Chapter 34: Resist

Omni grapples with her father's concerns while considering for a daring mission to rescue a resistance agent from the clutches of the Company.

Omni sat cross-legged on the floor, the faint clattering of equipment and the musty scent of dust and sweat surrounding her. Around her, resistance members moved in a whir of busyness, and she meditated on their plan.

“I’m sitting still to go forward,” she thought with a smile. Ada had left her for a moment, and she used the solace to consider their plan.

Omni felt the world move around her, like water rushing past an unyielding stone. Yet she remained still and grounded. But she didn’t want to be like that. She just couldn’t stand by. She felt an affinity to Vinn, a girl her age who refused to stand by, who had so much less than her but had stood up and said no more.

The more she thought of Vinn, the more convinced she became that this crazy, insane path they had chosen—to follow these strangers into the gaping maw of the Company and to snatch Vinn from its teeth—was the only right choice.

“Omni, we’ve always faced challenges head-on, but this… this is sheer madness,” her father whispered, his eyes troubled.

“What?” she asked, turning toward him.

He sat down in front of her, rolling out his own mat, looking as if he was going to pray in the middle of things. “Oh no, father, please don’t.”

“We all consult when we need to,” he said, following her gaze.

“I’ll go, give you more space,” she said, getting up to move.

“No,” was all he said.

But she could tell from that single word that his calm surface covered up a deep current she was going to have to fight against. She wasn’t a child, and he couldn’t compel her actions. Even as she thought that, she recognized her childish desire to rebel. Was that all this was?

Omni sat and watched her father touch his head to the floor, facing toward Mecca, and waited for him to speak again. As the minutes dragged on, Omni’s thoughts and emotions whirled: annoyance, frustration, fear. Finally, he paused and turned to face her.

“What do we know?” he asked, then waited for her response.

“Vinn is captured. She needs to be rescued. Zeke asked for our help.”

“We have his word on that. We know he’s made strange allies,” he whispered, gazing around at the Number members mixed in with ordinary resistance members. They worked together, but it felt temporary, a tension evident even to the newcomers.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying we don’t know much of anything. Yet you’re planning on risking your life.”

“Murph knows them,” she countered, though she knew it was a weak argument.

“Knew. And he’s not here to enlighten us.”

“Whose fault is that?” Omni hissed, unconvinced that expelling Murph had been the right course of action. But Zeke had acted so quickly; she believed he was just waiting for half an excuse.

“His actions. We cannot have a liability on our squad ahead of a mission,” her father stated, speaking with the authority of a seasoned soldier. Noticing Omni’s reaction, he tried to return his expression to a neutral calm.

“He needs you, Omni. He needs someone with access to a djinn. Beware of someone who needs you like that. You cannot trust his motives.” He paused, glancing around, then leaned in closer. “We don’t even know that Vinn is alive.”

“He said…”

“He said.”

At that moment, Ash walked in. Omni looked up, relieved to see him but immediately noticed something off. His exoskeleton was lit up, alive again.

Oh no…

Dread filled Omni’s stomach. Was he a Seeker again? She was on her feet before she knew what she was doing. Ash approached them quickly.

“Hello, Omni,” Ash greeted.

He sounded the same, but something felt different.

Her father stood next to her, extending his hand to shake Ash’s. She noticed he placed himself in front of her—a defensive position, she thought.

“Welcome back, Ash,” said Farook, gesturing at his exoskeleton. “Looks like you’ve been patched up?”

Zeke appeared, leaving a group of people armed like soldiers to speak to their growing huddle. “That’s right, got him fixed up in the nick of time.”

“It’s good to be back,” said Ash, flexing his hands and shoulders.

The mechanical tone of his voice sent a chill through Omni; it had an inhuman edge that triggered a flashback of PTSD. For a moment, the Seeker stood before her.

But Zeke continued unaware, opened his palm in the midst of them and projected an image into their augmented vision.

“What’s that?” Farook inquired, blind to the mixed reality Omni was observing.

“It’s a message from Vinn,” Zeke explained to Farook. “The Company sent it to us moments ago. I wanted to show you who we’re going in there to get.”

Omni stared at the small-framed Indian girl, her face bloody and bruised. She was speaking, saying something.

“What’s she saying?” Omni asked.

Zeke made a motion with his finger, and the audio played.

“– you. I won’t give you a damn thing. You can kill me for all I care. I’m not going to read your stupid script,” she stared defiantly at the camera, “They’re scared. They fear us. Don’t stop.”

A fist slammed into Vinn’s cheekbone, causing her head to snap back. Zeke cut the video then. “She’s alive and she’s resisting,” he declared with evident pride.

Omni glanced at her father, whose frown had deepened. He was wrong. Vinn was alive, and they had proof. They had proof that the Company had her and that her time was running out.

“Our time is running out,” Zeke stated. “Are you with me?”

Omni hesitated, feeling her father’s hand squeeze hers urgently.

“I don’t—”

“We need a summoner. There’s no other way. Satya can teach you,” Zeke interjected, seeing her hesitation. Omni’s eyes sparkled with intrigue. The allure of acquiring a new skill, a new form of hacking the world, momentarily overshadowed the dangers of their mission.

“Yes,” she whispered, “We’re in.”

“Great,” Zeke said with a smile, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eyes. He was a good-looking man, but there was something wild in his gaze. The moment passed quickly as he moved on, barking orders, and preparing for an operation that was only hours away.

Her father leaned in closer to her. “Why did they send a video of Vinn now?”

“She’s alive, Father. You were wrong.”

“Yes, but why did they send a video now?” he pressed. But she just shrugged and turned away.

“I need to find Ada and Satya. I’ve got to prepare,” Omni declared over her shoulder. She sat back down, connecting to the Verse. As the interface booted up, she closed her eyes, distancing herself from her father.

From the periphery, she sensed him pause, his unspoken anger and frustration palpable in the heavy silence that followed.