“Maybe it didn’t have enough time to do any damage,” Logan said.
Bubba Boom shook his head. “It has a very high amperage so it only takes a fraction of a second. The command collar saved you. It has a surge protector so an EMP can’t damage it. Ironic, isn’t it.”
“You’re still wearing it?” Riley asked.
“Don’t worry.” I showed him the metal X. “It’ll soon be gone. Although…” I touched its smooth surface. “Maybe I’ll wait until after we’ve taken back our ship.”
“It might neutralize the stunner’s blast as well,” Bubba Boom said. He dragged Hank to an empty cell and then he relocked the gate to the brig.
“How do we get down to level one?” I asked Bubba Boom.
“The lift. It isn’t guarded on this level, just the other four,” he said.
“And what happens when the doors open on level one?” Riley asked.
Bubba Boom handed Riley one of the stunners he had taken from the guards. He offered the other to Logan.
“No thanks,” Logan said. “That’s not my thing.”
As we descended to Quad A1, I asked Bubba Boom about Hank’s comment.
“Yeah, he’s my father,” he said. “Hank kept track of his four children and made sure we were all assigned as maintenance scrubs. I didn’t know until all this started.” He met my gaze. Sadness filled his eyes. “I also learned Cogon was my half-brother. Cog believed in the Controllers, but he wouldn’t have believed their lies for as long as I have.”
“By helping us, you’ve made up for your mistakes,” I said, hoping that when all was said and done, I could say the same thing.
The guards outside the lift on level one had already been incapacitated. Quad A1 teamed with people. Groups of them sat together. Wary, suspicious, angry and uncertain, they glanced at the buzz of activity around Domotor. Murmurings of resentment increased as they noticed my arrival.
Riley went to search for his father and brother, and Logan sprinted toward Domotor. He understood what they had been trying to do in an instant and immediately took charge.
“How long?” I asked.
“Give me a few minutes to sort this out, and then I’ll give you an estimate,” Logan said.
Sloan sidled over to me. “Where’s Jacy?”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t rescue him. He has…” How to explain? Not many people knew about the command collars. “A tracer on him that we can’t remove without hurting him.”
He scowled and jabbed a finger at Bubba Boom. “But you could bring him along?”
“Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to free Logan and Riley.”
“How do you know they don’t have tracers?” Sloan asked.
“Only a few have them,” Bubba Boom answered.
“And you trust him?” Sloan asked me.
“With her life,” Bubba Boom said, pointing to the burned patch on my shirt. He turned to me with a puzzled expression. “Why did you? You didn’t know the kill-zapper wouldn’t work.”
“You saved me from the fire. Consider us even,” I said.
“No. You didn’t hesitate. There was no moment of consideration.”
He was right. “As I told my mother a while ago, it’s what I do,” I said.
Sloan snapped his fingers. “Almost forgot. The Doc’s been trying to reach you.”
When I pulled out my receiver and microphone, I laughed even though it sounded a bit like hysteria. Blackened and half-melted, the devices would never work again.
“What happened to them?” Sloan asked, marveling over the ruined pieces.
“Kill-zapped. Do you have more?”
Sloan stared at me a moment. “Not if you keep frying them.” But he dug into one of his pockets and handed me two more sets. “One for Riley.”
Inserting the receiver into my earlobe, I clipped the mic on, hailing my mother. The relief in her voice came through, but she remained professional, reporting that she was in position and would await our signal.
Logan estimated he would have the computer working in fifteen minutes. It was week 147,027, hour twenty-eight. Time for my speech.
I stood on a table as Sloan used a loud and high-pitched whistle to get everyone’s attention. Quiet descended and they focused on me with various expressions—all unhappy. I sought the little group of smiling faces and took courage from Riley and his family.
“Thank you for being willing to listen to me. Scrubs and uppers coming together is vital now. But I first want to apologize for turning your lives upside down and then abandoning you. For letting a Committee make important decisions without your input. For dismissing your beliefs in the Controllers and life Outside.
“But these people who have entered our world are not the Controllers. They’re Outsiders and they plan to exile us. Send us into Outer Space to die.”
Voices rose, yelling I was crazy or deluded. Others reminded everyone I had gotten them all into this mess. Sloan used his whistle to settle them down again.
“I understand why you won’t believe me.” I glanced at Logan; he gave me a thumbs up. “Even if you can’t trust me, at least you can trust your own eyes.”
The lights dimmed and a large bright rectangle lit up the north wall. Images appeared. First of the transport ship clinging to our world, then of the port. Outsiders hustled people into the belly of the transports and then the scene switched to inside the ships. Every image was crammed with people. Scared and frightened people.