needle into her neck. She was paralysed.
Delman was tiring quickly, he didn’t have the strength he’d had the first time he’d entered that terrible place. He shot several times, but his first weapon was empty, he had no time to stop and reload. It was only a matter of time. The device shot its needle. It missed and entered Delman’s leg. He gave a shriek of pain as he fell to the ground. The drone circled around him at a low level, trying to get a clear shot at his neck. It took a few moments until Delman tired, but it found its opportunity and shot the dart into his neck. He froze, unable to move.
Reevil96 had been trying to warn him about the Psyche-Mode that had been activated in The Grid. With implants fitted to allow them to get in and out of the arena, Delman and Teanna were subject to the same conditions as the other Justice Seekers, there was no seniority or special treatment. Delman had an implant too, it was different to the rest, it gave him all the access privileges President James Morgan had enjoyed. But it also gave direct access to his mind, something that should never have occurred for a man in such a senior position.
Delman had just made his darkest secrets available via his implant and there was one man in particular who was very keen to find out what those secrets were. He was sitting in his office at Fortrillium HQ wondering what to do next – and he’d just got his answer.