“Of course not. I told them you are someone who can help us,” she answered. “Nothing more.”
I didn’t have to put the bag on until we stepped inside the building, and into an elevator. Nevva took me on another long journey down and through the bowels of the city of Rune. I figured we were descending very deep, because the temperature took a big drop. We were definitely going somewhere out of the mainstream. After walking for about twenty minutes, it felt as if we stepped into a large area. I say that because up until then everything sounded close, like we were walking through narrow corridors. The only sound came from our footsteps bouncing back at us from the hard walls. But this new place sounded open. We weren’t outside-it was too quiet and cold for that-but it was definitely a much larger area. Like an airplane hangar or a basketball court.
“We’re here,” Nevva announced, and pulled the bag off my head.
I had to blink twice to make sure what I was seeing was real. I looked around at the large space, trying to make sense of it. Nevva didn’t interrupt. She must have seen my confusion.
“It-it’s a mall!” I said.
It was a derelict, deserted underground mall. We were standing in a central courtyard. Directly above us was a skylight that was bricked over, like the stained glass of the train station. In front of us was a fountain that hadn’t seen water in forever. There seemed to be three lowest. Four sets of wide marble stairs led up from this courtyard to the level above us. I wasn’t sure how you got from that level to the highest. Maybe there were some escalators somewhere. If there were, I guarantee they weren’t working. This place had been dead for many years. Or quads, whatever the heck they were. Like the malls at home on Second Earth, there were several storefronts lined up next to one another. Unlike the stores outside on the street that sold “Clothes” and “Food,” these stores had unique names like “Razzle,” “Storm amp; Kissner,” “Pookie’s Place,” and “The Bountiful Table,” These were stores that sold the kinds of things you’d see at a mall at home. I saw a music shop, flower stands, bookstores, a toy shop, and even a store that sold nothing but candy.
They were all closed. Deserted. Empty. Dead. Their signs were dark, their windows were clouded with grime. The only clues as to what each store once sold were yellowed signs and empty shelves. I was never much of a mall guy. I know, some people hang out at malls with their friends like it’s the center of their universe. Other people walk around and look at stuff like it’s some kind of museum. I never quite got it, myself. If a mall had a store that sold something I wanted, I’d go. If not, I’d avoid it like the plague. But seeing this deserted ghost mall here on Quillan actually made me sad. It was proof that Quillan had once had free enterprise.
I was beginning to see the signs of a lost civilization. Like digging through the sands of Egypt to uncover ancient cities, the layer of gray cement here in the city of Rune had covered up a city that once had personality. I could only imagine what else had been hidden by Blok’s quest to wipe away a society. There was no doubt, Blok had killed Quillan.
“You’re late!” came a voice, echoing from somewhere.
I spun around and saw someone standing on the top of the stairs, looking down on us. He wore one of those masks over his head like the people who’d rescued me from Veego and LaBerge. He stood with his legs wide, holding something that looked like a long, heavy black wand. He held it in one hand and tapped it into the palm of his other, menacingly.
“We stopped to watch the competition,” Nevva called up to the person. “I thought it was important for him to see.”
Another voice boomed from behind us. A quick look showed another person standing on top of the stairs, across from the first. “You know it’s difficult for us to all get away during the day,” the second person said. “Our time is valuable.”
“I know that better than most,” Nevva said. She was apologizing, but she wasn’t backing down. “I don’t believe I wasted a minute of our time. Everything we did was important. I hope you’ll trust my judgment on that.”
Three more dark figures appeared at the tops of the stairs. We were surrounded by these masked people, each with their own black baton.
I said to Nevva, “Tell me these are the revivers.”
“They are the leaders of the revival here in Rune,” she said. “Rune has the largest number of-“
“That’s enough!” the first person barked.
Nevva fell quiet.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “But if he’s going to help us, we have to trust him.”
The first person started walking down the stairs toward us. The others walked as well. The circle was closing in around us. These were supposed to be the good guys, but they didn’t know who I was. If they thought I was a bad guy, it wouldn’t matter if they were good guys or bad guys because… oh, you get the idea.
“What is your name?” the first person asked.
“Pendragon,” I answered. “What’s yours?”
Nevva shot me a look as if I were being a little too smartass.
“Forgive him for that,” Nevva said, trying to do damage control.
“Should I also forgive him for being a liar?” the guy asked.
Huh? What did he mean by that? I looked to Nevva. She looked as clueless as I felt. The guy stepped off the stairs directly in front of me and pulled off his mask to reveal… he wasn’t a he. He was a she. And I knew her. It was the woman on the motorbike who’d helped the guy escape from the dados when I first got to Quillan. That must mean…
I looked around as the other people removed their masks as well. Sure enough, one of them was the older guy who’d helped me escape from the dados, and brought me to the garage where I was captured.
“This is Tylee Magna,” Nevva said. “She is our leader here in Rune.”
“I see your loop is gone,” Tylee Magna said to me sarcastically. “Did you remove this one the same as the last one?”
“Wait!” Nevva said, confused. “You’ve met already?” It was the first time I saw Nevva rattled.
“I was being chased by security dados,” I said to Nevva. “They helped me get away, at least for a little while.”
This was going to be tricky. I had forgotten the lies I told these people when they helped me escape. If I wanted to gain their trust, I couldn’t sound like I was making stuff up back then-which I was.
“You knew our sign,” the older guy said, grabbing his left biceps with his right hand.
“Pure luck,” I said. “I saw you give that sign to each other when you helped that other guy get away from the dados.”
The older guy and Tylee Magna exchanged looks. I didn’t know if they were impressed that I was so observant, or angry at themselves for being so obvious about their supersecret spy signals.
“So you tricked us into helping you, then lied to us,” Magna said matter-of-factly.
I figured I shouldn’t add more lies to my lies so I said, “Yeah, I lied.”
“He is from another city,” Nevva said. “I gave him the challenger clothes, and the loop.”
The older guy with the gray hair said to Nevva, “We’ve seen him compete. You’re right; he is exceptional.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Magna said forcefully. “The risk is too great. There is too much at stake.”
Nevva said, “But think of what could happen if we’re successful! This could be our defining moment! We have the chance to create the spark that puts the revival into motion. We can’t pass up this chance!”
“And if he fails?” the woman asked.
“If he fails then we will be no worse off than we are now,” Nevva answered. “I don’t see that there is a choice.”
“Uh, hello, folks!” I said. “Would somebody mind telling me what’s going on?”
Nevva looked at Tylee Magna as if to get the okay to talk. Tylee nodded. Nevva stepped in front of me and said, “We are ready. Throughout all of Quillan there are tens of thousands of people who are prepared to take back their lives.”
“Are you talking about a civil war?” I asked.
“In a way, yes,” she answered. “We will start with the security dados. They must be destroyed. We have been storing weapons and training to do just that. Once their security force is no longer a threat, the power will be ours. Blok relies on manpower to exist. If the people revolt, Blok will be powerless. Their factories can be shut down, the tarz can be interrupted, water plants can be controlled.”
