Out There (33 page)

The metal crashed to the floor with a bang and there was a spark of electricity from the empty spot. Then I spun round and kicked at the door, letting it swing open beautifully.

Without another pause, I jumped to my feet and leapt outside and towards the exit. There was another scanner, so I held my eye up to it and the door clicked unlocked. Just as I rushed through into the big meeting room, it struck me that the place was completely deserted.

“Where'd everybody go?”

The screen played images of the robots tearing apart the Village and the boys leaping out into the trees for shelter. I saw Derron turn for a second and my heart twisted. I knew I had to make things right. For him.

Chapter Sixteen

Ava, Twenty Minutes Later

“Attention ladies! Please all look this way at the camera!” The photographer was trying to organise the group of girls sitting on the grass. “All right, in three, two, one…”

“Wait!” I ran over and jumped in front of the camera just as it flashed. I stumbled backwards, shielding my eyes. As I regained vision, I realised that everyone was staring at me in utter shock, either in response to my appalling state, or to my presence in the first place.

“Hey, would you mind moving, miss?” The photographer sounded irritated.

“Ava Hart?” One of my teachers came forward. “What happened to you?”

Lexi stood up from amongst the crowd and ran over to me. “Geez, Ava. You said it wasn't dangerous!”

“I didn't think it was, I'm sorry.”

“Are those chains?” she asked, inspecting my wrists.

“Long story, can you help unchain me?”

“Ava? Why are you covered in dirt?” asked Bri as she ran up next to us.

“Yeah, and water,” Jade followed.

“Is that blood?” Lexi gasped.

“Where?”

“On your wrists!”

“Probably from the robots or the chains.”

“What!?” they all shouted.

“Ladies, what is going on?” A teacher walked over.

“Oh right, I have to make an announcement to the group,” I stated as Lexi tried to pick the lock on my chains.

“A what?” the teacher asked.

“Trust me, it's important.”

“I can't get it!” Lexi exclaimed.

“It's fine Lex, let me talk to the group.”

“Are you going to explain to us first?”

“You can all hear it,” I said and gestured for her to sit.

“Ava, what are you doing?” The teacher looked completely horrified.

“Hello everyone,” I said as I walked over to where the camera was stationed. “Sorry to interrupt your school photograph day, but I really need to tell you all this. I'm Ava, in case you didn't know. So you're probably all wondering why I'm covered in dirt and why I have chains on my hands and why I'm not in a hospital and stuff. Well, I have to explain to you all something very important and I don't have much time.

“A couple weeks ago I snuck outside the Bubble and went into the forests surrounding it.”

Everyone gasped.

“Yes, I know, ‘
how did she do that?'
you all ask. Well, it doesn't matter how, the important part is that I did and I met some really amazing people. Yes, there were people outside the city. And they showed me the most incredible things and were so friendly and generous.” I sighed. “The only thing is that they were boys.”

Another gasp, even from the teachers.

“It was shocking because I thought they were extinct. Well, they're not! And once I got to know them I realised that they were actually just like us and completely harmless. I swear. And I thought to myself, hey, why are they excluded from our city?

“Then it hit me. Our parents don't like them. They're afraid of them because they've seen the bad sides of men. Well,
we
haven't. We haven't even been given a chance to see the good sides. And yes, there are good sides, many in fact. So I decided to try and include them in our city, because I was foolish enough to think it was that simple.

“You know what happened? The Council tried to have them murdered, destroyed their home, and almost killed me. But that's not all. Then, when I brought them here, the Council, our trusted Council, had them attacked by city robots, knocked unconscious and dragged off to who knows where, locked me in a prison cell, then ran off and left me in there to rot. And let me tell you this,” my stomach growled, “I am really hungry.”

There was a small laugh from the crowd.

“I know you all probably think I'm losing my mind, and I might be, but I have never been so sure about anything in my entire life. We have been lied to since the day we were born. Not just by the Council, but by our parents and anyone who has lived through the Wars. They all have this unspoken agreement, you see, that men were bad and the only way to protect us was to hide the truth. Sure they did it for our own good, but it was still unfair. We deserve to make our own opinions and decisions and think what we want. Maybe
we
are right. Sometimes people have trouble letting go of old ways and need the youngsters to help them out.

“And now my six caring friends are being taken away to be killed just for existing. So, I'm asking all of you to please help me. I believe that if we all say we want change, then they might listen. I don't know if our teachers agree, and I'm surprised that they haven't tried to drag me away for saying too much, but this is important. Don't just let these boys die.”

I looked out at the crowd of girls, all sitting on the grass in their sundresses without a care in the world. They had been blissfully ignorant their whole lives, as had I until several months ago. Was it stupid of me to think that they would want to change that? I had to try.

“My friend Katelyn died believing them. She never knew that it was the virus-infected embryo they put inside of her that killed her. And they're going to put it in all of you too. This method of reproduction is doomed. Sylvia Carter herself told me and also stated outright that she had purposely put one in me so I wouldn't mess with their plans.

“They just lie and lie and lie. I was there when they said that Katelyn's test results were looking bad, but they still told you all that she was doing well. And before we knew it, there was a rotting pile of flowers in the town square.”

One girl stood up. “But men are evil, why should we trust them?”

“You just answered your own question. You have been fooled into thinking that all men are evil, no matter what. You didn't make this opinion on your own! Where is your proof?”

“They almost destroyed everything!”

“Those men do not exist any more. Those few have become the generalisation for everyone. And think about this: if we are meant to be the better ones, then why are we going to oppress them the same way they once did us? This isn't about ancient conflicts, this is about us declaring that there is never just one side, and we want to know both.”

“If you don't do this for me or for all those innocent boys or for Katelyn, at least do it for yourselves. Do you really want to die because the Council weren't bothered enough to let a couple of boys live with us? Because without these boys we will never be able to have more children. They are our last hope.

“Now I'm going to go find them, is anyone coming with me?” There was silence and they all just stared at me in amazement. Then Lexi, Jade and Bri stood up.

“We're coming.”

I felt tears sprouting. “Let's go then.”

The four of us began walking down the street, me hobbling. At least I had my girls, I thought to myself.

“Ava, look,” Bri said and tapped my shoulder.

I turned to see all of the girls getting up off the grass and walking over towards us. “Are they all…?”

“Coming? I think so.” Bri smiled. “What other choice do they have but to follow crazy-insane-going-to-get-us-all-in-trouble Ava?”

I laughed. “If I had a free hand then I would hug you right now.”

“Hug me later, we have work to do.”

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Jade asked as we approached the robot complex.

“Pretty sure.” I turned to the rest of the group of girls, and some teachers, behind me. “All right everyone! We're going to go inside and try and find the Council and the boys. Then we have to convince them to let the boys stay, and to make a few changes. Got it?”

There was a cheer from the group.

“Let's go!”

I leant over and scanned my eye on the scanner. The door clicked and I kicked it open.

“How did it open?”

“Sylvia is very bad at what she does.”

We all marched through the gate and into the complex until we were in the middle of the huge group of buildings.

“What is this place?”

“Another secret.”

I spotted some movement in one of the further buildings and directed the group towards it. We walked over to the door and Lexi shoved it open for me. Inside was a huge empty room with a few robots milling around.

“Let's try a different one.”

We all marched over to the next building, and the next, until we found the Council all parked in the huge room, tablets in hand.

“What are you girls doing here?”

I waited until we had all filed inside and then I strolled over to the members and said, “Hello. Would anyone care to unchain me?”

“How did you…?”

“Oh this?” I said nonchalantly. “Sylvia Carter chained me and locked me in a cell, but who cares about that? We're all here about a much more important issue, right girls?”

They all cheered.

“We want to know where the boys are.”

“What boys?”

“Yes, what on earth are you talking about?”

“Don't play dumb with me. We think it's about time that you all stopped lying to us. It is against the Oath.”

Then it hit me.

“Of course! How come I didn't think of this earlier? I would like to make a motion to remove all members of the Council for breaking their Oath, effective immediately.”

“You can't be serious!”

“Oh but I am. The Oath clearly states that ‘We will be fair, we will be honest, we will be thoughtful, we will be kind, and we will be true'. I have found a direct violation of several of those.”

“Like what?”

“You have not been thoughtful enough to consider the other side of these boys' stories. You have not been honest by lying to everyone about the condition of Katelyn Rose and the traits of men. You have not been kind by chaining my wrists,” I held them up, “and locking me in a tiny cell. And you most certainly have not been true. Oh, and the whole virus embryo just seals the deal.”

“Listen,” said one of the Council members as she stepped forward, “we will not be bullied by some childish little girl.”

Then the door slammed open and everyone snapped their head towards it.

“What on earth is going on?”

“Mother?” I ran over to the door to see her standing there, looking exhausted.

She walked inside. “I have been running around everywhere trying to find where my own Council went because it turns out that my daughter was locked in a cell and they didn't do anything about it! They told me she was escorted home! Then I finally come here in search of some answers and I pass by a room where six boys are lying on the floor unconscious. What is the meaning of this?”

Some of the Council members came forward to try and explain. “You see Donna, we all thought that it would be best if…”

“I don't care what you thought! This is an outrage! I am the Leader of the Council and I call the shots!”

“But Donna, you agreed that it would be best to remove the men from the forest as a simple way to solve the problem…”

“But I had no idea you would then hijack them! You do not get to make these decisions without my consent!”

“But Donna, you saw the security robots take the boys away to…”

“You said they were going to be dropped off in the forest again! What, were you planning to kill them? We all agreed that destroying their home would cause them to move further into the forest and further away from us. This is not what we agreed!”

“Donna, listen…”

“Shut up!”

Everyone gasped.

“Go Mother!” I cheered.

They all turned to me.

“Sorry.”

“Ava, what are all these girls doing here?” Mother asked me. “Actually, we were in the middle of moving to remove the Council members from the Council on direct violation of their Oath.”

“I second that! And also for not following their Leader, which is in every Council member's Oath.”

“Donna, be reasonable.”

“Yes, this is outrageous.”

“Now where is Sylvia Carter? I have a bone to pick with her.” Mother began searching the crowd.

“Donna?” The Council members all looked at her with crazed eyes.