Renegade (24 page)

I start slowly tearing down each section of the security until finally—almost thirty minutes later and with stiff and aching fingers, head, and joints, including my shoulder that’s back to feeling like someone’s pressing salt into it—I’m looking at a list of every Citizen that has ever lived in Elysium. As Daughter of the People, this is the same list I look at every request day, to verify credentials for coupling. The only difference is this is the master list and can be altered, while my file was always just read-only, which gives me an idea. I do a search on Gavin’s and my names and put us back into the system.

Then I back out of the program, re-implementing the security around it, but changing the passcode. It’s not permanent, but depending on when Mother tries to get back in here, it should buy me enough time to escape Elysium. Well, at least, I hope so.

Then, even though I know this could backfire, I go and re-approve Macie’s Coupling License and stamp it. Then I even assign Nick and Macie new quarters. That way, by the time Mother figures it out, things will already be in motion and Mother will either have to go along with it or admit there was a clerical mistake. Something that
never
happens.

I smile. “Explain that one away, Mother.”

Now, I go after the gold. To find out the reason I’m still being Conditioned and the real way out of here. Like I told Gavin, I know she’s got to have a list of potential emergency exits. And baring that, maybe she has information on what exactly that EMF is at the exit and what it does, if anything. Maybe it’s just another of Mother’s scare tactics.

Finally, I find a folder labeled
GENE MANIPULATION DATA
.

I click on it. It brings up file after file after file of scientific jargon. Most of which is far above my head, but one of the files has my name on it.

Instincts humming, I open the file.

It brings up several more files. I click the first one dated several months before my birth.

SUBJECT 121:

Implantation of the female embryo, hereafter referred to as Subject 121, has proven successful. The host, while feeling the normal physical complications of gestation (i.e. morning sickness and fatigue), appears healthy. I will continue to monitor the host and embryo carefully for the rest of the first trimester, but if all goes well, we will continue medical exams as normal.

I know I’m not going to have time to read it all, so I scrounge around Mother’s desk until I find a data cube, then slip it into the data slot and hit copy on the file. I’ll read the rest later when I have more time.

While it’s copying, I search the computer for more damaging files against Mother, clicking copy on everything I think is relevant. I pause when I see a map of the facility. The entire building that makes up Sector Three is red. Staring at it, I ponder what that means, before hitting copy on that as well.

I glance back at the computer. Just as it finishes the download, I hear the telltale click of Mother’s shoes on the marble. I yank the cube out of the slot and then look for a place to hide. I’ve barely pulled my feet under the bed when she walks in. My arm is on fire and I can feel blood trickling down my arm, but I don’t even look at it. I don’t want to make a sound.

My heart pounds in my ears, but I’m still able to hear her muttering under her breath as her Maid flutters around her, telling her the details of the party she is to attend for Festival.

“Mr. Hummel will be there, and he’s requesting an audience with you to discuss some more funding allocations for his new project,” the Maid says.

“Yes, yes. That’s fine. Just not tonight. Make sure to schedule something for tomorrow.” Mother makes a sniffing sound and I wonder what she’s doing.

“Yes, ma’am. Also, Ms. Blackner will be there with her daughter, Seri.”

“And?” She sniffs again and pauses.

“You wanted me to invite them so you could look at the girl, in case…” She swallows audibly, and says, “She’s the one who aced Med Spec exams.”

“Oh right, right. Yes. Thank you.”

After several more minutes of this, Mother stops, but apparently the Maid doesn’t know because she slams into the back of her. A glass shatters on the floor, spilling red wine.

I stop breathing. It has landed just millimeters from the tips of my fingers. The Maid immediately bends to clean it up, apologizing.

Mother, obviously having had more than a few drinks, just laughs it off. “Leave it. Just fetch me a new glass, will you? And bring the bottle.” She waves her away.

The Maid rushes out the door, still apologizing.

Mother, still chuckling, sits at her vanity. I’m able to peer up enough that I can see her reflection in the mirror glass. She brushes her hair—not surprisingly using the more practical brush that was in one of the drawers—and adjusts her makeup, also pulled from one of the drawers, before she touches a finger to the corner of her eye. Then she reaches the same hand out to the picture on the mirror. It appears to be a picture, but I can’t see of whom.

“You left me, too. Why does everyone always leave?” she whispers.

My eyes widen when she pounds a fist onto her vanity, knocking down one of her perfume bottles. When it hits the floor, it breaks, sending the smell of lilies all over the room. She pushes up quickly, and kneels to clean it up.

She only picks up a few pieces of glass before she jerks her hand above her head and throws the handful of glass onto the ground full force. Most of it shatters on impact, sending shards flying in every direction. Then she stands and starts screaming, yelling words I can’t understand because of the crashing and breaking of glass that accompany it, as she tosses stuff around her room.

She tosses another of her perfume bottles and it shatters centimeters from my head, nicking my face and arms. It burns like hellfire from the alcohol in the perfume, but I bite my tongue to stop myself from crying out.

When she finally stops, the floor is littered with what used to be the decorations and furniture in her room. My heart hammers so loudly I can’t believe Mother doesn’t hear it. But even over it, I can hear the sobbing gasps of her breath and I know she’s weeping.

The Maid returns and stops short in the doorway. “Oh, my! What happened here?” She rushes to Mother and I wince, expecting Mother to freak out on her. She pauses and I hear her intake of breath. “Oh, no, ma’am, you’ve cut yourself.”

“It’s nothing. Just a small cut. From the perfume bottle.” From my vantage point, I see Mother grasp the Maid by the upper arms and her voice cracks when she says, “Don’t let anyone see this. I can’t let anyone see.”

“I won’t, ma’am. I’ll take care of this personally.”

“This is Evelyn’s fault. She left me for a
Surface Dweller
. Everyone
always
wants to leave.”

“I know, ma’am. And after everything you’ve given that child. After you saved her from her failure. Gave her another chance to be something special. Let’s get you to Dr. Friar. He’ll know just what to do.…”

They walk out the door and the Maid’s voice slowly fades away.

My mind whirls. What in Mother’s name was all that about?

C
HAPTER
N
INETEEN

What was once just a spark of an idea in Mother’s head became all that you see and know in our wonderful city. Mother created Elysium so that she, and those like her, could live in peace, far away from the greed and intolerance raging war on the Surface.

—HISTORY TEXT, YEAR FIVE

I lie underneath the bed long after they leave, my breath haggard. It’s several minutes before I feel it’s safe enough to risk venturing out. When I do, I’m astounded. Even though I heard the damage she’d done, I had no idea of the full extent of it.

Everything that could be lifted was broken. Broken glass and splintered wood litter the floor. Every single one of her precious jeweled bottles lay shattered on the dresser and floor. Bits of colorful glass are everywhere. Even in my hair. Her china dolls—her most prized possessions—are broken and strewn about the room like the victims of the footage of the Surface I was forced to watch in Mother’s Daughter of the People lessons.

It hurts to see it.

With a glance at the door, I sneak a peek at the photograph. It’s a picture of a blond woman sitting in front of some kind of stone wall with a hole in it—a fireplace, I think—and there’s a young child sitting in her lap. Curious, I flip it over. Written on the back are the words, “Never forget.”

With no time to figure it out, I shove the data cube I’m still holding into my bra. Taking a deep breath, I stick my head out into the hall, then sneak as quickly as I can back to the door I came in from. Festival is still going on, but I’m still pretty recognizable. Besides, I haven’t made sure the turrets are completely turned off. No sense in testing it out where innocent people could get hurt.

I stick as close to the original path as I can, only taking a detour when I hear voices of workers. They seem to be in a hurry. I wonder whether they’re late for Festival or looking for me.

Since I know my way this time, it takes only half the time to get back to Macie’s as it did to get to the Palace Wing and I’m grateful for that. The episode with Mother weighs on my nerves. I can’t wait to share this information with Gavin.

I push through the door and lean on it to close it. It’s completely silent in the apartment, and my instincts immediately begin to hum. Why is it so quiet? It’s not like I expected them to have a party while I was gone, but I did expect some kind of noise. Like talking.

Creeping toward the living room, I check every room along the way for something amiss. There aren’t many to check—only a bedroom and bathroom. I peer around the corner to the living room and knit my brows together. Nothing appears to be wrong. They’re both sitting and staring into space. Macie sits on her couch, her arms resting in her lap. She keeps glancing at the clock and wringing her hands.

Gavin sits in the armchair. There’s a tick in his jaw, just a tiny flutter every few seconds. His hands keep fisting and then unfisting, crumpling the material of his slacks.

I step through the doorway and both of their gazes fly over to me. At first there is relief in both of them, but Gavin’s quickly fades to anger. He shoves off the chair, stomps over to me, and grabs me.

My heart flutters a little, but I stand my ground. I’m not sure if it’s fear or something else that causes the flutter.

“What the hell were you thinking? Have you lost your damn mind? Do you realize what you just put me through? You could have been killed. I thought we were in this together. We were going to get out of here
together
. Remember?”

When he finally releases me, I wobble. We stare at each other, then he spins on his heel and disappears down the hall. A few seconds later the bathroom door shuts. It’s so close to a slam, I wince.

Macie clears her throat. She glances back at the hallway. “He was quite angry.”

“I thought he would be,” I say. Suddenly tired right down to my toes, I sit on the couch and rest my head on the back of it, closing my lids. “But it needed to be done.”

The couch squeaks when she sits next to me. “I take it you fixed the problem?”

“Yes.” I open my eyes and look at her. “Yours, too.”

She knits her brows together. “What are you talking about?”

“Your problem with the coupling. I fixed it. You and Nick are now re-approved for coupling. And I even assigned you quarters already.”

She draws in a breath and her eyes start to water when she smiles. “Truly? You did that for me?” Then her euphoric expression fades and is replaced by a mask of anger. “You mean you spent time helping me!” she yells, standing and forcing me to do the same. “For Mother’s sake, Evie! What is wrong with you? Gavin is right: You could’ve gotten yourself killed. You were just supposed to go in and fix the computer. Not play matchmaker.”

Gavin runs back in. “What’s going on?” He looks between the two of us.

We ignore him.

“I was right there! What did you expect me to do? Just ignore it and walk away?” I yell back, fuming. Here I’d risked my neck to fix something I’d broken and she was
yelling
at me?

“Yes. I did. It wasn’t worth the risk.” She places her hands on her hips and pins me with her eyes.

Gavin turns to her. “What wasn’t worth the risk?”

Again we ignore him. “You’re my best friend,” I say. “One of my only friends. I caused that to happen and you’re right. I was selfish. I didn’t think of the risks you were taking. I only thought of Gavin and myself. Getting him out of here so he could leave us far behind. It’s not exactly what best friends do. So I fixed it.”

Gavin’s eyes widen, but he doesn’t say anything.

Macie looks down at her feet. “I was wrong to say that. You weren’t selfish. You were desperate. Besides, that’s what friends are for.”

I shake my head. “I was going to leave you to deal with the consequences. It was selfish and wrong. And I’m sorry.” I smile at her. “And now I’ve fixed it. Congratulations. You and Nick will be very happy, I’m sure. Consider this your coupling present.”

She growls low in her throat. “You’re so damned stubborn!” She spins on her heel and stamps off.

Well, that makes two for two. I’m on a roll.

“I guess you took the time to get her authorization for coupling back?” Gavin asks.

I look at him from the corner of my eye. “Are you going to lecture me, too?”

“She’s right, Evie. What in the hell were you thinking?”

“You’ve asked that already. Are you going to let me answer this time?”

He pulls in a breath through his teeth and makes a hissing sound. “I don’t know. Do you have an answer that doesn’t use the words, ‘I had to. You would have just hindered me’?”

“I could come up with something,” I say, and try a smile.