Division Read online

  Table of Contents

  Division Denise Kawaii

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER 37

  CHAPTER 38

  CHAPTER 39

  CHAPTER 40

  CHAPTER 41

  CHAPTER 42

  CHAPTER 43

  CHAPTER 44

  Author’s Note

  EQUALS

  Division

  Denise Kawaii

  ©2019 Denise Kawaii

  All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced without expressed permission from the author. Requests for use may be directed to www.KawaiiTimes.com

  Edited by Ava Roberts, www.avaedits.com

  Header font: Magneto, 16pt.

  Body text font: Garamond, 12 pt.

  Division; Book Four

  First edition: May, 2019

  For my son, who wanted to know everything about the story, even if he wasn’t old enough to read it.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I was hoping to thank a bunch of government people for getting me onto Hanford’s former Manhattan Project site to help make Curie and Division as believable as possible. I anticipated a long, boring trip through the now-defunct desert site so I could get the landscape “just right.” Had that happened in the two years since I applied for a visitor’s pass, this is where those thanks would have gone.

  Sometimes, you just have to wing it, and hope for the best.

  In any event, there are people to thank. I’m grateful to Vikki Carter for inviting me to participate in the 2018 NaNoWriMo write-in sessions at the Longview Public Library, and for the librarians who made the space available. Many of these chapters were contemplated during those writing sessions, even if not much actual writing got done. I’d also like to thank the Wordfest group for being kind enough to let me read several pages of Division’s rough draft over the microphone. I know none of you had a clue what was going on in my story, but I appreciate you for humoring me.

  As always, thank you to Keith for believing in these books, and for pushing me to share them with the world. If you’re reading this, it’s because he forced me to keep writing even when it seemed like being an author was a terrible idea.

  CHAPTER 1

  The hills lay before 62 like the rows of an oversized graveyard. Death screamed out from the landscape and he wondered how he and his friends could possibly survive in the brown on brown monotone spread out before them. Hanford wasn’t pristine by any means, but it was a lush oasis compared to this. Blue’s mottled blue facemask turned to look around, then his hand waved 62 forward. Blue pushed the wheelbarrow full of computer parts toward a crease between two of the giant mounds. From a distance, it looked like nothing but a crack in the desert, but as they drew closer 62 gaped over the green seams around the lens of his own mask at the deep canyon that revealed itself.

  The base of the canyon was level enough, but it was riddled with boulders exposed by the harsh winds at their backs. 00 dropped the handle of his wagon beside one of the rocks. His black mask was so covered in dust from the trail that the stitches were outlined in brown. He turned to eye the narrow path that curved around the boulders. He shouted at Blue, “Are we really going to drag this stuff in there?”

  62 stopped next, his route blocked by 00’s wagon. He, too, looked over the narrow trail. “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to manage this,” he admitted.

  “We aren’t too far off from the building,” Blue said, looking at the map. The trio had been walking for as many days, luckily without much incident. Despite the weight of the computer parts rattling around in the wheelbarrow and the heft of food and supplies pilfered from Hanford’s stockrooms, the friends had made good time.

  “Can we leave it here for now then?” 62 suggested. “Maybe we could hike the rest of the way up and check things out and come back for this later.”

  00 looked with worried eyes at the prized computer parts. The pieces were a jumble of wires, tossed into the wheelbarrow in a hurried attempt at making it look like useless scrap metal as they’d made their escape from Hanford following 62’s banishment. “If we keep the bot covered, it should be okay,” he said in a reluctant tone.

  Blue nodded, “Sounds good to me. I’ve got enough food in my pack for dinner, and there’s beds and blankets already up there. If we’re too beat to come back for the rest of it tonight, we can get it in the morning.”

  The Boys pushed their supplies off the path, covering them with tarps that Auntie had given them. At Blue’s direction, they pulled some dry brush from nearby, piling it on top of the gear and making it less visible. Not that there was anyone who would stumble across it on this desolate stretch of land. “Better safe than sorry,” Blue had muttered when they’d questioned him about it.

  Tired, dirty, and coated in several days of sweat, the Boys picked their way through the canyon. Blue clambered over obstacles with ease, stopping frequently to poke fun at the others while he waited for them to catch up. The sun dipped below the lip of the canyon by the time the structure they were looking for revealed itself. It looked like an exact duplicate of the dorms in Hanford, although it was surrounded by high walls of dirt and stone instead of a bustling town full of people.

  “Someone’s been here,” Blue said. “I was expecting to have to break in, since Joan didn’t give us a key when she kicked us out. But look.” He pressed down on the door’s handle and the door swung open a crack. He stopped it abruptly when the hinges started to squeal. “Dang rust,” Blue whispered. “I hope nobody inside heard that.”

  “Who could be here?” 62 whispered as he looked around the entrance. There didn’t seem to be a living thing in sight.

  The skin around 00’s eyes paled through the lens of his mask. The anxiety in his voice made him stammer. “M-maybe they forgot to lock the door when they left last.”

  “Doubt it,” Blue said, shaking his head. “But, there’s only one way to find out.” Blue reached over to 62’s pack and unstrapped the machete that was tied there. He pushed the door the rest of the way open, holding the weapon out in front of him. “Hello? Anybody home?”

  A clatter sounded from deep within the building, echoing through the empty lobby ahead of them. When Blue took a step inside to investigate, both 62 and 00 grabbed the back of his jacket to pull him back outside.

  “Are you crazy?” 62 whispered. “Somebody’s in there! What if it’s an Adaline patrol? Or the Oosa?”

  “Or a bear?” 00 hissed.

  Blue rolled his eyes at 00. “There’s no bears here. That’s just fluff grownups tell kids to make them scared to go outside.”

  “What about—” 62’s question was cut off by the sound of shuffling feet somewhere inside, out of sight.

  Blue tapped the machete against the door frame. He cleared his throat and spoke loud and clear, sounding old
er and more commanding than the ragamuffin that he was. “Hello? If you’re a friend, let’s have a quick introduction. If you’re not, well, let’s have a different conversation.”

  The footsteps came closer and all three Boys took a few steps back from the doorway, instinctively wanting to be out of arm’s reach of whoever emerged from the dark interior of the secret building. The door peeled back, exposing someone wearing the same basic smock that the medical teams back in Hanford wore. There was something odd about how they looked, and the Boys drew back again as the person stepped bare-faced into the late afternoon light.

  The buzz of anxiety faded as 62 looked the stranger over. They were thin; thinner than anyone 62 had ever seen before. Lanky limbs crossed over a flat chest and sharp angles pressed against the too-large smock that hung on the stranger’s frame. Their hair was long and matted, greasy strands covering much of their face.

  “My name...” the small voice creaked. A hand pushed back a clump of hair and the wild eyes beneath looked surprised at the sound of their own words as they hung in the air.

  Blue dropped the machete to the ground and rushed forward. “Sunny?” He pulled a cloth out of a pocket and rushed to wipe his hands before grabbing the frail Woman’s shoulders. He looked down at the flatness of her body, a look of intense worry in his eyes.

  “Yes,” her chapped lips curved into a broken smile. Her vacant eyes passed over the hands gripping her, and then suddenly drew a sharp focus when they landed on Blue’s eyes within his mask. “Oh, Blue,” she whispered, “you found me.”

  CHAPTER 2

  The hideout looked weather-beaten, but inside, it was well stocked. 62 marveled at the equipment. Blue explained this was where the Adaline-born residents of Hanford hid when the Oosa came each year. The first place they stopped was the detox room, just inside the front doors. There were no medical staff to help with the equipment, but big paintings on the walls showed the detoxification steps from start to finish. They unloaded their packs, set their bags in the laundry bin to be washed, and put their belongings into boxes Sunny had brought them. They discovered racks of medical smocks like Sunny was wearing, but decided to skip donning the smocks in favor of their own clothes.

  By the time they got through the detox process, Sunny had disappeared back into the rooms upstairs. 62 and the others tried to find her, hoping to find out more about why she was in hiding, but there was no way of knowing exactly where in the building she’d gone. They gave up their hunt for her, deciding that she’d find them when she was ready to talk again.

  After abandoning their search of the living quarters, Blue gave 62 and 00 a tour of the rest of the building. They started at the greenhouse attached to the south side of the barracks. It teemed with root vegetables, lettuces, and a couple of fruit trees. Blue showed them the automatic watering system that kept plants thriving while unattended. As long as someone came to harvest and replant once or twice a year, Blue said the greenhouse would keep the garden green and growing.

  When they left the greenhouse, they entered a massive pantry. It was more like a storeroom than anything, full of dried fruits, powdered potatoes, grains hauled from Hanford, and seed packets for anyone staying an extended time to plant and harvest. The pantry was attached to the kitchen, which was clean and stocked with salt, pots, pans and utensils, and hundreds of kiln-fired clay plates to eat on.

  The cafeteria where 62, 00, and Blue finally settled was a smaller version of the resident’s meal area back home. The furniture looked newer, owing to its limited use. Although the sun had already disappeared over the mountain’s crest, the area surrounding them was brightly lit. There was plenty of power, enough for a hundred people or more, and Blue vowed he was going to use it all. He’d flipped on every light switch they’d found on their tour of the main floor, and Blue joked that he’d like to keep them on until the day they left.

  Although the building was well lit and would be comfortable for the foreseeable future, 62 couldn’t seem to feel happy about the place. He looked up from the loaf of bread he was sharing with his friends and took in the cafeteria one more time. “It’s so empty,” he said.

  00 nodded, swallowed his bite with a gulp, and answered, “It’s kinda creepy, isn’t it?”

  Blue’s eyes were fixed on the doorway that led to the building’s main lobby. He had only eaten a bite or two before giving the rest of his meal to his friends. Now, his mind seemed to be a million miles away, totally unaware of the conversation going on around him. 62 leaned across the table and shook Blue’s elbow.

  “Hey, is this place giving you the creeps, too?” 62 asked.

  Blue blinked his eyes several times and shook his head. He pulled his attention back into the room. “What? Oh, no, this place is fine. I’ve been up here loads of times.”

  “Have you ever been here without the others though?” 00 asked.

  “Once or twice,” Blue answered. He tried to give a cocky grin, but the confidence that normally filled his features failed to appear. Blue looked back at the doorway.

  62 followed Blue’s gaze and then tapped his elbow again. “Hey, are you okay?”

  Blue gave a half-smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little surprised Sunny’s here.”

  “Yeah, whu up wit dat?” 00 asked through a mouth full of bread.

  “I’m not sure.” Blue dragged his hands through his hair, looking suddenly exhausted. He looked at the table, forcing his gaze away from the door. Sunny had gone to bed nearly as soon as they’d arrived, hardly speaking a word to any of them. “She’s so different from how she used to be.”

  “What do you mean?” 62 asked.

  “She was so happy. She hugged everybody. Today, she barely let me touch her. It’s not like her at all.” Blue shook his head. “And I’ve never seen her look like that before.”

  00 swallowed his bread and grabbed the last slice from 62’s plate. Before he took another bite, he said, “She did look pretty worn out. Maybe she’s sick.”

  “It’s not just that,” Blue said with a shake of his head. “Did you see how thin she was? Her whole body’s flat as a pancake. She didn’t look like that the last time I saw her.”

  “Why do you think she’s here?” 62 asked. “I thought that when the Oosa let people go, it was because they were pregnant and going back to Hanford. I don’t remember any of the Women in the nursery looking like that.”

  Blue shook his head. “I don’t think she’s got a baby hiding under her clothes. She’d have been sent back with the other mothers if she was. And she’d be huge by now.” Blue puffed out his cheeks and grabbed an invisible round belly in his lap.

  00 finished the meal and stretched his arms over his head. “Well, I don’t think we’re gonna unravel her mystery tonight. Maybe we should wander up and find a place to sleep?”

  “Sure,” Blue said with a reluctant shrug. “Let’s clean up these plates in the morning. I’m too worn out, now. Follow me, I’ll show you the rooms.” The trio got up from their seats, picked up their boxed belongings from a nearby table, and made their way out of the cafeteria. They trudged across the lobby and through a side door marked stairs. Blue opened the door and reached up to find the switch to turn on a couple of bare light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. “There are elevators on the other end of the building, but they’re ancient and not exactly reliable,” Blue explained. “We’ll turn them on when we bring N302 and the rest of our gear in, but then it’s probably best if we turn them back off again.”

  “That’s okay by me,” 62 said. “Every time I get into an elevator, something bad happens. I’m fine taking the stairs.”

  “Speak for yourself,” 00 complained. “I like pushing the buttons.”

  They reached the first landing. Blue lifted a leg, resting his box on his knee while he placed his hand on the doorknob. He leaned back from the door briefly and nodded toward the staircase that continued to rise through the building. “There are more rooms up there. Every floor from here to the roof is full of ‘em. D
o you want to keep going, or are second floor rooms good enough for you?”

  “I’m used to the view from the first floor,” 62 said. “Doesn’t matter to me.”

  “I want to see the rooms before I make a decision,” 00 said. “Maybe the beds upstairs are nicer than the ones down here.”

  Blue pushed the door open and they entered the center of a dark corridor that stretched past a dozen doors in either direction. Blue found another switch and flicked it on. “I doubt any of the beds upstairs are better than the ones here,” he said to 00. “Most everything here is barely used, so it’s pretty much the same no matter what room you’re in.”

  Blue walked a few steps, stopping at the door closest to the stairwell they’d just come from. He adjusted his box so he could knock, just in case Sunny was inside, but there was no answer. He turned the knob and swung the door inward. Blue entered, dropped his box on the floor, and turned on the ceiling light. The room looked nearly the same as the dorm rooms in Hanford, aside from the bars inside the room’s single window. 62 set his box on a shelf in the open closet and walked to look through the bars at the darkening sky and shadowy hill just beyond the glass.

  “What’s with the window?” 62 asked, placing his hand on the cold steel encasing the glass.

  “This used to be Hanford’s jail,” Blue answered as he flopped down on the bed. “The jail on Rattlesnake Mountain. That’s what they called it, back before whatever wrecked Curie.”

  “What’s a jail?” 00 asked from the doorway.

  62 answered, “I’ve read about them. They’re places where bad people are sent to be punished for rules they’ve broken.”

  “That’s fitting then,” 00 said. “Since we broke all those laws building N302.”

  62 thought back on the computer parts waiting for them at the bottom of the boulder-covered trail. 00 and Blue had been on the recovery team that discovered the bot’s memory and hard drive. And it had taken both of them, plus 62, Mattie, and Auntie, to put a computer together that could run the program. Although it was 62’s dreams that got him banished from Hanford, he hoped his exile would give them a chance to discover more of what N302 had to tell them.