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

unwanted attention. “Go get all the Genesys and take them down to the simulation room.”

“What about you?” she asks.

“I’m going to get Rene.” I start to run but turn back to Ev before I get too far. “Mag and Ox are in the medical ward.”

I run toward the door that leads into the scientists’ quarters, with Ev not far behind me. In the panic, I forgot that the Genesys are staying in the scientists’ rooms. We enter, and I head down the left hallway as Ev continues forward.

After a couple of turns, I reach the corner just before Rene’s hallway, and a noise forces me to stop. I peek around the corner and see two drones with rifles walking toward me.

“I think this is his room,” one of the drones says as they stop in front of Rene’s door.

They slowly raise their guns and aim them at the door. Before I know it, I’m running down the hallway at them, my feet light and quiet so they won’t hear me. It’s not until I’m a few steps away from them that they notice me.

“Stop!” one of them shouts.

I ignore him as I lower my shoulder and slam into the closest drone. I keep driving my feet until I feel that we have collided with the second. We all fall to the ground, but just as quickly, I am back on my feet. With a swift kick to the drone’s head, I knock the first one unconscious.

The second drone has rolled over to his back and has his gun pointed right at me. “You are the reason we have to die.”

Just before he pulls the trigger, I jump to the side of the hallway. A couple of shots hit the ceiling. I kick myself off the wall and land on top of him before he can aim the gun at me again. I punch him as hard as I can with both fists; his face becomes less skin and more blood. In a last-ditch effort, he swings his rifle and connects with my temple. Pain shoots through my body, and I use that rush of adrenaline to throw one last knockout punch.

I grab his gun and stand, the blood streaming from my temple stinging the corner of my eye. I pick up the second rifle and then slam my shoulder into Rene’s door. The door flies open, and I step through.

The noise has scared Rene out of his slumber, and he is sitting up in his bed in fear. He removes his breathing mask.

“What’s going on?” he asks as he shifts to the edge of his bed.

“We have to go!” I grab him by his arm. “They’re all about to attack.”

“Who?” He stands and moves as quickly as he can to the door.

“The outsiders, the drones, and the Mutineers.” I hustle him through the door, and he stops when he sees the two drones on the ground. I push him forward. “They were about to kill you.”

Shock rises in his face. He looks at me as we walk as fast as possible. “Who told you this?”

“Dr. Kivuli.” I try to get him to move faster.

“Where is she?” he asks.

“Dead,” I say flatly. Rene looks at me with horror in his eyes. This is a lot of information for him to wake up to. I try to calm him a little. “I told Ev to gather all of the Genesys and take them to the simulation room.”

Rene stops. “No. No. No. That’s the wrong way. We have to get you to the Flyz on the other side of the compound.”

“What do you mean? Won’t we be safer underground?” I look at him.

“Not if they are all attacking.” He grabs one of the rifles from me.

“What are you doing?” I hold on to the rifle. When I look into his eyes, I see that all the fear, shock, and horror are gone. What I see is determination. I let him take the gun.

“You get them and bring them back to the other side of the compound. It’s past the surveillance room you followed Grant into,” he orders.

Did Grant tell him about that? “How did you—”

“Listen to me carefully.” He grabs my shoulders. “We have six Flyz ready for you. Al and Hydro in one. Ox and Mag in two. Titan and Sodi in three. Cal and K in four. Sil and Fe in five. You and Ev in six. There will be a scientist that I trust flying each one.”

“What are you going to do?” I ask.

“I need to start the sequence for the Ragnarok,” he states.

“Okay.” I feel my heart pound even faster than it already has been. This is actually happening, and now I have to lead. I start to jog away.

“Atom!” Rene calls after me.

I turn and look at him.

“Once I start the sequence, it can’t be stopped. We’ll only have an hour to get into the air if we want to be ahead of the blasts.” He turns and walks briskly away.

I turn and run at a full sprint down the hallways. As I run, I can’t help but think of Rene’s choices for the Flyz. Why would he put Fe with Sil? Why wouldn’t he put her with Cal? I guess it does make sense that he would put Ev and me together.

An alarm going off snaps me out of my mind. Rene must have set it off to warn the others of the impending attack or perhaps that the Ragnarok is about to happen. I weave down a couple more hallways, pass my old bedroom, and reach the simulation room elevator.

When the elevator opens in the simulation room, I see chaos. The Genesys are panicking. Some are shouting, and others are crying. They all look at me. I look around and count eleven heads, but one of them is unfamiliar. It’s Dr. Metzger. Someone is missing, and when I realize who it is, my heart drops.

“Everyone quiet!” I yell, and they all go silent and look at