The Similars (The Similars #1)(98)

I’m free. I’m no longer bound by the chains, and I’ve propelled my body high in the air. I’m flying again. The view in front of me is out the long, rectangular window at the top of the wall. Outside there are trees, then water as far as the eye can see, and endless blue sky.

A decorative picture hangs on the wall below me, and I swoop down and grasp it, yanking it off the wall and pushing my feet off the Sheetrock, propelling myself toward the window like a human battering ram. I angle the picture frame at the window. It cracks the glass, which shatters around me. I slip through the opening, straight to the outside.

Now I’m flying toward a grassy clearing, where I see them—the Similars. All six sit motionless in their chairs, staring straight ahead, looking comatose. I notice blood flowing out of their bodies through IVs. Their faces are pale, so pale. With frightening clarity, I understand why—their bodies are being drained. They won’t live through this. When this simulation is over, they’ll be dead.

Panicked, I fly toward the Similars, about to land between Pippa and Maude when I hear the snarl. An attack dog crouches behind me.

I spin to face the dog. With razor-sharp canines and bright red gums, he lunges at me, snapping. I spring into the air, channeling the power I felt when I burst from the manacles, when I flew to safety off Hades Point. I aim my body toward Pippa, who is directly below me. I will pull out her IV and save her—

Chomp! The dog leaps several feet in the air and sinks his teeth into my ankle. I fall to the ground as more dogs appear, surrounding me. Moving in for the kill.

No! I shout in my head. This isn’t real. Gravelle—it’s all part of his sick virtual reality. It’s not happening, not really…

But the pain in my ankle feels more than real. I crawl forward, reaching to yank the IV out of Pippa’s arm. Seconds later, the dogs have converged around me, snapping and growling. I make a move to fly into the air again, out of their reach, but I can’t. They have me now. One dog knocks me over as another set of teeth clamps down on my calf, and two more dogs jump on top of me, one sinking his canines into my shoulder, the other into my neck. The end is surely in sight.

Then I remember Hades Point.

The injective. You are in control. You don’t have to be here. You can leave, Emma. You can leave…

“No!” I scream, my voice raw and primal. “No!”

My body is different now. It’s made of metal. Or maybe I’m wearing armor, I can’t tell. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that when the dogs go to bite, their teeth hit a hard surface. I hear the scraping of their teeth. Frustrated, they scratch and scratch until they lose interest, backing away from me. My pain is gone, and I am healed. Stronger, even.

I look at my hands. My fingers are made of individual pieces of metal attached by joints that give me fluid range of motion. My torso, my legs, and my arms are also covered in this aluminum material. It clangs when I tap a metal finger on it. I don’t bother to explore my body any more than that. I don’t need to. In this virtual reality, I am strong. I know what I can and must do.

I run toward the Similars, who are confined to their chairs. I move from one to the next, yanking out their IVs one by one and detaching the electrodes and other needles.

“You’re free!” I shout, but no one moves or responds. Their eyes are still glazed over. “You’re free,” I say desperately.

Still, the Similars don’t react. I rush to Pippa. I know she would acknowledge me if she could. She doesn’t. Her eyes are blank. I will Levi to look at me. He doesn’t.

Frustrated and angry, I shout, “Wake up!” I push him with my metal hand, but as it connects to his body, his torso breaks open. Dust and feathers pour from his shell. I stifle a sob. He isn’t real. He’s fake. A dummy. A doll. None of these Similars are real. This was all another trick.

Leave, says a voice—my voice. Stop letting him manipulate you. Stop it now, Emma!

In an instant, I’m on Gravelle’s man-made beach. I see Prudence working to untether a motorboat that’s tied to a dock. She’s screaming out my name, calling for me to get in. Ollie hobbles over on his injured leg, blood flowing freely from the wound.

I look down at my body. It’s no longer metal. My armor is gone. I am just me again. I may have finally escaped the virtual reality test, but I am still vulnerable.

I hear a shout and turn. Two guards pin Levi down. I move to help him, but Gravelle blocks my way.

I look into his face, the face of a madman. He motions for the guards to release Levi, who stops struggling. Levi stands slowly, trying to communicate something with his gaze. I don’t know what.

“Welcome back, Emmaline,” Gravelle purrs. Even over the rumbling of the boat’s motor, I can hear him clearly. “I must admit, I’m surprised. That simulation should have kept you out of commission for hours.”

“How long was I in it?” I ask, my voice sour, tinged with disgust. I’m aware of the tightrope I’m walking, standing here, conversing—provoking—this man when all of our lives are at stake.

“Fourteen minutes,” Gravelle answers.

“Oh,” I say, feeling defeated. It felt far longer than that.

Gravelle circles me, and I look to Levi for help. What does this man want from me?

“I am convinced,” Gravelle says, “that you would benefit from training at the compound. I’d give a lot to study that mind of yours…”