The Glitch (The Glitches Series Book 1) Read online

The mountains grow larger, but as the sun sinks low I see they aren’t mountains. They’re too straight and too angular. Metal juts up now from the vague shapes into specific ones. The Empties glitter and shimmer in the dying sun.

  “The Empties,” Bird whispers and nudges me with an elbow.

  It still takes time to really reach the Empties. Isn’t until dark that I can look up and see towering castles of glass and marble and metal. Up close, they look… destroyed.

  It’s obvious the structures were made. Steel and glass come together to form towers where beacons, mostly broken and mangled, sit at the very top to catch the last rays of sunlight. The buildings almost look like skeletons now, their framework exposed from years of being stripped away by the elements. Glass is broken and dirty, steel is half eaten by rust and erosion. And as we walk down a road of hardened black tar, I finally understand why they call it what they do.

  A word comes to me from the data orb I touched—city. This was once a city, vast and whole and busy.

  Now it’s utterly empty. No wonder they call it the Empties.

  It is silent, too, save for Wolf’s deep, quiet voice. “This is one of the last places, from a time before the domes rose and before the AI. This is where our people gathered and lived—some say in peace. Others say in war. The storm came and swallowed it up and the people fled. The Rogues walked away. We walked as we walk back. But the Empties stand. They go on. Like the Rogues. Now they wait here, silent and empty, for caretakers that will one day return.”

  Wolf turns to me. I can only gaze back. I feel like I’ve just been told about the creation of the universe. In a way, I have.

  “Lib of the Glitches. We, the Tracker Clan, bring you here on this night to have you choose as the Rogues once chose. Prove your worth and your loyalty. Search out the good left in the Empties. See the past so you know where the Rogues began, and if it is your choice to walk with us, come to us and walk this Earth as one with the Tracker clan.”

  His eyes seem impossibly dark. I feel as if I could get lost in them. I cannot summon words, but it seems a nod is all that is required of me.

  Bobcat gives a nod. She and Wolf each take one hand and lead me into the dead city. Bird whispers a curt warning. “Be careful.”

  I stay close to Wolf and Bobcat. The others seem to be waiting for us back at the edge of the city.

  “This is a scavenge,” Bobcat says in a hushed tone. Rubble crunches under my boots. They are the new boots given to me and I wish I didn’t have to get them dirty, but I do as we walk through the Empties. The buildings around us seem to have been set up in a grid, the lines and corners looking like they form perfect angles and squares, though it’s difficult to really see that from the ground.

  “Scavenge for what exactly?” I ask.

  She shrugs. “Anything useful.”

  “Parts,” Wolf says. He lets go of my hand to shift the pouch he wears slung over one shoulder. Bobcat wears a pouch, too, as do I. “Pieces for the ATs. Metal for knives. Fixings for the solar panels. And things our people may have once left behind.”

  I glance at Bobcat. She looks only half interested in any of this, and it makes me wonder how many times she’s done this.

  “Why do you care about what was left? Wouldn’t it have been left because it wasn’t needed?”

  The corner of his mouth twitches. “If we know our past, we can strive to not repeat it. There is too much we don’t know—too much the AI swallowed up and wouldn’t tell. We don’t know what ended the Empties and made them into this.” He waves a hand at the ruined buildings.

  Thinking about the data orb, I nod. The AI knows what happened but doesn’t seem to want to share the data. What did happen? Could it happen again? With a shiver, I straighten and keep walking. And start really looking.

  We spend the whole night in the Empties. It was a long trip to get here and I didn’t sleep much the night before. I try not to stumble. I’m sure I’m dragging—and not seeing anything because of it. If anyone notices, they don’t mention it…

  The third building we head into almost falls on us. The next one seems to have been some sort of housing for vehicles.

  “Most of these use fossil fuels,” Bobcat explains. “Petrochemical—you can tell ‘cause they still stink. They aren’t very useful. But some of the parts—like the wheels—work on ATs.”

  She heads to one of the vehicles. Its tires are long gone, but she tears it open and digs, pulling out wires that are partially rotted.

  When she waves at me, I head over and she points at a tube. “That one. Go ahead and take it.”

  Biting my lip, I try tugging it out. It’s stuck. Bobcat pulls out a knife and hands it to me. She grins. “Don’t know a Rogue who doesn’t need a knife. Keep it.”

  Wetting my lips, I pry loose the part. When I offer it to her, she grins and shoves it into my bag. “That’s how we do it.”

  We spend the rest of the evening taking bolts or bits of metal. Sometimes we find chunks of round, dull metal, and Wolf says, “We can remake the metal into parts and knives.”

  I find the Empties sad. Now and then I will step into a room and see a broken seat, or an image that shows a family group, or the wind will lift and cry through the dying buildings. Despite what Wolf said earlier, I do not think anyone is ever going to come back here. Conie would never allow it. And why would anyone want to? This place makes the tunnels seem close and safe.

  When the sun lifts again and touches the tips of the broken towers, Wolf leads the way back to the others. Bobcat keeps an eye on the sky, but I don’t think a drone would ever come here. This is a place to ignore.

  I am exhausted, but I walk with the others back to the ATs. I glance back once at the Empties. It is so sad that the Rogues once had to walk away—and do so again. But I glance at Wolf and see only determination.

  I ride back behind Wolf, holding onto him. Am I a Tracker now?

  I am ready to drop once we get into the tunnels. I walk into the main room but have to blink. It seems everyone is here. Even the Glitches stand off to one side. The room erupts with shouts and stomping boots.

  Wolf claps a hand on my shoulder, and I look up at him. His face is grim, but his eyes are warm and almost seem to whisper to me.

  You belong now.

  “The clan has grown,” Wolf calls out.

  I glance around, smiling, but my stomach knots. I can feel Raj’s stare on me. I hope the Rogues won’t regret this. I hope no one will.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The celebration goes on until night comes again. I am already tired, but the lack of sleep leaves me giddy and I don’t want this day to end. Extra food is brought out. Drums come out as well, and the Rogues dance, eat and tell stories. Bobcat challenges another Rogue to wrestle, and everyone cheers when she pins a man twice her weight. Rogues come over and slap my back or offer me water or food. I want to burst into tears. Good ones.

  Thankfully, Wolf stays by my side.

  He leans close to whisper in my ear, “Like being a Rogue?”

  I blush hot, grin and nod. “Yes!” With I laugh, I spin with my arms out.

  Wolf watches me and shakes his head. But he grabs me around the waist to twirl me around.

  Dizzy, I cling to his shoulders. Pleasure washes over me and through me. It’s wonderful.

  Everything is perfect, except for a whisper in the back of my mind that tells me I’m wrong.

  I try not to give it any attention, but I can feel Bird watching me. She sits at the very edge of the Rogues and watches me with dark, narrowed eyes. I think I see worry in her eyes—and something darker.

  Something’s coming, Lib. Something’s been coming.

  I try to shove it aside, but now that I’ve seen it, I can’t help but see the rest, too.

  The Glitches sit with their backs to the walls, looking like outcasts. Chandra and Marq never seem interested in what’s going on around them, so I’m not surprised to see them keeping to themselves. But Skye is watching the Rogues with
a small, pained smile. And Raj—he has his back to me.

  When Wolf finally puts me back on the ground, he is laughing and I hang onto him. I don’t want to pull away. But now I’ve seen Raj and Skye. I cannot ignore the looks upon their faces now.

  I look up at Wolf and tell him, “I’ll be right back.” I don’t want to tell him that I’m going to check on Skye and Raj, but he will see what I do. There is no way to hide anything in the tunnels.

  He frowns, but he nods. And he cups my cheek with one hand.

  A thrill runs through me. Wolf steps back from me and watches as I head over to Skye and Raj. I grab a plate with meat on it and finally make it over to Skye.

  I sit down next to her, but Raj instantly stands. He gives me a cool look that leaves me chilled, turns and disappears down one of the tunnels.

  I turn back to Skye and hold out the plate of meat.

  She takes a chunk and lifts one shoulder. “He’s just like that sometimes.”

  I don’t think this is just Raj being Raj. But Skye doesn’t want to talk about it, and I don’t want to ask. For an awkward moment, neither of us says anything.

  Skye eats the meat, swallows and asks, “So…you’re with the Rogues now?” Her voice is monotone and her eyes distant eyes. She stares past me.

  I frown. “You’re with them, too, you know.”

  She forces a smile. It looks strangely mechanical. My stomach knots. “Yes, right here in the same room. I just—” She shrugs. “The Norm was so much nicer. It was easier. I…I miss my family. I miss—” She breaks off, unable to finish. She only shakes her head.

  I know what she was going to say. She misses everything. I understand why. I remember the green grass and the cool air and the sense that everyone had enough food and water and a purpose in life.

  I have one too, and it is gnawing at me

  Just as quickly, I remember how Raj narrowly escaped that place. Conie manipulated the Techs, reprogrammed them to do terrible things—controlled them. Maybe the Norm is easier, but I’m not sure it’s better.

  “But you’re here now. Why not enjoy the now?” I ask.

  Skye flashes another dull smile and takes another piece of meat. She doesn’t eat it.

  Biting my lip, I search for something that is honest. Finally, I say in a quiet voice, “I’m glad you’re here. I wouldn’t have made it without you.”

  Skye looks at me and puts her hand over mine. But then she pulls it away and says, “You’d better go back to your new place.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Life shifts. In some ways for the better and some not. My sleeping arrangements change, though just barely. Skye sleeps next to Chandra and Bird sleeps as far from me as she can. Bobcat seems to take pity on me and sometimes sleeps nearby. Some of the Rogues will eat and talk with me.

  But only some.

  At meals, I never know if I should eat with Rogues or Glitches. Raj won’t eat with me, and so I start to avoid the Glitches, but not all Rogues will stay if I sit down. I can eat with Croc or Bobcat. I haven’t dared to sit beside Wolf during meals. He is their leader and those he sits with never change, but I catch his gaze on me often during meals.

  Maybe it is only my imagination that he wants me to sit with him. I can’t tell anymore.

  Mostly, I think things are better. My days are busy. The Rogues teach me to work metal and I can hunt with them. But I still have horrible dreams and a whisper that is telling me I’m not doing the right thing. I’m not fulfilling my purpose. It’s going to go wrong, and it’s all my fault.

  I wake sweating and shaking, and some days I just wish I could be temporarily nonfunctional without dreams. And I have no one I can really talk to.

  Skye will smile at me, but she stays with the other Glitches. She doesn’t ask me to go with her on a connect. I’m hurt and a little angry. Why are they acting like this? They could choose to join the clan, too.

  I’m thinking about this as I stride down the tunnel toward the main room when I hear voices. Wolf’s deep, rumbling tones stand out. The other sounds like Lion, a Rogue who has made it clear he doesn’t like me. Lion is one of those who avoids me. I slow my steps.

  Lion’s voice rises and I hear him say, “…walks around like she owns the place!”

  A lump sticks in my throat. I’m certain he is complaining about me.

  Wolf answers in a low growl. “Lib is clan.”

  “She’s still a Glitch. You don’t think she’s like the others? Willing to go back to the Norm if she could? She’s a broken Tech.”

  “Enough!” Wolf sounds angry. I stop where I am, my palms damp and my heart pounding against my ribs so hard it’s making me sick.

  Lion doesn’t listen. His voice lifts louder. “What makes her so damn special? Everyone sees the way you look at her. You don’t look at her like she’s a Glitch. You don’t seem to remember what—”

  “Enough,” Wolf says in a quiet voice that raises bumps on my skin.

  Lion’s voice drops to a sulky tone. “Someone’s gotta say it.”

  I glance behind me. Should I leave? I want to get closer to see if Wolf is defending me or really defending himself. But I don’t want them to know I’ve heard anything.

  Before I can decide, Wolf says, his voice cold as night, “Fine. Say it.”

  I hear Lion’s boots shift on the dirt and then he says, “Everyone talks about how you ignore Bird now. The clan thinks she’s the right one to lead at your side, and now you barely notice her.”

  The lump moves from my throat to my stomach. Bird—Wolf and Bird. My skin chills. Didn’t Skye once say that Wolf and Bird were supposed to be together? I know Wolf does look at me in a way he hasn’t looked at anyone else.

  But maybe I want something I have no right to want.

  Wolf’s boots also scuffle the dirt. “What is between me and Bird is between me and Bird. That’s none of your concern.”

  “It is a concern to the clan if you plan to put a Glitch at your side. You think the clan will ever follow a Glitch? It’ll break the clan if you give her a place at your side.”

  I turn away and start down the tunnel, moving away from Wolf and Lion. I don’t want to hear any more. My stomach burns. So does my face. Now I know what the rest of the clan thinks. I may have chosen to join them, but they have a choice, too. And some will never accept me.

  With my eyes down on the dark ground, I almost run into Bobcat. She puts out a hand and I stop in front of her. She gives me a crooked smile. “Lib, there you are. You want to go out with us tomorrow on a scavenge? I’ve gotten stuck with Chandra the last two times and I can’t stand her and her staring off into the distance like all she can think about is getting back into the Norm.”

  I glance back over my shoulder and see Wolf now. His shoulders look tense, as if he’s braced himself. Our stares meet, his dark and intense and filled with something that might be uncertainty. Does he know I heard him and Lion?

  “Lib, did you hear?” Bobcat asks, putting a hand on my shoulder.

  My face and hands turn cold. Wolf frowns and turns away. It sounds as if Bobcat knows what I heard, but she doesn’t. However, Wolf knows. I see it in his face before he turns. It feels as if a knife blade sticks into my ribs. I turn to face Bobcat. Getting away from here seems a good idea right now.

  The next day it is not just me on the scavenge. Raj goes, too. It is not just a routine scavenge. We’re going to the Empties. Raj glances at me when he sees me, but he gives me a nod. At least he is not going to refuse to be with me.

  Bobcat is leading. Wolf has other things to do. Disappointment curls inside me, but I’m also relieved. I don’t have to pretend I didn’t hear Lion tell Wolf I shouldn’t be clan. And if Wolf was here, Raj might refuse to go with us. Lion is also not going and I am glad of that. Now I want to avoid him the way he avoids me and that’s hard, given how small the group is and how we have to be in the main room for meals.

  The trip is long—just like always. We leave the ATs outside the Empties and wa
lk. On the way, I ask Bobcat, “I thought going to the Empties was just for special days?”

  Bobcat shakes her head. “The choice is tradition. The Empties are a resource. Yes, all of Wolf’s story is true. The Rogues once walked out of the Empties, and we walk back on special days. But the Empties have things we can use. We can’t ignore that.”

  I nod. “Waste nothing. That’s law.”

  Bobcat tells everyone to spread out. Six of us are on the scavenge. I’m paired with Raj and am surprised when Bobcat doesn’t tell another Rogue to come with us. When Mouse says something about this, Bobcat waves a hand. “Lib’s clan. No point wasting manpower on a babysitting job.”

  A spark of pride warms me, but Raj scowls and takes off without me, walking fast and keeping ahead of me. I have to hurry to catch up.

  The roads are hard in the Empties. It’s not rock and not dirt and I wonder what the people who built the Empties used. I ask Raj, but he just shrugs. So I say, “I haven’t seen a platform. Do you know where we can connect?”

  Raj spares me a glance and says in a tired voice, “There aren’t any. The Empties were built before the AI existed. Didn’t they tell you that? Or do they still keep things from you like they do other Glitches?”

  The bitterness is biting, but at least he’s speaking to me. “I forgot,” I admit and bite the inside of my cheek.

  He snorts and strides ahead. I hurry again to keep up. The wind doesn’t sing through the metal. I don’t see birds or other animals here. I smell only dust. The Empties really are empty of life. I no longer hear the steps of the other Rogues. It’s just Raj’s boots and my quiet steps. I cannot walk as silently as a Rogue, but I no longer make as much noise as a Glitch.

  Glancing into another building that is filled with rubble, I ask, “Then what are we doing here if we’re not going to connect?”

  “Didn’t they explain?”

  Annoyance tightens in my chest. I roll my eyes. “I know how to scavenge. But why take Glitches to the Empties?”

  Raj stops and whirls around to face me. The pulse beats in his tightened jaw. He looks like he’s about to yell at me.