Glitch

Adrien. “I told
    him you were coming but we were still surprised.”
    “It’s fi ne,” Adrien said, managing a smile. “I wish I’d had
    more time to warn you. I’m sorry for startling you.” Adrien
    addressed it to both of us.
    “Sorry?” I said in confusion. “I’m not familiar with the
    word.”
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    “It means I feel bad,” Adrien said, taking a moment to
    think before fi nishing, “and wished I hadn’t hurt you or
    made you afraid.”
    Sorry. I nodded, adding it to my mental list of emotive
    words. It seemed like an important one.
    “So how’d you get in?” Max pushed off the wall and came
    to stand between Adrien and me. “And why are you here?”
    “We have members of the Re sis tance planted in the unit
    above this one. We cut through the fl oor over a shared ven-
    tilation duct.”
    “Re sis tance?” Max asked, narrowing his eyes.
    “Let’s all sit down,” I said ner vous ly. “Adrien, why don’t
    you start from the beginning?’
    “Sure.”
    Max’s face was still hard. He pulled me down to sit be-
    side him on the ground. “You can take the chair,” he said to
    Adrien. Max’s behavior was confusing me. I didn’t under-
    stand it and I didn’t like it.
    “I don’t know exactly where to begin,” Adrien said.
    “Do you have a glitcher power?”
    “Max,” I chastised sharply.
    “It’s fi ne,” Adrien said. “Yes, I do have a power, though
    we refer to it as a Gift.”
    “Well, what is it?” Max’s voice was rough and insistent.
    “I get visions of the future.” Adrien met Max’s angry eyes
    calmly. He turned to me. “That’s how I knew you were in
    trouble on the train that day.”
    He explained quickly about our trip to the Surface. All the
    questions and confusion— the water dreams, my memories
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    Heather Anastasiu
    of the forest, all of it was explained in the space of ten min-
    utes. It almost seemed too simple. Something tugged at the
    back of my mind. There was something else he was leaving
    out, something I’d forgotten. I sat stunned while he went on.
    “What is this Re sis tance movement?” Max interrupted.
    “It’s basically a sustained rebel faction,” Adrien said. “It’s
    been alive in some form since the beginning. Some people
    escaped being chipped and kept a record of what was really
    going on after D-day. But they were powerless to actually
    stop it. We still are, kinda. It’s not like the Rez has ever been
    strong enough to make a stand against the government or
    fi ght them straight out. Mainly, we just try to keep a strong
    non- chipped presence, an alternative for those who can man-
    age to escape government control.”
    “So you don’t actually do anything?” Max said harshly.
    “I didn’t say that.” Adrien looked at Max. “We believe
    preparation’s essential, that a time will come when we have
    enough people and enough power to make a stand. We get
    weapons, recruit spies among the Uppers, and make tech to
    combat Community tech. We’re trying to fi nd ways to dis-
    able the Link system for good, to give people back their
    voices—” He looked at me now. “—and when that hap-
    pens, the Rez will be able to provide the infrastructure and
    resources to help the people rise up against the bastards
    who’ve enslaved them.”
    “And when is this great revolution going to happen?”
    Max’s voice was caustic.
    Adrien looked down, with what I thought looked like
    sadness or uncertainty. “We haven’t found a way to disable
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    G L I TC H
    the Link permanently in any signifi cant population. Until
    we do, it’s impossible to make a lasting change.”
    “So what are you doing here at the Academy?” I asked.
    “I’m looking for glitchers. I’m a recruiter, kinda. I mean,
    visions aren’t the most reliable way to make sure we’ve found
    all the glitchers at an Academy.” He looked down self-
    consciously. “But it’s something. My task is to fi nd as many
    as possible, prepare them for the outside world, then escape
    with the Rez’s help.”
    Escape. He’d said the word out loud I barely let myself
    whisper furtively in my head. Did I dare let myself believe
    it? Was it really possible that there was a place where we
    could live without the constant, strangling threat of deacti-
    vation?
    “And Markan,” I cut in suddenly. “We have to take Mar-
    kan too. I don’t care if he’s not a glitcher.” I said it with such
    certainty I almost sounded angry. I blinked, surprised at