The more he thought about it, the less sure he became of anything. There were moments when it seemed he used logic to either prove he was in a simulation or not, then lost it just as easily.
I can’t even think straight, he said to himself. What have they done to me?
Once there was a lull in Sharpe and Taylor’s excited babbling, Ethan spoke up. “I think I need to be alone,” he said, looking towards the door that led out of the basement. “I need to think things over.”
His friends were silent for a moment as they looked over at him, processing what he’d said.
“Wow, it really did mess you up,” Sharpe said. “Alright man, I’ll see you later, yeah? You still have a birthday to plan for, you know.”
“Okay,” Ethan said. He rose to his feet. “Bye, Sharpe. Bye, Taylor.”
He made his way out of Sharpe’s home base without another word.
If this is all just a game, I don’t like it, he thought as he stepped out onto the street. I’d have to be a masochist to try it again.
Unplugged
“How did you find me?” Tera asked as she followed Gauge down a long metal corridor. “Better yet, how did you even get in here?”
“That was the Clevinger’s doing,” Gauge replied, stopping at a fork in the hallway for a moment to think, then taking the left turn. “They pulled their last favor with the Pavilion elite to figure out where they were keeping you. They were also able to arrange a convenient power surge — as you saw with Councilman Harring. On top of that, they ensured us as little guard coverage as we can get away with. I don’t think they’ll be getting anymore favors in the future, though.”
“How do we get out of here?” she asked.
“Getting out will be the easy part, but we still have something to take care of first,” Gauge replied. He stopped her when he thought he heard footsteps, then continued to lead the way when he realized it was just a rattle in the pipes.
“We do?” Tera asked.
“They captured Ethan and King Hum as well,” Gauge replied. “They’ve got them in simpods as we speak.”
Tera’s optical receptors widened a little. “They’re here?” she asked.
“Somewhere,” Gauge replied. “I know it’s down this way a bit. From there, we’ll just have to figure it out. Come on.”
Tera followed close behind the other bodyshell, listening for any possible pursuit as she did.
“How are we going to get them outta here?” she asked as they took another corner.
“Loudly,” Gauge replied. “Here, take this. You might need it.”
He offered her a strange device that she recognized, but couldn’t put a name to. Then she remembered what it was from her training at the police academy: a pulse gun, designed solely to deactivate bodyshells. She’d never used one before; their use was strongly discouraged by the department. They’d only ever showed her class the weapons so they knew what to look out for, in case some drug-fueled slum dweller used them on the fresh-faced cadets.
As they approached yet another corner, Tera could hear a pair of metallic footfalls coming from around the turn. She tightened her grip on the weapon, her eyes focused on the edge of the corner. Gauge stopped her short, holding her back with his arm. He raised a metallic finger to his lipless mouth. With a precise motion, he pressed a button on the side of his head.
“There we go,” he said. “Just wanted to make sure it was working.”
Tera looked at him with nervous eyes, as if trying to tell him to be quiet.
“Sensor blocker,” the male I.I. replied, tapping his head. “For the next minute or so, no one will be able to see or hear us. Even better — they won’t see us coming on any security sensors.”
“Why didn’t you do that earlier?” Beth asked.
“It has a limited charge,” Gauge replied. “But I think now is the perfect time. Come on, let’s get past these goons.”
He led her around the bend, where two Council soldiers were casually patrolling. Beth hesitated for a moment, staring at their electronic eyes. None of them flinched or even cast a gaze in her direction. She knew Gauge’s cloak was effective, but part of her worried it was all an act on their part. Like the guards would turn to her suddenly and say, “Gotcha!”
She followed the rebel past the soldiers, taking great care to not touch them and shatter the illusion. They crouched low as they walked in order to keep their footsteps as quiet as possible.
Gauge led her along the hallway beyond the guards and out an open doorway. The passage was wide and tall, likely designed for vehicles to enter the facility from the Pavilion outside.
“It’s just next door,” Gauge said. “Stay low and keep quiet. The sensor block won’t work on everyone.”
It was only about twenty feet between the large door and the facility Gauge was referring to, yet it felt like a mile of an unsurveyed minefield to Tera. Every moment exposed out on the Pavilion, where any number of optical receptors or sensors might pick her up, felt like she was a vampire in broad daylight. Gauge was focused, though. He didn’t convey any hesitation whatsoever. With a firm grip on Tera’s mechanical wrist, he pulled her into the next building.
They found themselves in a small chamber that reminded Tera of an airlock. Another door waited to let them into the innards of the facility.
“You ready?” the rebel I.I. asked, checking the readout on his weapon.
She looked down at her own firearm, then nodded in reply.
Gauge took a step back, then charged into the next door shoulder-first, like he was going
