Kepler One - The Choosing

Chapter 12

The plan was afoot, or as afoot as I could make it. The truth was, I was just the idea-man . . . or woman. I was an awful thief, that much everyone knew from my attempts to steal tablets on our first day together. But with Nathan and Otto's help, I was hoping this time I might be more successful. Although Otto declined to actually come with us, which was probably best given his nervous disposition, he was willing to design a way to open the sealed doors of Bunker Twelve using a master key of some kind. He said it would take a week to complete the task, which gave Nathan and me plenty of time to plan.

With Nathan's in-depth knowledge of the lab's layout and all five tiers, it made things a lot easier. It was strange, finding a quiet spot to huddle with Nathan and whisper. I was still getting used to the idea that he wasn't as bad as I first thought. The general had said as much before, and now I was inclined to agree with him. Nathan's approach to things was rough and always defensive, but deep down his intentions appeared to be good. Even now, as we sat in our corner of The Tin whispering quietly, he would often call me names. I was almost sure he didn't mean them.

"How will we get past the guards in the main stairwell?" I said. "Maybe we could slip them something to make them sleep?"

"Don't be such an idiot. Do you really think someone hasn't already tried it?" he replied, raising one eyebrow. "The Tierless have been trained to expect juvenile tricks like that."

"Well, what would you suggest then?" I said, sighing loudly and scowling at him.

Nathan's lips curled unexpectedly into a smile.

"What, are my plans so bad that they're funny?" I asked hotly.

He let out a laugh and leaned closer, brushing a stray hair away from my eyes. His fingers grazed my ear as he tucked my hair behind it, and his touch sent a tingle through me. It made me catch my breath and flinch at the same time. Nathan froze like he'd just became aware of how close he was to me, before snatching back his hand.

"No," he said, awkwardly shifting in his chair. "Angry suits you, that's all."

I didn't quite know what to say. Even if I did, his touch had clammed my mouth shut. Never in a million years would I have suspected Nathan had a gentle side, and it disarmed me every time I saw it. I noticed that he only ever seemed to show it around me, however. Whenever anyone else was nearby, his guarded rude demeanour returned.

"I have some people in the Tierless who owe me," he said. "There's a few more who can be bribed with medicine. Let me see if I can get them all on duty at the same time. That way we can pass through the tiers while the drones are down."

"You can do that?" I said. "I mean, will they take the bribe and not tell on us?"

"Zoe," Nathan said, giving me a bemused look. "You remember where you are, don't you? People in this hellhole will do anything for medicine. It's a currency, and only slightly less valuable than food. Trading in stolen meds happens all the time. If they blab they'll be blacklisted from any future dealings. In this place, no one can afford to be blacklisted because you never know what you might need."

Nathan seemed to have extensive knowledge of the illegal trades, something I never knew existed outside of tier five until he told me. I wondered if it was his worldliness that had made him such an expert or something else.

"Is that how you got your sister's meds?" I asked quietly.

Nathan was silent for a time. He let his eyes drop to the table before he spoke again.

"It is," he said, his voice dropping low. "Do you think I'm bad now, a criminal no better than the convicts you lived with in tier five? You know what?" he said, looking at me with defiance. "I don't care. I did what I had to do. Sorry I'm not Mr. Perfect, like Tristan over there."