Shutdown (Glitch)

right himself.
    “Can someone get him some water?” I asked. Ginni hurried to the sink and back. She handed him the cup and he drank shakily.
    “What did you see?” City asked him.
    “It was a split vision, like before,” he said quietly. Everyone leaned in to hear him. “Two possible futures. It was even less clear than my last vision. I was present, but I’m not sure I was in my own body. It felt like,” he paused, frowning, “like I was seeing through someone else’s eyes, but I don’t know who.”
    “Well, what happened?” City asked impatiently.
    He swallowed hard. “In one future, the Chancellor is lying dead at Zoe’s feet. In the other,” his eyes darted up to meet mine, “you’re dead at hers.”

 
    Chapter 21
    I SWALLOWED HARD AND BLINKED rapidly. There it was, stated so blatantly. I’d known it would come down to this, if I was honest with myself.
    “When?” I asked.
    He shook his head, his eyebrows furrowed. “I couldn’t tell.”
    I took a deep breath to steady myself. “How do I kill her?”
    “She had a hole from what looked like a laser round burned through her chest.”
    I frowned. “A laser round? Why wouldn’t I just use my telek?”
    He shrugged, still trembling slightly as he recovered from the vision.
    “So what makes the difference between the two visions?” Xona asked.
    “Maybe like last time, the split hinges on some variable we don’t know about,” Adrien said. “Maybe even how we respond to the vision. Like whether or not you take a laser weapon with you because of how I saw her killed.” Then he shook his head, brow furrowing. “Although it’s probably more complex than that.”
    “Maybe that girl will be there,” Ginni said. “The one who made all our powers not work.”
    I nodded slowly. That did make sense. I’d assumed the girl’s power was like the techer’s, unconsciously affecting everyone; in which case, the Chancellor would never keep her around. But what if the girl could direct her power only at certain glitchers? Though, if that was the case, how would I ever get close enough to the Chancellor for either of the visions to come true? Without my powers, Regs could easily take me out the second I got there.
    I hated the thought that some decision I, or someone else, made in the future could be the difference between the Chancellor’s death, or my own. When the time came, how would I know if I was making the right choice? Or what if it was something that was out of my hands altogether?
    “Where is she right now?” I asked. “Ginni, you mentioned last night that she was in some compound where everyone else was imprisoned.”
    Ginni closed her eyes briefly. “She hasn’t moved. And Zoe.” She opened her eyes to look at me. “Your brother’s there too.”
    I nodded, swallowing hard. I’d expected as much.
    “All right,” Henk interrupted, “now that all the fun’s died down, I’m gonna make a supply run. We’re running short on food, and we’ll need full bellies before we figure out what’s comin’ next. I know a market supply center that’s just beggin’ to be ganked. Who’s with me?”
    “I’ll go,” Rand said.
    Xona and Cole volunteered too, along with a couple Rez fighters. Max slunk off to the corner. I knew I needed more rest before I’d be of much help to anyone, so after a long blistering shower I climbed back in the med container and told Ginni not to wake me this time.
    *   *   *
    When I finally woke, it was midmorning the next day. Cole dropped a huge pallet full of rice and beans in the center of the room, and the others began unloading it. I went to help. My legs felt strong for the first time in days and the overall achiness was almost gone. It was amazing what a solid night of sleep could do.
    I was finally well rested and now our pantry was well stocked. We could stop worrying about simple survival and start planning out what our next move was going to be. I hefted a bag of flour over to the cabinet and set it alongside the others.
    “How’d it go?” Ginni asked Rand.
    “No problems. Henk’s the king of thieves,” Rand said, then tilted his head sideways with a grin. “’Course I helped too. Couldn’t have made it through that thick guard fence without my skills.”
    City rolled her eyes. “Yes we could have, Rand. They’re called wire cutters.”
    “Fine, but don’t even say I wasn’t helpful, melting a hole through those metal loading doors.”
    “And let’s not forget,”