stared at Bren’s face, his wide eyes. Leaning forward, I gently slid his eyes closed. “Bren. I’m sorry. So sorry.” Whatever happened, I was going to stay with him. But what if I had to tell Jan? I couldn’t do that. I imagined what her reaction would be if I spoke those words to her. Tears falling from those blue eyes.
Wait.
Why had Bren gotten the Bug and I hadn’t? I couldn’t keep up with my thoughts; my head felt heavy. What had just happened?
This was the Bug, right? I forced my thoughts into a rough order. Bren had shown every symptom of an infection from the Bug. It had to be, but why wasn’t I dead? Why Bren and not me?
Somebody would come. Enforsers or Admins—somebody would find Bren and me, would explain this whole thing. They would want to test me, find out if I was immune. They would know how Bren had avoided the knockout. They would know to ask me about it.
I couldn’t face that. Get away. I had to go. Had to go.
I pushed myself up, wobbling for a minute. No. Bren was my friend. I hadn’t died but he had and it was my fault. I had to stay and help figure out what had happened. If I was immune, I could help—everyone.
Everyone except Bren.
The high-pitched whine of an Admin pod drifted through the night sky. I checked my Papa. Nearly 02:30. Had only an hour passed since I’d proved the Bug was—
But it wasn’t. Bren had just proved the Bug was still around. I turned slowly, feeling like my thoughts were pushing through layers of wet clothing. Lights were on in most houses down this street; people were coming out. Some of them had to have seen me.
How had this night gone so bad? “This is insane.” I shook my head, trying to clear it. I forced a deep breath through my burning throat. “This is . . . wrong. Wrong.”
I was alive. Something was very wrong.
Somebody shouted. People ran my way, their shadows multiplied by the streetlights. I leapt on my cycle. I couldn’t stay. I had to figure out what was going on, what had happened tonight. And I couldn’t get caught in questions or investigations.
I couldn’t take the accusations.
I started to pedal away, sick at my own fear and guilt. No. You did this. You can’t run.
I left my cycle and walked back to Bren. I was going to stay right there.
“Hey! What’s going on?” A woman came into view, baggy sleeping clothes waving all over as she jogged toward me.
“I don’t know! My friend.” I looked at Bren’s unmoving body. “I think he’s dead.” My throat tightened. Tears dripped down my cheeks.
“What are you doing out here?” The woman stopped a few feet away from Bren, staring at him. “Oh no. The Bug.”
“We—we were—” I couldn’t breathe.
“What’s happening out here?”
“It’s the Bug, Rob.” The woman stepped closer to the man who had just arrived. He put his arm around her.
“What?” The man took everything in, Bren’s body, me standing there crying. “Hey kid. What happened? Why aren’t you at home sleeping?”
I shook my head, unable to speak.
An Enforser pod screeched to a halt a few meters above the street. Lights blazed from all over it, blinding me.
“Return to your homes. Return to your homes.” The metallic voice rang out as the pod hovered above the street, a wide door opening in the side.
The couple didn’t wait around, and I saw other people who had started to come over disappear back into their houses.
“You! Stop right there.” The voice came from the first Enforser who dropped out of the hover pod.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
Then he shot me.
From one moment to the next, I was standing and then slamming onto the road, pain blossoming around my left shoulder. A rubber bullet.
“Nik Granjer, you are in violation. Stop resisting detainment.” The voice came from the pod again.
I wasn’t resisting. I rolled to my knees, confusion and pain battling it out in me. “I’m not!”
“We will use lethal force if you continue to resist.” The amplified voice
Wait.
Why had Bren gotten the Bug and I hadn’t? I couldn’t keep up with my thoughts; my head felt heavy. What had just happened?
This was the Bug, right? I forced my thoughts into a rough order. Bren had shown every symptom of an infection from the Bug. It had to be, but why wasn’t I dead? Why Bren and not me?
Somebody would come. Enforsers or Admins—somebody would find Bren and me, would explain this whole thing. They would want to test me, find out if I was immune. They would know how Bren had avoided the knockout. They would know to ask me about it.
I couldn’t face that. Get away. I had to go. Had to go.
I pushed myself up, wobbling for a minute. No. Bren was my friend. I hadn’t died but he had and it was my fault. I had to stay and help figure out what had happened. If I was immune, I could help—everyone.
Everyone except Bren.
The high-pitched whine of an Admin pod drifted through the night sky. I checked my Papa. Nearly 02:30. Had only an hour passed since I’d proved the Bug was—
But it wasn’t. Bren had just proved the Bug was still around. I turned slowly, feeling like my thoughts were pushing through layers of wet clothing. Lights were on in most houses down this street; people were coming out. Some of them had to have seen me.
How had this night gone so bad? “This is insane.” I shook my head, trying to clear it. I forced a deep breath through my burning throat. “This is . . . wrong. Wrong.”
I was alive. Something was very wrong.
Somebody shouted. People ran my way, their shadows multiplied by the streetlights. I leapt on my cycle. I couldn’t stay. I had to figure out what was going on, what had happened tonight. And I couldn’t get caught in questions or investigations.
I couldn’t take the accusations.
I started to pedal away, sick at my own fear and guilt. No. You did this. You can’t run.
I left my cycle and walked back to Bren. I was going to stay right there.
“Hey! What’s going on?” A woman came into view, baggy sleeping clothes waving all over as she jogged toward me.
“I don’t know! My friend.” I looked at Bren’s unmoving body. “I think he’s dead.” My throat tightened. Tears dripped down my cheeks.
“What are you doing out here?” The woman stopped a few feet away from Bren, staring at him. “Oh no. The Bug.”
“We—we were—” I couldn’t breathe.
“What’s happening out here?”
“It’s the Bug, Rob.” The woman stepped closer to the man who had just arrived. He put his arm around her.
“What?” The man took everything in, Bren’s body, me standing there crying. “Hey kid. What happened? Why aren’t you at home sleeping?”
I shook my head, unable to speak.
An Enforser pod screeched to a halt a few meters above the street. Lights blazed from all over it, blinding me.
“Return to your homes. Return to your homes.” The metallic voice rang out as the pod hovered above the street, a wide door opening in the side.
The couple didn’t wait around, and I saw other people who had started to come over disappear back into their houses.
“You! Stop right there.” The voice came from the first Enforser who dropped out of the hover pod.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
Then he shot me.
From one moment to the next, I was standing and then slamming onto the road, pain blossoming around my left shoulder. A rubber bullet.
“Nik Granjer, you are in violation. Stop resisting detainment.” The voice came from the pod again.
I wasn’t resisting. I rolled to my knees, confusion and pain battling it out in me. “I’m not!”
“We will use lethal force if you continue to resist.” The amplified voice
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