Page 106 of Border Control

She motions for her friends to precede us, stepping close to me. Her voice dropping to a whisper meant only for me. “Stay close, human. You’re about to learn exactly what it means to live in our world.”

TWENTY-SIX

DOM

My head acheslike I took a rocket to the face again. Did Nevare overstretch himself? Is Arik hurt?

My hearts seize. Is this pain coming from Law-rah?

Cool relief settles my tense muscles as I remember—I was the one who got shot, this is my pain. Phew.

The sensation of Law-rah’s presence in my mind fades with every passing heartbeat. Either she or I must be traveling, and we're being separated.

I hesitate to reach out to her. I can feel she's fine if a little scared, blue spikes making the connection prickle between us like caltrops in the way. She'll be safe on Oloria, and she asked me not to speak to her in her mind. I have a hazy recollection of her telling me to stay, but I must be mistaken.

Still, I clutch onto whatever remains of the faint echo of her voice through our mind-sync. It's getting weaker, as if we’re worlds apart. I close my eyes and send my senses out as far as they'll go. Without Nevare here to boost me, I can barely stretch beyond arm's length, but it's enough to realize that Shade isn’t with me. The Sanitatum plant is gone.

I also discover there are guards nearby. Their mental shields tighten against me, like an Earth snail retreating into its shell. I catch only a glimpse of what the Pranastock pilot is seeing, a sight which makes my hearts seize.

A massive, gray slab of concrete and steel, devoid of life, just as indifferent as the fate that awaits me here. The walls rise as tall as a fortress, but there’s no safety here. Just the end.

‘Dom.’Law-rah's faint whisper. She's straining to make herself heard, shouting as loud as she can.

‘Law-rah. Don't worry, I'll shield you so you feel no pain.’I swallow hard. I have to make this easy for her.‘I hope you meet a True Born son who will treat you as the center of his world, as you deserve. Thank you for playing with me. It… it was truly the highlight of my life.’

‘Dom!’Vast pools of anguish threaten to drown her.‘Always thinking of others before yourself! How long have you got?’

An image flashes through my mind—a memory, sudden and sharp. We'd worked in a place like this once, Nevare, Arik and I, back when the only thing that mattered was my Apex’s well-being.

‘Approximately half an Earth hour,’I explain. It usually takes that long from arrival of a condemned clone to final processing.

‘I need more time. Slow them down if you can, Dom, please.’The colors of her mental voice are angry reds, searing golds, and a strong core of lilac.

My color. She's taking strength from me.

The flyer begins its descent.

‘I’m trying as hard as I can to get you out, but you need to resist. Buy me some time.’

I know the clones who resist are processed quicker. The clone who fought his lawful euthanization and smashed into Nevare, when I took the blow which left me with a head injury, wasimmediately shot. I was damaged badly enough they almost euthanized me right then and there. I was just an expendable Base, after all.

But Ilia saved me. He saw something worth keeping. And Gara patched me up, installed the metal plate in my head that I carry to this day. I was spared that time, brought back from the edge.

This time, there’s no one here to save me.

As the flyer settles, I hold on to the connection with Law-rah as hard as I can. I don’t know how she expects me to fight when everything here is proceeding as it should. Exiles who return should face the penalty.

But perhaps it's better to be euthanized while carrying out Law-rah's order. Because I'll fight to stay with Law-rah.

Light floods my vision as the trunk of the flyer bursts open, and I throw myself up. My eyes adjust quickly, taking in the figures ahead, a line of Parthiastocks, grim-faced and entirely unprepared.

I don’t hesitate. My orders are simple: obey Law-rah.Resist.

The first Parthiastock meets my fist, and his jaw cracks under the force. I pivot, slamming a knee into the gut of the next one before sweeping low, knocking him off his feet. But the clones keep coming, absorbing my hits like they’re nothing more than practice swings. My muscles strain, adrenaline burning through me. I won’t let them drag me down. I can't fail her.

And this is oddly satisfying. Whenever Law-rah asks anything of me, following her orders aligns with what I want. I do want this. I want to live.

A piercing scream hits me, tightening around my mind like a crushing vice.