The Torrent (The New Agenda Series Book 4) (15 page)

28

T
he second missile
hit Cougar Mountain just as Cari and the growing convoy of natives trekked through north Renton territory. It sliced overhead and hit with such force, the ground shook for miles. The morning had resulted in great loss, but they trudged on with heaviness in their hearts. Their only hope of surviving would be their abounding courage. Along the journey, Cari had sent some of her team to the foothills and surrounding areas to warn the other tribes. Their numbers had increased as they gathered up people along the way. They were almost two thousand strong, and had twelve more miles to go until they reached the Seattle City Center.

Unfortunately, the majority of people residing in the mountains hadn’t made it down by the time the explosion sounded. The loss was devastating, but they forged ahead in the driving rain, navigating through the pines and slippery mud. There wasn’t time to look back. They needed to get to a safer location before the entire population was wiped out. Many of the natives in the group were warriors, but there were also families and children. Most of the older generation didn’t want to leave their homes, and they stayed peacefully behind. Cari would rather die defending her people and their land than die by the hand of Insider technology. Determined, she would do whatever she could to save the remaining people. Her goal was getting the group within close proximity of the city center, where they’d be safe from air strikes. The Insiders wouldn’t send missiles to their own city.

She felt a tug on her fur wrap, and looked down to find Grayson trailing at her feet.

“What do you want, Gray?”

“I wanna walk with you.”

Cari shook her head; she didn’t have time to babysit. “I got enough people to take care of.”

He widened his stride to keep up. “I don’t need takin’ care of!”

“Then go take care of your parents.” Cari patted the boy’s fur hat.

“They stayed behind.”

Tears filled his big brown eyes, yet he held his head high. Cari wanted to stop and pick up the boy, hold his small body in her arms and hug away the sadness, but she had to keep moving forward.

“Okay, Gray. You can be my right hand. One condition, though.”

He puffed up his ribcage and nodded.

Cari took a torch from one of her men and handed it to Grayson. “You keep the light goin’.”

The boy took the torch proudly and marched on next to Cari and her team.

The forest grew darker the farther they walked. The air dripped ashy debris from the earlier explosions, and the smell of burning pines and smoke wafted through the trees. The train of people continued to grow as more tribes joined from the Western and Southern Regions. Each new headcount fueled Cari with a surge of power. Almost three thousand strong. She wondered if anyone on the Inside would be expecting the crusade of natives approaching the city walls. When they arrived, they wouldn’t be able to penetrate through the thick panels, but they’d have a safe place to wait until the Insiders sent ground troops. Cari wasn’t worried about ground attacks; she had faith in her warriors. They were great defenders, who wouldn’t let go of their land without a fight. Once they were out of the hot zone, they could get organized and prepare for battle.

The next missile hit as the group came up through Rainer Valley. The streak flashed across the cloudy sky and hit Mercer Island. The explosion caused enormous waves throughout the Sound. Water came crashing onto the nearby shores. But they continued onward, not letting the attack deter them. There was no way anyone could’ve reached the tribes on the island to give warning.

Another tug on her fur wrap.

“What is it?” she asked Grayson.

“Do you think they’re gone?” he asked.

“We’ll have a lot of loss today. Generations wiped clean. But there will also be survivors. We will stand together.”

“Will we die too?”

“We might.” She stared at the black smoke billowing into the overcast skies.

“I will fight.” He lifted his torch.

Cari grinned and patted his head again. “Then we have nothing to fear.”

Grayson pounded his chest and trooped forward, splashing mud everywhere.

By the time they reached the city center, the sky was dark, but the rain had ceased. The tribes set up campsites among the trees, using brush and branches. Many of the warriors hunted and returned with game. They cooked the meat over fire pits and shared among the people. The action had died down; there hadn’t been any additional missile strikes since Mercer Island.

Sitting by the fire, Cari warmed her hands. Grayson snuggled up next to her feet. She tried to calculate the loss, figuring there had to be at least five thousand casualties throughout the regions. They had lost many lives that day, but little Grayson had given her hope and a reassurance that her people would persevere as they had in the past. Throughout time there had always been a group of oppressors at the top, but they didn’t always win. Her people had survived the Repatterning. The elites hadn’t succeeded at removing them back then, and they wouldn’t succeed this time, either.

No matter how few of her people remained, they represented the very land being attacked. They existed in every speck of dirt, the pine trees, and surrounding waters. The Insiders had taken away many lives that day, but their essence would carry on in the wind, the rain, and every ray of light coming through the gray clouds.

29

M
orray sat at
the table in his containment room, nausea settling in his gut. Dickson had betrayed him. After centuries of his partner’s loyalty, he implicitly trusted him with his life. But Dickson had lied to him about the real purpose behind programing the babies’ DNA with special coding. He told Morray he had written tracking instructions into their coding, so if he were to get lost inside the mainframe, Dickson––or anyone––could use the babies to locate his identity matrix.

But Dickson hadn’t written a tracking program, he had actually stored pieces of his consciousness in their DNA coding, along with instructions to create a distribution system. Once any of the children were synced up to the mainframe, this would automatically initiate a time-release distribution system; one that could work without Dickson’s direct command. This system would then distribute Dickson’s files and he’d eventually infiltrate the entire network. He had found a way to restore his existence across the universe of the mainframe. A failsafe to protect his life, even if he died in the real world. Dickson had become eternal. And Morray had been duped.

As a backup plan––in case Dickson died––Morray had shared the tracking information with Director Faraday. He figured Faraday had gone forward with their plan, syncing one of the babies with the mainframe in an effort to locate Morray. That’s what had started the torrent.

Dickson was genius. Morray couldn’t help but respect the man. He understood and appreciated that he was tired of playing second string and wanted more power, but Morray would never stand down. For the moment, Dickson had the upper hand, but that wouldn’t last long. The mainframe might soon become Dickson’s empire, with his essence woven throughout every strand of coding, but the outside world belonged to Morray. He simply needed to get back to it.

“Okay, let’s talk, Dickson.” Morray spoke to the observation mirror.

After a moment, the window shifted from black to clear and Dickson stood with his arms folded across his chest. It would be a tough conversation, but Morray also knew how to deal with Dickson. At his core, he feared authority and he was a people pleaser.

“So, you figured it out?” Dickson said.

“I have to say, it was a magnificent plan, exceptionally executed. Using the babies as a distribution system. How’d you know I’d tell Faraday?”

“I knew you’d have someone waiting in the wings.”

Morray walked over to the window and stared into the observation room. “We were friends, John.”

“No. We were never friends.”

“We were partners,” Morray said.

“Not in the three hundred years we’ve known each other have I ever been your “partner.” I’ve always been your second, even though I’m the brains behind everything.”

Morray grinned. “Every great king needs a solid backbone.”

Dickson’s face tightened with resentment. “I was tired of being your backbone.”

“You could’ve mentioned this a couple hundred years ago. You know I would’ve given you a city center to run on your own. Hell, I would’ve given you the entire East Coast.”

“That’s the thing, Morray. It would’ve been you bestowing it upon me. And I would’ve been just another one of your puppets, like Faraday. Everything would still belong to you.”

“So what do you want?”

“All of it,” Dickson said.

“Take it. I don’t want any of it. I’m fine existing inside this program for the rest of eternity. As long as I have Ava and find a way to retrieve Phoenix, I’ll have everything I’ve ever wanted––right here.” Even as Morray spoke the words, he knew they weren’t true. He’d be content for a little while, but eventually he’d get bored.

“I know you better than that. You’d find a way out. I might be the one writing the coding, but you’re familiar enough with the way I work. I don’t trust you.”

“It’s not a matter of trust. You hold the key. You can keep me in here as long as you like, while you go about your business throughout the rest of the network.” Morray wasn’t used to being on the other end of the bargaining chopping block.

“You’re just like your father. Your insatiable desire for more would eventually seep in. You’d grow tired of this realm. Of Ava. Your son. The Los Angeles City Center wouldn’t be enough. There will never be enough. Not for you, Morray.”

“What if you made it enough?”

“And how would I do that?”

Morray didn’t have an answer. What constituted enough? He remembered long ago he could find happiness in watching a beautiful sunset. But life was long and those days were gone.

It was now time to enter the emotional plea segment of their discussion. “You’re right, Dickson. You know me better than I know myself. You know me better than any other person inside and outside the mainframe. I don’t know how else to ask for your trust, other than you know I’d do anything for you. You’ve been like a brother to me. I owe you my life. I owe you everything. I will gladly walk away from my kingdom without looking back, if you just let me live somewhere. Anywhere.”

“You’re done, Morray. It’s over.”

Dickson eased away from the window and it shifted back to black. Morray stood before his own reflection. The face staring back was just one of many iterations of Morray. No matter how many bodies he had resided in, the eyes never changed. They were the same cold and lonely ones he had feared his whole life––his father’s eyes.

He grabbed a chair and slammed it against the window; the jolt reverberated up and down his arms. “Fine, Dickson. Let me die in here! I’m finished. Finished with the whole thing. Take it from me. It’s yours. See if you can do a better job.”

As he spewed out the words, he knew they weren’t true. Morray would figure a way out before Dickson extinguished his existence forever.

30

A
n hour had
passed with no sign of Dickson or his guards. Ava sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs in the containment room, grateful to have Grace’s voice in her head, keeping her company. The next best thing to actually having her daughter by her side.

“I wonder what Dickson’s planning to do with me,” Ava said.

“I’m sure he’s keeping you alive for a reason.”

“It must have something to do with my DNA coding. He probably needs it for something.”

Ava got up, limped over to the two-way mirror, and stared at her reflection. Her eyes looked unusually bright and sparkly. Flecks of coding cascaded inside her emerald green irises.

“Can you see this?” she asked Grace.

“I can’t see anything but black. I can only hear your voice.”

Ava turned away from the mirror so that whoever was watching couldn’t see what she was saying. She covered her mouth with her hand and sat back down at the table, keeping her head low. “I just noticed that I’m made up of coding. I mean visible coding. I can actually see it streaming.”

“The entire place is coding. It’s a program.” Grace reminded her mother.

“I keep forgetting that I’m inside a program because it seems so real. I no longer know the difference,” Ava said.

“I’m sure it must be strange. When I was in the program to come get you, I couldn’t tell the difference, either. It must have something to do with our DNA. I wish I could be in the room with you. I really miss you,” Grace said.

Ava kept her mouth covered and continued talking. “I miss you too, sweetie. You are with me. Not just right now, but you’re the reason I’ve survived this long. Because you’re in me, and I’m in you. We’re always together––regardless of whoever tries to separate us.”

“It’s funny, I hear you in my head all the time. It used to drive me crazy, but I’ve come to appreciate your words of wisdom,” Grace said.

“Ha! You just called me wise. Don’t think I won’t use that against you if I ever get back home.”

“You’ll come back, Mom. It’s your destiny to help our people. To make sure Morray never returns.”

Ava limped over to the mirror and stared into her eyes. Grace had the same eyes. She reached out to touch the reflection. Under her fingertips, the surface vibrated in soft pulses. Pressing her palm against the mirror, the vibrations grew stronger and more intense. Currents tingled through her hands and arms. “Whoa!”

“What happened?” Grace asked.

Ava lowered her head again and turned around. “When I touched the mirror, I felt it pulsating. It’s alive with energy.”

“Yeah. That’s what the containment cell felt like, only really powerful electric currents.”

“Is that how you transported to me?”

“Yes. When I touched the panel, I merged into the network.”

“How did you find me?” Ava asked.

“I used voice command, because in the past that got me to the system panel. But this time, this is where I ended up. In your head.”

Ava looked back at the mirror, watching the coding trickle in her eyes. “There seems to be a distribution system installed in this program. It distributed me and Morray to the Royal Palace … It distributed you to me.”

The door to the containment room opened and two guards entered. Ava stayed close to the mirror.

Grace kept talking, unaware of the men. “That’s it! Dickson designed a torrent program so he could infiltrate the mainframe. Something triggered the program and it’s syncing all of his files, gathering information and dispersing pieces of his consciousness throughout the network.”

Ava remained silent.

“Mom? What’s going on? Is someone there?”

“Mm hmm,” Ava mumbled.

Dickson walked into the room and motioned Ava to sit. “Who are you talking to Miss Rhodes?”

“I’ve been Mrs. Strader for the last eighteen years. I guess it takes time for three centuries of information to compile.”

He adjusted his tie and grinned. “So, you think you’ve figured it out?”

“I don’t think I have the ability to fully comprehend your level of genius, but I have an idea what’s going on,” Ava said.

Dickson sat across from Ava, peace settling over his face. “I finally found a way to be free of him.”

She felt sympathy for the man, knowing all too well what it was like to be Morray’s captive.

“Don’t say another word, Mom,” Grace whispered.

“So what’s your plan, Dickson?” Ava asked.

“Mom! I told you to be quiet. I might know what triggered the torrent program. I think I can get us out of here. Find a way to get rid of him.”

Dickson leaned forward, staring at Ava. “My plan is to take you to the lab and study every component of your DNA coding. It’s really quite advanced. My skills had definitely improved by the time I got to you.”

“Well, it only took about three hundred years.” Ava sneered at Dickson, hating him for treating her like an experiment instead of a human.

“Not helping, Mom …” Grace said.

“Guards, please escort Miss Rh––Strader to my lab.”

The men aimed their guns at her back, forcing her out of the room and nudging her into the hall.

“Grace,” Ava whispered under her breath.

“I’m right here, Mom. I’m not going anywhere.”

“What did you figure out?” Ava asked Grace.

“Nothing yet,” Dickson answered instead. “But you’re going to be my lab rat. And once I get a comprehensive understanding of your coding, I’m going to write a program to remove Morray from the equation. For good.”

“And you need me for that? Can’t you just kill him while he’s in here?”

“It’s not that easy. He’s been installed with various software upgrades. He’ll find a way to continue existing until I override all of it. I created something magnificent in him, but my efforts have turned against me.”

“Mom. Listen, you have to be quiet now,” Grace insisted. “I can see where I got my stubbornness.”

“You just now figured that out?” Ava chuckled, missing her daughter’s feisty charm.

Dickson stopped the guards and looked at Ava. “Pardon?”

Ava tried to backtrack. “I mean you just now figured out that I’m the key to overriding the code?”

“You’re not the key. You’re more like a safe that holds some pertinent information. I already have the key.”

“Mom, don’t stay anything. Please!” Grace pleaded.

“Fine,” Ava said.

In the lab, Dickson had his assistants connect Ava to one of his machines. His equipment was far more archaic than what she was used to.

“This is going to hurt,” he warned Ava, holding up a probe.

She had a brief flashback of one of Morray’s archive files, when he had gone through a similar procedure. “You’re not really using that, are you?”

“I have to sync you into the network.”

“Can’t you just use my hand to connect?”

“We haven’t gotten that far yet. Remember, you’re coming from a more advanced time.”

Ava started to panic, not wanting that metal object piercing into her brain. “Do something,” Ava whispered to Grace.

Dickson leaned down. “I am doing something. Now lie back and try to relax.”

“Mom, don’t worry. I know how to get you out of here. It’s Christian. He’s the one. When I brought him back to the city center, Faraday must have synced him up to the mainframe. That triggered Dickson’s torrent program.”

Ava squeezed her eyes shut. “How’s that going to help me?”

Dickson still thought she was talking to him. “Relaxing will make everything go more smoothly. Don’t fight it.”

“Let him do the procedure. Once you’re plugged in, you’ll be connected to the network. I’ll find you. Then I’ll find a way to communicate with Christian to get you out of here. He’ll distribute your files––your consciousness––back to your body. Get to the system panel. Just trust me on this one, Mom.”

“I trust you.”