Glitch

It’s too dangerous.”
    I turned back to Sophia. “Can we fool their diagnostic
    equipment?” I asked stubbornly.
    “Yeah. We have subware that can mimic memory info so
    they aren’t tipped off . But Zoe—”
    “If someone could get the immunotherapy treatments to
    me there,” I said slowly, “then maybe I could escape again
    without risking another attack.”
    I paused, an image fl ashing in my mind that sealed the
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    Heather Anastasiu
    decision. Markan. My chest fl ooded with hope. “And I could
    get my brother out, too.”
    “Is he glitching?” Adrien’s mother asked.
    “No, but he might when he gets older. And I can’t leave
    him there. Not knowing what I do now.”
    Adrien was quiet. He paced for a little bit, one hand mas-
    saging his forehead, before fi nally stopping and nodding. “It
    could work, I guess. If we drop you back, they’ll know some-
    thing anomalous happened to you, but with the drive re-
    moved, even you won’t know exactly what it was.”
    “And I won’t remember . . .” I trailed off , looking down
    at the ground. “Is there a way to download the info onto
    an external memory drive so I’ll still have it? So I can
    remember . . . you know, about the immunotherapy stuff
    and why I need to do it?”
    “Too risky,” his mother said immediately. “In the wrong
    hands, that drive would reveal compromising information
    about Adrien and me and the Rez. I can’t let that happen.”
    “That’s why I’ll be there at school with you,” Adrien said,
    “and I’ll help you remember.”
    “No you will not!” his mother exploded, grabbing Adrien’s
    arm roughly and yanking him away from me. “This has gone
    on long enough. I’m fi ne with getting her a supply of medi-
    cine, but you are staying here. We’ve taken far too many risks
    already.”
    Adrien yanked his arm back from her, his eyes fl at. “Noth-
    ing has changed. I probably shouldn’t have taken her away
    from the Academy. I see that now. But even this was meant
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    G L I TC H
    to happen. The other visions will come true, too, even if I
    can’t see how—”
    “Enough!” Sophia’s frizzy ropelike hair fl ew around her as
    she advanced on him. “She’s shunting allergic to the world!
    Get it through your head! She’s not the one you were hoping
    for.”
    “I’m sorry, Mom.” He took a step toward her. “I’m not
    trying to hurt you, but I am going back.”
    “But how?” I asked in a whisper. “They’ll fi gure out we
    were together— that you were the one who took me away.”
    He shook his head. “Not if I’m sick with Flu 216. I’d be
    out for a week without suspicion. We’ll stop at Sanjan’s on
    our way back, so he can infect me with the samples I know
    he keeps.”
    “No,” his mom said. “I won’t let you. I’ll tell him not to
    give it to you.”
    “Mom,” he said, more gently. “Even if they don’t believe
    she’ll become our future leader, they know she’s telekinetic.
    To you, she might just be one girl, but the Rez will see she’s
    too valuable to lose.”
    His mother took a few steps back, her face shifting.
    She stared at him for another long moment; then she spun
    on her heel and left the room, slamming the door behind
    her.
    The silence was heavy after she left. I stood near the wall,
    stunned by all that had just happened.
    “I’m sorry about that,” Adrien fi nally said, breaking the
    quiet.
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    Heather Anastasiu
    “Is what she said true? That you’ve had visions of me as
    some sort of leader of the Re sis tance?”
    “Sorry.” He walked across the room to me. “I know it’s
    a lot to take in. This whole day must seem like one long
    nightmare. But you’ll wake up. Once we remove the mem-
    ory disrupter, you won’t remember any of it.”
    “How is that supposed to make me feel better?” My voice
    rose in pitch. “I only found out today that a Re sis tance even
    exists, and you think I’m going to take it over one day?” It
    was all too much. All I’d wanted was to feel things and under-
    stand what was happening to me. But he was saying someday
    everyone was going to be looking to me for answers?
    I squeezed his hand tighter. “Maybe your mom is right.
    I’m nobody. I’m not a leader. I’m not meant for any of this.”
    “You’re not nobody,” he said, covering my hand. “And
    it’s not about that. Even if you don’t become some great
    godlam’d leader, I’d still come back with you.”
    “You would? Why?” My voice