Joan Ascends

Chapter 23: Daring to buck the system

I change into my "uniform" and send my clothes down the laundry chute, taking care to slide the pen I stole from Lexi's office into the sleeve of my jumpsuit. Before I can explore the bathroom further, a strange sensation comes over me, like a spider is crawling around inside my skin. After a moment I recognize it as a vision struggling to press its way into my consciousness.

I lean one hand against the tile and close my eyes. Taking slow, steady breaths, I remind myself of the door inside my mind that I can open if I choose. With that awareness, I'm hit with a bright flood of images.

Lozen paces a barren cell nothing like the pod I'm in. Her hair is wet, as if she's just come out of the shower. Like before, she looks at me as if she can sense my presence. Her eyes are painfully bloodshot.

"You have the pen. Good. Leave it under the lip of your food dispenser. Mikao will make sure it gets where it needs to go."

Something attracts the girl's attention, and her head whips away from me.

My vision collapses, and no amount of concentration can bring it back. Since when have my visions been interactive? And why can't I talk to Lozen, since she can clearly communicate with me?

I'm chilled as I think about the bare cell where she is kept. That must be the "other accommodations" that the Sofia threatened me with. Is Addie going to be held in a similarly dismal room?

My questions and worries threaten to overwhelm me, but I know I can't lose focus now, when so much is depending on my ability to gather data to and chronicle my experience. And as alone as I might feel, back at the Chrysalis my friends are watching this. Every detail I can uncover could help them make a case to get Strand shut down for good.

I leave my bedroom space and follow tiny dots of light embedded in the floor that lead to the "living room". The glass panels would keep me from going anywhere else, but the lights ensure that I don't accidentally run into the clear glass.

When I reach the living area, I realize that what looked like one space is actually five compartments separated by panels. Each one has a worn but comfortable chair that is bolted to the floor, just like everything else. A tablet rests on a table next to each chair, and each one is connected to the ground with a long, thick wire.

I settle into the chair in my space and turn on the tablet. A quick scan of the contents reveals that it's not connected to either the internet or Strand's personal servers. It simply holds books and other documents that I can peruse, including instructions on how to operate the food and drink dispenser, and the details of my schedule while I'm trapped down here.

I'm about to open a document labeled "Rules and Procedures" when movement catches my eye. An Asian man who looks to be in his fifties or sixties sits in a chair across from mine. His dark hair, which is streaked with gray, is wet. He has dark circles under his eyes, and his body slumps when he collapses into his chair.

"Ah, a new recruit," he says, his tone guarded. "Welcome. I'm Mikao."

This is the man Lozen said would get my pen where it needs to go. I have a million questions for him, but I'm absolutely certain that our interactions are being watched.

"I'm Joan."

His eyes spark with something—recognition?

"Cloned from Joan of Arc?" he asks, though I suspect that he already knows the answer. At my nod, his he leans forward and gives me a small smile. "I am cloned from Mikao Usui, a Japanese healer from the 19th century. He founded the practice of Reiko. Perhaps you have heard of it?"