The Deathless Trilogy

3.22. Something Out There

General Kazemi stands in front of a new prototype Julian and Flynn co-created using both of their specialties. It's a large interactive map displaying holographic representations of all the mountains, valleys, and rivers within a ten mile radius of the Immortal, as well as any heat signatures the Immortal picks up through its radar equipment. As General Kazemi, my mom, Declan, Daniel, and I examine it, our hunting group is out using a smaller prototype of the technology to find food for tonight's party and find whoever was watching me and Daniel from the factory.

A few red dots pop up here and there on the virtual map, but they appear to only be deer or smaller rodents. Still, my heart lurches every time I see one. They remind me of blood drops falling from above us, and every time, I'm scared to look up at the canvas tent. The hunting party, Dad included, appears on the map as a cluster of blood droplets, running down the virtual plane.

General Kazemi looks up from the table, her hands on her hips. "I don't see any other human figures in the vicinity."

"What if it was a mutant?" Declan asks from across the map, and we all stop to stare at him. "You know, like in old comic books, the heroes or the villains would sometimes be transformed through nuclear radiation?" No one responds, but Mom smiles at him. "What? It could happen."

"Don't you think we would have seen a mutant by now or at least heard of their existences if they were real?" Mom asks.

Declan shrugs. "A nerd can dream."

General Kazemi get back to business. "Are you sure there was someone following you?" she asks Daniel.

"No," Daniel says, "but there was something. MacArthur sensed it too. He even followed it up to one of the second floor windows."

"Something like a mutant," Declan whispers to himself, and Mom nudges his arm. "Okay, I'll stop."

"But like I said," I say, trying not to smile at Declan. "I saw the Beast hit a trap yesterday too. I think there are people around us and who knows what they want."

"They could help us," Daniel says. "As we've seen, Nomads aren't evil. They can be our allies with the right approach."

Kazemi looks back over the map. "I'm not sure there is even anyone out there, but you're right. We have to approach anyone we meet carefully. I will alert my soldiers, let them know to be on the lookout for suspicious movement and to stand down should they encounter anyone." She looks to Mom and Declan, who are standing across from her around the holographic map. "Our three leaders should address the rest of the crowd. Make sure that each of you speaks, so that our dissenting groups hear from their preferred leader."

"Groups?" I ask. "As in plural?"

Kazemi nods. "The Originals are ready to defend themselves against your army," she tells me.

"My army?"

"That's what they call themselves, 'Isla's army.' That's the name they used in the estate, yes?"

I breathe deeply to quell the burning in my cheeks. "Yes."

"What about the party tonight?" Declan asks. "Should we still have it, or would that be dumb at this point?"

"No, we have the party," Mom says, uncrossing her arms. "We have to address these groups once and for all."

"Unless we use them to our advantage," Daniel suggests. He moves his hands over the map to guide the focus eastward, away from St. Louis and over to where the bunker remains are, just outside of DC. He reaches back into his bag and pulls out a case for his glasses. He slips them on and leans over the map.