The Program [COMPLETED]

Chapter Forty-Four

Aiden stared up at his ceiling, going over the plan in his head over and over again. He had hoped that reviewing the steps it would take to infiltrate the radio tower would make him more confident about what they were about to do, but to his dismay, it only made him more nervous.

If they succeeded in addressing all of Creatan regarding Xylem's gory past, Aiden and his friends would become huge players in the events that followed. Who would replace Xylem? What was to become of the country once the Programmers realized the heaviness of their actions? More importantly, what were they to do about Eskium? Would the Other Worlders be satisfied knowing that Xylem was no longer in power, or would they want more?

Suddenly, Aiden heard Theo's voice crackle to life in his earpiece.

"Aiden? Coms are up. It's now or never."

"Alright, everyone," Aiden murmured quietly. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

"Finally, some action!" he heard Virgil exclaim over the coms. "Meet you lot on the rooftop!"

Rolling his eyes, Aiden tore the covers from his body and slipped into his sturdy black combat boots, the data disc tucked securely in his pocket. He'd dressed for a fight, but also for a speech. It was he who had vouched to address the people of Creatan, and it was he alone who would either tear a nation apart, or bring it together once and for all. Aiden hoped that the actions of himself and his friends would be enough to make things right between the Program and the people, and that once they had sorted out all their differences, the two forces could form a relationship that was true to the purpose of the Program's initial creation. Xylem had forgotten this purpose, blinded by his own anger and grief from the loss of his friend. Aiden didn't believe that Xylem's past in any way excused the amount of pain and suffering that he had inflicted upon the people he was indebted to protect, but Aiden hoped that Xylem would be able to realize his actions and feel some scrap of remorse for them one day.

Fastening the spider gear he'd kept from their laboratory raid to his hands and feet, Aiden grabbed his army knives and two twin handguns from his table before ducking out his balcony doors and climbing downwards along the cool brick, out of the sight of any sleeping Programmers. During his previous break-in, Aiden had utilized the balconies below and adjacent to his own to return to his bunk, but this time around, he thought the spider gear was the safest way to go, especially after he remembered how he, Zariah and Rania had fled the radio tower the last time they'd broken into the transmission room. He had decided that jumping into the river below the transmission room was definitely not an experience he wished to endure again.

Within seconds he was on the ground, stealthily maneuvering towards the ladder that would bring him up to the rooftop of the building beside the radio tower. He was positive that the patrols within the area would be tripled for safety, putting even more pressure on him to make it to the tower in one piece.

As if on cue, Aiden heard a large patrol of soldiers headed his way, most likely doing nighttime rounds for a graveyard patrol. He spotted the ladder, making a quick yet silent dash for it and clambering up the rungs before heaving himself upwards and over the edge of the building. He felt two pairs of hands grab him and pull him over the extra length, and Aiden looked up to find Virgil and Theo standing above him, their faces illuminated by the bare moonlight that shone above.

"About time you got here," Virgil snorted. "What, did you sleep in? I'm always waking you up so we can get places on time."

"Aw man, who invited him?" Aiden joked, grinning slightly. He scanned the rooftop, his smile vanishing and melting into a face of concern. "Where's Zariah?"

"She's on her way," Rania replied quietly, a few feet away from them. Aiden instantly felt a wave of guilt crash over him, and he opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, Rania shook her head knowingly, flashing him a sad smile.