Free Minds

Chapter 106.

   You know how people who went through nearly fatal experiences often say that their lives flashed before their eyes? How their entire lives played in a single thought, including regrets?

   Bull. Shit.

   The only thing that was flashing before my eyes was the shiny, metal gun Speck aimed at me.

   For the first time today, he wasn't wearing a cool-faced mask. His bloodshot eyes were wild with pure fury as he exhaled breaths so sharp that I could feel them on my face.

"I was wrong," he snarled. "You are just like the rest of them. Now tell me, where is it?"

"Where is–"

   The sound of the gun being cocked froze the 'what?' at the tip of my tongue.

"WHERE IS IT?" Speck boomed.

   In spite of my situation, defiant excitement crept into me. Speck's reaction gave me the confirmation I needed. I glanced at the table on the stage and sure enough, the Neuroskel was not on it.

   You know how I mentioned earlier that one sentence out of Mr. Speck's 'join me' speech stuck with me? It was the first thing he said:

   All the other mind control devices lead to this powerhouse right here.

   If the Neuroskel was the source of power for the devices in every Zavolonian's head, what would the mind control devices be without it?

   That's right, nothing. Nothing but a bunch of inactive devices that could be removed by surgery.

   Unfortunately, Speck was quick to follow my gaze which was now on the person I had to thank a thousand times for getting my pouch-tapping signal.

"Let them go, Speck," Rav held the Neuroskel high above his head in one hand, while in the other was my magnetic invention, the tech which was responsible for three major things tonight; serving as the door stopper that got us out of Sacury's lab, what had hit that passed out Yunie in the head–judging from the black, blood-like liquid around it– and most importantly, what transferred the Neuroskel from the table to Rav's group.

   Rav kept my creation with him after we got out of the lab and i knew that whoever knocked us out in the hallway didn't search us before we were brought here when i saw a bulge around Rav's pouch; at the same spot I patted and received a nod from Rav before calling his name.

"And if I don't?" Speck raised an eyebrow.

"Then consider your life's work reduced to nothing when he smashes it against the floor,'' I chipped in. "You said the Neuroskel was the powerhouse, right? If it's destroyed, the devices in everyone's heads will become useless, making everyone normal again. And I don't suppose you want that, do you?"

   Rather than blanche from that revelation, I was startled by the deafening laughter that barked out of Speck. He laughed so hard that he was indifferent to the gun loosening in his grip.

   He went silent for a while, then seeing the confusion on our faces, went hysterical once more.

"He thinks we're kidding." Rav scoffed, shaking his head. "This should make him take us seriously."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Our principal turned to Rav as he took finger after finger off the Neuroskel.

"Well, I am me. And I would," Rav replied, with only two of his fingers on the device now.

"Every mind control device I created has a self-destruct system within it that is activated when placed in the minds of its hosts. What will trigger this system is the destruction of its source of power. In simpler terms, if you destroy the Neuroskel and it is not repaired in the next thirty minutes, the devices would blow up in the heads of their hosts, killing everyone you know."