Triplicity

Chapter 21 - ISAAC

At this moment, time seems to stop. I can't breathe. Resalia's eyes widen in shock. The stunner slips from her fingers and hits the ground with a dull clang.

Then Valerie pulls the knife out and Resalia crumples to the floor. "I'm sorry, Res," she says, and this time I detect a hint of genuineness. "I'm sorry. But you're right. I won't shoot you."

Too late, I remember the gun I'm holding. I raise it and fire, but my aim is off. Valerie spins around as the shots shatter the glass conference table.

My foot finally breaks free. I roll to one side, barely avoiding the blasts from her pistol. One grazes my shoulder. I take cover around the corner. When I dare to peek out, the Chancellor is gone.

"Resalia." I run toward the conference room. Resalia lies amid a mound of broken glass, one hand across her stomach. The other reaches out for me. I kneel next to her, sweeping the shards away. "Resalia," I say again. "Oh, no. No, no, no."

"Isaac." Her voice is so quiet, I have to lean down to hear her words. "Do you not see my hand?"

"What?" I sit back, confused.

Resalia scowls, although she's obviously in pain. "My hand, you idiot. Get me up."

"But..." I gesture at her shirt, which is already soaked through with blood. I can tell she's wearing armor, but it's designed for bullet impacts from farther away, not a knife. It blocked the strike enough that the wound doesn't seem too deep, but it's still serious.

She grits her teeth. "Get me up. That's an order."

After a moment of hesitation, I stand. She grabs my outstretched hand and I haul her up. She yelps and stumbles into me, but pushes herself away just as quickly. She reaches for her earpiece. "Decker? Do you copy?" she asks. At the same time, she pulls one from her pocket and offers it to me.

"Copy, Commander," I hear Decker reply. "What's your status?"

"Injured. What's yours?"

"Trying to disarm the bomb. It isn't working!"

Resalia frowns.

"Westford planted a bomb in the control room," I explain, feeling guilty once again. "He didn't tell me where he was going to put it. It'll blow up the whole Center."

"Why didn't you mention it before?" she hisses back at me.

"I...I forgot. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking and I was scared and—"

"Save it. Decker, I'm on my way."

"Copy. We have ten minutes. You'd better hurry."

"Will do." Resalia winces, her hand still pressed to her side. "Isaac, listen to me very carefully."

"Okay?"

She hands me a microchip. "There's a virus in here. Plug it into the slot in the archives. It'll be able to cut the electricity in Apex and turn off the dome. Then, get out. And here."

She presses something into my hands. It's so dirty, covered in blood and grime, that it takes me a few moments to realize it's her necklace. I shake my head. "I can't take this."

"You will," she says firmly.

"No, I—"

"Take it!" she yells. "You are the hope for us, Isaac. For all of us. You will be the new commander."

"What?" The idea is ridiculous and I can't wrap my head around it. "But I'm not ready for this. I can't lead for my life. Anyone else would be better!"

"No one on my team is leaving until we get the Chancellor. I gave the order already." There's a burning intensity of determination in her eyes, but there's also sadness. "We're not getting out, Isaac."

Before I can come up with a response, she pushes me away. "Go. Take care of the children."

I start backing away. I know I can't argue with her, but I try one more time. "You're too young to die. You have so much ahead of you."

She gives me a half-smile. "So do you."

I pause. "Thank you, Resalia."

Then I turn and run.

When I look back, I see Resalia staggering off in the opposite direction. Another explosion nearly knocks me off balance, but I make my way to the archives. The doors have been blasted open, but the files inside seem untouched. I dash to the metal plate, wait impatiently while the control panel rises and insert the microchip into the slot. The touchscreen flashes once, then flickers out.

How much time do I have? Five minutes? Two? I break into a full sprint, ignoring the pain in my shoulder. I can hear the Apexian armed forces storming through the halls, but they're too preoccupied with the rebels in their camouflage gear to notice me. I slip through them, choking on the smoke.

As I near the entrance, I see a flash of purple out of the corner of my eye, buried under a pile of rubble. I can't process it, and I run past what's left of the doors and into the outside world. Past the thousands of soldiers storming in, the melting carcasses of vehicles. I stumble over the burning splinters that was once the stage and podium.

I'm halfway across the square when the Center explodes.

I don't see it happen, but the sound travels deep into my bones. The sky lights up, and the air becomes almost unbearably hot for just an instant. But I don't look back. I swing myself up onto a rebel bike parked nearby and beat the shockwave out of the square.

After I've reached a safe distance away, I dare to glance back. The Center is caving in on itself, and rubble rains from the sky. Smoke has blocked out the sun, turning the sky dark.

I look away.

As expected, the dome is gone. People are starting to flood out into the open world. As I speed over the plain, the wind starts to sting my eyes. I look down and see Resalia's necklace, still tightly wrapped around my fist. The yin-yang symbol reflects the light like a coin.

And that's when the tears start to fall.