 
## ZERO

Edward Mullen

Copyright Edward Mullen 2020

Published by Imperium Publishing at Smashwords

Smashwords License Statement

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

## ZERO

Copyright © 2020 by Edward Mullen

All rights reserved.

This book is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, and events are a product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to any person (alive or dead) or event is purely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a published review.

Vancouver, BC, Canada

ISBN: 978-1-928196-17-4

Also by Edward Mullen

The Art of the Hustle

The Art of the Hustle 2

Destiny and Free Will

Prodigy

Prodigy Eternal

Prodigy Returns

The Secret Manuscript

Eden

I am Rome

The Rider

Africa

# Introduction

Displaced workers, a robot uprising, billions of lives lost.

The Automation War was inevitable. An unstoppable force of hyper-connected, uninhibited, carelessly misinformed people, hurling toward the edge of a cliff. A runaway train of capitalism and greed with no one at the controls. The unrelenting momentum of progress created by our insatiable appetites for innovation. No one able to stop what so many could see coming. Our fates were sealed.

The year is 2080, World War III is a recent memory, and the scars still remain. Billions have died, systems have collapsed, and the planet is in a state of disrepair.

It's now five years after the war and the governments of the world have fallen into the hands of an anonymous group of rogue hackers who call themselves The Shadow. They control every aspect of society from the economy, healthcare, education, justice, and law enforcement. They've eradicated disease, hunger, and poverty, but most importantly, they maintain peace and order.

There are no more terrorists plotting against the collective, no mental health disorders, no wars, and no crime. The only people permitted to live on Earth are law-abiding, healthy, educated, and productive members of society.

Using embedded chips, they track everyone's productivity, health, social status, and even emotional state. Based on these metrics, individuals are given a rank based on their social utility. Each person who exists is a vital part of the whole, contributing some net utility to the species.

However, under the guise of a seemingly benevolent agenda, they have created a climate of fear. Their radical policies are met with a lot of controversy and resistance.

Those who dissent, disappear. Those who do not maintain the required level of net productivity, emotional well-being, and financial stability as determined by The Shadow, which includes many of the elderly, are removed. What that means exactly, no one really knows, and no one dares to question the almighty authority. They could be watching, listening, plotting against you.

You could be next.

# Chapter One

"I was being followed, it was obvious. To the untrained eye, you know, someone just going about their day, not paying attention to their surroundings, they probably wouldn't have even noticed. But I noticed. I notice everything. They stood out like sprinkles on icing — a man 'waiting' for a bus across the street with an unmarked van parked fifteen feet away; a Goliath-looking mouth-breather, dragging his knuckles and sipping coffee; another man on a park bench feeding the ducks... They think they're being subtle, but they're not. Sometimes our eyes connect and I give them a wink or a nod... my little way of saying, 'I see you.'

"At this point, I'm not sure who they are or what they want, but so far they've kept their distance. Never once interacting with me. This went on for several days.

"I can think of about a dozen reasons why someone would want to follow me. The worst case scenario would land me minor jail time, but more likely just probation and a fine. Good luck getting me to pay though, I spent all my money on... well, I'm not going to say her name. That's another story altogether. Point is, I wouldn't be surprised if I've popped up on a few watchlists due to my browser history, which I won't go into.

"As I was saying, my guess is that some covert government organization wants to ensure I'm not a terrorist. If that's true, then let them follow me, I have nothing to hide. In fact, sometimes I behave in a sketchy manner just to mess with them, you know what I mean?

"So anyway, I returned from lunch one day and meandered through a sea of cubicles until I arrived at my desk. I removed my jacket and took a seat at my desk. Nobody was really paying attention to me.

"Something just didn't sit right, you know? Thinking back, it could have been the fish tacos I had for lunch. Come to think of it, it did give me a little case of hot bum if you know what I mean, but, I digress.

"What I remember feeling at the time was this insurmountable, gut-wrenching paranoia. Now, to be fair, I tend to sway a bit heavy on the paranoid side, but this was extra. And as you can see, given my current situation, I had a right to be a little paranoid.

"But it was the build-up that really took its toll on me, you know? The days of constantly looking over my shoulder, sleepless nights, not knowing who or why I was being followed. The anxiety of that isn't a pleasant thing to deal with as I'm sure you are all aware. It was like psychological warfare, and I'll admit, it was really starting to get to me, you know? I felt as though I was beginning to break down mentally and lose grip of my sanity.

"So I'm at my desk and I posture up a bit so that my head was sticking up over the cubicle wall. I saw my manager looking at me and I wondered — is he looking at me because I'm looking at him, or does he know something I don't?

"Nothing ever came of that, I just thought I'd mention it to give the story a little more context. So I decided I was done for the day so I left my coat and backpack at my desk and snuck out the back. I did this from time to time, especially on Fridays, or when my manager wasn't in the office.

"I exited the building without being seen by any of my coworkers and headed home. I got a few blocks away from where I live, and I saw a man walking his dog, a jogger stretching on a stoop, a mail carrier delivering packages. All ordinary stuff, right? But something about it seemed off. I then spotted the same van from earlier and realized they're all around me. They've been following me and have me surrounded and I yet to know why, or even who these people are. As you can imagine, I'm more than a little freaked out. I should mention that they've never come to my neighbourhood before, I mean, as far as I know. I was nervous and sweating profusely, my heart was pounding with anticipation because I knew something was about to go down. You know that feeling? It's almost like time slows down or something, it's really weird. I picked up my pace and began walking faster than usual.

"I then decided right then and there to be bold. It was like this wave of courage came over me. I was like, you know what, I'm sick of not knowing what this is all about. I'm going to confront them.

"Just as I was approaching the dog walker and about to speak, I hear a voice say my name, 'Mr. Jacobs.' It was a deep voice, the stern kind that you'd hear as a kid and make you piss your pants in fear. Nevertheless, it was a voice that I didn't recognize. And I should point out that I never interact with any of my neighbours.

"I turn around and see a tall man with broad shoulders. Our eyes met, not in a romantic way, I don't want any of you getting the wrong idea about me. But I will say this, he was handsome. I'm not ashamed to say that. He had a full head of hair and brawny jawline, but looked as though he'd been in a few tussles if you know what I mean. Call it a rugged handsome if you will. His presence made me feel a little, I don't know... insecure about my masculinity.

"'Can we have a word with you?' the man said to me in an authoritative tone.

"'What about?' I replied. I then said, 'If this is about my search history, I can explain.'

"I soon realized this was not about my search history.

"'Please, come with us,' the man said.

"'Who are you?'" I demanded. 'Who do you work for? What is this about?' I had a million questions, none of which were answered.

"'We have some questions for you,' he said to me.

"Next thing I know, two men approached me from the rear.

"I'm not sure why I decided to run, I guess I was in a fight or flight moment and my brain just shut down and my instinct took over. Before I knew it, my legs were moving beneath me and I was running as fast as I could down the street. I was hoping my neighbours would see me and call the police, or intervene in some way, but I know now that was foolish thinking.

"So I'm running, right... my adrenaline kicked in and for a split second I think I'm an athlete and my cardio will carry me for days if need be. Well, I didn't even make it fifteen feet before my body went numb and I collapsed to the ground. My head bounced off the pavement and put me in a bit of a daze. That's why I have this cut on my forehead.

"I was a little out of it after hitting my head, but the next thing I remember was the men standing over me, dragging me to my feet, and then shoving me into their van. It all happened so quickly and I was still in a bit of a daze. At one point I even questioned if this was real or if I was dreaming. It was all very surreal, you know? Perhaps some of you had a similar experience.

"They didn't handcuff me or read me my rights, which I thought was weird."

"Man, would you please shut the hell up? You talk too damn much. I can't hear myself think," a voice said from the back of the bus.

"Nah, let the brother speak," another man said.

"It's okay, I was done," Dane said.

"Go on, continue your story," another random voice encouraged.

"I mean, there's nothing really more to tell," Dane said to the group of strangers packed on the bus with him. "The last thing I remember was being in the van and then waking up here. I don't know how long it has been, what they did to me, where we're all going. In fact, I don't really know who any of you people are other than what you've told me. For all I know, you could be working for them."

"We're all handcuffed on this damn bus together. What makes you think that you're so important that someone would go to all this trouble to try to trick you? And to what end? You just told us a long boring story about how the worst thing about you was having porn on your search history."

"It wasn't porn actually, I was searching weapons and how to make a—"

"Man, I don't give a damn what you do in your spare time. All I know is that we need to figure out why the hell we are all on this damn bus, who put us here, and where we're going."

"That's what we're trying to do," another voice spoke. "We should hear each other's stories. Maybe there'll be some common thread that'll tell us why we're all here."

"I agree," a lady from the middle of the bus said. "At the very least, it'll pass the time."

"What's up with your man back there?" someone asked, directing the question to a quiet man at the back of the bus. "What's your story, dude?"

Everyone turned toward the man who was in the very last row of the bus. He hadn't said a word to anyone. He didn't even look out the window. The entire ride, he just had his head down. Then all of a sudden, the bus slammed on its breaks, causing everyone to jolt forward in their seats.

The automated bus stopped abruptly in the middle of nowhere. Trees and mountains surrounded them and a barren highway stretched out for miles in both directions.

"What's happening?" one man asked.

"Why are we stopping here?"

For a few minutes, the entire busload of people began to feel uneasy about the situation. They were all bound by their hands and feet and were secured to their seats. Then, their electronic shackles suddenly released. Everyone looked around nervously and massaged their wrists. A few stood up while others remained in their seats and looked out the window.

Without saying a word, the man from the back of the bus wheeled out from his position and rolled down the aisle. Until that moment, no one had any idea that he was bound to a wheelchair. The other passengers couldn't help but stare, curious to find out what he was up to.

The man reached the front of the bus and just as he was about to exit, he turned to everyone and said calmly, "They'll be here soon. I advise everyone to escape now while you still can."

# Chapter Two

Confusion, fear, and uncertainty swirled throughout the bus as people stared at the paraplegic man who was seemingly staging an escape. Inaudible murmurs began until someone from the middle of the bus had the courage to stand up and say, "Excuse me, where are you going?"

The stoic man didn't respond, he looked straight ahead, waiting for the ramp to deploy and then wheeled out onto the highway. Shortly after, others rose from their seats. What began as a few quickly turned into the entire group of eighty people shuffling out of their seats and rushing down the aisle toward the exit.

The large group spilled out onto the empty highway and were met with the brisk air. Many didn't even have the proper attire to endure the elements for any long period of time.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" someone asked.

In situations such as these, it's natural to look for a leader. The paraplegic man didn't exactly fit the bill physically, but he at least seemed to know more about the situation than the others. He therefore become the default leader. The group formed a semi-circle around him, asking him a barrage of questions like a pack of desperate news reporters.

"Do you know why we were abducted and put on this bus?" someone asked.

"I want to know where the bus was taking us."

"I'm hungry."

"I'm cold."

The paraplegic man had yet to respond. Just then, he spoke, which silenced the huddled mass, "I wish I could give you the answers in which you all seek, but I'm afraid time is of the essence."

"Time is of the essence for what?"

"Are we in danger?"

"You tell me?" the man said. "You were all taken against your wills, bound by your hands and feet, and placed on a bus, being transported somewhere without your consent. Were you provide any information as to why you were taken or where you are going? To me, this strongly suggests that we're all in grave danger and therefore it would be in our best interest to run and hide."

"Do you know who's behind this?" someone from the crowd asked.

"Wait, where are you going?" another person asked.

They all watched as the man rose from his chair and began to walk with the assistance of a mechanical contraption affixed to his body.

"Is that an exoskeleton?" Dane asked a question that did not receive a response.

"I think it's best we split up into smaller groups," the man said. "Anyone who wants to join me is welcome to come."

Eight people immediately stepped forward from the crowd, leaving the others standing around looking at each other.

"Hey, I'm Dane. What's yours?"

"You can call me Mr. Camouflage."

"Mr. Camouflage?" Dane repeated. "I'm definitely not going to call you that. How about Camo, or Cam?"

"I don't know what's going on, but I don't want to get into any more trouble," someone said. "I'm just going to wait here."

"Yeah, me too."

"I'm with you. I don't want to go into the forest. I don't even know what I'm supposed to be running from."

The crowd started to chat amongst themselves and form groups based on shared sentiments. Some opted to remain on the driver-less bus where it was warm while others decided to head off on their own.

"You can't stay here," Mr. Camouflage insisted to those heading back onto the bus. "They'll be here soon, and if they find you, they will kill you."

"Who?"

"There's no time to explain, you just have to trust me. Our best chance for survival is to split up into smaller groups and hide."

From the distance, the headlights of what appeared to be one oncoming vehicle sped toward the group. Upon closer inspection, there were two other large vans trailing behind. The small convoy of vehicles approached hastily and came to a stop. The vans were slower, but eventually caught up and pulled into position.

A dozen armed men in full combat gear exited the vehicles and surrounded the bus. Establishing a perimeter, several men entered the bus with their guns raised high. There were a handful of people who had rejected Mr. Camouflage's warning and remained behind.

"Who are you?" one of the old ladies on the bus asked.

Without hesitation, one of the men aimed his weapon and shot her in the head, killing her instantly. A hailstorm of gunshots could be heard in the distance. Each gunshot echoed throughout the forest, sending bone-chilling shivers up the spines of the group. They knew each blast meant one of their former bus mates was being killed. Dane and his small crew stopped momentarily, but were encouraged to continue.

"What the hell is going on?" Dane demanded. "Were those gunshots?"

"Yes, but we need to keep moving or else we're going to be next," Cam insisted, trudging through the dense forest. "It'll be dark soon, we need to get as far away from here as possible."

"I don't know if I can carry on," someone from the group said.

"Fine, stay here and die, but I strongly suggest we stick together," Mr. Camo said.

"I think I'm having a panic attack," Dane said. "I can't breathe."

"Look, Dane," a man in the group said. "I want to know what the hell is going on just as badly as you do, okay? But right now, I much rather live another day and see my son. There'll be a time and a place to ask questions. For now, I suggest we listen to this gentlemen over here and keep moving."

Dane let out a huff before setting off again to catch up with the rest of the pack.

The heightened anxiety gave them all a boost of adrenaline, which helped push their bodies to their limits and continue on for as long as possible.

Making their way through the forest and uneven terrain wasn't easy to begin with. Now with the sun setting lower on the horizon, less light penetrated the dense trees making it increasingly more difficult to see. A night chill set in, testing their resolve and inducing even more of a panic state. The naïve ones of the group were quickly realizing that they would sleep outside in the cold unforgiving night.

"Hey, Mr. Camouflage," a pretty woman said, gasping for breath. "I need to stop."

"Yeah, I'm with her," another one from the group said. "I'm not sure how much further I can go on. We've been on the move for several hours and I'm pretty sure my feet are covered in blisters."

The group came to an agreement to settle in for the night before the sun completely set. They found a clearing amongst the trees, which appeared to be as good a spot as any.

One of the men from the group took charge and said, "Can you two gather as many little sticks as you can find?" He then turned to two ladies. "We need to find long, slender sticks, preferably without any branches."

Dane took inventory of the group. "Hey, wait, we're missing someone," he said, looking around. "There was nine of us. Who's missing?"

"The girl," one of the group members said. "The quiet girl."

"What was her name?"

"She didn't say."

"She hasn't said anything."

"Has anybody seen her?"

"I remember seeing her about an hour ago," someone said.

"She's probably just using the bathroom."

"Do you think she got lost?"

"If she did, there's no way we're going to find her. I suggest we make camp and let her find us."

"Maybe it's a good idea going forward for each of us to have a buddy. We'll be responsible for that buddy at all times. There's eight of us, so it works perfectly."

They took a minute to find partners and introduce themselves. It was the first chance they had to do that since being on the bus.

Dane partnered up with a towering man with large muscles who introduced himself as Train, an obvious nickname. The two complemented each other nicely since Dane was lean and not as physically gifted. He made up for that by being quick-witted and creative, two undervalued qualities in a survival situation.

"What do you want me to do?" Dane asked, happy to follow orders.

"I need you to help me start a fire," Train said. "First, we need large stones to make a fire pit. Then we need to gather kindle and firewood."

Each pair was delegated a specific task and everyone worked diligently to set up camp before it became completely dark.

"So tell me... how did you get the name Train?"

"I got it from my football days. I was a linebacker?"

"I don't know what that means."

"It means I was a protector."

"I guess I picked a good buddy then, huh?"

"Yes, you did," Train said with a chuckle.

Train was a bit hard to read. Standing over 6'5" with hulking muscles, he was certainly an intimidating looking man, but so far he seemed kind and gentle.

As they worked alongside one another, Dane took notice of the tribal tattoos covering Train's skin. Among them appeared to be several military markings common for soldiers who had endured combat.

"You fight in the war?" Dane asked.

"Of course, who didn't?"

"Well... I didn't. I'm not much of a fighter. I'm an artist. I'm more of the creative type. I'd rather write a poem about war than be in a war, if you know what I mean."

"War makes us all fighters."

"Not me, it turned me into a coward."

"How can you call yourself a coward? Where I come from, no man would ever speak those words."

"I'm not much of a man apparently, and I'm okay with that. What do you do... I mean, when you're not fighting and looking for firewood?"

"I do various things. It's hard to put a label on me."

"I hear ya, brother. You mentioned you son, what's his name?"

"Caleb."

"How old is Caleb?"

"He's ten."

"What is that, fifth grade?"

"Fourth."

"Oh nice."

"You have any kids?"

"Uh... sort of, not really."

"What does that mean?"

"It's complicated."

"Baby mama drama?"

"Exactly."

They both shared a laugh.

Carrying large stones back to camp, Dane plopped them down on the ground and began arranging them in a circle. He was sweaty and exhausted, but wanted to do his part to contribute.

Just before nightfall, the missing group member appeared from the darkness without saying a word. She didn't seem pleased to see everyone, nor did she attempt to make friends. Instead she kept to herself, sitting by the fire to stay warm.

"Hey, the quiet girl is back," Dane announced. "Where were you?"

"I got lost," she said.

"Well, we're glad to have you back," an older lady said with a welcoming smile. "We came up with the idea of having a buddy system while you were away. Since there are now nine of us, you can be in a group with us. I'm Cheryl, what's your name?"

"Allie."

"It's nice to meet you, Allie."

"Perhaps we should all properly introduce ourselves," Dane suggested. "We can tell everyone a bit about our backgrounds, what we do for a living, our education, and skills. It'll help us get to know each other, but also give us an understanding of our unique strengths and what we can offer to the group. I can go first."

Everyone shuffled into position and took seats around the fire. They didn't have any food, water, or shelter, but they were at least warm. And they had each other.

"So as many of you know, I'm Dane. I told you a bit about what I do for work. I'm recently single, I live alone. I would say my strengths are intelligence and creativity. I'm an ideas guy. I pride myself on being an outside-of-the-box thinker so I'm sure that will come in handy at some point."

When Dane was finished, the person sitting to his left went next.

"I'm Cheryl, I'm a former lawyer, former mayor... former a lot of things actually. Before the war I was the mayor of a small county, but now that county is... well, you can probably guess. I'm one of the few survivors and I feel very fortunate about that. Currently, I'm in between roles, still trying to figure out what the next stage of my career and life are going to be."

"What are your strengths?" Dane asked.

"I'd say leadership, policy, law... I'm very organized. I'm not sure what use any of those are in this environment, but I'm happy to help in any way I can."

"That's great, thank you for sharing, Cheryl," Dane said.

"I'm Lynn, I was a surgeon, but a year ago I was involved in a devastating automobile accident which claimed the life of my husband and crushed both of my hands. After a long and difficult recovery, I was no longer able to perform surgery. Despite that, I still have vast amounts of knowledge of the human body."

"I'm sure your skills will come in very handy with first aid and other ailments we may encounter. It's nice to meet you, Lynn."

After listening to some of the stories, a thread stood out, but Dane waited until he heard from everyone to confirm his hypothesis.

"I'm Lauren... Lauren Larkin, some of you may recognize me. I was a former model and humanitarian. My strengths are being headstrong, standing up for what I believe, fighting for what's right, and ensuring everyone is treated equally and fairly."

"Thank you, Lauren," Dane said with a smile. "It's nice to have you in the group. Okay, who's next? Train, would you like to go?"

"My name is Train," he said stoically, in a deep and soothing voice.

"Is there anything else you'd like to share with the group?" Cheryl asked.

"No."

"Very well, then. Who's next?"

"I can go next, a soft spoken Mexican man said. My name is Mauricio. I'm a construction worker. I'm good with my hands, I can fix just about anything. I can fight."

"Perfect, we're glad to have you, Mauricio."

They had made it through nearly half the group and so far people were being fairly reserved. They were reluctant to open up and share too much personal details. Some weren't even comfortable giving their real name.

Going around the campfire, an older man who had an eccentric look was next in line.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving," he said.

"Ah, don't mention food," Lauren said.

"I thought models were used to starving themselves," Dane said.

Lauren shot him an evil look.

"What's your name, where are you from?" Cheryl ask an elderly man to her right.

"You can call me Professor," the man said. "I'm a scientist, an inventor, and a mathematician. I hold two PhDs, several patents, and a long list of inventions."

There was an arrogance about the Professor that was off-putting. He spoke in a demeaning way as if the rest of the group weren't on his level intellectually. Everyone could hardly wait for his turn to be over.

As the introductions went around the campfire, there was one person everyone was eager to hear from. He was mysterious and seemed to know more than anyone about the situation they were in. With eager ears, everyone turned to him.

"I go by the name Mr. Camouflage," the man said, "but if that's too long for you to say, you can call me Cam, or Camo. As you can see, I'm a paraplegic. I lost the use of my legs in... an accident. I'm good with computers, and.... um, well... that's pretty much it."

"Can you please tell us what you know about why we're all here?" Cheryl said.

After a brief pause, the man said, "Yes, I think the time has come for you all to know the truth."

# Chapter Three

The anticipation built as the small group leaned in so they wouldn't miss a word that the soft spoken man was about to speak.

"The foundation of morality and law is based upon a simple principle — all human life is equal," he began rather cryptically. "We recognize there are differences in ability, appearance, output, and potential... but killing a homeless person is the same moral and legal kind of wrongdoing as killing a rich and successful person. Most of you would likely agree. The reason this is considered the same kind of wrong is because the poor person and the rich person have the same intrinsic value or moral worth.

"However, World War III has really started to make people reconsider this fundamental notion. Do all humans have the same intrinsic value? Some would say that as a species, we have sociological, ecological, and even economical limitations. Meaning, we cannot grow exponentially. We will eventually reach a point where resources cannot sustain the population. Waste and pollution will reach a point where we will permanently damage the environment. As well, the economic system cannot grow infinitely. There will be a correction. There will be a collapse. We saw that with World War III, also known as the Automation War.

"Automation rendered most of society obsolete. People no longer had jobs, no longer had purpose, and served no meaningful utility to society. Systems broke down, governments failed, and people became desperate. Once that happened, the darkest part of humanity reared its ugly head.

"It was a manifestation of the most despicable and heinous acts imaginable. Civility eroded and billions of people lost their lives. Once our population reached a point where scarcity was no longer a threat, balance was restored.

"If we continue down the same path of consumerism, selfish consumption, and procreation, we will undoubtedly see a repeat of these atrocities. Something needed to be done. A new way of thinking needed to emerge and be set into action.

"That's where The Shadow came in — they are a group of anonymous hackers who took it upon themselves to manage the global population. A billion people remain and new strict measures were deployed to create a more stable collective.

"In their minds, not all humans were created equally. To them, living is not an inalienable right, it's a privilege. The Shadow wants only the best and brightest contributors. They want society to be made up of the most intelligent, talented, driven, and obedient citizens. A dream team if you will. Too many or too few of us, and we become unbalanced. Too many freeloaders creates disharmony and stifles innovation.

"They believe this will ensure the long-term survival of the species. That means the population cannot have any excess or inefficiencies. According to them, we don't need starving artists," he said, looking at Dane. "We don't need a surgeon with two broken hands," he said, making eye contact with Lynn. "We don't need a washed-up fashion model. And we don't need a paraplegic defector.

"We as a civilization grow the right amount of food, produce the right amount of goods and services, and everything runs smoothly in a harmonic balance. It's a fully self-sustaining eco-system, which produces very little waste. Everyone has a purpose. Everyone must be necessary. And there are strict laws governing procreation.

"Everyone on the planet has a microchip embedded inside of them. This creates an unbelievable amount of data that can be used to track everything from productivity, social impact, body mass index, and even emotion.

"The Shadow uses analytics and advanced algorithms to determine a person's utility over time. Real-time data tells The Shadow who is a productive member of society with little detriment. Are you forming meaningful relationships with people? Are you happy most of the time? Are you kind and helpful to others? Are you becoming self-actualized and reaching your fullest potential? Are you contributing more than you take?

"If not, they put you on a list. Using advanced predictive analytics, they can use this information to forecast what your future output will likely be with a remarkable degree of accuracy.

"Everything you do impacts your utility score and determines your social worth. Ultimately, they want to know if you contribute to the betterment of the species... or detract from it?

"Low performers are removed from general population. Those of you sitting here today, including myself, have been selected to be removed from gen-pop. I suspect none of you had any idea of this and didn't even consider yourself to be a low performer or underachiever. You likely weren't even aware that you had a social utility score and that everything you do is being tracked and monitored."

Everyone sitting around the campfire was dumbfounded at what they were hearing. Some were in disbelief, but all had strong opinions about it.

"That's messed up!"

"How could they do that?"

"How are they able to get away with this?"

Chatter amongst the group quickly escalated as emotions took over. People were charged up, sharing their mutual outrage with one another.

Then a voice emerged from the group asking a very important question that everyone else seemingly missed.

"How do you know all this?" Dane asked.

"I was one of the founding members of The Shadow."

# Chapter Four

The revelation had people more curious than concerned. The Shadow was shrouded in secrecy. No one had ever met one of them in person. Those in the group who remained quiet sat with this new information and weren't sure what to do with it. The more vocal members bombarded the man who called himself Mr. Camouflage with questions.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Who authorized it?"

"My aunt went missing a few years back after she lost her job. Do you think they took her?"

"Are we going to die?"

"What's your real name?"

Among the noise, one question stood out among the rest and silenced the group. "You mentioned we have been selected to be removed from general population, where were they planning on taking us?"

Mr. Camouflage looked at all the faces in the group and bowed his head in shame.

"Look..." he stammered, struggling to find the right words. "Before I tell you this, I want you to know that I was not a part of this decision making process."

"Tell us."

"Being selected and removed from general population means being lead to a slaughterhouse for humans. We were on our way to being killed. No trial, no explanation, no final goodbyes. We were taken abruptly against our wills, loaded onto a bus, and hauled off to be killed."

A tear of shame and sorrow ran down Mr. Camouflage's face. "I'm so sorry that I was a part of a group who does that."

"It's not your fault, Cam," Dane said, sensing his remorse.

"Yeah, don't beat yourself up over it," Lauren added.

"Once I found out, I threatened to expose them. They told me it's not what I think it is and to let it go, but I kept looking into it. Then... they did unspeakable things to me, which crippled me for life. And that wasn't enough for them. One day, I was taken just as you all were."

"You stopped it though," Lynn said.

"Yeah, you saved our lives, didn't you?" Cheryl asked.

"I may have bought us some time, but they'll be looking for us," Mr. Camo said. "Out here... it's only be a matter of time before they find us, or we succumb to the elements. Either way will be an unfortunate and unpleasant way to go."

"What do you mean, 'succumb to the elements'?" someone asked.

"I'm no survival expert, but from my understanding, we can go three weeks without food, but only three days without water."

"There has to be plenty of food and water out here," Dane said optimistically.

"Then what?" Lauren asked. "We're just supposed to live out in the woods for the rest of our lives with each other as one big happy family?"

"The sad truth for us all is not that we've been deemed worthless and undesirable for society, it's that we no longer have a society to go back to," Mr. Camouflage pointed out. "It's not like we can just follow the road we came down and find our way back to the city and pretend none of this happened. We don't have a home. We don't have a bed to sleep in. We no longer have jobs to go to. We're on the list. The second we pop up on the grid... well, you know the rest."

"So what do we do then?" Lynn chimed in.

"We all have to make a very difficult decision... and as I see it, we have three options to choose from.

"Option A: we keep a low profile and avoid all major roadways until we eventually arrive back to the city, or any city for that matter. Once there, we can try to find some meaningful existence. As I mentioned before, this is highly improbable. They'll be looking for us. As soon as you fall back into old patterns — show up at your girlfriend's house, text a friend, log into to any online account... I don't have to remind you that we live in a hyper-connected world, if we're on the grid, they'll come for us. Even if you remove your chip, facial recognition and behavioural biometric scans will identify you instantly. The only way to survive in this environment is by being housebound 24/7."

"We'd be prisoners."

"Precisely."

"Okay, what are the other options?" Dane asked.

"Option B: we live in the woods for the rest of our lives off the grid. Maybe we come across an abandoned city, or community, or maybe we don't. Either way, we set up camp, hunt and forage, and hope they don't come looking for us. You'll give up the comforts you once knew and eventually adjust to this new life. But remember, to the rest of the world, you're dead. That means, you'll no longer be able to contact your friends and family, and you'll be living in perpetual fear, constantly looking over your shoulder. Unsure whether each day will be your last.

"Also, this will not be a pleasant existence. You may go days or weeks without eating or bathing. There will be no laundromat, no supermarket, no VR theatre, no pharmacy or hospital. To quote the great Thomas Hobbes in the Leviathan, life like this will be 'nasty, brutish, and short'."

"What's the third option?" Train asked.

Mr. Camouflage took a moment before he answered, looking around at all the worried faces illuminated by the campfire. The nine of us will have to work together, figure out a way to do an impossible task. With little to no practical skills, no weapons or ammunition, no intel, and no guarantee we will find adequate food and water, we will fight back our oppressor to end this tyranny, and overthrow the most powerful government the world has ever known... somehow. And I remind you, we don't even know who, or what, we're up against. The most deadly enemy is the one you don't know.

"Now, we don't have a lot of time to make a decision, and I don't expect everyone to make the same decision. You need to decide which option is right for you. You don't need to make your decision right now, sleep on it, but by morning, we will gather again to discuss which option we all prefer."

The gravity of the situation was really sinking in. Until then, most people figured there would be some way to forget about this whole situation and return to their old lives as if nothing had happened. They were starting to realize that may not be the case.

# Chapter Five

Allie was a light sleeper. Through the crackling fire, she was awoken by the sound of movement. Curled up on the cold forest floor, using her jacket as a blanket, she focused on the sound.

Clutched in her right hand, tucked securely under her body was a small handgun. She wasn't sure when, if ever, she was going to tell the group how she obtained it, not until it was absolutely necessary and she established more trust with them.

So far, the squad of random misfits were nice and normal, but it was only the first night. Once hunger and thirst became life-threatening, people's behaviour would surely change for the worse. In life and death moments of desperation, people had shown the ability to commit unthinkable acts to fulfill their desire for self-preservation.

Allie was awake, but remained still — her head slightly propped up by the root of a nearby tree. Someone was up and about, most likely getting up to use the washroom. But given their circumstance, one could never be so sure. More so than ever, trust had to be earned.

In the pitch darkness of night, under the glow of the moonlight and the half ablaze campfire, Allie kept one eye open and a keen interest in every sound. Without looking, she was able to paint a picture in her mind based on the weight of the step, the size of the stride, and the breathing pattern. Whoever it was, they were trying to be quiet.

The sound was coming closer to Allie and she was unsure how to react. Her instinct was to look, but she also thought it may be wise to pretend to be asleep and try to catch someone doing something they weren't supposed to. There wasn't any food or water to steal, and it was unlikely anyone would sneak off and form a secret alliance this earlier into the process.

With each step, Allie grew more curious. She felt the presence of someone now standing by her feet, practically hovering over her. The curiosity turned to nervousness. She listened intently on the breathing, but still had no idea who it was.

As a former MMA world champion, she was no stranger to combat and was secure with her ability to defend herself, especially since she was clutching a loaded weapon, which at that point, she had every reason to believe she was the only one. She also found comfort being in a large group. There was strength in numbers. However, despite all this, there was something about being out of her element that made her feel exposed and vulnerable.

The breathing grew closer as the midnight lurker crouched down next to her. A hand reached out and gently touched her shoulder. That was enough for Allie to completely succumb to her heighten state of anxiety. Without warning, she jolted up, whipping the jacket off her, and in one fluid motion, she spun around to face the person. Neither of them made a sound.

"Don't shoot," Dane whispered, feeling the cold metal from the gun that was shoved under his chin.

"Dane, what the hell are you doing?" Allie said, lowering her weapon. She tucked it under her leg, but didn't let go of it.

"I need to talk to you."

"Now?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"What do you want?"

Before responding, Dane looked around and then back at Allie.

"First of all, why do you have a gun?"

"I found it."

"You found it?"

Ignoring the question, Allie snapped back. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you about forming a secret alliance."

"What?"

"I just think it would be good for us to start to connect with smaller groups and watch each other's backs, you know?"

"Sure, whatever."

"Okay, that's all I wanted to ask you," Dane said, still whispering. "I talked to Train. He's in too."

"Fantastic," Allie said, sounding annoyed.

"I'll let Train know that you said yes. Maybe we can all find some time tomorrow to talk, you know?"

"Yes, let's talk tomorrow. Maybe we can come up with a cool name to call ourselves."

"Goodnight."

# Chapter Six

Morning came with mixed emotions. Some people were surprisingly positive and optimistic. Perhaps surviving the night and forgetting the real danger they were in brought a new hope. Dane, and a few others, didn't share those sentiments. They knew this wasn't a camping trip, this was survival, and based upon how some were acting, that hadn't seemed to sink in yet. Some were naïve to the task ahead of them.

With no camp to dissemble and no breakfast to eat, the small group had very little to do but assemble and talk.

"I'll skip the pleasantries and assume everyone had a similar night sleep as I did," Train said. "We don't have a lot of time and we need to know where people's minds are at. Let's do a vote, shall we?" he said.

"Wait, what are the options again?" someone asked.

"Option A is we head back to the city, lay low for the rest of our lives, and try to find some meaningful existence. Option B is we stay here in the woods for the rest of our lives, living off the grid. Option C is we fight back and overthrow The Shadow. They all come with varying degrees of risk and reward, so you need to decide for yourself which one makes the most sense for you."

"Got it."

"Of the three options we heard last night, raise your hand if you choose option A."

A large percentage of the group raised their hands.

"Raise your hand if you choose option B," Train asked.

This time, only two people reluctantly raised their hands.

"Now raise your hand if you choose option C."

Looking around, not a single person raised their hand. With a moment of reflection, Allie raised her hand. Everyone turned to look at her. Then Mr. Camouflage raised his hand.

"That's two," Train said. "Anyone else."

"You haven't voted," Dane said.

"My vote..." he paused and looked at everyone, "is for option C."

There was a moment of silence, and then Dane raised his hand. "I wish to change my vote. I'm going with option C."

"That's four," Train said. "Has everyone voted?"

"I haven't voted yet," Lauren said. "I was kind of seeing how everyone else voted before I made my decision."

"What's your decision?" Dane asked.

Lauren reluctantly raised her hand and said, "My vote is for option C."

"That's five," Train said. "Anyone else wish to change their vote?"

"I want to change my vote," Mauricio said. "I vote option C."

"That's six."

"Professor, Lynn, Cheryl," Train said. "You three still going with your original choices?"

The remaining three hung their head's low, but slowly one by one, they too recanted their votes.

"I'll change my vote," Professor said.

"Yeah, me too."

"Count me in."

"Alright, I think that's everybody," Train said. "It's unanimous. The nine of us will take down The Shadow... somehow."

"We should come up with a name," Dane said.

"For what?" Lynn, the former surgeon, asked.

"For us," Dane replied with growing enthusiasm. "I mean, when history is written, they'll need a name for our little group — the group that overthrew The Shadow!"

"The group that overthrew the Shadow? Seems a bit wordy if you ask me."

"No, that's not the name, I was just—"

"How about The Formers?" Lynn suggested.

"The Formers?" Dane repeated.

"You know, because we're all formers... former model, former surgeon, former soldier..."

"I don't know, seems a bit... degrading. I don't want to be known as a former anything. How does it make you feel to be called a former scientist?"

"I'm not a former scientist," the Professor said. "I'm still a scientist."

"Well, whatever you are, we need a better name."

"The Misfits."

"The Rejects."

"The Fringe."

"Guys, these are all great suggestions, but how about something a little more... positive and uplifting?" Dane suggested. "If we're taking down The Shadow, we should make some reference to a shadow, right?"

"What's your idea," Lynn said.

"I don't know, I haven't thought of it yet. Let me think. What's the opposite of a shadow?" Dane pondered.

"Sunshine," someone blurted out.

"Light."

"Light switch."

"Luminous."

"Illumination."

"Illuminati."

"Flash."

"Glow."

"Glowers."

"Glow sticks."

"Guys, I feel as though you're not taking this seriously. Glow sticks? Who said that? Do we really want to be referred to as the Glow Sticks? Whoever suggested that, shame on you."

"A shadow is produced by an object standing in front of a light source," the Professor said. "So light is necessary for a shadow. If you truly want to eliminate a shadow, you'd turn all the lights off. Darkness is the enemy of shadows, not light."

"The Dark," Dane said. "I like that."

"I like that name too," Train said.

"So we're going to call ourselves The Dark?" Dane asked. "All in favour?"

"I don't know," Lauren said.

"What don't you like about it?" Dane asked.

"It just seems a little... I don't know... something's missing."

"How about Dark Circle?" Dane suggested.

"Because we happen to be standing in a circle?" Lauren asked.

"Not just that, it sounds cool. Circles represent wholeness, being one, being complete. It's a perfect shape with no beginning or end."

"And that somehow represents us?" Lauren asked.

"Oh, I get it, you're the negative one out of the group. Got it, good to know."

"Hey, you two," Train said. "It hasn't even been twenty-four hours since we came together as a group. Let's not start fighting now."

"You're right, I'm sorry," Dane said. "I get like this when I haven't eaten."

"Apology accepted," Lauren replied.

"And would you like to say anything to me?" Dane asked in a somewhat condescending tone.

Lauren had a blank look on her face. "I can't think of anything."

"Oh really?" Dane chuckled dismissively. "Let me help you out. How about you apologize to me."

"Why should I apologize to you, you're the one who—"

Before Lauren had a chance to finish her sentence, she was brought to her knees by a swift kick to the back of her legs. Allie stood over her with a fistful of her hair. She yanked Lauren's head backward. The abrupt and aggressive nature had Lauren frozen in fear and speechless.

"Listen, bitch," Allie said. "We don't have time for these petty games. We're all in this thing together and our survival depends on each other. We all need to get along and work together. Understood?"

"Yes, understood," Lauren muttered, her face wincing in pain.

Dane leaned over and whispered to Train, "That was aggressive."

Allie let go of Lauren's hair, allowing her to stand up. "People, get your heads in the game. You're arguing over a name? What's the matter with you? We don't need a name or matching jerseys, we need a strategy."

"She's right," Mr. Camouflage said.

"What we're about to do is serious," Allie continued. "We're not out here telling ghost stories around the campfire, or finding our spirit animals on a nature walk. This is life or death. We don't have time for bickering, or coming up with stupid names."

"Name," Dane corrected. Everyone turned to look at him. "What?" Evidently, he had a hard time keeping his mouth shut.

"While you all were saying good morning to each other, I've been with Mr. Camouflage figuring out our next move. Perhaps some of you would like to hear it."

Everyone was a little afraid of Allie. She had a short fuse and looked as though she was capable of beating up nearly everyone in the group.

"Do you care to share the plan with us?" Dane asked.

Mr. Camouflage spoke up. "We cannot overthrow anything in the woods. Our first step is to return to the city without being detected."

"How are we supposed to do that?" someone asked.

"I spoke with the Professor last night and he was able to geo-locate us using the stars. By his estimate, it'll take us roughly four days of hiking to reach the city."

"Four days? We'll starve before then."

"No, we'll die of thirst before we starve."

"I don't think I can make it."

"Me neither, my feet hurt."

The chatter continued until Mr. Camouflage spoke up, raising his voice above the group. "Listen. As some of you have pointed out, finding water and food is imperative to our survival. With a little luck, we hope to discover something that will nourish us and quench our thirst along the way so everyone keep your eyes and ears open."

"Why our ears?"

"Listen for the sounds of running water."

"Also, as many of you can see, my condition presents some mobility limitations," Mr. Camouflage said. "My robotic legs will only last another two days before the battery runs out. I will also slow down the group, which may not be an issue considering some of us may be more comfortable going at a slower pace. This will prolong our journey and force us to stay in the woods a few extra nights."

"What happens once your robotic legs run out of power?" Dane asked.

"I will need to remain behind with someone while the others go on. I will be completely at yours and nature's mercy so I please ask you to come back for me once you reach the city and secure transportation."

"I'll stay with you, Mr. Camouflage," Train volunteered.

"Thank you, Train. I appreciate that."

"I'll come back for you both once I reach the city," Dane offered.

"Thank you."

"So that's the plan? We start walking?" Cheryl asked. "I have to be upfront with you all. I have a bad knee and I'm not sure I can hike for four, or six, days straight. I'm afraid I'll just end up slowing the group down."

"It's okay, we'll remain together and ensure no one is left behind," Mr. Camouflage assured.

"Lead the way," Lynn said.

Motioning with his finger, Mr. Camouflage pointed out the way. Dane opted to go first, followed by Allie, Lynn, and then Cheryl. Mr. Camouflage was somewhere in the middle with Lauren and the Professor. Train was last.

"By the way," Dane shouted back to the group, "we all agreed on a name, right? We're calling ourselves Dark Circle?"

# Chapter Seven

The single-file line kept moving forward, meandering through the forest, and only stopping when necessary. To pass the time, they carried on conversations, sometimes as a group, but mostly with the person who was directly in front or behind them.

"I need water," Cheryl said.

"Dane!" Train called out from the back. "Hold up, man."

They had been walking for the better part of the morning with no food or water. Some of them, mostly the older folks, were wearing down pretty quickly.

Cheryl found a spot on the ground where she could rest, but didn't look as though she had much left in her to continue for the rest of the day. The out-of-shape, middle-aged woman was covered in sweat and looked famished. The true psychology of a woman who had grown accustomed to a life of comfort, leisure, and being in charge of others was showing serious signs of cracking. She wasn't cut out for this lifestyle, in fact, very few of them were. They had grown soft.

The only person in the group with any actual disability was Mr. Camouflage, and yet he was ready to continue for as long as his equipment could handle. Nevertheless, he understood the suitable nuances of social dynamics and showed her empathy.

Crouching beside her, he asked, "How's the knee holding up?"

"I think I tweaked it a while back," Cheryl said. "I thought I could power through it, but that was a mistake. In my younger years maybe I could have continued, but my body just isn't what it used to be."

"I know that all too well," he said with sincerity. "Do you think you'll be able to go on?"

"I can try resting for a bit and see how I feel, but I don't want to push it and end up doing more damage, you know? Especially out here."

"I understand. I'll tell you what, let me talk to the rest of the group about stopping and setting up camp. I'll see what everyone thinks. How does that sound?"

"That would be great. Thank you, Mr. Camouflage."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you're not the only one who needs a rest."

"That actually makes me feel a lot better. Thank you."

"Hang tight. I'll find some volunteers to look for food and water."

"You're so nice," Cheryl said. "I really appreciate you being so kind to me."

"Don't mention it. We're a team, right? We have each other's backs."

"I don't want to be completely useless," Cheryl said. "If there's anything I can do around camp, please let me know."

"Sure thing," Mr. Camouflage said with a warm smile. Just before, returning to his feet, he said, "It may not be the life we're used to, but considering what our fate was just a day ago, each day we're alive is a bonus."

Mr. Camouflage quietly went around and got a sense of how everyone was feeling. After speaking privately with each person, he rallied the team together. A huddled group of dirty and exhausted looking faces gathered in a small circle. He wasn't used to being a leader, and lacked many of the qualities of one. Nevertheless, leaders are not decided by the individual, they are chosen by those who choose to follow them. For whatever reason, the team rallied behind Mr. Camouflage.

"Okay everyone," he began with his soft spoken voice. "I know we're all tired, hungry, and uncomfortable. I think it's best we don't overexert ourselves on the first day. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Just because we're stopping, it doesn't mean we can relax for the rest of the day. I don't need to remind any of you that we're in a dire survival situation. There's still plenty of work to do, including setting up shelter and securing food and water. With that being said, we're going to need some volunteers. Those of you who are willing and able to continue, may I ask you step forward and offer yourselves to the group."

Dane stepped forward along with Train, Lauren, and Allie. The Professor said that he was more than happy to gather wood for a fire.

"That's great," Mr. Camouflage said. "Dane, you and Train are in charge of food. Look for edible berries, plants, and bugs. Don't waste your energy with birds and rodents. As a precaution, stay away from mushrooms.

"Lauren and Allie, can you look for a creek or a pool of water? If you can, try to find something like some large leaves to gather it so that you can bring it back to camp."

"Okay," they both said in unison.

"Thanks everyone. Don't wander off too far and stay together. We'll meet back here in one hour. I'd advise you to set trail markers as often as you can. It's really easy to get lost in the woods. For the rest of you staying at camp, come see me if you are unsure what to do."

# Chapter Eight

Mauricio and Professor had paired up and wandered through the forest. Instead of looking for berries and other plant-based foods, Professor had the idea to use his ingenuity to catch some protein. He instructed Mauricio to find as many vines, sticks, and large rocks while he braided long strands of vine together to make a rope.

"I didn't know you were an outdoorsman," Mauricio said, dropping off a handful of items that he had gathered.

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

"True."

"But an outdoorsman, I am not," Professor said, intently focused on the task at hand.

"What are you making?"

"A trap."

"How do you know how to make traps?"

"I'm an inventor. We tend to look at the world not for what is, but for what could be."

"That's incredible," Mauricio said. "I do a little bit of carpentry, electrical, and mechanical, but nothing like you. I can usually fix what's there, but to watch you create something out of nothing is really admirable. Can you teach me how to make something?"

"Sure, grab that long stick, I'll teach you how to make a fishing spear. It's not only good for fishing, but also for protection."

Professor coached Mauricio through the steps of making a spear, which was a really bonding moment for them.

"So what was your life like before, you know, all this?" Mauricio asked.

"I was a space engineer for NASA."

"Wow, that's incredible. You must be a genius. What did you do there exactly?"

"I built space crafts."

"So if come across something that does take a rocket scientist to figure out, we can turn to you, an actual rocket scientist!"

"I suppose so," the Professor chuckled.

"So what happened, if you don't mind me asking? How did you end up here?"

"After the war, there was not much need for a rocket scientist. NASA dissolved and as a species we were no longer exploring the cosmos. We have much bigger issues to fix here on Earth."

"Man, that's such a shame."

"So what about you, what's your story?" the Professor asked.

"Me? Well, speaking of shame, I'm sort of ashamed to admit it, but I hurt myself in battle."

"There's nothing shameful about that. You should be proud of yourself. I thank you for your service."

"So the thing is, I got shot on the first day I was deployed. Actually, it was in the first fifteen minutes."

"It's fifteen minutes more of combat that I've ever seen."

"I know, but I just wanted to do so much, you know? And for that to happen, I just never felt as though I made an impact."

"Don't beat yourself up too badly. The important thing is that you're alive, and you can live another day. There'll be plenty more opportunity to show the world what you're truly capable of."

"I hope so."

# Chapter Nine

Despite being paired up, the tension between Allie and Lauren was still palpable so they didn't say much to each other. Lauren was still salty about their confrontation from earlier that morning. Even still, she was the first to break the silence.

"So what did you do before... this?" she asked.

"I used to be a ballet dancer," Allie said.

"Really, that's cool. I was a former model."

"Good for you," Allie said unimpressed and disinterested.

"I suppose it's just a job like any other, you know? You don't even have to be good looking, which is a common misconception. It has a lot to do with have the right makeup artist, lighting, finding the right angles, and of course post production touch-ups. You'd be surprised at some of the before and after photos. Some models are unrecognizable. Also, some photoshoots take all day and then the photographer takes a million photos. Then they spend hours selecting the best one, and even more time touching it up. So a lot goes into one shot."

"Imagine what it's like being my age and a model. Agencies want that youthful look so the models keep getting younger and younger. It's actually causes a lot of girls to develop really low self-esteem."

Allie couldn't have looked more disinterested. She was used to being around violence and toughness where beauty held very little value. She kept focused on the task and didn't engage with Lauren at all. Eventually, they drifted further apart.

Neither of them had spent much time in the wilderness before so they needed to look out for each other. After several minutes, Allie felt that something was off. Perhaps being a professional MMA fighter, she had a heightened awareness for danger. She felt this weird sensation as if someone was watching her. She looked around, but couldn't see anyone. That's when she noticed Lauren was no longer in sight.

"Lauren," she called out, but there was no answer. "Lauren!" she said again, this time a little louder. Again, the sound was absorbed by the forest and her calls were left unanswered.

Allie dropped everything and went running in the last direction she had seen Lauren wander off. Picking up her pace, Allie was careful not to lose her footing. She eventually arrived at a steep embankment and figured Lauren must have ventured to the other side.

Allie used her hands and feet to ascend the mound quickly. Once at the top, she looked down the other side and saw Lauren lying unconscious on the ground with a strange man on top of her.

"Hey!" Allie yelled out, sliding down the embankment without hesitation. Her fighter instinct took over and she charged ahead to rescue Lauren.

The man turned around and glared at Allie with a menacing look — the kind of look a predator makes when narrowing in on its prey. The man rose up and stood with a confident posture, Allie was now only a few paces away approaching with a matching bravado.

As someone who was no stranger to combat, Allie marched forward. Having been bullied herself and losing all her family in the war, she was battle hardened and fueled with hatred and rage, especially toward some pathetic lowlife scumbag trying to take advantage of an innocent girl.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked, reaching for the gun that was tucked in the back of her jeans.

She aimed the gun at the man, but before she could utter another word, she was blindsided with a head-rattling blow. The impact sent her crashing to the ground, knocking the wind out of her and sending the gun flying out of her hand in some unseen direction. She quickly looked for the gun, but it was nowhere in sight.

'There's two of them,' Allie said to herself, feeling stupid for being too hasty and walking into a trap.

Allie had been here before. Relying on her experience in training in the cage, she gathered her wits. In the haze of confusion, she was trying to piece together what had hit her. It felt as if she had been sideswiped by an eighteen wheeler. Her instinct kicked in and she knew she had to get back to her feet and fight.

Standing over her was a nasty and dirty man, early thirties, medium build. His lip curled up with a creepy smile encompassed by a greasy and disheveled beard. His sinister eyes looking at her with malicious intent.

"What are you two ladies doing out in the woods all by yourselves? Did you get lost?" he asked.

"I'd tell you two meatheads to walk away, but what would be the fun in that?" Allie said, returning to her feet with a sinister look of her own.

Both men started laughing at the tiny girl making such big threats.

"What are you going to do?" one of the men asked.

"Yeah, please don't hurt us," the other said sarcastically. They both started laughing hysterically, mocking Allie as if she were too small and outmatched to pose any serious threat to them.

The first mistake the men made was picking a fight with a former world champion cage fighter. The second mistake was letting her get back to her feet. The third mistake was giving her a chance to catch her breath. Every second that passed gave Allie more time to recover. She cracked her neck and stretched out her shoulders.

"This isn't yoga, honey."

"Yeah, careful, don't hurt yourself!"

This time Allie didn't respond. She walked straight toward the nearest man and kicked him swiftly in the groin. The pain buckled him and brought him to his knees. With his head in perfect position, she clenched the back of his neck in a Muay Thai clench and drove her knee into his face several times in rapid succession. The man's nose broke instantly, his lip split open, and blood oozed out of several cuts she had opened up on his face. After being knocked unconscious, his dead weight collapsed as she released her grip and tossed him aside.

She had now set her sights on the other man, who stood dumbfounded. His demeanour had changed and was now backing up defensively.

Lauren began to move, regaining consciousness. She had an abrasion on her forehead and appeared to be dazed and confused. Looking at the man in front of her, she began to get an understanding of the danger she was in. Looking down at her ripped clothing, she was thankful Allie had come to rescue her when she did.

Like a fan with front row seats to a prize fight, Lauren scooted back and watched the action unfold. Allie had the fierce look of a champion as she marched forward. The last man standing didn't want to underestimate his pint-sized opponent, so he raised his hands to engage.

Stepping into punching range, the man threw first, but Allie's speed and agility were on another level. He was muscular, but didn't appear to have any martial arts training. Using evasive head movement, Allie easily slipped out of the way and landed a four-punch combo with blinding speed. She was just too fast and skilled to be any sort of match for the man who had unknowingly walked into a lion's den.

With mounting frustration and anger, the man threw a looping punch that was far too laboured and telegraphed to have any chance of landing. Allie quickly countered with an uppercut and then delivered a crushing leg kick, digging her shin into the meaty part of the man's thigh. The slick combo caused the man to limp in pain. She delivered another kick to the same spot. This time, the man dropped to one knee. This gave Allie open pasture to perform one final finishing move.

With the grace and elegance of a ballerina, Allie spun around with dizzying speed, landing a devastating roundhouse kick to his temple. It was the kind of highlight-reel manoeuver that one would replay in slow motion and share on social media. Lauren had no idea who Allie was, but was beginning to think she was not a former ballet dancer.

Allie hadn't even broken a sweat. She walked over to Lauren confidently and asked her if she was okay. Lauren had a look of awe on her face.

"That was... incredible," she said. "Who are you?"

"I'll explain later. I need you to go back to camp. Do you remember how to get there?"

"I... I don't...?"

"Just head in that direction," Allie pointed. "Camp is about twenty minutes away. If you get lost, stay there and I will find you. Okay?"

"Uh... okay," Lauren said, clearly still out of it.

"Lauren, listen to me. You're concussed so your brain is still a little scrambled. Just start walking in that direction and you will eventually reach camp, okay? With time, you will start to think more clearly. Now go."

"What about you?" Lauren asked, showing concern.

"I'll catch up with you, but first, I have some unfinished business to take care of."

# Chapter Ten

Unlike Allie and Lauren, Dane and Train actually formed a bond fairly easily despite having little in common. Their interactions were always more civilized.

"So does your kid have a name yet?" Train asked.

"I don't think so. I don't even know when she's expected to give birth."

"You should be there."

"I know. But, what can I do now?"

"If I've learned anything in life it's this — you fight for things worth fighting for. If it's important enough, you will always find a way. Maybe the relationship between you and your baby's mum is unfixable, but you need to at least be there for her and your baby."

"Are you speaking from experience?"

"My and Caleb's mother don't always see eye to eye, but at the end of the day, she knows she can count on me and I'm involved in my son's life."

"May I ask why you guys split up?"

"It's... complicated."

"Complicated how?"

"Nothing wrong with me, nothing wrong with her, we're just not right for each other."

Dane and Train were heading back to camp when they spotted Lauren walking in the distance. She seemed disoriented and Allie was not with her, which was a cause for concern.

"Lauren!" Dane called out.

Lauren didn't seem to hear or see them.

"What's wrong with her?" Train asked. "She looks a little lost. And why isn't she with Allie?"

"Great questions?" Dane said. "They had another fight perhaps?"

"Come on, we need to see if she's alright."

Concerned for her and Allie's well-being, they surrounded Lauren and made sure she was alright.

"Is everything okay?"

"Did you get lost?"

"Tell us what's wrong."

"Where's Allie?"

"What happened to your head?"

The questions spilled out and she was overwhelmed.

"I was attacked," she said.

"Attacked? By who?" Dane asked.

"A man... no, there were two of them. Allie fought them off."

"Where's Allie?" Dane said, standing up to look for her. "Is she okay?"

"I think so... I don't know."

"Can you show me where you came from?" Dane asked.

"She said something about unfinished business."

Train helped Lauren to her feet.

"Which direction did you come from?" Dane repeated.

"That way," she said, pointing with her finger.

"Train, take Lauren back to camp and have Lynn look at her."

"What about you?" Train asked.

"I'm going to look for Allie."

Dane only had a vague instruction of where to locate Allie, but that was enough. She was part of his tribe now and he had developed a soft spot for her. Wasting no time, he took off running, yelling out Allie's name.

Train scooped Lauren up with his hulking muscles and carried her back to camp. When he arrived, everyone gathered around to see what was the matter.

"What happened?" Lynn asked.

"She was attacked by some men," Train said.

"What men?"

"Are you okay?"

"What happened?"

"Are you hurt?"

With growing concern, everyone had questions, but one cut through the noise.

"Where's Dane and Allie?" Mr. Camouflage asked.

"I don't know where Allie is, but Dane went looking for her."

"You guys weren't supposed to split up."

"I can go with someone to look for them," Mauricio volunteered.

"No, everyone stays," Mr. Camouflage commanded. "Dane and Allie can take care of themselves. We need to remain together as a group."

# Chapter Eleven

Dane was panting, dehydrated, and hungry, but his determination kept him going. There was still plenty of daylight as he marched on with only the slightest idea of where Allie was.

"Allie!" he yelled between shortened breaths.

He listened for a response, but the only response was from the whistling wind through the trees.

Looking in all directions, he wasn't exactly sure what to do. He contemplated heading back, but would likely regret it if Allie never returned. He needed a moment to collect his thoughts.

Seeing a small skipping stone at his feet. He bent down to pick it up. There was something soothing about rubbing the smooth surface between his fingers. Dane was intrigued. As a man without possessions, it was understandable that he found comfort in such an insignificant item to collect and call his own. It was a way he could retain some sense of normalcy. He did that for a while before slipping the flattened stone into his pocket and continuing onward.

Ahead of him was the same steep embankment that Allie and Lauren had encountered. He figured it was worth ascending to see what was on the other side.

Due to the gruelling work and being in the woods without any of his usual comforts, Dane's body was beginning to wear down rapidly. It had been nearly two days without any substantial food or water, and he was fatigued. The sun was also beating down on him making his condition even worse. His dry mouth and throat begged for water and his stomach growled loudly. He was also suffering from a dehydration headache, severe hunger and malnutrition, poor hygiene, muscle fatigue, and a host of other ailments. He desperately needed to find sustenance.

With laboured breaths and sluggish movement, Dane eventually made it to the top of the mound and collapsed from exhaustion. Now with a view of the other side, he saw what appeared to be a dead body. Narrowing his focus, he studied the man, who was lying face down and not moving.

Dane was too far away to see if the man was breathing or not. For that, he would definitely need to get closer. Nevertheless, it was the first indication that he was on the right track, so he was excited about his discovery.

Dane approached with caution as it was a peculiar scene to stumble upon. He was utterly defenseless. Even if he had some kind of weapon, he didn't have the energy nor skill to put up much of a fight. His mental capacity was also seriously hindered.

Dane treaded lightly toward the body. He kept a watchful eye on his surroundings to ensure he wasn't walking into a trap. Spotting a long stick close by, Dane picked it up and held it in front of him. When he was within poking range, he nudged the man gently in the ribs.

"Hey," Dane called out. "You okay, man?"

Dane poked the man again, this time a little harder.

"Helloooo," he tried once again. "Buddy, are you alive?"

Living through the worst war in recorded history, Dane was no stranger to death and gruesomeness. At a particular time, it was quite common for a civilian to see dead bodies litter the streets. Even still, some things never became easier to deal with.

The man was definitely dead. The cause of death was unclear, but at least it wasn't Allie.

Seeing some tracks in the dirt, Dane had a better idea of which direction he should take. After walking about fifteen feet, he stopped and went back to search the body. Finding anything in the woods could be a godsend let alone another person. Granted the man was deceased, nevertheless it didn't change the fact that he could be carrying something of value. Dane wasn't ignorant of this fact.

He crouched beside the body and patted his pockets. There was a small lighter, which Dane fished out and confiscated. Flipping the body over, Dane tried not to look at his face, which was a bloody mess.

Searching the front pocket of the man's shirt, Dane found a protein bar still sealed in its wrapper. He wasted no time ripping open the packaging of the protein bar and devouring it. It only occurred to him after he had eaten half of it that he should save some for Allie and the others. He folded the wrapper to seal the bar back up and shoved it in his pocket.

The next thing he found, attached to the man's belt, was a pocket knife, another absolute score in this environment. Even the belt itself would likely have some utility. Dane removed the belt and then fastened it back together, creating a closed loop with the tools still attached. He slipped the belt over his head and one arm like a sash and continued to search. There was nothing else on the man that Dane wanted so he stood up and resumed his search for Allie.

Dane had been walking for over an hour and his energy was once again depleting. With no other choice, he removed the half-eaten protein bar from his pocket and ate the rest of it. The satisfaction was indescribable. He tossed the wrapper and continued on.

On several occasions, he wondered if he could find his way back, or if Allie was even missing. For all he knew, she was back at camp telling stories around the fire. But a small sliver of doubt crept in — Allie could be in serious trouble. Lauren mentioned two men, and Dane had only came across one. 'What if the other man had Allie?' he thought. 'What am I going to do if I find her?' Dane wasn't exactly the best person to send on a rescue mission, but he was all she had. It was time for him to man up and face danger head on.

A thousand thoughts ran through Dane's mind from his ex-girlfriend leaving him, his fears of being lost and dying in the forest all alone, never seeing any of his friends or family again. Even if he did somehow survive on his own in the woods, rescue Allie, and together they find their way back to camp, his current predicament still loomed. He thought maybe he was better off just leaving his squad behind and fending for himself.

Dane put those thoughts to rest and kept moving, putting one foot in front of the other. It wasn't long before he heard something in the distance — a sound sweeter than the most harmonic melody. The unmistakable sound of a rushing current caused Dane to pick up his pace.

Emerging through the dense brush, Dane was delighted to see a glorious and pristine creek. He dropped to his knees and began crying. It was as if he had received a blessing from the universe.

He returned to his feet momentarily, ignoring his achy body, and stumbled toward the water. When he reached the creek bed, he once again got down on his hands and knees and dunked his entire head under the cold flowing water. It was exhilarating and gave him a second wind.

Dane began slurping up the water incessantly as he could hardly satisfy his insatiable thirst. He could feel the cold water going all the way down and filling his stomach. It was the most satisfying feeling he had felt in a long time.

Taking a moment to cleanse his hands and his face, he almost forgot what he was doing out there. Allie was still missing and presumably in danger. Time was of the essence.

Upon taking another drink, Dane saw something out of the corner of his eye that was almost even more exciting than finding the creek. With a furrowed brow, he turned his head, stood up, and swallowed hard. He could not believe his eyes.

# Chapter Twelve

The thought of Allie never left his mind, but he was overjoyed with his recent discoveries. The rest of the group was probably worried sick about him and Allie, but he needed to explore further before heading back.

Following the creek, Dane's gaze never left the giant statue that was in front of him. The massive head, losing a battle against the elements, had fallen from its frame and became lodged in the ground, sinking even further with time and decay. Despite being broken and succumbing to nature, he recognized it immediately as Bonky — the mascot from the famous Unity World theme park.

The park had been long since abandoned nearly a hundred years prior and nature had taken residency. Trees uprooted the pavement, grass and moss spread like a virus, and rust had eaten away at the exposed metal. The park was in a serious state of disrepair; however, it would provide shelter and potentially other lifesaving resources. Having it so close to a water source was an added bonus.

As he walked closer, he caught movement from the park and figured it was Allie, but in case it wasn't, he wanted to proceed with caution.

Approaching a large sign that once stood as the theme park's grand entrance, Dane hid behind the metal structure. He poked his head out to assess the situation. He didn't see or hear anyone. After a tortuous minute lying in wait, he anxiously left his position and ran toward a collapsed booth, assuming a crouched position once again to remain out of sight.

Maintaining a low profile, Dane darted from one spot to the next, zig-zagging his way through the park until he heard a commotion.

He positioned himself behind one of the abandoned rides and was able to get a good view of the situation. From his vantage point, he saw Allie talking to someone. Intrigued, Dane watched on with a keen interest.

Just then, the man shouted a command at her and Allie released what appeared to be a gun, allowing it to fall to the ground and become lost in the tall grass. The man then struck Allie, causing her to stumble backward. Then five more men emerged, all brandishing weapons. Allie was in serious danger, but Dane knew he wouldn't be much help. He was an artist and shied away from combat any chance he got, but he had to do something.

Taking inventory of his options, he could fight or flee. Since all he had was a small foldable pocket knife, he didn't foresee fighting as a viable choice. If he were to run back to camp, Allie would surely die before backup could arrive. Even still, his squad was unarmed and therefore wouldn't offer much protection. In all likelihood, they would all succumb to the same fate.

He thought it would be best to lay low and see how the situation plays out, and hope an opportunity or an idea would present itself.

From where Dane was, he couldn't quite hear what the man was saying to Allie. He needed to get a little closer. He emerged from his spot and shuffled behind another large object, then another. The closer he became, he could see that the man was badly beaten, undoubtedly at the hands of Allie. Dane made one more move until he had positioned himself within earshot of the conversation. From what he could gather, the men were upset with Allie for killing their friend. The man standing in front of Allie held a gun and aimed it at her head.

Despite being surrounded by six men with weapons, Allie didn't seem the least bit fazed. With her hair tied back, she looked ready for war. She cracked her neck and stood defiantly in front of her opponents with a look of disdain.

Dane desperately wanted to help, but was still unsure how exactly to do that. Feeling his pockets once again, he found something else that may be of use. He removed the smooth rock that he had picked up earlier and held it firmly. He had an idea.

Peeking over a barrier, Dane threw the rock as hard as he could toward a large metal sign. The clang of the rock hitting the sign caused everyone to look.

In that instance, Allie's lighting fast reflexes sprang into action. She used a Krav Maga technique to remove the gun from the man's hand, point it at him, and fire off a round in his chest at point-blank range. The bullet blasted a hole straight through him, sending his lifeless body crashing to the ground with a thud.

She immediately took aim on the rest of the group and let off several rounds. The men scattered in every direction. Two of them were shot, but not fatally. Conserving ammo, Allie walked confidently like a hunter stalking its prey.

"Come on, you cowards!" she yelled. "Not so tough now!"

Before she could get off another round, one of the men charged forward from behind a scrap heap and tackled her to the ground. The gun she was holding became dislodged from her grip.

This was Dane's moment to act. Without hesitation, he came charging out from his hiding spot with a fury. With his mouth agape like a lion attacking a group of wildebeests, he jumped on one of the attackers and shoved the four-inch blade into the his ribs. The man had no idea what hit him.

The attack slowed the guy down, but did not stop him completely. There was a scramble and Dane was now in his first fight. Waving the bloody knife, Dane was hoping his opponent would surrender and concede defeat, but the man was determined.

In his heightened state of emotion, Dane was feeling braver than usual. He charged at the man and shoved the knife blade into his stomach repeatedly. The whole time, Dane was screaming like a savage warrior. The man fell over and began choking on his own blood. Dane focused his attention onto his next target.

With the gun no longer a threat, the men who had initially run away had since returned to fight. It was now Allie and Dane against four angry men.

"Dane, what are you doing here?" Allie asked.

"What do you mean? I'm saving you."

The four men surrounded Dane and Allie and began taunting them. As two of their friends lay dead in front of them, they had even more reason to enact revenge.

As skilled a fighter as Allie was, her energy was not where it needed to be to take on such adversaries. She had no idea where the gun went, but thought that may be a good thing. That meant the men didn't know where it was either. She wanted to take Dane's knife from him, but that would leave him completely defenseless.

The four men circled like vultures, each of them carrying deadly weapons. One of them had a baseball bat, another had a long chain, which he swung around as an act of intimidation. The other two men's weapons were even more deadly. One had a large machete and the last one held two large knives.

"So what's the plan?" Dane uttered quietly.

"Stick together. Conserve your energy. Maintain your distance. Defense before offense. And always watch your back."

"That's a lot to remember," Dane complained.

"Fine. Don't die. Is that simple enough for you?"

Dane was a master with his words and figured that was his best line of defense. "Gentlemen, let's make a deal, shall we? Our friends are on their way and they all have guns. Leave now and no one else has to die. Deal?"

"You're lying. Nobody else is coming," one of them said.

"Okay, look. I have a confession to make. I don't actually like killing, but I will if I have to. All of you have witnessed that. But I would rather not, you know? So how about we all just put down our weapons and walk away?"

All of the men gritted their teeth, snarled, and shook their heads. "It's too late for words or deals. The only thing left is for us to kill you and eat you."

"Oh, so you're cannibals? Okay, cool. Good to know. I guess that makes this a little easier then," Dane said, pulling out the gun from the back of his jeans. "You can't say I didn't warn you. I gave you all the option to walk away. You should have taken that deal when you had the chance. Toss your weapons over the fence... now!"

The men looked at each other and then begrudgingly obliged. They hurled their weapons over a large gate and into some tall weeds.

"Good. Now, who wants to die first?" Dane asked, sounding as though he had done this before. On the inside, he was terrified, but he had a good way of not showing his fear.

Choosing someone at random, Dane aimed his weapon, closed his eyes, and pulled the trigger. The gun went off and kicked back, nearly falling out of his hand. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see four men still standing. He had missed.

Feeling embarrassed, Dane took aim once again, this time with his eyes open, and squeezed the trigger. Something even more embarrassing happened - the gun didn't fire. It was empty.

Click.

Click.

Click.

"What the hell?" Dane said, trying again multiple times.

Click.

Click.

Click.

"Looks like we're feasting tonight after all, boys," one of the men said, licking his lips with a sinister grin.

"Allie... what do we do now?"

"Run."

# Chapter Thirteen

The group made some progress throughout the day, although they hadn't covered a lot of ground. They were able to find food and water, which wasn't much, but it was enough to keep them going for a few more days. They knew they had to keep moving and not become complacent as they figured soldiers were on their trail, hunting them down.

Due to recent events, everyone was a little on edge, feeling like prey and constantly looking over their shoulders. If there were soldiers and strange men in the woods, there could be others. These groups were known to exist — nomadic tribes left over from the war – displaced by automation or dissenters unwilling to partake in regular society and abide by civilized rules. They were considered to be armed and dangerous and it was advised to exercise extreme caution if one was to encounter such groups or individuals.

Sitting around a crackling fire, everyone was sharing stories from their past and getting along well. In the distance, some group members heard a noise.

"You heard that too?" Cheryl asked, looking at Lauren, who had turned her head at the same time.

"Yeah, it sounded like it was coming from behind us," Lauren replied.

"Probably just the fire echoing throughout the forest," the Professor posited a theory. "Your mind will play tricks on you out here if you let it."

"Maybe it's Dane and Allie," Lauren suggested.

"Dane? Allie?" Lauren called out.

"Hey, keep your voice down?" the Professor said. "We don't know who's out there. We wouldn't want to notify any unwanted visitors of our presence."

"Professor, with all due respect," Lauren said. "We have a giant fire and we've been talking loudly for the past few hours. If anything is out there, they already know we're here."

When they didn't get a response, several people became tense and unnerved. Train stood up with a torch and instructed everyone to remain calm.

"Be careful, Train," Lauren said.

Before Train even took one step, ten dark figures emerged from the woods. Unsure who these people were and what they wanted, Train was on guard, ready to defend his tribe.

"Who are you people?" he demanded in his most authoritative tone. As a towering figure, holding a flaming stick, Train was surely intimidating to anyone foolish enough to oppose him.

"We come in peace," a voice spoke, stepping into the light. "We were with you all on the bus."

The group around the campfire stood up and sized up the newcomers. Within a few seconds, they scanned their faces and recognized a few of them.

"I recognize them," Cheryl said.

"Yeah, they're good," Lynn confirmed.

"What are you people doing here in the middle of the night?" Train asked, still a bit defensive.

"We had to move camp. The soldiers aren't far behind. They killed a dozen of us already. We had to keep moving."

"So you led them here?" Train said.

"We're exhausted and need a place to rest. We saw the smoke from your fire, and figured it was you guys. Would it be okay if we hunkered down here for the night? In the morning, if you all decide to go your separate way, that's fine."

The Dark Circle squad exchanged looks of reassurance to each other and came to an unspoken consensus. "We don't have much to offer," Cheryl said, "but you're welcome to stay with us. The more the merrier."

"Perfect, thank you. We have some food if you guys are hungry. We found a pretty large berry bush earlier this morning and took whatever we could carry. We've been eating berries all day and would be happy to share them with you as a peace offering."

"That would be great," Cheryl said. "Thank you. Please have a seat around the fire. Get warm."

Everyone got up and helped themselves to a handful of delicious blueberries. It was totally unexpected and an indescribably satisfying way to end the evening.

"What's your name?" Cheryl asked.

"My name is Emily," a young fresh-faced girl said. She was very pregnant, which immediately drew sympathy from everyone. Several people rushed over to assist her.

"You poor thing, you must be in so much pain," Lynn said. "Please, come sit by the fire and get warm."

Everyone began to mingle and introduce themselves. They all gathered around the fire and exchanged stories and plans with one another. Not surprisingly, the new group had reached an agreement amongst themselves to run and hide for as long as possible, but since they didn't have Mr. Camouflage in their group, they weren't even aware who their enemy was.

"You said soldiers killed some of your people?" Mr. Camouflage asked.

"Yes, all those who remained on the bus are now dead," Emily stated.

"You saw it happen?"

"Some of us were fortunate enough to get away, but we were still close enough to see it."

"What did the soldiers look like?" Mr. Camouflage asked.

"They were covered from head-to-toe in black combat gear. Several of them came into the woods looking for us. The slowest members of our group..." Emily paused, unable to finish. She started to cry and the rest of her group consoled her. A heartfelt silence fell over the large group as everyone was reminded of the weight of the situation.

Mr. Camouflage filled the others in on what he had told his Dark Circle cohorts and then informed them of their plan to take down The Shadow. Understandably, the news came as a bit of a shock to the newbies and many of them had questions.

"You mentioned you were part of The Shadow," Emily said. "How did you get involved?"

"It was right when the war was coming to an end, I was recruited by some fellow Shadow members," he began. "As a hacker, I look for vulnerabilities in software and databases, and exploit them. It's sort of a hobby of mine. Back then there was a rogue group on the Dark Web calling themselves The Shadow. They appeared on forums and in some covert chatrooms only accessible to those capable of bypassing the extensive security protocols.

"I gained access through a flaw in their security and posed as one of their members. I had been posing under the alias Raven Storm for months, gathering information.

"Little did I know, they knew I was an imposter the entire time and were leading me down a path. I thought I was making progress, but I later learned they were just trapdoors waiting for me to fall down. They actually designed these flaws as a recruiting mechanism. If you're capable enough to access these highly restricted areas, then you have proven yourself to be a worthy candidate for their team. After my presence became exposed, they offered me a job. I accepted even though I had never met any of them and wasn't really sure what they did. All of our identities remained anonymous and I was given the name Mr. Camouflage.

"I received small assignments and payment once those tasks were complete. Slowly over time, I gained their trust and would take on bigger assignments with higher security clearance. As it turned out, we were creating a new system of government that was completely digital. We controlled every aspect of society including the money, the justice system, policy, defense, you name it. It was all coming from us.

"You could say that I was complicit in building a tyrannical system, but I was never given the full picture. I was instructed to work on one part, but remained ignorant of the full scope of what I was working on or what impact it would have on society.

"Later I learned more about some of the strict laws governing the citizens and how many people's rights were being violated. I wanted to speak out about it, but I didn't build relationships with these other Shadow members. It wasn't like we all hung out on the weekends or met in private clubs to discuss our plans. So I didn't really know who I could trust."

"So what did you do?" someone asked.

"I figured I was anonymous so anything I did couldn't be traced back to me. I mean, I guess I was a little naïve to think that, but I wanted to set a plan in motion that would ultimately disrupt their agenda, or at least make things a little harder for them."

"You sabotaged them?"

"I tried. I was on the inside so I thought I could really do some damage. I released a virus that I thought was nearly impossible to defend against. It was designed to chew through their code and destroy them from within."

"What happened?"

"The virus was quarantined in a matter of seconds and the code was restored. I claimed it wasn't me and continued to work as usual, but they knew what I was up to. The next day, I took an automated taxi across town and the car started driving recklessly. It was as if it had a mind of its own, or it had been hacked. It began to accelerate and swerve erratically. I was being knocked around in the backseat."

"That must have been traumatizing for you."

"Eventually, the car slammed into a pole, nearly splitting in two, and I was knocked unconscious. I was lucky to be alive. When I came to, I couldn't feel my legs. I had sustained a severe spinal injury that rendered me paralyzed. I also suffered third-degree burns over most of my body, had several broken bones, and fractured my skull. I knew my wounds and broken bones would heal, but I lost the use of my legs and was told I would never walk again."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Emily said.

Several others comforted Mr. Camouflage.

"As I lay in the hospital recovering, I hadn't logged into my computer in weeks. When I finally had access to a computer, none of my passwords worked, not just for my Shadow accounts, but for all my accounts. It was as if any digital footprint of my identity had been completely erased from history. I didn't exist."

"That's so terrifying," Lauren said.

"As you all know, we live in such a digital world I couldn't really do anything. I had no money and no social currency whatsoever."

"Didn't you have family or friends you could call or stay with?" Lauren asked.

"Sadly, no. The life of a hacker doesn't really lend itself to being all that social. Anyone who I could call on as my friend only existed in the digital world."

"So what did you do?"

"I stayed at the hospital where they continued to rehabilitate me and feed me, give me a place to stay. One day when I went out, I was abruptly taken against my will and put in a van just as you have all experienced. When I awoke, I found myself in the back of a bus being lead to a slaughterhouse."

"You have us now," Cheryl said. "We're your friends."

"Yeah," Lauren chimed in. "We look after each other."

# Chapter Fourteen

Allie and Dane were chased down, captured, and beaten within an inch of their lives. Barely conscious, they were tied up and dragged into an enclosed structure. Allie was slow to regain her senses. Through her swollen eyes, she saw one of the men on top of her. Her shirt had been ripped open and she was about to be taken advantage of. She struggled to get free, but her arms and legs were tied securely above her head.

As the nasty man groped her, Allie did everything in her limited power to fight him off. She squirmed, screamed, spit, and even tried to bite him, but that only further provoked her attacker. The man slapped Allie and forced a dirty rag into her mouth. She spit it out immediately, which set him off. He grabbed her by the throat and began to choke her. He seemed to take pleasure in watching her struggle.

The champion spirit in her burned hot. With every ounce of fight left in her, she was determined not to give up.

Just when all hope seemed lost, she heard an all too familiar sound of a skull being hit with a blunt object. The man's eyes rolled into the back of his head moments before collapsing on top of her. Standing behind him was a battered and bloodied Dane, limping and holding a thick metal pipe.

"Dane!" Allie rejoiced. "How did you get free?"

Dane reached in his back pocket and held up a small knife. Adorning a blood-soaked smile, he held it out proudly and said, "I had this stashed in my sock."

Not wanting to waste any time, Dane freed Allie from the ties that bound her and helped her to her feet.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Seriously?"

"Well, you know, all things considered."

"I usually get paid after getting beat up," Allie said.

"I usually get paid after being groped."

"Was that a joke?" Allie asked.

"Yes, a terrible one. I'm sorry."

Allie didn't respond. Instead she put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Dane, thank you. Seriously. You saved my life."

"Twice," Dane said with a wink.

"Shut up," she shot back. "Look, we're still not out of the woods just yet. We need to figure out how to get out of here. How are you feeling? Anything broken?"

"I'm not sure, probably, but I'm still standing, aren't I?"

"Okay, good. I have a plan."

Just then, the door opened abruptly and another man entered. He saw Allie laying on the floor, tied up, with her shirt ripped open, her bare breasts exposed. Dane lay tied up on the other side of the room with his eyes closed. There was blood on the floor, but the man paid it no mind. Looking at both of them, the man turned his attention back on Allie, and undid his belt.

The trap had been set and the man took the bait. He crouched down and began to remove Allie's pants, that's when the cold steel pipe slammed into the side of his face. The dense thud of smashed flesh was a little unnerving, but given the situation, was highly satisfying.

Allie sprung back to her feet and removed the man's belt completely.

"What are you doing?" Dane whispered.

"Let's make sure he's dead," she said.

She flipped the man over and wrapped the belt around his neck. With her knee pressed firmly into the man's spine, she cranked as hard as she could. The man's head lifted off the ground and turned purple. Veins protruded from his neck and forehead as she held the choke, gritting her teeth with a rage and disdain unlike anything Dane had seen from her before.

"Okay, you got him. That's enough," Dane said.

"I have no sympathy for these less-than human scumbags."

"Yeah, me neither, but there's still two of them left. What do you want to do? Same plan as these guys?"

"No, now it's two on two. Let's hunt them down like the animals they are."

"Cool, but you might want to fix your shirt... your um... things are hanging out."

Allie looked down at her breasts and covered herself.

"Don't worry, I didn't look. I mean, not for that long. Nice abs by the way."

With a trusty metal pipe in his hand, Dane walked confidently behind Allie. He was happy to follow her lead. Allie had a two-foot long chain, which she had bundled up. They searched room by room in the old facility until they came across a large open space with a table in the middle. Two men sat at the table, drinking beer and playing cards.

"Surprise, surprise," Allie said, entering the room. "You two may want to check on your rapist /cannibalistic friends. I don't think their feeling too good."

Both men stood up and grabbed their weapons — one had a baseball bat and the other had a machete.

Allie walked forward, releasing her grip on the chain bundle. It slowly unravelled and dragged along the floor. When she was within striking distance, the man with the machete lunged at her in a swiping motion. Allie's lightning fast reflexes quickly slipped out of the way. The man pulled back and chopped at her once again. This time, Allie whipped the chain up, causing it to wrap around the man's wrist. She tugged him just enough to knock him off his balance.

While still holding onto the chain, she spun around with a 360° spin kick that landed cleanly against the side of his face. The force sent him flying backward onto the table, breaking it in half and collapsing around him. Cards and poker chips flew up and scattered about. Allie removed the machete from his limp hand, raised it high in the air, and buried it into the centre of his chest.

The last man looked shocked. He gripped the baseball bat tightly and charged at Allie. He swung at her head, but missed. He swung again, but Allie was just too elusive. Each time, she moved just enough out of the way, but could feel the wind as the bat narrowly missed her face.

"Too slow," she said confidently.

Dane was quick to jump in the action. He ran toward them and positioned himself in between the attacker and Allie. The man swung at Dane, but the bat was met with the steel pipe. The man swung again from a different angle, but again Dane blocked it.

Dane then launched an attack of his own. Ducking down, he smashed the heavy pipe into the man's kneecap. The pain was excruciating as the man collapsed to the floor, screaming in agony. Dane stood over him being sure to put his foot and all his weight on top of the hand with the bat. With the other foot, Dane stomped down on the man's face several times with a deep seeded rage. The man's face became increasingly more unrecognizable.

"Here, let me finish him off," Allie said, removing the machete from the other dead man. She wiggled it loose and walked over to the unconscious man. With no remorse, she chopped at the man's throat, opening up a large gash.

"Jeez, couldn't you have just strangled him like the last guy?"

"What do you mean, I pulled this machete from the last guy's chest?"

"No, the guy before him. Never mind."

As their heartrates returned to normal, the pain and swelling increased. Both held each other as they hobbled outside with severe limps.

"Doesn't look like we'll be hiking back to camp anytime soon," Dane said.

"Yeah, but we have everything we need here," Allie said.

"Ew, you don't plan to eat those guys, do you?"

"What? No, of course not. I'm assuming they have food other than human flesh here. Why else would they live in the middle of nowhere?" Allie said.

Once outside, they looked out at the setting sun. Before long the sun would set over the horizon and they would be shrouded in darkness.

"I don't suppose you know how to make a fire?" Allie asked.

Dane reached into his pocket, pulled out a lighter, and said, "As a matter of fact, I do."

# Chapter Fifteen

As a general rule, people were advised not to wander off into the woods on their own. A few people preferred to have more privacy, Emily being one of those people, and so in the morning she set off to have some alone time. She was about a hundred yards away from camp and was slowly making her way up a hill. Once she reached the top and came down the other side, she was completely on her own and was secluded from the rest of the group.

Squatting behind a bush, some movement in the distance caught her eye. Thinking it could potentially be someone out to harm her, or a predatory animal, she grew concerned. Posturing up, she saw that it was just the Professor. He appeared to be working on some sort of contraption. There was a vine and a rock that was connected to a pulley system — an animal trap no doubt. Emily was just about to call out to him when the mood changed.

Thinking he was alone, the Professor took a moment of silence before placing the noose around his neck. Emily quickly stood up and called out to the Professor.

"Professor!" she shouted, hobbling through the forest and making her way over to him.

The Professor quickly turned around and looked startled as if he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.

"Whatcha working on?" she asked.

"Nothing, just... uh... checking my traps."

"Catch anything?"

"Not yet."

Without warning, a ravenous mountain lion lunged out of a bush and attacked Emily. The cougar knocked her to the ground and proceeded to thrash around. The Professor wasted no time jumping into action. He leaped on the cougar and began hitting it. The cougar shrugged him off and then turned its focus on the Professor, who was now on his back and breathing heavily.

The cougar stalked forward, his glaring eyes narrowed on to its prey. Emily frantically screamed at the cougar, unsure what to do. She looked at the cougar with fear in her eyes, then she looked at the Professor. He did not share the same fear. He was smiling. Perhaps it would be a more noble death. That's when she noticed the noose around the cougar's neck. It took one step too many, which tripped a switch. The counter weight in a nearby tree came hurling toward the ground, hoisting the mountain lion high in the air. The sudden jerk of the vine-made rope was enough to snap its neck. The cougar's lifeless body dangled freely, swaying back and forth, ten feet off the ground.

"Have you ever had cougar meat before?" the Professor asked. "I hear it's awful."

Professor and Emily made it back to camp suffering only minor injuries. A few of their group members noticed the scratches and ripped clothing, and rushed over to see what happened and if everyone was okay. Most of the attention naturally fell on the pregnant woman. The Professor wasn't much for calling attention to himself so he was happy to slink off and deal with his wounds on his own.

# Chapter Sixteen

With Emily and Professor wounded, everyone was reminded about Dane and Allie. Not only did the group fear the worst, but losing any members would make survival that much more difficult and overthrowing The Shadow even more unrealistic.

"Do you think they're okay?" Lauren asked. "I feel so bad."

"You can't blame yourself, Lauren," Cheryl said, "This is hardly your fault."

"It was," she sulked. "I wandered off when I knew I shouldn't have. Had I not done that—"

"Allie made her own decision to leave. Dane made his own decision to follow," Mr. Camo said.

"It has been a long day and I think we need to consider the possibility that they may never return," the Professor said. "There's seven of us now. Are we all still of the same mindset we had two days ago? I think it's a conversation worth having. I don't know about the rest of you, but for me, I'm seriously questioning our original decision."

"So you think our odds of taking down The Shadow are seriously diminished without Dane and Allie?" Train asked. "I mean, no offense to those two, but what did they really offer in terms of a revolt?"

"What do any of us offer?" Lauren countered.

"We all offer something unique in our own way. On our own we cannot affect change, but collectively, we each provide value," Cheryl said.

"And Dane's value is... what? Wise cracks? Getting on people's nerves? And Allie, forgive me, but she didn't really say anything to anyone," the Professor said. "How much do we really know about her?"

"Allie saved my life," Lauren said to the Professor. "If it weren't for her bravery and martial arts skill, I would be dead right now."

"Dane too," Train defended his friend. "I know he can be a little much to handle at times, but he ran after Allie, a woman he hardly knows, because she may be in danger. To me that shows courage and loyalty, two qualities that are not so easy to come by in a person."

"Two qualities this group needs," Cheryl added.

"We should talk about next steps," Lynn said. "I say we stay here for a few more days and allow them to come back to us. We can send out search parties to increase our odds of finding them."

"How do we even know they're still alive?" the Professor asked.

"We don't, but we need to assume they are and stay put," Lynn said. "Otherwise, they may never find us."

"Mr. Camo only has a few days left before his batteries are completely drained," Cheryl reminded. "We need to keep moving otherwise we'll have to carry him."

"Mr. Camouflage, I'd like to hear what you think." the Professor said.

After a moment of careful reflection, Mr. Camouflage spoke, "I think it has been a rough couple of days for all of us. We're all sleep and food deprived. We have an impossible task ahead of us... and now with the added weight of having two of our colleagues go missing, I think the pressure is building up and we need to take a step back and breathe.

"Let's assume Dane and Allie are fine since we have no reason to suspect otherwise. We need to think about our own survival. We're in desperate need of food and water, and I think that should take priority. We should keep moving and see what we discover."

"So we're leaving?" Lauren asked.

"I understand you don't want to leave Allie and Dane behind, but there's no food and water where we are. For the sake of the group, we must continue on and hope they find their way back to us... or have found food, water, and shelter for themselves."

"What about the plan?" Lynn asked.

"I don't see any other option, but I obviously don't speak for everyone," Mr. Camouflage said. "If anyone wishes to make their opinion known, let now be the opportunity for that. Does anyone wish to change their vote?"

Silence fell among the group. Everyone was either looking down at the ground or at each other.

"Very well, it looks as though no one is willing to come forward and address any new concerns so I will take their silence as an act of compliance. Therefore, the plan remains intact and we shall proceed as such. Let's all try and get a good night's rest and head out early in the morning."

The thought of seeing Professor nearly succumb to pressures and take his own life kept Emily up at night. Before she went to bed, she wanted to talk to him in hopes of trying to understand his mind frame, ensure he was doing alright, and to see if there was anything she could do to help.

"Hey, Emilio, is this seat taken?" Emily spoke softly.

"I was saving it for you."

Emily sat down next to the Professor and basked in the warmth of the fire.

"How're the wounds?" Professor asked.

"Not too bad. Minor scrapes, how about yours."

"When you get to be my age, you tend not to heal as quickly, but I should be fine. It's just too bad we don't have proper first aid out here to clean the wound and keep it from getting infected."

"What's your story?" Emily asked. "Who's waiting for you back home?"

"Honestly, nobody. Wife passed away, no kids, no friends."

"I'm sure there's someone back home who cares about you."

"I doubt it. I made a lot of selfish choices in my life. Was always too busy for family and friends. I prioritized work over all else. If I had to do it all over again, I would have spent less time in the lab and more time at home."

"I'm sure without your contributions, humanity wouldn't be as far along."

"All my work was scrapped — a complete waste. Nothing is worse than realizing you sacrificed everything, gave up your entire life to pursue something that ultimately was meaningless."

"But you couldn't have known that."

"They say success is measured by how many people show up at your funeral. But when I die, no one will even notice."

"Don't say that. I just met you and you already made a huge impact on me."

"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

"Or I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Either way, I'm pretty much useless without my lab."

"You have value beyond what you can possibly know. This is not a problem you can think your way out of. Life is an art, not a science. And you never know what the future has in store for you. Life cannot be measured in snapshots. Only once a life is complete can we look back on it and see just some of the contributions you made and the lives you touched."

"For someone as young as you are, you sure have a lot of wisdom. I appreciate that. You've given this old man a new perspective to think about."

# Chapter Seventeen

It was their first night at the theme park and Dane and Allie were still recovering from a taxing battle that left them both debilitated. This was on top of the exhausting hike and spending two days in the woods with very little food and water. They were in no condition to hike back to camp, especially considering they had found nearly everything they needed at the park. It made more sense for them to stay put, rest up and heal, and hope the group would find them.

Fortunately, after doing some exploring, they found plenty of food, water, clothing, medicine, weapons, and shelter. Frozen, microwavable dinners had never looked so appealing. The two ate and kept conversation to a minimum. Now that it was just them, it was a bit awkward. They hardly knew each other and were forced into a completely absurd scenario. Allie mostly kept her head down and focused on her food. Dane made a few attempts at conversation, but was having trouble breaking down her barriers.

"How's your food?" he asked.

"I've had better."

After a satisfying dinner, the two settled in for the night. They moved the bodies and cleaned up a bit since they weren't sure how long they would call this place home. Dane went outside and lit a few logs in the fire pit. Eventually, they found themselves sitting around the campfire, watching the stars. The rain had subsided, but the grounds were still wet.

"You want me to get you a blanket?" Dane offered.

"Sure, that would be great, thanks."

As much as Dane wanted to have some romantic spark to develop between him and Allie, she wasn't the flirtatious type so it was hard to get a read on her. He thought it would be best not to pursue anything with her.

Most of the time, Allie was stone faced and emotionless. In all the time Dane had spent with her, he rarely saw her smile, tell a joke, or let her guard down. Nevertheless, they had been through an ordeal together and their bond was growing stronger.

"So... ever kill anyone before?" Dane asked.

"That's what you want to talk about?"

"I don't know, is there something else you prefer talking about? You want to know why my girlfriend left me?"

"I can pretty much guess."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are you aware of how you come across?"

"Charming? Smart? Heroic?"

"I would say more like annoying, intense, and overbearing."

"Dang, and here I thought I saved your life today... twice!"

"You did, and I'm forever grateful. You have some great qualities and I'm not trying to take anything away from you. But as an MMA fighter, I look at everything in terms of deficiencies, and then work hard to correct those defects."

"What do you mean?"

"In mixed martial arts, we need to be well rounded, right? We need to be good at striking, grappling, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and so on. We need to have good strength and conditioning, maintain a proper diet, make weight, align with a strong team of training partners and coaches, and strategize a game plan for each opponent. Perhaps most importantly is our mind. We need self-belief, courage, and heart. Then there's a whole other marketing and business component to it, which requires a completely different list of skills from being personable and charismatic. My point is, there are a lot of different elements that go into becoming a world-class fighter."

"Alright."

"So think of all these different aspects as buckets with varying degrees of fullness. Some fighters have full jiu-jitsu and wrestling buckets, but their striking and cardio buckets are underserved. Or some may be excellent strikers, but don't work on their ground game."

"Okay, so what does this have to do with me?" Dane asked.

"I'm getting to that. To be a complete fighter, you must work hard to fill up as many buckets as you can, without over training, wearing down your body, peaking too soon, and getting injured. But all these elements are leaky buckets so if you neglect one for too long, it will drain and your skills in that area will diminish.

"So you must divide your time to figure out which buckets you're going to fill, how often, how much, when, and so on. It's a really delicate balancing game. The best fighters in the world have really full buckets in every category. The worst have mostly empty buckets."

"Okay..."

"My point is this... this metaphor doesn't just apply to fighters. It applies to life in general. Each of our personalities are made up of different buckets: we have kindness buckets, intelligence buckets, various emotional buckets, bravery, honesty, integrity... Life is about filling up your buckets and becoming as complete a person as possible. To be the best person you possibly can. With you, I point out your deficiencies so you know what to work on. You have holes in your game and I'm ultimately helping you, not tearing you down."

"I understand, and I just want to point out that that was the most I've ever heard you speak before. Perhaps your tough-girl persona bucket is getting low."

Allie showed a rare smile and said, "I'm not at my best right now."

"Being tough is not better than being sweet and kind. Kindness isn't a weakness, it's a strength. People who are kind build trust and develop deeper relationships with people and in this world, having strong relationships is a more advantageous asset than being tough. Look no further than our current situation. None of us are likely to survive on our own for too long. But there's strength in numbers. That's a very different mentality than you may be used to. Fighting is a very solo endeavour. Granted you have coaches and teammates, but you're the only one in that cage. But in life, this is a team sport."

"Perhaps you're right," Allie said. "I need to learn to trust more and open up to people."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No. I always saw them as a distraction."

"Now that you're not fighting, have you thought about what the next stage of your life will be like? Do you want to get married one day?"

"I never really thought about it. I guess if the right person came along, I'd be open to it. But with the situation I'm in now... who knows."

"What about kids? Have you given any thought to that?"

"Wow, you're getting really personal."

"This is my strength. I get people to open up and trust me. Sharing personal details with each other is one of the ways people connect with each other. I can tell you about me. My girlfriend didn't want kids, but I did. She thought the future was too uncertain, and that bringing a child into this mess was irresponsible and selfish. Next thing I know, she tells me she's pregnant and then breaks up with me."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why did she break up with you after becoming pregnant?"

"I'm not sure."

"Did you ask her?"

"Plenty of times."

"So what did she say?"

"She kept saying that she doesn't want to be with me anymore."

"Forgive me for asking, but..."

"I know what you are going to ask and yes, the baby is mine. I made her take a DNA test."

"I'm not sure what to tell you," Allie said.

"Maybe it's not that she didn't want to have kids... she just didn't want to have kids with me."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. What can I do?"

"You want my advice? As for the relationship, let that go. That's a dead end. You should focus one hundred percent of your energy on being in your child's life, plain and simple."

"What about me and my happiness? Don't I have a right to find love?"

"Do whatever you want with that. All I'm saying is you have a responsibility whether you planned it or not. So unless you are dead or in prison, there should be no excuse."

"Well, I may not be dead or in prison yet, but either of those options seems likely given the trajectory I'm on."

"I've never told this to anyone..." Allie said, still a little bashful about sharing personal details with someone she hardly knows. "But I've always dreamed of having a daughter... giving her all the wisdom and things I never had growing up, but without all the baggage. I fight because I have to, but I never want my daughter to be in that situation. I want to provide a better life for her. But who knows if that'll ever happen now."

# Chapter Eighteen

Dane and Allie made their way around the abandoned park, exploring the grounds and trying to imagine how it must have looked in its former glory. The once brightly coloured signage and rides where sun-baked and faded, surviving a world war and suffering nearly one hundred years of neglect. Tall weeds grew up the sides of the old buildings and broke through the crumbling pavement as rust and erosion had taken over the weathered metal. Some buildings were completely demolished and unfit to enter while others were still pristine as if they had been built recently.

"You know, this is my first time being at a theme park," Dane said.

"Mine too," Allie replied.

"Too bad it's in the state it's in. I would have liked to see what all the hype was about. Looked like it could be a fun time."

"Are there even any theme parks still in operation?" Allie asked.

"I don't know... I doubt it. It feels more like one of those things they had in the olden days before the internet and virtual reality."

"I never understood why this place was called Unity World when their mascot was called Bonky. Why not call it Bonky's World, or the call their mascot the Unity Bear or something."

"It was named after what's his face — that billionaire dude who created our currency."

"Look there's Bonky," Dane said standing next to the giant rusted and smashed head that was half buried in mud. They took a moment of silence as if they were mourning the death of an actual living person.

"He's seen better days," Allie said.

"Yeah, this whole place has. At some point this place was filled with little sugar-induced kids on tethers, pulling their oversized parents like untrained dogs. Think of all the fun memories families created here."

"Now all those people are dead," Allie said. "Every last one of them."

"Dang, Allie, that's dark," Dane turned to her with a furrowed brow.

"What? It's true."

The two continued to explore the park and look for anything they could use for survival. There wasn't much as it was previously occupied by others. Anything that would be of value was likely scavenged long ago.

"The good news is that these guys were living here for some time and it doesn't seem as though anyone ever came out here. We can likely enjoy similar privacy," Allie said.

"It doesn't look like they had any transportation though. Or maybe they do have transportation, and somebody is out with it. For all we know, they could have several more members of their squad coming back at any moment."

"Doubtful. I don't see any tire impressions," Allie said.

"Maybe the rain washed them away, or they park far away and walk."

"Why would they do that?"

"I don't know," Dane said, struggling to come up with a viable explanation.

"To your point, we shouldn't let our guards down and get too comfortable or complacent. Speaking from a fighter's perspective, that's when mistakes happen."

"I agree."

There was one last building they had yet to explore. It didn't look the same as the other buildings. It appeared to be more of an administrative office not meant for the public. It was in fairly decent shape as well, which was promising. The walls were still standing and intact, and the roof had yet to collapse. As usual, they approached with caution, unsure what they might find.

"It's locked," Dane said, trying the door knob.

"Kick it down."

"You kick it down," Dane fired back. "My knee hurts."

Allie rolled her eyes and shoved Dane out of the way.

Dane watched with anticipation as Allie charged at the thick metal door. She planted her boot firmly by the lock and kicked as hard as she could. The door didn't budge, which caused Dane to chuckle. Allie stepped back and delivered another swift kick. Again, nothing happened.

Dane laughed more and began to tease her. "Hey, just imagine the door holding a gun," he mocked.

Infuriated and determined, Allie gave a third kick with more intensity than the first two. This time, the frame broke and the door swung open. Dane stood in awe.

"Okay, I'm impressed," he said.

Allie looked at Dane and said, "Ladies first," motioning for him to enter.

Dane led the way, entering the old building. The light barely penetrated the grimy windows, most of which were broken. Inside, the place looked like it hadn't been touched since the place had closed. It was as if they had stepped out of a time machine and caught a glimpse of what life was like a hundred years ago. There were old desks with computers, printers, filing cabinets, stacks of paper, and the floors were covered in debris.

"See anything?" Allie asked.

"Not yet," Dane said, picking up a stapler. "What the hell does this thing do?" He tossed it aside.

Allie continued through the building until she found a secondary entrance to the building along with several other rooms. It didn't look too promising until they came upon one final door. Allie opened it and couldn't believe her eyes. She stood speechless staring into an old large storage closet. It housed racks of modern weapons, ammunition, and food.

Dane saw her and came over to see what she was looking at.

"Whoa, jackpot!" he said. "Looks like we found the mother lode."

"Dane, careful," Allie said. "Look."

On the floor, slumped against the wall was an old battle droid, a remnant from the robot uprising. It appeared to be in good condition, which was rare. Nearly every droid had been destroyed and strict laws where imposed, prohibiting anyone from possessing or creating droids.

"What the hell is that thing doing here?" Dane asked, crouching down next to it for a closer look. "I thought all those were destroyed in the war."

"Apparently not."

Dane moved in closer to get a better look.

"Hey, get away from that thing. Don't touch it. It could have sensors that activate it. We could be awakening a sleeping giant."

"Wait, are you afraid of robots?" Dane whipped his head around to look at Allie. "The powerful Allie... whatever your last name is... is afraid of robots?" he mocked.

"I'm not sure why that surprises you. Robots are responsible for more death than anything else on this planet."

"I've looked into it," Dane said, "those numbers have been exaggerated."

"Either way, they're dangerous."

"You're a cage fighter and have run toward every dangerous situation you've come across since I met you, which, by the way, has been less than a week. During that short time, I've witnessed first-hand you beat and kill several people."

"It was self-defence."

"Regardless, I wouldn't peg you as someone who's afraid of a pile of metal."

"You don't know if that thing is still active or not. For all we know, it could jump up and murder us both before we even—"

Just then, Dane jumped back and shouted, scaring Allie half to death. After which he had a good laugh.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" she said.

"I'm going to have so much fun with this."

"I really don't see what the big deal is," Allie said. "Can we just take some of these guns and get the hell out of here."

"You don't want to stick around with our robot pal here and see if he wants to hang out. Who knows, maybe he's a good robot," Dane said with an aggravating smirk on his face as he kicked its leg.

"Dane, stop it. I'm being serious."

Dane and Allie grabbed whatever they could carry and took it back to the place in which they were staying. They made several trips, but didn't want to take everything. They made a decision to leave a separate stash of food and weapons in case their first stash was compromised.

On their final trip, they decided to give each other some alone time. Dane was only tolerable in small doses and was really good and getting on people's nerves.

"I'm going to take a shower," Allie said.

"Alright, I'll find something to do."

Dane kicked rocks as he wandered around aimlessly. The empty park was more than a little unnerving, especially with a mountain of rotting corpses nearby. They had enough sense to move them far enough away so that bears and other predators wouldn't come by. They would have preferred to bury them or burn them, but were too beat up to take on a project of that scale. Instead, they dragged the bodies a hundred yards and dumped them in a gulley.

Dane crouched low next to the creek and filled his hands with the cold running water. He splashed it on his face and took several sips to quench his thirst. He hung out by himself, collecting his thoughts, until he decided to head back inside.

As he as walked casually back to the building in which they were staying, something caught the corner of his eye. Several low-flying drones were canvassing the park. Their green lasers crawled along objects and scanned the grounds before heading into each of the buildings.

"Dammit," Dane said, crouching behind the same piece of equipment he had hid behind earlier when he rescued Allie.

He thought for a moment about what he should do. The drones were surely looking for them, but even if they weren't, Dane and Allie didn't need any unwanted attention. They were on the run now so anyone who finds them could potentially turn them in.

Dane kept poking his head over a fence, waiting for the perfect moment to make a run for it and warn Allie. There were three drones going in and around the buildings. As soon as all three were out of sight, Dane stood up and sprinted toward the building in which he and Allie were staying.

Allie was in the middle of her shower when Dane unexpectedly burst through the door.

"Dane, what the hell are you doing?" Allie shouted, quickly covering up.

"Shush," Dane said, placing his finger over his mouth. The look on his face let Allie know he wasn't playing around.

"There are three drones outside," Dane whispered. "They're going in and out of each building. It's only a matter of time before they find us. What should we do?"

"Turn around, I need to get dressed," Allie said.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"Dane, turn around!" she said in a shouted whisper.

"Okay, okay."

As Allie got dressed, Dane opened the door a crack and listened for the drones. The faint buzzing was coming closer. "I'm going out there," Allie said, picking up her large assault rifle.

"Are you crazy? You can't go out there. It's too dangerous."

"I tend to run toward danger," she said with a wink.

Before Allie headed out, they heard a barrage of gunfire and explosions.

"What the hell was that?" Dane asked.

"I don't know, but let's go find out."

With a weapon in his hand, Dane reluctantly followed behind Allie. They had been through hell together and Dane was becoming more courageous by the day.

From their vantage point, they saw one of the drones blasted out of the sky and come crashing down. When they looked at what shot it down, they were both surprised to see the droid from the storage closet standing with its guns drawn. It had somehow become activated and began to attack the drones.

The next two drones fell from the onslaught of droid bullets, but the third and final drone was a little more evasive. Using its speed, it accelerated skyward and out of sight. When it returned back down, it positioned itself behind the droid and took aim. It fired a hail of bullets down on the lone droid, causing it to turn around and engage. The drone and the droid blew each other to pieces. The whole thing was rather exhilarating as Allie and Dane watched from the sidelines in awe.

The drone exploded and what was left came crashing down in a smoldering heap of wreckage. The droid was still operational, but was seriously wounded. Without warning, Allie took aim and shot the droid several times until there was nothing left but scrap metal.

"Allie, what did you do that for?" he asked. "That droid was our buddy. It saved our lives."

"Droids don't have 'buddies."

The tension was still high as they were unsure what to do next. They didn't know whether to pack up and run or stay put and wait for their friends. It seemed as though the longer they remained, they would find themselves in more danger.

"Did they see you?" Allie asked.

"I don't think so."

"You don't think so?"

"No, they didn't."

"You sure?

"Yeah, I'm sure. I mean, I can't be totally sure... but I'm pretty sure."

"When they review the footage, hopefully they won't see you in frame."

"What if they found the bodies we stashed in the swamp?" Dane asked.

"I don't know. The drones would have scanned those bodies and determined they were not us," Allie concluded. "But they may also send people out to investigate the situation, especially since their drones were shot down."

"Now that we're off the grid, we should probably remove our chips, right?" Dane suggested.

"We don't exactly have the proper equipment to perform a surgery like that, but if we meet up with the surgeon again — what's her name? Dammit, I've already forgotten her name."

"Lynn," Dane pointed out.

"Right, Lynn. Perhaps Lynn can perform the surgery once we all go back to the city."

"You know, for someone who needs something from someone else, you should really make an effort to learn their name. It's the least you could do."

"It's one of the many things I need to work on," Allie said. "In fairness, it has been a hectic few days and my brain is a little scrambled."

"Speaking of Lynn... where are the rest of our people? Shouldn't they have found us by now?"

# Chapter Nineteen

The group had literally doubled in size overnight. They all gathered around the smoldering fire pit to discuss their next move. They all agreed to keep moving.

With nothing but daylight ahead of them, they set off. The large group talked amongst themselves and got to know each other.

"Hey, Professor, can I talk to you for a minute?" Emily asked.

"Sure, kiddo, what's up?"

"Listen, I never got a chance to properly say thank you."

"Ah, don't mention it," the Professor said, brushing it off.

"Seriously, you saved my life without a moment of hesitation. Without you, me and my baby would have been killed. I'm not sure how I can repay you."

"No need," Professor said with a sincere smile.

"So why do they call you the Professor?"

"Because that's the name I gave them."

"I feel like if someone saved a person's life, they should at least know their real name," she said.

"You look like someone who can keep a secret, am I right?" Professor said.

"Of course."

"I'm sure you understand that there's certain information about me that I wish to keep private."

"You have my word."

"Good. I'll tell you what. My real name is Emilio."

"Aww, that's such a cute name, it sounds like my name," Emily said.

"That's why I never really liked the name, it didn't suit me."

"Well, I don't have a name for this little one yet," she said, patting her belly. "Perhaps I will name him after you in honour of the man who saved our lives."

"You don't need to do that."

"I'll only do it if it suits him, deal?"

"Deal," Professor said with sincerity. There were a lot of heavy emotions that he still needed to work through and wasn't expecting to have to share those feelings with anyone else. He preferred his solitude. "So, I would appreciate it if everything between us remains a secret," The Professor said.

"Of course, anything you want. I am forever indebted to you. And Emilio, if you ever need to talk to someone, just know that I'll always be here for you, okay?"

"I appreciate that very much. Thank you, Emily."

For most of the morning, Lauren walked with one of the newcomers, Blane.

When the group finally stopped for a rest, Lauren pulled Mr. Camouflage and Train aside to discuss something that was bothering her.

"Have any of you two had a conversation with Blane before?" she asked.

"Not really," Mr. Camouflage said.

"We briefly spoke this morning. Why, what's up?" Train said.

"One thing I'm fairly decent at is reading people. Being in the modeling industry, we're constantly exposed to people with insincere intentions or have hidden agendas. Men who say whatever they think I want to hear just to sleep with me, or agents and managers telling me one thing, but meaning another. Anyway, I've become pretty good at seeing through it all and telling when someone is lying."

"So Blane is lying to you? Maybe he's just nervous? Pretty girls tend to make men not behave like themselves."

"No, I don't think it's nerves. I can tell the difference. Let me ask you both something. Take a good look at him... do either of you remember him being on the bus?"

Train and Mr. Camouflage observed Blane from a distance and neither of them could place him on the bus that day.

"Well, to be fair, I sat all the way at the back, so all I saw was the backs of people's heads," Mr. Camouflage said. "Also, I was a little pre-occupied."

"Yeah, same here," Train said. "There were a lot of people that day, a lot of craziness and confusion, and I'm just not that good at remembering people's faces, especially if I haven't met them."

"Well, I do remember faces. I can practically close my eyes and recall everyone that was on that bus that day. I don't think he was there with us."

"So what's your theory? He was just wandering through the woods one day and found a group of people on the run and decided to join them?"

"Maybe, or he's working undercover for The Shadow."

"Really?"

"Whoever he is, I don't trust him."

# Chapter Twenty

Dane hobbled back to the building in which they were staying and made his way over to a cabinet. The whole time he was mumbling to himself. It was his way of dealing with stress. He was in the middle of nowhere with a cute girl who didn't seem to be at all interested in him.

Opening the cabinet, Dane grabbed a blanket and a box of snacks. When he closed the large cabinet door, he was startled by a man standing mere inches away. Dane screamed and dropped the blanket.

"Who the hell are you?" Dane asked.

The man's face was covered except for his eyes, which were painted with dirt. The uninviting stare resembled the intense focus of a lone wolf. The man wore military attire, but not Government Issue. He looked more a kin to a rebel commando of some kind. Dark camouflage and fake moss dangled from his clothes. If he were to lay down in a field, he would be completely undetectable by sight.

Dane continued to asked questions, but was quickly silenced with a punch to the mouth. The blow was enough to drop Dane to the floor. He struggled to regain his composure and began crawling away. Another pair of military-style combat boots stepped into his field of view. His eyes cascaded up to a large man holding an assault rifle.

Before he could warn Allie, Dane felt a pinch in his back an immediately began convulsing. The pain was paralyzing and he was unable to scream. Two men held him up while a third stood in front of him. His legs gave out and he went limp like a wet noodle. Just when he thought he was going to die, the voltage stopped and Dane was brought to his feet. Dane's chin was buried in his chest as he didn't even have the strength to look straight ahead. Then, a thick cold hand grabbed him by the throat and jaw, propping his head up.

"Where is she?" the man asked in a growling voice.

Dane's eyes shot over to the campfire and saw that Allie wasn't there.

"It's... just me," he mumbled out of his squished mouth.

Without warning the man slapped Dane and asked him again.

"I know you're not alone. There's at least two of you here. Two beds, two sets of clothes, two dinners, two chairs by the fire. Where's your girlfriend?"

"I don't have a girlfriend," Dane said. "She left me because—" Seconds later an unexpected fist slammed into Dane's stomach, knocking the wind out of him and buckled his knees.

As Dane gasped for breath, he looked around and counted dozens of boots. He was surrounded. This was not a battle he and Allie would win.

"We couldn't find the other one, sir," one of the soldiers reported.

"Keep looking. She couldn't have gone far."

"Yes, sir."

"What are you two doing out here?" the man asked, staring intensely at Dane.

"It's a long story," Dane said with a laboured breath.

"I've got time."

"We're part of the fringe."

"The fringe? What's that? Some kind of band?"

"No, the fringe, as in, we're being sent to the slaughterhouse."

"What are you talking about?"

"Wait, who are you?" Dane asked. "You're not here to kill me?"

"I haven't decided yet. Keep talking."

"Each year, the government assesses the output of all its citizens... as I'm told. The least productive members of society are gathered against their will, packed on a bus, and sent to be executed. I was with a group that escaped. I'm surprised you don't know about this."

"Get up."

Dane brought himself to one knee and pushed himself up. He wasn't sure if the man was a friend or foe so he continued to be cooperative. It appeared he had information that the man wanted. That could very well be his only bargaining chip keeping him and Allie alive.

"Tell me everything you know," the man said.

"Look, it's been a long day, would you mind if I sit down and get a drink of water?" Dane asked, buying himself some time so that he could think. The man thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

Just then, six soldiers came running back to report their findings. "We found something disturbing, sir," one of them said.

"What is it?"

"Bodies, six of them. They appear to be brutally beaten and killed."

The main soldier had yet to respond. He looked at Dane with confusion.

"Where are the others?" the man asked. "How many in your team?"

Before Dane could answer, a gunshot rang out, causing everyone to be on high alert. Everyone scattered behind objects, including Dane. With weapons drawn, they aimed out of the building.

"Stay alert!" the captain shouted.

Four more shots entered the building, but missed their targets. Sparks flew as bullets ricocheted around.

Then the brigade of rogue commandos fired back. A fury of hellfire blasted into the night, lighting up the sky in flashes, at some unknown target. The melee lasted several seconds as Dane turtled up under a table, covering his ears.

"Cease fire!" the main soldier commanded.

After a pause, another round of gunfire came back, this time from an automatic weapon. Allie wasn't going down without a fight.

Without saying a word, the man in charge signaled to some of his troops to head out the back and circle around. As badass as Allie was, she was in way over her head. Outmatched, outnumbered, and overpowered, this was a fight she was not going to win. Dane didn't want to see her get hurt so he yelled out. "Stop!"

This gave the lead soldier an idea. Shielding himself behind a large metal structure, he yelled out into the dark.

"Hold your fire! We have your boyfriend and if you don't surrender, we'll kill him."

"Dude, I'm not her boyfriend," Dane uttered through his bloody mouth.

"You have exactly five seconds to make up your mind. Five. Four. Three. Two—"

"Okay!" a voice shouted back.

"Come out with your hands up. Walk toward the light where we can see you. We have you surrounded. If you try anything funny, we'll kill both of you."

It took a second, but Allie came out from her hiding spot with her hands in the air.

"Okay, I see you. Very good. Now, keep walking toward me. Nice and slow."

Allie was still in battle mode, they could see it in her eyes. She hated herself for giving up, but it was the smart thing to do. Once she was out in the open, four soldiers approached her cautiously with their guns drawn.

Dane watched on, unsure if she would fight back in one last ditch effort of heroism. When the soldiers finally put their hands on her, Allie yielded and allowed them to detain her.

# Chapter Twenty-One

Lauren did what she was told and kept an eye on Blane. She continued to talk to him in hopes he would reveal some piece of information, a backstory that sounded unconvincing, or some other detail that seemed off.

At one point in the day, Blane snuck off discreetly, but Lauren took notice. While it was common for people to venture out on their own, it was mainly for the purpose of using the washroom or gathering supplies. Blane didn't appear to be doing either of these things.

Lauren followed Blane into the woods until they were both far removed from camp. With each step, she felt more afraid. After all, she was alone in the woods, too far away for anyone to hear her cries for help. She kept her distance, but was unwilling to head back.

The entire time, he kept looking over his shoulder to ensure no one was following him. That was another red flag. Lauren desperately wanted to know what he was hiding.

When Blane stopped, Lauren eventually became close enough where she could get a good look at what he was up to. He appeared to have some sort of communication device in his hand. While remaining hidden from view, Lauren accidently stepped on a twig, causing Blane to quickly turn in her direction. It was no use attempting to hide. He had already seen her.

Lauren's heart was racing. She was too far away to run and too weak to fight. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind. At the top of that list was the thought that Blane would rape and kill her, then blend back into the group as if nothing happened. She hadn't told anybody where she was. People would just assume she wandered off and got lost again. They may not even go looking for her.

Thinking fast, she felt there was only one option. She emerged from behind the tree she was hiding behind with a seductive smile. "You found me," she said in a flirtatious manner.

"I didn't know you were lost," Blane said. "Were you following me?"

"I was trying to surprise you."

"You were?"

"Uh-huh."

Blane approached closer and was trying to get a read on her. Lauren was being flirtatious. She placed her hand on his shoulder and slowly circled around him, playing coy. Her hands rubbed on his back and arms, her fingers ran through his hair.

"I'm glad we're finally alone," she said.

Blane didn't say anything. It wasn't common for him to be seduced by a famous supermodel.

"From the moment I saw you on the bus, I thought you were cute."

"Yeah?"

"I remember standing on the road and wanting to be in your group, and now here we are."

"Call it destiny," he said with a nervous laugh.

"Okay, then... it's destiny," she said, getting even closer to him. "And you know what else?"

"What?"

Just then, Lauren grabbed the gun that was tucked in the back of his jeans and pulled it out. "You were never on that bus, motherfu—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Blane said, putting his hands up in the air. "Don't shoot."

"Who the hell are you?" Lauren barked at him.

"I'm Blane, you know me. I'm just like you, okay. Please, you have to believe me."

"I'm sick of disgusting, nasty, deceitful men lying to me. Say your name is Blane one more time and I will blow your head off."

"Okay, look. My name is Andre Warner, and you're right I was never on the bus with you guys. The truth is, I'm on the run just like you. I assure you our interests are aligned."

"Lies."

"No, honestly, I'm telling the truth. I just figured everyone was talking about a bus and nobody seemed to know each other. I guess I just sort of got caught up in the mix and lied. It was a stupid decision, but I figured it was the best chance of survival. Look at me, I'm not an outdoorsy person."

"Who were you communicating with?"

"My family. They're worried about me and I was just telling them that I made some new friends and I was going to be okay."

"More lies. Show me the device."

"Lauren, look," the man paused, clearly unwilling to cooperate. "Let's go back to camp and I will tell everyone the truth. Let the group decide what they want to do with me. Just... put the gun down, okay?"

Lauren thought about it for a moment and agreed. "Start walking."

"Thank you. I'll clear everything up, okay? I promise."

"Shut up and walk."

The two began walking back to camp. The whole time Blane, or Andre, whatever his actual name was, kept talking.

"You made the right decision, Lauren. Thank you."

"Just keep moving," she said sternly. "Hurry up."

"Look, I want to apologize again for lying to you. It was wrong and I shouldn't have done that."

"Say another word and I'll shoot you where you stand."

"Please, you don't have to do that."

As the two walked back to camp, Lauren kept an intense focus on her target. She held the gun high and her arms were beginning to fatigue. She was also trying not to trip so she kept looking at the ground.

Blane took notice and waited for the right moment to strike. He saw that she had relaxed her focus and was no longer pointing the gun at him. When Lauren least expected, Blane turned around and lunged forward, grabbing Lauren by the wrist. A struggle ensued as they wrestled for the loaded gun. Lauren screamed and the two fell to the ground with Blane landing on top of her.

A gunshot blasted through the tall trees causing flocks of birds to scatter. Then there was silence.

Blood soaked Lauren's shirt and her facial expression was frozen. Everyone heard the scream and the gunshot, and came running. When they arrived, they saw Blane on top of Lauren and weren't sure what they had stumbled upon.

"Lauren!" Train called out.

He ran over to them and pushed Blane off her. His lifeless body slumped over and his dead eyes starred up at the sky. In Lauren's hand was a small calibre handgun, still hot.

Lauren was covered in Blane's blood and was in complete shock. It was the third traumatic event that she had experienced in the past week. She immediately dropped the gun and scrambled to her feet, plunging into Train's chest. She began crying uncontrollably. Train wrapped his giant arms around her and told her everything was going to be okay.

"I got you, don't worry," he reassured her.

Lauren wasn't the only one in shock. Everyone was completely caught off guard and confused. They were asking each other what happened even though Lauren was the only one who truly knew.

Lauren was escorted back to camp, leaving Blane in his final resting place. The group gathered around her.

"Everyone, please, back up and give Lauren some space," Train said defensively, still holding her tightly.

She was given a moment to catch her breath and collect her thoughts, but everyone was eager to find out what had happened. Some members of the group became concerned for her mental well-being, questioning her sanity. They wondered what could have possibly led to one member of their team to fatally shoot another, and where did she obtain a gun?

# Chapter Twenty-Two

Allie and Dane refused to talk until their safety was guaranteed. The man in charge had yet to give them his name. He had bound their hands and feet, blindfolded them, and escorted them to an armoured vehicle.

Dane's blindfold had slipped low on his face, allowing him to see the vehicles. As far as he could tell, there were three large combat vehicles that were nearly the size of dump trucks. They were covered in armour plates, had anti-deflate tires, gun turrets, and narrow slots for the driver to see. A reinforced bumper adorned the front of the vehicle, giving it the appearance that it could drive through a building.

Whoever this group was, Dane was afraid. They were well-equipped with heavy artillery and trained for combat. But Dane wondered, if they weren't with the Shadow and they weren't with the men from the park, who were they, what were they doing in the middle of nowhere late at night? Perhaps most importantly, he wondered where they were planning on taking him and Allie. The last group they ran into were cannibal rapists, but this group seemed much different. They were organized and functioned with strict rules and a loose code of ethics.

Dane and Allie were led to the back of one of the vehicles and loaded up like cargo. While they searched for their footing, they walked up a ramp, struggling to maintain their balance. Both were shoved into a corner. Dane hit the solid metal floor, then felt Allie's full weight piled on top of him, which he wasn't prepared for. He winced in pain, but immediately asked Allie if she was alright.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Who are these people?"

"I have no idea, maybe PMCs."

"What's that?"

"Private Military Contractors — a private army usually hired by a wealthy individual for protection or to carry out certain missions."

"No talking!" one of the military men commanded as he smashed Dane in the face with the butt end of his rifle.

The large vehicle started up and pulled away silently.

Blindfolded with their hands and feet bound, Dane and Allie lay on their sides, bouncing around the back of a truck. The metal floor was cold, hard, and unforgiving, but despite their discomfort, Dane was actually able to get some sleep. Since nodding off, it was impossible for him to gauge an accurate estimate of how much time had passed. They had been driving for what seemed like an hour or more, but they had lost all sense of time long ago.

The vehicle came to a stop. Marching boots, the squeak from a heavy door, hands grabbing Dane and Allie— they had to rely on their other senses to orient themselves. They were hauled to their feet and led off the truck. The cool, nighttime air wafted the unmistakable smell of old, wet concrete.

Dane's mask was still slightly misaligned, which nobody noticed. He kept his head down, but on occasion was looking around to gather more intel. It appeared as though they were in some city, but not the hyper-modern one in which they were from. The city lacked the hustle and bustle in which he was used to. In fact, it was alarmingly quiet, almost as if no one lived there.

They were escorted down a dark alley, the only illumination came from the massive headlights from the three vehicles.

Ever since the war, over ninety percent of the world's population had been wiped out so it was common to find entire abandoned cities. He had heard that sometimes groups of people took residence in them and formed their own mini society, removed from the modern world, but that had yet to be confirmed.

"Move," one of the men said, forcefully shoving Dane from behind. Dane wasn't sure if he could go much faster since his feet were bound and he could barely see. Nevertheless, he picked up his pace and shuffled along.

Dane and Allie were led into a building. Suddenly, they were stopped and pressed up against a wall in a standard stop-and-frisk protocol. If these men wanted them dead, they would have done it a long time ago. Dane and Allie were both thoroughly confused. Just then, both of their masks were taken off and the ties that bound their hands and feet were released.

"Turn around. Slowly."

Dane and Allie followed the instruction. For a brief moment, they faced each other. Dane wanted to ask Allie how she was doing, but didn't want to risk another blow to the face. Besides, given the circumstance, he could pretty much guess how she was doing.

It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the light. Dane looked around and saw that he was in a hallway of some kind. It was an older building with peeling paint and a funky smell. In the distance he could hear the thumping sounds of base.

Looking straight ahead, he was now staring at one of the men, who had since removed all his combat gear. Dane could tell it was the same man because of his piercing blue eyes.

"Follow us," the man said. "Don't look at anyone, don't talk to anyone, and whatever you do, don't try and run. Understood?"

Both Dane and Allie nodded.

"Good. Let's go."

Three men walked in front of them and three men trailed behind as they were led in a single-file line down the hallway and toward a door. The music became louder with each step and with that, both Dane and Allie's curiosity and confusion grew. They both wondered where they were and what was in store for them.

The first thought that entered Dane's head was that they were about to become sacrifices in some dark and twisted cannibalistic ritual. Allie was a warrior and kept thinking of the perfect plan of attack to create an act of subterfuge and escape. However, Dane was with her, which presented more challenges than if she had been alone.

Now standing in front of the door, the main soldier turned around one last time and gave them each a look to ensure compliance. Then he opened the door. The loud music hit them like a punch in the face. At first sight, it appeared to be a seedy nightclub. Several hundred people were packed into a room, drinking and dancing. The three soldiers, now plainly dressed, entered. The crowd parted as they walked their captives through the club like a couple of celebrities.

Neon lights, costumed dancers, a magnificent bar, there was plenty to look at. Among the inebriated crowd, two strippers on stage caught Dane's eye before his attention averted to a beautiful women who passed by with a suggestive glance. As a man who was known to give in to temptation, Dane wished he was there under difference circumstances.

When the convoy of people reached the other end of the club, they passed by two large security guards who stood in front of a solid metal door. The door opened with a scan from one of the guard's badges, and they were brought inside yet another room. Dane rubbernecked one last time to soak in all the excitement.

In front of them was a flight of stairs, which lead to another solid door with even more security. Dane took notice of the cameras mounted in the ceiling. The door opened and they entered cautiously. They were instructed to stand in front of a large desk with a tall chair. The chair was facing the opposite way so they couldn't see the person sitting behind it — an unscrupulous club owner no doubt. Standing at the edge of the desk, the anticipation grew with each passing second.

# Chapter Twenty-Three

After some time, Lauren had calmed down and was ready to open up about what had went down in the woods with her and Blane.

"He was a spy," Lauren began, still unnerved about the whole situation. "I didn't trust him from the beginning. Train and Mr. Camo can attest to that. I'm pretty good with faces and I knew he wasn't on the bus with us. He lied about that. He also lied about his name. His real name was... I'm sorry, I can't remember... but it wasn't Blane.

Lauren began sobbing as she began recounting the story. She had been through a lot and her emotions had been put through a ringer. She buried her face in the palms of her hands. Several people close to her put their arms around her and told her everything would be okay.

Since the war, many people had become desensitized to death and violence. Nobody held Lauren accountable for what had happened, in fact, she was heralded as a hero for picking up what everyone else had missed. It was unfortunate they could no longer question Blane about his agenda and how he was about to find them. The whole ordeal made several people in the group become paranoid and begin to question each other. Perhaps there were more imposters amongst them. Since everyone was in on the plan to overthrow The Shadow, that information could be used against them if it were to fall into the wrong hands.

Mauricio had been gone for a couple of hours while everyone mingled around camp. When he returned, he was completely unaware of the situation.

"Guys, I found something that I think you all should see," he said. He quickly took notice of the temperature of the group and saw Lauren crying among a crowd of sombre faces. He made the logical conclusion that something serious had transpired while he was away. "What did I miss?"

Everyone was still a little shaken up, but Mauricio's discovery captured their attention.

"Who here remembers Unity World?" Mauricio asked.

A handful of people seemed to know what he was talking about.

"I just found one a couple kilometres from here. If we leave now, we can make it before sun down. It may have supplies, but at the very least it'll provide us shelter. It looks as though it may rain again tonight."

"Maybe that's where Dane and Allie are," Cheryl said.

"Does anyone object to relocating to the abandoned theme park?" Train asked.

"I also found a creek. We can follow it the whole way," Mauricio said.

The theme park provided more suitable living standards than their current conditions, especially consider the battery pack on Mr. Camouflage's assisted walking device was running dangerously low. Several people weren't keen on having to hike, but they were willing to forgo the discomfort and endure the pain for water and shelter.

With no other competing options, the agreement was unanimous. They all made a decision to head East to the theme park.

# Chapter Twenty-Four

Standing in a strange office, Dane tried to swallow his nervous energy and put on a brave face. Neither had any idea what to expect. When the chair swiveled around, they were surprised to see the face of a young man who appeared to be about twenty years old.

"Welcome," the man said with a charming smile. He stood tall with broad shoulders, a chiseled jawline, and the physique of a superhero.

Dane and Allie had no idea who this person was or what he wanted with them, but he appeared to be important. He was also a lot nicer than they had expected. Their fears of him being a cannibalistic cult leader quickly subsided.

The man walked over to greet them. His presence made Dane feel insecure as a man, which wasn't exactly saying much. Allie felt an immediate attraction to him.

"Please allow me to introduce myself," the young man said with a confident smile. "My name is Daxon, but you can call me Dax. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The name meant nothing to Dane and Allie, who both looked at each other. They had yet to say a word.

"I'm told you have some information for me," the man said. "But first, let's start with your names."

"I'm Dane and this is Allie."

"Hi," Daxon said, extending his hand to each of them. Dane and Allie were a little caught off guard. They reluctantly shook the man's hand, half expecting it to be some kind of trap. "You must be hungry. Can I get you something to eat?" he offered.

Dane cleared his dry throat and asked, "Do you have a menu?"

Allie shot Dane a look as if it was a ridiculous question to ask.

"What?" Dane mouthed.

Without missing a beat, the man smiled and said, "Of course, where are my manners. I'll have one of my staff bring you and your beautiful girlfriend some menus."

"I'm not his girlfriend," Allie was quick to point out.

"Not yet," Dane shot back.

Daxon laughed and said, "You know what, I like you two. Very well, you're not his girlfriend... but you are beautiful. There's no denying that. What would you like to drink? We have water, cranberry juice, soda, whiskey, beer... No, you don't strike me as a beer people. You strike me as someone who wouldn't accept an open drink from a strange man, am I right? Hey, Ro, can you please grab two bottles of water for our guest? Thanks."

Dane and Allie looked around the plush office. There was a large floor-to-ceiling window to the left that overlooked the entire club.

"So how was the ride over here?" Daxon asked, returning his attention to his new guests.

"First class," Allie said.

"Well, I'm sorry if my men were a little rough. I keep telling them that they need to work on their soft skills. It's what makes us civilized, am I right? We're not barbarians. We're trying to run a society here."

Within seconds, two ice-cold waters arrived, delivered by a beautiful waitress. She removed the drinks from her tray and handed them to Dane and Allie. Dane wasted no time chugging the entire bottle of water.

"What is this place?" Allie asked.

"We are in a formerly abandoned city," Daxon said, returning to his chair. "Here, there are a different set of laws and customs. We believe in people first. But as you know, this way of life threatens the establishment and therefore we need to protect ourselves. But I don't feel I need to worry about you two, am I right? You don't appear to be looking to tear down what we've built."

"No, of course not. We had no idea this place even existed until now."

"Good, we like to keep a low profile."

"There's still the question of what you two were doing at the theme park? And did you kill all those men?" Daxon asked.

"Look... we don't want any trouble," Dane said. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know, and I can assure you, we're no enemy of yours."

"Why don't you start by telling me more about yourselves and how you came to be standing here in my office?"

Dane contemplated for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Do you know about the fringe?" Dane asked.

"Enlighten me."

"Okay, so the fringe is a term for the low performers in society. The crazy government, known as The Shadow, are on a mission to rid the world of the least productive members of society. This means people with low output, little prospect, small number of family or friends, dissenters, disrupters, the displaced, people who are unhappy or negative. Essentially, people who have been deemed as having low social value."

"Go on," Daxon said, probing further.

"This twisted form of social cleansing has taken smart and honest people like ourselves and have reduced us to a number on a spreadsheet. Sure, we may not contribute to society in the most measurable or meaningful way, but we're still valuable. The fringe, as I am told, are rounded up and led to a slaughterhouse. A group of us were on our way to be killed, but we managed to escape."

"Like a couple of piggies who fell off a wagon?" Daxon said.

"Something like that," Dane replied.

"I'm sorry, I interrupted you. Please continue."

"I'm not sure what else I can tell you," Dane said. "I mean, I can tell you that most people aren't even aware of this policy. From what I know, The Shadow wants to keep the population to a billion, or less, and just keep the best and brightest — those who are deemed to have a high social utility to further progress the species and not overburden the planet of resources."

After a brief explanation, Dane stopped to allow Daxon to process what he had just heard. A look of bewilderment adorned the face of the young leader as he wasn't expecting to hear this news.

"Your story resonates with me," Daxon said, pausing briefly to collect his thoughts. "The vast majority of people who make our community had been displaced in one way or another. Rejected by a society that frankly no longer served them nor fit with their values. So believe me, I get it and am sympathetic to your struggle."

"That's a relief to hear," Dane said with a slight chuckle. "The last group we met wanted to rape her, kill me, then eat us both for dinner."

"That seems like a rude way to treat guests," Daxon said. "But let me ask you, if people, as you say, are largely unaware of this fringe policy," Daxon paused, "how do you know about it?"

"Well, I met a guy who told me."

"You met a guy?" Daxon repeated.

"Yes."

"What guy?"

"He was with us on the bus. Ask Allie, she can verify everything I'm saying."

Daxon looked over at Allie who sat there stoned-faced. She neither confirmed nor denied the claims stated by Dane.

"Allie and I just met each other a few days ago. We were all together."

"You mentioned an escape," Daxon said, continuing with his inquisition. "How did you manage that?"

"The guy I was telling you about, he did it."

"He did what?"

"I don't know. We were all on the bus heading down a highway and all of the sudden the bus just stopped. Then our shackles became unbound. The man told us that we should all run while we still had the chance, so that's what we did."

"Does this man have a name?"

"He goes by Mr. Camouflage."

"Mr. Camouflage?"

"That's what he calls himself — Mr. Camouflage. Ask Allie, she'll tell you the same thing. Isn't that right, Allie?"

Allie didn't move a muscle.

"So you don't know where this bus was headed?" Daxon asked.

"No."

Daxon shifted his attention toward Allie. "Aside from not being Dane's girlfriend, what else can you tell me about yourself?"

"What would you like to know?" Allie replied.

"First, I'd like to know if Dane left out any details that you think are important to the story."

Allie took a moment before answering and said, "No, that's exactly how I remember it."

"How many people were on this bus?" Daxon asked.

"Roughly eighty."

"What happened with the other seventy-eight people?"

"A portion opted to remain behind on the bus. The rest split up into small groups. We suspect some of them were killed," Allie said. "None of us had any idea why we were there or where we were going. All we had was some story by some guy we didn't know."

"Mr. Camouflage?"

"Yes."

"So you decided to leave?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I hedged my bets," Allie stated. "Figured it was the smartest choice to make. Stay and potentially get killed, or leave and potentially not get killed. I chose the latter."

"So everyone scattered in different directions, or did the groups roughly stay together?"

"We broke off into small groups and went our separate ways. The group I was in had about nine people in it, Dane being one of them. We headed into the woods immediately and got as far away from the bus as possible. In the distance we could hear gunfire and imagined the worst. I can only assume there were others who managed to get away, but we haven't run into any of them yet."

"But you did run into some people?" Daxon questioned further.

"Yes," Allie answered directly.

"Tell me about those people."

"Within our small group, we broke off into pairs. I went with this girl named Lauren to search for water. Dane went off with his partner to search for food. Everyone else had their own specific task. Lauren and I spread out and we lost sight of each other. So I went looking for her. When I found her, there were two men attacking her. She looked battered and one of the men was on top of her while the other one stood guard."

"Then what happened?"

"I told the men to stop, they didn't, then the situation escalated."

"Escalated how?"

"It become physical."

"In what way?"

"In a self-defence sort of way. I handled the situation with as much force as necessary to resolve the conflict."

"Look, I'm not here to get you in trouble," Daxon said. "I just want to learn more about your situation and most importantly, how I can help. Okay?"

"Okay."

"So you resolved the situation?" Daxon confirmed.

"I told Lauren to go back to camp while I followed one of the men back to his camp. As it turned out, he was staying in an abandoned theme park with some of his buddies. I didn't know that and got myself into a far more dangerous situation. There were six men looking at me like a pack of wolves looking at a sheep. But I ain't no sheep, so I fought back. Fortunately, Dane had arrived shortly after and helped me."

"I saved her life," Dane chimed in.

"So if I'm understanding you correctly, you single handily took down two men, then the two of you took down another six? All of them armed and dangerous. Do I have that right?"

"Yes."

"No offense to you both, but you don't seem like the type of people capable of doing that. So either you aren't who you claim to be, or you're lying, which one is it?"

"With all due respect, sir," Dane said, "We haven't claimed to be anybody, so it's your own prejudice of who we are and what we're capable of that is the basis of your opinion. And you are basing your judgement on looks alone. But as you probably know, looks can be deceiving."

"Fair point," Daxon said. "Okay then, tell me... who are you?"

# Chapter Twenty-Five

Following Mauricio's lead, the large squad marched on, following the creek. There were mixed emotions among the group. Some were excited to finally have shelter and be out of the woods while others were saddened by their lives being stripped away from them. Nevertheless, everyone was worried about what the future held. There was no guarantee that the friends they made today would even be around tomorrow. They were living in a perpetual state of fear.

Eventually, after walking for a few hours over the unforgiving terrain, they spotted a decapitate statue in the distance.

"Is that Bonky Bear?" someone said. "What happened to him?"

"This is it guys. I told you," Mauricio said. "We're almost there."

"How are you holding up, Cam?" Train asked.

"I have a solar charger, but with the clouds coming in, I may be incapacitated for a few days."

"Don't worry, I got you, brother. Anything you need, you let me know, okay?"

"Appreciate it, pal."

The group arrived at the abandoned park and were a little cautious. It didn't appear as though anyone was there.

Everyone began shouting. "Dane! Allie!" There was no response.

"Looks like someone was here," the Professor said.

"I got tracks over here," Mauricio pointed out. "They look fresh."

"Guys, check this out. Looks like a battle bot and some drones got into a fight."

"What's a battle bot doing out here?"

"Let's spread out and see what we can find," Train said.

It didn't take long for the group to see the bloodstained floors and the smear lines from where the dead bodies were dragged across the ground. Several of the Dark Circle members hoped they wouldn't find their friends' dead bodies.

Walking out about forty yards from the main building, they found a pile of rotting corpses that smelled like a zombie's anus and looked like they had been mauled by a pack of wild animals. They had been beaten, shot, stabbed, and strangled to death.

"Guys, I've got bodies over here!" Mauricio called out.

"Oh gosh, I think I might puke," Lauren said.

"Any of them our people?" Professor asked.

Others in the area came rushing over. "Not any of ours," the Train confirmed. "Not sure what happened to them, but they were obviously in some sort of altercation. Let's keep looking. Maybe Dane and Allie will turn up... hopefully in better shape than these guys."

# Chapter Twenty-Six

Dane and Allie had reservations about their new ally, but didn't have any other option but to be cordial. They were enjoying the much needed comforts of modern living that Daxon provided them. They each had their own room, bathroom, food, and clothing. Despite having spent little time at the community, they were both thinking how they could get used to establishing a new life there.

After getting cleaned up and changing their clothes, Dane and Allie met up in the lobby of a reclaimed hotel.

"Do you remember where Daxon said we were supposed to meet him after breakfast?" Dane asked.

"I'm not sure," Allie said, "but we can ask one of his guards."

Daxon had assigned a couple of chaperones to accompany Dane and Allie. He claimed the guards were for their protection, but to them it felt more like they were there to keep an eye on Dane and Allie. They had yet to earn Daxon's trust. On several occasions he had made a point of mentioning that his community was built on a foundation of trust. Everyone there needed to be vetted and voted in. It wasn't clear whether Dane and Allie were going to stay long term, but until then, Daxon had given them first-class treatment.

Dane and Allie sat down to a warm breakfast and were waited on like royalty. Other than the two large guards standing off to the side, as well as the waiter, they were the only people in the restaurant.

"So... is this like a regular hotel where people stay?" Dane asked.

"I think he said the population of this community was around fifteen hundred people, and most of them probably live in houses or condos. So it doesn't really make much sense to have a fully functioning hotel."

"Why have a hotel at all?" Dane questioned. "I mean, it's not like this is a tourist destination or anything. And how many guests like us possibly show up here to justify having a hotel ready to go?"

"Maybe he keeps it for when his parents come to visit?"

"Was that a joke?" Dane said, looking pleased.

"It was an attempt at one," Allie replied.

"Oh, so there is another side of you," Dane said with a smile. "I like it. Who knew all you needed was a good night sleep and a warm breakfast."

Just as they were finishing up, Daxon came down to join them. "Good morning," he said with a welcoming smile.

"Good morning," they both said in unison.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast?" he asked.

"It was amazing. Thank you very much," Dane said.

"Yes, thank you," Allie agreed.

"You two sleep okay?" Daxon asked.

"I think I can speak for both of us," Dane said looking at Allie in agreement, "It was honestly one of the best nights of rest we've had in a while. We really appreciate your warm hospitality, Daxon. Seriously, thank you."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that."

"I'm curious," Dane said, "Do you get many visitors here?"

"A few," Daxon said. "We're a really fast growing community so as word spreads about us, people come to visit. Most are looking for an alternate way of life where they can be who they want to be without the societal pressures that can rob a person of their spirit and ambition. When newcomers visit, we put them up in the hotel until we decide if they are a right fit."

"How is someone deemed to be the right fit?" Dane asked.

"We spend time with them, get to know them, find out about their interests and their values, how they like to spend their free time. That is really important to us."

"How would you describe the people who live here?" Dane asked.

"They're just regular people from all walks of life. We don't really discriminate or judge. We also encourage diversity of culture and ideas as long as they don't conflict with one another. We don't want an entire population of the same kinds of people, you know?"

"That's good," Dane said.

"How did this place come about?" Allie asked.

"It's a long story and I can't wait to tell you about it, but for now I came to ask you a question."

"What is it?"

"You mentioned there were others who had escaped with you. If we lead you back to the park, do you think you could find them?"

"You want to help us find our friends?" Dane asked in shock.

"Of course," Daxon said. "Why does that surprise you?"

"I mean, you don't even know those people, and you barely know us. It's just... in my experience, people who are really nice tend to have ulterior motives. Forgive me for questioning you, but I just have to be careful, you know?"

"I totally understand where you're coming from, so I don't take offense. I don't think of it as being nice, it's about practicing an ethic, having a certain set of values and principles, and putting that energy out in the world. I truly believe this is how we are going to change the world. You have to be the change you want to see. You said you have good people starving out in the woods. Rescuing them is the decent thing to do. I wouldn't be much of a leader if all I cared about was myself, right?"

"Thank you for clearing that up for us and putting our minds at ease," Dane said.

"Yeah, thank you, Daxon," Allie concurred.

"Don't mention it," Daxon said. "How much time do you need to get ready?"

"Fifteen minutes," Dane said.

"Great, I'll go rally the troops and we'll meet you out front in fifteen minutes."

Daxon walked away with a smile, leaving both Dane and Allie to finish their meals. As soon as Daxon was out of earshot, Dane said, "I like him."

"I don't trust him," Allie said.

"Oh, here we go again. Allie, you have to learn to trust people."

"No one is that nice to strangers," she said. "He must want something."

"Maybe it's like he said, he takes his job as a leader seriously. If he shows sympathy and compassion for others, his people will look up to him and respect him more."

"Perhaps."

"Look, I say we trust him until he gives us a reason not to."

"Maybe he's taking us back to the park to find our friends and then he will kill us all, ensuring none of us become a threat to his throne."

"Why would he do that? He could have just killed us the first time at the park," Dane challenged.

"He wasn't there, remember? Now that he has met with us, he has probably determined that we offer no value to him, so he's taking us back to where he found us."

"To kill us?" Dane asked.

"Who knows," Allie said. "All I'm saying is let's be cautious of him. Trust no one."

# Chapter Twenty-Seven

Several vehicles pulled up aggressively to the theme park and skidded to a stop. Seconds later, a squad of boots hit the ground and fanned out. The armed guards protected their king. Daxon was the last one to exit and was accompanied by a large man with an impeccable physique. From what Dane and Allie had observed, the man remained by his side at all times.

The air was crisp and a bit chilly, but invigorating. Dane and Allie took in a deep breath and stretched their legs. They weren't as on edge as the others since they had spent a few days at the theme park and knew that it would be deserted. They looked back at their time at the park and were glad to put that ordeal behind them.

"Where to, Ronin?" Daxon asked his head of security.

Dane didn't realize his group was already at the park and in hiding. They saw the military trucks pull up and thought the worst.

"Just a quick hike up that way," Dane said, pointing in the direction in which he had come.

"Okay team, let's move out," Ronin commanded. "Stay alert."

The military group followed Dane and Allie into the woods.

Back at the theme park, the rest of the Dark Circle squad came out of hiding and began to inspect the vehicles.

"What do you think, Train?" the Professor asked.

"Their definitely military, but in this world, that isn't saying much," Train responded.

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked.

"After the war, there were a lot of things stolen and abandoned. These vehicles could have been picked up by anyone."

"Where did they go?" Lynn asked.

"Not sure, but when they return, we better not be here."

"Sir, I'm picking up movement," one of the soldiers said.

Dane was within earshot and replied, "That must be them. Train! Lauren!" he began shouting.

"Quiet," Ronin commanded, sounding annoyed. "We need to establish—"

Before he could finish his statement, a lone bullet whistled through the trees and struck him in the chest. Direct hit. The impact caused him to lose balance and fall backward.

"Captain!" one of the men shouted.

More bullets from an unknown enemy cut through the dense forest and found their targets.

"Take cover!"

Ronin found cover behind a tree. He removed his glove and slipped his bare hand underneath his armour. Fortunately, the bullet did not penetrate the chest plate. Returning to the action, Ronin commanded his troops.

"Alpha team, spread out."

Dane and Allie were in the middle of a firefight with no weapons or protection.

"Dane, are these your people firing at us?"

"No, my people don't have guns."

"Maybe they acquired guns."

"Not likely. They could barely find water. Besides, they are not soldiers and would never fire first."

"I need a gun!" Allie demanded to a nearby soldier.

"Negative, you're a civilian."

Refusing to be a passive bystander, Allie removed a handgun from one of the soldiers and took off running.

"Hey, get back here!"

"Talk to me," Ronin said into the headset. "What's happening?"

"Sir, the girl stole one of my guns and ran off with it. What should I do?"

Ronin looked at Dane suspiciously and then aimed a gun at his head. "This better not be a trap, or else I'll kill the both of you."

"No, no, no, please don't shoot," Dane said, holding out his hands. "I swear, this isn't us."

"What about your girlfriend?"

"Well, technically she isn't my girlfriend although perhaps in the future—"

"Shut up."

"Yes, sir," Dane said, with a slight tremble in his voice. "I assure you, Allie is a warrior. She's just trying to help. Trust me... all she does is fight, ever since I met her—"

Just then, a dozen weaponized bots emerged through the brush looking like tanks with legs. Their robotic movements were chilling as they stomped through, around, and over obstacles with ease. The guns mounted on their frames followed motion sensors, tracking any movement and firing at anything deemed a threat.

"Bots. I hate bots," Ronin said. "Fall back," he commanded.

"See, I told you," Dane reiterated, running with the pack. "This isn't us."

"Shut up."

"Wait, where's Allie?" Dane asked. "We can't leave her."

"Your girl has gone rogue."

The hail of gunfire was deafening as whizzing bullets chopped through leaves and embedded into the surrounding trees, causing the bark to explode on impact.

"We need to lure them into a clearing," Ronin shouted over all the noise.

Leading his troop, Ronin found an open spot and instructed his team to take cover on the other side. The machines were slow, but remained in pursuit. When they arrived at the clearing, they entered without caution.

"Hold fire," Ronin instructed.

Once they were completely exposed, they were clear targets for the squad to shoot.

"Now!"

The militia took aim and shot at the robots. Sparks flew as bullets hit the bots' armour.

"Aim for the sensors!"

The bots fought back, firing blindly into the forest, but the group was well covered. Dane was impressed at the strategy all the while wondered about Allie. He just hoped she was alright and couldn't wait to get back to her. The squad kept firing until the last bot fell to the ground.

"See, that's why you can never have a robot do a human's job," one of the soldiers commented. "Stupid bots."

The troop avoided the clearing for two reason: one, they didn't want to fall into a similar trap and think they had defeated all the bots, only to discover more lying in wait; and two, although the bots were down, they may still be able to shoot at them.

Taking the long way, the group eventually met up with Allie. Standing behind her was another group of people who looked like they were on death's door.

"Look who I found," Allie said, still holding her gun. Her chiseled arms exposed to the elements.

Dane pushed his way to the front of the group and ran up to Allie, throwing his arms around her. He seemed more excited to see her than she was to see him. Dane then went over to greet each of his group members. "Train, how are you doing, bud?" he said, slapping hands with his old pal. "Lauren, you've looked better. Mr. Camo, I see you're still mobile and hanging in there.

"Gosh, it's so good to see you guys. I see you've made some new friends," Dane said, looking at all the new faces. "You guys won't believe what Allie and I have been through the last couple of days. Good news is, we're here to save you, and we brought some friends of our own."

Everyone was given water and a small amount of food before heading down the hill toward the creek. Back at the abandoned theme park, they gathered around the vehicles. It was great to see everyone still alive, but they looked as though they would not have survived much longer on their own.

Dane was talking a mile a minute, telling each of them in detail the ordeal that he and Allie had gone through. He wanted to take them on a tour of the theme park, but instead they just wanted to leave.

"Wait until you guys meet the leader dude, he's really nice," Dane said.

"Where are we going?" Mr. Camouflage asked.

Within minutes of arriving at the park, they were loaded into the backs of the military vehicles and took off back to their community.

# Chapter Twenty-Eight

The small community was secluded, completely engulfed by trees. Arriving for the first time, the Dark Circle crew were completely blown away.

The soldiers weren't all that friendly so the group saved their questions for when they meet this so-called leader.

"You're going to love this guy," Dane kept saying, speaking about Daxon as if the two were best friends.

The vehicles pulled up to the hotel where Dane and Allie were staying and Dane couldn't help but play tour guide. "This is it!" he said proudly. "This is where we're staying. What do you guys think? Pretty nice, right?"

"I can't wait to take a hot shower."

"I can't wait to eat."

"I need a decent night sleep."

"You guys can do it all here," Dane said.

"Dane, can I talk to you for a minute?" Mr. Camo requested.

"Yeah, sure, Cam. What's up?"

The two found a private area in the grand entrance of the hotel lobby. Mr. Camouflage faced Dane, but looked past him, over Dane's shoulder to ensure they were far enough away from the others.

"Is this legit?"

"Of course," Dane assured.

"How do you know?"

"I have good instincts."

"Okay, I trust you."

"You're home, Cam. This is where we live now."

Dane was perhaps a little overzealous about the situation. In reality, he only had a few brief interactions with Daxon and some of his people. And it was yet to be confirmed if they were allowed to stay there indefinitely.

There was much excitement and chatter amongst the group as spirits were at an all-time high.

Just then, Daxon came down the winding staircase like a messiah. "Friends. Welcome," he spoke in a loud and confident voice that silenced the room. He was much younger than a lot of people had imagined. Many of the group still had their reservations about the man and his agenda. Some of the more skeptical members of the group insisted he was a cult leader, while others thought he was a megalomaniac.

"It's good to see so many friendly faces at the Empress Hotel. Your group is the largest we've ever had at one time. My name is Daxon and I run this place. It's truly my honour to have you all here. I encourage you to treat this place as if it were your home and spend as much time as you need to rehabilitate and relax. We have warm food, hot showers, ample clothing... whatever you need, please don't hesitate to ask. You are all personal guests of mine and I'll do my very best to take care of you and make you feel at home. Welcome to our community."

"I know you're all exhausted and hungry, so get cleaned up and then we can all reconvene for dinner. It'll be a good opportunity for us to get to know one another. I'm sure you have lots of questions for me. You can ask me anything you'd like."

Each of the group were shown to their rooms — towels, toiletries, and clothing were provided. Everyone was overjoyed by their new circumstances and were beginning to feel hopeful about the future.

"Hey, is anyone else getting a culty vibe here?" Mauricio asked in private. Some others expressed the same concern.

"Yeah, right at the end where he said 'welcome to our community' — I thought, that sounds like something a cult leader would say."

"Guys, I have my doubts as well, but let's try to remain positive about all this," Cheryl added. "Cautious, but positive."

"Time will be the best judge," Lynn added.

After everyone was cleaned and clothed, they met Daxon in one of the exquisite banquet halls. A large chandelier sparkled overhead a long table, which wouldn't be out of place in Hogwarts. The group flocked to the table and found their seats. Small chatter filled the room until a bevy of wait staff swarmed in and catered to them, delivering hot plates of food and cold beverages.

Daxon sat at the head of the table, but was the last to eat. He watched over everyone like a proud father as they scarfed down their food. He had an apparent nurturing side and truly seemed to enjoy taking care of everyone.

"How long has this place existed?" Lauren asked between bites.

"As you see it now, only a couple of years. Many of us colonized here after the war. Others came and went, but overall our population continues to rise."

"What is the overall belief system here?" Mr. Camo asked.

"There isn't one other than come as you are and respect your neighbour. There are very few rules and restrictions here, and I think that is one of the primary reasons everyone stays."

"Not everyone stays though, right?" Mr. Camo retorted almost as if he was challenging Daxon.

"This lifestyle isn't for everyone I suppose," Daxon replied graciously. For some, coming here was never meant to be a permanent residence, only a safe refuge until the dust settled so to speak. While we have a lot to offer here, some miss their old life, the place they grew up, family, friends... and we respect that. We don't force anybody to be here who doesn't want to be here."

"You're considered the leader, correct?" Mr. Camo asked. "What exactly is your role here?"

"I consider myself a peacekeeper and a facilitator. I oversee operations and ensure everyone has whatever they need. I may settle the occasional dispute that arises. Candidly, that part of my job is fairly easy. For the most part, people get along. Ultimately, my main mission is to preserve this way of life for as long as people see value in preserving it. But I don't make the rules per se. Think of our community as a collective."

"It sounds truly amazing here," Lauren said. "Are there any restrictions to move here permanently?"

"Yes, we have a committee who meets with everyone and decides on whether that person will be a good fit. If all goes well, then that person is granted a probationary pass to live here. We help them become situated and settled. Over the next few months, we check in with them and the people they interact with to try and get a better sense of how they are adjusting and integrating. Like I said, this goes both ways, and this trial period allows us both to see if we're a right fit for each other."

"Do people have jobs here?"

"If they want. It's entirely up to them. Like any high functioning society, we need to have certain tasks done to ensure everything runs smoothly and fairly. We can discuss that in more detail after dinner when I take you all on a tour."

"What about us?" Lynn said. "How long can we stay here?"

"That all depends," Daxon said with a smile. "For now, you are my personal guests and I want you to stay as long as you like. No pressure. If any of you would like to leave and return to the city, we can arrange transportation for you."

"This all seems really amazing," Cheryl said. "I'm sure I speak for the group, but we're all really excited to be here and we can't thank you enough."

"It's my pleasure," Daxon responded.

# Chapter Twenty-Nine

After a few days of much needed relaxation and rejuvenation, the Dark Circle crew gathered together to discuss their plans for the future. In light of new circumstances, Mr. Camouflage wanted to check in with everyone to see where they were at.

The small community in which they were staying wasn't an option when everyone was first deciding on their future. But now that this new option had presented itself and offered everyone a chance to live full and meaningful lives, some members of the group may have soften their stances on the whole revolution.

"How's everyone feeling?" Mr. Camo asked.

"I'm happy to help in any way I can," the Professor said. "Whatever the group decides.

"Cheryl?"

"Same. Whatever I can do to help, count me in."

"Allie, what about you?"

"I'm always down to fight, or do whatever the group decides."

"Dane?"

"I mean, it's nice here and all, and I'm sure we'd be fine if we stayed in this community, but I also don't want to live in oppression the rest of my life, constantly having to look over my shoulder, you know? Also, I want to say something else. They took something from us, remember that," Dane said, connecting eyes around the room. "That alone is worth fighting for if we ever want it back. Even if it is something small such as enjoying a croissant at your favourite bakery, to something big like seeing your child's smile. Each of us lost something that's important to us. I say we fight back. If not for us, then for our kids."

Mr. Camouflage went around the room and heard what each member had to say. Whether they were vocalizing their true feelings, everyone seemed to be saying the same thing.

"Okay, then," Mr. Camouflage said, "we're all in agreement. We'll stick with our original plan."

"Not to be negative or whatever," Lauren said, "but what is the plan exactly? I know it's to take down the government, but how exactly are the ten of us going to do that?"

"Our first step," Mr. Camouflage said, "is to form an agreement. We've done that. Our next step is to formulate a plan of attack, which we'll discuss now. We then need to recruit. Finally, we need to execute. Guys, this isn't going to be easy. We're not going to take over the government in a day.

"We'll start with intel," Mr. Camouflage continued. "We need to know who we are up against and where they are weak. That will inform our plan of attack."

"Okay, so how do you suggest we do that? We don't know anything about them?"

"That's not true," Mr. Camo said. "We know plenty. I have emails and IP addresses, I know how they operate, who they contact in which organizations."

"We can also involve the people," Cheryl said. "When I was in politics, I couldn't do a thing without fearing the public would march into my office and lynch me in the town square. Believe me, I had to make plenty of decisions that upset a lot of people and it's always easier when the support is on your side. In our case, we could blast out messages on social media."

"But wouldn't people be afraid to come forward and speak out against a government that murders its citizens, especially a government that listens and watches every move they make?" Mauricio asked, raising a valid point.

"Yeah, I agree," Lauren said. "The memory of the war is still so fresh, I think a lot of people are happy with the stability. Even though it's not perfect, people are ready to move on."

"Complacency is a breeding ground for evil. What I mean is that when people turn a blind eye and ignore a small current, that's when it grows into a leviathan. We can nip it in the bud."

"Forgive me, but nip what in the bud?" Cheryl asked. "Until we know how to slay this leviathan in which you speak, I suggest we don't march into its den and piss it off."

"Hey, I have a crazy idea," Lauren said. "You know that bus we were on. Mr. Camouflage hacked into it, right? So is there like a way you could figure out where it was going?"

"You know what, I never thought about that, but I suppose I could do that. I'll look into that. Thank you for the suggestion, Lauren."

"You're welcome."

"Even if we know where it was going, what good would that do?" Cheryl asked.

"We're in an information war and intel is power," Cam said. "We might learn something."

"Yeah," Dane chimed in. "Like a detective trying to solve a case, that's a lead we need to investigate. At this moment, we're not sure what will come of it. At the very least, if they were leading us to a slaughterhouse, then we could at least go there, save some people, and build our army."

"I agree," Train said. "I think we have a duty to shut the place down. And like Lauren and Dane pointed out, it may be worth our while to find out new information."

"Mr. Camo, you said you have email and IP addresses," Dane pondered. "Does that mean you know how to contact the head of The Shadow?"

"There's no head, or at least, nobody knows who it is."

"So tell me again, how does this whole Shadow work?" Dane asked.

"No one really knows. I was given small assignments without knowing the full scope of what I was doing. That way, no one person knows too much info."

"That's actually quite smart," Dane said.

"There has to be a leader though, right?" Train asked.

"Maybe," Mr. Camo shrugged.

"Why do I get the feeling you know more than you're letting on?" Lauren asked.

"Lauren, I assure you, I've been nothing but open and honest with the entire group since day one. I respect your ability to tell when someone is lying. But in this case, the reason I'm struggling is because I don't have the answers in which you all seek. I'll tell you whatever I know and help out in any way I can."

"I believe you, Cam," Lauren said. "I was just messing with you."

"Okay, guys," Dane said. "I think we need to go to the city. It doesn't have to be all of us, but some of us should go and see what we can find out."

"I'll go," Train said.

"Okay good. That's me and Train, who else wants to go?"

The rest of the group remained silent.

"Just the two of us. We can make it if we try. What? No one has heard of that song? What's wrong with you people?"

"I'm sorry, Dane, but I just don't see the value in going to the city. What are we going to do, walk around and ask people if they know who The Shadow is?"

"I'm with Cheryl on this one," Lynn said. "I'm happy to do whatever the group asks, but I just don't see that as a worthwhile endeavour. It's high risk with low reward."

"Lynn, are you still able to perform surgery?" Dane asked.

"Of course, with the right equipment."

"Great. I want you to remove my chip."

"I can do that, but won't they know?" she asked.

"What are they going to do, hunt me down and kill me? Last I checked they're already trying to do that. Who knows what information this chip is sending them. I say it's better out than in."

"Okay. Does anyone else want me to remove their chips?"

Everyone looked at each other shrugged in agreement. Eventually everyone in the group raised their hands.

"Okay then. Let's go talk to Daxon and see if he has surgical equipment."

# Chapter Thirty

It was well past midnight and the city was bustling.

Amid the skyscrapers with neon billboards and the congestion of automated cars, Train and Dane emerged from a dark alley with their heads covered with hoods, making it more difficult for the ubiquitous facial-recognition software to identify them.

Maintaining a low profile, they meandered through the crowded sidewalks and found refuge in a small café. The bustling metropolis was a complete change of pace than what they had been used to over the past week. Everyone seemed to be walking and talking just a little bit faster than them.

"It's funny how quickly we adapt, huh?" Dane commented.

"Yeah."

"Take me out of the city for a few days and when I go back, I feel like a foreigner from another planet."

"So what's the plan here?" Train asked.

The plan was to find some place to crash for the night, but they needed to tread lightly and remain off the grid. They couldn't exactly show up at their old homes or hangouts. The secret soldiers employed by The Shadow would undoubtedly be looking for them.

Stopping at a convenience store, Dane came out with a bag of high calorie snacks and some Titus boost energy drinks.

"Here, I got us some snacks," Dane said, handing Train a bag. Train rifled through the bag, but didn't seem too pleased with the selection.

"What is all this, man?"

"What do you mean? You wanted food, I got you food."

"This is junk. There's no nutritional value in any of this crap."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Dane said in a sarcastic tone. "I wasn't aware that you were on a diet."

"Hey, don't get smart with me."

"Are you trying to slim down? Count your calories. Get that summer six pack."

"Okay, just drop it."

"Are you trying to shed your winter weight? Drop a few pant sizes. Look good for the ladies."

"Dane, I'm warning you. I'm not in the mood."

"Trying to get lean and ripped. Work on that beach bod. Trying to—"

Before Dane could finish his last remark, Train snatched him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground.

"One more word out of you and I will put you through that window. Understood?" Train said in a threatening tone.

"Put me down, you're causing a scene."

Train set Dane down and then looked around at all the people staring at them.

"Good job tank, I mean Train. Way to blend in and not draw attention to ourselves."

"You talk too much," Train said, still noticeably upset. "You need to know when you're overstepping."

"Jeez, someone is a little sensitive about their body. Now I know your hot button. Okay, good to know. Duly noted."

"Shut up."

"You made me drop my snack," Dane complained.

"You're lucky I didn't drop you," Train said under his breath before walking off.

"Wait, were are you going?"

After getting back in Train's good graces, Dane led the way to a secret spot he knew of, but hardly ever visited. He never disclosed where they were going, but the whole time he kept referring to it as a 'safe haven'.

"Okay, we're here," Dane said proudly. "This is the spot."

They were standing in front of a discreet building with no exterior lights or signage.

"What is this place?" Train asked with reservation. "It looks closed."

"Ah, but therein lies the discreetness. Come on, it's around back. Follow me."

Dane led Train behind the building where a set of stairs was illuminated in the glow of a single light. There were no cameras or prying neighbours of any kind. The old brick building was in an industrial part of town facing the river. A cold breeze swept off the water and chilled them.

"Where are you taking me?" Train said, sounding surprisingly nervous for such a large man.

"Don't be scared, homie," Dane said with a mischievous smile.

Heading down the flight of stairs, Dane pounded on the thick metal door with the meaty part of his fist. He turned slightly to give a reassuring nod to Train. Just then, the basement door opened, allowing the escaping sound of thumping base to spill out in the back parking lot. Some words were exchanged with a large man at the door and soon after they were granted access.

As they headed further into the building, the music became louder, too loud to hear each other. Train caught a glimpse of a naked woman dancing on a stage.

"You brought us to a strip club?" Train spoke loudly. "Are you being serious, dude? What are we doing here?"

"That's weird," Dane paused, "from your tone, it... almost sounds like you don't like naked women. Which is totally cool, you know. I'm not one to judge. But I just figured you have a kid so you must be straight. I'm sorry if I misread the sitch. We can probably find something that's a little more... your flavour if you know what I mean. Something a little more... masculine if you know what I mean."

"Yes, Dane, I know what you mean. First of all, naked men are not my 'flavour'. Second, you don't need to say 'you know what I mean' after saying a really obvious statement."

"Someone is still a little cranky. You should have eaten when you had the chance."

"That wasn't food!" Train shouted.

Dane could see that Train was wound up and it was largely a result of decisions he had made.

"Look, man. I'm sorry, okay. I know I'm not everyone's cup of tea. I get it. Sometimes I run my mouth a lot. You're not the first person to point that out. Just know that it's never my intention to upset anyone. I promise I'll try to tone it down, but what I need from you is to let out a little more slack in your rope, okay? I need to flourish. I can't flourish if you're always shouting at me. Will you let me flourish?"

"I don't even know what you mean by that," Train said, still noticeably annoyed.

"All I'm saying is that I need you to loosen up a bit. It's not only going to help me out, but it's also going to help yourself out. Stress is the silent killer. It's not good to be wound so tightly. So what do you say we go in here, sip a few drinks, and try and have a good time?"

Train was reluctant to answer.

"We've both been through a lot and I think we deserve that. You never know, it could be our last time we ever see a naked woman."

"What?"

"I'm just saying."

"Don't say that."

After a few deep breaths, Train was starting to calm down. "They better serve food in here," he said before entering the club.

"Of course, you're going to love the salad bar."

"It's a strip club, they don't have a salad bar."

"I know, it was a joke. I'm trying to get you to loosen up a bit."

"Whatever, as long as I have some form of real food, I'll be content."

"Perfect. Contentment, one of the most underrated feelings if you ask me."

"Shut up."

# Chapter Thirty-One

Scanners mounted in the walls tracked everyone ensuring they were of legal age and had no outstanding warrants. As for Dane and Train, their chips had been removed so they moved through the crowd like ghosts.

They found a seat near the back about twenty feet from the stage, but they still had a good view. A waitress came over and took their drink and food orders. Within minutes of arriving, they were sipping ice cold beer and being entertained.

"See, this isn't so bad!" Dane shouted over the music. "You know, if you think about it, there's a lot of job security as a stripper. They aren't worried about a robot displacing them. Can you imagine going to a place with robot strippers," Dane said laughing at the idea.

Train didn't answer. He was done fighting with Dane and just wanted to mind his beer and wait for his food to come.

Train knew strip clubs were the ultimate hustle — attract sad and lonely men with naked women and the prospect of intimacy, sell them overpriced beer and crappy food, then encourage them to pay exorbitant fees for sexually unsatisfying lap dances. The cost of this momentary escapism baffled Train's mind. His present circumstances excluded, he wondered, who would ever come to one of these places. Then he looked over at Dane who appeared to be in heaven.

A few minutes later, two woman approached their table and introduced themselves. They were sexy and seductive, but their rehearsed movements were obvious to Train. He saw through their act, which was a carefully designed manipulation tactic to extract as much money from him as possible. Train looked past the girl, unwilling to show her the least bit of interest. She soon took the hint and moved onto her next mark.

Unlike Train, Dane was thoroughly enjoying himself. The woman on Dane's lap leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Dane whispered something back and they shared a laugh. Seconds later, they both got up and went to the back room together. Train rolled his eyes and took and long sip of his beer.

After a while, Train got up to use the restroom. Making his way to back of the club, he squeezed by a few leering men and down a narrow hall. Once in the bathroom, he found a urinal and began to relieve himself. He cracked his neck and loosened his shoulders in an effort to unwind from the day's stress.

Now standing in front of the sink, Train washed his hands and stared into the mirror. In the low lighting of the dingy strip club bathroom, he took a moment for reflection. In his mind he was thinking about his next move and whether or not he was more suited to be on his own. Cupping his hands together, he collected a small pool of water and brought it to his face. He washed his face and bald head, then dried himself with some paper towel. Still unsure what to do, Train let out a deep breath and exited the bathroom.

Just outside the bathroom door, he heard some screams and shouting. The music had stopped and was replaced by a loud commotion. Tables and chairs were knocked over, glasses fell to the floor and shattered, and stampeding feet raced toward the nearest exit.

Train proceeded with caution, overseeing the melee from the narrow hall. He was unable to fully take in the scope of the situation. Moving down the hall, his field of view widened. He could see unmarked military soldiers searching the crowd. He assumed they were there looking for him and Dane.

Being a large muscular man, Train didn't exactly blend in. He ducked his head and ran from the hallway toward the section where Dane had gone. Train found his way into the back part of the club where there were several rooms with beaded doors. He peeked into them each room until he found Dane.

"Dane!" Train said in a shouted whisper.

Dane was with one of the strippers, who was naked and on top of him. Both were oblivious to what was happening in the club.

"Dane, it's time to go, man!" Train said again. This time with more urgency.

"Train what are you doing here?"

"You don't hear all the commotion?"

"I'm a little preoccupied at the moment. I'm not exactly paying attention to the commotion."

"There are men with guns outside."

"Did you say guns?" the stripper asked.

"Yes, we have to go."

The stripper quickly threw on a silk robe to cover herself then dashed out of the room, leading the men down the hall. The neon exit sign glowed in the distance, which led them to a staircase and eventually an exit.

Bursting through the door, they found themselves in an alley. Before they could plot their next move, they were spotted by a soldier.

"Hey, you three, stop right there!" the soldier shouted.

Dane decided in that moment to run. He figured the consequences of getting caught would not be good. The rest of the group followed suit and ran with him. The soldier took aim and fired a round down the alley. The blast went off, echoing off the buildings, and the stripper was hit. She screamed in agony and collapsed onto the pavement.

Dane kept running, but Train stopped. Without hesitation, he went back and picked up the wounded girl off the ground and held her in his arms.

"Take another step and die!" the soldier said, walking toward them. "Now, turn around... slowly."

Train had no choice but to comply. Still holding the girl in his arms, Train turned around as he had been instructed.

"Okay, man. Be cool. Don't shoot," Train said.

"Put the girl down."

"She needs to go to the hospital or else she'll die."

"That's not my concern right now. I won't tell you again. Put the woman down and show me your hands. No sudden movements."

"Okay, just be cool. I won't try anything. See, I'm putting her down."

"Now get on your knees!" the soldier commanded.

"I was a soldier too," Train said.

"Shut up."

The soldier spoke into a mic that was integrated into his helmet. "I have the suspect in sight. Requesting backup. I'm in the alley behind the club. The suspect is unarmed and—"

Without warning, the soldier's knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground. Dane was standing behind him with a metal pipe.

"Dane! You came back."

"Of course I came back. A soldier never leaves another soldier behind."

"You're not a soldier," Train said.

"I know, but it sounded kind of cool. How's the girl? Is she okay?"

"My name is Cassie by the way, and I'm not great. I've been shot."

"Yeah, I see that," Dane said. "We should probably take you to a hospital."

"No!" she shot back. "I have supplies at my apartment. You can take me there."

"Umm... okay, but I really think we should..."

The woman gave Dane a look.

"Okay, your apartment it is," Dane said.

Train scooped up Cassie in his arms and the three of them ran off into the night.

# Chapter Thirty-Two

Allie was enjoying an evening stroll through the town by herself, pondering life and what she planned to do next. As a former fighter, she didn't exactly have a marketable skillset.

After losing both her parents, she found martial arts. Within a few short years of training, she went on to become a world champion. She knew if she put her mind to something, she could achieve greatness, but didn't have a clue what that next thing for her would be. She was at a loss and looking for a sign from the universe.

"Hey," a voice said from behind.

Turning around, she saw Daxon approaching.

"How's everything going?" he asked.

She laughed. "It's a matter of perspective I guess."

"Can I walk with you?"

"Sure."

It was dusk. The setting sun painted the sky in the most exquisite colours.

Walking down the empty streets, Daxon made a suggestion. "I want to show you something."

"What is it?" she said with a slight sense of distrust.

"It's a surprise. Come on, follow me."

Allie gave him an distinguished look, but ultimately obliged.

"It's okay. Trust me, you're going to like it."

Allie gave in and the two headed toward a tall building in the distance.

"How's the arm?" Daxon asked.

"It's healing nicely," Allie replied. "In a few days it should be back to normal."

"That's good to hear. So you're a fighter I hear?"

"I like to think I'm more than just a fighter."

"Of course, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant, as a profession."

"Those days are behind me."

"Are they?" Daxon said with a smile.

"Combat and conflict seem to have a way of finding me."

"I don't know about that, you seem quite lovely to me."

"Thanks, I guess," she smiled.

"You should smile more, it suits you."

Allie was shy and wasn't used to being hit on, especially from someone as handsome as Daxon.

"How old are you?" Allie asked.

"How old do I look?"

"35?"

"You think I look 35?" he gasped. "Ouch, that hurt. I'm 25."

"Oh, sorry, I'm really bad at guessing people's ages."

"How old are you?" Daxon asked.

"Guess."

"20?"

"Could be."

"You fascinate me," Daxon said. "I don't know what it is, but I'm drawn to you. I want to know everything about you."

"Not much to tell."

"I doubt that, everyone has a story. Let's start with the obvious... how did you get into fighting?"

"Raised by a single mother, she was always working, and I needed a place to stay. She enrolled me in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and I loved it. Then I learned no-gi Jiu Jitsu at 10th Planet."

"What's 10th Planet?"

"It's one of the largest Jiu Jitsu schools in the world, founded by Sensei Eddie Bravo who also created the Eddie Bravo Invitational, which is a submission-only tournament. After a few years, I competed in my first EBI tournament and placed first. After winning multiple non-striking grappling tournaments, I entered a combat Jiu Jitsu tournament, which allows palm strikes."

"Did you win?"

"I was the reigning, defending, undisputed champ. Undefeated."

"Wow, that's incredible."

"The whole time, I wasn't just training Jiu Jitsu, I was learning how to strike as well. I was taking Taekwondo classes, kyokushin karate, boxing, wrestling... I also worked on my strength and conditioning, ensuring my diet was right, as well as focused on the mental aspects of fighting. This was my life for many years."

"What about school?"

"I stopped going. I knew school wasn't for me and I needed to focus on my training. My goal was to be the best."

"What about your mum? How did she feel about her daughter dropping out of school to be a cage fighter?"

Allie took a moment before she answered. "My mother passed away."

"The war?"

"Cancer."

"I'm so sorry to hear that."

"I didn't really get to see my mother that much even when she was alive," Allie shared, "but it gave me even more fire, you know? I was angry at the world for giving me such a bad hand in life. I used that energy to fuel me. I also vowed that if I ever become a mother, I want to be there for my child and provide them with a life I never had."

"I think you'd make a great mother."

"You don't even know me."

"I'm good at reading people, and although you have this tough exterior, I can tell you have a good heart."

"Thanks."

Daxon led Allie into a building that looked completely abandoned. There was a thick layer of dust on everything, turned over chairs, no electricity, and debris on the floor.

"Where are you taking me?" Allie asked.

"You'll see. I hope you like stairs."

Allie followed behind Daxon as they walked up several flights of stairs.

"I know it's stuffy in here, but we're almost at the top," Daxon said.

Once on the top floor, they reached a door that opened up to a rooftop patio. Daxon placed a large brick on the door to keep it propped open.

"Watch your step," he said as he took Allie by the hand and led her outside.

The rooftop had been completely decorated with plants and string lights. There was a large sofa with a blanket, a telescope, speakers, and a mini-fridge.

"Wow, what is this place?" Allie asked in amazement.

"Do you like it?"

"It's incredible. Did you set this up?"

"I had my guys set it up for us earlier. I come up here from time to time when I want to be alone with my thoughts, but it's never looked like this. It's usually just a chair and a box to rest my feet on."

The two walked to the edge and looked over at the former downtown core.

"It's crazy to think how this place use to be, huh?" Daxon said, imagining a simpler time when the deserted streets below were bustling with life — people going to and from work, street vendors selling food, shops filled with customers.

"When did you arrive here again?" Allie asked.

"We took over this place not too long ago — a couple years. There were already quite a few people living here when I arrived. Everyone had the same idea as I did. Just a bunch of honest folks looking for a safe place to call home. We stay off the grid here, away from the techno-bubble that consumes the big city."

Daxon led Allie to the sofa where they watched the sun descend over the horizon. A blanket covered their legs as they sipped wine until the stars filled the night sky.

"Okay, so you're training full time, then what happened?" Daxon asked.

"I was winning all these Jiu Jitsu tournaments, but wasn't making any money. My head coach and I decided to enter into MMA as a way to not only challenge myself, but also to earn a living. With my mother not around and me nearing adulthood, I needed a way to provide for myself. I wasn't sure I wanted to be a professional fighter, but I didn't exactly have a lot of options. Fighting was all I knew. I didn't even have a high-school education."

"Were you nervous?"

"To fight? No, I felt as though I was born a fighter. When I stepped into the cage, I became laser focused. I tuned off all distractions and just focused on my opponent and my corner. I knew my skills and work ethic were second to none, so I was confident. I wanted to go in, take my opponent out as quickly as possible, and avoid taking any damage."

"How did your first fight go?"

"I submitted my opponent in under thirty seconds. Rear naked choke. Lights out."

"That must have felt amazing."

"I don't know, I wasn't in it for the glory. I don't even recall celebrating. I just kept looking for my next opponent, my next challenge. The next day I was back in the gym training. We booked another fight at a casino three weeks later. Similar result — first round submission. I now had a record of 2 – 0 and I hadn't even been hit."

"The more I hear your story, the more I admire you. This is really fascinating to me because I'm not at all a fighter."

"There's nothing glamourous about fighting."

"So what happened next?"

"I continued fighting, building up my record and experience. I fought in smaller organizations and was making a name for myself. I was now 8 – 0, all first round submissions. Then one day my manager received a call from a major fight promotor. They were interested in having me fight one of their top prospects — another Jiu Jitsu specialist. I accepted the fight, but still wasn't making any real money. I trained really hard for the fight and studied a lot of footage on my opponent. That was one advantage of fighting in the large organizations. I knew our Jiu Jitsu would nullify each other so it would likely be a striking match. Up until that point, all my wins were via submission so no one had ever seen my striking.

"On the walk to the octagon, I was really nervous. It was my dream to compete on this big stage and now that it was happening, I tried not letting it overcome me. There was a stadium full of screaming fans, the bright lights... the walkout music... even the promotion leading up to the fight created this build up that increased my anxiety."

"I want to watch it with you. You can add your commentary."

"Sure, we can find it later."

"Okay, go on."

"I remember trying to focus on my breathing to calm my nerves. When I stepped into the octagon, all the nerves went away. It was such a confidence boost to know that I belonged there and that I deserved to be there."

"That's amazing."

"Yeah, it was a pivotal moment for me in more ways than one. Prior to that, I had always been known as a submission artist. To many people's surprise, I was a high-level striker as well, except nobody really saw it until that night. I dominated this girl inside of the first round and knocked her out with a spinning heal kick."

"I can't wait to watch it!"

"I then went on to defeat my next four opponents in similar fashion. All knock outs. I was 13 – 0 and building a name for myself. I earned a title shot and was now making decent money. I won't go into the details of the fight because I'll let you watch it, but I eventually won the fight and was able to demonstrate why I was the best female fighter on the planet."

"That is so incredible. You are still quite young so I'm curious to know what happened — how you ended up here and why you're not still a world champion?"

"I defended my belt but I suffered a severe back injury in training. I was told I would never fight again. That was a year ago."

"So you retired undefeated."

"Yeah."

"That sucks about your back. How is it holding up?"

"It's decent, but I'm just a firm believer in everything happening for a reason. If it wasn't for that situation, who knows, maybe I would get brain damage or something."

"At least you're optimistic. I like that. So does that mean you'll never return to fighting?"

"I don't know. I go with the flow."

# Chapter Thirty-Three

Dane sat on an oversized sectional sofa, looking around the large two-bedroom apartment. The rustic wood flooring and exposed brick where offset by the modern furniture. It was a nice place, but located in a rundown part of town.

After the war, space and available real estate wasn't an issue. Due to the temporary breakdown of society and the absence of law and order, people took up residency wherever they wanted.

"Cool painting," Dane commented. "Did you paint that yourself?"

"Yeah," Cassie replied, gritting her teeth and trying not to succumb to the pain.

"Hold still," Train said as he sat with her in the kitchen. Cassie rested against the counter underneath a low hanging light. Train had a bit of medical experience from the military, but had never performed an actual surgery.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Dane asked.

Train ignored him, he was too focused on removing the bullet from Cassie's shoulder.

"You know who would be really great at this... Lynn. I wish she were here. Our friend Lynn is a surgeon. I mean, she was a surgeon."

"How do you two know each other?" Cassie asked. "Are you famous and this is your bodyguard?"

Dane started laughing. "You hear that, Train? She thinks you're my bodyguard."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, it's just... you two are sort of an odd pairing, don't you think? And you're friends with a surgeon."

"Former surgeon," Dane corrected.

"You don't think that's a little weird?"

"Not really."

"So how did you two meet?"

"It's a long story. Wait, do you live here alone?" Dane asked, changing the subject.

"I have a roommate."

"Guy, girl?"

"Girl."

"Where is she?"

"Working."

"Is she a... dancer as well?"

"No, she's a... ouch... she's a nurse."

"That's kind of ironic, huh? Too bad she's not home."

"Got it," Train said, rinsing the bullet in a bowl of warm water. "Here, you can keep this as a souvenir."

"Gee, thanks," she said.

"I would ask if there is anything I could do to help, but I don't like blood."

"I've heard women can tolerate more pain then men, I wonder if that's true?"

"I don't know, why don't we shoot you in the shoulder and see if you scream louder than me," Cassie joked.

"No thanks."

"Almost done," Train said as he was stitching her up.

"It's a good thing your roommate is a nurse and that you have all this first aid stuff lying around," Dane said. "But I'm curious why we didn't just go to the hospital."

"Yeah... that's not going to work," Cassie said.

"Why not?"

"Because I removed my chip."

"You removed your chip?" Dane asked. "Why would you do that? Isn't that illegal?"

"There're rumours that the government tracks everything we do and evaluates us based on productivity. They call it a social utility score or something. As a stripper, I'm always afraid they'll come for me, even though I'm educated and make good money. Besides, I don't like the idea of some big brother spying on my every move. I guess you could say I'm a little anti-authority in that way."

"This is all news to us, isn't that right, Train? How do you know all this?"

"Like I said, I've heard rumours. Not sure if they're true or not. I think strippers have a lot of social utility. Where would drunk perverted men hangout if it weren't for strip clubs? Perhaps there would be more sexual assaults since men would be more sexually frustrated."

"You think men leave strip clubs more sexually satisfied than when they went in?" Dane asked. "I would think the opposite is true. They can look but can't touch and get all riled up and drunk and sent home unfulfilled."

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

"Well, whatever utility you provide the public, you certainly saved our lives tonight."

"Yeah, thank you," Train said.

"You guys saved my life too. Let's call it even. I'm going to go change. Help yourselves to whatever's in the fridge."

Cassie went to her room while Dane and Train remained in the kitchen.

"Hey, man," Train whispered as he peered over his shoulder to ensure Cassie was out of range.

"What?"

"Do you really think it's such a good idea for us to hang around her?" Train asked.

"Yeah, why? What's the big deal? Is it because she's a stripper?"

"What, no, of course not."

"Then what is it?"

"We have a plan, remember?" Train reminded him. "And when you get other people involved, it creates more... complications. Besides, we don't know anything about her."

"And she doesn't know anything about us. As far as we know, we've lied to her more than she has lied to us."

"That's to protect her," Train retorted.

"Without her, we'd be dead or sleeping under a bridge. But now we have a place to sleep, a hot shower, a warm meal... and maybe other stuff, if you know what I mean," Dane said with a wink. He opened the refrigerator door. "Ooh, left-over lasagna. Don't mind if I do. Want some?"

"Dane, put that back. We're leaving."

"Uh, no, we're not, dude."

"Yes, we are."

"And go where, Train? It's 1:00 a.m. We have a good thing here. Why would we leave? I've also been thinking, we should let her in on the plan. We need all the recruits we can get."

"Dane, I strongly advise you not do that."

"I'm telling her."

"Dane, don't. Not until we know we can trust her."

"You don't exactly have a strict policy on trust. Less than a week ago you formed an alliance with nine complete strangers in which we all decided on the second day to take down the world government. So I don't know what you're talking about."

Train didn't answer.

"Tell me I'm wrong," Dane said.

"Whatever. You're going to do what you want regardless."

"I'm happy to follow orders, I just need to see a good reason or logic before doing so. So for you to tell me... hold on, here she comes... so yeah, then I said to him, that's not a turkey baster!" Dane said with a manufactured laugh.

"What you are guys talking about?"

"Nothing, do you mind if I eat this lasagna?" Dane asked, shifting the conversation.

"It's all yours."

"Did you make this? It looks delicious."

"Yeah, I made it."

"Wow, you hear that Train. Pretty resourceful girl over there. Lots of talents."

"Ha, I doubt that," Cassie said, deflecting the compliment.

"Ah, you're being modest," Dane said placing the food in the microwave. "Hey, Cassie, I hope it's not too forward of me to ask you this, but... we kind of need a place to stay for the night. Is there any way we could crash here? We can pay you."

"You guys come to town without having a place to stay?"

"Pretty much. Our plan was to meet a nice stripper and hope she would take us in like a couple of strays. So far, half of our plan has come to fruition. So what do you say?"

"Look, I appreciate everything you two have done for me. But if I'm going to have two strange men stay the night, I need to know who I'm dealing with. Who are you, where do you come from, why were you running tonight?"

"Okay, why don't we all sit in the living room and we'll tell you everything."

Train and Cassie went to the living room and sat on a couch. Dane waited for his food to finish being reheated before joining them.

Taking his first bite, Dane's face tensed up as steam poured out of his mouth. "Hot," he mumbled, trying to chew and not burn the roof of his mouth with the sauce and gooey cheese. "Is this vegan?"

"Yeah."

"It's good."

"I'm glad you like it."

"Okay," he said, still chewing. He took a drink of water and then wiped his mouth. "I'll let that cool. Alright, so you know that rumour you heard about the government tracking people's productivity? Well, it's true. Train and I met on a bus a week ago. There were about eighty of us in total, but we suspect there were other buses, all being transported to a slaughterhouse to be exterminated.

"However, as fate would have it, the bus we were on happened to have an important passenger who used to be a part of The Shadow. I'm telling you, this guy is a wizard with computers. He hacked into the bus and forced it to stop on the side of the road. We exited the bus, separated into smaller groups, and ran into the woods. Unfortunately, some of us weren't so lucky," he said remorsefully as he put his head down.

Cassie was troubled by what she was hearing and had so many questions, but didn't interrupt. She allowed Dane to continue until the end.

"None of us are dangerous criminals, we're regular people just like you. Some of us were laid off, others suffered career-ending injuries. Others just haven't found their true life's calling or are in questionable career paths. In any case, we were deemed as having low social utility.

"Train and I ended up in a group together with seven other people. We all have varying skills, backgrounds, experiences, values, views... but we managed to work together to stay alive. We lived on our own in the woods with nothing. We slept on the ground and ate bugs, drank from a creek, and fought every day for our survival.

"One day, a small community living off the grid on the outskirts of town found us and took us in. They fed us, provided us with showers, beds, and anything else we needed. They even offered us refuge for as long as we wanted, but only on one condition. If we wanted to stay, we had to remove our chips."

"Sounds like a cult," Cassie said.

"No, no, it's not like that at all. There's no ideology or belief system that they all subscribe to. You come as you are. In fact, they have very few laws. Basically, treat everyone as you would like to be treated."

"Let me guess, there's a leader who has sex with all the women."

"Well... sort of. Okay, yes that's true, handsome fella, really charming, but there's no indoctrination ceremony or rituals to follow."

"Yet."

"Well, whatever. Like I was saying we are encouraged to believe in any ideology we want and live life how we see fit... provided you do not harm others. Also, we are free to come and go as we please, hence the reason why we're here."

"You haven't told me why you are here."

"Right. Well... look. I'm not sure you need to know everything, let's leave it at that for now."

"No, let's not. I want to know everything. If you don't want to tell me, you can leave."

Dane looked at Train, who didn't seem to object.

"Alright, Cassie... you seem like a really smart and reasonable person so I'm just going to tell you the truth. The way you choose to deal with that information is entirely up to you. The truth is... Train, myself, and some others... plan to overthrow The Shadow."

There was a pause as if Cassie was waiting for Dane to say that he was just joking, but it never came. Cassie held out for as long as she could until the laughter burst out of her like a pressurized kettle releasing steam.

"What's so funny?" Dane said.

"You can't be serious."

Dane didn't respond.

"Oh my god, you're being serious. Okay, for a minute I thought you were joking. Now I know you're crazy. No offense."

"None taken."

"So anyways," Dane said. "We'd really appreciate it if you let us crash for a few days. After that, we'll stay out of your hair."

"Can I ask one question? How exactly do you two plan on overthrowing The Shadow?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Dane laughed. Train joined in the laughter as if it were contagious. Cassie even started chuckling a bit. "It's not just us. There's like... a couple dozen of us."

"At least," Train added, nodded affirmatively.

Again Cassie started cracking up. "Y'all are too funny, you know that."

"Cassie, can you help us?"

"I guess you can crash here tonight, but you have to sleep out here. All that stuff at the club... that's my job, okay? It's how I make a living. I'm not trying to hook up with you."

"I'm cool with that. Train?"

"That works for me."

"So the deal is, one night. If you want to stay longer, I need to see how my roommate feels about all this. I doubt she wants two strange men living at the apartment."

"Right, of course not. We'll talk to your roommate and ensure she's okay with us staying for a few days. We can cook, clean, entertain, whatever you need," Dane said.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay the night," Train reiterated.

"Yeah, don't mention it. This all just sounds so crazy," she said, searching for a way for this to all make sense. "Perhaps when history is written, I can say I had some small part in overthrowing the oppressive government."

# Chapter Thirty-Four

It was well past 1:00 a.m. and they were both feeling the vibes. The stars overhead were so spectacular and unlike anything Allie had ever seen. She had spent her entire life in the big city with the light pollution making the stars nearly invisible. Now in seclusion, in a place devoid of external light sources, she could not take her eyes off the stars. It was the perfect setting to get comfortable and be in Daxon's company. It was truly a magical evening and she didn't want it to end.

"You think there's intelligent life out there?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Daxon said. "Given the infinite space in the universe and the trillions of stars and galaxies, it only seems probable that life like ours has formed elsewhere. Maybe one day we'll meet aliens from another world and discover they are just like us, or better."

"They could also be worse," Allie added.

"True. I guess I just always look at the world through the lens of hopeful possibilities and try not to dwell on the potential negative outcomes."

"That's good."

"If I could visit a galaxy far far away, I'd do it in a heartbeat. It has always been a dream of mine to explore the cosmos. I would love to one day live on a planet with my family and friends, leave all this mess behind, and not have any worries. It would be like our own little paradise."

"That sounds nice," Allie said, snuggling in closer.

"It sounds crazy."

"You never know, it could happen. So you know about me and why I'm here... tell me about your journey. What led you to being on this rooftop with me?"

"Where do I start?" Daxon said. "I have a little bit different backstory than you. In fact, I want to share something with you, but you have to promise to not tell anyone."

"Your secret is safe with me," Allie said.

"Okay, I haven't shared this with anyone because I don't want to get judged, but you were incredibly open with me and you don't seem like the judging type, so I'll tell you."

"Come on, tell me!" Allie demanded playfully.

"You know our world's currency?"

"The Unit? Yeah, why?"

"Do you know where it comes from?"

"Umm... no."

"The reason it's called the Unit is because it was invented by a company called Unity Inc. It was a small fintech startup that began as a payment system, but quickly became the largest lending provider in the world. They also created the preeminent globally accepted cryptocurrency we all use today. It was so wildly used before the war that it nearly abolished all other government's fiat currencies. Then the war hit, and governments around the world collapsed. After the war, the Unit just became the de facto currency because people were so used to it and it had no allegiance to a particular country."

"It's an interesting history lesson, but why are you telling me this? What does currency have to do with you?"

"Do you know the name of the founder of Unity?"

"No."

"His name is Trevor Morrison. He's a multi-billionaire who went on to do some pretty revolutionary things."

"Okay, I have heard of him actually."

"Well, he's my grandfather."

"What? Are you being serious?"

"Yes."

"Did you ever meet him?"

"No."

"When my parents passed away, I was the sole benefactor of his estate. I inherited his entire fortune."

"Wait, so you're crazy rich?"

"One of the richest people in the world, but because the Unit can be owned and traded anonymously, no one knows, not even The Shadow."

"Crazy. So none of your people know?"

"No. I mean, they know I'm well-off financially or at least have good reason to believe that I have money, but they don't even know my real name. My name isn't Daxon... it's Maxim... Maxim Morrison."

"Maxim Morrison... I like that," Allie said. "It sounds... presidential."

"Ha, me being a president. That's funny."

"What? It's not that far off, you're basically the president of this little community."

"'Little' being the operative word."

"Well, whatever you want to call yourself Mr. Morrison, I won't judge you negatively."

"Thanks, I appreciate that."

"I'm curious to know... why did you confide in me? I mean, you don't even know me. We just met a few days ago and we hardly had a conversation before today."

"I don't know. I guess I trust my instincts and something tells me you're one of the good ones."

Just then, Maxim leaned in and planted a kiss on Allie's lips. It had been so long since she had experienced intimacy and had yet to experience what it was like to fall in love.

Even though she fancied herself as someone who was very headstrong and made rational choices, a part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind, follow her wanton desires, and chase this whimsy, wherever it may lead.

# Chapter Thirty-Five

It was late and everyone was unwinding for the night. While it wasn't unusual for Cassie to bring strange men over to the apartment, it was a different scenario altogether. Not only did Dane and Train save her life, she knew about their mission and wanted to support them any way she could.

"Stay here, let me talk to her," Cassie said as her roommate walked in the door.

Dane and Train sat on the large sofa in the living room while Cassie went to the foyer to talk to her roommate. They heard the faint murmurs of a muted conversation, but wasn't exactly sure what was being said. Moments later, Cassie and her roommate entered the living room. Her roommate had just finished a twelve-hour shift and was likely looking to come home and unwind. Nevertheless, she was all smiles as she greeted her new house guests.

Dane and Train both stood up and bowed to her, the customary greeting of the time.

"I hope we're not intruding too much," Train said, slouching over, trying not to look as big and intimidating.

"I understand you need a place to crash for a few days and that's totally fine with me."

"Thank you so much," Train said. "You'll hardly even notice we're here."

"Help yourselves to anything you need. I'm going to jump in the shower and then I'll come hang out for a bit."

Cassie's roommate gave a parting smile before heading into her room.

"She seems nice," Dane said.

"Yeah, she's great," Cassie replied.

Cassie went into another room and Dane took out his phone to message Mr. Camo, updating him and the others on their progress. Meanwhile, Train was watching Dane go through his phone.

"Dane, what did I tell you?"

"What?"

"Lock your phone. There's sensitive information on that thing."

"Come on, man, you know I don't believe in passwords. Besides, I'm speaking in code. Nobody knows what this gibberish means."

"You of all people should believe in passwords. And I'm sure it wouldn't take a genius to figure out what you're talking about, or who you're talking to."

"Whatever, I have nothing to hide."

"That's not true, you have plenty to hide. It's also a matter of privacy. Surely there are things you don't want people to know about you."

"Nah, I'm an open book. Besides, if someone wanted to access my information, there are a million ways to get it. A simple password isn't going to stop someone who's really motivated and clever."

"But it would impede them."

"You talk too much."

"I talk too much?" Train laughed. "Man, you're funny. You should be a comedian."

While Cassie was playing host to her two new friends, her roommate eventually returned from her shower to join the conversation.

"How was work?" Dane asked. "Anything interesting or exciting happen today?"

"Actually, yeah. We had this one guy come into emerg, complaining about something being wrong with him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was fatigued and his muscles were cramping up. He could barely open his hands. We told him to take a seat while we tended to higher priority patients.

"Over the course of the next hour, his condition kept getting worse. We eventually admitted him and ran some A.I. diagnostic tests on him. It turns out he has this rare genetic disorder known as Gitelman Syndrome, which causes his kidneys to filter out potassium, magnesium, and calcium ions, which of course the body needs to function. This type of condition usually shows up in adolescence, but this was his first time experiencing these symptoms.

"Wow, that's crazy," Cassie said. "I hope he's okay."

"He'll be fine, we put him on a potassium IV drip and prescribed him some potassium, magnesium, and calcium supplements."

"I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing something," Dane said. "What's interesting or exciting about a man having a kidney disorder?"

"Not only is Gitelman extremely rare, what makes this case weird is that in order for someone to have it, both parents must be carriers of the gene. But in this case, both his biological parents don't have the gene."

"Perhaps it skips a generation. Maybe the man's grandparents had it," Dane suggested.

"No, I looked it up, that's not the case with Gitelman."

"Then his parents are not his biological parents," Dane countered with the next obvious explanation.

"But they are... I mean, according to the reports on file."

"Then the file has been forged."

"Why would they be forged?" Cassie asked.

"Who knows? It would explain why he has a genetic condition that's not found in his genetic lineage. When the war was going on, it was a bit like the dark ages. Records were not well maintained."

"Or he was genetically modified," Train suggested.

"Nobody would modify themselves to have a kidney disorder," Cassie said.

"Perhaps it was an unintended side-effect from some other mod," Train said.

"If you ask me," Dane said, "I'm still going with the theory that his records were forged. Suppose that's true, the next question to ask is — why would someone want to forge their records?"

# Chapter Thirty-Six

The next morning, Dane awoke to Cassie and her roommate whispering softly in the kitchen. He pretended to still be asleep. With one eye open, he saw Cassie go to a stash spot and hand her roommate something. His vision was too blurry to see clearly what it was, but it had to be important enough to hide it in a secret compartment behind the fridge.

As soon as her roommate left, Dane stretched out on the couch and made eye contact with Cassie.

"Good morning," he moaned.

"How did you sleep?" she asked quietly, not wanting wake Train. The sleeping giant lay sprawled out on the large sofa's pull-out mattress.

"There's not much food here, do you guys want to go out to eat?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah, that sounds great," Dane said. "I'd love to jump in the shower if you don't mind."

"Of course. It's all yours. I'll get you a set of towels."

The hot water and steam hit Dane's face and he had never felt so good. Never again would he take these simple pleasures in life for granted. Going without something basic for just a few days made them highly coveted luxuries.

Mr. Camouflage wire transferred enough money so that Dane and Train could eat, take transportation, and buy some essentials. Dane was really looking forward to getting himself some new clothes, a massage, a dozen donuts, and perhaps seeing his ex-girlfriend.

Leaving the apartment, the three took a train into the city. The population of Earth had been drastically reduced, but standing on the overcrowded train platform, it would be hard to tell. People from all ends of the world flocked into a few major hubs, making those cities densely populated.

Hiding behind sunglasses and a thin scarf that was wrapped around his face like a veil, Dane's eyes scanned the crowd. He saw several armed military personnel, looking for suspicious activity. In addition to the foot patrol, there were also high-res cameras mounted on the walls and ceiling, covering every inch of the station.

Dane and the others were nervous, but were able to board the train without any issues.

Riding three stops, they found themselves in another quiet neighbourhood outside of the main downtown core. Beautiful houses with manicured lawns and white picket fences lined the streets.

"You know her address?" Train asked.

"Of course, we dated for three years."

"Okay, relax, it was just a simple question."

"I guess I'm just a bit nervous."

"What are you nervous about?"

"I don't know. I just... I have a plan in my head for how a perfect scenario will play out. But knowing me... I'll probably find a way to mess it up."

"Just be yourself," Cassie suggested.

"Actually, Cassie, you don't know Dane as well as I do. That's actually not the best advice. You should be more like me. Whenever you feel one of your... Danerisms coming on, stop, and think, what would Train do?"

Train and Cassie both shared a laugh at Dane' expense.

"How long are we going to be?" Train asked. "I'm starving?"

"Depends," Dane replied. "I guess we'll see how this whole thing plays out."

Train could see that Dane was nervous and wanted to give him some parting words of encouragement.

"Hey, man. Relax. After everything you've been through, this will be a cake walk."

"What's a cake walk?"

"I don't know, but it's making me hungry."

Dane approached the house by himself, while Train and Cassie hung back on the sidewalk. Walking up to the front door, a scanner notified the residents inside that they had a guest. Seconds later, the door opened and a familiar face stood in the doorway with a displeased look.

"What are you doing here, Dane?"

"I... uh... just wanted to see you," he said, fighting back tears.

The girl looked over Dane's shoulder at Train and Cassie, who were standing around curbside. They each gave a friendly wave, but showed no emotion toward Dane.

"Those are my friends, Train and Cassie," Dane said. "They've been with me through some tough times. This past week, I almost died... several times... and I'm not sure what the future may hold so..."

"What do you think he's saying to her?" Cassie asked.

"Don't know, don't care."

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"All I can think about is food at the moment."

"Surely there's someone you want to see."

"I would love to see my son."

"Maybe after lunch we can see him."

"I would like that."

"What's his name?"

"Caleb."

"That's a nice name. How old is Caleb?"

"He's ten."

Dane returned shortly after wiping tears from his face. "Alright, let's go," he said.

"How did it go?" Train asked, walking back to the subway station.

"Um... tough to say. I'm not sure if we are going to be one big happy family, but I feel the healing process has begun. I apologized for some of the mistakes I've made and she seemed receptive to that. But honestly, who knows if I'll ever see her again."

"Don't say that," Train comforted. "Everything is going to be okay."

# Chapter Thirty-Seven

It was midday and Dane went downtown with Train and Cassie to eat. Stopping at a Vietnamese pho restaurant, the three were seated at a table near the back of the restaurant.

"I'm going to use the restroom," Cassie said.

Once she was gone, Dane removed his phone and messaged Mr. Camo.

"Bro, I'm telling you should put a password on that thing. It'd be terrible if it were to fall into the wrong hands."

"All good, we're speaking in code. See, I said, 'We arrived at the pizza parlour, we're looking at the menu to see what toppings are available. I'll let you know if they have the kind that everybody likes'."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"See, that's the point."

"How do you expect Mr. Camo to know what you're talking about?" Train asked.

"I'm not sure, we're about to find out."

"That's not how codes work. You both need the key to unlock the code."

"Mr. Camo just responded, he said, "Let me know what you decide to order. See, he's a hacker, he gets the gist of what I'm saying."

"Alright, but we may want communicate more complex information and that pizza code may not be able to convey all the information effectively."

"You guys know what you want?" Cassie asked, returning from the restroom.

"I think so," Dane said. "I'm going to get the vegetarian pho with a vegetarian spring roll. I wonder if I can get it with avocado."

"Vietnamese places usually don't have avocados," Train said.

"Some do. You just have to ask for it."

"Does she have a name for the kid yet?" Cassie asked.

"I don't know. Her name is Athena, which is Greek, so I think she wants some kind of Greek name to honour her heritage."

"Like Stephanos?" Train said. "Or Danopolous? What kind of name is Dane anyway? What is that, Dutch?"

"The Great Dane dog breed is German," Cassie said.

"Were you named after a dog?" Train said, laughing.

"You of all people shouldn't be talking about people's names, huh?" Dane snapped back. "Were you named after... a train?"

"Good one. That was one of your best ones."

The soups arrived, which seemed to silence everyone for a few minutes. Dane slurped up the soup broth with one hand while stuffing his mouth with a spring roll with the next.

"Hungry?" Cassie commented.

"I haven't eaten good food in a while... besides that lovely lasagna you made."

After finishing their meals, the trio left the restaurant and headed toward the nearest subway station, which was on the next block. There was one more stop that Train insisted on while they were in the city. In fact, it was one of the main reasons he had come on this trip.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Dane asked.

"This is something I have to do."

"Going to a neighbourhood is one thing, but a school? That has a whole other set of problems."

"I'm the boy's father. Trust me, it'll be fine."

The three exited the station and walked up to the school grounds where Train's son attended. There wasn't really much of a plan, Train just wanted to see his son and let him know that he loved him and that he was alright. A boy growing up without his father was hard enough, and Train didn't want to exacerbate the situation by having his son think he had abandoned him.

"Good afternoon, how can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Caleb Cole," Train said. "I'm his father."

"One moment please, Mr. Cole."

"So you're last name is Cole, huh?" Dane said. "Care to tell me you first name?"

"Wait, you don't know each other's real names yet?" Cassie asked. "I thought you guys were friends."

"I thought so too," Dane remarked. "I told him my real name."

Train remained silent.

"Okay then."

Train looked down the hall and saw the receptionist talking to a security guard. It was obvious they were talking about Train. After a brief exchange, they both turned and looked at Train. The security guard then spoke into his communication device.

"Something's not right," Train said.

"What's wrong?"

"Why is she talking to security?"

"Maybe they don't see a lot of giant men walk into their office with a scrawny dude and a stripper. We don't exactly look like we're on the PTA committee."

"Do I look like a stripper?" Cassie asked, looking at her outfit.

"You look lovely, darling."

"Maybe we should go," Train suggested.

"Yeah, that won't look sketchy at all," Dane said sarcastically.

"Okay, I have another plan," Train said, leaning over the receptionist desk and picking up the intercom receiver. "Caleb Cole, please come to the principal's office immediately. Caleb Cole to the principal's office."

"Subtle," Dane said.

"No one is going to keep me from seeing my son."

Peering into the hall, Train no longer saw the receptionist or the security guard so he decided to leave.

"Where are you going?" Dane asked.

"To see my son."

"But you literally just paged him to come here. You're acting like a weirdo right now."

"They're trying to prevent me from seeing my son."

"Nobody is trying to prevent you from seeing your son. Let's just hang out here like normal people and quit being so paranoid."

Leaving the office area, the three remained together and made their way down one of the halls.

"Caleb!" Train shouted. "Caleb Cole. It's your dad."

"Train, what are you doing?" Dane said. "I don't even know you right now. You're being a crazy person."

"Caleb!" Train said, marching down the hall and ignoring Dane.

Just as they rounded the corner, Train saw two security guards stationed outside of a classroom. His intuition told him that was where his son was.

"Mr. Cole," one of the guards said. "We're going to have to ask you to leave the school grounds please."

"Not until I see my son," Train demanded, walking closer.

"Mr. Cole, please, we're asking you nicely."

Train didn't stop, which made the guards feel threatened. They quickly withdrew their weapons. Train stopped about ten feet away and raised his hands in the air.

"Look, I don't want any trouble," he said. "I just want to see my son."

By now, they had caused quite the commotion as students and teachers were pressed up against the windows of their doors, peering into the hall. Just then, the door to Caleb's class opened and Caleb entered the hallway.

"Dad!" Caleb said, running into his father's open arms.

"Caleb!"

"I missed you so much," he said, hugging his son. Tears immediately began to flow as he didn't think he would ever see his son again.

The guards lowered their weapons and watched with caution. They weren't too sure how to respond, but were put at ease when Caleb ran to his father willingly.

"Where have you been?" Caleb asked.

"It's a long story, son. I just wanted to come see you and let you know that I love you and am very proud of you. You take care of your mum, okay?"

"Are you going away again?"

"No, I'll never leave you. Know that. I love you so much. I would never leave you, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Mr. Cole, I hate to breakup this family reunion, but I thought I should let you know the police have been called and are on their way."

"What? Why did you call the police?" Train asked.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"Everything's okay, son. It's just a little misunderstanding. C'mon, let's go."

"Excuse me, Mr. Cole, we can't let you leave with that student."

"What are you talking about? Of course I can, he's my son."

"Sorry, school policy."

"To hell with your school policy. I haven't seen my son in a very long time and I'm taking him out for pancakes."

Train and his son began to walk down the hall toward the exit. Dane and Cassie followed behind. They reached the front door just as four uniformed police officers approached them.

"Mr. Cole," one of the officers said. "I'm going to need you to come with us, please."

Security was one thing, but officers of the law were completely different. Train didn't want to go in for questioning or cooperate in any way. He knew where that would likely lead.

Before Train could think about his next move, the two security guards stepped in and took Caleb away.

"Hey, don't touch my son!" Train said aggressively as he turned and charged toward the two guards.

The four officers were quick to step in. One of them zapped him with a taser stick, bringing Train to his knees. The other officers tackled him to the ground and attempted to put handcuffs on him.

Being the trained soldier that he was, and a man of herculean strength, Train wrestled his way free and returned to his feet. Like a provoked bear, Train let out an intense roar as he was consumed with rage. Without hesitating, he lunged forward, grabbing one of the officers by the vest and hurling him into the air. The officer smashed through a large glass window and landed in the office.

Train continued to wreak havoc. He swung wildly and connected with a looping punch that nearly sent one of the officers into orbit. The security guards didn't want any part of this violent episode and ushered Caleb off to some undisclosed location.

The last remaining officers proceeded to whip their batons at Train, but they appeared to have no effect. Train snatched one of the batons and fought with the officer for control. Train pined the officer up against a set of lockers, lifting the man off of his feet. The other officer jumped on Train's back and began to choke him with the baton. Train spun around and smashed the officer hanging on his back against the lockers. The full dense weight of Train's muscular back left the officer gasping for breath. In one fluid motion, Train tucked his head down causing the officer to flip over the front of him and land on his back.

The final officer backed up in defence and seemed unwilling to engage with this goliath of a man. It was a trap. He was distracting Train as the officer that was previously thrown through the office window had now returned to the action. He attempted to blindside Train, but Dane was quick to intervene. With a sudden wave of courage, Dane ran forward and tackled the officer to the ground.

In an explosive burst, Train lunged forward with a Spartan-esque kick, launching the last remaining officer through a set of double doors. The doors burst open and the officer was now laying on the concrete outside.

"Come on, let's go," Train said as if nothing had happened.

With wounded and battered men groaning on the ground, Train left the scene, leaving behind an aftermath of violence that he was now growing accustomed to.

Once outside, they ran toward the nearest subway station and disappeared from sight.

"That went well," Dane commented.

"Shut up, Dane. I'm not in the mood for your sarcasm."

"I'm glad I got to meet your son. Seems like a nice kid."

"Dane, I swear... if you say another word I'm going to rip your arms off your body."

# Chapter Thirty-Eight

Riding up front with Mr. Camo, Allie kept a watchful eye on the monitor. They had hacked the GPS coordinates on the original bus they were on to see where it planned to take them. If it were a slaughterhouse like they had suspected, then surely they had a duty to shut it down and potentially save lives.

Allie's eyes glanced up at the desolate wasteland that surrounded them. Blown out buildings and heaps of rusted scrap metal were the only remnants of a once prosperous city. There was not a living thing in sight. Amid the ruins were likely graveyards of the forgotten, tragic causalities in a war that was indiscriminate and inescapable.

As they approached closer to the end point, a dense fog set in. The convoy of heavily armed military vehicles reduced their speed to deal with the limited visibility. A few spatters of rain began, hitting the windshield and obstructing the view even further. The heavy windshield wipers slowly smeared the water droplets from side to side. Shortly after, the rain began to come down even harder.

Silence consumed the vehicle as they all remained transfixed, staring out the window at nothing but a dense cloud of grey.

"Less than a kilometre to go," Mr. Camo informed.

Everyone was on edge, shifting in their seats, unsure what to expect. Maxim and his friend Arlon were not soldiers so they were nervous, preparing for a likely combat situation. Ronin, Maxim's super soldier, was right by their sides, remaining calm and setting the tone for his squad. For him, it was just another day at the office.

"We're approaching it on our right, look for somewhere to turn," Mr. Camo said. He looked out the window, but couldn't see a thing. "Wait, wait, wait, stop," he said. "It's getting further away from us. I think we passed it."

"I didn't see anything," Arlon said.

"That makes two of us."

"We have a choice to make," Ronin said. "We can turn around, head back where we came from, or we can continue on foot."

Mr. Camo turned to address everyone in the vehicle. "We'll stop here and go the rest of the way on foot. None of us know what to expect so let's watch out for each other out there."

The doors open and Ronin was the first one out. His boots hit the muddy ground, sloshing through the puddles of water that surrounded the vehicle.

The remaining crew made their way from the vehicles and into the unknown territory. Even with their heads-up displays, they could hardly see a thing other than blinking dots on a map — one for the final destination, and the others for their fellow crew members.

Ronin led the way followed by Allie and Maxim. Arlon and Mr. Camo trailed closely behind. Following them were a dozen soldiers spread out in a V formation.

They continued to walk on the uneven ground, being cautious with every step. Heavy rain continued to pour down on them, soaking them through and through.

As they walked closer to the blinking light, the fog and rain eased up. Their visibility returned almost as if the rain and fog were put there artificially to hide something. Piercing through the fog, they emerged to find a structure that took their breaths away.

"Oh. My. God," one of the crew members said. "What the hell is that?"

"You just used God and hell in the same sentence, but... I am... in awe," someone said, barely being able to finish their sentence.

Towering before them was a stone wall unlike anything they had ever seen before. It was at least a hundred feet tall and stretched out in both directions as far as the eye could see.

"It looks like a prison of some sort," Maxim said.

"A prison for dinosaurs?" someone commented back through the headset. "Whatever this thing is, it's either keeping something out, or something in."

"Does anyone see an entrance?" Mr. Camo asked.

"What's your plan, to walk up to the front door and knock?" Allie replied snidely.

"Let's send the drone up," Arlon said.

Mr. Camo unhooked a small pack from his shoulders and removed a palm-sized drone. He threw it up in the air and the drone automatically turned on. Four arms quickly extended and the mini propellers began buzzing. It took flight and climbed up higher and higher until it was out of sight. Everyone could see the drone's view from the displays in their helmets. They waited with anticipation since whatever was beyond this wall was obviously important.

Before the drone reached the top, the feed cut out and they couldn't see anything.

"Hey, what happened?" someone called out.

"Hold on, I lost the signal," Mr. Camo said.

Just then an object fell from the sky and slammed into the ground just a few metres away from where they were standing. Then, shots rang out. One of the soldiers went down. Then another.

"We're under attack!" Maxim called out.

The shots came from an unknown direction. Everyone scattered, looking for cover.

"Where's it coming from?" someone shouted.

"How many are hit?"

"Two down," someone called back.

"We can't leave them out there."

"Everyone stay put until we get a visual on the target."

Crouching behind large metal objects that were strewn about, everyone looked around at where the shots were coming from. The obvious place to look was atop the hundred foot wall. There were likely snipers posted up there on-guard for would-be intruders.

"They're behind us!" someone shouted. The glowing red eyes from several militarized robots emerged through the thick fog. Their menacing eyes were intimidating enough, but the metallic armour and precision targeting made them nearly impossible to defeat.

The brave men and women got into position and began firing back. A flurry of glowing bullets shot back and forth. The sounds were deafening.

"Talk to me!"

"I got one!" someone shouted. "Aim for their sensors."

The gates from the citadel opened and several more robots joined the fight.

"Watch your six!"

"Great, now we're surrounded."

"Told you this was a suicide mission!"

"Stay focused. We're still in this fight. We've dealt with worse and lived to tell the story."

Ronin blasted a shot and one of the robots collapsed in the doorway, preventing the gates from closing. Then, without explanation, the robots turned their attention away from the group and began blasting each other.

"Look, their turning on each other. What's happening?"

"And you guys didn't want me to come," Mr. Camo said.

"Mr. Camouflage, is that you?"

"The brain is mightier than the sword."

"Okay, Sun Tzu. I'm not sure what you're doing, just keep doing it."

The bots continued to take each other out until there was just one left. Mr. Camo stood up and walked confidently over to it and blasted it right in the head. The remaining members of the crew got up and walked over to their wounded friends.

"They're still alive!" someone shouted.

They took the soldiers and dragged them behind a pile of rubble where they were less exposed.

"Mr. Camo, keep an eye out for those things. There could be more," Maxim said.

One of the soldiers with medical training attended to the wounded soldiers. Fortunately, none of their injuries were life threatening.

"You're going to be okay, mate. You got hit in the shoulder. Clean through. We just need to stop the bleeding. Hold still, I'll give you something to ease the pain."

"Guys, look, the door," Allie said. "It's propped open."

"What's the plan, Maxim?"

"Anyone who is wounded or unfit to continue should go back to the vehicles. Safety is our number one priority."

Overhead, the buzzing sounds of a swarm of drones were heard, but not seen. The unnerving sound had everyone on edge. Once again, everyone took cover and watched each other's backs, looking skyward for an attack that seemed imminent.

In the distance, a loud explosion rocked the small troop and escalated the already heightened sense of anxiety.

"What the hell was that?" one of the soldiers said.

Turning toward the vehicles, they were disheartened to see large flames and billowing clouds of smoke emanate from them. Before anyone could speak, the drones formed a perimeter and dropped several canisters all around the troops.

"Guys, look out!" Maxim said as everyone scattered.

The canisters exploded, releasing a chemical gas that consumed their lungs faster than they could get their masks on. The crew began coughing uncontrollably as they desperately gasped for oxygen.

With laboured breaths and heavy eyes, the crew took staggered steps before succumbing to the gas. One by one, they each fell to their knees before finally collapsing face first in the mud.

# Chapter Thirty-Nine

The elevator was out of order so Dane and Train followed Cassie up the stairs to her apartment. It had been a long day and everyone was exhausted.

Approaching the door, Cassie stopped dead in her tracks.

"What is it?" Dane asked.

"The door to my apartment is open."

"Stay back," Train insisted, placing himself in between Cassie and the door. He gently pushed the front door open and listened for any movement. All the lights were off and it didn't appear as though anyone was inside. "You two stay here while I go in and check it out."

Train made his way into the apartment and crept down the long hallway leading to the bedroom. He could smell the distinct scent of rotting flesh and feared the worst.

Keeping the lights off, he entered the main living area of the apartment and noticed debris scattered everywhere. The place had been ransacked. The couches had been flipped over and cut up, all the drawers in the cabinets had been ripped out and gone through, and all the cupboards in the kitchen were open, including the fridge. The light from the fridge lit up the small space revealing all the smashed dishes and other items from the kitchen scattered on the floor.

Train was careful with his footing so that he didn't step on any broken glass and make noise. Whoever did this may still be waiting for them in the apartment, or next door. Following the foul odour, Train found himself in the roommate's bedroom. The closet had been ripped apart, clothes were taken from the drawers and thrown about, and the mattresses was cut open. Whoever did this was obviously looking for something.

There was just enough light coming in from the window to see the feet sticking out from under the mattress, which was half hanging off the bed. Train lifted the mattress off the body and slid it back in place. Using his fingers, he checked for a pulse. There was none.

Train stood up and turned around. That's when he saw Cassie and Dane standing in the doorway. The instant Cassie saw her roommate's lifeless body, she immediately started screaming and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Dane, come on, man," Train said. "Get her out of here. She doesn't need to see this."

Dane tried to grab Cassie and pull her into the hallway, but she fought with him. She barged into the room, flicked the light on and ran over to her dead roommate.

"The lights," Train said, rushing over and hitting the switch. "Whoever did this could still be staking out the place, sitting in a parked vehicle on the street level, waiting for activity in the apartment. Cassie, come on, we have go, now!"

"Who would do this?" she cried.

"I'm not sure, but they may have been looking for us. It's not safe here. We need to go now!"

Crouching next to her roommate, Cassie was crying hysterically, unable to comprehend the sudden loss of her best friend. Train pulled her up to her feet and attempted to usher her out of the apartment. She squirmed free and insisted on getting a bag and filling it with some personal items.

"Quickly," Train said.

Cassie went to her room and stuffed a few personal possessions into a bag. She then went into the living room and saw the full extent of the destruction. Still in shock, she stood in awe, taking it all in.

"We need to move, Cas," Train said.

Cassie snapped back in focus and ran to her stash spot behind the fridge. Just as she grabbed what she needed, two smoke grenades came sailing through the windows, shattering the glass and quickly filling the room with smoke.

"Get down!" Train shouted.

The loud sounds from the broken windows and the hissing smoke were jarring, but not as much as the thought of bad people coming after them to kill them. All three ran out of the apartment, stumbling into the hallway in a panicked frenzy.

"Where to?" Dane asked with urgency.

Without saying a word, Cassie led the way into the emergency exit, then down several flights of stairs. Train didn't move as quickly, but was close enough behind. They reached the exit leading the alley behind her building and Train advised Cassie to wait.

"I'll go first," he said.

"No, I'll go," Cassie said, throwing caution to the wind and running into the street.

Dane and Train entered the alley, following Cassie's lead as she appeared to be up to something. She removed some kind of gadget from her bag and stood next to a car that was parked nearby.

"What are you doing?" Dane asked.

"We're taking this," she answered.

"We?"

"Get in."

"Is this vehicle yours?"

"Does it matter?"

"Good point."

All three jumped into the car just as another car approached them from the rear.

"Go, go, go!" Dane shouted.

Cassie slammed her foot on the accelerator and the car abruptly jolted forward. She steered quickly, but not quickly enough as she smashed into the car parked in front of them. The sides of the two vehicles scraped together.

With a vehicle in hot pursuit, Cassie raced down the street, doing her best to manoeuver through traffic. She hardly had any experience driving, but had spent a lot of time playing VR driving simulators.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dane shouted from the backseat. "Careful... watch out for the pedestrian."

"Dane, shut up, I got this!" she shouted back.

"Why does everyone keep telling me to shut up?"

As the two vehicles sped through the quiet neighbourhood, Dane was on the phone in the backseat making a call.

"Cam, it's Dane. We need your help."

Train bounced around in his seat, holding on tightly as the vehicle reached mind-numbing speeds. As the pursuing car closer, they began firing shots. Bullets shattered the windows and hit the side of the car. Dane ducked low in the backseat, holding the phone firmly to his ear.

"Okay, I've located you and am looking for the best route to take," Cam said. "There's an abandoned building at the end of Lexington Street. Take the next right, and then a sharp left down the alley."

"Cassie, take your next right, then a sharp left into the alley!" Dane called out.

"Put him on Bluetooth."

Dane connected Mr. Camouflage so that his voice played throughout the speakers. He then put the phone down and peaked his head out the back window. Cassie already had a sizable lead on the pursuing car.

"There'll be a roundabout in two blocks," Mr. Camo informed. "Head East on Union, then take the alley all the way to Lexington. Once there, look for a large office building. It has a back entrance. If you can make it into a parkade, you should have enough coverage to avoid being spotted."

When they entered the roundabout, fortune was on their side. They were able to blow through it without hitting anyone or getting jammed up in traffic. The pursuing car didn't have the same luck. They slammed into a merging traffic and spun out of control.

"Whoa! Did you guys see that?" Dane said. "Nice driving, Cas! You did it. You lost them."

"We're not out of the woods just yet," she said.

"Please, don't mention woods to me."

# Chapter Forty

Allie regained consciousness first, but only partially. Her eyes struggled to open as she took in her surroundings. She appeared to be in some sort of secluded city inside a dense forest. Staring straight up at the sky, the sun pierced her eyes every time the clouds parted. She looked at her feet and noticed someone was carrying her. Several of her crew were also being transported through the city. She tried to fight it, but her muscles didn't work. Then she stopped.

She was hauled to her feet, picked up over someone's shoulders, and thrown rather aggressively into the back of a truck. She heard the loud thud, but didn't feel any pain. Her fellow soldiers were all around her. As much as she tried to fight the urge to fall asleep, she was unable to endure the pull. Closing her eyes one last time, her world became consumed by an ever-present darkness.

Allie's brain slowly returned to its normal function, allowing her to focus on her surroundings and physical condition. She was alone in a cold and dark ten-by-ten foot cell. It took a moment before her eyes adjusted to the low light. The cement floor was bare and there were no furnishings or toilet in the room. There was a metal door with a small window, but since she was laying on the ground, she didn't know what was on the other side of the door.

She was in pain, but didn't appear to be bleeding and nothing seemed to be broken. She just had muscle soreness, a few minor scrapes, and some bruises.

Struggling to maintain her balance, she made her way to the door. Resting her shoulder against it, she peered out the thin window. There wasn't much to look at other than a long hallway. The door, of course, was locked from the outside, but that still didn't prevent her from checking.

Unsure where she was, how long she had been held captive, or what happened to the others, she hunkered down and tried to get comfortable. Placing her back against the cold cement wall, she slid down and settled into a sitting position.

Several hours had passed before the cell door opened and six armed men stormed in. They grabbed her and brought her to her feet. They were wearing masks and none of them spoke despite her multiple attempts at communicating with them. "Who are you? Where am I? Where are you taking me?" she asked.

Her hands were bound and she was shoved aggressively down a long hallway, which led to another room, one that was much cleaner and modern. There was a table, two chairs, and electricity. She was forced into one of the chairs, then four of the men exited, two remained.

Allie looked at them both and asked more questions about what they wanted with her and her friends. Again, the guards refused to answer. They didn't even look at her. They stood in opposite corners wearing full combat gear and held large guns. Then, another man walked in and took a seat at the table. He wasn't wearing a mask. Allie sized him up — he appeared to be in his mid-fifties and carried a lofty air about him, acting with authority.

"Water?" the man offered.

Allie accepted the bottle of water and chugged half of it.

"Tell me..." the man said. "Who are you?"

"First, I want to know that my people are safe."

"Your people? So you're in charge?"

Allie didn't answer.

"I assure you, your friends are safe. You know, we spoke to a number of them, and none of them showed any concern for anyone other than themselves. That's very disappointing. You, however, immediately inquired about the safety of your friends. We like that here."

"We?" Allie repeated. "Who are you?"

"I asked you first."

"My name is Allie."

"No last name?"

"Just Allie for now."

"Very well then. It's a pleasure to meet you, Allie. My name is Thatch, I'm the mayor here."

"Where am I?"

"You don't know? You came here with a number of armed soldiers, did you not? Are you here to wage war on me? A rescue mission perhaps? What?"

Allie remained silent.

"I will say that it was a valiant effort... you managed to take out several of our automatons. But, to be completely honest, they were our old ones, so, you know, I can't say I'm upset or even surprised.

"Nevertheless, your presence intrigues me. If you were really here to wage war against us, then I would assume you would have brought an army, but you didn't. You brought twelve people on this little mission of yours."

"There are others coming, and if you don't let me go, they'll—"

"No," the man interrupted with certainty and a smile. "Please, tell the truth. There are no others. Our drones spotted you coming hours before you arrived. If there are others, they haven't come for you yet. But, you seem like an honest person, so I'll take your word for it. Maybe before this goes any further, we can reach some sort of agreement. I must confess, although we are heavily armed, we consider our colony to be peaceful."

"Colony?"

"Yes, were you expecting to find something else? Allow me to clear up the confusion. Welcome to Citadel, we're a completely self-sufficient colony of about 50,000. We like to think of ourselves as more of an alternative lifestyle movement than a colony, but technically speaking either definition works."

The look of confusion never left Allie's face.

"Not what you were expecting to hear?"

"I... " Allie struggled to find the right words. Perhaps her brain was still a little scrambled. "The wall?" she finally said. "Why do you have a wall around the city?"

"It's a long story."

"There are no roads that lead here, it doesn't appear on any map, or GPS... why the secrecy?"

"Many people think the wall is keeping us in, but the truth is that the wall is really to keep others out. To protect our way of life. We are all here by choice. Sure we have problems like any other community — disagreements, disputes, small crimes — but we handle them in our own way. We want to live completely disconnected from the rest of the world. We want to create our own little utopia if you will."

"I was told this was a slaughterhouse?"

"A slaughterhouse?" the man laughed. "That's ridiculous! We don't even eat meat here."

"There are busloads of people taken from their families, their homes... their lives are ripped away from them and they are shipped out here against their wills. I was one of them. How can you call yourself a free society when you do that?"

"I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to. We celebrate when newcomers arrive. They are brought in by bus, but it's not against their wills. They have applied to be here and we have carefully selected each of them based on the needs of our community. It's a great privilege to be here, and if anyone wants to leave, we put them on the next bus out."

"Does anyone leave?"

"Of course."

Allie always trusted her instincts, and something about the man told her that he was lying.

"Look, you obviously have a lot of questions and I can see you are really curious about Citadel. Please, allow me show you around."

"What about my friends?"

"Of course they can come too. I wouldn't want it any other way," the man said with a smile.

# Chapter Forty-One

It was midday. The sun was shining and birds were chirping. With the crew reunited, they followed the exuberant mayor as he took them on a tour of the community. He spoke proudly about what they had built. They were escorted by a six armed guards. It wasn't clear if they were there to protect them, or to keep them in line.

On the inside of the walled city was a calm and peaceful vibe that made everyone feel relaxed. It was a stark departure from the hyper-connected city in which the group was accustomed. It was clean, quiet, and integrated with nature. The greenery did more than just add a natural aesthetic, it purified the air and invited wildlife. Had it not been for the large cement wall that towered over the city, it would be a place many of them would consider living.

The wall was adorned with colourful murals all the way down and although it was hard to ignore, after a while, they sort of got used to it.

"Our population is roughly 500,000, spanning over one hundred square kilometres," the mayor said, "We have lots of space, but we have more of small town vibe than an industrial city. It's pleasant and quaint, which is just the way we like it. One of our proudest achievements is that we are entirely reliant on clean energy and produce a very small carbon footprint."

"Who founded this place?"

"The city has existed for nearly a century before we arrived, but it didn't become what you see today until after the war. Machines built the wall to protect against outside threats. During the war, it became a refuge for woman, children, and those who were not interested in fighting. As word spread of this little oasis, we began attracting more and more individuals with a wider range of skills. Now we are so coveted, that many people apply to get in, but only a few are selected. It's like winning a lottery for many people. We also do an inventory of what skills we need much like a company does, and then seek those individuals out. We are highly selective of who we allow to live here with us."

"Do people work?"

"They can if they like. As with any society, there are a certain amount of things that need to get done for it to function... garbage collection, road maintenance, that sort of thing, but we have robots for most of those tasks. We grow our own food and produce all of our own materials so we are completely self-sufficient. At any time people are permitted to leave and travel as they would in any other city, and of course they bring items back with them."

The old city was truly something to behold, a complete throwback to the 1980s, like stepping into a virtual world or time machine, experiencing what life must have been like over one hundred years ago. A place completely devoid of many of the luxuries of modern technology was not only a rarity in this world, it was something none of them had ever experienced before. There were no neon lights, no holograms, nothing hovering or whizzing by overhead.

The streets had people going about their day as one would expect to see in any city. The buildings were small and the roads had very little traffic. The cars and fashion were also outdated, seemingly coming from a bygone era.

Whenever they walked into a store or restaurant, that's when the stark contrast was even more apparent. They had cashiers instead of automated billing, they had aisles filled with household items instead of on demand 3D printers, and in place of virtual experience facilities, they had libraries filled with physical books.

"I'm noticing a lack of modern technology," Arlon commented. "Is that by choice or..."

We have technology, but it's limited. We don't have internet or television, or smart devices. Most of us have phones, but not the portable kind."

"Computers?"

"Some people have basic computers, nothing fancy."

"What do people do for entertainment?"

"The city has a lot of artists and creatives who are free to nurture their talents. So as you may expect, we have live music, poetry, plays, stand-up comedy, you name it. We also have roller rinks and arcades for the kids, bowling, fields and arenas for sports, theatres... There's never a shortage of entertainment or things to do here. You know, it's hard to believe, but there was a time before all this modern technology existed and people got on just fine."

"How long does the average person stay here?"

"We've had people come here before the war, get married, have families, and their kids have never seen outside of the walls."

"That's a shame."

"Again, to each their own. Nobody is forced to be here. They're free to leave any time. So if they don't travel, I suppose that's their choice."

"If people don't work, then how can they even afford to leave, let alone travel?" Maxim asked. "Do you use the same currency as the rest of the world, or do you have your own?"

"Money is not the main lubricant of our society. We all just help out where we can. For the most part, we are happy and free as you can see for yourselves. We don't tolerate harm in any way, and we are strict about who gets in. We want to protect this place and preserve this way of life for as long as possible. But aside from that, we have very few rules."

"Notice he didn't really answer the question?" Allie whispered to Maxim.

"It's truly a remarkable community you all have here and it has been a pleasure having you show us around," Maxim said. "But eventually, it will be necessary for the population to increase. To maintain this self-sufficiency, you need biodiversity. How do you address that issue?"

"Right, well, I mentioned we have strict rules about immigrants, but also with people having families."

"How do you mean?"

"We have a law preventing just anyone from having a child. All children need to be approved by the state."

"That seems impractical, not to mention unethical," Allie said. "Who is the state to tell people what they can or cannot do with their bodies?"

"It's okay if you want to have a baby, or ten... you just can't live here and do it. But, let's not get too hung up on the rules, there are some other things I really want to show you."

The tour continued and everything seemed pleasant and normal; however, they were never allowed to roam free and explore on their own. They were always chaperoned by guards. Some had suspected that the mayor was only showing them a certain side of Citadel and there was a dark underbelly to it all. Slave labour perhaps, cloning facilities, or maybe the rumours were true and there really were a slaughterhouse for the fringe.

After a few hours, they stopped for lunch and were taken back to their accommodations. They were provided hot showers, warm meals, and a fresh change of clothes. For being held captive, they were treated kindly.

As it was communicated to them, the expectation was that they could stay overnight, but then they had to leave in the morning. If any of them wanted to return one day on a more permanent basis, they would need to apply and undergo an invasive evaluation process that could last several months. If they qualified, they would be granted temporary residency. Any proven infraction would result in immediate exile. Eventually over time, they could earn a permanent placement in the city and all their food, healthcare, education, and accommodation would be taken care of.

As appealing as that sounded, none of them had any desire to come back.

# Chapter Forty-Two

Maxim tried to sleep, but was up all night. Rising from his bed, he went to the bathroom to get some water. He opened the window to create a draft and get some fresh air. That's when he noticed the bars on the windows — an odd thing to have for a place that was described as peaceful and having practically no crime.

Maxim looked out the window from his third storey suite and stared down at the sleeping city. In the background the giant wall dominated the skyline. He returned to bed, but his eyes remained open. Something about this place just wasn't sitting right with him. With no electronics, he couldn't tell what time it was, but based on the positioning of the moon, he assumed it was sometime past 1:00 a.m.

As he laid in his single bed, staring up at the ceiling with his eyes wide-open, he heard a whistling sound, which wasn't out of place given their surroundings. They were amongst a dense forest populated with a rich variety of creatures. At first he didn't think anything of it, but then the noise persisted.

Getting up once again, Maxim dragged his feet to the bathroom to close the window. That's when he saw a cloaked figure standing beneath his room in the glow of the moonlight. Their eyes met and Maxim was captivated by what was in his hand. He couldn't quite see what it was, but could definitely hear it. The distinct buzz from the micro drone was nearly inaudible unless one was really listening for it.

Puzzled and intrigued, Maxim watched on as the drone left the man's hand and raised up three storeys and entered through a tiny slit of his bathroom window. Maxim took several steps back, unsure what to expect as he watched the drone land on the cold tiled floor. It lay stationary for a moment and Maxim kept his distance as a precaution. He wanted to look out the window to see if the figure was still standing there, but to do so would require him to step over the drone, which he didn't want to do.

Just then, a light shot out from the tiny device and projected a hologram of the cloaked figure. The man removed his hood and revealed his face. The weathered face of an old man with a grey beard stared at him for a moment before he spoke. Maxim wasn't sure what to make of this whole experience, but watched on with curiosity.

"Hello, my name is Ethan... Ethan Thanos, you may know me as the creator of the Ethos project."

Maxim was dumbfounded, he knew exactly who Ethan Thanos was. The man was a legend and needed no introduction. No one had heard from him in nearly two decades and until this moment, he was presumed dead. Maxim was more than excited to be having a conversation with the man responsible for creating the first fully autonomous artificial intelligence.

"I know exactly who you are," Maxim spoke in a hushed tone. "What are you doing here? Where have you been?"

"I've been around," Ethan said, brushing off the question. "I have a message for you."

"For me?" Maxim said. "How do you know even know who I am?"

"I don't know you personally, but I know many things about you... from your data that is. You are not here by accident."

"I'm assuming you're about to clear up the confusion I'm feeling right now."

"A short while ago, some people you've come into contact with have been taken against their wills and placed on a bus."

"How did you... are you working with The Shadow?"

"The Shadow didn't put those people on the bus... I did."

The look of confusion grew as Maxim couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You put those people on the bus? Why did you do that?"

"It's a long story, which I'd rather not get into right now."

"No, we have time, tell me everything you know."

"Look, Maxim, the short version is that I ran a complex algorithm to determine the best way to over throw The Shadow. It produced the names of nine random people who, on their own, do not possess anything exceptional or unique about them. By themselves, they are all just ordinary and average people, but when they're together, they are something much greater than the sum of their parts. Each of them offers a certain quality that when combined with the skills and talents of the group, create a perfect storm, an undeniable force that is capable of achieving seemingly impossible feats.

"Among the group is the right combination of tenacity, strength, aptitude, determination, defiance for authority, and so on to take down The Shadow. My job was then to assemble them together and set a plan in motion for that outcome to occur. Now that I see my plan is coming together and that you are here, I need to give you an important piece of the puzzle that will help you in your journey."

"Wait, wait, wait," Maxim said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This is all a lot to process right now. You're saying that me being here talking to you is part of a complex algorithm. How is that even possible? Do we not have free will? Can you predict the future?"

"No, it doesn't work like that. I'm using sophisticated machine learning software to run a predictive analysis. I can predict the future with a high degree of accuracy based on how you behaved in the past. If, for instance, I know you wake up at 7:00 every morning in the past, I can predict with reasonable accuracy that you'll wake up tomorrow at 7:00 a.m."

"Okay, I understand," Maxim said.

"Based on a number of digital impressions you've made over the years, I've learned a lot about your choices and habits. I know what you're interested in, what you're not interested in, what kind of content you consume and how often, the kinds of people you like, the women you tend to connect with, what values and beliefs you hold, and so on. I know that you like a challenge and will stop at nothing until you see it through. I also know that if you are in a room with a certain personality types, your behaviour will change to be more assertive... with a 90% probability that is."

"That's incredible. The rumours are true, you're some kind of super genius."

"I assure you, my accomplishments have been grossly exaggerated. For whatever reason, I seem to get a lot of undue credit, and criticism. My partner deserves far more credit than me. I was just the public face while he was the genius behind the scenes."

Maxim knew exactly who he was referring to. What ever happened to your partner?"

Just then, Ethan pulled up his sleeve to reveal some kind of port on the inside of his forearm.

"What the heck is that?" Maxim asked.

"It's a port."

"I see that," Maxim said. "What's it doing on your arm?"

"With this port, I can download any digital data into my brain. Before my partner went M.I.A., he created a digital representation of himself with the intent of embedding it into the mind of a robot. His hope was to preserve himself and, in a way, live forever.

"When the bombings began, I grabbed the file and held onto it for safe keeping. Once I created this port, I could download him into my brain. I can see his memories as if they are my own, I know what he thinks about at night, how he thinks, but most importantly, I have all his knowledge as well."

"That's incredible," Maxim said. "I've never seen anything like that."

"That's because it's one of a kind."

"How does it work?"

"I converted my chip so that it takes data comprised of ones and zeros and converts it into a pattern of waves that my brain can understand."

"Are there any side effects?"

"Aside from occasional headaches and nose bleeds, there are none."

"Headaches and nosebleeds, that doesn't sound good. I hope there are no-long term effects."

"Me neither," Ethan said. "This is experimental and new so there isn't any research done on the long-term effects. As far as I know, I'm the only one who has this. I'm patient zero."

"What do you think causes the headaches and nose bleeds?" Maxim asked.

"My guess is that my brain has a limited capacity of storing data. Whenever I overdo it and attempt to download too much information at once, that's when the headaches and nosebleeds come."

"So I guess that makes you the smartest person in the world then?"

"I guess so, but knowledge is only one form of intelligence. If we're strictly measuring that, then I have an abundance. When it comes to wisdom, I still have a lot to learn. I'm limited to my physiology as well. If my brain is slow at processing information, unable to make higher-level connections, perform pattern recognition, or think creatively, then what good is all this knowledge?"

"So, your capacity is a product of how well your brain stores and processes information?"

"Precisely."

"So theoretically, someone with a brain that processes information much more efficiently, or has a higher capacity could download a far greater amount of information in the world?"

"Someone like that hasn't been born yet. While humans have different capacities, we all have physiological limitations. As do machines. There's a limit to how much data can be stored in one place. However, I'm working on ways to increase my capacity."

"How so?"

"By storing information in DNA."

"In DNA?" Maxim repeated.

"A lot of information can be stored in a tiny strand of DNA. The world is bleeding data. We produce hundreds of zettabytes of it every year. There is so much rich information that can be mined from that data, but big data farms are not only expensive, they're also not portable. Some smart people decided to store information in DNA, which could be stored, transported, and secured with much more flexibility and discretion. To put it into perspective, all the digital information that has ever existed including every movie, song, photo, and file, etc... all of it could fit inside a container the size of a pint of beer. But of course, no human alive can handle that much information without going crazy."

"In theory."

"Right, in theory."

"One last question... how do I get one of those ports?"

# Chapter Forty-Three

The car sat motionless in an underground parking facility in the subterranean levels of an abandoned building. There were mixed emotions as everyone was happy to be alive, but at the same time were consumed by a great sense of fear, anxiety, and sorrow.

"Everyone okay?" Train asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Dane replied.

"Cas, what about you?"

"I've been better."

"Nice driving back there. Really. I know the sentiment is lost in the moment considering everything, but you just saved our lives so, thank you."

"Yeah, thanks, Cas. And sorry about all this, you know? I'm sorry for dragging you into our mess."

"Hopefully some good can come from it," she said, handing Dane a small glass tube.

"What is this?" Dane said, analyzing the red liquid inside. "Is this blood?"

"I'm not sure what it is, but my roommate left it behind at the apartment."

"How do you know that?"

"It was in a secret stash we have."

"Behind the fridge?" Dane asked. Both Train and Cassie looked at him oddly. "What?"

"Whatever this is, it was obviously important enough to hide."

"Do you think that's what those people are after?" Train asked.

"I'm not sure. If so, we need to keep it safe until we find someone who can tell us what it is and why it's so important."

"I know a guy, actually," Dane said. "Mr. Camouflage. He's a whiz with this kind of stuff. I'm sure he can analyze it and tell us more about it."

"Dammit," Cassie said, checking her pockets. "I think I dropped my phone."

"No worries, you can use mine," Dane said, handing his phone to her. "Who do you want to call?"

"The police... my roommate's family... my boss... and a few others."

"I would advise against that," Train said, placing his hand on her wrist. "Until we know who is after us, I think it's best we lay low."

"You don't think we should call the police?" Cassie asked dumbfounded. "My roommate is dead, we barely survived a harrowing car chase, we were shot at... in fact, I was shot last night. I'm sorry if I'm being unreasonable, but I think we are in over our heads and need help."

"I agree with everything you said," Train said calmly. "But we don't know who we can trust. Right now, all we have is each other. As I was saying, I suggest we lay low. We can stash this car and find an abandoned building to stay in — the city has thousands of unoccupied places for us to stay. With a little luck, we'll have running water and a comfortable place to sleep for the night. Tomorrow's a new day. We can reconvene in the morning once we're rested and thinking a little more clearly."

"Yeah, I agree with Train," Dane said. "We've been through a lot and I think in situations like these, a level head prevails. If you guys want to see if you can find a way into this building, I can stash the car."

"You good with that, Cas?" Train asked.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice."

"You always have a choice. We dragged you into this mess and I don't want to make any decisions for you."

Train and Cassie exited the vehicle and ran into the former office building while Dane moved the car. When Dane returned, he met up with them on the top floor.

"Man, you'd think with all that hiking through the jungle and fist fighting that I'd be in shape," Dane said, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

"You know there's an elevator, right?" Train said, finding amusement in Dane's unnecessary struggle.

"I tried it, it wasn't working."

"Did you jiggle the wires?"

"No."

"You have to jiggle the wires."

"I didn't know that. Nobody told me you have to jiggle the wires."

"Everybody knows you have to jiggle the wires," Cassie said with a sarcastic face.

"Why'd you pick the top floor again?" Dane asked.

"The view is better, we have access to fresh air from the rooftop, it's the least likely to be ravaged by looters, it's the last floor someone will look for us... shall I keep going?"

"Did you find anything of use, like a shower or a clean change of clothes perhaps?"

"No, but there's a bathroom down the hall and to the right."

"Any food?"

"Yeah, I have a lobster bisque on the stove."

"Funny."

"We can go out and grab something in a bit."

"I just want to get cleaned up. I'm going to have a bird bath in the sink."

Dane walked off, allowing Train and Cas some peace and quiet.

"Hey, I'm sorry about your roommate," Train said again.

"Don't worry about it. We have no idea what that was regarding. For all we know, she could have been involved in some stuff that has nothing to do with you and Dane."

"Even though the war is over, we still live in a violent world filled with a lot of hopelessness, fear, resentment, greed... those types of qualities can corrupt a person and turn them evil. But there's also good in the world. I believe you are one of those people. You took in two strangers, fed us, gave us shelter, and continue to help us. We appreciate that, and the world appreciates that. When history is told, hopefully we'll all be remembered as heroes."

"I hope so."

"Sometimes life, the universe, whatever you want to call it, asks us to step up for a greater good. We're asked to make sacrifices, to risk our lives for something greater than ourselves. Just know that what we're doing has purpose, it has meaning beyond what we may be able to comprehend. Even if we don't succeed as individuals, our contribution is invaluable to the movement. It's bigger than us. We are mere snowflakes in an avalanche. Delicate on our own, but unstoppable when we move together."

Dane returned from the bathroom, attempting to dry his hands on his sweat-soaked shirt.

"Did one of you go somewhere?" he asked casually.

"No, why?"

"I thought I heard the elevator in use."

Train shot up immediately and told Dane and Cassie to hide. Seeing how Train was acting changed Dane's tone. He was done running, hiding, and fighting. He just wanted to relax and have his life go back to normal.

Following Train's instructions, the three all hid under desks near the back of the office building. They were still, listening for any sounds. All was quiet until they heard footsteps.

"Did you make a mess in the bathroom?" Train asked.

"What are you implying?" Dane asked.

"You know, water on the floors, mirror, and counters... wet paper towel on the floor, a doodoo in the toilet."

"Maybe. Why?"

"They're going to know we're here."

"Should we make a run for it?" Cassie asked.

"No, let's stay here and see how this plays out."

Judging by the amount of footsteps, they could tell they were outnumbered. Unsure what they were up against, Train instructed Dane and Cassie to crawl into another part of the office. Dane wasn't exactly sure what the plan was, but trusted Train's strategic mind.

The bad men knew Train, Dane, and Cassie were somewhere in the building and had people searching every floor. Dane and Cassie were in another room while Train lay in wait. He could hear the footsteps as they approached closer. Train tried to control his breathing and focus. In those moments he thought about all he had been through. He thought about his training. He thought about his duty. Just as the footsteps were coming around the table where he was, Train thought about his son.

With a surprise attack, Train leapt out from his hiding spot and punched one of the soldiers in the face, knocking him unconscious. He picked up another man as if he were a bag of rice and slammed him down on the ground. The next two reluctantly dove on him, trying their best to wrestle him to the ground where they felt he would be at a disadvantage. With one man on each arm, Train stretched his arms out in an explosive manner forcing the men to fall backward. Train didn't want to hurt them so instead of fighting, he made a run for it. He could see Dane by the door, waving him over and shouting at him to hurry up.

At nearly three-hundred pounds of solid muscle, Train gathered speed and charged forward like a stampeding bull. Just as he was about to reach the exit, the door shut and he saw a soldier standing in the way, holding a rifle. With a steady aim, the solider waited until he had the perfect shot. Train kept running at full speed. When he was about ten feet away, the solider pulled the trigger and blasted Train directly in the chest.

The shot pierced his skin, but did little to slow him down. With a momentum that was nearly impossible to stop, Train ploughed into the soldier, wrapping his arms around him and lifting him off the ground. Train carried the man as he continue to run at full speed and together they smashed through the door as if it were made out of popsicle sticks and papier-mâché.

Dane and Cassie were making their way down the winding stairwell when they heard the loud crash. They looked up and saw Train bear-hugging a soldier. Large splinters of wood burst from the frame of the shattered door and scattered like confetti. It was as if time had slowed to a crawl and everything was happening in slow motion. For reasons he can't explain, Train kept running with the soldier in his clutch and the two went hurling over the railing.

"NOOO!" Dane shouted as he watched on helplessly.

The two interconnected men flipped and rotated as they fell through the centre of the stairwell. The rushing air whizzed by and the sound of flapping fabric could be heard for a brief second. Dane's eyes were glued to the free-falling men, tracking their rapid decent all the way to the bottom. Just as they were about to hit the ground, Dane closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable impact. The chilling sound of the dense thud sent shivers down his spine. He didn't want to open his eyes because he knew no one could survive that fall, not even a hero like Train.

Squeezing his eyes tightly, a flood of tears poured out for a man who Dane was lucky enough to call his friend.

"Dane!" a muffled voice called out to him. All sounds were muted by his emotional state.

"Dane, we gotta go!" the voice said again, this time entering Dane's ears with a little more clarity.

After a brief moment, Dane opened his eyes and with blurred vision saw Cassie standing near the exit with a distressed look on her face. She didn't know Train nearly as well, but even in their brief encounters, he had a marked impact on her, having saved her life more than once. Dane continued down the stairs until he met up with Cassie. They looked at each other and shared a brief moment of sadness. With a thousand yard stare, Dane was completely disengaged. He had experienced his fair share of heartbreak and trauma before, but nothing that quite touched his heart like the loss of his best friend in such a tragic and heroic way.

Cassie could tell Dane was not all together mentally. She ran toward the door hoping he would follow her. "Dane, let's go!" she yelled, watching Dane as he casually walked toward the two bodies, ignoring all other dangers.

Dane dropped to his knees, kneeling next to his now deceased friend. A wave of sorrow sucked away his will to live. Tears poured out of his swollen eyes as he touched his friend's lifeless body. "I'm sorry, buddy," Dane said. "I'm so sorry."

"Dane!" Cassie called out with urgency.

Dane didn't turn around, instead he looked up, extending his arms in the air like a baby reaching for his heavenly father. Unsure what he was looking at, Cassie assumed he was saying some kind of prayer to a god that he didn't believe in. Just then, shots rang out and a hailstorm of bullets rained down from above, entering Dane's body. Dane collapsed on top of Train, his arms naturally enveloping him — two friends succumbing to the same fate.

Cassie could hardly believe what had happened. She had just witnessed two of her friends, along with her roommate, brutally killed at the hands of a merciless enemy. She was now the sole survivor of a small piece of an intricate plot to take down The Shadow. The weight of the situation and her responsibility was not lost on her.

Not wanting to hang around and suffer the same fate as her two friends, she turned around and ran out the door. Two men were quick to follow, but when they burst through the same set of doors, they found themselves on the sidewalk of a street with no sign of Cassie anywhere.

In Cassie's hand was a small vial of blood, which meant nothing to her, but was obviously important enough that three people had died for it. She wasn't sure what to do with it, or even where to go since her apartment was likely being monitored.

She slipped the small glass container in her pocket and felt Dane's phone. It was only then that she remembered that he had given it to her. Taking the phone out of her pocket, she opened it and saw the communication between Dane and some undisclosed person. She read the entire conversation, it was mostly written in cryptic messages, but she could piece together a narrative, filling in any missing gaps from what Dane had told her.

When she reached the end of the thread, she began typing a message of her own. Then she waited.

Lying low in a coffee shop, Cassie kept looking over her shoulder. Her hat was pulled low to conceal her face from facial recognition cameras and gawkers. She sat in a booth in the back, her feet tapping frantically under the table, her shaking hands cupped around a warm mug of coffee. She had no idea what her next move was going to be, how she was going to have any resemblance of her old life, and where she was even going to stay that night.

In her mind, she kept replaying the events of the past twenty-four hours. Had she known two random men would show up at the club and affect her life so much in such a short period of time, she wouldn't have believed it.

Just then, she got an idea. Finishing the last bit of coffee in a hurry, she dashed out the door.

# Chapter Forty-Four

Back at the community, the Dark Circle crew and a couple of people close to Maxim gathered in a room to discuss their next steps. Maxim told everyone about his encounter with the elusive Ethan Thanos and not surprisingly, they had a lot of questions.

"What was he like?" Lynn was the first to speak.

"Who's Ethan Thanos?" Lauren asked.

"Did he say where he has been all these years?"

"Why did he contact you?"

"Does he feel responsible for the Automation War?"

The questions seemed never-ending.

"What was he like," Maxim reiterated Lynn's question. "It was late and we weren't really hanging out, you know. I only interacted with his hologram. But from what I could tell, he seemed nice and well adjusted."

"Who he is — short answer, he has been credited as the creator of true artificial intelligence, which led to the robot uprising, but others claim it was his mentor, Arthur 'Nas' Naslund, who was the real brains behind everything."

"This whole thing is still very confusing," the Professor said. "You're saying that Ethan was the one who put us on that bus? Why did he do that? And why track you down?"

"From what I gathered, he wanted to talk to the nine of you, but as you know, the bus didn't arrive. He could have talked to Allie, but I guess he just decided to talk to me instead. He was talking a lot about predictive analytics so maybe now that I was with you guys, his algorithm chose me as the messenger over her."

"Was he in exile there?" Cheryl asked.

"No, he didn't make any mention of being held against his will. I think he likes being there where he can maintain a low profile."

"Why come out now?"

"Redemption," Maxim said. "The reason he went into hiding was because he was the most hated person in the world. As I mentioned, he's not the guy who created the Automation War, but was integral to bringing A.I. into this world. Him and Nas."

"I don't blame him at all," Cheryl said. "He helped wake a sleeping giant, but I think his actions were paved with good intentions. Perhaps he was young and idealistic and knew not of the consequences of his actions. Besides, if not him, it would have been someone else and the outcome would have likely been the same."

"Aside from redemption," Maxim continued, "he wants to help us. He said we share a common enemy. As the saying goes, 'an enemy of my enemy is my friend.'"

"How does he intend to help us?" Lynn asked.

"He gave me instructions for how to download information directly into our brains."

"How do we know we can trust him?" Lauren asked.

"We don't. Those of you who want to have this procedure done can do it, those who don't want it done don't have to. Any volunteers?"

Without missing a beat, Allie raised her hand. "I'll do it," she said.

"Allie, aren't you afraid this guy will brainwash you and control your mind?"

"If that's the case, I trust you all to notice the change in my behaviour and deal with me as you see fit."

"Lynn, are you still able to perform surgery?" Maxim asked.

"Yes, of course."

"Perfect. I will also have the surgery," Maxim said. "Anyone else is welcome to join. You don't have to make your decision right away."

"I'll wait," the Professor said. "You two can go first."

As the group continued to converse, Mr. Camo received a text message that sent chills up his spine. His face went pale and he became withdrawn from the conversation. Others took notice and asked him what was wrong.

He reread the message from Cassie and was in a complete state of shock. Mr. Camo was the one who had been communicating with Dane and Cassie so it was up to him to tell the others of their untimely deaths. He gathered everyone who was around, and stood in front of them with a sombre expression. It was obvious he had received some bad news.

"I received a message from Cassie," he began with a sombre tone. "She was someone who was helping Dane and Train in the city. I shall read you the message she sent me just now:

'I'm so sorry to have to deliver this bad news, but your friends Dane and Train are dead. I'm their friend and was with them when they died. They didn't die in vain, nor did they suffer, they died protecting me and saving something that I believe to be of great importance. For their bravery, they should be remembered as heroes. In my possession is the thing they both died for. I want you to have it. Where can I meet you?'

A silence befell the group as people could not believe what they had heard. There was not a dry eye in the room as they all mourned the loss of their friends. Even though many of them hadn't known Dane and Train that long, the news still hit hard. They had survived a horrific ordeal with those two, which brought everyone close together in such a short period of time. Losing someone at this point was like losing a member of their family.

# Chapter Forty-Five

Cassie stared at her phone reading Mr. Camo's response:

'It is indeed very sad news and I hope it isn't true. If it is true, and you have something they both died trying to protect, then you are not safe. Find somewhere you can hide where no one will find you. Keep this phone on you and I will message you again very soon. Until then, trust no one.'

That message was now two days old.

Cassie knew plenty of men all over the city that no one would ever connect her to. Staying with one of them, she laid low in a quiet part of town.

Holding Dane's phone, she contemplated texting Mr. Camo again. That's when another message came in.

'I'm at a park across the street. I'm by the pond feeding the ducks.'

Cassie put on her shoes and hat, and left the house. She felt nervous about being outside because there were cameras everywhere. If someone was looking for her, the cameras would surely notify them of her whereabouts. Nevertheless, she had no other options.

The park was empty except for a lone man sitting in a wheelchair by himself near the pond. Cassie approached with caution, being sure to look all around for any traps. She had no reason to be suspicious of Mr. Camouflage, but after what she had gone through, she had a heightened state of paranoia.

"Mr. Camouflage?" she said, walking up behind him.

Mr. Camouflage turned around and smiled at her. "Thank you for meeting me. I know you got dragged into this mess and have paid a pretty hefty price. For that, I am truly sorry. We can offer you protection if you would like."

"I should be okay on my own for now... but thanks."

"Very well then. The offer still stands should you change your mind."

"Thank you."

"You mentioned you have something that would be of interest to me?" Mr. Camo asked.

Cassie looked around one last time before pulling a vial of blood out of her pocket and handing it to Mr. Camo.

Studying the red liquid for a moment, he looked puzzled. "Blood?" he asked. "Whose blood is this?"

"Not sure. But it was obviously important enough to kill for," she said.

Mr. Camouflage did not ask any further questions before slipping the vial in his pocket.

"You did good, Cassie. Thank you."

Cassie didn't take solace in the compliment. Although she was happy to help, her life had fallen apart and she had dealt with some major trauma. Picking up the pieces wouldn't be easy.

As for Mr. Camouflage, he knew exactly what to do with the blood. He remembered what Ethan had told him about using DNA to store information. He assumed it would reveal some hidden message, or at the very least, would reveal the person's identity. That would be a lead they could follow up with and see where it takes them.

Reconvening with the others, Mr. Camouflage and some of the other more technical people crowded around a tiny workstation.

With their makeshift lab, the crew was quick to get to work. Arlon was a technical wizard, the Professor was a genius physicist and inventor, Mr. Camo was an expert software engineer. They were looking for any special genetic markers that they could cross-reference with the global database in hopes of finding a match.

The others sat around the old apartment in a rundown neighbourhood, thinking of ways they could be of use. They were bored and getting a bit restless. Mauricio was stretched out on the floor, complaining that he was hungry. Lauren was complaining that it was too hot. Cheryl and Lynn were saying they were sore. Everyone was being a bit moody and anxious.

"Why do we have to stay in this tiny apartment?" Lauren asked. "I want to go to the city."

"You want to get caught?" Mauricio asked.

"How? I no longer have my chip. How could they possibly know where I am?" she asked.

"They have cameras everywhere," Mauricio said.

"So, it's not like they'll be able to spot me in a crowd of people. Besides, no one is watching those feeds. It's only if something happens they can go back and review the footage."

"That's not true. They have computers that turn all that footage into data, then algorithms scan the data looking for whatever they want. The moment you step outside, you would trigger an alert and they would find you in seconds."

While he waited for Arlon and the Professor to produce something useful, Mr. Camouflage walked over to a vacant computer and began to work.

"What are you doing, Cam?" Mauricio asked.

"Lauren just gave me a really good idea... actually you both did."

Lauren and Mauricio looked at each other with a confused look and shrugged.

"Based on earlier research we've done, we know the exact date and time our mystery man was admitted to the hospital. So we know exactly where to find him on the security camera."

Within seconds, Mr. Camouflage hacked into the security feed of the hospital and found the footage of their suspect. He was smart and knew to hide his face from all the cameras. There didn't appear to be a way to make a positive identification on him.

"I can't really tell who that is," Lauren said, staring at a man lying in a hospital bed.

"You're right, but that's not how we're going to identify him. As Mauricio pointed out, this mystery man can hide his face all he wants, but what he can't hide is his behaviour. As soon as he starts to move, get up, walk around, interact with the world, his behavioural biometrics will produce data. I mentioned this before if you recall. We can use this information to track him," he said.

"Behavioural...bio..." Cheryl stumbled. "Remind me."

"Behavioural biometrics — it's the art... or science of using a person's behaviour as a means of identifying them. As a person interacts with the world around them, they create a unique signature. Their stride, their tendencies, their habits... their frequencies of how many times they eat Thai food, use certain apps, their heart rate... all these patterns of behaviour are unique to a person. We can use an algorithm almost like a fingerprint or retina scan to search the database for another signature that's a match.

"When taken in aggregate, these behavioural signals are highly effective at identifying people. The algorithm is sophisticated enough to account for any variations in a person's behaviour. If they suddenly change their habits, or if there are subtle changes that naturally occur over time... it'll be able to account for that.

"So what I'm going to do is run a program on his movement and hopefully there's enough data there to give us a signature."

"Won't he just be in a hospital bed the whole time?" Mauricio asked. "That doesn't seem like there would be much data in that."

"You're right, he does spend most of his time in the hospital bed, but not the whole time," Mr. Camo said. "But to your point, obviously the more movement he makes, the more data there will be for us to track. Nevertheless, we have to go with what we have."

"I have a question," Cheryl said. "How do we even know this is our guy?"

"It's a valid question," Maxim replied. "It's always a good practice to challenge our assumptions. We don't know who this guy is, if he's connected with The Shadow, or what relevance he has, if any, to anything we're doing. However, we have an unusual medical case where his records don't match his actual biology. We also know his blood was stolen and three people died to protect it. That's enough reason for us to look into him. At most, it may shed some light onto Dane and Train's untimely deaths. If nothing else, it may at least satisfy a curiosity."

"I agree with Maxim," Allie said. "The man is obviously altering his biometrics, hiding his identity, and who knows what else. Why would someone do that if not to conceal their true identify? You're right Cheryl, we have no idea who this guy is, but it's a lead and we don't really have much else to go on at this point."

# Chapter Forty-Six

It had been a few days and the group had been laying low in an abandoned building in a neighbourhood just outside the city. They were cautious not to venture outside unless absolutely necessary for fear that surveillance cameras would identify them. Every square foot of the city was monitored by cameras, including random drones that would routinely scan crowds and places cameras weren't expected to be.

Maxim had been spending more and more time with Allie. The two were vibing with each other.

"Paper prisons," Allie said innocuously, lying in Maxim's arms, staring up at the stained and cracked ceiling.

"What does that mean?" Maxim asked.

"I was just thinking out loud," she said. "It's just a label I came up with for this situation we're in, all of us... society. I just wanted to hear what it sounded like out loud. It's the idea that we create our own prisons, our own boundaries, they confine us provided we adhere to their constraints. If we abolish these preconceived ideas that bind us, we are able to break free at any time. They are no more than paper prisons."

"Paper prisons," Maxim repeated. "I like that."

"We can accomplish anything we put our minds too," Allie added, continuing her thought. "I truly believe we allow ourselves to live in paper prisons, constructs of our own mind... and what society tells us. We once thought running a sub four-minute mile was impossible until one day someone did it. Two months later, two more people did it. Once people saw that it was possible, many others also accomplished what was once inconceivable.

"People's beliefs hold them back, their fears and their worry for what others may think. They believe failure is a negative. They believe they are inadequate, or they don't belong. They call it imposter syndrome. Anticipatory regulation is another one. We set a limit in our mind of what can be accomplished — you tell yourself today, 'I'm running twenty kilometres', and when you reach the twenty kilometre mark, you nearly collapse and can barely take another step. The next time you tell yourself, today I'm going to run twenty-five kilometres, and when you reach that point, you feel like you could not have taken another step. But how much of that is your mind creating these limits?"

"I agree," Maxim said.

"In the world of mixed martial arts, I see this all the time. To be a champion, you really have to have a certain mindset, a will and a desire that you belong, you are better than the other person, and you will not quit no matter what. Skill only takes a person so far. Some believe that certain people are just better than them, they are born with some innate talent and their skills cannot be learned over time with enough practice and dedication."

"That's not who I want to be," Maxim reflected. "I don't want to live in a paper prison."

"What paper prisons do you create for yourself?" Allie asked. "What story do you tell yourself that you're not good enough or capable of doing something?"

"I don't know," Maxim said.

"I think you do know," Allie said, sitting up. "All those people in there don't know who you really are. You have the most famous family lineage in the world. You're a living legend and what do you do with it? You hide away in some sleazy nightclub."

"Tell me how you really feel," Maxim said.

"I'm sorry to come at you like this, I'm just direct. I say it how I see it. I think you're running from greatness. You're afraid of failure, afraid of what people might think of you, afraid to live in the shadow of another man. Those are your paper prisons. It's all in your head."

"I'm trying to save the world with a rogue squad of misfits, am I not?"

"Okay, and what about after that? What's next for you?"

"I don't know."

"You're hiding from your true purpose, Maxim. You're pretending to be something you're not. You're afraid to be great. Don't deny yourself. Don't pretend to be anything other than what you are. I know you know what I'm talking about. You were put on this Earth for greatness, Maxim, so be great."

"Has anyone ever called you intense?"

"I see you becoming a symbol of hope for the people of Earth."

"What are you saying?"

"I want you to become the new leader of Earth?" she said frankly. "I believe you were born to do this. There's no escaping it. This is your destiny," Allie said with powerful conviction.

"Wow, that's... flattering."

"Tell me I'm wrong," Allie demanded.

"I mean, I'm sitting in a dirty apartment with a dozen people I hardly know. The idea sounds nice, it's just... light years away from where I am currently. Do I really want the headache of becoming the leader of the world? I would have no privacy."

"How much privacy do you have now?" Allie challenged.

"I would be subjecting my family to all sorts of unwanted attention and scrutiny. That's not a healthy environment for anyone, especially for a child to grow up in that."

"Let's worry about that later. I'm being serious. If... when we take down The Shadow, there will be chaos without leadership. People don't want to put their faith in a shadow, they want a name and face. And who better than a man who bares the most reputable name in the world?"

"I don't know about that."

"The currency we all use was created by your father."

"Grandfather."

"Whatever. Your grandfather is a legend. He revolutionized and influenced dozens of industries, and you share his last name. This, plus your natural charisma, taking down The Shadow... it would instill a lot of trust in people."

"Really?"

"I'm telling you, you have a real shot at this. When this whole Shadow situation is over, you can step out as the leader who took down the government. History is filled with tales of kings rising to power this very way. It's possible for that to be you more than anyone else. You have the kind of money that affords you a life of privilege and opportunity. I think you should advertise that so people know you cannot be corrupted."

"That's a lot to take in right now," Maxim said.

"Think about it."

"Okay, I'll think about it. Right now, we still have a monumental task ahead of us. Let's focus on that first."

# Chapter Forty-Seven

Hacking into the hospital was fairly straightforward for Mr. Camouflage. He accessed the security footage at the exact timecode and found the room in which their mystery man was staying.

"You said you can tell how frequent he visits a Thai restaurant," Mauricio said. "Why don't we just hack into the security feeds of all the Thai restaurants and look for a match?"

"I was just using that as an example," Mr. Camouflage responded. "I have no idea if he likes Thai food."

"Oh."

"Come on, Mauricio," Cheryl said. "Let's let Cam work in peace."

"Fine. Anyone else want to get some fresh air with me?" Mauricio asked. "Maybe get some Thai food."

"Be careful," Mr. Camouflage said.

"Don't worry, we're just going to the roof. There shouldn't be any cameras up there."

Mauricio, Lauren, Lynn, and Cheryl went to where Maxim and Allie were resting.

"We're going to the roof for some fresh air if you want to join us," Mauricio asked.

"Maybe in a bit, but thanks for asking," Maxim said.

Soon after the four left, another person poked his head into their room. "Maxim, I think you should come see this," Arlon said.

Maxim rose to his feet and asked Allie if she wanted to join him. She wasn't interested. Instead, she was happy to continue laying on the bed.

Maxim walked down the hall and into the living room where the professor and Mr. Camo were. He was unsure what discovery they had made, but was eager to find out.

When Maxim entered the room, he saw Mr. Camouflage busy at work in the opposite corner of where Arlon and the Professor were.

"You find something?" he asked.

"I have good news and bad news," Arlon spoke softly.

Maxim leaned in with great interest. He looked over his shoulder at Mr. Camouflage, who appeared to be paying them no mind.

"We ran the blood through the database and it doesn't appear to have a match, which, honestly, isn't all that surprising. Based on this sample, we don't have any way to identify him."

"What's the good news," Maxim asked, still whispering.

"The good news is that the blood revealed something much different than anything we expected to find. This person, whoever he is, is likely a clone."

"A clone?" Maxim repeated. "Are you sure?"

"I'm almost certain."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Well, that's not really the most exciting part," Arlon said. "Cloning technology has been around for some time although we haven't seen with humans before. What makes this person's blood interesting is because his genes have been modified."

"What do you mean?" Maxim asked.

"He has been genetically altered. Most likely in utero."

"You can do that?"

"Apparently."

"And that's worth dying for?"

"We found something else," Arlon said. "It looks like the person who was the subject, or provided the somatic cell for our mystery man, had a very rare genetic disorder called Gitelman syndrome. Naturally, we would expect to find that same genetic marker in our mystery man. However, the marker is there, but it appears to have been modified. We did a search for all the people in the database with Gitelman syndrome and you'll never guess who came up."

"Tell me," Maxim said.

"Nas."

"Arthur Naslund? Does that mean he's still alive somewhere?" Maxim asked.

"The original Nas, maybe not. But the cloned Nas... he's out there and I believe he's the one responsible for The Shadow. Only a genius like him would be capable of pulling something like this off."

"So wait, let me see if I have this straight. This guy has this extremely rare condition known as Gitelman Syndrome, which he can only get if both parents are carriers of the gene. However, his parents don't have the gene, but are confirmed to be his biological parents. A mystery indeed. The only way for this man to have such a condition is that if a. the parents on his Electronic Health Records are not actually his biological parents and those records have been forged; or b. he's genes were altered in some way and the Gitelman was an unintended side effect. Have I got that right?"

"Those are the theories, unless you would like to share another one."

"So either he has been genetically modified, or he forged his records, in either case he is a person of interest."

"Correct," Arlon said. "But he's more than a person of interest. As a strange coincidence, another person happens to have this extremely rare condition – a one Arthur Naslund, who just so happens to have been the creator of AI and unleashed it into the world causing countless deaths and nearly collapsing humanity as we know it. Now, since Arthur Naslund has been missing and presumed dead, this other person with the same rare genetic condition becomes even that much more interesting. We have strong reason to believe a man of this genius-level intellect, means, and motive may be the very person who created The Shadow."

"Okay, so where do we find this mystery person?" Maxim asked.

"We're still working on that," Arlon said. He then pulled Maxim into another room where they could have a little more privacy.

Maxim, there are implications here that I'm sure are not lost on you. If Nas created this technology, then the secrets still live within Ethan. Ethan knows everything Nas does. With this information, we could create a powerful super human army."

"Why would we want to do that?" Maxim asked.

"When we take down The Shadow, the world is going to need a new system in place, a new leader. You are that person. This, with your cloned army, you could create the perfect super soldiers to ensure law and order. People don't trust robots or A.I. But a human figure made out of flesh and bone that's perfectly obedient. Now that's something people can get behind."

"I'm not so sure about that," Maxim said.

"If not for the cloned army, what about your child? Wouldn't you want them to grow up genetically optimized? I would have to assume that would give them a huge advantage in life. No diseases, perfect bone structure, super intelligence... the possibilities are endless."

"It's an interesting idea, but hardly ethical. And Ethan literally wrote the code of modern ethics. He's never just going to give up this information. In the wrong hands, this information could be dangerous. We don't want society to be filled with an entirely new race of super humans that are superior in every way."

"We don't?" Arlon asked. "Perhaps that's the next stage of evolution in our species. You could clone a person with superior genetics to start, and then start manipulating their DNA to optimize them for combat or intelligence or athletics, or all three. What's unethical about that?"

"You have to think big picture," Maxim said.

"Perhaps you're right," Arlon said.

"So far, this information is in the right hands," Maxim said. "Only me, you, and Ethan know about it, and we are all trustworthy."

"Indeed we are."

# Chapter Forty-Eight

Bored with the rooftop, Mauricio suggested they leave the apartment.

"I don't want to go," Cheryl said.

"Lauren, Lynn, what about you two?" Mauricio asked.

"I'm down," Lauren said.

"I've been dying to get out of this place since the moment we arrived here," Lynn concurred.

"Great, let me go find the Professor and see if he wants to come as well."

Mauricio headed back into the apartment and found the Professor toiling away.

"Hey, Prof, how's it going?"

"I just finished something, but I need to test it."

"Can you take a break?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute."

Shrouded in darkness, the small group entered the city. They felt a little more comfortable sneaking around at night. They also wore loose-fitted clothing and covered their faces with scarves, hats, and glasses.

"You guys really think this is a good idea?" Lynn asked, having second thoughts.

"It's a little late for that," Mauricio said.

"Hey, where are you guys?" a voice came over the headset.

"Mr. Camo, it's Lauren. Don't be upset, but we were getting a little stir crazy at the apartment and decided to go for a little stroll."

"Who's with you?" he asked.

"Me, Mauricio, Professor, and Lynn."

"Are you all wearing disguises?"

"Of course," she said.

"Okay, here's what I want you to do. I want you to remove them and start walking."

"What?" Lauren asked. She then turned to her friends and told them what Mr. Camo had said.

"Why does he want us to remove our disguises?" Mauricio asked.

"Yeah, does he want us to get arrested and killed?" Professor chimed in.

"I think we're bait," Lynn said.

"If you want to bait someone," the Professor said. "You do it with beautiful women. If it were up to me, I would have Lauren and her friends go to the hottest clubs in town and see what they can dig up."

"Unfortunately, my friends and I have been going to the hottest clubs in town for the better part of a decade. It's not like these guys wear uniforms that say 'I work for The Shadow'."

Reluctantly, they all peeled off the eye and headwear, and ditched the baggy clothing. They then proceeded down the street, and on occasion looked directly into some of the security cameras.

Immediately, scanners picked up their faces and other behavioural biometrics amongst the crowd and alerted the authorities.

"How long do we have to do this?" Mauricio asked nervously.

"Just until I can hack into The Shadow's system and steal the algorithm they're using to track you. Hold tight."

Lynn, Professor, Mauricio and Lauren made it about two blocks before they felt the presence of the law. Plain clothed officers, similar to the ones who had abducted them weeks prior began following them.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Mauricio asked.

"I see one at two o'clock, across the street. He's been following us for about a block," the Professor said.

"I've got another one on our six... make that two... no wait, make that four."

"Guys, there are two more directly in front of us. I think they're done following us. It looks like they're moving in."

"How you doing, Cam?" Lynn asked.

"Just another minute or two."

"We don't have another minute or two."

"If they catch us, they'll kill us," Mauricio reiterated.

"You don't know that," Lauren challenged him.

"Say that to Dane and Train.... and the people who remained on the bus," he said. "Whoever these people are, they don't play games."

"Mauricio's right," Lynn said. "We have about five seconds to make a move here."

"One minute," Cam responded.

"Five," Mauricio began counting down. "Four. Three. Two..."

"You're good. Get out of there!"

Just as The Shadow's henchmen were about to apprehend them, the entire city went black. All the bright lights from the downtown core went out. The giant holograms disappeared, the skyway beams shut off, and all the neon signage were muted by darkness. It was citywide blackout.

Using this opportunity as an act of subterfuge, the group split up and ran in different directions. The communication ceased, but their headsets allowed them to see. Navigating through the stunned crowds, they evaded their pursuers and avoided capture.

The rendezvous point was a few blocks away. Some arrived before others.

"Where's Professor?" Lauren asked.

Mauricio and Lynn looked at each other, then back at Lauren. "We have to find him," Mauricio said.

"No, we should wait here," Lynn said. "This is the rendezvous point. He knows where to meet us."

The trio waited a few minutes longer than they could stand. "Something's wrong," Mauricio said. "We have to find him."

"Mauricio, stay here."

"No, I'm going to find Professor."

Without warning, Mauricio took off.

"Should one of us go after him?" Lauren asked.

"No, we can't wait any longer. Mauricio and Professor are on their own now."

Pushing through the crowd, Mauricio frantically looked for the Professor. With the power outage, he had no way to communicate with him. Finding someone in the downtown core in the largest city in the world was difficult enough. To add to the difficulty, it was pitch black and there were thousands of confused and panicked pedestrians running in all directions.

Retracing his steps, he relied on his other senses. It was nearly impossible to hear through all the sounds of the chaos, but somehow the Professor's gravelly voice was distinct enough to cut through all the noise.

Mauricio followed the voice until he came across a group of men standing in an alley, facing an elderly man.

"Professor!" Mauricio called out.

Just then, one of the officers raised his weapon, aiming it at the Professor. Just as the officer pulled the trigger Mauricio screamed our, "No!" and started running toward his friend.

Mauricio barely took two steps before time seemed to slow down and his world began to move in slow motion. He saw the flash from the barrel light up the dark alley. The next thing he saw was the Professor fall backward and collapse on the wet cement.

As reality snapped back into focus, Mauricio maintained his momentum.

He tackled the agent with the gun and wrestled it free. Without hesitation, he shot the man in the chest and then quickly fired off several more rounds into the dark alley, lighting it up with each pull of the trigger. Bullets found the intended targets and before Mauricio realized, there were four dead bodies around him, including the Professor.

"No, no, no, no, Professor, hold on," Mauricio said frantically. "Hang in there."

Mauricio lifted the Professors head up and noticed there was only a trace amount of blood coming from the tip of Professor's ear.

"Professor?" Mauricio said.

"It would have been a good death," Professor said, quoting one of his favourite lines from the Dark Knight Returns.

"But not good enough," Mauricio finished the rest of the quote.

The two shared a laugh and hugged, celebrating the close call. "I think you redeemed yourself ol' friend," the Professor said. "The resistance is prevailing."

# Chapter Forty-Nine

Maxim was used to giving speeches. Standing in the packed living room, he looked around at all the new and familiar faces. Among them was Ethan and some others from the walled city, Cassie and some of her friends, Train's wife and kid. Just then, there was a knock on the door and everyone turned to see who it was.

"Sorry, I'm late," a sweet voice spoke.

A young woman entered timidly. Whispers drifted through the crowd.

"Who is that?"

"I'm not sure."

"She looks very pregnant."

"Is that who I think it is?"

"Must be."

"You're just in time," Maxim said with a smile. "Perhaps someone can help this nice lady and find a seat."

Lynn and a few others helped the woman to a dusty couch.

"Thank you," she said shyly, still looking uncomfortable and out of place.

"Thank you for coming," Maxim said, looking at her.

Elevated above the crowd, Maxim took one final look around the room before addressing the group. He connected eyes with Ethan, Ben, Cheryl, Lynn, Mr. Camouflage, Ronin, Arlon, and finally Allie, who was brimming with pride. Dozens more stared back at him, nodding with confidence.

"Friend's, he spoke to a group of sombre faces. With sadness we mourn the loss of our family today. Please, can we have a moment of silence for our fallen heroes? Terry "Train" Cole... Dane Jacobs... and countless others who sacrificed their lives for our cause. They all died trying to help us, and their names will forever be remembered as part of the group who overthrew The Shadow.

"Every dark cloud has a silver lining and I believe there's some good that will come of all this. It's the dawn of a new era and the people of Earth need a leader. Someone they can trust. Someone who will not be corrupted by money or power. Someone who has the people's best interest at heart. Someone who values fairness and wisdom among all else. No longer shall we live in fear of robots... invasive technology... automation... war. The time is now for us to unite and establish a true democracy. The citizens of Earth need leadership, and I plan fill that role. But I cannot do it alone. I would love for you all to be a part of that journey."

Everyone felt a part of something truly special — a historic moment that they would surely look back upon with great reverence. It was history in the making.

"But first, we have something very important to do today. We must honour the fallen heroes that sacrificed their lives for this mission. Their deaths will not be in vain. In this room, we have some of the best minds on our side, some of the bravest allies, the most driven people who will stop at nothing to make this world a better and safer place for all, especially for our children, those who are on their way into this world, and those yet to be born.

"Now, we must not forget we are up against a powerful adversary — one who does not like dissention, and has every advantage... except for one. The element of surprise. Right now, we have a lead – an address which may or may not surmount to anything, but we cannot let our guards down. We have to be prepared. Whatever happens, just remember, we are a team. We have each other's backs.

"I thank you all for being here today. I thank you for your courage, your sacrifice, and your commitment to this cause. It is truly an honour to have gotten to know each and every one of you."

Maxim stepped down from the chair in which he was standing, and mingled with small clusters of people. He meandered through the crowd like a politician until he found his way to a girl sitting on the couch.

"Athena I presume?" Maxim said, extending his gratitude. "Thank you for coming. Dane spoke highly of you."

"Somehow I doubt that, but thanks. Dane and I didn't always see eye to eye, but that doesn't make it any easier knowing that he is gone."

"As long as we keep their memories alive, they are never truly gone," Maxim said. "Plus with the baby on the way, a part of him will continue on."

Athena looked down and placed her hands on her belly.

"Have you picked a name yet?"

"I'm back and forth between a few. I was thinking something Greek — Alec, which means 'defender of mankind', or Damen, which means 'divine power', or Eros, which means 'the god of love'."

"Those are all great names. I always loved the Greek philosophers – Socrates, Plato, Aristotle."

"Aristotle," Athena repeated. "I like that."

"You can call him Aris for short. It's sort of similar to Eros."

"You're right! Oh, I love that. Now you've given me even more to think about."

"I'm sure whatever you decide, it'll be the perfect name," Maxim said with a smile. "Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you once again for coming and showing your support. It would mean the world to Dane to know that you came."

"Thank you for inviting me."

"You're part of our family now. If you need anything, let me know, okay?"

"I appreciate that. Thank you."

# Chapter Fifty

The city was still without power, but there was no telling for how much longer. There were no streetlights, no internet, and the communication lines were down as well. It was a complete blackout. This was the time when they needed to strike since The Shadow would be most vulnerable.

The Dark Circle group, now thirty plus members, approached a modest house in the suburbs. It was just outside of the city and hardly looked like a place one would expect the most powerful man in the world to reside. However, maintaining a low profile was part of what made him so powerful."

Maxim was no stranger to battle as he and his colleagues had fought in the war. However, Ronin was the true soldier and Maxim's right-hand man. Together, they coordinated the troops. Allie stood on the front lines as well, preparing to die for her cause. She subdued her rage and narrowed her focus as her fighter instinct had now kicked in. Whatever was on the other side of that door, she was ready for war. The squad pulled their night-vision goggles over their eyes and raised their weapons.

Using a series of hand gestures, the group silently manoeuvered around the house and got into position. When all areas were covered, Maxim nodded to his immediate squad and took one last moment to calm his nerves. He exhaled a deep breath and got prepared to take on an unknown threat. For all he knew, he could be leading his people into a deadly trap.

The eerie silence of the neighbourhood was broken by a loud crack as Ronin kicked the door open, breaking it off its frame. Then like a stream of marching ants, they funneled into the home and spread out covering every room. The house appeared to be vacant, leaving everyone thoroughly confused. The build-up and adrenaline dump caused them to be on edge.

Just then, the pitch black darkness lit up by flashes of gunfire. The sudden loudness made everyone jump. In the dizzying commotion of battle, the troops were trying to get a sense of what was happening. Most were in other rooms and immediately ran toward the action.

Allie was with Maxim as they were made their way upstairs. Just then, a bot exploded through a wall, grabbed Allie, and smashed through an adjacent wall.

"Allie!" Maxim yelled as he ran after her fearlessly.

Maxim followed the path of destruction and stepped through the large hole in the wall that had been created. A robot was on top of Allie and about to smash her face in. Without hesitation, Maxim raised his weapon and blasted the bot in the back of its head, causing it to collapse beside her. Allie was rattled and badly bruised, but didn't sustain any major damage.

"You okay?" Maxim asked.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Don't mention it. Come on," Maxim said, kicking the giant metal robot frame off Allie and helping her to her feet.

They continued to search the upper level of the house. They crept slowly down one of the halls, making their way to the master bedroom. Just then, another bot came out of some hiding spot and attacked Maxim. The bot ran toward Maxim, ripped the gun out of his hand, and swatted him across the room. Maxim crashed into a shelf and then fell to the floor. Allie hesitated for a second, but then got her head in the game. Raising her weapon, she took aim.

"I hate robots," she uttered before blasting the bot in the head. Sparks flew from the chest and the robot's glowing red eyes dimmed to black. Its heavy body collapsed onto the hardwood floor with a thud.

This time Allie helped Maxim to his feet. "You alright?" she asked.

Maxim winced in pain, but said he would walk it off. Just then, Allie saw something behind the bookshelf.

"Maxim, look," she whispered.

Maxim turned around and saw the shelf that he just destroyed. Amid the broken pieces of wood and piles of ornaments was a hole that seemed to be leading to a secret room.

There was no sense in trying to be discreet. Whoever occupied the residence knew by now that they were being invaded and there was a war happening in their house. Maxim listened for a moment and could hear a battle still taking place on the level below. He hoped there were no human casualties, but their mission was still in effect and needed to be carried out to completion at all costs.

Without hesitation, Maxim blasted a large hole in the shelf to get a better look inside. Using brute strength, he ripped the wood backing right off and forced his way inside. Stepping through the hole, Maxim led the way down the narrow hallway. Allie followed closely behind. Within ten feet, there was a sharp right angle as the hallway made a pivot. What lied beyond was unknown.

Once at the edge, they peered around the corner, guns drawn, and saw an innocent face staring back at them. The boy looked scared half to death. Maxim was a towering figure dressed head-to-toe in combat gear. It was also pitch black so the kid was taken by the surprise.

"Please don't shoot," the young voice pleaded.

Maxim approached with caution, expecting there to be another trap. With each step, he came a little closer to the boy.

"Who are you?" Maxim commanded in an authoritative tone.

"My name is Ben."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm being held captive by some very bad people. Are you here to save me?"

Maxim looked around the room and then back at the kid. Something just wasn't adding up. Maxim was a master interrogator and knew exactly how to extract the right information from someone. But most of his tactics involved intimidation or violence. With the boy, those techniques would likely make him withdraw and closed off.

"Ben," Maxim said. "My name is Maxim and this is Allie. We're not here to hurt you or get you in trouble, okay? We're just trying to understand what's happening."

"Please don't hurt me."

Maxim then turned to Allie and said, "Can you get Lauren please?"

A moment later, Allie returned with Lauren. Maxim whispered into Lauren's ear before she took over.

"Hey, what's your name?" Lauren asked.

"Ben."

"Ben what?"

"Larson."

"Ben Larson?"

"Uh-huh," the boy nodded.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was being held against my will, please don't make me stay here with them."

"Who?"

"The bad men?"

"What do these bad men look like?"

"I don't know, they always wear masks."

"How long have you been held captive?"

"I don't know. Please, you have to help me."

Lauren pulled out a gun and held it at the kid's head. "The only way to help you is to paint this room with your blood."

Maxim and Allie didn't intervene. They had trust in Lauren's abilities to read people.

"I'm going to ask you again," Lauren spoke firmly. "Tell us who you really are, and if you lie to us one more time, I will not hesitate to put a bullet in your head."

"Okay okay," the boy said, shifting his tone. My name is Ben... Ben Naslund."

"Naslund?" Maxim repeated. "As in Arthur Naslund?"

"Yes... he's my father."

# Chapter Fifty-One

The carnage had subsided and calmness had been restored. Soon after, the rest of the squad found their way upstairs, but Allie instructed everyone to meet them outside, while she and Maxim spoke with the kid in private.

Just then, the power came back on and the room lit up. That's when they saw a number of monitors and switches light up. It looked more like a high-tech lab than a panic room. Maxim and Allie removed their masks and looked around in awe.

With the lights on and Ben in view, they could fully take him in. Maxim towered over the kid, but the kid didn't look the least bit afraid.

"How did you find me?" the kid asked in a more confident manner.

"I'll be asking the questions," Maxim said. "Why don't we start with an easy question? How old are you, Ben?" Maxim asked.

"Thirteen."

"What are you doing here?"

"I... I live here."

"Who else lives here with you?"

"It's just me."

"Where are your parents?"

"They're gone."

"Gone? Gone where?"

"To a better place."

"You have caused a lot of harm to a lot of people, Ben. Good people died because of you."

"I swear, I had nothing to do with that, I—" Ben pleaded.

"Why don't we start by explaining how you got here? Who are you working with?" Maxim interrupted.

"A few years ago, I lost both my parents and had to fend for myself. As you can imagine, a seven year old suddenly living on his own, especially in this world, can be... challenging. I had to grow up fast. I've seen some things that nobody should ever witness, let alone a kid my age.

"I knew my mother had passed away, but I had no idea about my father. I had no other motivation in life, I couldn't work, I didn't have any friends... I made it my purpose to find my dad.

"I found a place to live in one of the many abandoned buildings around the city that had been created as a result of the war. That was not a problem. Nor was food. I moved around a lot and stayed inconspicuous, not wanting to draw attention to myself. But I craved human interaction.

"I went back to the house in which I grew up, found my way into one of my father's secret labs, and took all his equipment. It took me a few days to haul everything to this house where I had taken up permanent residence. I come and go through the back and only at night so that I wouldn't draw suspicion or get robbed.

"Systems had broken down and society was in a chaotic tailspin. It was fairly easy for me to acquire a vast amount of wealth since there were so many abandoned digital wallets. With a little digging online, I could pretty much assume anyone's identity. I could order anything I wanted and have it shipped to me. Whatever I didn't have, I could now buy. So that's what I did. I live a pretty good life and no one really bothered me.

"With nothing but time on my hands, I began looking into my father's research. I created a simple program that would track people using their chips. I was just a boy looking for his father. It was a lot of work going through all the data so I refined the program. Then I refined it some more. I kept tinkering with it, meanwhile I'm seeing news reports about how the world is struggling in so many areas.

"I figured no one else was really working on solving some of these problems, and my father was one of the most hated men in the world for unleashing AI that went rogue. At a certain point, I became a cypherpunk — a silent activist advocating social and political change.

"Where my father went wrong was releasing the AI into the world too soon without the proper checks and balances. He was an idealist and perhaps a bit of a dreamer. My mission was to find my dad, but I also wanted to redeem our family's name. To right a wrong so to speak, and do good in the world.

"Using my father's research, I was able to create an AI that would systematically manage all aspects of the world, and use machine learning algorithms to 'learn' on its own rather than having me program it.

"I'll admit there were a few bugs at first as with all things, but then it started to get smarter and figure out the best way humans ought to live. It recruited people to handle operations of certain systems and paid them accordingly. It united the police, fire, and ambulance services, it stabilized our economy and within a short while, society was beginning to function not only as it once did, but better and more efficiently. There were no wasted spending, no misallocation of resources, and no agenda. It just looked at the greatest good for the greatest number, and made its decision.

"While this system is not perfect, I believe it helped repair the damage done to society and restore hope in humanity. And it's still learning. This is the future of governance."

Maxim and the others were at a loss for words. In many ways, the boy was a genius who had created something truly remarkable. It could have gone so horribly wrong given his circumstance, but he actually created an AI program to help the world. It was hard to really condemn him for that, especially when some of the heinous outcomes such as coercion, kidnapping, and murder were the doing of an artificial intelligence and Ben may not have even been aware of these activities. Even if he were aware, he's just a boy and not fully evolved so there was no expectation that he could fully comprehend the scope of his actions.

"Ben, I think all of us are really impressed with what you built and who you are as a person," Maxim said. "You not only survived on your own, but you flourished. And you're only... how old?"

"Thirteen."

"It's truly remarkable. You speak like someone who is much older and who has lived a full life. Your father would have been very proud of you.

"With that said, we have to shut down your program. You will be brought to trial and the courts will decide your fate. My guess is you will serve the rest of your life behind bars.

With a bent spine, Ben slumped in his chair looking as though his life was over.

"Or..." Maxim said, pausing for effect. "I can offer you a second option. A young man with your talent and intelligence would better serve humanity if you were free. We will still shut down the machine, but the evening news headline will speak about another artificial intelligence that went rogue.

"Instead of prison, you can work for me. I'm attempting to clean up society just like you and I could really use someone with your expertise on my team. You can be around smart, likeminded individuals, strong male role models you can look up to, and peers your own age. Perhaps best of all, you can spend time with Ethan and pick his brain about your father. How does that sound?"

"That sounds amazing, thank you so much Mr..."

"Morrison. Maxim Morrison."

"Are you by any chance related to..."

"Yes, he was my grandfather."

"That's incredible."

"I could say the same thing to you. People like us need to stick together and honour our family heritage. What do you say, shall we introduce you to the others?"

"I'd like that very much. Thank you."

"You asked how we found you," Maxim said. "It was your blood... you were in the hospital recently and the nurse noticed an anomaly in your record. We wouldn't have thought anything of it until we later learned that your condition is hereditary. You have Gitelman syndrome, which is extremely rare. By luck or by fate, we happened to undercover a crucial piece of intelligence about another man who happens to have the same condition."

The boy reverted to a child-like state of wonder as if they were about to reveal where his long-lost father was.

"Allie can you please go get Ethan?"

Allie exited the room and returned shortly after with Ethan.

"Ethan, this is—"

"I know who he is," Ethan said almost teary eyed. "My name is Ethan Thanos. I knew your father very well."

"Ethan Thanos? I've heard of you. My father used to talk about you a lot."

"Your father loved you very much."

"He told you that?"

"He didn't have to," Ethan said. "Before your father disappeared, he made a digital copy of himself. All his knowledge, thoughts, opinions, memories, secrets... everything. His hope was to recreate a digital version of himself that could live forever. Well, he sort of did that. In an attempt to learn his wisdom, I found his digital backup and downloaded it into my head. He lives on through me."

Ben looked dumbfounded as he processed the information. "Does that mean, you love me the way my father did?"

"Not in the same way. I know his love, but I don't feel his love. I can recall his memories, but I don't have any feelings about those events, because I didn't live them. It's almost like watching a movie. But because he has been downloaded in my head, I can access the digital files whenever I want, so I don't run the same risk of forgetting."

"How are you able to do this?" Ben asked.

"I converted the chip in my head. Now I can download information through this port on my arm."

"Incredible. Do you think you could do that for me?"

# Chapter Fifty-Two

For his involvement in leading a group of vigilantes to overthrow the most powerful government in the world, Maxim Morrison was touted as a hero and garnered the respect of his peers. Soon, he would reveal himself as the grandson of the great Trevor Morrison and the sole heir to the Unity fortune.

Maxim had listened to what Allie had told him and knew it was the right thing to do. It was for a greater purpose beyond his individual needs.

"The people need a new leader," Maxim said to Allie. "One they can point to, look at, and stand behind... not some mysterious shadow. I intend to be that leader. Together, we can make a system that is truly for the people, by the people."

"I'm so glad to hear this," Allie said.

"While I'm relatively young and feel underqualified, I have a great team around me. We can figure it out together. You inspire me to be great."

Maxim had been running from his famous family name his entire life, partly because he wanted to step out of the large shadow cast by his grandfather and have people respect him as his own person, but he also didn't want to expose himself to an attack.

During the war, civility eroded and those who were seen as having wealth and privilege were a threat and were targeted. He fought in the war and lived a normal existence, all the while maintaining a secret identity. Since the war had ended, he no longer felt vulnerable in the same kind of way. The façade had been lifted and he was ready to show the world who he was.

Being the face of a rebel movement responsible for overthrowing The Shadow was his coming out party.

With Maxim's mind set on becoming the leader of the New World, he was ready to take centre stage and address the world. Around him were all the pieces in place — money, famous family ties, technology experts, former political leaders, and most importantly, the love and support from the people. His uncontested rise to power was there for the taking as he had overnight become the new name and face responsible for taking down The Shadow. People were tired of secrecy, artificial intelligence, war, and fear. They wanted a leader who was transparent, who they could trust, and who was a real person.

Finding a quiet spot outside of the city, Maxim and Allie took up residence in a formerly abandoned neighbourhood on Union and Lexington Street.

"How do you feel about everything?" Allie asked, cuddling up to her man.

"I feel good. The more I think about it, the more I'm okay putting myself out there. It's not about me or what I want, I feel a sense of duty."

"See, I knew you would come around."

"Thanks for everything you've done. You may not be remembered in history, but without you, none of this would be possible. So thank you."

"That's sweet of you to say."

"Look, I don't know what this is between us yet, but it's a strange time to get involved romantically with someone. If they elect me as their leader, then I'm going to be very busy. I'm not sure how much I can really be around for you."

"If we love each other, then I'm sure we'll figure it out," Allie said.

"Yeah."

"Like you said, it's in fate's hands."

"Do you really believe in all that destiny and fate stuff?"

"A part of me does," Maxim pondered. "I mean, look at how the last few weeks has played out. Eighty random people on a bus, nine of them randomly breakoff into a small group. Each of them fundamentally flawed in some way. A paraplegic hacker, a decommissioned surgeon, a retired model, a has-been politician, a discharged military vet, a disgraced inventor, a former MMA champion... none of you really offered much to society on your own, but together you were a formidable force.

"The nine of you somehow persisted on your own with minimal survival skills, battled the elements, deranged marauders, narrowly escaping capture by The Shadow. Then eventually, you found your way to me and my little community. From there, a couple people go off on their own and into the city. They meet a random stripper who happens to have a roommate, who happens to have this key piece of information, which on its own means nothing to anybody. But, as fate would have it, other members of the group obtained coordinates from the bus that they were on less than a week prior, follow those coordinates to a mysterious walled city that shouldn't exist, narrowly escape being killed, to yet another chance encounter from the one man in the world who could connect the pieces of the mysterious blood obtained by the stripper in the city.

"This information, along with a million other scenarios occurred in the correct sequence for us to eventually track down this mysterious patient, cut the power to the city, storm his house, and shut down The Shadow government. Next thing I know, I'm being hailed as a hero and could potentially become the leader of the free world and the most powerful man in the history of humankind.

"I mean, what's the probability of all that happening? That seems to me to be a really strong case for destiny if you ask me."

"You left out the best part," Allie said, touching his arm gently.

"I wasn't done," Maxim smiled. "All those events happened to lead me to being in this room... in a strange part of town that I've never been... with a girl who I didn't know existed two weeks ago... falling in love with her. I can't help but wonder what the future has in store for us. What could possibly be the outcome of this?"

"You're falling in love with me?" Allie asked.

"From the moment I set eyes on you."

Maxim and Allie embraced their love and followed their natural instincts. They began to kiss, until Maxim pulled away. He was a master at intuition and could sense something was off.

"What's wrong?" Maxim asked.

"Um..." Allie struggled to find the right words.

"Look, I like you... I really like you... and I'm excited by what this could potentially turn into as well. But before we get more involved, I feel like I should tell you something."

Maxim furrowed his brow inquisitively and asked, "What do you have to tell me?"

"Hopefully it's not a big deal, and there hasn't really been a good time to tell you, but... I haven't been completely honest with you."

That statement left Maxim feeling a little uncomfortable, but he was curious to follow it to its conclusion.

"When I met you, I wasn't really sure who you were or what your deal was. In fact, I didn't really know who any of those people were. So understandably I was a little guarded. I wanted to protect myself and therefore withheld certain information about my true identity."

"Okay?"

"Everything I told you about me is true... except for one thing. My name isn't Allie. My real name is..."

# A Note from the Author

Those unfamiliar with my book Prodigy may be unaware that ZERO is actually a prequel to that series. So if you liked this book, then you can continue on with the series. Many of the situations and characters will become more obvious once you continue on in the series and have a broader context. With the knowledge of the full series, you can really tie a lot of characters and plot points together.

Once you finish the original trilogy, you may want to go back and re-read ZERO and see if you can pick up on all the Easter eggs I left. I also plan to continue the series with one more book that takes place after the last one in the original trilogy that will tie in a lot of stuff from ZERO. Once complete, those five books will be this epic tale. This is my Star Wars. I'm really proud of my Prodigy series and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

This book also represents a piece in a much larger timeline as several of my books exist within the same universe. This means that characters from one book cross-over into other, seemingly unrelated, books.

At the time of this writing, the next few books I'm working on continue to bridge those gaps in the timeline in this continuous, giant multi-generation storyline. On their own, each of these books can be standalone stories that you can read and enjoy without any knowledge of the other books of mine. But for super fans, I think it'll be really cool to see how I connect plots from various books.

I've included the opening scene from my bestselling book Prodigy. Thanks for reading my story. I hope you continue on in the series.

# Prodigy

Year 2099

She knew this day would come and had been preparing for it for months. Now that it was finally here, she just hoped everything would go according to plan. Even though she had rehearsed the following sequence of actions in her head a thousand times, the margin for success was slim.

Operating on pure reflexes, she entered her bedroom and frantically began shoving several items into her satchel. It was late at night and she kept the lights off to remain inconspicuous, but a small glimmer of light pouring in through the window enabled her to see.

After gathering the items she needed, she cautiously approached the window. While remaining snug against the wall, she carefully parted the curtains with her fingers, allowing just enough room for her to peek out and make sure it was clear. From the window of her second-floor apartment, her eyes scanned the grounds below. Fortunately, they had not arrived yet.

With no time to waste, she aggressively tossed the window coverings aside and yanked up on the old window frame until it opened enough to allow her bulbous belly to slip through. Once outside on the emergency staircase, she grabbed the rusty railing and quickly descended down two flights of stairs. The moon barely provided enough light for her to see, but she managed.

At the bottom of the second set of stairs was an eight-foot drop to the back alley. She hesitated a moment before making the leap, but then went for it. Like a heavy bag of sand, she hit the ground with a thud. Her knees gave out on impact and she went down hard. Her left arm hit the ground in an attempt to brace the fall while her right arm scooped across her belly to minimize the severity of the shock. She emitted a noise that sounded like a hybrid of fear and anguish. The fall had definitely rattled her, but she kept moving. After an arduous nine months of trying to conceal her pregnancy from the rest of the world, she was certainly not willing to give up that easily.

Clutching her stomach with both hands, she hobbled down the street, breathing heavily, searching for a place to hide. She knew the consequences of being caught having an unsanctioned baby meant she would be arrested and her baby would be stripped away from her. Despite what a lot of people thought, the world was not so perfect.

The streetlights illuminated every corner of the street so she darted into a dingy alley and rested against a brick wall. With her back against the building wall, she slid down into a sitting position and stared up at the starry sky. She began a series of breathing exercises to calm herself down. That was one thing she knew without having to plug in.

_Breathe_ , _breathe_ , _breathe,_ she kept telling herself _._ She knew the baby would be coming any minute since her contractions were occurring less than two minutes apart.

She fought with it for as long as she could, but she was just delaying the inevitable. The time had now come to deliver the baby herself, right there in the unsterile alley. For this, she would definitely need to plug in.

She quickly took out her access pod and plugged it into the port on her forearm. The holographic screen awaited her command. "Look up... how to... deliver... a baby," she muffled in short staccato breaths.

"Data found," a pleasant synthesized voice responded.

"Download... data," she commanded.

"Downloading data, approximate time... one... second," the voice said again. A moment later, a green light indicated the data transfer was complete. "Download complete. Your storage capacity is almost full."

She let out a horrific scream and prepared to deliver her baby. Her brain sifted through her newly acquired knowledge and selected the first step. A competing thought entered her mind and reminded her to continue the proper Lamaze techniques. As she laboured on the cold cement, her natural endorphins kicked in and flooded her bloodstream. This, combined with her deep breaths, made the pain somewhat bearable. _Maybe I should've just turned myself in_ , she thought for a brief moment. She pushed those thoughts aside.

The sound of synthesized sirens blared in the background. She knew she didn't have much time before they arrived.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her proximity cleanser – a portable sanitary device that emitted an electrical pulse, killing germs and bacteria instantly within a short radius. She flipped on the switch and gave the device a tight squeeze. A flash of light burst out in all directions and simultaneously emitted a low-pitched echo. The light and sound occupied only a fraction of a second and then dispersed. With her hands now completely sanitized, she reached into her bag, pulled out a blanket, and laid it on the ground as neatly as possible given the situation.

_Breathe_ , _breathe_ , _breathe_ , she reminded herself as she tried to regain control of her breathing. It was too much to ask for deep breaths at that point. The baby was surely on its way any moment. She would have to settle for short shallow breaths.

"AAAAHHHHH!" she cried out in agony. "Oh my god – oh my god... just relax, breathe," she said out loud to herself.

Most women preferred to use artificial wombs instead of giving birth the natural way. Avoiding the burdensome effects on the body was just one benefit. The other advantage was a machine would nurture the fetus under the most optimal conditions possible, ensuring it received the ideal amount of nutrients and stimuli. That was a luxury she could not afford.

She was all alone, giving birth by herself in a dark and barren alley. Ironically, if she were to throw a stone in any direction, she would likely hit someone with vast amounts of medical knowledge.

"AAAAHHHHH!" she screamed out again.

So far, she was following the instructions perfectly – slow steady pushes in between contractions. She reached down and could feel the top of the baby's head as it emerged from the crowning stage. She continued to push and felt as though she might pass out from the pain, but she somehow summoned the strength to endure. A few deep breaths and pushes later and the baby's head fully emerged. She took one last deep breath and gave a final push, and the rest of the body slipped out. She let out a huge sigh of relief and began to cry. The baby, now lying bare in the crisp night air, also began to cry.

She wrapped the baby up in the blanket and laid it gently against her chest. She would have to deal with the umbilical cord later. For now, she just wanted to savour the moment. Her first time giving birth was a success, despite being under less-than-optimal conditions. She was exhausted, but proud, holding her beautiful baby girl.

An instant later, two ominous shadows stretched down the long alley. She cast her gaze down the alley toward the figures. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but when they did, she saw two uniformed guardians standing with their backs to the light, creating a glow around their dark silhouettes. Judging by their massive frames, she figured they were at least 6'5" each. The two guardians shined their lights on her. She had barely enough energy to turn away from the bright lights. Her face was moist with sweat and she looked like she had just been through an ordeal.

"Come with us please, madam," one of the guardians demanded.

The guardians assisted her to her feet and helped her into the guardian transport vehicle. "Where are you taking me?" she asked worriedly.

"You are under arrest for the violation of the Child Rearing Act."

One of the guardians activated his precision laser cutter, causing a tiny blue beam of light to protract from the small handheld device. It made a faint humming noise, which grew louder as he brought the device closer.

"No," the woman pleaded.

One of the guardians held the baby while the other one used the device to effortlessly cut through the umbilical cord.

"Where are you taking my baby?"

"This baby has now become a reclaimed citizen of the Union and will be given a proper upbringing."

"But I can give her a proper upbringing!" she pleaded.

"Unfortunately madam, that is not for you to decide."

The woman was secured in the back of a transport vehicle and the doors were sealed shut. The baby was placed in a second vehicle where medics checked its vital signs. Both vehicles hovered for a moment and then silently took off into the night.

The faint cries of the woman could be heard as she screamed in the back of the vehicle. "Give me back my baby!"

# About the Author

Edward Mullen is a novelist, blogger, vlogger, and podcaster from Vancouver, Canada.

Born and raised in beautiful British Columbia, Edward developed a love for the wilderness. This love, combined with an innate curiosity about all things, eventually spawned a healthy imagination for storytelling.

Despite spending a lot of his time indoors writing, Edward continues to enjoy the outdoors. He is an avid tennis player, mountain biker, snowboarder, runner, and traveler.

For more information about Edward Mullen, such as his podcast, blog, vlog, or upcoming books, please visit:

www.EdwardMullen.com

