“Why would he want that many blood samples?” Nic asked.
Novalight started talking again before Tess could answer. The asshole loved to pause dramatically and stare at the camera, his dark eyes beady and menacing.
“Connect now to projectyournewgin.gxy to find your local GIN center and choose a convenient time slot for your injection. Parents and legal guardians must make appointments for their children and charges. Spacedocks will be provided with traveling GIN units. Anyone without a permanent residence is required by law to request an appointment at the location of their choosing. Select the Temporary Visitor option. You have exactly six universal months from this day forward to claim a galactic identification number. Anyone found to be noncompliant six months from now will be hunted and arrested.”
“Where will he put everyone?” Tess whispered in horror.
“Nine Circles still has three entire underground levels that are empty,” Mwende said. “The place is huge and could accommodate hundreds of thousands.”
“Holy Sky Mother.” Tess’s too-wide eyes swung from Mwende back to the screen in Frank’s hand. A tremor went through her. She already knew firsthand the kind of hell that waited for inmates on Hourglass Mile. Nine Circles was a descent into misery few people could imagine. Convicts didn’t come out of that place intact, if they ever came out at all.
“Claim your GINs. Help our galaxy stay safe and prosperous. It is your duty to encourage your neighbors to fulfill this new galactic obligation. It is also your duty to report anyone who fails to comply. Outlaws will be punishable under AGL 1409, the GIN Standard.”
The Overseer stood there for a moment, looking rigid and smug as he stared out at our entire galaxy from his big undecorated office. He’d had the exact same look on his face after he shot Miko and grabbed Shiori. It was hisI one-upped yousmirk, and I couldn’t help wondering if this one was directed at Tess also.
“All newly issued GINs will be checked off against galactic birth and death records spanning the last century and a quarter. We’ll know who doesn’t claim a number. And we will find you.”
On that ominous pronouncement, the screen went dark. PROJECTYOURNEWGIN.GXY took the Overseer’s place in big white block letters. They flashed a few times to really get the viewer’s attention and then went static again, staring out at us.
Frank powered down the tablet and slipped it back into his pocket. “And there you have it. Pretty soon, the Dark Watch will be able to scan people on the streets, and if you don’t pop up with a GIN, they’ll fucking jump out and arrest you.”
“I’m going to kill him. Then kill him again,” Tess murmured.
“What’s this about blood samples?” Nic asked a second time.
Her features screwed up in fury, Tess told them about the Overseer’s super-soldier serum, how it was based on a rare blood type that otherwise boosted healing, and how she’d stolen his entire supply and turned it over to the rebel leaders. She didn’t mention having A1 blood herself or knowing anything about where it came from. “So basically, this is my fault,” she finished hotly. “If I hadn’t stolen his whole batch of enhancers, he wouldn’t be hunting for more A1 blood, which seems to be the one thing he can bind his chemical cocktail to.”
“First of all”—Frank’s hands dropped to his hips, and he looked fixedly at Tess—“nothing that tyrannical psychopath does is your fault. Second, what are Loralie and the rebel council doing with the enhancers?”
“I don’t know.” Tess scraped her hair back, twisting it into a knot that fell down again. “Hopefully nothing but keep it away from the Overseer.”
“But they could potentially make rebel super soldiers?” Frank asked.
Tess nodded, her eyes haunted.
“How many?” The crew of theUnholy Stenchechoed Frank’s question.
“Thousands,” Tess answered, a thin catch in her voice. “There were thousands of prepared injections in that lab.”
“And what would be so bad about that?” Frank asked, his brow furrowing. “That sounds like just the boost we need to finally do something about that bastard.”
“I know.” Tess spread her hands, looking as conflicted as ever about the enhancers. “That’s why I gave it to them instead of blowing it up. It’s just… I brought the stuff to the rebel leaders. I’ll feel responsible for whatever happens to anyone who uses it.”
“Okay, as much as I love you, Bailey, you’re not that important.” Frank softened his words with another light punch to Tess’s arm. I couldn’t mind—not when it brought a reluctant smile to her lips. “Your choice was to hand it over. Whatever happens next isnotyour choice. It’s Loralie’s, or whoever decides to use that enhancer.”
“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.” Despite her quick agreement, worry still shadowed Tess’s features. More than once, I’d caught her brooding over the idea of rebel soldiers being lied to about the enhancer’s effects on their bodies, or being forced into it. She had that look again now. “If there’s a bloodbath, though, I’ll feel like I’m swimming in it. And now, there’s this whole GIN thing to worry about.”
“We’re all outlaws anyway,” Jax said.
Fiona glanced at him, scowling. “Yeah, but we couldn’t get flagged on the street just for walking by without registering on some hidden scanner.”
“That’ll make missions a lot tougher,” Jax admitted, scraping a hand down his jaw. His frown deepened.
“How will we go anywhere? Get supplies? Doanything?” Tess snarled.
Macey, who didn’t seem to say much otherwise, came out with a humdinger. “We won’t. And there won’t be any new rebels to keep the fight going. He’s putting a leash on the entire galaxy. We either end this—endhim—before the GIN Project is final, or the rebellion dies forever.”
Chapter 11
