Cridex

Chapter Thirty Three

"Honored Citizens," Trevor's voice crackled as it was transmitted through a series of large speakers that were pointed to the amassed hordes, all who were gazing up. My stomach churned as I thought of what they were staring at- us, forced to our knees, struggling futilely against the police men standing behind us. "We have called your attention today to the treasonous activity of our subordinates- the cyborgs, our slaves, who tried to rebel and bring our fine system to the ground."

The crowds gasped, or shifted uncomfortably at his words, eyeing us further. I heard Jonas growl in frustration to my left, and caught his eye. For once, his expression wasn't carved out of stone. Now, it was loosely caged fire, his anger clearly apparent as he glared over to the councillors standing in front of our line. I would have sent him words of encouragement, if I hadn't been gagged.

"They conspired to bring war and carnage to our streets, through the aid of their own insurgent leaders." Trevor gesture wildly to us, "By their plan was discovered, and along with it, a conspiracy so shocking that our own leaders had no knowledge of it."

Dane, further down the line from me, next to Imogen, was forced to stand, and brought forward. His usually impeccable appearance was as shredded as the fabric on the knees of his pants, his hair hanging in flat locks in front of his eyes.

"Our own supporter, Councillor Dane Archer, was corrupted by the cyborg cause. Largely, in part, because he too is cybernetically enhanced!" The crowd cried out in despair and disbelief, but I kept my eyes on Dane's sagging profile.

"No!"

"It can't be!" A woman's voice shouted.

"Where's the proof?"

Trevor chuckled, and flicked his wrist. At once, Dane was brought back roughly to his knees. "You ask for proof?" He called out, and pulled something out of his pocket. Jonas inhaled sharply, and my eyes flew from the object to Camden's torso, his exposed forearm shining metallic in the sunlight.

The councillor held the Cridex- or at least a variant of the prototype- in his hand, the tip blowing a luminescent blue. Our left eyes soon reflected the same shade and the people gasped once more. "What more proof could you ask for, than to see what lies beneath the surface?"

Trevor lowered the whirring device to the side of Dane's face, pulling it roughly across to expose the steel boning underneath, the blood holding back long enough for the cameras to catch the evidence and display them on the large screens along the square. "Machinery runs through his veins!" Trevor called, "And we fell for his tricks!"

Dane's cries fell on deaf ears, but mine were wide open to hear the sound of his anguish. Camden's face was pale as he witnessed the pain, likely reliving his own experience. Even Jonas struggled harder as he watched.

"The Cridex doesn't lie!" Trevor waved it wildly above his head, the wand of steel glinting in as it moved. "The Cridex shows what lies beneath. Not only is Dane Archer a traitor, but he is nothing more than a well-programmed computer!"

I inhaled sharply as Trevor's wild gaze fell on me, and his grin widened once more. "Originally," He continued despite the fact that his attention was elsewhere, "Dane was supposed to bring a cyborg rebel onto our side. To help our cause, to help us finally destroy the nuisance posed by the cyborg insurgence."

He stalked forward, and I saw the other's gaze draw towards me. Panic flowed through my veins, and I refused to look them in the eye as I realized what Trevor was trying to say. "Dane Archer had recruited someone to help- he told me, a few weeks ago."

I began frantically shaking my head, trying to convince Jonas, Camden and Imogen that what he was saying was a lie- but it wasn't. At least, not at first, when we first came to the city. Back then, I had done anything that I possibly could to deny who I was, what ran beneath my skin.

Disbelief and hurt seeped into Jonas's gaze and Imogen looked confused as she tried to make sense of what Trevor was saying. He didn't wait long to clarify, however. "Miss Ellery Kent, previously the daughter of one of the city's most prestigious scientists, was gathering intel on the enemy. Acting as a double agent, if you will. Isn't that right, Miss Kent?"

I shook my head, looking back at the others, whose doubt had bubbled to the surface and quickly turned to violent anger, disbelief, disappointment. They were already convinced, and as I was forced to my feet to stand once more, I had no doubt that the damage had been done. They had already suspected me, but then they played an audio clip. It was Dane. He too, refused to look me in the eye as his blood pooled on the floor of the stage.

"I have her, Ellery Kent," the audio clip played as if he had been communicating over the phone, "She is helping me, focusing on bringing the insurgence to an end." My eyes watered as I looked back at the crowd, their eyes piercing into me.

"Which is why," Trevor smiled "because of her dutiful service and her likely being as duped as we were, Ellery Kent will not be decommissioned today."

I sobbed through the gag, glancing back at the others. They simply glared away from me.

"No, we have something much larger planned for Ellery Kent- a true honor, really." Trevor continued and pulled down my gag, freeing my sobs to ring out among the crowd. "I told her so, earlier, you know?"

"No!" I shouted, "I won't help! Not anymore!"

Trevor chuckled, but his eyes iced over. "The city has ordered a new design on the cyborgs- one that eliminated all emotion, all independent spirit. We are planning to decommission the old order and replace them with the new design."

He turned to the crowd and raised his hands to encourage them to cheer for the new plan. "Smothering the insurgence, smothering any rebellion from any cyborg. Ellery Kent will undergo a new surgery- one that will convert her to the new design- as a prototype for this blueprint."

I gasped aloud and fell back against the police that forced me to stand on my own two feet. "No," I sobbed, "I won't help."

"You will," Trevor announced to the whole crowd in answer, a victorious expression painted over his cold exterior, "You won't have a choice."