Refracted

- - 42 - -

My opportunity came in the form of a blackout - coincidence or not, it could have not come at a better time. Luckily, I was nearby to Alpha's office, just a few buildings away. The same plaza was right outside my grimy window but so much had changed since then.

Security had been increased in all cities. No one could go without identification which was checked by VISORs and humans alike. Yet the popularity of the VISORs was rising too as the Higher Authority preferred the machine without a conscience. With the VISORs they didn't experience any ethical or moral implications with their victims. They were literal killing machines, or rather machines that carted you off to a place worse than death.

Oppression hung around in the air like the growing homeless in the streets. The frosty glass on my window indicated a forthcoming winter and with it famine for all those who were reliant on their employers for food.

People no longer greeted anyone with a smile but yellow teeth and thin bones. Times were impossibly hard and they were just getting worse.

It had been a while since my meeting with Malik and I hadn't seen him since; Harleen was still hanging around my apartment but I sensed she was getting restless and I feared that she would give us away. I had noticed her leaving the apartment in the middle of the nights for stolen walks but confrontation would only exacerbate things. I just had to pray to Terra that she was being careful.

My stomach grumbled and gradually stopped. I had been staring at the same sentence for three minutes and yet hadn't processed a thing. My eyes focused onto a picture of a young girl, she couldn't have been more than nine. She had been entered into the Refracted project four months ago, long after my meeting with Malik. I sighed and held up my stamp, dripping with red ink. With all my strength, I brought the stamp crashing down, ruining her depressing picture as the wet letters filled in the page.

'DEAD.'

There was no way she would have ever lasted. From what I had last heard, the youngest subject was seven and had been caught smuggling supplies for bombs out of their school. Some say they were just a victim of the influence of terrorists, some said that they were a terrorist themselves. Regardless, they broke record and died on their second week in a facility. These days I just tried to keep a my head day and avoided arguments. Atlantis itself was becoming divided. There were those who believed the government would help them and those who saw the government to be the problem. Again, I didn't know who to believe. I still hoped for a rebellion, secretly. But I had less faith in it being successful. I tried to keep my head down was all.

I filed the girl's folder away and moved over to the file underneath. This time an old man sprung out of the page, smiling a toothy grin.

'DEAD.'

At least he had a life before the facility; I wondered if it was any good. The file was deposited next to the girl's and I moved on.

A gale was blowing forcefully outside as the window panes shook in their fittings. I ignored it but the wind grew louder until the howling sounded human. I tried to continue but the wails were impossible to dismiss and I stood up; my small, wooden chair screeched against the dirty, wooden floorboards.

The closets were where I usually went when I got like this. Unprofessional, I knew, but they helped to calm me down. I had just made it out of my office when the lock display died on me and I heard an echo of clicking doors down the corridor. Another power outage. The weather had been intermittent all week and had left some electrical problems. Instead of the doors locking automatically they opened, the lights turned off and anything that needed constant power supply was shut down. The main benefit though? Anyone could go anywhere.

My feet made my decision for me and I was already hurrying over to Lucas' office. We were told that he would be away on a business trip, something about filming a documentary on Zyphia. He would return early tomorrow morning, more than enough time.

Just as expected, Lucas' door sung open at a gentler push and I was in. Breezing past the useless hi-tech lock, I immediately started scanning the room for any evidence of his future plans. I needed something big to take back to the rebels, something to reignite that spark inside of us. Something worth fighting for.

And I found it.

Blueprints were on his table and upon further inspection, some maps.

The dimensions were complicated with a lot of parts that I had never seen before but their purpose was clear. I couldn't believe that he would stoop this low, that he thought the contents of those pages were his only option. Lucas was once my brother, maybe, but his mind had been completely devoured by insanity and I wasn't even sure that there was anything left. He didn't treat me like a sister but like a prized possession.

That man was utterly crazy.

I would have liked to have looked at the maps for longer but some movement outside stopped me. I heard a voice but there was no reply. Perhaps they were on the phone?

Overhead the dim lights flickered on as the backup generators kicked in and I saw the door handle as it turned. The hi-tech lock was my only advantage as it delayed entry of whoever was other side of that door.

"Access granted."

The door began to open and I flew into the supply closet on the far wall. Holding my hyperventilating breath, I waited.

"Yes, I already told you this. I've gone back to Atlantis because of the weather. Any footage would have looked terrible anyway and I can barely hear myself think over the wind."

Lucas sounded impatient and I knew I would be in some serious trouble if I were caught. Game over.

My arms started to shake with anxiety so I clenched my fists to keep them still. The sound of paper rustling was close but to it was too close...

Surprised, I looked down to find the maps still in my hand. I had some evidence at least then, but it wasn't enough. The maps were nothing without the blueprints.

"Hang on, I think I hear something..."

Oh no. Lucas' footsteps grew closer until I was staring at him in the face, the closet door having been opened. I used his stunned silence to push past him. Spying the blueprints on the desk still, I snatched them and fled his office like my life depended on it. My cover had been blown; there was no possible explanation. I had to leave.

Breaking all types of rules, I ran through an alarmed fire exit but it wasn't the fire alarm that began blaring. It was the lockdown alarm. Once Lucas realised I had escaped, the whole district would be shut down.

"Call Harleen!" I commanded my watch.

"Verity! I was in the middle of watching-"

"Harleen, you need to listen to me. I retrieved the intel from Lucas' office but blew my cover. We need to leave Atlantis now. I'm coming back to the apartment and I need you to meet me outside. Do you think you can organise transport in the next five minutes?"

"I'm on it."

I couldn't believe my luck. Without Harleen there would have been no way that I would even have a chance of making it out of here. It wasn't over yet though.

Three minutes later and I had met up with Harleen. As promised, a black hover car with tinted windows waited for us and we jumped inside. I hadn't even sat down before we started driving. Behind us, I could see the VISORs beginning a sweep of the city...

"What did you find then? I can pass the information on," Harleen offered.

"Oh no thanks, for now it stays with me. Though can you organise a meeting with Rachel or someone in  command when we get to wherever we are going?" I was desperate.

"Are you sure, you don't want to just tell me?"

"No. This is too big. Please, Harleen?"

"Okay then," she acquiesced, "But this better be good."

"I wouldn't count on it."