Age of Redemption Read online

  Titan Code

  Age

  of

  Redemption

  By Rey Clark

  © 2020 Arcane Ink Publishing LLC

  All rights reserved.

  1

  The H.I.V.E was abuzz with celebration. It wasn’t often H.I.V.E allowed personnel outside the underground bunker. A legion of freshly trained combat troops were returning to the base providing one of the few reasons people were allowed top side. H.I.V.E wanted personnel to show support for the soldiers and encouraged them to welcome soldiers back home. It was all part of their propaganda machine.

  For Tessa, this was a different celebration. The returning legion meant Sam would also return to the H.I.V.E base. Both Tessa and Arica uncovered the truth behind their brainwashed initiation into the complex, but Sam was still unaware of the manipulation. Tessa ran through the conversation over and over in her mind. How would she convince her friend that his reality was a lie?

  It seemed like the entire H.I.V.E headed outside the mountain to greet the newest troops. Crowds of people crammed into the elevators and making their way toward the surface. Tessa met Arica outside her flat so that they could attend together. Arica walked with a new pep in her step and a small cake in her arms. She was eager to see Sam, and the three of them could be a team again. They needed his tactical savvy to help navigate this mess they found themselves in as unwilling participants. Sam was always the best at getting them out of trouble.

  Together they exited the mountain, and it felt like heaven when the sunlight kissed their skin. Tessa never realized how much someone could miss the sun. Back on the farm, she always cursed that yellow ball of fire. The sun bore down hard and relentless in the plains, but here in the mountains, it was a kinder gentler beast. The fresh mountain air cleansed the soul. Being confined underground breathing recycled stale air wasn’t ideal. She had grown accustomed to the stagnant air, and compared to the crisp open air, she realized how much she missed it. Strange how things so simple as feeling the sunlight and breathing air can have such a profound effect on one’s mood, but Tessa found her spirits lifted by the exposure to the surface once again.

  H.I.V.E personnel packed into a large concrete amphitheater carved into the face of the mountain. Below the seats, military ranks held at attention. Tessa learned the recruits would complete several drills to demonstrate their new skills. She found the display to be another manner of government propaganda designed to entice sheep to follow the herd. A military display of might to instill a sense of superiority among H.I.V.E personnel. A psychological game of cat and mouse in which the mouse did not understand it was being hunted.

  Tessa and Arica could not pick Sam out from a distance, but they knew he was down there somewhere. Once everyone sat and the performance began, it proceeded as Tessa expected. They designed these exercises to showcase brute strength and intimidation. The show being nothing more than propaganda, and the audience loved every minute. They chanted and cheered on their new troops and reveled in their military prowess. Tessa wished she could shout at the top of her lungs. She wanted to tell everyone they were being duped.

  Tessa came to realize that these loyal supporters were blind to H.I.V.E’s real mission. All the people watching these drills, including the soldiers, assumed they were doing their part in making the world a better place. They believed in their convictions to better humanity and solve the problems caused by past generations. They were lambs being led to slaughter. Most of the people sitting in the amphitheater would die here on earth. H.I.V.E would launch its most essential members into space to colonize a new world, but they would leave those that labored its creation behind to rot. Most of these people would not gain passage on H.I.V.E’s arc vessel. They would not reap the benefits of Project Genesis, but they would be the creators of the components.

  Tessa found H.I.V.E’s betrayal of its people disturbing. It made her skin crawl and having knowledge of their plans troubled her. Tessa was a human first and an Evo second, and both lived here on earth. H.I.V.E’s crimes against humanity were unforgivable in her mind. People with ultimate power preyed on the weak as if they didn’t matter and took advantage of the trust those people gave. Tessa felt deep down in the core of her soul that H.I.V.E was evil, and she had to stop them.

  After the drills concluded, the crowd disbursed. Some returned to their work in the H.I.V.E and others loitered about outside. Some tried to remain in the sunlight for as long as they could manage. Security didn’t allow people to linger for long. If people had no reason to be outside, they must return to the base.

  Tessa and Arica waited with the groups of people with a loved one in one of the new military legions. Neither of the girls were related to Sam, but he was family all the same. They got a few sideways glances from people wondering how a Latina and African American girl could be related, and even more confused when reunited with Sam, an Asian American. There was a moment of judging eyes until their own loved one returned and then lost their focus of hate.

  Sam received several hugs from the girls, and Arica almost dropped the cake in her excitement. From his uniform, they noticed he wasn’t just a soldier, but a unit commander. Tessa figured with his wit he wouldn’t end up as just another military drone. Sam was a talented thinker, and a superb fighter.

  Sam’s spirits seemed high and grateful to reunite with his friends. They all took a seat on the concrete ground outside the mountain entrance to share Arica’s cake. There were some jokes and laughter. Tessa tried to seem genuine, but it was difficult with all the lies weighing her mind down.

  Tessa made sure that people were out of hearing range before their conversation turned more serious. She whispered, “Sam, Arica and I have discovered something since being here at H.I.V.E, and you might find it difficult to swallow. What do you remember about when they brought you here?”

  His eyes darted between the two of them, “We all tested at school and received assignments. Then they put us on transport and brought us here. I went to military training and your two went to the labs. Why?”

  Arica placed a hand on Sam’s arm, “That isn’t what really happened.”

  “Okay. How do you remember it?” Sam shrugged.

  Tessa began her explanation, “Sam, it’s not that we remember it differently. We all remember it the same. The problem is it’s a false memory planted there by someone here at H.I.V.E.”

  Sam pursed his lips, “What would be the point of that?”

  “Tessa’s an Evo.” Arica blurted out a little louder than she would have preferred.

  “That’s ridiculous. Evos aren’t allowed in the mountain. Why would they bring Tessa here if she’s an Evo?”

  Arica’s eyes diverted down in guilt, “That’s what I assumed at first, too.”

  “I have a power they want. H.I.V.E is planning a mass evacuation from Earth, and they need the energy I have to power their ship. I’m the key to harnessing that power. Once they have what they want, H.I.V.E will abandon Earth, taking only their most prized executives. They plan to leave everyone else to die.”

  Sam contemplated what Tessa said and then shook his head, “That’s a crazy story. Are you guys playing a prank on me?”

  Tessa frowned, “I wish I were. This is true, Sam. I need you to believe me.”

  His brow curled in confusion, “Prove it.”

  Tessa made sure no one was watching and then focused her power on the cake in Sam’s hand. The purple glow surrounded the treat, and it lifted from his hand. He snatched it out of the air and canvased their surroundings in paranoia. “Fine, I believe you. Damn! This can’t be right. How did they jack our memories?”

  “There are a ton of questions to answer, but right here and now is not the time or place. After dinner, both of you come
to my flat, and we’ll share everything we know.”

  Tessa was wary of prying eyes and ears as she saw her Aunt Norine walk into view.

  Norine smiled toward her niece and approached their group. Tessa and her friends stood to greet her. “Tessa, so good to see you outside for some fresh air. Who is your friend?”

  “Norine, this is Sam. Sam, this is my Aunt Norine.”

  Sam’s mouth gaped open, “She looks just like your mother.”

  “Tessa’s mother is my twin sister.” Norine clarified.

  “Small world, huh?” Sam gave Tessa a sideways glance. He was having a very bizarre day.

  Tessa didn’t like being around her aunt not knowing how involved Norine was in H.I.V.E’s plans. She learned that Norine’s name wasn’t on the evacuation list for the arc, so she wasn’t sure how much her aunt knew of H.I.V.E’s plans. Norine might be just like Tessa, another pawn in their scheme.

  Security got anxious as the sun began to descend over the horizon. They started directing people to return to the mountain. The remaining crowd of people all herded toward the mountain entrance.

  The opening of the base was cut into the mountain face of granite stone. There were metal doorways requiring everyone to pass through upon entry. These doorways reminded Tessa of metal detectors only they no longer detected metal. Instead, they detected Evo genetics. Arica explained the devices to her earlier as sensors designed to identify potential Evos and prevent the enemy from entering their base.

  Tessa didn’t wish for the machines to target her, so it forced her to swallow one of the blue pills, which suppressed her Evo abilities. She hoped that the light over the doorway would not flash red as she passed through. The H.I.V.E leaders knew she was an Evo, but Tessa wasn’t sure if security knew. So, she wasn’t sure that if the light illuminated red, they would let her pass. She was unsure how deep this rabbit hole went.

  Tessa let her friends pass first in line as she dreaded walking through the devices. As Norine passed through ahead of her, Tessa saw the light flicker green to red. Arica glanced back at Tessa. They had both witnessed the scanner react to her aunt. Things made sense now. Tessa wasn’t the only Evo pawn under the mountain. Her Aunt Norine had a secret of her own. She was an Evo.

  2

  Once Tessa re-entered base, she had a new objective to confront her Aunt Norine and find out more. To get the answers she wanted, Tessa needed to catch her aunt off guard and apply the proper amount of leverage. She knew Norine was a minion of H.I.V.E, but she wasn’t sure how deep her loyalty reached. The only morsel of information she had was Norine’s romantic relationship with the Director of the Science Division, Marlize Sharron.

  Tessa made a mental note to search the H.I.V.E Evo database back in her room to see if there was any additional information on her aunt. H.I.V.E experimented on dozens of Evos. Tessa wondered if that’s how Norine was tied to H.I.V.E. Maybe H.I.V.E had some dirt on her to force her into servitude.

  Tessa brushed up next to Sam and lifted a knife from his utility belt. He protested at first, “Hey, what are you doing?”

  “Shh… I need to borrow this for a minute.”

  Sam worried about being implicated if Tessa got caught. “That’s H.I.V.E issued equipment. If they notice it’s gone, I’m in hot water.”

  “I’ll have it back to you as quick as possible.” Tessa broke off from the group and disappeared into the crowd of people returning to the base after the military exercises concluded.

  Tessa could see her Aunt Norine’s dark ponytail up ahead and tailed her. She weaved in and out of people but maintained her distance. Tessa boarded the massive lift that carried large numbers of workers underground. She clung to the dark corners and behind tall men to avoid being noticed by her aunt. The lift stopped on the floor with most of the personal quarters, and the entire elevator emptied. Tessa continued her pursuit and stalked Norine through the maze of hallways.

  Tessa studied H.I.V.E security schematics from their hacked data files, and she learned the location of every security camera. She identified blind spots and committed them to memory, starting with the areas of the highest potential for covert missions.

  Tessa waited until Norine neared a blind spot, and no one else lingered in the hallway. She sped up and bumped hard into Norine’s back, “Into the storage closet.”

  Tessa pressed Sam’s knife into her back, and Norine obliged the request. Tessa didn’t give her a moment to speak first and pressed her aunt hard up against the wall holding the knife to her throat, “Now you will listen and be quiet, or I’ll spill every ounce of your blood right here. You’ll drown in your own blood, and no one will hear you cry for help. You may be my family by blood, but you are not by action. You’ve been playing a game with me, and I’m tired of your lies.”

  She terrified Norine, “Please, don’t kill me. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Tessa pressed the knife harder, “Stop! I’m not the idiot you take me for. I know everything. You may look like my mother, but you are nothing like her. She would never betray her family.” The accusation shook Norine, and tears welled up in her dark eyes. “You are partly responsible for Evie’s death. How can you work for these monsters?”

  “They’re not monsters,” Norine choked out.

  “So, they aren’t holding Evos prisoner and conducting experiments on them? Care to explain the list of names I have that prove otherwise?”

  “You have a list of names?” Norine’s voice echoed concern.

  “You worried I might find a name on the list I recognize?” Norine shrugged. She didn’t want to speak about the Evos. “I saw the detector light flicker when you walked through, tell me the truth. Are you an Evo?” Norine pursed her lips together in defiance, and Tessa moved the knife to remind her of the stakes. “I suggest you answer the question.”

  “Yes,” she blurted out, crying. “They took me from school when I was a girl and brought me here. I was in one of those cages, and they tested on me. I was one of the lucky ones. They found my abilities useful.”

  “What are your abilities?”

  “Mental manipulation,” she hesitated to answer.

  “You were the one in the lunchroom rolling around inside my head.” It appalled Tessa that her aunt would attack her like that.

  “You weren’t taking your meds. My job is to make sure your power stays in check.” Norine defended her reasoning.

  “Let me be clear when I say that if you ever even think about entering my mind again, I will see that you suffer.” Norine swallowed. “How much do you know about what they’re doing here?”

  “What do you mean?” Norine seemed confused about the question.

  “What do you know about Project Genesis?” Tessa lowered the knife but kept it close and ready just in case.

  “I’ve heard nothing about it. What is it?” Tessa noticed confusion in Norine’s eyes. She told the truth.

  “H.I.V.E’s master plan is to build a spaceship and head to the stars in search of a new planet,” Tessa started to explain.

  Norine interrupted, “Sounds like a good plan.”

  “No!” Tessa shouted just a little louder than she wanted. “It would have been a great plan, but they intend to leave most people behind to die. Evos being at the top of their list. Most of these people working on the project don’t even realize what they’re contributing to, and they are not one of the chosen few. H.I.V.E is only taking top heads of government, and their stocked resources. The rest of us get to stay here and die as our resources dwindle, or the sun burns us up. Whichever one comes first.”

  Norine stood for a moment contemplating Tessa’s accusation. She shook her head, “No… It’s not true. You’re making it up.”

  “Wish I was, but I have proof.”

  “What proof do you have?”

  “I hacked Directors Sharron’s files and uncovered all the plans.”

  “How on earth did you manage to...”

  “Doesn’t matter. I don’t trust
you enough to explain what resources I have at my disposal. And if you tell anyone what I’m doing, I’ll use my power to explode you from the inside out.” Norine looked shocked. “Looks like your lover is planning to betray her pet.”

  A flash of defiance flashed in Norine’s eye, “No! It’s not like that.”

  “Then what is it like? Your name isn’t on the manifest. I looked. I’ve been trying to figure out what part you play in all this, and I’ve figured it out. You’re only here to keep me in check. They need my power to provide enough energy to jumpstart their ship. Once they have it charged up, they only need to convert the energy and store it. Face it; we’re both pawns being used.”

  Norine realized H.I.V.E used her, “What can we do?”

  Tessa pointed to herself, “I’m getting the hell out of here. But before I do, I’ll be freeing all the Evos they have imprisoned and destroy as much of their Project Genesis as I can manage. What are you going to do?”

  Tessa backed off, giving her aunt room to move and think. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

  “If I can trust you, I’ll show you all the proof you need, but I need to know you’re on my side and not H.I.V.E’s.”

  Norine paused, “If what you say is true, then by helping H.I.V.E, I’m only putting nails in my own coffin.”

  Tessa shrugged, “That’s one way to look at it.”

  The two women talked for some time in their quiet storage room. Tessa felt more at ease learning her aunt might not be the villain she feared. She seemed ignorant of H.I.V.E’s master plan. Or was she a brilliant actress waiting for the moment to reveal Tessa’s plan to the Director? There was no way for her to know for sure.

  After Tessa spilled the truth of H.I.V.E’s real mission, it conflicted Norine. She thought she had this place figured out. She played the game well enough to escape the Evo prison, but instead stumbled into a different prison altogether. The type of imprisonment you didn’t even realize you were subject to, and that realization was terrifying.