Override (Glitch)

too happy.”
    “That’s not fair,” Ginni said. “Besides, they gave us some good intel on some of the other glitchers the Chancellor has, ones that were too valuable to leave behind in the building to get blown up. Apparently there’s this red-haired boy who can make you hallucinate and see things that aren’t there. He liked to terrorize the other kids. The twins got all shaky when they talked about him.” She shuddered. “It creeped me out just listening to it. I hate powers that can get inside your head.”
    “The Chancellor’s getting more and more powerful,” Xona said, frowning. “She’ll keep stocking up on glitchers she can use against us.”
    Xona’s words hung ominously for a long moment.
    “What happens next?” I asked. “The General didn’t get whatever it was she was looking for.”
    “I don’t think even the General knows what to do next right now,” Xona said, her voice subdued. “This past week alone, ten Rez cells were cracked. Double agents working for the Rez keep getting found out and imprisoned. It’s not safe anywhere except here.”
    “I heard the floor below ours is flooded with Rez fighters who managed to escape the safe house raids,” Ginni said.
    “Just soldiers?” I asked. “What about civilians and families?”
    “The General doesn’t want to open up the Foundation to nonmilitary personnel. We’d go through rations too quickly. She worries about the visibility of every shipment of supplies coming in as it is. But I also heard she does have a plan,” Ginni leaned in and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Something big.”
    “What?” I leaned in too.
    “I don’t know the details,” Ginni said. “But I overheard her arguing with the Professor. She said something about how she was gonna change the world.”
    “Change the world?” Adrien suddenly leaned in, his green eyes flashing.
    “What does that mean?” I asked.
    Ginni shrugged. “That’s just what she said. That if it was the last thing she did, she was going to change the world.”

Chapter 18
    “EVERYONE, THIS IS SAMINSA.” Jilia stepped into the room and gestured forward to the girl standing behind her. She was a slight little thing, with cropped brown hair and a heart-shaped face.
    “Hello!” Ginni said and bounded toward the girl with open arms. The girl flinched back, moving behind Jilia again.
    “Don’t freak her out,” Xona said, jumping down from her bunk.
    “Oh,” Ginni stopped, visibly trying to rein herself in. “Sorry! I’m just so excited to meet you. Look, there’s this empty bunk right over mine. This is Xona by the way,” she gestured, “and that’s Zoe. Oh,” she paused nervously, “I guess you’ve already met Zoe.”
    Ginni’s face reddened. I imagined she’d just realized exactly where and how I’d met Saminsa. “But—I mean—well now you can be properly introduced!”
    Saminsa eyed us warily. From her tense stance, she looked like a cornered animal, ready to attack or flee at any moment.
    “It’s safe,” Jilia said gently. “I promise. You’re safe now. No one will force you to do anything anymore.”
    Saminsa’s eyes flicked up at Jilia, but she still stayed silent, her mouth a hard line. She looked slowly between Xona, Ginni, and me. Cautiously, she eased forward and grabbed the bedding out of the bunk above Ginni’s and tugged it over near the doorway.
    “What’s she doing?” Ginni whispered, frowning deeply.
    “She’s taking up the most tactically advantageous position while in a new territory,” Xona said with a smirk, her eyes twinkling with approval. “I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a box within an enemy camp either.”
    “But we aren’t enemies!” Ginni exclaimed.
    “Guys,” I hissed. “Stop talking about her like she’s not here.” Saminsa looked both terrified and fierce as she dropped the bedding and stood with her back to the wall, her quick eyes flicking back and forth between us all.
    “Come on,” Jilia said, “I’ll show you the bathroom and shower.” The girl followed Jilia out.
    I went back to the drawing I’d been working on, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Saminsa. I could only hope that with time she’d see we weren’t the enemy. I looked down at my paper. The Professor had given me colored drawing pencils, and I was trying to figure out the best way to blend the colors together.
    Ginni sewed beside me and Xona changed into her training clothes and left. It seemed like she was always working