Shutdown (Glitch)

He leaned forward and pulled me into a hug. He spoke into my ear. “We’ll find another place to hide, find another oxy-safe med container. We’ll hide out and be together.” His voice was low and rough. “I don’t care if the whole world crumbles so long as I have you.”
    It was what I wanted too. All that I wanted. But then I remembered another boy who’d asked that of me. It was what Max had always said, that the problems in the world were too big for us, small as we were, to make any difference against.
    At the time, I’d been so sure that we still had to try and change it anyway, no matter what. The Chancellor had offered me something similar too—a place at her table with other glitchers in her employ, living safe with the people I loved while she ruled over all the drones.
    And I’d asked myself the same question I did now: How could we, when so many others were suffering? How could we live happy and free when the rest of the world was enslaved?
    But I’d been so young and naïve back in the beginning. I hadn’t seen the world, hadn’t yet experienced how crushingly difficult life could be. I hadn’t known what a lucky and precious thing it was to have someone who loved you by your side, or how quickly you could lose them.
    And now? The idea of going somewhere quiet, hiding out, having Adrien hold me every night …
    I was so, so tempted.
    But there was a chance I could make his first vision come true. I could kill the Chancellor and save my brother. It might not free everyone like I’d always hoped, but without her, the Rez could have a chance to rebuild. We could start rescuing glitchers again and try to come up with another plan to subvert the Link system that enslaved so many. If I survived.
    “Right, then,” I said. My throat felt suddenly dry. I looked around at all the faces of the people gathered around us. I knew what I had to do.
    “No, Zoe,” Adrien pleaded. “Don’t.”
    “What?” Xona asked, looking back and forth between us. “I don’t get it.”
    I clenched my jaw. “I’m going to go kill the Chancellor.”

 
    Chapter 24
    “ JUST DROP DOWN ANYWHERE, H ENK . I can fly myself there.”
    Adrien turned away, as if he couldn’t look at me. I steeled myself against all my riotous emotions. Surely he knew I wasn’t rejecting him . This was something I had to do. Something I was maybe even destined to do.
    “Zoe, we’re on the other side of the Sector right now,” Henk said. “At least let us fly you within a hundred miles so you can save your energy. We’ll drop you then.”
    “And we’ll stay nearby and wait for your signal,” Cole said. “If you take out the Chancellor and there’s no risk of us falling under her compulsion, the rest of us can move in. Ginni said the other glitchers are still there too, in the same compound.”
    I looked down at the unconscious girl. Ginni’s chest moved up and down steadily. The laser had partially cauterized as it cut. As we all spoke, Xona worked with Simin to apply the gel that would disinfect and stimulate skin regrowth. A necessary part of every med kit when you lived in the Rez.
    Cole continued. “If you’re successful, then we can join you and—”
    “But we voted,” City objected. “We all agreed we wouldn’t risk trying to rescue them.”
    “Well, I change my vote,” Cole said.
    Xona’s head snapped to look at him. He put a hand on her shoulder. “You feel bound by your promise, but I know it’s what you’ve wanted all along.”
    Xona stared at him a long moment. “That’s that then,” she said, taking his large hand in hers. “Now the vote is nine to eight in favor of rescuing the others.”
    “What?” City said, straightening in her seat. “There’s still a bunch of us who don’t want to. Rand.” City spun to where he sat, nearest the back door. “Tell them. They can’t do this.”
    Rand’s forehead was scrunched up in thought. “We’ve got a chance now, Citz. If the other vision comes true … you know, the one where Zoe doesn’t make it,” he avoided my gaze, “then we won’t move in. But if she does, then everything will be chaotic. And you and me can take on whatever security they got.”
    City’s jaw tensed as she looked back and forth at all of us watching her. “Fine!” She sat back and crossed her arms. After a few more seconds, she said, “Well, I guess I haven’t gotten to fry anyone in a while.”
    Simin finished wrapping up Ginni’s leg with soft bandage, then