Joan Ascends

Chapter 20: I know what I'm getting into

Sun guesses that we have at least a week before Strand strikes again, activating H2IV in a new group of Throwbacks somewhere in the country. I don't want to wait any longer than that to get inside Strand's campus. I can't watch more and more people succumbing to this horrible illness.

During that week, Marie doesn't sleep, spending all her time in the lab adjusting the Mind Manipulator to work underneath my skin, and to provide a Wi-Fi signal so that any data from my contact cameras will be sent back to the Chrysalis.

Jo spends hours every day with me training me to meditate, to find a place in my mind where my body feels separate from me. She also walks me through her ordeal inside Strand in graphic detail, so that I know what to expect. She insists that not knowing what might happen to me is the worst part, though after hearing all of her stories, I find that hard to believe.

Harriet organizes changes to some of our sensitive information, so that I can't share it under torture. That includes passwords, and key locations that I know about. My parents and Addie both have to move to new safe houses that I've never seen before. There's nothing we can do about my knowledge of the Chrysalis, but at least it's well-defended and difficult to get into.

As much as I keep hoping that Justus will soften toward me, he never lets me get close. Mason says that he's staying with his parents again, and the rest of the time he's holed up in the Chrysalis clinic with Flo.

The day before I plan to contact Lexi and tell her my decision, Wilde finds me in Harriet's office, where we're going over her blueprints of Strand. Sun is with him, and his eyes are shadowed as if he hasn't been sleeping either.

"Dear Joan, I don't know whether to strangle you or hug you. No viewer will be able to look away once you're being tortured. Our ratings will be through the roof!"

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is that there will be no season two if you don't come back," Wilde exclaims.

Sun and Harriet both visibly wince at Wilde's joke.

I sigh. "What do you want? I know it's something."

"I need you on set for filming this afternoon."

"No way. That's not a good use of my time at this point. Besides, you'll have lots of riveting footage once I'm inside Strand. You can really dive deep and reveal who Lexi truly is."

"And I appreciate all of the delicious drama that will bring to our show, darling, I do. But the fans will want some kind of resolution at the end of the season, and you might not be back in time for filming."

"Or you might not come back at all," Harriet says grimly.

"Exactly!" Wilde says cheerfully. "So come and leave the viewers with words of hope. And a final kiss with Justus, of course. It will tie it all up neatly in a bow."

"Ignore him," Sun says, his voice scratchy, as if he's been using it too much. "This is worth your time, Joan. I wouldn't waste a second of it. You are the symbol of our entire movement. Next week the episode airs where Lexi injects you and activates your virus. After that, everything is going to change. People are going to see the truth of what Strand is capable of. Some might not believe what they watch, but hopefully most will."

"And Strand will be more furious than ever, right when Joan is in their grasp and able to do whatever they want to her," Harriet argues.

Sun shakes his head. "Releasing the truth will protect her better than any weapon ever could. Especially since we'll have footage of her inside Strand. With the police backing us up, it will be very hard for them to quietly kill Joan and get away with it."