The Beyond: Dystopian Survival Fiction (The Breeder Files Book 4) by Eliza Green (most popular novels TXT) 📗

To Thomas, he said, ‘How much do you know about computers?’

‘Enough to deliver a hack.’

‘How can we access the Copies’ programming on a wider scale?’

Jacob answered, ‘As long as their neuromorphic chips are working, the Copies retain a link to the city network. That means any console should give us access to them.’

Carissa clenched and unclenched her fists, as though the idea didn’t sit well with her. Then, her eyes widened and she gasped. ‘The tagging stations.’

Jacob frowned at her. ‘What about them?’

‘The Collective had the ability to terminate us from any location. The tagging stations or the upload consoles were its main routes to do so.’ Her eyes flicked to the corridor. ‘Wait...’

She raced halfway down and tried one door. It wouldn’t budge.

She looked back. ‘The download-upload rooms are in here. If we can get in here, we might be able to disrupt the programming.’

‘You also said Copies could be waiting for us,’ said Jacob. ‘Miss, I think we should try the tagging station first.’

Carissa gave up with a sigh. They walked outside, where Rover went from sitting to standing. He trotted over to Carissa, his head low. She patted the top of his head. His mate gave the group a low growl, as though she didn’t trust them.

Anya took the lead. The others followed her, like she was their natural leader. Dom would follow her anywhere.

The nearest tagging station wasn’t far, positioned between Zone A and Zone B. He had no recollection of this city. He’d been out of it for most of their escape.

Carissa ran to catch up with Anya. She pointed to an area; Anya nodded.

The group arrived at the station. Thomas muscled his way to the front and, with Jacob’s help, got the panel off the station.

He peered inside and frowned. ‘We’re going to need some way to analyse the data.’

Jacob clicked his fingers. ‘We can use the diagnostic machine in my lab.’ He glanced back at the building. ‘I’m going to need some strong men to get it up here.’

Dom volunteered. He flexed his good arm. ‘Might as well put this to some use.’

Ten minutes later, he had hauled the machine out of Jacob’s workshop and up the stairs. With Rover’s help, they pushed the machine to the tagging station. His mate looked on curiously.

Jacob opened up the panel of the diagnostic machine and extended a set of wires connected to the back. He used them to connect the machine to the tag station console.

‘The machine should be able to read the data.’ He frowned at the screen, set low enough that he had to bend down. ‘What kind of hack should we do?’

Carissa stepped forward. ‘I have one.’

It worried Dom that the young Copy had been keeping back information about how to escape this city.

She stepped closer to the machine that Thomas and Jacob examined.

‘All hacks are temporary,’ she said, her eyes flicking between the pair. ‘But you’ll only be able to do it once.’

‘What one should we try?’

She swallowed. ‘An overload hack should do it. A DOS attack—denial of service.’

‘How does it work?’

Her voice went quiet. ‘It sends too much data to the Copies, burying their hardwired commands so deep that it will confuse them.’

‘How long will the confusion last?’

Carissa shrugged, her eyes wide. ‘I don’t know.’

Jacob bent down to her height. ‘Carissa, if you were still connected, you’d have attacked us already or you’d be in sentry mode, like the Copies in the Great Hall.’

A look of relief washed over her face. Dom finally understood her hesitance to put forward ideas. Whatever damage they did to the Copies could risk disabling her systems, too.

‘Jacob’s right; you’re not connected,’ he said. ‘Quintus knows that. It’s why he’s contacting you.’

Carissa nodded and took a quick breath. Then, she turned her attention to the diagnostic machine.

‘Type in the following exactly as I say,’ she said.

Thomas stepped aside. ‘Do you want to do it?’

She shook her head. ‘I’m not able to interfere with the Copies’ programming. The system will deliver a shock to me. Hurry—we don’t have much time.’

A bout of nerves hit Dom. He chewed on his thumb while Thomas typed in exactly what Carissa called out. A stream of information filled the tiny screen.

She stepped back. ‘That should do it. We need to move before they figure out the hack.’

Dom motioned to the group. ‘Everyone, back to the Great Hall.’

Frahlia was hiding behind June’s leg, but she looked more curious than scared. He still didn’t know what to make of the child, but he would save everyone who belonged to their group, rebel or city-made.

He ran ahead of the others and made it to the Learning Centre first. From there, he raced to the door to the Great Hall. Opening it a crack, he peered inside to see the Copies alert and looking disorientated. He stepped inside the room, but they didn’t seem to notice him. It was like he was invisible.

‘Hurry—we don’t have much time.’

He ushered the others through the open door, pointing to their destination on the far side of the room.

Anya waited back with him. She grabbed his hand and together they dodged the alert Copies. His arm brushed one. It grabbed him, as if the action were an automatic response and not anything intentional.

Anya stopped to help him.

‘Go on ahead,’ he said. ‘I can deal with it.’

He used his strong arm to peel the Copy’s hand off him. The guard returned to its state of disorientation. Anya kept going, smashing herself into the walls and away from the outstretched limbs. She made it to the panel and Dom dodged and ducked new attempts to grab him to join her. To his relief, the others had gone on ahead. He peered