Seneca Rebel

IN SIX DAYS of solitary confinement, I didn’t see a single soul. Each day, a part of me suffocated just a little bit more. Sufficiently proportioned, health conscious meals were delivered to my living cube via a tube, similar to the meal hall system, only here the ceiling was just ten feet tall. Even though I’d had no physical activity in these past few days, I felt famished, pretty much all the time. I demolished every last crumb that entered my cube. I had an idea that the flexer chip burned calories from energy absorption, because it sure felt that way.

A single shaft of laser light ran across the center of the ceiling, varying in intensity in what I assumed was the same rhythm as the sun. In the dead of night, when the faintest light shined titanium blue like the moon, I lay on a white canvas cot a foot above the ground, with the friendly glow of my FlexOculi monitor to keep me company.

I wondered if Reba knew what had happened to me. Did they just use him for his gift and that was that, or was he privy to the top-secret information detailing my expulsion to the Aboves?

Had he sat in on Dom’s exit interview, too, without having mentioned it to me? I bet he had. But I couldn’t hold anything against him. I couldn’t expect him to break his own honor code to the Seneca Society, no matter how close we had become. I wished I could connect with him, but for now it wasn’t safe. Just because my future was in limbo, didn’t mean I had any right to put his security at risk.

I concentrated on adjusting to using my flexer implant. S.O.I.L. was unaware that Dom and I had them, so we were still capable of communicating with one another. After two days full of sending messages back and forth, we had become old pros. We chatted the entire time we were both awake, and, when he slept and I couldn’t, I used the time to sync my mind with the various Seneca doctrines and legal texts I accessed through the Seneca Public Library Veil.

Every Senecan had access to these texts via their flexer but, not unlike the Aboves, people generally didn’t bother with the effort involved with being that informed. And I’d been no different than the rest– until now.

With my flexer implant, I was able to download information directly to my brain. Information surged into me. Mind expansion now occurred at lightning speed. Unfortunately, I found I had to go back fast and dump useless information in droves because the overabundance of information loading in to me was giving me migraines and obstructing the speech center in my frontal lobe. Good thing I had no one to talk to but myself. It was too much, too fast.

Without warning, the wall to my tiny cube opened up and I was overwhelmed with relief to see the first human being in days, even though it was a S.O.I.L. guard. It was time.

Cuffed and escorted by the men in blue, Dom and I emerged from our cubes of confinement into the hallway at the same moment. We both wore the same sullen expressions, but, the instant we saw each other, that changed. Neither of us had known that we’d been just inches away from each other this whole time. Although we shared a flexer connection, being disconnected physically had left a hole inside me. No advancement in human and machine merger could take away that innate need to be with the ones you love. I so badly wanted to take his hand... and never let go.

It was unnervingly quiet as we walked along the endless golden hall. Consumed as I was by doubt, worry and anticipation, it made every minute feel like ten. I felt prepared, but I still was deeply anxious about the process ahead. We had our bag of tricks, but there was no way we could be certain of theirs. We walked and walked and walked. S.O.I.L. guards, aligned like a bunch of gargoyles, were stationed every fifty yards, their bland faces unreadable.

Dom and I were still barefoot, our boots having been abandoned on the riverside, a million dreams ago. I didn’t mind. The cold floor against my hot feet dealt me a great sense of physical relief.

Finally, we stopped. The two men in blue turned us to face the wall. A doorway opened up just as they did in S.E.R.C., only what was beyond this point was far different than anything we ever saw in session.

We were ushered under the golden archway and inside an absolutely awe-inspiring underground temple. It’s towering ceiling was so high, I couldn’t see just how far up it went. Luminous, almost heavenly light showered down on us from colossal, ornate salt crystal chandeliers. This light was alive and natural, yet like the carefully placed lamps used by professional photographers, it filled every crevice of our faces, leaving no shadows in its wake.

We were taken to two side-by-side podiums, in a line of twelve total. Dom and I seemed like two tiny black ants, swallowed up in this bright vastness. This wasn’t a room. It wasn’t even an auditorium. It was a natural salt mine the size of a medieval cathedral. Everything within it was carved out of salt or was a technological piece embedded into the salt. Even the floor was a solid and smooth fossil. The temperature had been carefully adjusted to about sixty-five degrees. Just right.

Elevated before us, carved meticulously along the crescentshaped wall of pure salt, were two hundred and twelve thirtyfoot figures of prestigious men and women. Just as Mount Rushmore depicted four of the United States presidents in granite, these intricate carvings did the same for the original two hundred and twelve members of the Seneca Senate. I would have liked to figure out who each one was but I had too much else to take in. In front of the colossal monuments lay a two-tiered cathedrae in which the actual senate members sat with opaque, flat-screen panels in front of them.

This was no longer an abstract body of power, learned about in session but never seen. Comprised of individuals from city and state governments, corporations, religious bodies, prominent world organizations of the Aboves; lawyers, doctors, artists, scientists, inventors, leading researchers and more, this was literally the finest and most varied sampling of the planet’s brilliant brainpower. This was the one and only Seneca Senate, and it was staring right at us. They looked prestigious in Seneca blue robes like the ones you’d see on Supreme Court Justices.

As I scanned the faces of the members of the Seneca Senate, The President of The United States, The King of England, The Secretary General of the United Nations, The Dalai Lama, the creator of flexer technology, media tycoon, Julian Hollenbeck. Well over a hundred that I did not recognize, but could imagine were significant for their genius, accomplishments and global influence.

And here I was, Doro Campbell, along with my boyfriend, Dominic Ambrosia. We, two unruly teens, faced the most powerful assembly in the history of humankind. I was truly humbled. They watched us so intently, I felt naked. My plan suddenly seemed more like a child’s science fair experiment than the genius strategy I had hyped it up to be. What was I thinking?

It didn’t matter. I was committed now. And what other choice did I have, anyway?

I glanced over at Dom. He looked like he was about to pass out.

It wouldn’t help if I didn’t take in as much as possible about who I was up against, so I explored each face carefully. As I had learned during my stint in solitary confinement, that each member, nominated by another member, maintained his or her position in the Seneca Senate until that the member was expunged by a motion and vote by the group. Motions could come from the Senate, or any member of society that provided a petition signed by at least one third of their residential district. When a senator was voted out, the next three seats down each would nominate a new member. The rest of the senate would then vote, and one of those three nominees would fill the seat. Every four years, the Seneca Society chose a member of the Senate to become the Chairman.

Front and center, with one year left in his sovereignty, was Chairman of the Seneca Senate, Congressman Frank

Wallingsford, and directly to his right, sat Ellen Malone. Ellen Malone. I couldn’t understand why she’d never told me she was on the Seneca Senate and I didn’t even want to begin to think of why she’d been there when Dom was whisked away from Brittany Gilroy’s party. Or why Congressman Wallingsford let Dom be the scapegoat for his own son’s fatal error. And even though my blood swelled like lava in a volcano, I kept my cool.

Nobody was going to play Doro Campbell for the fool. Not today. Hopefully, not ever.

Every citizen that came before the Seneca Senate was first read their rights and presented The High Doctrine of Seneca Society. A carefully crafted document, that was like The United States Constitution, in that it outlined the laws of Seneca, its judicial structure, and most importantly, the visionary motto that expounded Seneca’s purpose–

“To create and sustain a world society in which the people exist and thrive in a singular culture of peace, equality, harmony and inviolable freedom.”

Because I had spent my down time in solitude studying these texts in the Seneca Public Library Data Veil, I was primed to address the Senate. While I wasn’t thrilled with some of the methods used to secure Senecan society, and the sincerity of a few of the players in it, a lot of what I had read inspired me. I’d developed a faith in this system, despite my previous doubts. Seneca’s foundation documents persuaded me that if ever there was potential for social progress in my lifetime, Seneca was the path to it. I wasn’t about to let a few bad seeds and contradictory ideals convince me otherwise. For my whole life I’d seen the poor struggle, the global economy in perpetual turmoil, while the sick just kept getting sicker. The planet was a helpless victim to millennia of human consumption. But here, in Seneca, the consciousness shift had found its footing and there was serious momentum for change. In Seneca, I experienced first hand living in a place where there was no such thing as being poor, the sick were healed and the economy was driven by forward thinking. The Earth had never seen as great a chance to heal as it did now. I had to grab this torch and run, and do everything in my power to help bring the heart of Seneca to the entire world. I couldn’t just roll over and watch all of this progress get washed away by the corrupt agendas of a few.

Speaking of powerful people with questionable motives, just then Gregory entered the hall. Procedure was that all those involved in Seneca Senate sessions were escorted in, even highranking S.O.I.L. agents. His walk, which I’d thought was so great when I had first met him, was bitingly annoying now. He strode over to the podium directly next to mine and sneered under his breath, “Funny how things come full circle.”

“Actually, it’s a semi-circle.” My disdain for him had multiplied like a viral epidemic since the last time I’d seen him.

I’m sure he wasn’t too keen on me either, since I’d pulled the curtain back on his heinous covert operation. Meanwhile, to my other side, Dom looked exceedingly pale and unnerved. He had been profoundly victimized by Gregory and now the guy was just a few feet away from him. Well, Gregory was on the hot seat now and we were in the exact position we needed to be. I tried to grab Dom’s attention with a quick barrage of flexes, hoping to replace his apparent agony with reassurances, but he was in no mood to receive them.

Proceedings were soon called to order by a man in a blue suit with the gold Seneca emblem on his lapel. “Senators and citizens of Seneca, your Chairman of the Seneca Senate, Number One, Senator Frank Wallingsford.”

Here, in Seneca, Congressman Wallingsford was Senator Wallingsford. He had maintained his “Congressman” title in the Aboves. Kind of a sneaky maneuver, yes, but I found myself not rejecting it and, instead, seeing it as one of the compromises along the path to fulfilling the vision of Seneca’s founders. Regardless, after what he allowed to happen to Dom, I was looking at him in a whole different light.

As Wallingsford stood, the panel in front of him lit up sky blue to signify he held the floor. “Senators, Seneca Advisory Committee, S.O.I.L. agents and officers, respondents, it is with great honor that I stand before you today and ratify this proceeding.” He paused. All of the senators’ panels lit up white, then faded back to opaque in an act of respect and acknowledgment.

“Today we have been called to emergency session on an issue of compromised security and internal deception. Parties present include the Seneca Observation and Intelligence League, with Chief S.O.I.L. Agent in the S.E.R.C. division, Gregory Zaffron, responding, and two expelled S.E.R.C. scholars, Mr. Dominic Ambrosia and Ms. Dorothy Campbell. We have received intelligence that demonstrates a breech in the freedom of all Seneca citizens. Agent Zaffron contests that both Ambrosia and Campbell have dangerously misinterpreted security procedures and that they pose a serious threat to the Seneca Society at large. He has requested a motion to be made at this hearing that we, the Seneca Senate, determine a solution to abolish this threat. We have been provided the intelligence from which Agent Zaffron and S.O.I.L. are drawing their conclusions. Now, before we convene and finalize a resolution, we will hear statements from all respondents.”

Everyone kept quiet as Senator Wallingsford continued, “First respondent, Agent Gregory Zaffron. As a sworn representative of The Seneca Observation and Intelligence League, and with this motion brought against Ambrosia and Campbell, we, the Seneca Senate, hereby call you to the floor.”

Gregory’s podium panel lit up light blue. He pulled at his tie to loosen it a bit but still came across as remarkably poised for such a pompous jerk. I just crossed my fingers that his distinguished audience could see through his BS.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate...” He paused between each sentence for dramatic effect. “Today, I am here with a heavy heart. I am presenting information the likes of which I’d hoped never to bring before you. The information we watch for, but never want to see. As you have reviewed in the intelligence we provided pre-proceedings, and can refer to today in the intelligence portfolios at each of your podiums, you can see that these two expelled S.E.R.C. scholars, Dorothy Campbell and Dominic Ambrosia, pose a great threat to the future of our society.”

My last bubble of comfort punctured as I felt the judging eyes of the Senate membership directed at Dom and me. Gregory was in the process of bashing us thoroughly, and we just had to stand there and take it. The part that bothered me most was that we couldn’t exactly deny what he was saying...

“Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, this expelled S.E.R.C. scholar, Dominic Ambrosia, has identified, investigated and circumvented a highly confidential S.O.I.L. security operation known as Crystal. As you are all aware, one of the main initiatives under Crystal is to combat the Necrolla Carne virus. Many facets of that operation are contained strictly within the purview of S.O.I.L. Ambrosia was a recruit to S.E.R.C. under molecular nano-biotechnology. Our goal was to groom him as a trailblazer in Seneca’s biomedical applications division. Instead, by harvesting blood samples and encouraging another S.E.R.C. scholar to participate in his rogue investigation, Ambrosia has triggered a disastrous stream of events. Ambrosia was warned by S.O.I.L. officials several times to cease this perilous path of inquiry. His disregard for such requests was not only an abuse of his privilege in S.E.R.C. and as a citizen of Seneca, but it has created a looming threat to the entire society.”

Wallingsford’s panel illuminated blue, which brought Gregory’s back down. “Mr. Ambrosia, do you oppose any of these accusations?”

Dom leaned forward into his podium. He looked like he had seen a ghost. His voice was low and devoid of its usual spirit. “No, sir, Mr. Senator.”

“Very well, please proceed, Agent Zaffron.”

Gregory didn’t miss a beat. “Ambrosia then corrupted the bright young mind of fellow S.E.R.C. scholar, Dorothy Campbell, whom many of us believed in as one of the great young minds in quantum computing, to follow him down this path of self-destruction and to sabotage Seneca security. Campbell picked up where Ambrosia’s abilities ended and applied her computer expertise to breaking into our system. Campbell made the conscious decision, a choice, to betray Seneca and alter the Crystal operation. She singlehandedly broke an encryption within The Necrolla Carne...” Gregory’s voice resounded through every corner of this salt mine. “A security measure of the highest order, both in terms of technology and confidentiality.”

Once again, Senator Wallingsford reclaimed the floor. “And, Ms. Campbell, do you oppose any of these accusations against you?”

Everything Gregory said was true. It just sounded so malicious when it came out that way. I wanted to object, but I couldn’t. I needed to explain myself before it was too late. Before they identified me as the villain he had painted. “No, sir, Mr. Senator, but I just want to say–”

“If you don’t object, then Agent Zaffron shall continue and conclude his statement, and then you will be provided the opportunity to justify your actions and respond.”

I sank back. Thank god the ground was cold. Dominic looked over at me. A million unspoken words traveled between us in under two seconds. We had to rally our spirits and trump Gregory’s manipulative logic with unity and truth. It was the only way.

Gregory was well equipped for the next phase of his attack on us. He held a wide stance, and grasped each side of the podium with confidence. Filling up as much space as he physically could and more, he owned it. He closed his eyes, tilted his head down as if he were extracting power from hell and took a deep breath from his nose. Everyone in the room avidly awaited his next statement. This guy was nothing if not a supreme actor. He raised his gaze and let loose an oratorical poison that even I didn’t know he was capable of. I could just feel it seeping into the minds of the people who controlled our fate. “The ramifications are dire. Once the technological capacity to crack and manipulate S.O.I.L. encryption falls outside of our control, we can be assured the security of our society will be forever compromised. Quite simply, this one rebellious little girl gave herself unprecedented access to the minds of the entire population of Seneca. There is no telling what she will do with that capability. To us it’s life and death. To her and her friends, this is just a video game, not real life.”

“Please!” I couldn’t control my outrage one second more. I was flabbergasted. Little girl?

Senator Wallingsford’s panel lit up. “Ms. Campbell, you will have your opportunity to address the Senate. Until then, please refrain from interrupting.”

Instead of speaking, I pushed the single button in front of me that I’d seen the others use to light up their panels and communicate agreement. With that illumination, my accordance was acknowledged. I was making political moves now. And this move was going to require me to sit and listen to Gregory’s disgusting lies for just a little bit longer.

Through his projected fury, Gregory smirked, subtly enough for just me to see. “We warned her. She didn’t listen. We took action. She revolted...” He turned aggressively towards me. “You can’t expect that we would continue down this path, do you? To allow this subversive movement you have ignited to spread like wildfire and destroy everything these great men and women before us have given their lives to build?”

He was addressing me, with the most acidic, condescending rhetoric. I looked up to Senator Wallingsford, pleading for his green light to reply.

“Agent Zaffron, we appreciate your dedicated work to Seneca and I must agree that the safety and progress of our citizens is our priority. Is your address to the Senate complete?”

“Affirmative, sir. Senator Wallingsford, honorable members of the Senate, my utmost gratitude for your attention, and this opportunity to serve the great Seneca Society.”

“Very well.”

Putrid. Everything about him. His aggressive repertoire blinded him to the possibility of intellectual competition from a sixteen-year-old. I had to be strategic, to consider how to use his arrogance. Even though it felt impossible to prove ourselves in the face of such a forceful agenda, I had to hold on tight to my belief that truth would prevail.

“We now call Dominic Ambrosia for a response and statement regarding the S.O.I.L. accusations against him which have brought us here today.”

Dom peered down at his podium. I sensed that he was gathering the steam he needed from outside his own body, because whatever he’d had inside had been stripped to below the reserves. He suddenly lifted his head. He didn’t look at me, didn’t look at Gregory.

“Honorable Senators. I am sorry for causing such a disruption...” He took a long, agonized breath. Come on, come on, bring out that gutsy guy I jumped cliffs with at Difficult Run! I focused the thoughts in my own head and tried to forward them over to his. Just as quick as he caught my thought, he shot one right back, Don’t worry, I got this. and continued on with his statement.

“When I got that vaccination that was supposed to control what they call Necrolla Carne, I felt deep down something wasn’t right. No matter what, I just couldn’t shake that feeling. Nobody around me had experienced any symptoms, nobody around me had even heard of anybody who’d experienced any symptoms, and there weren’t any patients being discussed or interviewed on the B3 news— just a lot of talk about how dangerous it was. After my shot, instead of sensing that my body was being bolstered and protected, like the doctor said the vaccine would do, I felt a little bit slowed up. As if something was delaying my movements or decisions. It was just nanoseconds, but I couldn’t ignore it. I had to figure out what had been done to me, especially because if it affected me, it affected every citizen of Seneca. Ultimately, I did. I looked into my own blood and saw something in there that could only have been put there by that Necrolla Carne vaccine... I could see that it was something computerized, but that’s where I was stumped, for a long time. And then Dorothy Campbell came along, and I shared all of this with her, even after S.O.I.L. agents warned me to steer clear of further probing. But I had to find the facts. I had to. And now we can all see a perfect example of how the supposed facts that are presented to us are completely and intentionally misleading. That stuff in that folder S.O.I.L.’s given you, I’d be real critical of it.”

After a long beat in which Dom allowed that to sink in to the consciousness of the room, he started speaking, softer. From his heart. “Yeah, in retrospect, I realize that maybe it wasn’t the best way to go about things, but I still don’t know what would have been. I had to find the truth. I had no other choice. And, honestly, I don’t know what to do to rectify this, but what I will say is this: If the last thing I do here is reveal that the Necrolla Carne vaccine is responsible for human brain invasion, vital sign determination, biometric analysis and registration of brain pattern indicators, then at least I’ve been an honest man. Because that’s what I believe. But the most important thing that I can testify to right now is that, no matter what you decide, you need to know I dragged Doro into this. She doesn’t deserve the weight of this on her shoulders. It was all me.”

No! Dom trying to take the fall for both of us was so not what I wanted. He was throwing himself in front of the bus for me. I loved him for it. And I hated him for it.

“Everything she did that got her in trouble was because of me. If you decide to punish me, please spare Doro. She is the ideal Senecan– strong, intelligent, fair. You were right to believe in her to begin with. Don’t let me destroy that, too.”

My eyes swept across the Senate. They shifted in their seats and whispered to one another. Ellen Malone looked down at me, and, while I wanted to look away as fast as I could, something pinned my eyes to hers. I tried to decipher what was going on in her mind from the look on her face, but she was inscrutable. I couldn’t tell if she was disappointed, proud, worried for me, or what. I knew she couldn’t protect me now. She was only one single individual here and this was no ‘getting out of lockdown to go get chilaquiles’ type of situation.

Senator Wallingsford broke in to lasso everyone’s attention with his best, measured, politician’s voice, “Thank you, Mr.

Ambrosia.”

Dom nodded and his podium went white.

“The floor is now open to expelled S.E.R.C. scholar, Dorothy Campbell, for response and statement regarding the S.O.I.L. accusations against her that have brought us here today.”

I was intimidated by the faces turned toward me and the fact that my fate was in their hands. But I was also driven— by the truth, by Dom’s spirit, by the hope of this place. I knew we could help fix the problems if they’d just listen to us. Dom didn’t want the weight of it to be on my shoulders, but it was, and he couldn’t help that. I decided to take the blunt approach.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, thanks for letting me have this opportunity to tell you what really happened. I may be young, but I’m no idiot. Yes, I expected action to be taken against me. It was my goal, and I’m prepared for it.”

A rumble moved through the Senate. Former Navy Seal, top ranking S.O.I.L. agent, Gregory Zaffron, was about to be challenged by a sixteen-year-old girl, in a room full of the entire judicial body of this accelerated form of government. It was my turn to get rhetorical. I turned to Gregory.

“Did you honestly think I’d continue to just let things be once I knew about the deceptions being played out in Seneca?” I shifted my focus away from Gregory’s glare to address the Senate.

“We were chased, hunted, unjustly characterized as runaways on the national news, brutally attacked and left for dead in the middle of the forest, but that didn’t stop us.” I saw so many looks of astonishment that right then and there I could see the Seneca Senate, at least most of its members, had been unaware of Gregory’s actions. “B3 News was fed blatant lies about the supposed Necrolla Carne Disease that in turn filled the minds of innocent Seneca citizens everywhere with fear about its destructive power. But we found out the truth. As a dutiful citizen of Seneca I take very seriously my social contract to The High Doctrine of Seneca Society, which is that: We shall pursue and honor the truth above all else. For ourselves, for our fellow Senecans, for the ultimate, incontrovertible liberty of the Seneca Society.

“Isn’t it our obligation to chase the truth and come forward with what we’ve found? And, if not me, then who? Who is going to identify the problem, speak the truth and stand up for what’s right? Dom and I knew we had to chase the truth. It was our obligation to this society.”

I felt the wind against my back. “Corrupting people’s blood with nanobots is the ultimate intrusion. Blocking memories and changing the course of people’s lives without their knowledge or consent is cold-hearted manipulation. It’s tyranny. It’s enslavement. It’s the farthest thing from what Seneca is all about, but it is exactly what S.O.I.L. is doing. Yes, I broke the quantum encryption and determined that all of us are being tracked and analyzed. Every thought in our minds and every movement we make is collected data, and you have no right to mine my brain for data without my consent. Nobody should have the right to do that to anyone else.”

One by one, panels in front of the members of the Senate were lighting up, demonstrating their approval. I felt empowered by the lights. The sun shone on my face, beaming down through the salt-crystal windows in the dome above us. I noticed that Gregory’s body language had changed infinitesimally, as he shrank back slightly, his shoulders slouching forward just a bit. The Senators couldn’t see it but I could, and it gave me a burst of adrenalin. He hadn’t expected them to respond to me like this because he thought he was invincible. That his misuse of power would continue unchallenged.

Just then I received an incoming flex, and it wasn’t from Dom. You’re playing with fire, Doro. I have your back, but won’t be able to protect you from what is to come. It was Ellen. Oh my god. She had the implant, too. Slowly, Ellen Malone’s layers were peeling back like a fresh onion. One by one, each tier disturbed me more than the last. I had no idea what was at her core and this wasn’t the time to engage in a flex-off with her to find out. She flexed me again; You’d better learn to use your new implant before some other people around here learn that you have it. I scanned the faces before me. Many eyed me just like Ellen did, but I couldn’t let uncertainty cripple my drive. And I couldn’t trust that Ellen knew what was best, or that she would do what was right for me or Dom. This was my fight and I had to go by my gut instincts.

“Gregory wants to label me as an insurgent, and that’s fine, because the truth is, if I didn’t rebel against the wrongdoings of S.O.I.L., the foundation Seneca was built on could implode, and destroy everything you have worked to create.” I took a deep breath and aimed my final blow at Gregory’s campaign of deceit.

“Seneca is everything I ever wanted the world to be. Safe, fair, peaceful, dedicated to education in areas that actually matter. I see a future here where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and be the best they can be. But the tyrannies of an operation like the one around the fake Necrolla Carne virus, lying to people and intrusively penetrating their brains, are the fastest ways to quash all that hope. And someone like Gregory Zaffron, who perpetrates all these horrendous crimes, should in no way be a representative of the Seneca Society. The Seneca I believe in does not stand for oppression and hypocrisy. If this is put to an end before it is too late, Seneca really will be fertile ground for a whole new existence. The one people have always dreamed of. Freedom was never really possible here until these truths were exposed, right here, right now.”

All of the Senators’ screens lit up and I basked in the brightness.

“I hope that you will all see that Dominic and I didn’t do any of this for our own selfish motives, or to play games or take control of anything. We just wanted to shed a light on the truth and expose a flaw that I think can ruin the future of the place I want to call home... Thank you all for listening.”

Much to my surprise, and Gregory’s despair, the room exploded in white light. Every panel on the Senate was illuminated. I felt amazing. My whole body buzzed from the surge of positive energy in the room. Ellen was deadpan, maintaining a vacant stare. I knew she was pissed off that I had blown off her flex, but I was no longer worried about what Ellen thought. I looked at Dom. There was a glimmer of hopeful anticipation in his piercing eyes. In the end, the truth will always set you free.

As Wallingsford’s screen stayed illuminated, a hush settled over the room. “We will now hear concluding statements from each one of you, in the same order, please. Agent Zaffron, you may proceed.”

Gregory was fueled by the desire to win, to conquer two pesky teenagers, to remain in control. He showed no fear, and was filled with a malevolence that made my stomach turn. “Senators, we can all appreciate Ms. Campbell’s sweet sentiment, but don’t be fooled by a wolf in sheep’s clothing in our midst. This sweetness is only skin deep. I ask you to let the hard facts that S.O.I.L. has collected and presented to you determine the outcome in the best interest of our society. Rebellion and assault on S.O.I.L. intel can only be a threat, not an ally to our society. Having witnessed the persistence of these two individuals as they infiltrated our security methods, I began to understand their capacity to disrupt. I stand by the current S.O.I.L. procedures, as they have been put in place in the best interest of all of us here today. We are dedicated to protecting what you are building– by any means necessary. Sometimes great success comes at a great cost. This is a perfect example of one of those times.” He was resolute and cold-hearted. “On behalf of S.O.I.L, I, Agent Gregory Zaffron, motion that, should Campbell and Ambrosia be found guilty of breech of our laws as outlined in the High Doctrine of Seneca Society, they shall be placed in solitary confinement until they are legal adults, at which point they shall be terminated.”

A rolling thunder of private chatter emanated from the crescent-shaped audience elevated before us. Dom looked as if he hadn’t just seen a ghost; he was a ghost. I don’t think he’d ever expected it to come down to a moment like this. I, on the other hand, might not have been in my element running down a bridge and jumping off a ledge into oncoming traffic, but I was ready to rock in this war of words. We couldn’t allow ourselves to feel helpless against a system that was there for us. I stared at Wallingsford, chomping at the bit for my opportunity to speak.

“Dominic Ambrosia. Do you have any closing statements?”

Dom looked at me, then back up to the Senate. “I just hope everyone sees the truth in what Doro is saying. There is nothing more to it. Seneca is my home now. I don’t want to do anything to compromise that. I am only here to help.”

Gregory muttered under his breath, “How cute.”

I tightened my jaw, but was unable to contain myself a second longer.

“Funny,” I spat. My glare ripped into Gregory. “To me it seems you are the one in breech of the laws of Seneca as outlined in the High Doctrine, so I think you should be the one who is terminated.”

Gregory exhaled a puff of disgust and shook his head in feigned disbelief.

“And the fact is that it won’t stop with Dominic and me. You will have to come back to the Senate and ask that more and more people be terminated. Because the reality is, people will eventually catch on to what you’re up to. If the skills needed to ask the right questions and break into the system exist in Dom and me, it’s there in others just as smart as us. There are bright people sitting even now in the most basic session available in S.E.R.C. They’ll piece it together, too.

“The last thing I want to say, Agent Zaffron, is that if anything happens to Dom or me, the quantum entanglement you have established with every Seneca citizen, whether they’re in Seneca or somewhere else in the world, will be broken and destroyed. But first they will get a very explicit message regarding what you have done. I’ve already coded it that way.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Then call me.”

Gregory was speechless. It was the first time I’d ever seen him visibly shaken. There was a resolved silence in the row of thrones. My own silence was proud. It was all out of my hands now. I marveled at how uniquely different silences could be.

Senator Wallingsford stood. “Agent Zaffron, Dominic Ambrosia, Dorothy Campbell– please accept our appreciation for your statements in this session. The Senate will now convene and vote on a solution.”

A mirrored blue dome appeared over the panel of Seneca Senate members. Dom, Gregory, the guards and I just had to wait. I grinned like a schoolgirl because I knew it would irritate Gregory. Gregory drilled his nasty eyes right back at me, but I could sense him cracking. Dom didn’t even look up from his podium, he was so in the zone. None of us spoke. No matter how high the tension we were all trying to maintain poker faces.

After twenty-eight minutes standing in strained silence, the mirrored blue dome dissolved into the cool salty air.

Senator Wallingsford motioned Ellen Malone to the floor. “Senator Number Two will now give the determination and conclusion of the Senate.”

Ellen Malone’s panel lit up. I still didn’t want to look at her, but I couldn’t help it.

“Senators, Seneca Advisory Committee, S.O.I.L. agents and officers, respondents, thank you for affording me the honor to address you today.”

The panels all lit up and, as they faded back to opaque, Ellen spoke with a command I’d never heard from her before. “I personally know these two scholars, and can attest that they are not a detriment to our society, but rather an asset. That is why it is with such pleasure that, on behalf of the Seneca Senate, I hereby dismiss the accusations brought forth today by the Seneca Observation and Intelligence League against Dominic Ambrosia and Dorothy Campbell.”

The screens all went white. So did Gregory’s face. And color returned to Dom’s. At the same time stupendous relief flowed through me, I had the thought that Ellen was a chameleon.

Whose side was she on, anyway?

“In fact, the direction of fault is in choices made by our own S.O.I.L. Indeed, we are a society made up of human beings and, thus, error is unavoidable, especially in this stage of our collective infancy. Correction is in our blood, though, and our internal mistakes must be promptly and responsibly remedied. Moreover, we find it morally reprehensible that such intrusions were taken against not only the citizens of Seneca, but especially the league of Senators that have led you, Gregory Zaffron, and your colleagues, and have trusted you to be an instrument of their decisions. This is an issue we will address at a later time. Until the facts of this case are thoroughly investigated, you are placed on indefinite suspension from your S.O.I.L duties.”

I thought about kicking up my feet like Gregory had in his absurdly machismo fashion that day in my room in S.E.R.C., but instead I let Ellen’s words do the gloating for me. Gregory was beginning to look apoplectic.

Ignoring him, Ellen continued, “Although these S.E.R.C. scholars went against the system, what they’re fighting for couldn’t be more righteous. They represent the epitome of what we stand for in this society– peace, equality, harmony and inviolable freedom. Hence, we find it in the best interest for the future of the Seneca Society to reinstate Dominic Ambrosia and Dorothy Campbell as S.E.R.C. scholars. In addition, we would like to establish them as leaders of a new S.O.I.L. project where we will collaborate with them in discovering ways in which to break the invasive quantum entanglements. Simultaneously, we expect an effort on the part of S.O.I.L., with a newly selected Chief S.O.I.L. Agent in the S.E.R.C. division, to work towards a better, more just future of Seneca intelligence operations.”

Senator Wallingsford’s panel lit up. As Ellen Malone took her seat, he spoke calmly, and it echoed throughout the ancient salt mine turned judicial chamber. “Mr. Ambrosia, Ms. Campbell, do you accept this determination in your favor?”

Dom was elated. He nodded to me as if to say, “The floor is all yours.”

I knew what I wanted. It wasn’t too much to ask. “We will agree to it if you allow my mom and my dog to come live with me in Seneca, and Dominic’s parents and brother, too, to live with him.”

Senator Wallingsford moved forward to speak, but Ellen Malone’s somber face caught my eye. No matter what had been done to me, I wasn’t going to stoop to Gregory’s level. I had to be my best me— so there was one more thing to ask for.

“And I further request that Ellen Malone’s son, Connor, be allowed to come live with her.”

Ellen became uneasy. She leaned into Senator Wallingsford, but he brushed her off, because he already knew what he was going to say.

“Considering the great positive change you have just brought our society, that certainly is not too much to ask. It would be a pleasure to have your loved ones join us. Welcome back to Seneca.”

The man in the blue suit who had called the session to order promptly adjourned it and the blue dome rose over the Senate and lowered it below the surface of the salt mine.

Dom bounced down from behind his podium to throw his arms around me in an enormous bear hug. “You are seriously incredible, Dorothy Campbell. Do you know that?”

“See, I told you I wasn’t spying on you that day we first met. I really did just think you were handsome. But now I think you’re kinda smart, too.”

Gregory began to storm out with his escort, but then abruptly turned toward Dom and me. “You think you’re such geniuses. You’re going to wish you’d never put your noses into any of it. This isn’t over.”

But it was– for now, at least. I smiled. Nothing could wreck this glorious moment, not even Gregory Zaffron.