they will be filled with more humans. And more. And more, until eventually, there’s no humans left.”
My chest tightened. My heart pounded. I felt a shiver go up my spine when I looked at the still, sleeping bodies of all these people. “What… what do you want with the humans?”
Nycto stepped in front of me. For the first time since we’d started descending, he looked me right in the eyes with a smile. “We turn every single one of them into mindless slaves to do our bidding. Every single one.”
15
“ K yle ? Are you okay?”
I heard Vortex’s words, but I didn’t hear them, not really. My mind and attention were too focused on what I’d seen behind that door; what Nycto had shown me.
The rows and rows of humans, all stacked up, all ready to be brainwashed.
And the most selfish thing of all? When I saw those humans, it wasn’t just any old face I saw on them. It was Damon’s. Ellicia’s. Dad’s.
All people I loved, about to be taken away and turned into something else entirely.
Vortex touched my arm. I flinched.
“You’ve barely said a word since you got back here looking like you’ve seen one of my visions or something.”
“Trust me,” I said. “This was worse.”
Vortex didn’t look too pleased that anything could be worse than one of the visions she created.
“I saw people,” I said. “Lots of people. People from the world below all stacked up and ready to be turned.”
“Turned into what?” Orion asked.
I didn’t even want to say the words. “Into autonomous beings.”
I told the group about what I’d seen down there. About what Nycto had told me. Saint’s next stage of the plan was to use humans. To make the most of them, treating them like natural resources.
“It fits in with Saint’s MO,” Orion said. “He never wanted to destroy humanity. It’s never been his goal. To him, control is a much more attractive option.”
“I just don’t get how he can do this,” Ember said.
“Huh?”
“I don’t get how he can just wipe the minds of people. I mean, that’s gotta take some man and woman power, right?”
“Maybe so,” Orion said. “But Saint created the ULTRAbots. He managed to intercept the US government and turn it against itself. He’s a very, very clever individual, to his credit. It’s just a shame his heart is in the wrong place.”
“Heart,” Stone spat. “Bastard ain’t got no heart.”
I caught Orion glancing at me then. Weirdly, he still had that bowler hat and black mask of his on, which he wore at all times. It was as if it was welded to his face. There were rumors that it was part of a failed shielding experiment in the early days of his career, and that he was unable to remove it. But it did make me wonder.
“Did he show you what he was using to wipe their minds?” Ember asked.
I tried to remember what I’d seen down in that awful room. “No. He just… he said they had something. Or someone.”
“Did he say who they were?” Orion interrupted.
I was surprised by how quick he snapped. He was usually so collected. It was weird to hear him breaking that now. “No. Why?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. I just…”
“Is there something you’re not telling us?”
Orion looked around at the rest of the cell. He must’ve realized everyone was looking at him. “I don’t know. All I know is that Saint is very powerful. More powerful than ever before. And with the mind-controller in his wake, I guess… perhaps he’s found a way to channel his powers to wipe the human mind. I’m not sure. I’m really not sure.”
The rest of the ULTRAs looked away from Orion. I kept looking at him. I wasn’t convinced he was being completely honest.
“Whatever the case,” I said, “we can’t sit around in here because Saint doesn’t have good plans for us.”
“So what do you suggest we do?” Vortex asked.
I looked around the cell. I felt that energy, strong, fighting against me. “When I was in my cuffs, I tried to use my
My chest tightened. My heart pounded. I felt a shiver go up my spine when I looked at the still, sleeping bodies of all these people. “What… what do you want with the humans?”
Nycto stepped in front of me. For the first time since we’d started descending, he looked me right in the eyes with a smile. “We turn every single one of them into mindless slaves to do our bidding. Every single one.”
15
“ K yle ? Are you okay?”
I heard Vortex’s words, but I didn’t hear them, not really. My mind and attention were too focused on what I’d seen behind that door; what Nycto had shown me.
The rows and rows of humans, all stacked up, all ready to be brainwashed.
And the most selfish thing of all? When I saw those humans, it wasn’t just any old face I saw on them. It was Damon’s. Ellicia’s. Dad’s.
All people I loved, about to be taken away and turned into something else entirely.
Vortex touched my arm. I flinched.
“You’ve barely said a word since you got back here looking like you’ve seen one of my visions or something.”
“Trust me,” I said. “This was worse.”
Vortex didn’t look too pleased that anything could be worse than one of the visions she created.
“I saw people,” I said. “Lots of people. People from the world below all stacked up and ready to be turned.”
“Turned into what?” Orion asked.
I didn’t even want to say the words. “Into autonomous beings.”
I told the group about what I’d seen down there. About what Nycto had told me. Saint’s next stage of the plan was to use humans. To make the most of them, treating them like natural resources.
“It fits in with Saint’s MO,” Orion said. “He never wanted to destroy humanity. It’s never been his goal. To him, control is a much more attractive option.”
“I just don’t get how he can do this,” Ember said.
“Huh?”
“I don’t get how he can just wipe the minds of people. I mean, that’s gotta take some man and woman power, right?”
“Maybe so,” Orion said. “But Saint created the ULTRAbots. He managed to intercept the US government and turn it against itself. He’s a very, very clever individual, to his credit. It’s just a shame his heart is in the wrong place.”
“Heart,” Stone spat. “Bastard ain’t got no heart.”
I caught Orion glancing at me then. Weirdly, he still had that bowler hat and black mask of his on, which he wore at all times. It was as if it was welded to his face. There were rumors that it was part of a failed shielding experiment in the early days of his career, and that he was unable to remove it. But it did make me wonder.
“Did he show you what he was using to wipe their minds?” Ember asked.
I tried to remember what I’d seen down in that awful room. “No. He just… he said they had something. Or someone.”
“Did he say who they were?” Orion interrupted.
I was surprised by how quick he snapped. He was usually so collected. It was weird to hear him breaking that now. “No. Why?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. I just…”
“Is there something you’re not telling us?”
Orion looked around at the rest of the cell. He must’ve realized everyone was looking at him. “I don’t know. All I know is that Saint is very powerful. More powerful than ever before. And with the mind-controller in his wake, I guess… perhaps he’s found a way to channel his powers to wipe the human mind. I’m not sure. I’m really not sure.”
The rest of the ULTRAs looked away from Orion. I kept looking at him. I wasn’t convinced he was being completely honest.
“Whatever the case,” I said, “we can’t sit around in here because Saint doesn’t have good plans for us.”
“So what do you suggest we do?” Vortex asked.
I looked around the cell. I felt that energy, strong, fighting against me. “When I was in my cuffs, I tried to use my
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