The Radical Chronicles

Chapter 9

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“Across the nation, Radicals heard the story of mere children who set back the government by decades. While the mainstream media via the Journalism Guild reported it as domestic terrorism, we knew better. The government facility’s destruction opened a new chapter in Radical history – one that showed we didn’t always lose, that we didn’t always die, and that sometimes, the fight is worth fighting.”

Radical Archive – excerpt from the Reclamation Program commentaries

Alex appeared from the shadows into Veronica’s periphery. Drenched in sweat, he looked about as bad as she felt. Veronica looked up at him silently and held out her right hand when he extended his left hand to her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“We need to get everyone out,” she said. She kept her eyes averted to avoid eye contact.

Alex held Veronica in place, not allowing her to move toward the door. “You didn’t answer me Veronica…are you okay?”

Veronica shrugged. “I guess, but that’s not important right now.”

“You’re shaking,” he said. “It’s okay not to be okay.”

Veronica bit her lower lip lightly, bowed her head, and whispered, “I’m responsible for this.”

“We’re saving lives,” Alex answered.

“How does taking lives save lives Alex? Tell me…” She finally looked up at him, revealing glassy, tear-filled eyes.

Alex shook his head. “It’s not right, but it had to be done. You’ve said so yourself hundreds of times.”

“But who am I to dictate who lives and dies?” Veronica asked. “What if this was a huge mistake?”

“Then it’s a huge mistake I’ll help you live with,” Alex said. He smiled, squeezed her hand, and released it to let her go. “Let’s get everyone out.”

By the time Alex and Veronica reached the convocation hall rear, the other graduates had assembled waiting on further instructions. Veronica directed them to begin filtering back into the facility to retrieve the survival backpacks they each put together and stored immediately prior to the ceremony. Each backpack would contain clothes, food rations, water, and other essential supplies – all the things they’d need to make it once out of the building.

While they made their way out of the room, Veronica glanced at Alex. She knew it was time… that it was now or never. With a heavy sigh, Veronica walked out the arched doors, across the ancient beige hallway exterior, and halfway down the hall before stopping in front of a small red lever on the wall. The idea came to her relatively early on in the process – especially since it worked once before. She grasped the red lever in her right hand, pulled, and watched as lights and sirens began blaring everywhere she looked.

“It’s time Alex. You head to the girl’s wing, I’ll head to the cellar,” Veronica said.

“But my guys are down there, they’re my responsibility,” Alex protested.

Veronica shook her head. “I know the cellar, you don’t. I’ll be fine. I’ll meet you at the entrance by the border wall, okay? Don’t forget your shoulder bag either,” she said. A small smile threatened to break through her steely demeanor.

Alex nodded. “Fine, just be careful.”

Veronica waited for Alex to make it to the end of the hallway and turn the corner before she took off sprinting. She didn’t want to argue, so she did what she knew best – she lied. She needed Alex to think she was head strong and in need of an important duty; otherwise he might have suspected what she really intended to do – retrieve as many records as possible for future use.

She bypassed the lower level director offices in lieu of the mother load – the managing executive’s back office. Only legend among facility residents, the office supposedly held every secret anyone wanted to know. Veronica knew the truth probably bore little resemblance to the myth, but at the same time realized more classified information would also be there than anywhere else in the building. Information she and Molly nearly lost their lives for not so long back.

She knew Alex wouldn’t want her to try something as dangerous as breaking into that office though; none of the staff in or around the central offices would be affected by the neuroflox. She’d be going in alone, without a way of getting out. She could only hope the fire alarm proved a worthy enough distraction (in addition to serving as a signal to everyone else). If they began evacuating the evening skeleton staff, she could be in and out before the first charges went off in the east end of the building courtesy of the boys in the cellar.

The closer she came to the center of the building, the harder Veronica’s heart pounded in her chest. Five years…five years she’d waited for this run. Beige walls and worn floors flashed through her periphery in a blur as her tunnel vision began focusing on the large hub desk at the end of the hallway. Sitting empty, it would be the first stop in getting through to the inner hub, the secure staff area, and then finally the primary executive office.

Behind her, Veronica could hear the hordes of footsteps thundering through the hallways like herds of wild animals on the move. The signal was out, the children on the move, and the plan in motion. Veronica arrived at the half-cylinder-shaped hub jutting out of the wall and found it thankfully empty. The front-line workers took the bait, fled, and left all the security cameras free for anyone to view.

Veronica scanned the monitors quickly before moving on with her mission. She wanted to be sure everything went as planned, even if her own mission was off-plan. On every monitor children and teens seemed to be making it down hallways in an orderly, but expedient manner; no trampling, no arguments, and no confusion. All of her soldiers were performing above and beyond. She just had to make it through her own objective now and meet them inside her half hour window she estimated for the full escape and demolition.

Veronica slid out from behind the guard desk, plunged into the inner staff area, and paused before moving toward the main office in the center. She knew they stood a better chance of total destruction if she planted charges here as well, but that planting them also ran a higher risk of discovery before the detonation since the staff could return at any time. She shook her head, dispelled the thought, and planted three charges around the small office. She placed one in a planter to the side of a cubicle, another behind a terminal monitor, and the third inside a desk drawer on the other side of the room. With the bombs placed, she felt confident enough to continue.

She turned, walked to the center of the floor to the room completely sealed off from the remainder of the office by steel and concrete outside the steel. Only the entrance – a faux-wood design (which was really steel covered in a wood-fiber cover for appearance) – would allow her in and out of the executive’s inner sanctum. The door – already opened partially – seemed to be awaiting her arrival like some predestined moment. She walked slowly toward it, cautiously looking around her for people to jump out like a sadistic surprise birthday party.

Where did everyone go? Veronica knew the alarm would distract some people, but an entirely abandoned office felt wrong. She couldn’t argue against the opportunity though. She entered through the door, leaving it ajar to listen for anyone entering the office.

All thoughts of deception and wrong disappeared once Veronica peered into the cylindrical office though. At the center of the room an enormous oak desk rested with an impossibly large terminal screen sitting to the side on its surface. All around the room file cabinets and framed photos littered the walls – all except one large patch of wall directly in front of the desk beside the entrance to the room. Veronica didn’t notice it until she pulled back the curtain covering it – but once the red velvet curtain moved to the sideline, a life size transmission screen appeared. Taking up a large chunk of the front wall, Veronica could only imagine how the head of the facility used it – surveillance, communication - the options seemed limitless.

Veronica shook off her amazement and rushed over to the oak desk. She had to begin looking through the executive’s terminal before anyone arrived back at the office – otherwise her snooping would be pointless. She felt relieved to see the executive – whoever he or she was – left the terminal active before fleeing the office with the others. Prepared this time, Veronica pulled two data-stream drives from the hollowed out heels of her shoes. After inserting them into the computer terminal, Veronica began delving into the facility’s information.

While she waited on the information to transfer to her drives, Veronica began trying to hack through the facility’s enhanced firewall to access the Radical Undernet. If she could get through, Veronica could begin a third transfer and just put the information directly on the internet undercurrent channels for individual Radical cells to retrieve themselves.

Somewhere along the way, it finally began sinking into her head. Veronica realized the entire scenario didn’t just seem plausible; in fact, the longer she sat there with full access to the most classified information in the facility, the more things began to feel downright impossible. When the two data-stream drives reached capacity, Veronica disconnected them, returned each to their designated shoe heel, and stood from the desk. A short walk to the door revealed additional evidence to prove her theory – the alarm bells and lights no longer seemed to be blaring outside the office walls, and the small bell inside the office also sat silent on the wall near the exit to the outer facility hallways.

Veronica knew right then she walked into some sort of trap.

She ran back to the oak desk as soon as the realization hit her. Knowing it was a trap, the staff members could only have a few designs in mind for her. Based on their absence, her access, and the situation in general, it had to do something with the information. After sifting through the information for a few moments, she realized the problem: the staff wanted her to access the information. They didn’t care if the Radicals all had the secrets contained in the files – including the Section 7 information. They didn’t care because of what came with that information: backend access.

They counted on Veronica not opening any of the files to save time. As she began opening files one by one, she saw the small signs only a programmer would see: delays in loading, code running in the background, and booby traps for anyone willing to access the information. They put Trojan horses all over the system and baited it, knowing she’d eventually make a move against them. With the access, they could find every Radical cell in the country within days.

But how did they know it would be tonight? How did they time their absence to coincide with the escape? The more Veronica learned, the more questions she had. Knowing she had to stop the upload to the Undernet, Veronica paused the information flow, typed out a quick addendum read-only file, and prayed that anyone accessing the information would read that file (containing a warning) first.

Pausing the flow of information seemed to trigger something though – something she didn’t see coming. The door to the office slammed shut, locked, and the room went pitch black except the glow of the terminal screen in front of her. Across the room, the life size screen came to life and a woman appeared on the screen. Veronica recognized her, but couldn’t place the face.

“Hello Veronica, we’ve been expecting you,” she said. Then she smiled – a creepy, unforgettable smile that shocked Veronica’s memory as if she had jumper cables attached to each ear. The woman on the screen was a slightly-aged Inquisitor Kinsley.

“Inquisitor, it’s been a while,” Veronica said calmly. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You know why I’m contacting you. Resume the data upload or we begin rounding up your friends before they reach their escape meeting point,” she said.

“How did you know about tonight?” Veronica asked.

“We couldn’t be certain. We heard intel from undercover agents that someone in your facility was trying to smuggle in an illegal toxin, and that you needed it soon. We made the logical jump and concluded whatever it was needed for would be tonight,” Inquisitor Kinsley said.

“Smart,” Veronica said. “So what now? What if I don’t resume the transmission? You don’t have enough staff here to round up everyone.”

“You’re right, we don’t,” she said. “But by the time this transmission is over, I’ll have several armed guards outside your door to escort you to a holding cell. While that’s occurring, the intervention team I sent earlier tonight to your location should be arriving any time. All they need is my word to strike.”

Veronica could feel sweat forming on her temples. After a momentary pause, Veronica smiled. “You’re willing to risk the lives of your men and women to capture me?” Veronica asked.

“I don’t follow,” Inquisitor Kinsley said.

“You missed a vital portion of my plan in your own plotting and planning. I have this entire facility wired to explode with or without me escaping. If you send in soldiers, they die,” Veronica said.

“You’re bluffing,” Inquisitor Kinsley said hesitantly.

“Am I?” Veronica asked. She held up the final explosive she had with her – the one destined for the executive office as a symbolic gesture. “I have this one still on me so I know how much time I have left. And oh, look, it’s down to the ten minute mark,” she said. Inside, Veronica wanted to scream. How could she have lied to Alex? No one knew she was there! And ten minutes would barely give her a cushion to get safely away from the complex.

“I see. You’ve placed me in an awkward position,” Inquisitor Kinsley said.

Veronica huffed. “All of this had to stop! The experiments, the torture…”

“That wasn’t your decision to make. The work being performed there helps strengthen our government!” Inquisitor Kinsley said.

“You mean it strengthens GERA, which in turn gives certain people more power. This country hasn’t needed GERA for a long time,” Veronica said defiantly.

“And who taught you that lie?” Inquisitor Kinsley asked.

“My parents,” Veronica said. “And after being in this hell hole for five years, I can see they were right.”

A noise from just outside door interrupted the conversation. The door began opening slowly, giving Veronica time to look back and forth between the screen and the opening.

“So you’ve made your choice I see,” Veronica said.

“I haven’t done a thing young lady,” Inquisitor Kinsley said. “This isn’t my doing.”

Young men in facility-security uniforms peered into the room, and one entered. Veronica stepped a few paces back and turned her attention back to Inquisitor Kinsley. “Before they take me, answer me this,” she said. “This place…you knew about Section 7, right?”

Inquisitor Kinsley laughed. “Miss Quibs, I’m one of Section 7’s founders. That facility runs because I say so. If the various programs I oversee were children, Section 7 would surely be my favorite,” she said. “So yes, I suppose you can say that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to have my own men stay a good distance away in case the imbeciles there don’t disarm all of your bombs.” The screen went blank a moment later.

Veronica waited a few seconds longer before letting out the breath she’d been holding. When she was certain the screen was permanently off, she sighed deeply, peered toward the door, and said, “You can come in now.”

Alex waltzed through the door, also wearing fatigues and a broad smile. “Surprised to see me?”

“You can say that,” Veronica said.

“I know you too well Veronica. I knew you’d do something crazy like this, so I had a couple of my guys tail you. It’s a good thing too. When they saw the doors slam shut they contacted me and we put this together in case it was a rouse.”

“It was,” she said. “Inquisitor Kinsley set it up for me.”

“I haven’t heard that name in years,” Alex said.

“She’s known it was me all along; she had to. Who else had the technical knowledge I did? It’s all in my files,” Veronica said.

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” he said.

Veronica looked down and realized time was dwindling. “We need to get out of the building.” She rushed over to Alex, grabbed him by his right hand, and tugged him out of he room forcibly.

They ran silently down the beige halls turning corners and navigating hallways without worry about running into staff or guards; they couldn’t stop now if they wanted to make it out in time to beat the blast. Somehow, in the rush and hurry of trying to escape, Veronica took a brief moment to realize she’d spent a large chunk of her life in this building. And now she was the primary force behind the effort to destroy it – a bit of pop psychology not lost on her.

As they all reached the furthest reaches of the facility building, they slowed to a jog to catch their breath. The building really did seem to be void of life – dying or otherwise – at this point. The explosion would only destroy the edifice now. All of the work, the research, the files – everything would be destroyed. They’d have to start from scratch in pursuing their research, and that made Veronica feel like she’d accomplished something.

Outside, the wet grass below them bent easily as they ran toward the border wall and the ocean beyond. Above them the evening sky winked at them a million times over - at least, that’s the way Veronica’s mother explained it to her when she asked what stars were. In the distance, Veronica could make out hundreds of small dots awaiting her arrival at the border wall – dots that would eventually materialize into survivors, friends, and fellow Radicals.

When they were far enough from the facility for it to be safe, Veronica and Alex slowed to a walk. Alex’s friends continued running at Alex’s insisting nod, leaving the two to talk.

“I could’ve died back there, I know,” Veronica said.

“The information was important to you. I know that…always have,” Alex said softly. “It’s the same as the day we met.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Veronica said. “We need this information. I know there has to be someone out there among the adult Radical population that can get all this information off safely without triggering the Trojans.”

“I wonder if Inquisitor Kinsley knew you saved some of the stuff to data-stream drives,” Alex thought aloud.

“I doubt it; the system was set to trigger if the Undernet upload stopped. She needed me to put it out there, and that was the most efficient method. That’s something she and I share…a love for efficient methods.”

“That’s all you share,” Alex said. He leaned in and nudged her shoulder.

Behind them, the first bombs on the east side of the building began lighting up the night sky. They turned and silently stared in awe as the building blew up piece by piece. Veronica held out her left hand and grazed it along Alex’s right hand softly. He took her hand into his, squeezed, and looked over into her glassy wet eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “This is everything you wanted.”

Veronica leaned in closer to Alex. “That’s just it, this is everything I wanted. I can’t believe it finally happened,” she said. She kissed his cheek lightly, pulled back, and smiled.

They both turned back to enjoy the final few moments of the explosion before the darkness overtook them again. A cool, salty breeze began blowing over the border wall from the ocean – a sign that storms would be rolling in later that evening. For the moment though, the weather waited on their perfect moment to pass.

After the last explosion, the remnants of the building continued to burn in a blazing fire. They wouldn’t be continuing their work here anytime soon, Veronica thought. In fact, they probably couldn’t rebuild anytime soon. The thought comforted her. Beside her, Veronica knew Alex was staring at her more than the fire, and she felt okay with that.

“So…where do we go from here?” Alex finally asked.

Veronica simply smiled back.

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