Determinant: One choice will change everything

Chapter 13: Tris - Evaluation

Chapter 13: Tris – Evaluation

At first, I see nothing but snow. It must have picked up considerably during the ride, and for a moment, I'm glad we didn't have windows in the back of the van. The bumpy ride was nauseating enough as it was; it would have been worse if I'd realized George was driving blind.

The wind is harder now too, and bitterly cold. I shiver in my coat, and for the first time I look at Caleb with something like sympathy. We left Candor with enough coats for us, but no extras, so he's been in this weather with just his indoor clothes and a sweater. Peter has too, but despite everything, I find it harder to feel bad for him than for Caleb. I shouldn't let him get to me so much.

"Where, exactly, is this base?" Cara asks, voicing what we're all thinking.

"Underground," Amar answers as he joins us from the other side of the van. "We use an old bomb shelter that was built just before the war. It keeps us hidden and well stocked with food and water."

Tobias and I exchange a quick look and I can tell he doesn't know what a bomb shelter is either. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Amar gestures for us to follow him and walks into the swirling snow. It's slippery, and we grab onto each other as we start sliding, but fortunately it's a short walk before we pass into an entrance of some sort, flanked by armed guards on both sides. George talks quietly with one of them as Amar leads us forward. I see the other guard eyeing us closely, her finger staying on the trigger of her gun, but her expression turns almost to recognition as she looks at me. She nods in acknowledgement, and I shiver slightly. As far as I know, I've never seen her before. Perhaps she sees Anna in my face.

I turn back to the sight in front of me and feel a sense of awe. Everything seems to be made of metal, with thick walls and another door separating us from the outside world. We walk through it and begin descending a long flight of dimly lit metal stairs. It feels like we go down forever, our feet echoing hollowly, and I begin to feel the weight of earth around us. A memory comes to mind from a textbook I read years ago, of bombs that could blow enormous holes in the ground and radiate the area around them. This shelter must have been designed to protect against weapons like that. I wonder how far down it goes?

At some point, George begins helping Christina on her injured side while Uriah carries her crutch. She's been walking much better today, but there are still limits to her endurance, and these endless stairs seem to cross that line. Briefly, I realize we'll have to climb back up all these when we leave. At least my years in Abnegation made me good at handling stairs.

Amar finally opens a door to the side and ushers us through it into a wide, deep room with a very low ceiling – it's less than seven feet tall, judging by how close Tobias' head is when he stands at his full height. Metal tables and chairs are spaced close together throughout the room, blending in with the metal walls and ceiling and floor, reflecting oddly in a way that makes the room seem both larger and smaller. A handful of people are seated at the tables, playing a card game. Their clothing is a mix of colors and patterns I've never seen before. These aren't faction clothes.

George waves at the seated people, and a few of them wave back, looking at the rest of us with interest.

"This is the cafeteria and meeting room," Amar explains. "You'll be here a lot during the next few days, before we head out." He gestures to the others and adds, "Depending on what you end up doing, you may be working with some of these lovely people, but I'm not going to introduce everyone at once. I'll just start with my favorite."

He winks and gestures to a young woman with medium brown skin and long black hair that's braided down her back. She doesn't look much older than I am. "That's Pari. She was born in the capital and found her way here four years ago. She'll be one of our guides for the mission."