The Third Revolution

"This is Zack," Elena announced.

"Howdy-doo," Zack responded with a sarcastic smirk and an exaggerated bow. He grabbed Jason by the shoulders and directed him to a chair in the center of the room. He then lifted Jason's shirt and began attaching devices along his chest and abdomen.

"Whoa, whoa!" Jason protested. "What the hell are you doing?"

Zack sighed. "Elena, can you explain to this noob what I'm doing."

As he continued attaching devices to Jason's arms, neck, head, and lower body, Elena explained, "You do know that the State implants a microscopic chip inside of every citizen? You're aware of that?"

"Yes, of course," Jason responded. "The chip monitors my health, tracks my allowance, provides identification..."

"And tracks your location via GPS," Elena added. "As soon as you step outside of that door, those drones will find you."

"Okay," Jason said, shifting uncomfortably as Zack applied a device to his inner thigh, mere inches from his scrotum. "I still don't understand what he's doing."

"The State places the chip in a different location in every person, so we don't know exactly where it is," Elena explained. "We could find it, and remove it surgically, but it takes time that we don't have. So instead, it's far more efficient to reformat it. We erase it completely. Jason Adams will cease to exist."

Jason swallowed hard. "Then what?"

"Well, if one of those drones discovers someone walking around with no identification, it would trigger a suspicious event. So we upload a fake identity, complete with a fake information card, medical history, security level, and so on."

"Last chance to run away, sport," Zack said with a crooked grin.

"Just do it," Jason said. He braced himself as Zack tapped his tablet. After several minutes of tapping, Zack folded the tablet and began removing the devices from Jason's body.

"That's it?" Jason asked.

"That's it," Zack said. "What, did you expect to feel different with your new identity?"

From the corner of the room, Kat giggled. Jason turned to look at her, and she smiled at him, causing a strange sensation in his chest.

"What now?" Jason said, looking at Elena.

"Now, we get the fuck out of the city," she responded.

Kat pushed open the door into the darkened alleyway behind the repair shop and surveyed the area before moving ahead. Jason and Elena followed closely behind. Elena tapped on the device wrapped around her ear and spoke several directions.

"A limo will be waiting for us," she said. "About five blocks north."

"What about the drones?" Jason asked, searching the night sky. "Two of them were on us before we entered the building."

"Don't worry about them," Elena assured him. "The only crime you committed tonight was refusing interrogation and fleeing the scene. They won't be using facial recognition to find you just yet. You're safe with the security clearance we gave you."

Jason turned to Kat. "By the way, what did you do to those two drones back there?"

Kat smiled, and produced a small device from her pocket. "It's a D.E.W."

"A what?" Jason asked.

"Directed-energy weapon," Elena interrupted. "It emits an electro-magnetic pulse that temporarily disables electronics. It's also highly illegal." She turned to Kat. "Where did you get it?"

"The Third Revolution isn't the only rebel group in the city, you know," Kat responded. Elena glared at her. "Yes, I know who you are, Elena. Trust me, our group has been around longer than yours, and we share the same goals. We would work much better together."

"I don't know who you are," Elena said, "or why you are still tagging along with us. As for trusting you, that remains an open-ended question."

"Kat saved my life tonight," Jason asserted. "Or, at least, she saved me from another extended stay at the New Boston Inn."

"As for why I'm 'tagging along' with you," Kat continued, "my group has as much interest in securing the services of Dr. Locke as yours does. I would argue that we found him first."

Elena abruptly stopped, causing Kat to nearly collide with her. "Listen, bitch," she said. "Why don't you just take a walk? We don't need you. And we especially don't need you if you're going to interfere with our operation."

Kat's fists clenched, and your jaw flexed.

"Okay, just hold on a minute," Jason said, wedging himself between the two women. "Kat, you need to back off a little bit and let Elena take the lead. And Elena, I'm not going anywhere with you unless Kat comes with me."

"What?" Elena shouted a little too loudly. "You just met this woman! You don't know anything about her."

"I don't know anything about you, either," Jason countered. "The difference between you two is that you had me thrown in prison, and Kat saved me from prison. I have no reason to trust either one of you. Which is why I am spreading my risk among the two of you. It's called diversification."

Elena stared at him for a moment, and then broke into laughter. "So logical," she said. "So much like your father. Okay, fine. You win. She stays...but you keep her in line."

They entered the extended black vehicle waiting for them precisely where Elena said it would be. They were silent as they traveled along the bumpy back roads, through the eroding tunnel, and onto the highway. As they passed along the old bridge, Jason pressed his face to the window to peer at the geometric series of cables that seemed to pull at the two main spires from both directions.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"North," Elena said.

"To the wall?" he asked.

"Beyond the wall," she said.

Jason looked from one woman to the other. "I've never been beyond the wall."

"Yes, you have," Elena reminded him.

"Not that I remember," he noted. "How will we--?"

"Quiet," Elena said, motioning with her eyes to the cameras and microphones dotting the interior of the limo.

When they reached the border, an armed guard approached the vehicle and smacked the roof with his palm. All three of the passengers exited and formed a line for inspection while another guard scanned the interior of the limo.

One by one, the guard stood before each of them and looked into his device in the upper left-hand corner of his vision. He then looked into the face of each person before moving along. "You're free to go," the guard said.

Jason, Elena and Kat reentered the vehicle, and it proceeded through the gate and beyond the wall. The terrain beneath them instantly became more treacherous, and it took a moment for the vehicle's stabilizers to adjust. They were soon traveling at a great speed along the darkened highway.

"That was easy," Jason quietly noted, earning a glare from Elena.

They traveled for more than two hours without uttering a word between them. A sliver of the moon provided only an occasional glimpse of their surroundings. Through the windows, all that could be seen were darkened buildings, most of which were crumbling to their foundations, and an occasional small fire. Antique vehicles could be seen stranded along the side of the highway, stripped of their tires and metal, with weeds growing from the wheel wells.

After nearly three hours, their vehicle pulled off of an exit and came to an abrupt stop. Through the window, Jason could see a hint of mountains in the distance. When he stepped outside, the aroma of the cool night air filled his lungs. Once all three had exited, the vehicle departed, leaving them standing in darkness.

"So," Jason said, "is this it?"

Elena tapped the side of her device, and a small green light appeared along her left temple. "From here, we travel on foot. We will be there in less than an hour if you can keep up with me."

Jason chuckled, and he activated his device. The darkness surrounding him instantly transformed into a green-hued brightness in all directions.

"So, Kat, what's your story?" he said as he followed Elena along a dirt path winding up a hill through the forest.

"My story?" Kat said.

"You know...what did you study at the academy? What was your role with the State? How did you get involved with your rebel group?"

"You two will have plenty of time to share your life stories later," Elena barked.

Jason gave an exasperated sigh and pointed a thumb in Elena's direction. He made a face at Kat, and she responded with a giggle. Elena wheeled around, and they both adopted stony expressions.

"May I ask where you're taking us?" Jason said to Elena.

"It's a safe house," she responded. "One of many the Third Revolution has maintained, both inside and outside of the city."

They trudged through the forest and followed a dirt path along the edge of a large lake. The moonlight reflected off the water, creating a pattern of eerie shadows on Jason's display. He turned off the display, and soaked in the breathtaking natural scenery before him.

They came upon a small log cabin, and Elena used a key to open the door. They stepped inside the drafty room, and Elena lit a lantern, revealing a single room interior furnished with a bed, a table, and a kitchen counter with a wooden stove. Jason noted that the cabin was slightly larger than his apartment.

"This is where I leave you," Elena announced.

"What do you mean?" Jason responded, with a hint of panic in his voice. "Where are you going?"

"I have to meet with the others to report on our progress," Elena calmly explained, "and to plan our next steps. I will return in a few days."

"A few days?" Jason said, looking from Elena to Kat. "How will we survive out here?"

"You are safe here," Elena said. "The State rarely sends its drones this far out into the Outerlands."

"What I mean," Jason clarified, "is what will we eat and drink? How will we live out here?"

"That," Elena said with a smile, "is up to you. You are no longer a slave of the State, Jason. You live however you care to live. You make your own decisions, and reap whatever risk or reward that entails. There is some canned food in the pantry, and enough bottled water to get you through a day or two. Your success or failure is now up to you."

Jason looked at Kat, hoping she would intervene, but she merely smiled at him. For some reason, that simple expression eased his anxiety.

"I will see you again in a few days," Elena said. "A week, at most." She touched Jason on the shoulder. "You'll be fine," she said with a smile. With that, she departed, leaving Jason and Kat alone to fend for themselves.

After a restless night, Jason awoke with a gasp of panic. It took him a moment to recognize where he was. He searched for his device, and noted the time. It was nearly nine o'clock. He couldn't recall ever sleeping in that late. The thought suddenly occurred to him that he no longer had an obligation to report to a supervisor or administrator, and he no longer had a daily agenda to dictate his activities throughout the day. His newfound freedom was both exhilarating and terrifying.

He rose from the bed just as Kat walked through the front door, carrying a bucket. He stood, naked, beside the bed, with his morning erection rising toward the roof of the cabin.

"Well, good morning, sleepyhead," she said with a smile. She lowered her eyes for a moment, and then quickly looked away. Jason experienced an alien sensation within him, and felt the need to turn away or cover himself. He quickly dressed as Kat poured the contents of her bucket into a pot on the stove. She then opened the door of the stove, lit a match, and flames appeared within.

"I figured I'd get a jumpstart on the water situation," she explained, noting Jason's curious expression. "I collected some water from a stream. We have to boil it before we can drink it."

"How do you know this?" Jason asked, pulling his tunic over his head.

"This isn't my first time living outside of the walls," Kat said. "Out here, you either learn quickly or you starve. Or worse."

"Then I guess I'd better start learning," Jason said. For the first time, he noticed that Kat wore unusual clothing the likes of which he had never seen. Again, Kat anticipated his question by the expression on his face.

"I found these in a storage bin," she explained, pointing to a bin in the corner of the room. "They are much warmer than the State-issued clothing. You should take a look and see if anything fits you."

He rummaged through the bin and found a pair of pants, a shirt, and a thick, long-sleeved top made of strange material that felt soft and warm to the touch. He removed his tunic and wore both the shirt and the top. He began to remove his pants, but noticed Kat was looking at him, and turned his back to her.

That afternoon, they explored their surroundings. Kat found an old fishing pole leaning against the exterior wall of the cabin, and she showed Jason how to bait a hook. They sat on the edge of the lake, leaning against a pair of trees, taking turns dangling their fishing line into the water. They filled their senses with the majesty of the sunlight reflecting off the water, the smell of fresh mountain air, and the sounds of birds chirping and waves gently lapping against the shore.

"You never did tell me your story," Jason noted, after a lengthy period of silence.

"I really don't want to talk about it," Kat said.

"Well, we have to talk about something," he said.

"Tell me what your life was like, back in the city."

"Pretty typical and boring, I suppose. I worked for the State six days a week, writing copy for school books, speeches, public service announcements...pretty boring stuff. At the end of the day, I'd go home to my apartment, and Cori. She would have dinner waiting for me. Sometimes, I would go out, for no other reason than to get out of the apartment for a while."

"You were a regular customer at the arcade," she noted.

"Yes, I was," he said, giving her a strange look. "And so were you. Am I right?"

She nodded. "I saw you there a few times. You always sat at the bar, talking to Arlo."

"I will miss Arlo," he said with a sigh. "There aren't many things that I will miss about the city, but he's one of them. I miss Cori already."

Kat turned her head and watched as Jason absentmindedly tugged at the fishing pole, staring at the ripples on the water.

"Cori," she said. "Is she your companion?"

"Yes," he responded. "She has been with me since I graduated from the Academy."

"I assume she's a C.O.R.I. model?" she asked, hesitantly.

Jason's focus suddenly shifted, and he turned his head toward Kat. "Yes, she is."

"Interesting," she noted.

"What is interesting about that?"

"Well...it's just that it's an older model. I'm sure the State has offered you an upgrade at some point."

"I like Cori," he said, suddenly appearing defensive. In his mind's eye, he could envision that sweet expression molded beneath her latex skin. "I spent a lot of time teaching her to do things just the way I like."

"Do things...like give you sexual pleasure?"

"Y—yes, of course. Sometimes. I mean, it's just a biological function, like any other."

"How often?"

"Whenever I need it," he said, his face reddening. "Whenever my body feels the urge for a release. Whenever I become too tense and stressed."

Kat giggled. "You mean like now?"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," he said, snapping the line back into the water.