Page 66 of The Champion
“I’ll think about it,” I lied.
Standing in the doorway, Frédéric gave me a curt nod. “Good. Sleep on it, and let’s meet up again tomorrow. I hope you’ll have come to your senses by then.”
I kept in my seat as Zola gave me a last pleading glance before she walked out with Frédéric. Standing wasn’t an option when my legs felt wobbly from the realization that I would have to tell Freya that our plan had failed.
CHAPTER 17
Safety First
Freya
Everything happened fast after Victor returned from the meeting with members of Parliament. I didn’t have to ask him how it went; his expression said it all.
“Pack your things, we’re leaving.”
“They didn’t approve our plans?” I asked, moving to his bedroom where I had my bag.
“No. They weren’t even open to listening to me.”
“Was it the part of us being together or starting Wisdomia?”
“I didn’t get a chance to tell them about us. They want to keep me here, which is why we have to gonow. To buy us time, I told them I would consider their words.”
Victor didn’t pack a single thing, but he carried my bag as we walked for fifteen minutes at a fast pace to the port where my father’s diamond drone was parked in the sky high above. France didn’t have many robots compared to the rest of the world, but here we were met by a humanoid service-bot with androgynous traits that asked us to state our business.
I explained that I needed to return to the Northlands and was given permission to bring the drone down to me. The port of France was a quiet place without tourists or private passengers. Except for a few large transports arriving on a weekly basis with goods from the Motherlands and Northlands, the area wasn’t in use.
I tapped my foot as we watched the large drone descend. Looking down, I saw Victor’s knuckles were white where he held onto my bag.
In my mind, I thought about the repercussions that would follow once France understood that Victor had left without permission. The citizens would become more isolated if the government backtracked their promise to allow citizens access to a social network and all cooperation between France and the Northland would be in jeopardy.
“Come.” Victor dipped his head to gesture for me to go first. I moved fast but turned when the robot gave a command.
“The transport has permission to accept one passenger by the name of Freya Aurelius. No one else can board.”
“I’m just loading her bag,” Victor said, standing on the second step behind me.
“Step away from the aircraft immediately,” the service-bot ordered. It was an unrefined version that didn’t have many facial expressions and despite the direct order, the bot still had an impassive face.
Victor and I exchanged a glance, and then he gave a minuscule nod and whispered, “Don’t worry. I’m not leaving you.” Turning to the robot, he gave an order. “Override standard procedures. I’m Victor Xavier and I have level ten privileges.”
The robot moved closer to him, stopping at the edge of the stairs. “I have identified you as Victor Xavier with level two privileges. Step away from the aircraft immediately.”
“I underestimated how fast they would act,” he whispered. “Joseph must have changed my status to send me a signal of his power.”
I held my breath as I watched Victor defy the robot and move a step up.
The minute he did so, the robot tased him, making his body convulse from the electricity running through him.
I screamed and reached out to help him when he fell, but with the angle we were standing in and his bigger size than me, there was nothing I could do.
“Stop it!” I screamed and jumped to get down beside Victor, who was on the ground now, stiff as a board and moaning in pain.
“Stay down or you’ll be tased again,” the robot warned.
“Can you get up?” I asked with concern as I sat kneeling next to him.
He tried but the moment he got up to sit, the robot warned him again, “Remain seated. The police have been alerted and will arrive soon.”
