NOVA’s alert ran on repeat, and the sound of the siren was so loud it drowned almost everything else out. The camera crews for the news stations all seemed to be freaking out, as it appeared she’d cut off their access to her network, which meant none of this was being broadcast right now.
Luke looked furious. I’d expected him to rush me or do something horrible to me right away, but he seemed to be doing something on his phone instead.
I was frantically trying to absorb information and determine what my next move should be when strong fingers gripped me by the collar of my shirt and hauled me to my feet. I spun around to find Sebastian staring at me, his face so pale he looked sick. Too much of the whites of his eyes were showing, and he leaned down to speak into my ear, so I could hear him over NOVA’s blaring alarm.
“Run,Milo. You need to get out of here,now.If what Jay said is true and you really are free, you have to fucking leave. Right the fuck now.”
I shook my head, stumbling away from him in horror at the thought of leaving him and Jay behind.
I didn’t have a chip anymore; I could leave Nerurovance if I made it to the front gates of the campus, but Jay and Seb couldn’t leave yet.
Once I left, I knew there was no way I could ever break back in to save them.
“I-I can’t. Not yet. I need to find Jay…”
Sebastian looked like he was going to literally cry.
“Milo…please,quick—before he activates?—”
Another automated voice cut through NOVA’s alarm, and the entire Cortex fell silent as the cool, detached voice of a new AI boomed through the amphitheatre.
“TECHA online. NOVA terminated.”
Wait… what? Terminated? That wasn’t possible!
I glanced across the stage to find Luke pocketing his phone, and Sebastian tore at his hair, shaking his head as he backed away from the furious expression on his father’s face.
“No, no, no, no…”Sebastian was chanting.
Luke gave him one last look before facing the crowd and barking one single order into his headset.
“Curfew startsnow.Anyone found outside their cubes without express permission will be terminated on the spot.”
It only took a moment for his words to sink in, and thenthousandsof people were rushing for the paths that led out of the Cortex and back to NLQ.
I balanced on the balls of my feet, ready to bolt to see if I could somehow find Jay and get the chip out of him so we could leave, but Luke’s gaze had already turned back to his son and me.
“Restrain him,” he barked, and I took several steps back.
“Dad… no, please don’t make me?—”
“NOW!” Luke roared, and Sebastian let out a horrible, agonizing sound I never wanted to hear again.
Before I knew what was happening, Sebastian was forcing my hands behind my back, and he held me firmly against him.
His grip was like steel, and he was so much bigger than me.
No matter how much I kicked and screamed… It didn’t do any good.
“Take him to The Cave,” Luke snapped. “Grey is already waiting.”
Sebastian almost effortlessly manhandled me into position, forcing me to walk ahead of him as we followed Luke off stage.
I was vaguely aware of him barking orders at NeuroComm directors to wipe the news crew’s memories and ensure any footage they managed to take of the event was deleted. My stomach souredat the casual way he ordered non-consensual removal procedures on members of the freakingpress.
I was still stewing over the implications of that when Seb’s pained voice croaked directly into my ear. He sounded broken and afraid, his voice cracking over each syllable.
“You should have run, Milo. You should have run while you had the chance. No one can save you now.”
