Page 126 of Resist

70: NIT-V2

Ididn’t mess around. Once I knew what was going on, I took immediate action. And I wasn’t takingnofor an answer. Not even Bynes was going to hold me back. This was bigger than her. Bigger than all of us. And we had to do somethingnow.

I was just so grateful that Giza was there. Because if it had only been Bynes, the way everything happened next would have probably been very different. But Giza made it happen. The fire he lit under everyone’s asses had even Bynes giving him a wide berth. And only five hours later, we were in a huge situation room back at Fort Warren, and all the major players were present—even Jacob.

Thank goodness Giza was compassionate enough to order Jacob real clothing, a kindness Jacob told me he would never forget. Wearing the regulatory tan cargo pants and olive-green shirt, Jacob looked just as much as a Dissenter as anyone else in the room. And it was a very packed room.

On one side of the long, rectangular table sat Sasha, along with Giza and two other Dissenter commanders I didn’t recognize. On the opposite side, First in Command Gary Fisher sat next to Charles Calvernon, who eyed me suspiciously the moment he walked in through the door. General Bynes sat on the other side of him, and Lieutenant General Krous sat next to her. A hologram of a man I recognized from my review back at the rebel camp turned out to be Archer McClintok, First in Command of the East, and he was depicted on the opposite side of Sasha.

I stood at the head of the table, next to my brother, who was standing on his own two feet. The relief I felt when I saw him walking, felt some of his former strength, almost brought me to tears. And it felt so good to be standing beside him as equals, finally fighting for the same side. Across from me at the other far end of the table, was Wes.

His blond locks were tied back in that low ponytail that lit a slow, simmering burn deep within me. He was healing well, already looking so much better than he did previously. I wanted so badly to touch him, to hug him, to tell him I was wrong and to please forgive me. But it would have to wait. Because this was bigger than me and him, too. That fact, however, didn’t stop me from feeling the sting when I noticed he refused to look at me.

“Good evening,” Jacob began, clearing his throat, bringing the room to attention. I was in awe. As battered as he was, surrounded by a room of people that wanted nothing more than to see him hang, Jacob stood tall and confident, commanding the room effortlessly, as though it was always his to command. I didn’t think I could ever lead like he did. Not like this. But at least he was finally on our side. And everyone was going to figure out just what an asset he really was.

Only two people gave him the courtesy of a nod—Giza and Sasha. Wes remained quiet, stoic. Everyone else just glared, but he held their attention.

“I know you know who I am, and I’ll begin by saying that I am nothing but extremely grateful for the rescue operation you conducted to save my life. I know that my family and I have caused your people nothing but pain and suffering, and I am truly sorry for the part I have played in that.”

He paused for a few seconds, giving everyone a moment. “There is nothing I could ever do to repair the hardships I have caused on your people. But I intend to do everything in my power to make amends and right the wrongs cast upon this nation. And that is why I am here, why I’ve asked Mara to call this meeting. Because what I am about to tell you will make a difference. War is upon us, whether you realize it or not. And Raúl is more prepared than ever to face you all. And he will win.”

Jacob looked away from the crowd, staring at the table for a moment as he took several deep breaths. I inched toward him, touching his shoulder with my own, lending him my strength. He glanced at me, giving me a quick smile before returning his attention to the room. “With my aid, Raúl has created a piece of technology that will change the tide of this war if he’s given the chance to use it. We can’t let that happen. Several months ago, a small group of Dissenters stumbled upon a processing plant where we were developing a prototype.”

“The nanochips,” Sasha said, her eyes widening.

“Yes,” I confirmed. “NIT-V1.”

“NIT-V what?” Fisher asked.

“NIT-V1,” Jacob repeated. “Neural Implant Transmitter Version One. It was our first prototype for a cranial implant.”

“A cranial implant?” Bynes spoke up this time. “A new tracking device?”

“Would all of you just shut up?” I snapped. “Just listen for a minute. You’ll get your chance to ask questions, but this will go much faster if you just let him finish.” Everyone looked atme in surprise, but I ignored them and looked at my brother, motioning for him to continue.

He cocked a brow before looking back at the room. “NIT-V1 is more than a tracking device. It’s an implant that transmits electrical impulses into the brain, stimulating different neural networks and causing the brain to rewire itself over a short course of time. The nanochip is implanted in the back of the head, into the brainstem, and then attached to the amygdala. From there, we can send commands into the brain, telling it to stimulate running, jumping, kicking, and so on. Whatever we want the body to do, we can artificially stimulate the brain into giving the body the command through this implant.”

I looked at everyone in the room, but all I saw were blank stares. Did they not get it? Did no one understand what was happening?

“Pardon me,” Krous spoke up, “but are you trying to tell me you have created—”

“A device that can control the brain. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you,” Jacob answered patiently.

“That’s impossible,” Bynes shot back. “That technology doesn’t exist and there’s no way you’re going to convince me thatyoujust happened to figure it out.”

Charles stood up, glaring at me and then at my brother. “I’ve heard enough. It sounds to me like you’re both trying to postpone the inevitable. I am smart enough to see this ridiculous ploy to avoid standing trial—”

“It works!” I shouted at him, slamming my hand on the table to grab his attention. “The nanochip is real, and it works. I’ve seen it firsthand.”

“Mara,” Giza interjected, “what do you mean you’ve seen it?”

I faced him. “Chelsea. Chelsea was implanted with NIT-V1.”

Sasha’s body stiffened as her eyes grew wide with shock. “What?”

“Tell them, Jacob.”

Jacob glanced at me and then looked back at Sasha. “When Chelsea was captured at the processing plant, we took her in for questioning. She refused to answer, so my dad had her implanted with the device. She received the first prototype. We ordered her to tell us the location of the camp, as well as anything else she knew about the Dissenters. She—” he faltered, but forced himself forward. “She was very resistant to the transmissions, but we eventually got what we needed and then released her to return to the camp. The ultimate test was to see if we could get her to betray the Dissenters.”

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