Chapter Thirty

Delaney

I never thought I'd say it, but after a few more days in the Capitol, I started to get bored. Our room was narrow and tight, with only one window that was bolted shut. There was nothing to do but sit on our respective twin beds, watch the outdated, static-filled television, or, as we more often opted to do, stare listlessly at the ceiling as if the white plaster would suddenly transform into something interesting.

It never did.

By the fourth day, I was coming down with a nasty case of cabin fever, and it seemed my roommates were too. I woke up that morning to the sounds of Abigail scratching circles into the wall with her nails and Trai tapping a drum beat on his wooden headboard. They had dead, tired eyes that I'm sure were a mirror of my own.

"I'm going to the bathroom," I mumbled, squirming out from under the white comforter.

"I hope you have loads of fun," Abby muttered in response, not looking at me.

Rolling my eyes, I dragged myself into the bathroom. The face waiting for me in the spotless mirror was not a pretty one. For once, I wished for Lizzy and her makeup bag to come and give me a major makeover. I was in dire need of one, there was no doubt about that.

When I returned to the room several minutes later, my tangled hair was in a messy bun on top of my head; I'd long given up on taming it. I dropped right back into bed and reached for the remote control on the bedside table next to me, setting it in my lap but not making any moves to turn the television on.

"I wish Miracle would just make up her goddamned mind already," Abby shouted suddenly, driving her fist into the wall then falling back, howling in pain.

"I know," Trai agreed hollowly. "I'd rather her tell us that we're going to be killed than sit here waiting for the verdict."

I scoffed. "I wouldn't go that far. Granted, though, it'd be better to just know. This suspense is agonizing." Sighing, I flopped back onto the mattress, covering my face with my hands and peering out from between my fingers.

Abby, nursing her bruised knuckles in the bed to my right, smirked a little bit. "Who knows, maybe she'll turn us into Superiors? Wouldn't that be an adventure?"

To my left, Trai grimaced. "Yeah, right, like we're good enough to be in their system. Unlike Caleb," he said dryly, shaking his head in disgust. "The traitor."

It was silent for a while as thoughts of Caleb's betrayal trickled into our minds. I was still shocked, not at the fact that Miracle had proposed Superiority to Caleb—that was expected—but at Caleb's acceptance of the it. He'd been against the Superiors before any of us, yet now he was joining their ranks. Something about it didn't seem right, but at the time, I was only looking for someone to blame.

And when I thought of Caleb, blaming was easy.

"Do you think he'll remember us?" Abby asked after a while. Her voice was so quiet that I had to strain to hear it.

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning at her.

She shrugged. "You know what Fairleigh said: when kids are changed into Superiors, their memories of everything from their lives before are completely erased. All they remember is their Superiority."

I'd forgotten about that completely. It was a horrifying thought; to have your memories taken from you, to erase your entire life as you knew it and replace it with false beliefs—the idea of it was disgusting.

"Assuming that's true," I said, "how would it work?"

Trai ran a hand through his hair. "Well, the thing is, it shouldn't work," he stated. "See, to erase someone's memories, you'd have to destroy the area of their brain where memories are stored. But the thing is, there's no specific place where long-term memories are stored; they're spread throughout the brain, and it'd be hard to separate individual threads from each other. So for the memory wiping process to work, and work well, there would have to be some major work done." He frowned. "Honestly, I don't know how you'd avoid brain damage."

Abby and I glanced at each other, than blinked at him blankly.

"So how would it work?" I repeated slowly.

"I'm not sure," Trai said with a shrug. "I'm thinking it'd be some kind of intentional amnesia. But there's no way that could be a flawless method. There would be some inconsistencies."

"So what you're saying is that Caleb could remember us?" Abby asked, her eyes flashing with hope.

"He could," her brother conceded. "But that's assuming we ever see him again."

At that, Abby folded in on herself, pulling her knees up to her chest and pulling at a loose thread on the corner of her sock. She looked so much younger now, with her hair hanging limp in a curtain around her face and her makeup scrubbed off.

"You never know," she murmured. "Nessa seems to have something up her sleeve."

It was true. For the past few days, when Nessa came in to bring us our meals, she had been telling us that she was certain we would be fine, no matter what Miracle decided. Maybe it was just an attempt to ease our minds, but she seemed to be hinting that she was orchestrating our release. Of course, she couldn't say those words aloud, because there were cameras in every corner of the room. So for the time being, we could only hope.

"Yeah," I agreed, "I just wonder what it is."

At that moment, as if on cue, our door slid open. Nessa stood on the other side, beaming, with three plates of waffles in hand.

"You look happy," Trai observed, raising his eyebrows.

"Happy? No." Nessa shook her head, dropping the tray on the tiny table in the corner of the room. "Excited? Very. Come sit, kids; we have a lot to talk about."

Casting wary glances at each other, Trai, Abby, and I got up and joined Nessa at the squat little stools surrounding the table. She waited until we were eating before speaking again.

"So," she said, "news has come in regarding that video you kids put up. Apparently, it's been seen all over the country."

I looked sharply at the camera on the wall behind me. "Nessa, are you sure we should be talking about this here, while"—I lowered my voice—"we're being watched?"

Nessa smiled slyly. "Oh, Perfecta has taken care of that. And we have much more pressing matters on our hands. That video you kids made has gone completely viral. Contacts in every state have reported seeing it, and it's been a big deal in the media, too. In fact..."

From beneath the tray, Nessa produced an old, thick laptop and opened it for us. On its dim screen was a paused video, which Nessa quickly started when she saw that we were watching. It was a news report, with the familiar Californian newscaster Brent Marx sitting at his usual table with his partner, Tina Richard.

A banner at the bottom of the screen said, "Anonymous Vid Goes Viral" in all caps.

"Many of you watching have seen the vid that's been sweeping computer screens nation wide," Brent said smoothly, "since it was posted last week. Its bold words have reverberated in households across the country, leaving some skeptical—but many others intrigued."

"People have been searching avidly for the mysterious makers of this video," Tina added, flicking her shining platinum hair over her shoulder. "Many have been suspected, including avid blogger Laurie Snow, but no identities have been determined. Who do you think might have been behind it, Brent?"

The man shrugged. "No idea, Tina. But I'm more curious about who these so-called Pro-Inferiors are, and what they said in that video. Apparently, it's been a point of interest for the public as well."

"I must say, that's interesting to me as well. Partially because these people had the audacity to say these things, and partially because, if they're telling the truth, we know a lot less about our government that we think."

I stared at these two glossy, painted people and shook my head. They had no idea how little we knew; no idea at all.

"People are appalled," Tina continued, "not only by the fact that their kids are being robbed of their memories and their lives, but by the fact that the Superiors are genetically perfect. Perfection is meant to be unattainable, and the existence of the Superiors is putting that into question. How do you think our government is reacting?"

"So far, there has been no response from the Capitol," Brent replied, "and the Choosing ceremonies are set to occur as usual. But will kids participate, knowing what they do? And will parents allow it? I expect that some conflict looms on the horizon." He shook his head dutifully. "Now to Simon with news on stock in—"

His voice cut off abruptly as Nessa closed the computer. She eyed us carefully, waiting for our reactions.

"Wow," Trai said finally.

"Yeah, wow," I echoed. "I never thought it'd become such a big thing. I mean, it's what I wanted, but..."

"But what now?" Abby finished quietly.

Nessa grinned. "That's where I come in." She leaned closer. "As you know, I'm involved with the Pro-Inferiors, being one of their main sources of inner-Capitol information. But you don't know very much about them; that is, the group themselves. The Pro-Inferiors are a resistance force, yes, but they have a greater goal than just raising awareness about the Superiors' doings.

"They want to restore the country's power into the hands of the humans."

Trai frowned. "I don't understand; aren't the Superiors human?"

"Technically, yes. But Miracle and many of the Superiors were essentially grown, rather than born. They were created in a womb stimulator, not traditionally conceived. That wasn't legal when it happened, and it certainly isn't legal now. Many would find that fact to be disconcerting, to say the least.

"And then there are, of course, those who believe that death is a necessary part of the life cycle. The Superiors cheat death by simply existing. Add those factors to the Superiors' cruel and heartless nature, and you have a monster. A monster in a humanoid body, but a monster nonetheless."

During the whole spiel, Abby was nodding impatiently. When Nessa finished, she said, "So, back on topic. Something about returning power to the humans?"

"Right, of course," Nessa said. "The idea of power to the people has been the main point of the Pro-Inferiors' existance from day one. They've traveled the country in secret, planting this idea in thousands of cities and gaining followers in the process."

"You're starting to sound like a telemarketer," Abby muttered. Nessa ignored her.

"The past decades have been a plan in the works; we've just been waiting for the perfect time to set the ball in motion. We needed a catalyst, something that would catch the people's attention, that would give them a reason to hate the Superiors. That video you kids posted did just that. So many citizens have opened their eyes, and some of the more radical Pro-Inferiors have attempted open rallies. People have been disappearing left and right, and others are beginning to wonder. It's the perfect time for a rebellion."

I felt my eyes widen as I processed this new information. A rebellion. Based on everything I knew about the Pro-Inferiors and their role, that suddenly seemed obvious. But the people disappearing, all because of some silly little video made by four naive kids? I tried to think back to the night we made that video. It seemed like a million years ago, a thousand lifetimes passed. If I had known what would happen...but back then, I'd been so amazed by the enormity of the information I'd acquired that I didn't take the time to think of the repercussions.

"What's happening to those people?" Abby wondered, bringing me back to the present. "The ones who disappear."

Nessa looked away, her eyes sad. "Isn't it obvious? They were killed, of course. The Superiors kill people all the time, but it's done so slyly that it seems like an accident."

"Oh," was all Abby had to say.

"What does all this have to do with us?" Trai asked skeptically. "I mean, a rebellion sounds great, but is it really that easy?"

Nessa brightened immediately. "Recently, a plan to stage an uprising was formulated. It'll involve the Choosing, which is set to happen in two days, and it just might work."

With everything that had transpired in the past few days, I'd completely forgotten about the Choosing. I wondered who would Caleb's place, if anyone. And I wondered if, at this point, Caleb even knew that he had been a Candidate.

"Where do we fit in?" I asked, frowning.

A look of hesitation darted across Nessa's features, but she chased it away with a forced smile. "It's just you, really. Delaney, you're a vital part in the execution of this plan. It simply can't be done without you." 

○●○●○●○

I felt my eyes widen, then narrow, then widen again. "Me?" I demanded, more sharply than intended. "What the do you need me for?"

Nessa shrugged innocently. "Judging by your little hacking project, and based on information from several sources, you're pretty decent with computers."

"Yeah." I looked at her suspiciously, and she stared back with a sharp expression.

"We need a way to get the message to as many people as possible so that our plan can actually happen and succeed."

"Then why don't you contact the Pro-Inferior members across the country and tell them to spread the word?"

Nessa shook her head. "That would take too long. We need a sure-fire way that will be as quick as possible."

"Exactly how quick do you need it to happen?"

"Today. I know it's short notice, and I'm sorry. But we plan on using the ceremony on Saturday as a distraction to sneak in our forces, so we need the news out as soon as possible."

"Your forces," I echoed, frowning slightly.

"Well, recruits," Nessa amended. "We want to send word to Pro-Inferior associates to find people that sympathize with our cause. We'll have them transported out to the Capitol, and...well, that part is confidential, for now."

"So you want me to send the word," I said..

"Right," she said, nodding. "We need you to find a way to send out a mass message that can't be traced or controlled by Miracle and the other Superiors."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," I said skeptically.

"Delaney, do you want to fix the government or not?"

I looked down. "I do."

"Then you'll help us," Nessa said. "I promise, if you do, things will change."

I thought about that for a moment, then sighed. "Fine."

"Wonderful. Do you have any ideas?"

It was silent for a moment as I went through ideas. "What if we were to create a virus," I suggested, "that contained a tape similar to the one we posted? We could attach a file that looks like a formal government document and embed the bug into that. I could set it up so that it would scramble all the information once the file has been opened. That way, Miracle can't trace it."

All three of them blinked at me, their expressions surprised.

"You know how to do that?" Trai asked incredulously.

I waved a hand dismissively. "Of course."

Abby, from her seat across the table, looked at me with uncharacteristic solemnity. "Delaney, remember what Miracle said? You told her that you had scrambled the codes when you searched the Superiors, yet she managed to find the evidence anyway."

I leaned forward and glanced at Miracle's adviser. "Nessa, do you happen to know what kind of computer security software the computers in the Capitol use."

She frowned. "I believe it's Protecht 5.0."

"Perfect. That's top of the line virus protection; it's not even publicly available yet, but I know how it works. I'll make sure that the virus is vulnerable to that program, and if any of the Superiors receive the email, Protecht will eliminate it immediately."

Nessa nodded seriously. "Whatever you need to do," she said. "Now, if I gave you this laptop, would you be able to start work on this right away?"

Locking my eyes on Nessa's face, I grinned. "I can have it done by lunch."

Finally, her solemn expression gave way to a tentative smile. "Excellent." She collected our now-empty plates and returned them to the tray. "I should be going, before I draw any suspicion. I'll make sure that Perfecta plugs up the cameras for another three hours. Will that be enough time?"

I shrugged. "Sure." Although I tried to play it cool, to pretend that I was indifferent, my stomach was buzzing with excitement. Finally I had something to occupy myself with, if only for a few hours.

"Also," Nessa continued, standing up and approaching the door, "I spoke with Miracle. It appears that she's planning for your punishment to be dolled out on Saturday, during the ceremony. If all goes well, though, it won't even have to happen."

I nodded grimly. "Then let's hope this works." 

○●○●○●○ 

I spent the next seventy-two minutes working diligently on Nessa's computer with Trai and Abby trying to restrain themselves from glancing over my shoulder. The whole thing was easy work. I completed the project quickly, without really thinking about anything for more than a second. It was simple, yes, appallingly simple, but it would do the job.

When Nessa came in with our lunch, I was done. All that was left was to attach the recording of instructions for the Pro-Inferiors, which Nessa brought with her as well. I showed her, Trai, and Abby the finished product, narrating through the steps. "The program is attached to this file," I explained, pointing to the document in the window on the screen. "When someone opens it, the virus will take effect."

"Excellent," Nessa breathed. "This is excellent."

Then came the tedious process of copying the email addresses of nearly two thousand Pro-Inferior members throughout the country, and preparing to send the infected file to them from an anonymous, government-issue email. Thankfully, though, Nessa's computer was fast, and the process went fairly quickly.

I typed a wordy message about government census and polls to denounce any suspicion, just in case the wrong person got a hold of the email. Nessa looked over my shoulder as I did so, editing the text every now and then.

Some five minutes later, I proclaimed, "Done." I leaned away from the computer proudly, inspecting the email with smug pride.

"You are?" Nessa asked breathlessly.

"Yeah." I motioned for her to come around and look. "Do you want Perfecta to look at it, or—"

"No, it's fine," she said hastily. "Just go ahead and send it."

She didn't need to tell me twice. I stared at the unsent email on the computer screen, and the cursor lingering over the button that could change everything, forever. Then, holding my breath for no reason at all, I brushed my fingers over the keyboard, and with shaking fingers, pressed send.