Unplugged: The Beautiful World (#3, Unplugged Trilogy)

Chapter Three

Enna

Black, monstrous waves collide with each other and slam against the watery surface, sending a salty spray rocketing toward the atmosphere. Occasional rocks jut precariously over the surface of the endless body of water. I didn't believe Gale before, but now that I'm seeing it myself, bright in the pale moonlight, I find it much harder to catch my breath.
"You're sure we haven't been traveling in the wrong direction?" Matthew splutters, face turning a pale shade of green. Victoria rolls her eyes.
"Don't you think I would know it if I passed over a city? We've never been out this way." The glaring search lights on the bottom of the Mothership begin to oscillate, lighting up many different patches of water. "First there was rocky clay, then bam. Water."
"There wasn't anything on the sand?" I ask, my curiosity peaking with each passing second.
"I don't think so... I didn't really look," Victoria replies.
"We should turn around and explore it," Gale says decisively. I had hardly notice her, sitting quietly on one of the couches. Everyone pivots to stare at her.
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Victoria mutters awkwardly. There had always been a rough spot between her and Gale, so I can imagine the complete disdain Victoria must have for the idea if she went so far as to speak up. "What if it's dangerous down there?"
"This is what Robert was looking for," Gale replies, voice slightly wavering. No one can find anything to say in reply. Robert had been Gale's husband, who left her behind to explore the west. He'd promised her that he would discover new oceans, and that they would live together in a free world. She hadn't heard from him again since his departure years ago. Pity swirls in my stomach, along with something else I can't name. I walk over to Gale and place my hands on top of hers.
"We'll stop," I whisper. Then, so everyone else can hear, "We'll stop!"

* * *

The cold, soft sand caresses my worn feet with each step. A gentle ocean breeze carries the smells of fish and salt towards me. I've never smelled anything so fresh, so natural. The sandy shore leads up to a collection of sea stone, perfectly stacked to create a curved wall. Sticks and shells litter the ground. A nervous laugh bubbles up through my throat as I stare back at the enormous Mothership, parked several feet behind me along the beach. What a sight... Gale walks slowly down the ramp, shivering when her bare foot touches the cool sand. I wave at her to join me.
"Where's Matthew?" She calls, cupping her hands around her mouth. I point at a spot much farther along the beach where he walks and talks with his mother. I hate myself for the jealousy that rises in my throat like bile. Gale notices me set my jaw.
"Aww, come on," she mutters. "Let him have his joy." I'm so taken aback by her comment that I feel my face turn red in anger.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't act stupid. I've seen the way you look at them."
My heart pounds in indignation, partly because she called my bluff and partly because I know she's right. I sigh and begin to walk down the sand, toes sinking into the endless pile of minuscule particles.
"I guess I miss my parents," I admit stiffly. "Is that such a crime?"
"Not unless you blame someone for it," Gale replies, lightly kicking a stone across the sand. "Not unless you don't admit it to yourself."
"Since when did you become a therapist?" She shrugs, smiling a little. Then her face darkens and her vivid, brown eyes search my face.
"I know I've said some horrible things to you, Enna. And I know you've seen things people your age shouldn't even dream of. I just want you to know that I'm proud of you, and the way you're handling it all."
We walk in silence, side by side, for several more moments. I contemplate Gale's sentiments all the while. Once we grow weary, we find a medium-sized crevice digging into the pile of jagged rock lining the back of the beach. It makes for a perfect resting area, like a cave. Gale and I crawl inside, leaning against a rocky wall and staring out at the gorgeous ocean waves, sparkling with drops of moonlight. I watch in silent wonder as Gale slides off the ring from her finger and buries it under the cool sand. Her wedding ring. I don't think I was supposed to see the small act, so I don't acknowledge it.
Instead, I rest my head and close my eyes, listening to the tide wash in and out. Salty spray drifts towards me on the wind. Maybe we can stay here, I think to myself. We could have the RoboChefs cook us meals, and then we could use the Mothership for shelter and entertainment. I lose myself in fanciful thoughts, only dragged out when I hear scuffles in the sand. Alarmed, I jolt awake, slamming the back of my head on a rock shard. I can barely register the pain through adrenaline.
"What is it?" I mutter, voice slurring. Gale sighs.
"It's just Victoria and Matthew."
Relieved, I sink back down onto the cool sand, the pain from my head starting to catch up with me. Matthew stumbles through the cave entrance, followed by Victoria. They both shine with the aura of people who'd just experienced something amazing. I notice that their legs are soaked.
"Enna?" I wave drowsily and Matthew crawls over to me, breathing fast. "The water's amazing. You wouldn't believe it!"
"How so?" I ask, trying to sound excited.
"It's just so much different from the Atlantic. It's actually clean, and crisp, and... cold." He smiles so widely that I can't help but feel a spark of joy within me. "And do you know what this means?" He asks, voice lowered.
"What?"
"The people on the east coast... They can move here." I raise my eyebrows. "There would never be an overpopulation issue if they knew about it to begin with! Enna, we've found the place that can sustain everyone."
Is it really that easy? Just tell people about an ocean on the west coast? What would the Elite do? How would the plugged-in population react? The thought seems all too unrealistic to me. But then I look at Matthew and realize that maybe he doesn't believe it either. Maybe hope is the only hope we have now.
"That would be nice," I whisper, forcing myself to smile. Feeling careless and a little delusional, I lift my chin up and kiss Matthew. Maybe he's my hope right now, in a world where nothing else is staying. Where there are no constants. In a world where things go missing, he's managed to stick around. Soft, fleeting waves beat along the shore and we kiss, safe upon the sand.

* * *

I wake with a dry mouth. Scorching sun rays heat up the sand out of the cave's cover, washing over us with waves of warmth. I drowsily lift my head from the sand, finding myself by Matthew's side. I'm the only one awake. Feeling excited and restless at the sight our new surroundings, I gently pick over my sleeping companions and step onto the beach. A rampaging wind grabs hold of my hair and dances with it in the air. I watch as a tiny crab scuttles across the sand, only to bury itself in a different patch. This is a whole new world compared to the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, which makes you gag just by looking at it. Maybe it's a good thing that humans haven't touched this ocean: I'm sure it would look much different if they did.
Rolling up the legs of my black pants, I head down towards the shore. The waves are much calmer this morning than they were last night. Wet, heavy sand presses into the bottoms of my feet and I shiver. Matthew was right: the water is a lot colder here. Gritting my teeth, I walk deeper into the water so it rises up to my shins. Cold cold cold...
I wonder if anyone else knows about this at all. I'm sure some of the Workers do, and probably the regional Executives. What could they gain by keeping its existence a secret? I know that everyone is forced to live in the east, but how could that possibly benefit anyone? Are the Elite just sadistic? Do they get their kicks by oppressing the people beneath them? But that can't be the complete truth: what about decent people like Victoria, who became a Worker out of pressure? And then I remember the strange map we found on the Mothership. Maybe my fears really are justified. Could the shadow government truly be planning a mass killing? Deeply unsettled, I look towards the clouds, where the bright morning sun illuminates a startlingly beautiful blue sky. How is it possible that we are in the same country?
Go home.
The two little words ring through my head as if chimes were played right next to my eardrums. I spin around to find myself completely alone on the beach, several yards away from the cave opening. My heart starts to race.
"Who's there?" I call out, torn from my contemplative mood. "I'm not alone!"
You're never alone, Enna.
And then I recognize the tone of the words. The Voice.
"Oh geez," I mutter, scratching my neck. It's been awhile since
I've heard from the Voice, so its sudden appearance caught me by surprise to say the least. "What do you want?"
"Go home, Enna. You need to go home..." I wait for a couple minutes, hoping for more of a substantial answer. But, of course, it doesn't come. Go home? Where, to the Mothership? To New York?
Confused and slightly annoyed, I continue to walk along the beachfront. Maybe we should go back to New York. It's been so long, and it almost feels like we have to end up where we started. Where everything started. Suddenly, the beach fades and I feel myself sinking into a daydream:
Mark looks back at me, his eyebrows pulled together in a scolding way. The crowd spiraling around the school's lobby fills the air with unnecessary noise. I beg with my sibling to see reason, to think I'm not crazy, but he absolutely refuses. He continues to follow his peers to their doom. I protest again, but Mark doesn't pay me any heed this time. He's just a few people away from being plugged in. Two. One...
I feel the gentle pressure of hands on my shoulders and I scream, lashing out with my arms. My elbow meets something hard and I hear a satisfying crack followed by a surprised cry of pain. The grip of the hands grows harder and I scream again, reaching out for my brother.
"Don't touch me! I have to save him!" I reach out as far as I can, but it does no use. I watch helplessly as he enters the clinic. The door swings shut behind him and I sag against my captor, tears threatening to spill over onto my cheeks. Suddenly, I'm spun around to face a pair of bright hazel eyes, narrowed in pain. The vision blurs instantly and I find myself not in the lobby of the AGD, but standing on the shore of a quiet beach. Victoria and Gale watch me, horrified, from just outside of the cave entrance. Matthew holds his hand up to his nose. Blood stains his fingers. It takes me several seconds to understand what I'd just done.
"Are you okay?" Matthew asks. I can't tell if that's anger or fear in his eyes. Maybe it's both. What's wrong with me? The constant sound of waves slapping against the sand grows deafening. The clouds overhead turn dark and ominous. Without pausing to form a response, I break free of Matthew's grip and sprint towards the distant Mothership.