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

His mouth watered as he saw the display of fruit, an assortment of meats, pre-packed sandwiches and water. There were even bottles of beer. He grabbed a tray and loaded it up with a selection of food. He eyed the beer, but decided against it. Last thing he needed was a fuzzy head.

Dom sat at a table and ate his sandwich in record time. It tasted normal, not sweet like Arcis food could be. He chased it down with a long pull of water.

Anya walked in with Sheila, Imogen and Jerome. He waved at them. Anya’s gaze roamed the space, as though this were a place to fear. It might well be, but at least the food tasted good.

She neared the table, a question in her eyes.

‘Get some food and we’ll talk,’ he said.

She nodded and collected a tray. The others regarded the space quietly. They followed Anya to the counter. One by one, they returned with food and sat down at Dom’s table.

Dom eyed Anya’s selection. She had picked a sandwich, one piece of fruit and a cup of water. Similar to what she’d eaten while in Arcis.

She took a cautious bite, then sighed. Some of the tension lifted from her shoulders. ‘This is good.’

To the others, he said, ‘Eat what you can. We don’t know if this will be a regular thing.’

None of them talked. They’d all been weakened by the rations in the camp. With the threat over temporarily, they could concentrate on other things.

‘How did the medical go?’ Dom asked.

‘Passed with flying colours,’ said Anya.

Sheila and Imogen replied the same thing.

‘Jerome? What about you?’

The newborn shrugged. ‘They say I’m fine, but I don’t know if they know what I am.’

Anya leaned towards Dom. ‘What did they say to you?’

He sighed. ‘They found my tech. They want to study me.’

She leaned back in her chair and looked around. Dom frowned. He’d thought she’d have something more to say on the matter.

‘We should get a good night’s sleep and ask tomorrow about bringing the others across,’ he said and drank more water.

Anya nodded, but she didn’t seem enthused by the idea.

She traded an odd look with Sheila and Jerome. A look that was reciprocated. Imogen was too busy eating to notice.

He put his bottle of water down. ‘Okay, what’s up with you?’

Anya’s eyes had widened slightly. ‘This place... it’s just odd.’

‘Odd, how?’

She studied the ceiling, the layout. ‘It reminds me of somewhere.’

‘Thank God you said it,’ muttered Sheila.

Imogen flashed her a curious look. Jerome looked as relieved as the pair.

Okay, now Dom’s curiosity was piqued. ‘Where?’

Anya leaned in closer. ‘You really don’t see it, Dom?’

‘See what?’

‘The food, the layout?’

He frowned at her.

‘The size is different and the food choices are more abundant but’—Anya shivered—‘right now, we could be sitting in any one of the dining halls in Arcis.’

22

Carissa

Carissa’s leg bounced while she watched the Inventor and Thomas work out how to get past the Copies in the Great Hall. Vanessa and Charlie stood huddled in a different corner of the workshop talking about something.

She hated the secrecy, the separation. It felt like it had when she’d severed her NMC and lost her link to the city. Not knowing if or when Quintus might contact her again made her leg shake more.

The Inventor looked up from his discussion and frowned at her. ‘Are you sure Quintus hasn’t been in contact again, miss?’

She nodded, wishing she could be more useful.

‘And it wouldn’t work to try the hack on the guards a second time?’

‘They’ve already learned from the attack. Their defences will be harder to breach. It won’t work a second time.’

One side of his mouth curled up into a smile, but the tension on his face said he was not happy with her answer. Neither was she. They were stuck in Praesidium and it was all her fault. If she hadn’t tried to enter the Beyond, the door wouldn’t have closed on them. A lump settled in her throat at the thought that her friends might perish here.

But a part of her was glad they hadn’t made it through. Carissa hated being alone.

She tuned into the conversation between Thomas and the Inventor.

‘Is there another way past the Great Hall, I wonder?’ said the old man.

Thomas glanced between the hand-drawn map and the screen of the diagnostic machine, which still displayed the collection of Carissa’s cached maps. Thomas and Vanessa had dragged the machine off the streets and down the stairs. The Inventor didn’t want to leave it up there in the open. They’d also gone on a run to grab bags of food from the remaining trucks.

Thomas shook his head. ‘I wish there was. Only one tunnel was mentioned in Janet’s book. I doubt there’s more.’

‘How did they get past the Great Hall to reach it?’

Thomas shrugged. ‘Maybe the machines sleep.’

Carissa knew. It was mentioned in Janet’s book. It was how they’d escaped the city. ‘The system reboots periodically in downtime periods, to patch security issues.’

The Inventor’s eyes widened. ‘You mean we can get past the guards if we hit the hall at a certain time?’

Carissa shook her head. ‘It won’t work. The Copies are in sentry mode. All downtime has been suspended.’

Charlie and Vanessa rejoined the group. Vanessa had folded her arms tightly. Carissa recognised the stance; she was about to suggest something.

‘I’m sorry to sound like a broken record here, but Charlie and I think we should leave the city. For real.’

‘Leave, why?’ said the Inventor.

‘There’s no extra food here, and the Collective and its army could arrive back at any time.’ She shivered and glanced up at the hole in the roof. ‘This place gives me the creeps. The