Shutdown (Glitch)

like a headquarters or something?”
    Henk laughed again. “Naw, great-grandpappy didn’t trust anyone, not even his new freedom fighter mates. Never showed this place to anyone ’cept his family and made his kids swear to do the same with each new generation. No matter what, he wanted his line to survive.”
    “But you brought us here?”
    He shrugged. “Eh, great-grandpappy was a crazy ol’ bastard. And I’m the last of us, so it’s my legacy now. It’s the only place I could think of that the Chancellor won’t be able to compel someone to tell about, ’cause no one but me knows.”
    I nodded. “Thank you.”
    He waved a hand. “It’s nothin’. Now get yourself on down there. I can already hear Ginni shrieking about you getting back.”
    I listened and he was right, I could dimly hear Ginni’s unique high-pitched squeal. I smiled and started down the ladder. In spite of all that had happened, so many of my friends were still safe. I would take the moment to enjoy it before letting all the other worries settle back in.
    Ginni all but tackled me when I finally stepped off the ladder. She half strangled me, her arms were so tight around my neck.
    “I was so worried!” she said.
    “It’s okay, Ginns. I’m safe.”
    I looked around at the other familiar faces packed into the small six-by-six-foot chamber that made up the entryway. Rand clapped Adrien hard on the back, pulling him into a half hug. “Good to see ya, man.”
    Juan gave me a hug too. “Glad you’re safe,” he said when he pulled back. He used to be so ready with a smile, but even though he looked glad to see me, his face was subdued.
    I looked around. The concrete walls looked like they hadn’t been scrubbed down in a very long time. A layer of orange Surface dirt coated them, heavier along the bottom near the floor. We set our coolant harnesses on a hook in the entryway, then Ginni ushered me through an arched concrete doorway into a larger room. It was about twenty feet wide and maybe fifty long. The walls were also curved, like a giant animal had burrowed a large tunnel through the ground.
    Cots hung from the walls all the way up to the ceiling on the right side of the room, stacked four high. Lots of people were sitting or lying on their cots. Others milled around the room. Some I recognized: City, Rand, a dark-haired boy who seemed vaguely familiar, Cole, and Amara. Max sat alone in the corner. He stood when I came in, but I looked away from him. The rest wore the distinctive Rez fighter garb.
    “You must be exhausted,” Ginni said. “Juan and I set up your med container.” She pointed to a plastic rectanglar box set up under a cot at the farthest side of the room. Just seeing it made me feel better. I could barely imagine cobbling together more than a few hours of sleep at a time, and I all but ran toward the thing. Ginni giggled as she followed behind me.
    Max met me at the container. “Zoe, I’m so glad you’re safe. I was so worried—”
    “Don’t.” I held up a hand, my voice harsh. “I don’t want to hear it.” He was the last person on earth I wanted to talk to right now.
    “Ginni, please wake me in eight hours. And,” I leaned closer, “keep an eye on Adrien. He just found out about his mom.” She nodded solemnly, and I sat down in the container and pulled the lid overhead.
    *   *   *
    Ginni woke me in time for dinner. I knew I needed more sleep, but I was also eager to catch up with everyone.
    I stood up and stretched my sore body. I rolled my head slowly, stretching out the aching muscles in my neck. When I stepped out of the pod, my legs felt extremely weak. I’d probably need to sleep for a couple days before I felt back to my old self. At the same time, having used up so much of my power over the past week meant I’d be safe from another eruption of power like what happened with the earthquake. At least for a few days until my telek renewed itself.
    I looked around for the first time without sleep-befuddled eyes. On the side of the room opposite the beds was a small kitchen setup with a sink and tiny square countertop. A food cooling unit was crowded in between the sink and another wide cabinet in the corner. There were a few boxes of protein bars and a stack of blankets piled up beside the cabinet.
    In spite of the fact that it was all situated in an orderly way, the room felt cluttered. There was just so much stuff, not to mention people, for such a relatively small space.
    I joined