Refracted

- - 51 - -

When we arrived back at the camp, the sense of urgency was undeniable. Everyone had somewhere to be and everyone was moving at the same time in the same space to get there.

Harleen departed from us without another word and soon was lost in the crowd too. Meanwhile Rachel kept a firm grip on my arm as she led me to where I would convince billions of people to run to their death, or freedom, you never knew.

"In here," Rachel muttered but her voice was barely audible against the cries and anticipation of those around us. She pulled me into a side tent where Malik waited along with someone I had never seen before.

He advanced towards me and began attacking my face with makeup brushes and pigment alike. Strangely enough, I felt more claustrophobic with just this one person than the entire crew at the conference with Lucas. The conference where he had destroyed our chances at success. And now it was on me to build them back up again.

The other person just sat and watched, calm. It was unsettling but soon I realised that they weren't watching me but rather Rachel. Their eyes never wavered from her face though I doubted Rachel noticed since she was so absorbed me.

Eventually, Malik stepped back, satisfied. It had felt like a lifetime ago when Harleen and taken me out on a date but in reality it was only a couple minutes. After sprinting back to the camp, I was tired but with a quick look at my reflection in a metal pan, I saw that Malik had covered it up perfectly. I looked perfect, stunning. This wasn't me.

The person snapped her focus away from Rachel and Rachel looked around the room. Their eyes found me and I stared back at the. They were trying to say something to me. I could decipher their expression though but soon their gaze was on Rachel again and it was like I had never even existed.

I wasn't given time to think about Harleen and our awful goodbye as we rushed onwards. As we left the tent, I saw that the camp had altered completely. It was like a ghost town. Everyone had disappeared, presumably to go to their station in Jiona and I imagined the others doing that in Dox, Farrian and Atlantis.

"Soon, Elyse," I promised myself.

"Are you ready?" Malik asked me. I most definitely wasn't but I couldn't turn back now so I just feebly nodded. "Okay, we are just waiting on the all clear that everyone is prepared in Dox and Farrian."

"Are they ready in Atlantis?"

"What do you mean?"

My stomach dropped like a stone as my hands grew clammy.

"Atlantis. Alessa promised she would add it to the list."

Malik burst out laughing. "Good one, Verity. Could you imagine if we really sent people to Atlantis? It would be a death mission."

I endeavoured at a smile but it was weak. He didn't seem to nice though and I walked off to Alessa. Luckily, she was close but not for her. As she saw me approaching, she looked calm... then worried... and then she understood.

"Atlantis?" I prompted, unable to trust myself to say anything more.

"What about it?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You promised."

"So you know then. You have it look at it from my perspective, Verity. It was the only way to get you to broadcast and it has to be you. I promise we'll make Atlantis a top priority once the rebellion is underway."

"Am I supposed to believe you?!" I shouted incredulously.

"It's all I've got."

"It's not enough," I hissed, enunciating every word.

"It has to be. You have to do the broadcast. Surely you wouldn't be selfish enough to destroy everyone's chance at leadership?"

How. Dared. She. Say. That. To. Me.

"I am not selfish. I am trying to save my true family, more than you will ever be. And it looks like I have abandoned them."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I can't help."

It took so much effort to not slap her right across her smug, little face. But I left her with clenched fists and a throbbing, boiling anger inside of me.

I had a choice: direct it at Lucas or direct it at her. Or both.

"Five minutes to broadcast!" Someone yelled out to the remaining few that were here.

The weather today was perfect: cool but clear. I gazed over to the skyline of Jiona and held onto my anger. I would still broadcast but I would also save my friends.

Taking up my position on the stage, I ignored Alessa as she lurked, off to the side of me. This was my moment, my broadcast, my rebellion.

Time passed quickly as I attempted to gather my thoughts. What would I say? Who would believe me? Who would fight?

A screen in front of me showed Lucas' mouth moving as he broadcasted his own presentation but the volume was turned down and no one was listening. His body language was bored but apprehensive and I could tell that he hadn't reached his big announcement yet. We had no idea what it was but we didn't care, only were grateful that it had presented this opportunity for us. Probably something to do with security or the project. Probably.

Everyone gathered in front of the stage, ready to mobilise the second I was done. My own protective gear and gun was waiting for me the second I was offline. We could spare no one; everyone had to fight.

"Going live in 3... 2... 1..."

I watched as the screen in front of me glitched and Lucas' face switched to my own with Jiona in the background. I thought of the confusion in the cities and the time that was slipping through my fingers. My mind had gone blank.

My eyes found Harleen in the crowd and she mimed an explosion to me. Right, Lucas' invention.

I had a starting point at least and I began.

"Please listen to me. This is crucial. You might recognise me from a previous conference, the one announcing Project Refracted. I am here broadcasting to you today to tell you that it is a lie. Lucas - more commonly known to you as Alpha - had been deceiving you. The project is false. It doesn't work. You were promised it was functional as a method to scare you into submission. It doesn't work! But there is something else. Lucas understands that it doesn't work and has resorted to a horrific Plan B. With several NukeFusions, he destroyed my city, Zyphia.

"And now he plans to do the same to you."