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

Why did the ideas with the most carnage always deliver the best solution?

‘Okay, that’s one problem sorted.’

A possible solution to the EMP carrier came to mind. She looked at 118-C and pointed to the chair. ‘We need the frequency, the one that controls the energy of the barrier. If we can activate it, we may be able to redirect a surge to the nearest tag station.’

This was the Inventor’s space, but today he was unusually quiet. Charlie and Vanessa looked on like a couple of spectators.

With a shake of his head, Charlie moved to stand next to Thomas. ‘What can I do?’

‘Nothing for now. We just need the frequency.’

‘What about using one of the Copies?’ 118-C said from the chair. ‘Dump an electrical charge into the system to create a feedback loop inside the Copy. It should max out the charge and fry the system.’

Vanessa looked unconvinced. ‘Do the Copies have enough amps to blow the city’s entire grid?’

So did the Inventor. ‘An army of them might, as long as they dump it simultaneously, but it’s too risky. We should consider Carissa’s idea about the barrier.’

118-C sat back in the chair while the Inventor fixed the wired discs to her connection points. Carissa stayed by his shoulder, searching the on-screen data for the latest frequency code for the barrier. While she did, she wondered what dying felt like. All her short life she’d wanted to be human. And humans sacrificed themselves for their friends. In the test on the seventh floor of Arcis, Quintus had asked Anya to choose one person to die: Jason or Dom. She’d said neither and picked herself.

Anya’s selfless act inspired Carissa now.

‘I’ve located the security file,’ said the Inventor.

Carissa checked the numbers on screen. ‘Three different codes were used in the last three days.’ She pointed to the last one on the list. ‘This one should get us access.’

Vanessa frowned. ‘If we have the frequency, can’t we just reverse the command for the Copies’ sentry mode in the Great Hall?’

Carissa wished it were possible. ‘The Collective’s commands are isolated on a separate network. Quintus didn’t trust the Copies.’

Vanessa snorted. ‘Figures.’

Thomas jotted down the code on his hand. ‘If I can align the Atomiser Gun with the frequency code, it might also work on the force field protecting the door to the Beyond.’

‘It’s all connected, so it’s possible,’ said Charlie with a nod.

‘Come on,’ said Carissa. ‘First thing we need to do is reactivate the barrier. Then we need to shoot at it.’

Thomas picked up one of the Electro Guns. ‘Will this work?’

‘It has a range of about half a kilometre, so no. The barrier is about twice that high up.’

Thomas put the gun down and picked up the Disruptor that Dom had left him. ‘This has twice that again.’

‘Where do we reactivate the barrier from?’ asked Vanessa.

‘The tag station should work.’ Carissa pointed at the diagnostic machine. ‘But we’ll need that to issue the command.’

118-C, Vanessa and Thomas dragged the machine up the stairs and to the nearest tag station. The panel was still off from when they’d inserted the hack. With the diagnostic machine connected, it didn’t take Carissa long to find the controls for the barrier. She keyed in the frequency and typed in ‘yes’ when asked if she’d like to reactivate it. A shimmering, translucent barrier slid up the sides of the outer zone and over, meeting in the middle overhead.

‘It’s up.’

She squinted against the new brightness. It gave the city an artificial look that she hated.

‘What now, miss?’ said the Inventor.

‘When Thomas blasts it, we need to force the energy to loop back on itself. We’ll need to disable the safety protocols first. With them in place, the barrier will only absorb any energy burst. It must be allowed to build up to create a surge that will hopefully strike the tag station.’

She keyed in a new command and looked up. The electricity in the barrier bounced around, unrestrained.

‘No better time than now, I suppose,’ said the Inventor.

He glanced back at Rover and his mate. Both were sitting and watching, their mouths closed, their heads slightly cocked at the sky.

‘What will happen to them?’ asked Vanessa.

 ‘I don’t know,’ said the Inventor. His gaze found Carissa briefly. ‘They might not survive it.’

Thomas stepped back and drew energy from the tag machine into the Disruptor gun. It shook with new power.

He pointed it up and muttered, ‘I hope this works,’ before releasing a pulse of energy into the sky.

The blast hit the barrier and created pockets of unstable energy. A strike of lightning shot down from above and pierced the ground.

‘Stand back!’ warned Thomas.

They took shelter closer to the Learning Centre—the tallest building in Praesidium. If a bolt struck, it should hit the building first. Uncontrollable bolts of energy snapped down from the skin of the barrier, striking at random. Then one hit the machine. A crackle from the machine plus a reduction in the brightness drew Carissa’s eyes up. The barrier was retreating. A loud pop from the tag machine followed. Smoke billowed out from the panel.

118-C dropped to the ground like a stone. A deep whining came from Rover. Carissa and the Inventor looked back. Rover’s mate was down and he was nuzzling her leg.

A pain started in Carissa’s head, in the area where she knew her NMC was located. It had repaired enough for her to feel the effects of the surge.

She stumbled back, surprised to still be standing. She must be more separated from the system than she’d thought, unlike 118-C.

The Inventor grabbed her. ‘Miss, are you okay?’

She looked up at him and nodded. ‘We need to bring the medic with us.’

‘It’s not possible,’ said Vanessa. ‘She’s still one of them.’