Gene. Sys. by Aaron Denius (best ereader for comics txt) 📕

me the tablet again. This time it shows a series of messages.

“What is it?” I try to scan the messages, but Ev turns the tablet back to her.

“It’s an exchange between Dr. Peters and Dr. O’Neal about gathering a small group of doctors to go out into the city and care for the outsiders,” she states.

I think for a moment. “Maybe they were just being philanthropic.”

“In here, they talk about not telling Rene or letting anyone see them leave the compound,” she counters.

“Yeah, that’s definitely peculiar. Plus, why help the outsiders if they know that they won’t have much longer to live anyway?” I add.

“Well, I would do it to make their last days a little easier to bear, but I know what you mean,” she says. “So, do you think Dr. Peters is also a Mutineer?”

I hear her, but my attention has been drawn to the screen. She instantly sees what I see. Dr. Kivuli is running on one of the screens.

“What’s she doing?” Ev asks.

“I don’t know, but she doesn’t seem like someone who would run for fun. She’s up to something.” She leaves the frame of one screen and enters another screen. I can tell by the screen that she is outside near the library.

I get up and head for my door.

“What are you doing?” Ev stands up behind me.

“I’m going to catch her doing whatever it is she’s doing. She’s probably running to meet with the other Mutineers.” I head out to the hallway.

“I’m coming with you.” Ev follows.

I stop and look at her. I know she won’t take no for an answer. “You head around to the front of the library; I will run around to the back. We can cut her off.”

“Okay.” She takes off in one direction down the hallway; I head in the opposite direction.

I run through the hallways and through a set of double doors. I stand briefly in the field right behind the scientists’ quarters and look around. There is no activity. In fact, I only see a couple of drones patrolling, a noticeable reduction from the last night I was out here.

As fast as I can, I run to the back of the library. It only takes me a couple of minutes to get there. I look around, but I don’t see Dr. Kivuli. All I see is the back of the building and the various vegetable and fruit plants. Maybe Ev caught up to her.

I’m about to start running again when I see Ev come around the corner. She runs up to me and looks around herself.

“You didn’t see her?” I ask.

“No, nothing. In fact, the whole area looked deserted.” She catches her breath.

“Yeah, something doesn’t feel right.” Chills run over my body. The air seems colder all of a sudden.

“You think she went inside?” Ev looks around again.

“I think she went to wherever the Mutineers have their meetings.” I let out a frustrated groan.

“Should we try to find it?” Ev looks at me.

“Yeah.” I walk toward the building, and Ev walks next to me.

“Atom,” a faint and gargled voice calls out behind me. I look at Ev, and she shakes her head. We look back toward the plants and listen.

“Atom,” the gargled voice calls out again.

“It’s coming from over there.” Ev points at the corn stalks.

“Yeah,” I say as we begin to inch forward. I’m a bit on edge because I don’t recognize the voice, and whoever it belongs to can see us, but I can’t see them.

We get to the edge of the corn and listen again. In the silence, Ev grabs my hand. It startles me at first, but I actually don’t mind it. It gives me comfort knowing that I’m not out here alone.

“Atom,” the voice says once more. Whoever it belongs to is using every ounce of energy they have left in them to say it.

“Right there!” Ev jumps back.

Less than ten feet in front of us is a body lying on the ground. As my eyes adjust, I see that it is Dr. Kivuli. Ev and I run to her side. I glance over her body and see that her hands and face are covered with blood.

Ev kneels down next to her. “What happened?”

Dr. Kivuli reaches for me. “Atom.”

“Who did this?” I kneel next to her. Did someone else figure out that she was a Mutineer?

“Tomorrow. Tell Rene.” She struggles to get it out.

“What’s tomorrow?” Ev asks, looking over Dr. Kivuli’s body to see how she can help.

“They attack.” Dr. Kivuli slowly turns to Ev.

Ev spots something and looks up at me. “Atom, she was shot.”

“Who attacks? Who did this?” I demand. I have no need to be gentle with this traitor.

Dr. Kivuli grabs my arm with her bloody hand. “Everyone.”

“Who?” I yank my arm away.

“Outsiders. Drones. Scientists,” she says.

“Why should I trust you? You were working with the Mutineers!” I lash back.

“Rene had me infiltrate.” Dr. Kivuli finds some strength. “I was a mole, gathering information.”

“I believe her,” Ev says.

“Tell Rene he has to start the Ragnarok.” Dr. Kivuli pushes herself up on her elbows. “Tomorrow!”

Ev looks at me. “This is why it was so quiet. There weren’t very many drones out.”

It does make sense as to why there were fewer tonight. I never thought that any of the drones would be involved with the Mutineers. Now it looks like they are working together with the outsiders. With all of them in concert, we don’t stand a chance. We do have to tell Rene to start the Ragnarok.

“Atom,” Ev says, holding Dr. Kivuli. She is nearing her last breaths.

“Who shot you?” I ask her.

“80,” Dr. Kivuli gargles out.

My head spins. This can’t be true. Would he really do that?

CHAPTER XVIII

“Atom!” The voice feels far away.

“Atom!” Ev grabs me and snaps me back.

“Yeah!” I look at Ev and then look down at Dr. Kivuli’s body.

“She’s dead,” Ev says. “What do we do?”

I look around. I don’t see any activity, and it doesn’t look like we have drawn any