Chapter Thirty-Six
Several hours later, Rami’s message came through.
A map flickered to life on the eyepiece over Gemma’s cornea, a pulsating blue dot marking the designated meeting point in the building.
With Christian’s help, she forwarded the note to Hawk, Imara, and Colton, then Gemma and Christian started their trek through a series of halls and up several lifts to a data center.
Inside the outstretched room, they were met with a massive table, through which several holograms projected optics and visualizations.
Row upon row of analysts, donned in uniforms the shade of Earth green, sat hunched over their electroglass stations at the far end of the room.
Flashes of numbers, images, and charts flickered across their screens as they combed through the various data that Zion was fed.
Through a glass wall on the other end, Rami spoke with the Kaizen inside an office—Rami’s office, Gemma assumed. Catching sight of them, Rami said one last phrase to the Kaizen before exiting.
“Ah, Gemma.” Rami’s eyes flicked between her and Christian. “Looks like you found someone to help you.” A hint of annoyance reflected in his tone. He took a seat at the head of the hologram table.
Glaring at Gemma, the Kaizen took her spot next to Rami. It was the first time Gemma had seen her since she’d hung upside down in the red-haired woman’s torture chamber.
The chill in Gemma’s bones returned as flashes of the experience passed through her thoughts. But then Rami motioned for Gemma and Christian to sit, and Christian took her hand, guiding her into a chair.
Despite the hatred radiating out of him, Christian had yet to lose control. She twined her fingers with his, hoping some of that control would flood into her.
Rami was about to open his mouth when familiar voices trailed in from down the hall.
“See, I told you this was the right floor,” Imara said.
“Oh, shut up,” Hawk replied. “You don’t have to rub it in every time you’re a step ahead of me.”
“Sounds fair since I’m always a step ahead of you.”
They rounded the bend into the data center and froze. Rami raised an eyebrow at their sudden appearance.
“Oh, um—hi, sir,” Hawk said, his cheeks as red as his hair. “Gemma invited us.”
Rami sighed, rolling his eyes. “Of course she did.” He motioned for them to take a seat.
Hawk and Imara quickly plopped into chairs—as did Colton.
“We got him to help,” Imara mouthed at Gemma.
Gemma offered Colton a smile that she hoped he took as “thanks.” When she received a slow nod in return, she decided to accept that he did.
“Are there any more stragglers I need to worry about?” Rami shot Gemma a pointed stare.
She shook her head. “No, sir. And I told them only what you’d already told me.” She prayed he correctly translated the emphasis she’d placed on the word “only.” Her teammates knew nothing about his personal past, and it would stay that way.
Rami’s jaw flexed before he spoke to the group at large. “From this point on, none of you will speak to anyone else about what we discuss here. Do you understand?”
They nodded.
He sighed. “Very well, then. Initiate silencing sequence.”
A shimmering haze floated from beneath the table to encompass them as if they were inside a glass globe. The view reminded her of the one they’d witnessed in their psychological test, but the shield that enclosed them now rippled repetitively, as if it moved to the beat of a song.
“If we’re going to uncover this conspiracy the Dissent has planned, it’s crucial that we restrict the dissemination of this information to as few people as possible. We can’t give this operative any idea that we’re onto them, or they’ll put evasive maneuvers into place,” Rami explained.
“So, what do you know?” Colton asked, leaning forward onto his elbows and clasping his hands in front of him.
“Well, for starters, we know Gemma isn’t the real operative.
She was a decoy. Secondly, we know this event will be large-scale and take place before the shuttle takes your group of graduates to Oranos.
And thirdly, we know the operative is one of this year’s contestants.
After that, the intelligence is weak. Too many different trails to run down.
Some of them are false trails or decoys like Gemma. ”
“There is one major lead we need someone to follow up on, however,” the Kaizen interrupted. “Originally, I was going to suggest a few of the soldiers on site accompany Miss Proctor, but seeing as you four are now here, I’m reconsidering.”
“They’re not officially ordained yet, Phoebe,” Rami drawled, rubbing his temple.
“Exactly. If something goes wrong in the field, it won’t be Systems employees who don’t come back. It’ll be Perileos civilians who died on their own planet.”
Christian bristled next to Gemma. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
“Besides,” the Kaizen continued, “they passed your Trials. They can handle themselves. And they already know how to work together. You’d be a fucking idiot to waste this opportunity.”
Gemma jolted. She got away with speaking to Rami like that? As game master and director of Zion, he ran this place. He was her superior.
Rami tapped his fingers against the table, contemplating her advice. “Fine. But they’ll still wear and carry the same level of gear as our soldiers. We won’t get the intelligence we need if they don’t come back.” He glared at the Kaizen.
She held up her hands and sat back in her chair, her fight won.
“Where are we going?” Hawk asked.
Rami slipped his hand in between the holograms, sliding them around until he grabbed hold of the planet. He rotated it with just his fingertips then zeroed in on a small portion of the globe.
“This is Reva,” Rami said before pointing to different locations.
“This is Zion, where you are right now. Over here is Perileos. Down here is where we believe a hidden Dissent outpost is stationed. That is where you’re headed.
Our agents inside Perileos believe the intelligence we’re looking for is at this spot—documents, a datacard, notes passed between Dissent members.
We aren’t exactly sure what it is, but the amount of chatter about these coordinates is too great to be considered coincidence. ”
“That’s a long way from here,” Imara complained. “Don’t you have any vehicles or something we can take?”
“Not if you don’t want to alert the whole outpost that you’re coming,” the Kaizen replied.
“How do we get there?” Hawk asked.
Rami zoomed in on the optic of Reva. “Well, you can’t go straight down.
This area here is an impassable desert with no shade or protection from the elements.
But if you go this way”—he drew a C with his finger through the more mountainous area of Reva’s surface—“your chances of survival skyrocket, despite the extra day or two of travel time it adds. You may even get the chance to pass some alien ruins, though I wouldn’t hang around long to sightsee. And be careful not to touch anything.”
“What protection do we have against the predators we hunt?” Christian asked.
“Weapons,” the Kaizen quipped. “Avoid them, and don’t be fucking stupid.”
Christian glared at her. His ears turned red, his nostrils flaring. Gemma squeezed his knee to keep him from losing control.
“That’s not helpful, Phoebe,” Rami scolded. “Your uniforms, too, are highly sophisticated and work like armor against most of the creatures on Reva’s surface. You’ll be safe.”
“How long do we have before the shuttle to Oranos arrives?” Gemma asked.
“About thirteen days. I recommend you get back here in ten.”
Ten days? They had to make that entire trip in a week and a half? This was Reva, not some oasis.
“Sounds good to me.” Colton shrugged. “When do we leave?”