Chapter Twenty-Three

I think I mentioned this quite a few times before. Or maybe it was just once. I've always wanted to see Ava. But this was not the way I had imagined. It was a quiet journey from the hideout to wherever they are taking us. So I managed to pay closer attention to the surroundings outside the spacecar this time. There were many tall spacebuilds and few wondrous skyscrapers. This made the dome the biggest and tallest out of all the cities. There were flying spacecars as well. People with jetpacks, like pedestrians, but on air. Floating small islands as parks and leisure. So they have both worlds built in one city, one on the surface and one on air. All around people dress in rich fancy clothes. A lot of the spacebuilds are also dressed in fancy clothes. Not literally. The colourful designs attracted the eye. But not all are beautiful. Some are just too much. Big screens advertised products and innovations.

'That's enough with the scenic route' Jayden said out of a sudden. 'Bring us up and into the direct interlink'

'Yes sir' the driver replied. He pulled the holographic steering wheel out and seconds later, our vehicle started to rise from the surface. Then he pressed a button on the row of complicated buttons by the driver's seat. And soon, all around us blurred out. It's like we had just entered a different realm. I'm not supposed to feel this way but honestly I'm amazed. Then orange lines and electric cells appeared, showing few of the spacebuilds and routes. I realised what it was. Dad used this device before. He ever got involved in an investigation back at Warhem and he used the police spacecar which have this advancement. All government vehicles have them. They are a shortcut for government agencies to get to a place. Don't ask me how that's possible, I'm not a scientist. I noticed the palace up ahead in the shape of electric cells. And that's where we're going. Jayden asked the driver to take us there. The spacecar sped towards the structure and went through it. We landed on one of the stable electric cells in the structure. The driver pressed another button and the whole world of electric cells disappeared and replaced by our original world. The details of materials and objects all come into place as we were forced to step out of the vehicle. And the guards took all our weapons away. We were in one of the parking spaces in the palace. The palace is built on a tall tower. Which means to get here requires flying. I looked around. The parking lot was so grand, I can't imagine how grand the insides of the palace will be. It's a long way down from up here. I could see the streets below on the surface, small like ant trails. A sudden voice startled me and my friends.

'I see you have arrived Jayden'

I looked back and saw a lady in a smart outfit standing by the door with a tag hung from a lanyard around her neck. On my guess, she might be a government member just like Jayden or his secretary. But using first name basis, so probably a friend.

'We got the spoiled brats' Jayden replied. I wanted to punch him but Orion held me back. The lady saw me. And to my surprise, she made a little grin. Which made Jayden look at me in curiosity.

'You must be Zachary. The rebellious one'

The lady said, approaching me with an odd smile and a sassy walk. It was like she was admiring me in a scary sort of way.

'The rebellious ones are always sexy. But too bad their lives are a sacrifice' she continued. What the heck? Sorry. But tell me if I'm wrong that she was flirting with me? Ew no. She's so much older than me!

'Linda' the lady said, touching my cheek gently and then moved her hand down my chin. Then again gently pull my face up to look at her. Oh boy. I pushed her hand away. The guards around us started pointing their guns at me. Linda laughed.

'Fierce and sexy' Linda said. I glared at her then rolled my eyes away. 'Bring them to the special waiting zone'

The guards immediately obeyed her and forced us to the door. I looked behind. Linda stood beside Jayden. A very satisfied-looking Jayden. I just wanna punch his face till he bleed. I wanna make him cry too. My emotions are not stable. I'm angry and a few seconds later I'm not. Then back again with anger. So my thoughts also changes when the feelings change. The hallways of the palace was of course grander than the parking dock before. We walked past a few doors and then turned to take the staircase down on the right. Then it was level two of the palace. So we were from level three. The guards brought us down another level and then another. Now we're in the top floor of the tower below the palace, level fifty. And the sign below the level signage states "Lab & Experimentation". Now this level is not grand anymore. It's the current futuristic design. Many different doors and some rooms are without them. The guards forced us into the first room on our right. A huge glass case in the middle of the room and my guess is to fill humans in, based on the many movies I have watched. Then I saw someone. It definitely is for humans. A small boy, probably Zayne's age, was inside. He was sitting on the floor at one corner, hugging his own legs. He was in a bad shape. His face was pale. And he seems depressed or more like lifeless.

'Boy, put them in the cage' a guard told someone else who was sitting behind computers around the room. The boy looked up. He's not a boy anymore. He's leaving his teenage life in a few more years. He looked at us and his face went surprised when he saw Orion. Orion was surprised too.

'You guys know each other?' the earlier guard asked, pointing the gun at Orion.

'No no. Just that he looked like someone I know' the teen replied.

'You better don't mess this up Jackson or else you're joining them as well' the guard said. 'Now put them in the cage!'

'I sure will' Jackson nervously replied. He walked to us to bring us to the cage. He unlocked the glass door and gestured at us to enter while the guard watched us closely. He locked it back once we're all in.

'Await further instructions from Pace' the guard said. Then he walked out of the room. Jackson immediately turned to us, his face full of questions and confusion.

'What are you doing here Orion?!' he exclaimed, worried. His voice can be heard but not as clear as before we were behind the glass.

'I could ask you the same thing!' Orion replied.

Wait, they know each other? Small universe.

'And Jackson? Really? Jackson?' Orion said.

'I had no choice! Listen, this is to protect you and mom and dad' the teen replied. His name wasn't Jackson based on what Orion just said.

'Wait, who's this Orion?' Fayre asked.

'My brother'

I looked at Fayre in surprise. We all were curious and confused.

'Trust me Orion, I didn't join the government. I work for Linda. But I wasn't doing it for her! You know how much a job in Ava meant to me. But I got a job that has got something to do with the rebellion so I was caught. And Linda made a deal with me, if I worked for her, she won't tell the superior. Because if she did, she wasn't planning on stopping there. She's going after mom and dad and you as well. I can't let that happen!'

'So why the fake name?'

'I'm just following Linda's orders'

'Then what about this boy?' Orion pointed to the boy sitting shyly at one corner. His face was still lifeless. He's sad eyes looked up when Orion mentioned about him but that's all. He wasn't moving much.

'All I did and doing now is because Linda told me to do. She made use of my computing skills'

'Then what about us? You're just gonna let her told you to do anything to me?!'

'I'll figure this out alright!'

'Mom and dad's dead!' Orion started crying and banging on the glass. 'And you weren't there for them!'

Orion's brother was taken aback by the information. He dropped to his knees, tears falling down his cheeks.

'You weren't there Draven! I saw mom got shot in the head, in the head!'

I couldn't help feeling emotional as well. I didn't see my mom and dad and I wonder what happened to them or how they died as well. Tears filled my eyes as well and rolled down when it was too much. I went to Orion to place a hand over the shoulder. He wasn't alone. I pulled him into a hug and he replied. He cried more. His body breathed in and out fast as he gasped for air through tears. I saw Fayre. She was looking sympathetically at us. Her tears rolled down her skin as well. Zayne however was not feeling it. He wasn't in an emotional state at the moment. I think he had too much for now. For the next few minutes the whole lab is filled with the sounds of our cries.