Shutdown (Glitch)

friend.”
    “She was my friend too,” City cut in. “But you have to leave people behind. It’s what happens. Tell her, Xona.”
    I expected Xona to object and throw it back in City’s face. But to my surprise, Xona just looked at the ground. “City’s right,” she said quietly. “I had to leave plenty of friends behind over the years. That’s the life of living on the run. And the only way the Rez survived this long is because people have known when to duck and hide.”
    Ginni’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t believe that! Tyryn was captured too. Don’t you love your brother at all?”
    A vein pulsed in Xona’s forehead. “Don’t you say a shunting thing about my brother.”
    I was shocked at how all the camaraderie I’d just been watching had suddenly turned in on itself. I’d assumed it was a given that we’d go back and try to rescue the others.
    And how was no one else even mentioning what the Chancellor had announced about the V-chip? I opened my mouth to bring it up again but then closed it. I supposed City was right in a way, we did have more immediate problems than worrying about the drones, but still. The Chancellor had to be stopped.
    My mind flipped to the vision Adrien had yesterday. Was this the catalyst for what he’d seen? Because there was no way I could ignore what the Chancellor was doing and go live my life in peace somewhere. There would be no peace for me until she was dead and I’d rescued my brother. My chest cinched up even thinking about Markan. Had she done the procedure on him already, implanted the last deadening V-chip? I thought I’d have a few more years to get him back before the final chip was installed. Or would she keep him un-chipped if he was a glitcher with a useful enough Gift?
    Meanwhile, the discussion raged on around me.
    “The Rez has survived because we didn’t leave our own behind,” Henk glared at City.
    “That’s not true,” City scoffed. “Look at what happened to Taylor when they went for Adrien. You try to rescue even just one person and the rescuers get killed instead. Whole Rez teams have been killed that way. And then what’s the point of it all? Who’s going to fight the next battle if we’re all dead? You’ve said yourself that we’re the only ones left, Henk. That means they win.”
    “So, what?” I interjected. “We just sit here and do nothing?”
    “It’s called living.” Xona crossed her arms. “It’s what the Rez has done for hundreds of years. Hiding out and staying alive.” I thought about the promise she’d made to her brother as she went on. “We steal the supplies we need and stay on the move. There’s gotta be some cells that haven’t been cracked yet.”
    “None that I could find,” Simin said.
    “Yet,” City corrected. “None that you could find yet . And it makes sense. Any operatives who’ve managed to escape the Chancellor aren’t going to be broadcasting it. It’s protocol to go communications-dark when the situation gets hot.”
    “Yes, but there are other protocols to set beacons to let others know you’re still alive,” Simin said. “I pinged the beacon for the Rez in Sector Six, and none have been activated.”
    “Then we go to other countries,” City said. “If everyone in the Rez in this Sector has been cracked because of the Chancellor, then we get as far as we can away from her. The other side of the globe if we have to. There are other groups we can find.” She looked at Simin. “Have you tried contacting the Rez in other Sectors?”
    He shook his head. “Not yet.”
    “There,” City said, nodding her head. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”
    “That’s not what we’ll do,” Henk said, slamming his hand hard on the table. “You’re all just kids. You don’t know—”
    “Don’t you dare patronize us.” City’s voice rose an octave. “We all heard Jilia talk about you. How you’re irresponsible and don’t think before you do things. You’d get us all killed if you were in charge.”
    “Did you forget whose bunker we’re all sittin’ in?” He gestured around him. “And whose jet is sitting outside?”
    “Zoe was a Colonel,” Ginni said. “She’s the highest-ranking person we have left. She should be in charge.”
    “Because that turned out so well back at the Foundation,” City said sarcastically. “Did you forget about the earthquake she caused that led them straight to us?”
    My face burned both in anger at what she’d said and shame