Short Story Excerpt: The Hero's Journey - Ch10

Overview: https://kaylinrosealexande.wixsite.com/kaylinalexanderbooks/post/short-story-the-hero-s-journey-the-others-pt-2

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Exposition chapter, mainly. Have fun!

Chapter Ten: The Road Back

Jason sprang to his feet. “Others? There are Others here? At the base?” Sadie shook her head. Jason threw his hands in the air but tried to mask the gesture by wringing his hands through his hair. “Okay, Sadie, take it slow. Who’s here?”

Sadie bit her lip, trying to think. Jason’s comm chimed. “Hold on, Sadie. I have to get this.” He tapped on the comm. “Grayson.”

“Grayson, it’s Starling.”

“Mr. Starling,” Jason said, turning away from Sadie. The girl scrambled up to her feet, running in front of Jason. “Hold on Sadie. Yes, sir?”

“I heard about what happened to Downey and his team,” said Mr. Starling. “I’m sorry for your loss. I know how much he meant to you. Especially after the same thing happened to your sister.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jason said. “Is this why you called?” Sadie began to tug on Jason’s sleeve. “Sadie, I’m talking to Mr. Starling.”

“Mr. Grayson?”

“Yes, sir, I’m here.”

“I called to tell you that even though your plan ended in failure, we got some of the data we needed.”

“We did?”

“Yes. I assume Downey or a member of his squad managed to send a signal back to the base. We found it a few minutes ago.”

“What did it say?” Jason said, shaking Sadie off his arm.

“It gave us the code to get into the mothership on our own, as well as the rest of the instructions to upload the virus to the ship’s computer. It will stop the waves and short out their technology.”

“Really?” Jason asked. “So, are you asking me to send in another team?”

“I am, Mr. Grayson.”

Jason ran his hand through his hair. “Sir, we lost our best hackers last time. That was a crushing defeat, and I don’t think we should risk the lives of any more of our people; especially ones who are not equipped--“

A wave of realization swept over Jason. “Grayson?” Starling said over the comm. “Are you still there?”

Jason ignored him, taking the comm out of his ear. “Sadie, Starling’s an Other, isn’t he?” Sadie nodded. “That’s why you freaked out on him earlier. You…you recognized him.” Jason heard Mr. Starling called his name and shoved the comm back in his ear. “Sorry, sir, the comm fell out and rolled under the bed. I have it back. What were you saying?”

“Mr. Grayson, I was saying that I know you don’t want to sacrifice any more of our people. What happened to Lincoln Downey was a tragedy, indeed. But we are so close to defeat these terrorists. And there’s plenty of bases. Plenty of more people. And there’s even more out there in this world. By sacrificing our own people, we’ll be saving the whole world, Jason.”

“Okay, sir,” said Jason. “I’ll brief another squad in a half-hour.”

“There’s a good man.” Starling hung up.

Jason’s mind was racing. “Wait…so you said earlier that the reason they let the firing squad go was because they have someone, that being Starling, inside the Rebellion?” Sadie nodded. “Why? Why wouldn’t they just kill us?”

Sadie’s brows pinched together. Jason could tell she was struggling again. “They…did not…need you…dead…or captured…. The Others…the way that….” Sadie groaned, messaging her temple with her fingers.

“It’s okay,” said Jason, leading Sadie to the bed. “I know you’re frustrated. Take it slow.”

“They think…differently. Than us. There are…certain…certain people…” She began wringing her hands together. “They take certain people…whose…whose knowledge and…and skills…may be-benef—help them. They go to other dimen— dimens—“

“Dimensions?” Sadie nodded. “What do they do at the other dimensions?”

“Take people. People…they need. And they…” Sadie wrapped her legs to her chest, burying her face against her knees. Then she said in a whisper Jason could barely hear, “And then they…make us…them.”

“They make you them?” Jason repeated. Sadie nodded, not looking up. “What do you mean by that?”

“They…are…connected. To…each other. Each…person…that they take…gets their…” she swallowed, “brain…recon-reconf—“

“Reconfigured?”

She nodded. “And then…their knowledge…gets up-uploaded… into their…” she shrugged.

“Their shared mind?” Jason offered. Sadie nodded. Jason exhaled. “And…you, Lincoln, those other hackers…the Others wanted your minds? You guys actually stood a chance in hacking their system. Taking them out.” Sadie nodded again. “And…Starling? He’s one of them?” Sadie nodded. “How…do you know this?”

“When they…did…that…to me…I got…some of their…knowledge. But…before they…got me…I was…able to…upload…part…of the…virus. It…messed with their systems. Enough for a…glitch…to happen… when they were…transforming…me. That…was how I…escaped. But the glitch…also caused….” She pointed at her head, making a circular motion.

Jason leaned back against the wall, exhaling slowly.

“You…believe…me?” Sadie asked.

Jason exhaled. “All I know is that Starling wants to sacrifice innocent people. I won’t have that. I’ll check to see if he’s telling the truth about Lincoln sending the instructions—“

“I can,” Sadie said. When Jason opened his mouth to protest, she said, “No. I am…better than Jason Grayson.”

Jason allowed himself to smirk. “Alright. Let’s find a computer for you to hack.”

*****

Jason stood guard at the door while Sadie typed away at the computer. He took turns glancing out in the hallway and looking over Sadie’s shoulder at the computer screen. He watched her open files and search for Lincoln’s supposed message. And with each file that wasn’t Lincoln’s message, Jason became more and more sure of Starling’s true loyalty.

“It…isn’t here,” Sadie said after a while had passed. She turned around. “What…do we do?”

Jason ran his hand through his hair. “I…I don’t know, Sadie.” He sighed. “I’ll give you a comm. I’ll go by myself back to the mothership. You can walk me through—”

“No,” Sadie interrupted. “We go…together.”

“Wha—” Jason almost shrieked. Whispering harshly, he repeated. “What?!”

“I am better than Jason Grayson,” Sadie said, with no hesitation or difficulty this time.

Jason exhaled sharply. “Yeah, I know, you said that earlier. I know you’re better than me, but Sadie, they don’t want me. You said that, too. They want you, Sadie. Last time I went there, it was crawling with Others. You aren’t—“

“They knew…you were coming,” Sadie said. “They won’t…now.” Jason tried to protest again, but Sadie kept speaking. “You don’t want…what happened…to Jessie…to happen to me.” She stated it as a fact. Jason pressed his lips together, closing his eyes. “I know you…you don’t want to…sacrifice inno-innocents. But that…that in-includes you, too, Jason Grayson.”

Jason opened his eyes, looking into Sadie’s. They were full of so much fear, but they also had bravery masking that fear, and were bright with intelligence and determination. They were dark brown, not bright blue, but there was something so familiar about those eyes. “You can’t…go alone,” said Sadie. “I need…to go with you.”

Jason closed his eyes. In spite of himself, Jason felt himself nodding.

Ahh this is a much better reveal!

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