Everyone’s eyes swivel to Brinn.
Fight back? Against the Heads?
Piper stares at Brinn, “We couldn’t do that. We can’t risk everyone’s lives just to save two.”
Brinn shrugs, “Maybe there isn’t a risk. We have twenty people here, more if any villagers want to fight. That isn’t many, I know, but we have Derek on our side and the other Officials Bridget and Canon have been gathering. Besides, think of how many people would be willing to fight in the Unknown. If they knew their life is at risk, they will want to fight.”
“But there lives don’t have to be at risk. If Claire and I just go, we’ll eliminate all of that.”
“Unless Ellen decides she wants to kill a couple people in the Unknown anyway, just for fun.”
Piper starts to protest, but Brinn asks, “What’s stopping her? Maybe she’ll realize that they don’t need that many people. Maybe she’ll think that it’ll be much more manageable if it had half the numbers. What if she does go in the Unknown, and sees the free place it has become? How do you think she’ll feel about that?”
“Once she gets us, she’ll have no reason to go in the Unknown.”
“You can’t be sure, though, can you?”
Piper is quiet. Would they really fight back to save our lives?
Spara says, “I don’t know if we will ever get a better time. If we could enlist the help of the people in the Unknown, especially if they have their own lives to fight for, we might be successful. The only thing I don’t like is the lack of time. Tomorrow afternoon? It’s a little close.”
James says, “We don’t really have much choice.”
Nikolas speaks, his voice quietly low, “I don’t like it. I’ve never liked the idea of fighting back.”
Spara snaps, “Then you don’t have to fight. It’s just that simple.”
Nikolas merely blinks at her, unfazed by her outburst.
Spara turns, to address the crowd of children that are clearly listening into the conversation. “I know you’ve heard at least part of what was just said. It’s true. We are going back into the Complex, almost all of us. Anyone under twelve years needs to stay. We are going to finally fight back against the Heads. I’m sorry, but tonight is going to be an early night. We’ll inform you of the plan in the morning. If anyone does not personally want to fight, they are free to discuss it with me and stay behind.”
A voice rings out, high-pitched with youth, “What if we want to fight anyway?
The person steps forward as they say this. It’s a small child, maybe only an eight or nine year.
Brinn says, “We appreciate your willingness to fight, but we need you here. When we return, we need someone to keep the village ready for us. We might be all hurt and need your assistance. You are just as important.”
Whispers slip through the crowd, but no one speaks out. After a minute or so, Spara nods, “We are going to go discuss this. Remember, the second you finish eating, go to bed. We’ll have a group meeting early in the morning, and you can ask any questions then.”
With that Spara, Nikolas, James, Brinn, and Piper turn to leave. Theo and I start to follow.
Brinn says, “Theo, Claire, you can stay here. Eat something and then go to sleep. We’ll have Rose and Marrielle show you your bedrooms, okay?”
I ask, “Why can’t I come? My life is one of the main risks. I’m one of the main reasons that this is happening. Shouldn’t I have at least some say in what happens?”
Piper shakes her head, “We will make sure you have the same choices of your safety that everyone else has. If you want to fight, you can fight. If you don’t want to fight, you can stay here. It’s as simple as that.”
Piper hands me my wheelchair, as if to make her point even clearer.
I bite my tongue, wanting to continue to resist but knowing that it’ll get me nowhere. I just nod and watch their silhouettes move away from the fire before disappearing into one of the buildings.
I unfold my wheelchair and sit down. Theo stands next to me, arms crossed over his chest. He glares at anyone who dares to attempt eye contact.
I don’t know how to act around these people. I don’t know whether I should approach any of them or quietly sit by myself. I sit in silence with Theo.
I ask, “Are you going to fight?”
“Of course. Can you imagine a world without Heads?”
I can’t. I truly can’t. Life with the Heads has been the only way of life I’ve ever experienced. I don’t know where the changes would begin or even end. Who would be in charge? Piper? The other people I’ve met here? Spara? Nikolas? James? Brinn? Would there be Officials? The Unknown?
Theo asks, “How about you?”
Do I want to fight? I almost have to, don’t I? People are fighting to save my life, although mostly Piper’s. I’d have to sacrifice my own life, if these people weren’t fighting back.
But what can I do? I could barely walk her. My legs ache from the short stroll. In a wheelchair, I’m useless. I’d only be in the way.
I still want to help. I still want to fight back, show my rebellion to the Heads. I’d like to see Ellen’s face when she sees all the children who escaped her Complex. All the immune kids who she’s spent her time searching for. I’d like to be able to say I at least tried.
I think of all the people I’ve failed. The people who died because I didn’t act or think fast enough to save them. I can’t let that happen again. If I’m fighting back, I can at least save more people’s lives, even if in the end I fail.
I say, “I want to.”
“What do you think they will do? How do you fight back against a bunch of Officials with crazy injections?”
“But we’re immune. The poisons won’t work on us.”
“Not on us, but on almost everyone in the Unknown. What’d Piper say? There are twenty of us immunes. Twenty against an unlimited supply of Officials.”
All the Officials have to do is inject kids with the green, making them pass out. What weapons do we have?
Theo says, “I don’t know what I’m getting myself into. I beginning to think that everyone here might be a little overly optimistic of our chances. How can a bunch of unorganized kids fight against trained Officials?”
I swallow hard. What if this is going to be a failed attempt? Would it be safer, better if Piper and I just turned ourselves in? What if people die, just because Piper and I weren’t strong enough to sacrifice ourselves? I can’t put my life in front of someone else’s.
Rose appears, her eyes glistening in the darkness. She bounces to us, “Would ya like some food?”
My stomach growls in response, “Yes, please.”
Theo mutters his agreement.
Rose skips off, chatting for a few seconds with people along the way. She disappears into the shadows.
Theo asks, “What do you think of all this?”
“What do you mean?”
“The village, the people, the whole idea. Almost too good to be true, isn’t it.”
I shrug, “Maybe, I guess. It’s amazing that Piper would risk her life every day to save us and the other immunes.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Why would she do that?”
“She told us that whole story, of how she was contacted by rebellious Officials and ended up escaping the Complex.”
“How do we know that’s the truth, though? How do you know that it’s not just part of the trap?”
“What trap?” I ask, unsure of where he is going with this.
“I learned a lot when I was with the Ecru. My survival was longer than most. I learned to doubt everything, question anything. This almost seems to be too good to be true.”
“But the Heads wouldn’t spend this many resources and this much time into creating this world, this village. There are so many little details. Just the way Rose and Marrielle speak. Do you think they could teach two eight years to talk like that if they hadn’t been raised up like that?”
Theo shrugs, “That may be true You know what’s bothering me? The fact that Piper got all this information from Derek. Do we really trust one of the Heads?”
Our conversation is broken as Rose returns, with Marrielle at her side. They carry two plates. The food here is full of different tastes and textures. Foods I didn’t know existed sit across my plate. I eat them all, enjoying almost every dish.
Once we finish eating, Rose and Marrielle lead us back towards the way we originally came. Now that I’m not distracted by Piper’s messages, my eyes scan the surroundings. There is a row of buildings on either side of me, five buildings to each row. I can’t make out what they truly look like, their appearances hidden in the nighttime darkness.
We enter a building, the light spilling out. It’s the same place, the row of stalls on one side, sinks on the other. I struggle down the trap door, Rose and Marrielle slowly bringing down my folded wheelchair. We enter the small room again, the floor lurching after they push the glowing buttons.
Rose points out the bedroom I will be staying at. It’s identical to the ones at the Complex, the bunks against the walls. Except, I’ll be sharing this room with only myself. There is so much extra space here that we don’t need to share any of the rooms.
Once Rose and Marrielle leave, I collapse on to the nearest bed. My legs ache from the walk. My head buzzes with all the worry and paranoia floating around in my head. I don’t know what to think or suspect. It’s all too complicated and I’m missing too much information.
I only know this.
Tomorrow, several people will risk their lives, fighting against the Heads. We have no weaponry, while the Heads have their high-tech injections. We don’t even know how many people we will have.
They are all risking their lives to save Piper and me.