Page 12 of The Dauntless (Spy Girl 5)
He gives me a grin. “Maybe it’s a sign.”
“Of what?”
“You making history in the galaxy.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Maybe in the Battleground galaxy. It’s not like this is real.”
“Maybe not, but it’s fun.” He stuffs a dip-filled chip into his mouth. “Go explore this place but keep a gun at the ready. It could be dangerous.”
My character slowly spins in a circle to get visuals in all directions, but I end up following the path. I assume it’s there for a reason, leading me somewhere important. The path is made of bricks, just like the wall was, and leads to many of the domed huts, but there is a faint green undercurrent running through the mortar as I walk over it. If I turn the wrong way, the current stops.
“It’s leading you somewhere specific, I think,” Daniel says. “Can you run?”
“Sure I can. I was just trying to take it all in.” And get my bearings.
I walk past the spot where the girl and I played in the sand, the town center, and the entrance to the underground facility where her father worked, and then head toward the hut where my mother and I stayed. I take off running, the green glow following me, even when I veer to the right.
I push open the door and enter the space.
“Don’t you think it’s weird that you haven’t encountered anyone?” Daniel comments. “It’s making me nervous. Like you’re going to get ambushed.”
“Maybe I’m going to a treasure vault filled with riches,” I tease but then realize that might be exactly where I’m heading.
Did Ares build a vault like the one in Peter’s home in the TerraSphere? Is the TerraSphere like the old silo doomsday condos that the rich are supposedly snapping up? Will some magic dome pop up to cover the Sphere and protect it in case of catastrophe?
The room looks exactly like I remember. Comfortable, modern, even luxurious in a crazy way, considering all the walls are made of concrete. A screen with a video of the ocean fills one entire wall, making it feel like we are at the beach. There is an upholstered sofa made out of colorful woven textiles, banquette seating around a table for meals, and a large kitchen with worn wooden counters. The floors are made of brick, but the green glow is gone.
“Dead end,” Daniel says. “Go back outside.”
“No,” I say, scanning the walls and stopping once I find the indention. I place the ring in the correct spot, causing a door to slide open and a set of stairs to appear.
“Stop!” Daniel says. “You know going down a set of stairs makes you an easy target!”
“I know,” I say but run down them anyway.
What I find at the bottom is a room filled with screens of meadows set in rolling hills with sheep and goats grazing in the distance. Lorenzo the Magnificent’s swirling mark is prevalent in the design of the room, and scenes give the feeling of being in Utopia, except in the center of it is a large, round table with ten chairs, which seems to be an exact replica of what we saw at the Basilica di San Lorenzo.
I take a seat, choosing the view of the swirling mark rather than the sheep. The second I sit down, the screens change, and another character appears to join me in the room. But yet, it seems like he’s not really part of the game, especially when I notice there’s a time stamp, indicating that it was recorded some twenty years ago.
“That dude looks kinda like your brother,” Daniel says.
“He’d love to hear that,” I say jokingly while my insides feel like they are on fire. I’m pretty sure this is a twenty-something Ares Von Allister. And I’m pretty sure this is an actual recording of something important, made to look like part of the game.
The avatar of Ares starts speaking.
“Gentlemen, our population is racing toward critical mass, and an extinction event will occur. If we don’t change our ways, the world as we know it will cease to exist. These are the facts. We can’t continue to deplete our natural resources. The planet we live on cannot support our predicted population. It’s imperative we take measures now to change this outcome.
“What I am presenting to you today is a project that will usher in a new era. Imagine a world with no crime. No inequality. No hunger. Using quantum computing and environmentally sound practices, the people of the world will live in harmony with our great planet. Rather than chasing profits, we will focus on quality of life. Everyone will have what they need, eliminating greed and damaging wars. Gentlemen, this is our Renaissance.”
The Ares avatar pulls a sheet from the middle of the table, showing off a model of the TerraSphere. As the video pans out, I realize that the table in the recording is also round, much like the one in this very room. And much like the one my brother and I saw in Florence.
“Are you saying that we should dispose of our gold?” A man laughs. The camera stays focused on the project, so we cannot see the man’s face. Or identify any of the other men seated. “I don’t think I could spend it all if I tried.”
More chuckles.
A man with an authoritative tone says, “It’s my understanding that this idea of yours started out as a doomsday scenario.”
“Yes, that is correct, sir. Catastrophic events caused by population, disease, war, weather, or space could change the world as we know it. I believed there needed to be a plan, a way for life to survive after such disasters. Once I designed the TerraSphere, I realized that we had the power to make changes now for the good of all people.”
“You mentioned the Georgia Guidestones in your proposal.”
“Its guides, or instructions, are in alignment with the great thinkers of the Renaissance period.”
“Ah, yes. All of them, except for the population. What do you intend to do about that?”
“In a perfect world, all men would be treated with humanity and equality,” he says.
“Except it was the wealthy patrons who funded free thinking and the arts during the Renaissance.”
“Yes, sir,” Ares agrees. “And, although there are many conspiracy theories about who erected the stones, I’m pretty sure I’m currently in that group’s presence.”
“You are a brilliant young man, and you will have our full support—with a few modifications.”
“Such as?”
“While we all agree that Montrovia would be the ideal location for the capital of your proposed new world order, we also realize that your TerraSphere is still just concept and theory. We’d like to commence with the testing of this model near the thirty-third parallel, which is said to be the bloodline of the world. And, if we play our cards right, we can get the United States government to fund the whole thing.”
You can read the stunned look on Ares’s face, but he quickly recovers, saying professionally, “I am fully amenable to that.”
“And, because you have impressed our group with your forward thinking, we are about to do something we don’t normally do.”
“What’s that, sir?”
“We’d like you to join us at this table.” A hand reaches out to present Ares with an emerald ring. “Rings like these have been passed down for generations—since Lorenzo the Magnificent, the first King of Montrovia, started this group. Much like you, he intended to create a new Renaissance. A worldwide Montrovia full of wealth, power, and beauty. What did you say you wanted to call it?”
“Arcadia, after the—” Ares gets out before he’s interrupted.
“To Arcadia,” the man says as he raises a cut-crystal glass.
“This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen,” Daniel complains. “I thought the key was going to allow us to do something cool. Go on an adventure. Rack up some kills. Not study the history of the Montrovian Renaissance. In fact, I never want to hear the word Montrovia again.”
“Except that you have to go there for the Olympics,” I counter.
He rolls his eyes at me.
“Maybe this is just the beginning. Maybe our goal in this level is to find Arcadia—or better yet, an amazing treasure.”
Daniel lets out a yaw
n and stretches. “I’m tired. Let’s go back to bed.”
MISSION:DAY FIVE
Daniel doesn’t compete today, so this morning, his mother invites me to explore Omaha with her.
“Specifically, their retail establishments,” she says. “Did you know they boast the largest independent jewelry store in the nation?”
“I didn’t know that. And I’d love to, except—”
“You look troubled,” she interrupts.
“A little. I’d like to go shopping, but I’m flying to Georgia today. Just a quick day trip.”
“I like Georgia,” she says with a grin.
“You’re welcome to come with me, but I plan to visit the Georgia Guidestones, not shop.”
