Aside from a few drones whose gazes follow me down, there isn't much activity in this area. The ramp's opening is big enough to fit an entire building, and when I reach the bottom, I see dozens of roll pods and Flyz. I make a mental note to ensure the drones don't get to them, because they pose a considerable disadvantage for the outsiders and us.
I spot a door to the right of all these vehicles and confirm that my instincts were right. This must lead to the hangar. I double-check that no one is around and head straight for the scanner. I place my hand on it and speak my name. “80.”
The latch on the door unlocks, and I place my hands on the door to push it open.
“What are you doing there, 80?” The older voice startles me.
I turn, attempting to cover up my intentions, and see Dr. Anfang looking right at me from the other side of the ramp. He approaches with his slow steps and waits for my answer.
“I, uh, am looking for the surveillance room.” I stumble over my words. “Farouk left me in charge of some of the security, and I'm still trying to familiarize myself with this compound again.”
Dr. Anfang smiles at me. “Of course. Farouk had mentioned the same to me. Come, I'll lead you there.”
He turns and walks toward the opposite side of the ramp. I want to turn and steal a glimpse of the hangar behind me, but I'm relieved that my impromptu excuse worked, and I don't want to press my luck.
I let the door lock behind me and I follow him into a labyrinth of hallways. “What was back in that room?”
“Just some backup generators—and the Flyz to take the Genesys to their bunkers,” he throws back at me.
I'm surprised by his openness. Farouk must have done a great job convincing him that I am an ally, or else he doesn't see me as a threat. It's most likely a little of both. I search for something to say to build trust. “Will you be at the Breekbal game tomorrow with the Genesys.”
He stops and turns to me. “Excuse me?”
“Atom came and asked if he could challenge us to a game of Breekbal to try to get the Genesys to work together and grow as a team.” I ease his worries. I hope that by me sharing information he didn't know, Dr. Anfang will continue to expand his trust. Even if it ends up getting Atom in trouble.
“Make them work hard, but take it easy on them,” he suggests.
“Atom asked me to ensure my team goes hard, but I'll pull back a bit.” I try to alleviate his concern.
He looks at me and points at a closed door. “Surveillance room is in there.”
Dr. Anfang looks me over once more and then scurries off. I can tell that the news of the Breekbal game threw him off.
I wait until he's out of sight and then step through the door. The room is covered from floor to ceiling in monitors, each with a different image. A handful of scientists watch the monitors' activity, and none of them turn to look in my direction.
This suits me well, because I can study each of the monitors. Most look to cover the compound's front side, including one that shows the ramp I walked down. This must be how Dr. Anfang found me.
Upon a second look, I see that only three monitors have a feed to the back of the compound. There are a lot of blind spots. They must have confidence in the compound's geography, knowing that any outsider would have a tough time working their way to the back walls without getting detected. Unfortunately, I would not be able to take advantage of this lack of surveillance during an attack, because the shortest and most direct route to the hangar is through the front of the compound and down the ramp.
I look at a couple of the other monitors and see drones building the walls, and much faster than I anticipated. If we want to take advantage of the structural weakness, we need to attack soon. The stimulation of the monitors somehow hones my focus, and my eyes light up. I know the perfect time to start the attack.
“Tomorrow!” I blurt out. I try to catch myself, but it's too late—the scientists in the surveillance room have all heard, and almost in unison they turn to look at me.
CHAPTER XVII
“What are you doing here?” One of the scientists stands and walks over to me.
“I'm looking for Dr. Anfang.” I step out through the door and hustle to the end of the hallway. I'm not sure if the scientist saw me, but I don’t want them to question me further.
After turning down a couple of hallways, I spot Dr. Anfang speaking to Dr. Kivuli. I sneak around them using an adjacent hallway and make my way back to Brianna's room.
A few seconds after I knock, she opens the door and pulls me into her room. I can't tell if her aggressiveness is paranoia or if she's always this intense, but it has caught me off guard both times I've met up with her.
“What?” Her dismissive tone makes me feel like I'm a nuisance.
I step over the mess on her floor and make space to sit on her bed. “There is a Breekbal game tomorrow between the Genesys and us Integers. The next attack needs to start tomorrow night, and it has to be the biggest attack possible.”
She calms herself as she contemplates my suggestion, then leans against the wall with her arms crossed. “I'm listening.”
I explain how during the Breekbal game, she'll step away and sneak munitions to Petros with the help of a couple of Integers. She will also need to relay the attack plan to him.
During the
