Rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion
TU BOOKS
ISBN 978-160060984-8
4/1/14 9:20 PM
tankborn
the first book in the tankborn trilogy
rebellion
the second book in the tankborn trilogy
REBELLION
By Karen Sandler
Enslaved by their genetics. Oppressed by their creators. Fighting for their humanity.
Karen Sandler
Rebellion
a tankborn novel
Tu Books
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the
product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance
to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is
entirely coincidental.
Copyright 2014 by Karen Sandler
Jacket photographs copyright 2014 by Shutterstockmountains: Zvonimir
Atletic/woman: mimagephotography/Thinkstocksky: denisovd
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, or
stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission
from the publisher.
TU BOOKS, an imprint of LEE & LOW BOOKS Inc.,
95 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
leeandlow.com
Manufactured in the United States of America by
Worzalla Publishing Company, May 2014
Book design by Sammy Yuen
Book production by The Kids at Our House
The text is set in Adobe Caslon Pro
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition
This book has been manufactured using environmentally friendly materials: the
paper is certified as responsibly sourced, the hardcover boards are made from
recycled materials, and the inks are vegetable based.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rebellion / Karen Sandler. First edition.
pages cm
Sequel to: Awakening.
Summary: In this final installment of the Tankborn series, Kayla has been
kidnapped by the group that has been bombing GEN warehouses, and she must
pretend to sympathize with them in order to escape Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-1-60060-984-8 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-60060-985-5 (e-book)
[1. Genetic engineeringFiction. 2. KidnappingFiction. 3. Science fiction.]
I. Title.
PZ7.S2173Reb 2014
[Fic]dc23
2014002775
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Once they got back inside Antara and the doors were locked
behind them, the gang of boys trooped away to pile into the
freight lift. Kayla felt so tired, she wished she could curl up on the
stone floor right there. Her quarters seemed impossibly far away.
Ohin reached for Kaylas hand. We should take her to one
of the Maramatas. She might need a tank session to pull out
the rest of the venom.
Shakki stepped between Kayla and Ohin, forcing Ohin to
let go of Kayla. Shakki was half his size, yet she was clearly
determined to protect Kayla from the FHE leader.
She just needs a good nights sleep, in her own bed,
Shakki said. Ill clean her up. All the time I spent helping the
GEN healer in my home sector, Ive got enough med training
to take care of Kayla.
Kayla could see Ohins reluctance, but he nodded. If her
condition gets worse, take her to Medic Palla.
The freight lift was nearest, but the thick-headed boys
had taken it and it was still descending to the lower levels. So
Shakki guided Kayla past it down a gently curving corridor.
Theres a passenger lift just up ahead, Shakki said.
As Ohin walked with them, he got that far away look on
his face that told her he was using his circuit-comm.A vibration
started up at the base of Kaylas skull and words started traveling
along her circuitry, one-sided snatches of a conversation with
the flavor of Ohins voice. Shes fine... refusing to... cant force her.
She tapped Shakkis circuit-comm. Can you hear that?
Hear what?
Nothing, Kayla said.
If she could hear Ohin, could he hear her? She didnt have
his passkey, but could she backtrack along the path of her
circuitry and speak to Ohin? Did she even want to?
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ride them. But Im not allowed to. Ohin says Im too small.
It seems like small would be better.
To ride, maybe, Shakki said. But Ohin intends the Bhimkay
Boys to fight on spider-back. When Ohin says Until the day? He
means when the big battle happens with the outsiders.
Ohins planning a war? Kayla asked, aghast. She thought
wars were archaic things theyd left behind back on Old Earth.
I dont see how he can manage it. So many of the bombers get
killed in the explosions, hes got to run out of martyrs sometime. And
if he starts setting off bombs in the trueborn sectors, you can be sure
the Brigade will put a quick stop to it.
Even so, knowing the damage Ohin could do, had been
doing, made Kayla queasy. How does Ohin even get the himayati
out? Or bring new GENs in? The supplies, toohow does he get
them past the Wall?
Ohin had passageways excavated, Shakki said. Thats how Essali and I came in. The Brigade had caught us leaving a safe house in
Jassa sector, and we were on a one-way trip to a reset. FHE operatives ambushed the enforcers before we could be stuffed into a Brigade Dagger. We were passed from one FHE operative to another
until we got to Belk. Thats where we picked up the first passageway.
You walked all the way through the Wall from Belk?
It took three days, with rest stops and time to sleep. But the
portable tank you were in would have been brought some other way.
Not sure how. You cant exactly use a lev-cart over those boulders.
An idea sparked inside Kayla, bringing hope with it. Then
if we could find one of the passageways out
In the first place, Shakki said, I dont know where they come
into Antara. Probably into locked rooms you and I will never see.
They may not have reset me before the trip, but when they brought
me and Essali in, they blindfolded us for that last stretch so we
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never saw. In the second place, Shakki went on, dont you think
the secret ways in would be well-guarded? Better than the surface?
Kaylas hope extinguished. She lay on her bed, the dark
adding to her gloom. It wasnt right to feel a little angry with
Shakki, but she couldnt seem to help herself. If you want to ride
one of the bhimkay, why not just hop on? How could anyone stop you?
You need a saddle, otherwise the hair barbs are too sharp. Ohin
never gave me one. And theres no borrowing one. Those big hulking
boys keep their saddles locked up in their quarters.
Not fair.
No. Shakki sighed. The bhimkay are smarter than youd think.
They bond to the people who handle them.
Is Tak bonded to you? Kayla asked.
No, another bhimkay is. A male called Pev. I taught him to
carry me like Tak carried you. Thats almost as good as riding.
Kayla, remembering how terrified shed been wrapped in
Taks spike-studded legs, wasnt too sure that was something
desirable. Who is Tak bonded to?
It used to be Essali, Shakki said. They let us room together when
we got here. Shes the one who found out about Devak and told me.
Could I talk to her? Find out what else she knows?
I dont know where she is, Shakki said. One day she never came
back to our quarters. I tried to find her on the circuit-comm. She
didnt answer.
Maybe she blocked you like I did, Kayla suggested.
No, Shakki said. I can tell when Im blocked. This is different.
Its like she doesnt exist anymore.
Foreboding weighted Kaylas heart. Do you think she left?
Escaped?
Not escaped, Shakki said with certainty. Ive been wondering
if theyve reset her. Or... or, shes dead.
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dirt, halting her forward motion. The legs of the bhimkay that
straddled the gate spanned a rough four-meter diameter circle.
Its belly was a solid black, the trademark red design on its back
not quite visible.
These really arent genned to be bigger? Kayla asked. Like
the droms are?
Like I told you before, the Badlands grows them this big.
Kayla looked up at the bhimkay towering above her. Tell
me we dont have to walk in the gate with that thing there.
Were not going in there at all, Shakki said. Not without
any of the other handlers here.
Kayla looked around her at the empty clearing. Yesterday
and the day before, theyd come an hour or two later. The other
six handlers had already been out here, presakas and shocksticks
in hand, roaming the exterior of the cage. They were supposedly
training the bhimkay, but their training seemed to consist of
shouting and poking the shockstick through the wire mesh.
Once they had their spiders in a frenzy, theyd freeze them
with a presaka command, strap their saddles on, and take off
on spider-back.
Shakki never came outside without the presaka, but she
didnt carry a shockstick. Shed said the first day, If Im cruel
enough to the bhimkay to get bit, I deserve it.
At the time, Kayla had agreed because there were six other
handlers out here with the weapons. But with just her and
Shakki here, Kayla wasnt so sure.
Im not sure Im ready to go inside the cage, Kayla said. So
far, shed only sat outside and watched Shakki work with Pev.
Theres nothing to worry about, really, Shakki said.
Last night, I hacked into the bhimkay database, so I have all
the spiders frequencies. That will let us command any of the
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bhimkay if we need to, not just Tak and Pev. And anyway,
theres an emergency stop command that freezes any of the
spiders for several minutes, long enough to get away.
Tak bit me pretty quick that night I tried to run away,
Kayla said.
I really dont think shed do that again. Shakki tugged
Kayla along the long side of the enclosure. Id like to see if we
can get Tak to start bonding with you.
Tak didnt look like she had any intention of paying
attention to anything but her eggs. She hunched even more
tightly against the pile as Kayla and Shakki approached.
How much longer before the eggs hatch? Kayla asked,
stalling.
Thats up to Ohin, Shakki said. The eggs were treated
after she laid them to grow thicker shells. The babies wont be
able to get out without human help. So even when theyre ready,
theyll have to wait for Ohin to give the order. The hatching
will take days because Ohin will want the gen-techs to install
the controller circuitry in each one before he lets the next one
come out.
Shakki splayed her hand against the thick wire mesh just
above the bhimkays head. If I call him, Pev will come out in
a heartbeat. Thats him on the gate. If we get him out, it might
encourage Tak.
Why get her out at all? Kayla asked.
We need to bond her with someone else, Shakki said,
hand still against the mesh, her eyes on Tak. Thats one thing
weve figured outthey do that in the wild with another spider.
You mean, take a mate?
Not the same, Shakki said. Mating is very mechanical.
A female like Tak lays eggs, a male like Pev comes over and
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Shakkis sigh told her that whatever the GEN girl was
expecting, it wasnt happening. Oh, well. Could you just stay
there a little longer? Im going to get Pev out.
Kayla spread her hand out just a little bit wider. She stared
through the wire at the bhimkay, wishingwhat? That she
could read its mind, could somehow understand what it wanted.
Then Tak moved. With slow, careful motions of her
segmented legs, she inched closer to the mesh. Her front feet
grabbed about a meter up the enclosure wall, and the bhimkay
heaved her head right up against the mesh.
Kayla watched, half-terrified, half-fascinated as the spider
leaned close. What looked like two short legs on either side of
her mouth extended.
They brushed her hand through the holes in the mesh. It
was so gentle, it tickled.
Shakki? Kaylas voice sounded unnaturally high. Is that
part of her mouth? What she eats with? Is she wanting to take
a taste of me?
Shakki, about to open the gate, relocked it and trotted back
toward Kayla. Shakki stopped several meters away. Those are
her pedipalps. Kind of like hands, or antennae. Shes feeling
you, not tasting you. At least, not tasting you to eat.
A second pair of legs rose to clutch the mesh. Tak
positioned her myriad eyes in Kaylas direction. The bhimkay
hummed faintly.
Shakki? Kayla asked.
Thats good. I think shes accepting you. Shakki moved
slowly toward Kayla. Heres a spare presaka just in case. Lets
see if we can encourage her to come out to you.
Heart thudding like a hammer in her ears, Kayla followed
Shakki to the gate. Pev was still waiting there, his eye-studded
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female had taken posts beside Taks eggs, their agitation clear
from their hissing and shifting feet.
Theyre afraid of Tak, so they wont bother her, Shakki said.
And even though Tak pretends to hate Pev, shell protect him.
Ill kill those boys if they harm so much as one hair barb, Kayla
said to Shakki as she entered the passageway.
It was difficult going in the narrow parts. Kayla had to shift
Shakki to the ground so they could squeeze through, keeping
her arm tight around the smaller girl to support her. At one
point, Shakki fell so quiet that Kayla thought the girl might
have passed out.
But then Shakki said, Dont let them put me in a gen-tank.
What if the medics say you need it?
Dont let them, Shakki said. Promise me.
I promise.
They got to the tall doors at Antaras entrance and Kayla
pounded on the plasscrete with her fist. A small inset door slid
open and the female GEN guard waiting inside took a quick
look around.
Its us, Faia, Kayla said with exasperation. Hurry up,
Shakkis been injured.
Her voice barely more than a whisper, Shakki said, Shes
just checking for wild bhimkay. Cant have them following us
inside.
Faia gave Kayla a dark lookshe was the guard Kayla
had struck during her attempted escapeand threw aside the
bar from its brackets. Kayla slipped inside and hurried to the
freight lift. Thank the Infinite it was still on the top level after
the boys had used it.
Faia, can you send us down? Kayla asked.
Faia trotted toward them down the corridor, a shockgun
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slapping against her leg. The GEN woman hadnt been armed
the day of Kaylas near escape.
Faia tapped in the code to send them to L2 where
Maramata 1 and 2 were. The door opened not in a corridor
but in a lab. It was Kheta 3, the same hydroponics lab Lovise
had worked in. The techs there looked over in surprise as Kayla
toted Shakki through the long rows of kel-grain and soy.
The girls body was lax over Kaylas shoulder. She had passed
out. Better for Shakki, considering the pain she must be in.
Once clear of the lab, Maramata 1 was just ahead, around
a curve in the corridor. A minor-status trueborn woman
Medic Pallawaited at the door, so someone must have sent a
message ahead. Could it have been one of those useless boys?
No, more likely Faia had alerted Palla by wristlink.
Bring her here. Palla gestured toward a treatment table.
Beyond the table were gen-tanks, two rows of five, seven
of them occupied. Other trueborns, medics or techs, moved
through the room monitoring the tanks.
While Kayla carefully laid Shakki on the table, Palla
pulled a privacy curtain shut around it. Now Kayla could see an
alarming amount of Shakkis blood soaked both their clothes.
The medic picked up a pair of scissors. Would you step
out please so I can prep her for the tank?
No tank, Kayla said.
Palla looked up at Kayla. With those injuries, I have to
insist
No tank, Kayla repeated. And Ill be staying here to
make sure.
Palla had tried to convince Kayla her true memories were
hallucinations. She might be a good medic, but how good was
her word?
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Those denking boys, Shakki muttered. Id like to reprogram their shocksticks to zap them. She turned toward the
curtain. Pallas not watching. Whos in the gen-tanks? Anyone
you know?
I didnt even notice.
Open the curtain, Shakki said. Down at that end so
Palla doesnt notice. I want to see who was stupid enough to let
themselves get dunked in gen-fluid.
Kayla pulled open a gap in the curtain wide enough for
Shakki to get a look. The GEN girl was smiling at firstthe
boy in the far tank was Veshni, one of the Bhimkay Lounge
game players who was always injuring something. But then
Shakkis gaze froze.
Dear sweet Infinite. Shakki grabbed for Kaylas hand.
The third tank down.
Kayla didnt recognize the girl inside with her near highstatus skin color and long, dark hair twisting around her
shoulders. Who is it?
Its Essali, Shakki said. She lowered her voice. The one
who told me about Devak.
Kayla couldnt help herself, she took a step out from
behind the curtain. Palla, glancing up from the sekai shed been
working at, looked alarmed. Stay away from the gen-tanks.
That fluid is dangerous.
Palla started toward Kayla, but Kayla stepped right up
next to the third tank. Just like in Akhileshs lab, tubes riddled
Essalis body.
Then Kayla glanced across Essalis tank to the one in the
row next to it. And her heart all but stopped.
It was Lovise.
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14
A
s Devak dragged the boy from the dark hole under the
washroom floor, the elusive Shun barely protested. The
boy was filthy, and stunk so bad that Waji flatly stated the boy
wouldnt be allowed into his flat unless they cleaned him up. So
they did what they could in the washroom.
The trickle of water from the spigot was no substitute for a
decent bath, but at least they lessened the stench from the boys
dirty body. The rank korta and chera pants Shun wore were
good for nothing but burning.
The boyUsi Haddad, hed informed them, not Shun
could hardly walk back to Wajis warren. As Devak steadied
him on one side while Junjie supported him on the other,
Devak understood the boys weakness. Usi was nothing but
skin and bones under his disreputable korta. His dark eyes were
huge in his gaunt face, his black hair shaggy, and his mediumbrown skin had an unhealthy pallor.
Waji made the boy strip everything off at his doorstep and
wipe the rest of himself with a handful of sani-wipes. Then
Waji fetched a worn but clean korta, leggings, and skivs and
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they helped Usi dress. Junjie thought to fish Usis identity chip
from the hem of the old shirt and slip it into the new.
Usi didnt need any help wolfing down every scrap of
leftover rat-snake stew and kel-grain. After the last bite, he
collapsed on Wajis sofa and almost immediately fell into a
coma-like sleep. With the boy shuddering from cold, Waji
dumped all his blankets on Usi. Then Waji, Devak, and Junjie
crowded together on the enforcers narrow bed, warmed by
body heat and the small radiant stove that Waji brought into
the sleeproom from the kitchen.
The boy was dead to the world the rest of that night and
all the next day and night. Junjie and Devak spent their time
with Waji out in the fields behind the warren. Waji showed
them the net traps he used to capture rat-snakes, identified
wild patagobi plants, and taught them how to avoid chaff head
and yellow scrub flowers that had been pissed on by seycats
marking their territory.
Evening meal the second night was as tasty as the first, the
scrub flowers adding a sharper flavor than the chaff head. Junjie
had wanted to wake Usi to feed him, but Waji told him the
boy needed rest more than food. Hed wake when he was ready.
Junjie spent the second night sitting up, sleeping at Usis feet.
A clatter jolted Devak awake the second morning before
first sunrise. The bed beside him was still warm, but Waji wasnt
there. Now he heard the enforcer shouting from the living
room, Junjies pleading voice, and a high tenor that Devak
guessed was Usis.
Still in nothing but his sleep shirt, Devak hurried from
the sleeproom. Waji stood against the door in his own kneelength sleep shirt, brandishing a stout sticker bush branch, the
business end studded with wicked, twenty-centimeter-long
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Waji propped the sticker bush club beside the door. If that
boy will behave.
Usi looked up. I will. Im sorry. But I thought the shockgun
would be good when they come for me.
Devak could see Waji was ready to launch into questions,
so he took the enforcers arm. Lets get dressed. We can talk
over morning meal. Junjie, can you start some kel-grain?
Junjie jumped to his feet. Right away.
Devak and Waji each took their turn in the communal
washroom, then dressed, Devak in one of the sets of clothes
hed rinsed and laid out to dry, Waji in his uniform. Anticipating
their departure, Devak made sure he had everything packed up
again in his carrysak.
Despite Devaks intent to question Usi during morning
meal, the boy was stuffing the sakara-sweetened kel-grain into
his mouth so quickly that Devak could see hed get nowhere
until Usi was full. The boy downed three bowls of kel-grain and
a half-glass of soy milk before finally sitting back with a sigh.
Usis gaze then slid to the door, but Waji moved in that
direction and leaned against it. Whos coming for you?
Usi gave the door a longing look. Where are the other
enforcers?
There arent any others besides me, Waji said. Not here
in Cati.
Oh, Usi said. Then maybe...
Before Waji could ask again, Junjie gave Usi a poke. Whos
coming for you?
The Brigade, Usi said. Because they know about me and
the bombs.
You mean, they know you were a member of FHE? Junjie
asked.
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only one left behind. Now the tears spilled down Usis face.
Outrage burned in Wajis light brown eyes as he pushed
away from the door. I want you out of here.
Usi got up and started to pull off the old korta Waji had
given him. I should give this back.
Dont be an idiot, boy, Waji said. Keep it. I dont want
it back. You need forgiveness from your Lord Creator? Then I
suggest you help Devak find Kayla.
Usis eyes got big, then he quickly looked away. I dont
know where she is.
Waji grabbed a handful of Usis korta and shook him.
Youll help him, or Ill escort you to the Viata sector Brigade
myself.
Junjie jumped to his feet, wedging himself between Usi
and the angry enforcer. We should go, Devak.
Devak quickly cleared the table while Junjie grabbed the
carrysak. Usi kept eyeing the door, but with Waji standing over
him, the boy stayed put.
Devak nodded at the enforcer.Thank you for your hospitality.
Im glad to help Zuls great-grandson, Waji said. Do you
have enough dhans?
I cant take your money, Devak said.
I have nothing to spend it on, Waji said, moving toward
the kitchen. The Brigade provides my food and the flat, little
enough as it is.
Waji dug through a drawer and came up with a small roll
of dhans. He stuffed them into Devaks hands, then tugged
open another drawer. I have something else for you.
Waji scooped up handfuls of nutras, wrapped nutrition
bars. Devak opened the fastening on his carrysak and held it
out. Waji dumped the bars in.
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I cant stomach them myself, Waji said of the kel-grainbased nutras, but if youre hungry, youll have something to fill
you up.
Thank you again, Devak said.
Stick to the pathway along the backs of the warrens,
Waji said. Just past the last building, theres a path through
the sticker bushes that meets up with the road farther on. That
should save you from Cheffas notice.
They headed out, Devak leading, Junjie trailing, Usi in
between. Devak was burning to grill Usi, to find out what the
boy knew about Kayla. He said earlier that he didnt know
where she was, but Devak was sure he knew something.
Devak wanted to wait until they were clear of Cati sector
and safely back in a trueborn sector before questioning Usi.
He didnt like the idea of running away from GENs, of seeing
them as something to fear. But everything seemed to be turned
upside down since FHE started their bombing campaign.
The memory of that dead little girl in Nafi stabbed Devaks
heart again. When he looked back at Junjie, he could see the
grim look on his friends face. Maybe Junjie was thinking of
that girl too and how this boy he had such strong feelings for
might not be who he thought he was.
The tension in Devaks shoulders finally relaxed when they
crossed the border back into Viata sector, where the streets
were filling with trueborns and lowborns hurrying past. He
spotted a serving house, third door past the border. I could do
with some kelfa.
He held the door for Usi and Junjie. The stench of burnt
kel-grain hit his nose and he almost turned around and left,
but the other two had already gone up to the counter. Devak
followed them through the cheap plasscine tables and chairs
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