“What do you need?” he asked.
“For you to get out of my way,” I said.
He didn’t move. “Only authorized personnel are allowed in unless you have a reason for being here. I’m sure you understand the need to protect the critical equipment and personnel inside the control room.”
Was that a slam? In an icy voice, I asked, “And you’re the protection?”
“Yes. No one gets by me.”
“Uh-uh. Tell Takia I’m here.”
“She’s at a Committee meeting.”
Figures. “Fine. I’ll come back.”
As the door clanged shut, fury simmered in my blood. I understood the need for security, but to prevent me from entering was borderline paranoid. No, not borderline, but outright paranoid. I was the last person the Committee had to worry about.
Or was I? I alone knew about level seventeen, and there weren’t many places I couldn’t get to. Actually, there was no place I couldn’t get to. Scanning the hallway as I walked away from the control room, I found the perfect heating vent. And the beauty of the heating system was the vents were all close to the floor—easy to access.
I had left my tool belt in our storeroom so long ago it seemed like a centiweek instead of a week and a half. Most of the vents popped on and off, but the ones on the fourth level had screws. In a pinch, the thin flat discs of Jacy’s listening devices worked as a screwdriver.
I wiggled into the shaft and pulled the vent back in place. Warm air flowed around me as I swam toward the control room—pulling with my arms and pushing with my feet. It was harder to do with regular clothes and a pocket full of mics. Plus my skin burned with the added friction.
The familiar smell and hum reminded me of when I had slept in the heating ducts. Combine that with muscles that had been doing nothing but lie in a bed for the last hundred and thirty hours, and the trip turned into an endurance test.
Finally, I reached the control room. Through the slats of the vents, I saw legs of seated workers and rows of computers. Bypassing them, I found Logan’s rooms. In no time, I popped open the vent and tumbled into his small living area. The captain had occupied this space when he was on duty but not needed. I imagined problems had been few and far between until Domotor recruited me.
Glad to have room to stretch, I glanced around. No surprise the place was a mess of computer parts, wires, and gadgets. It took me longer than I hoped to find his stash of mics. Pocketing them so I was balanced, I debated about returning through the heating system. The bigger air ducts would be easier to navigate, but I would have to climb to the ceiling. My newly healed skin hadn’t liked my recent activities and I doubted I had the strength to scale the wall.
Instead, I walked from Logan’s rooms and through the control center. Most of the workers just nodded a greeting unperturbed. A few seemed surprised. The oversized ISF officer’s glare could have burned a hole in sheet metal. But he didn’t try to stop me.
I waved to him as the doors opened for me to leave. “Guess I should change my name to No One, sinceno onegets by you.” It was not a mature thing to do, but I never claimed to be an adult. And I never could resist a challenge.
Tracking down Riley proved to be a challenge as well, I found him at his old work station, banging on the keyboard in irritation. He had monitored electrical usage and since the power plant produced all the electricity in Inside, his station was located in the office next to the plant’s control room.
“Not now, Trella. I’m?—”
“Busy. I know. I’m starting to understand how you felt when I attended back to back Committee meetings.”
My comment earned me a glance and a brief smile.
“This is critical. The computer…” He slammed a fist on the keys. “Damn it. There goes another one.”
“Has the network been compromised?” I peered over his shoulder.
“Sort of. Files are just disappearing as if they never existed.”
“Is that possible. I thought?—”
“Lousy son of a Trava!”
White light filled the monitor. Without thought, I covered Riley’s eyes with my hands and dipped my head, blocking mine with my upper arm.
After a few seconds, Riley pulled my hands down. “It’s okay. I think.” A strange hitch cracked his voice.
I peeked. White still dominated the screen, but big black letters shone from the center. Squinting at them, I read:All access denied by order of the Controllers.
CHAPTER 9
