Out There (31 page)

“Anything to protect your best interests, Ava.”

But several days passed and Mother always seemed too busy to take me. I was growing desperate. Once I knew that I could have him back in my life, I just assumed it would happen instantly. And when it didn't I began to get nervous.

Finally, I couldn't take it any longer and devised a plan to sneak out on my own. During one of my scheduled walks out I asked if I could go with Lexi instead of the nurse. Of course they agreed, and Lexi met me outside the building, as planned.

“So you said you needed me to cover for you,” she said as soon as we were out of hearing.

“I have to do something that they would never agree to. I can't tell you, Lex, but I need you to trust me, OK?”

She thought for a while before asking, “You won't do anything dangerous?”

“Dangerous? Me?”

“Don't joke with me, Ava Hart. I'll do it as long as you promise that whatever it is, it's safe.”

“I swear.”

“OK. What do you want me to do?”

“Walk around the city for a while and meet me at the café in an hour. Then we'll go back together.”

“You better be there in an hour though as I have to leave for the school photo in the park.”

“I will.” The tram pulled into the stop. “I have to go. Thanks Lexi.” I hugged her.

“Any time.”

Within minutes I was at the Bubble and then out of it and, before I knew it, at the Old Village.

“Derron! Derron it's me!”

I waited but he didn't answer.

“Derron! Cain!”

Nothing.

I told myself that it would be more fun if I surprised him anyway. So I walked over to the Village myself. But nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when I got there.

The huts were smashed to rubble and all the fires blackened to nothing. There were all sorts of pieces of food lying on the ground and smashed bottles of medicine.

I walked through, crunching on glass as I did, in complete shock. There was no way they just left. The place had been attacked.
But by what?

The storage box was empty with all the weapons missing. I ran to every building searching for any sign of people, calling, “Derron? Derron! Cain! Owen! Somebody!”

My heart was racing and I fought so hard to talk myself out of thinking the worst. Then I saw something catch the light. I walked over to the shining little object buried in the ground. As I got closer, it appeared to be silver, a piece of metal.

It was lodged in the earth right next to a pile of stray berries so I pulled it out from the ground. The piece of metal was blank on one side and there was dirt covering the other. I rubbed it clean with my elbow to reveal a little golden T. Then I realised what it was.

It was the plaque with the crest of Emiscyra on it. I recognised the thorny green vines all too well. There were holes in the metal where it would have been nailed to a city robot…

Oh no. Oh please no.

I took off, running further into the forest screaming, “Derron! Derron!”

Anger flooded through me because I knew that by pointing out the Village on the map I had signed the death warrants of all six of them. Mother betrayed me by sending robots to destroy them. How could she?

“Derron! Derron!”

I kept running until I heard a crunching of metal and skidded to a halt. The trees in front of me began to part and slowly one of the largest robots I'd ever seen came crawling towards me. I remained still, breathing heavily, heart racing. Then it stopped. Silence.

My heart was beating so hard I was sure that the robot could hear it. Then I saw in thick black letters on the side:
Security
. Like the closed door at the robot complex.

Before I could analyse it further, the robot flashed a blue light over me and began scanning. Every part of me stayed frozen except for my wildly pumping heart. I kept as still as I could until the light retracted. Then it flashed red.

Uh oh.

Without hesitation, the robot charged towards me at full speed. In an instant I turned and ran as fast as my legs could take me. I had to sprint while dodging every tree that obstructed my path. The robot just chopped right through them with the blades poking out of its sides.

“This is so unfair!” I cried.

I kept running until my feet were numb. Then I tripped over and scrambled through the dirt, trying to get myself up. As I looked back at the robot, I saw it unlock its blade from on top and point it at me.

Then I took off running again, terror seizing my whole body and adrenalin being the only thing strong enough to keep me moving. Then I saw the Bubble wall up ahead and took it as my escape. I suddenly realised that I wouldn't be able to make it through.

I turned and sped off the other way, back into the trees, and kept going even though my lungs were screaming. Then I reached a large rusted building and ran towards it, throwing myself through the smashed window. The robot reached me, and I backed away until I hit the wall. All I heard was a violent screeching of metal on metal as the robot tried to get closer. The window wasn't big enough so it poked its blade inside and stretched it out towards my throat.

My fingers clawed at the wall behind me but it was no use. The blade inched closer and closer until there were only centimetres between it and my neck. I tried to search for a way out but realised it was useless.

Was I going to die?

The blade was almost at me and my heart was pounding so hard I couldn't hear the metal shrieking any more. Then just as it was about to slit my throat, it stopped. There was silence.

Then it flashed green and slowly recoiled and shut down. I collapsed, breathing heavily. I was alive. My head was spinning, but I managed to sit up and crawl out of the window. That's when I saw the tiny little camera at the front of the robot pointed at me. They must have been watching.

I took the camera in my hands and ripped it off then threw it into the building I hid inside. Then I took off, running back towards the Village, still cautious of others lurking. I racked my brain desperately searching for any idea of what happened to the boys.

The blade was clean, indicating it hadn't been used to spear anyone, yet there could have been others that did. Assuming the camera was only used for the Council to sit and watch, the robot would not have had any way of telling one human from the other. It must have detected me using heat sensors, in which case the boys would have tried to find a way to mask their heat. In my head I filtered through all the ways to cool oneself down in a forest. Then it came to me. The river.

I turned and tried to navigate my way there until I heard the rushing of the cool waves. Suddenly it appeared before me, and seemed more beautiful than ever. Without rolling up my trouser legs, I waded into the water, yelling out, “Derron! Derron! Cain!”

And sure enough there they were, crouching in the water with weapons poised. I ran towards them, splashing as I did so. “Over here! It's Ava!” I called.

Some of them turned and held out their spears until they saw it was me. “Ava?” they said.

Then I saw Derron crouching at the back, looking around frantically; the sight of him almost brought me to tears.

“Derron!”

“Ava?”

Then we both ran towards each other, as fast as the water would let us, and I leapt into his arms.

“Oh, thank goodness you're alive,” I said and wept into his shoulder.

“How did you…?”

“I had to find you. I'm so sorry, this is all my fault.”

“Don't say that,” he said and stroked back my hair, which was pretty wet from all the splashing.

“No, I told my mother because I had to, and then I told her where you lived and she sent the robots to kill you and…” I collapsed on him. “I'm so sorry.”

“Ava?” Cain said and waded over.

“Oh Cain, you're alive too,” I said and hugged him. “Why did you have to tell her?” Derron asked me.

“Actually, that's why I came. I, uh, I have to tell you something.”

“Is it good?”

“Very good.” I took his hands. “I didn't have the surgery.”

“What? Why not?” He tried to suppress his excitement.

“Because I was already pregnant.” I laughed and added, “And it's yours.”

“It's what?” said Cain, practically jumping out of the water. “Wait, how is that possible?” Derron asked, looking confused and amazed.

Cain slapped his hand to his head and said, “You didn't…”

“I didn't what?”

“Never mind.”

Derron turned back to me. “Wait, so you're having a baby?”

“I'm having our baby.”

Cain was still smacking himself in the head, but Derron looked unbelievably happy and exclaimed, “This is amazing!”

“Hey, what's going on?” the other boys asked as they came over.

“I'm going to be a father!” Derron yelled.

“Oh boy,” said Cain and rolled his eyes.

“Are you serious?” Owen asked with wide eyes.

“How does that even work?” Mason asked, turning to Cain.

“Please don't ask.”

“This is worth a celebration!” Owen cheered.

Then the boys all reached over and picked me up and held me in the air, whooping.

“Whoa boys, put her down, we don't want to hurt it.”

So they lowered me into the water and lifted Derron instead, cheering as they did so. He slapped them on the back, laughing. Cain just stood there gaping.

“Cain, you look like you've seen a ghost,” I said and waded over to him. “Is everything OK?”

“Yeah, I'm just a little surprised that's all. Congratulations, Ava.”

“Thank you. And I still don't see what's so surprising.”

“Just that you two… never mind. You don't need to know.” The others came running back over and dropped Derron into the water, splashing Cain and me in the process.

“So, I need to ask you all a favour,” I said as I wiped the water from my face.

“Anything for you.”

“Yeah, you name it.”

“I want you to come back with me to the city. I have a plan.”

Chapter Fifteen

Ava, One Hour Later

“Can we go in now? Mason is sitting on my arm,” Owen whined. “Ssh! Quiet, Owen, just one more minute.”

I poked my head out from the bush we were hiding in to check if anyone was coming. “All right,” I said, gesturing to the others, “let's move.”

Then in one swarm all seven of us jumped out of our cramped hiding spot and rushed over to the front door.

“What is it?” asked Mason and stared at the tall building in awe.

“It's our town hall. Come, the Council should be in there now,” I said and bent down and held my eye over the retina scanner.

“What are you doing?” Jared asked.

“Scanning my eye. No one knows that they don't work properly though.” The light turned on and started scanning.

“Don't work?”

The scanner beeped. “Yeah,” I said and pushed open the doors, “they can't differentiate members of the same family.”

“I still don't get it.”

Cain slapped him on the back and said, “None of us do.” “All right, let's go, quietly though,” I said and signalled for them to go inside.

One by one we slipped through the large wooden doors and crept down the hallway. The whole place had such a different atmosphere from when we were gathered for the Election. It felt spooky and cold, probably because of the old style architecture and dark wooden walls.

“This place gives me the creeps,” Owen said, shivering.

Derron came over and squeezed my hand. “Are you sure this will work?” he whispered in my ear.

“I can only hope.”

Finally we reached the end of the long and looming hallway and another set of large wooden doors with a plaque that read:
Council Headquarters
.

“This is it,” I said, pointing at the plaque. “Everyone ready?” “Yeah.”