The God Codex

25. Coordinate

BOOK OF MIA: 2081

Chapter 52: Coordinate

I guess my face must have looked like I had seen a ghost, or worse, seen Mr Jacobs, our neighbour, two quarters over from our home, naked; pottering around as if he owned the whole damn lane. Mum often reminded him of propriety whenever he sunbathed thus on his 'lawn' — fake turf in front of his door under a UV lamp — with all his pruney bits on display. No one wanted to see that sad sack in the open. But no, I hadn't seen a ghost.

"What?" Nate glares at me with as much intensity as he can muster, shaking me about as if he is trying to wake me up or something. I am not immune to his renowned glares, though I try. "Mia. What? What did you see?" He shakes me again, and I feel as though my brain is rattling inside me, shrivelled up from dehydration.

I pull my arms away from him wryly and do my glare, though mine probably looks more like a pouty scowl. "Stop. That hurts."

Nate holds up his arms in apology. "What did you see?" he asks, lowering his voice.

"Nate." But I don't really know how to relay what I saw. There are no words. I have no words. I grab him, feeling my stomach turn sickly and I double over, dry retching into the brush that looks about as happy to be alive as a piece of turd left out under some UV light.

"Who are you?" I glare at Dev, the Soldier. "You said, 'I know your granddad' before you told me to stop, and somehow, even in that kill mode, I did. I stopped."

I step towards Dev and I must have looked like I'm about to clock him or something, for Nate holds me back by my arm.

"You flashed some code in front of my eyes." I glare at the guy. I don't like him. He's setting me off on edge; like I know the reason I stopped, but I can't place it.

Dev holds up his cuffed hands in surrender. "I don't know either, miss. One moment, I'm watching my entire unit get shredded by you, and the next — it's a blank — and I came to, for the first time in years."

"What do you mean?" I still feel heated, still nauseated at the carnage I re-witnessed. Again, my stomach lurches violently, but I have nothing to throw up.

"What do you mean you came to?" Nate asks, stepping closer to him for once. I see something switch in him, like an odd recognition of sorts.

"I don't know how to describe it." Dev shrugs. "One moment, I'm doing something I think is my choice and the next, I—"

"Snap out of it?" Nate finishes.

The guy nods and I can't help but feel confused. I'm so confused they may as well be speaking in a new language. What did they mean 'snap out of it'? Snap out of what?

I look from one guy to the other. "Anyone wants to fill me in, please, feel free!"

Nate shakes his head and bends down to take the cuffs off the guy.

"Wow. What are you doing?" I pull his hand back. He swats mine away like I'd reached for his slice of chocolate cake or something.

"What if he attacks us?" I mumble uselessly.

"He won't—"

"I won't—"

"You don't know that!" I snap at Nate. "And you—you, I don't trust." I turn to Dev. I don't... I really don't trust the guy.

"We are two and he is one," Nate offers. "Besides, you have your kill mode. The man's not about to try anything with that still on standby, is he?"

I squint my eyes at Nate. How dare he make sense? And how dare he bring up that stupid mode I hope to never need or use again? "Fine, free him."