Plans

Dov followed his brothers through the meal line to their table on the far side of the room. Four chairs, four sides, completely symmetrical. He smiled.

"Okay, red mystery meat…again." '33 said with a sigh, setting his tray down.

'12 laughed. "What's the matter? Thought you liked it."

"Not this stuff." He poked the substance with his fork, grimacing. "I'm not hungry. You want it?" he asked, looking at Dov.

He reached for the tray, but '56 stayed his hand.

"No, don't. You're going to need that. We've got Black Training tonight."

'33 frowned. "Who told you that?"

There was a pause. Everyone was watching '56.

"Apma is considering me for a command position," he said quietly.

"What?" '33 leaned back in his chair. "You've got to be kidding."

'56 shrugged. "I didn't ask for it."

"So, is it live fire?" '12 asked, steering the conversation back to the original subject.

"I'm not sure. Apma didn't say, but he did tell he doesn't think we're ready for this yet." '56 pushed the red meat across his plate.

"Great," '33 muttered. "Just great."

"Anyway…" '12 cleared his throat, pulling out a small datapad from his pocket. "The training arena."

"Are we still going through with this?" 7156 asked, annoyed.

Dov glanced around. "Keep it down; we don't need anyone listening." The room around them was abuzz with a couple hundred other identical voices all talking.

"Right. So, the training arena. You guys still want to go through with the lockdown?"

"Heck yeah." '33 grinned.

'56 rolled his eyes, and Dov shrugged.

"Okay, so I've mapped out our exact route and the necessary targets, but…" '12 paused.

"But?" '33 prodded.

"It's going to take us a few months."

"Are you serious? How come?"

"Look, I just started on the slicing program. The training arena has one of the highest and most difficult security systems in this place. It's not going to be just a simple lockdown; I've got to get through codes, alarms, doors, whole thing."

"So why do it at all?" '56 asked, hoping to talk them all out of the plan.

"Because its' fun, and we need a good challenge outside our regular training."

'56 sat back, frowning. "I don't think it's a good idea. Remember what Apma said?"

They all glanced at each other. Apma had let them off with a warning last time; who knew what he would say if they tried the arena?

"I still think we should do it. We'd go down as legends!"

"Can you not be realistic?" '56 asked sternly.

"Can you not have fun?" '33 asked back.

Dov hid a smile.

"Alright, fine. Do what you want, but when you guys get in trouble, I am not being held responsible."

'33 grinned in satisfaction. "What could go wrong?"

"Um, lots?" '56 suggested.

"You're too uptight, you know that?"

"Whatever."

'12 shook his head. "Okay, so like I was saying, its' going to take a few months. Once I learn the techniques, I think I can get into the main computer system and lock it down."

"Would you be able to lock it so no one else has access?" '33 asked.

"Think so, yeah." '12 paused, glancing around at his brothers. "You guys know we're going to be perfectly screwed after this, right?"

"Relax, okay?" '33 scraped up the last of the meat, finishing it. "If you can rig it so we have total control with no one finding out it was us, we're perfectly set."

"True," '12 mused. "There is one problem though."

'56 leaned forward. "And that would be?"

"I thought you weren't interested," '33 cut in.

"Shut up, ner'vod. I'm just getting the facts here."

"Okay. So the problem," '12 continued, ignoring the banter. "The only way I can lock down the arena is from the inside, from this computer terminal here." He pointed out the location on the datapad. "Then I'd have to get up to the ceiling to escape through the vent shafts."

"So what's the big deal exactly?" Dov asked.

"I've no way of getting up there after shutting everything down."

Everyone stared at him, slack-jawed.

"You're kidding, right?"

'12 shook his head. "I wish."

"Well, that plan is shot." '56 sounded relieved.

"Not exactly. There is a backup terminal in the watchtower where Apma stays when we're in there. But, if I shut everything down from inside, someone else is going to have to get me out from up there."

"Why the heck would they put the main terminal inside the arena anyway?" Dov asked.

"Uh.. I don't know. Why do they do anything around here?"

'33 groaned and thumped his head flat on the table. "This is messed up."

"Look, I thought it would be kind of easy too, but it's not. There's always a drawback."

"Can you somehow fix the drawback? Maybe program the main terminal to the backup so we can do it all from up there?"

"That would take years of studying, and I've only just started, '33. It's not like I'm a magician."

'56 spoke next. "So can we agree this plan is stupid and not do it?"

"No way," '33 argued. "We can figure this out. Come on, '12. Give us something to work with."

'12 sighed. "Did you hear nothing I said?"

"No, he didn't," '56 answered. "He's pushing it, as usual."

'33 glared at him. "Whatever." He stood up, collecting his empty tray. "I'm heading to the room to get ready for tonight. See you guys later." He slunk off.

"He's mad," Dov said.

"He'll get over it, I hope." '56 glanced around at them. "Come on, we should get ready too."