The Glitch (The Glitches Series Book 1) Read online

  But he frowns and asks in a quiet voice, “You still consider yourself one of us? You still think of yourself as a Glitch?”

  I lift both hands and hold them out at my sides. “Of course I’m a Glitch. Nothing can change that.” I bite down on my lower lip. I don’t want to think about what else I might be—what the AI might have done to me. I don’t even want to think about that.

  Raj seems to study my face. Slowly, a smile tugs on his lips. Warmth floods me. I hope we can repair our friendship. Maybe.

  “We’re looking for scraps, same as everyone. But Glitches have an advantage. We know what gear looks like. We’ve seen it in the Norm. Most of this stuff is too outdated to use, but some of it is worth taking back. Every now and then you’ll find a circuit that still can hold power. Very rarely you’ll find an old handheld—and we can use that to help with—” He breaks off and shoots me a sideways glance as if he’s nervous about something. He clears his throat. “It’s a scavenge. We just also happen to be smarter about what’s really useful gear.”

  I smile and shake my head. “Smarter? So that’s why we get stuck with more work.”

  His lips twitch. But I’m not really joking. Rogues seem much smarter than Glitches, and I wonder if the AI does something to Techs to limit or change our processing ability. But I don’t want to ruin this moment and the tentative return of this friendship.

  Raj starts walking again, but this time he keeps his pace to one that I can easily match.

  As we move through the Empties, I watch Raj sort through gear. He picks up anything with wires. Some of the gear he tosses aside, but some he puts into the pouch he wears. I don’t recognize any of it, but I notice he keeps any handheld device, even if the screen is cracked. He also digs through the rubble, pulling out circuit boards that are similar to the paneling on a platform. Sometimes the boards have raised keys and unfamiliar markings. He grabs cords and shiny rocks that he tells me are rubies. “You can use these to make a laser—you know, create coherent light. That’s what the drones have and use as weapons.”

  I nod and think of the hot beam that came out of the drone to kill an animal. I am not sure anyone should have a laser. As Raj gathers gear, I start to notice none of this would be valued by Rogues.

  They search for gear to repair the ATs and keep them working, and to make knifes. Raj collects gear that could be useful in the Norm—computer parts really. Nothing mechanical.

  Raj’s pouch doesn’t seem full. Most of what he has are small components. I have the same. We start back to the point where we will meet the others and I ask, “What is this for?” I keep my voice quiet. I don’t want the others to hear.

  Raj shrugs casually, but I can see the tension in his shoulders. He doesn’t look at me when he answers. “It’s gear. To help with the drones, remember? But…when we get back. Let’s stash this where the Glitches sit. We’ve got work to do before any of this gear can be useful, and I don’t want the Rogues tossing it as being not useful or melting it down to make a stupid knife.”

  I nod as if I agree. However, I’m not sure I believe him.

  I’m also not sure what this gear can do, but I have ideas. Thinking about it, I know I could construct a power supply. Chemicals coupled with the copper wiring and a metallic conductor would work. And the rubies to create the coherent light. That is for a weapon.

  Or an advanced connect to core systems within the AI that would let Raj hack the system.

  I don’t tell Raj any of this. I’m unwilling to start an argument with him, and this could lead to a weapon to use against the drones. A much better weapon than rocks. But the weapon could also be used on Techs inside the Norm to get to the AI. I don’t like that idea.

  I decide I’ll need to watch Raj. I fear there is only one reason he wants this gear.

  He still thinks he can fix the AI.

  I know nothing can.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I am not thinking about Raj or the AI as I duck to one side. Wolf’s fist sails past my head. Using the momentum, I spin and come up behind Wolf. This is a good opportunity to set him on his ass, but I only tap his thigh with my boot to let him know that I am there and could do more.

  He swivels around and narrows his eyes at me as if he is going to throw another punch, but the effect is lost when I catch the curve of his mouth, tipping up into a smile.

  Sparring every day is building my strength and speed, but today something shifts between us. I stare at Wolf, my breathing hard and he stares back. My heart races in a way that is odd. I don’t really have a word for it, no frame of reference, but I can sense this moment is significance. It is important. I am aware of Wolf in a different way—as if my body is attuned to his. As if I can feel what he feels. Something happens in my chest. It is as if my heart gives an odd twist. It is so unexpected it shocks me into standing still and simply staring at Wolf.

  Slowly, Wolf straightens and tells me, his voice oddly rough, “You shouldn’t tease.”

  I flash a small smile. “You mean just go ahead and knock you flat?”

  He lifts an eyebrow. His move comes fast. He launches himself at me. I try to duck, but he anticipates the move and catches me around the waist. The air whooshes out as I hit the dirt. Wolf rolls once with me, ending up on top. He pins my arms to the sand and for a moment I am stunned. Then he grins.

  Suddenly all I can feel is how his hips rest against mine. How his hands feel on my wrists, pressed against my skin. Something instinctual stirs inside me. Heat flashes up from between my legs and into my belly. I am tingling and out of breath. I process my body’s reaction and respond without any input from my brain.

  I want him to be even closer than he is.

  With my heart wildly thumping, my skin flushed, my chest rising and falling fast, I keep my gaze locked on his.

  His expression shifts and softens until his smile is small and gentle. Slowly, that smile fades and a look of hunger comes into his eyes. He leans down toward me, as if he, too, wants to be closer than we are. Heat from his body washes over me and the scent of his musky sweat and something that is unique to him wraps around me. I like his scent. His face hovers over mine. His breath brushes my cheek, and then my lips.

  His gaze flickers down over my body and up again, seeming to ask a silent question I don’t understand and don’t know how to answer. All I can do is part my lips and then lick the lower one.

  The corner of his mouth lifts and he puts his lips on mine. I am lost in a sense of power and electrical heat unlike anything I’ve ever felt. My eyes flutter closed. The jolt tingles on my skin and surges through my entire body, that single point of contact and I—

  “Wolf!” Lion shouts the word. It jars me out of the moment.

  As though prodded by a stick in his back, Wolf jerks up and jumps to his feet. His dark skin is tinged with red. He doesn’t look at me. Turning, he brushes off his pants and holds out a hand to me. I’m dazed enough that I only stare at it.

  But then Lion is here at the training ground. He ignores me. “Wolf, you’re needed. The scavenge went bad.” Lion leans over and braces his hands on his knees. He has been running and barely gets the words out. Wolf is already running. Lion turns and follows. I climb to my feet and follow, my head spinning and now with the back of my neck tingling. This is not good. Lion’s face, pale and strained tells me that much.

  Back in the tunnels, I head to the main room. It seems like everyone is here, but Croc is here and looking pale, too. Skye crouches on the ground, her arms around herself, and is rocking back and forth. I don’t see Bird, and that kicks my pulse up even faster than it was before.

  I take a deep breath to slow my heart beat and look around.

  Two Rouges stand over another who lies on the floor. Marq sits by himself, far away from everyone, hunched over as if he wants to disappear. It is odd not to see Chandra with him. Two other Rogues stand with their hands over their faces. Lion glances at me, eyes narrow and hot, and I almost take a step back. That look is filled
with hate.

  “What’s going on?” I ask Mole, who stands nearest to me. She looks up, her eyes brimming with moisture. She turns away without saying anything.

  Wolf’s booming voice echoes my question. “What happened?”

  Croc puts one hand on Skye’s trembling shoulders. Her face looks as if she covered it with white ash from a fire. Croc says something, his voice so low I can’t make out the words. He looks grim, his mouth set into a thin, angry line after he speaks.

  “How?” Wolf says, the one word sharp and cold.

  Skye looks up. Her pale face makes her eyes look bigger, but they, too, are paler than I remember—a blue that looks like the sky in the cold morning. Her stare finds me and lingers with something I can only describe as fear.

  Others glance at me now, too. Rogues turn to glare at me with their stony, accusing stares.

  Something tugs at my arm. I glance over and find Raj pulling at my arm. I go with him and he pulls me away from the others. But I glance back at the Rogue who lies on the ground.

  The Rogue isn’t lying there to nap or because of an injury. The head rests at an angle and the open, blank eyes are like those I have seen in dreams. This Rogue is forever nonfunctional. She is going to go back into the ground.

  Bobcat is no more.

  My skin chills and my stomach clenches. For a moment I fear that what I last ate will come up again. It doesn’t, but a sour taste fills my mouth. Now I am trembling just like Skye.

  Raj leads me over to where Marq crouches and sits down. I sit with them. The Rogues turn away from me. I blink and wipe at the moisture in my eyes. How can Bobcat be nonfunctional? How can this be happening?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  In a quiet voice, Raj tells us what happened.

  “I wasn’t on the scavenge, but Bobcat went out with Chandra and Skye.”

  Marq nods as if he knows this. Raj glances at him and then puts his stare on the rock wall opposite us. Eight went out. Five made it back. Bobcat, Snake and Chandra didn’t make it. Horse and Tiger brought Bobcat back, but she didn’t make it. Not really.”

  “Skye?” I ask, glancing over to her. She sits holding herself and I can’t tell if she is hurt badly or not.

  Raj glances over to Skye, too. “By what I saw, injured, but she should be able to self-repair. Croc won’t let me get close enough to her to tell. When I glance over, Croc’s gaze darts away from mine.

  My mouth dries. It is not unheard of to go back into the ground in the Outside. I learned that the day Bear did not come back to the tunnels. But I have forgotten how unforgiving the Outside can be.

  “What happened?” I ask Raj. I put my hands in my lap. Marq shakes his head and turns away as if he doesn’t want to hear anything else.

  Raj sighs. “Horse was babbling when they came back. Said it caught them off guard.” He stops and glances around as if looking for who might be listening. But everyone else is over with Wolf and listening to Horse and Tiger tell the story. Mole sits on the ground next to Bobcat, stroking her hair.

  I look at Raj. “What did you hear?”

  He makes a face and says, his voice grim, “A drone.”

  The words spike cold down my back. I remember the hum—and seeing a drone kill. I swallow.

  Raj lowers his voice. “They haven’t been out during the day in a long time. Tiger said they were heading for one of the old platforms. Horse said no one was watching the sky.” He frowns as though he’s not sure he believes this.

  Shaking my head, I tell him, “Bobcat would have been careful.”

  He shakes his head. “Maybe it’s just the drones are changing schedules. Or maybe the AI was waiting for them. The AI doesn’t leave things to chance.”

  I nod. Raj is right. We fall silent and sit, watching the others. It seems to me that Wolf is listening to the other Rogues and not saying much. But he looks up. I see both anger and worry in his eyes. The same knots my insides.

  For three sleep cycles, Wolf will not send anyone out on scavenge. But water is running low. It’s always top priority to bring in more. I volunteer to go. I hear from Croc that Skye is still repairing. Marq is more withdrawn than ever and I worry he is not eating enough. No one seems to care. Raj and I avoid the others.

  Bobcat is put back into the ground. The Rogues go out at night to do this. I am not asked to go with them. Bird sits with Mouse and Mole and tells Bobcat’s story so they will remember. I go to Croc to ask what he has tried to make the water in the hot springs something we can drink. He tells me he has no time to talk to me. I go away with my face stinging and my head down. It is the first time Croc has acted like this to me.

  Unable to sit and do nothing, I go to Wolf to tell him I will go on the next scavenge. I can connect and hack for water better than anyone.

  Wolf answers me with a slash of his hand and a shake of his head. We no longer train in the mornings and I miss it. I miss him. I want to ask if we can meet tomorrow morning, but my courage is fluid and slips away before I can grasp and hold it.

  Wolf glances at me and says, “Marq and Raj will scavenge.” He starts to turn away, but before he does, he reaches out with one finger and touches the back of my hand. He pulls away at once. Worry still haunts his eyes, and that leaves me worried as well.

  I tell Raj to be careful—very careful. I remember my dark dreams where death fills these tunnels and leaves everyone nonfunctional. I cannot look at Bird without thinking of her warning. Bird avoids me, as do the other Rogues. I wonder what happened to Chandra. Was she left for the animals to eat. I shudder at that. The faces of the dead flash through my mind. They taunt me, accuse me.

  It’s all my fault.

  Part of me believes that.

  And part of me wonders if it is really the AI’s fault? Is the AI really a glitched system?

  Waiting for those out to scavenge is hard. This is worse than when Bear didn’t come back. I think everyone is thinking the same thing. Are the drones more dangerous now?

  Skye is no longer being cared for by Croc and comes to sit with me. She will not talk about what happened, but she is also not eating much. She is thinner than she once was. And she is still pale.

  I hear the shout first. It is too much like before when Lion yelled for Wolf.

  Standing, I tell Skye, “Stay here.” I head toward the tunnel where I hear boots hitting the ground and the sounds of disaster.

  Fear quivers inside me. I am truly afraid of what I will see. Will Raj’s face be too pale, his eyes glassy and unseeing? Or Marq? Or Bird? Or Bull who went out? Or Lion?

  I try to tell myself I have to hope, but it all seems so useless. I can’t believe in anything. I must see they are still functional.

  Eight went out again. Two stagger back into the main room—Lion and Bull. I can’t swallow, my throat is too tight. No bodies come back this time. Those who pull themselves into the main room are covered in what looks like red mud. I know better. It is blood and dirt. The faces look strained, their eyes glassy, as if they cannot even understand what happened.

  Wolf strides in and sends Mouse and Bird to get water for these two. I glance around. I hear more footsteps in the tunnels and I stare into the darkness. Are there more? Please let more come back.

  My heart seems to beat with dull, heavy thuds. I worry I will not see Raj again, that he, like Chandra, will have been left for the animals to eat. That he—

  “We never stood a chance.” It’s Raj’s voice. He strides down the tunnel into the main room. He’s alive.

  I throw my arms around him. Stepping back, I hang onto him. I want to feel his warm skin, to make certain he is not damaged in a way beyond repair.

  From behind him, Bird steps into the room. Her ribbons flare wildly around her head. She’s in front of me in an instant. I have time only to blink, and then she shoves at me hard enough to send me to the ground.

  “You!” she screams, her voice shaking and moisture in her eyes. “This is your fault!”

  My eyes go wide. I want to shak
e my head and tell her she is wrong. This is all wrong. But my dreams tell me different. The AI did not send Techs after me, the way it did with Raj. The AI wants me to find the Glitches. What if I have found them all here?

  It can’t be. It’s not my fault. It’s not—

  Even as I say it over and over in my head, I realize I might be wrong. Looking up, I see that no one is saying anything to contradict Bird. No one defends me. Not Raj, who looks as if he is in shock. Not Wolf, who does not look at me.

  But Skye’s voice lifts, small and shaky. “Lib wouldn’t betray us! She’s a good person.”

  “She’s a Glitch.” I glance over. Lion stares back at me. But angry mutters rise.

  Bird stares at me. “She dreams of death. She dreams we’re all dead.”

  I let out a long, slow breath. I can’t deny that. And Lion calls out, “What if she’s calling the drones? What if the AI sent her to find us?”

  I glance around. Everyone seems to be staring at me, even Raj and Skye.

  Lion mutters, “Glitches—there’s always something wrong with them.”

  Looking at Skye, I see her flinch at the insult that hits not just me, but her and Raj, too. Lifting my chin, I raise my voice. “What about Marq? He didn’t come back. And Chandra. You think a Glitch will take out another Glitch?”

  Lion shrugs. “Why not. The AI threw you out to waste you in the Outside. You were already dead when we found you.”

  I step back as if Lion has struck me. He thinks I’d be fine with not just Rogues dying, but Glitches made permanently nonfunctional, too?

  I can’t help the urge. I look over at Wolf. He’ll defend me. He knows I’m not bad. He trusts me.

  He meets my stare, but there is nothing welcoming in his eyes. He seems the Wolf I first met—hard and inflexible. A solid wall of distrust slaps me down.

  When he speaks, his voice is cold and even. “As Leader of this clan, I call for council.” His dark eyes glitter with some emotion I can’t understand. “We decide Lib’s fate.”