Part 6
Malcolm was busy saving everything onto his hidden server before heading for his chemistry class. But when he went to back it up onto the secondary server it gave him an error message. Server not found.
Impossible Gia always made sure her laptop could connect for him. He refreshed it and tried again. But again it flashed server not found.
He frowned and looked at the screen in confusion. He repeated the process a third time, third time's the charm he hoped. But still the server not found message.
He sat back and wondered about why it couldn't be found. There could be various scenarios, either they were busted and it would only be hours before he got another call from Seattle to come collect his grandchildren. If they captured them then maybe it was only a matter of time before they found the backup server and trace it back to him. Or they were caught but escaped and Gia might have escaped with the files from his server. But a knock on his door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come on professor, you don't want to be late." Riley teased, poking her head in.
He knew she was just in gym class, only one without legacies but still held her ground.
"Look who's talking Mrs tardy." Malcolm retorted, gathering his stuff.
"Only to Linda's class, can you blame me?" Riley inquired.
Malcolm laughed and followed her out. "You nurse a severe disdain for that woman don't you?"
"It's one thing to constantly be shrinking other people's heads, especially when they don't want you to. But now to treat me like I'm gonna snap at any given moment is a new low for that woman." Riley venomously spat. Malcolm chuckled.
"And didn't Susan get the memo? Getting legacies and running for my life meant I never had to worry about chemistry again." Riley groaned. Malcolm smiled.
"Don't worry Ri, the next chapter is all about electrons."
Riley rolled her bright blue eyes and laughed.
But Malcolm was still contemplating the lost server. He knew how to find out. Hopefully it worked and it was just a technical malfunction.
She needed to beat Malcolm up for his encouraging comments. First of all the next chapter was about acids and bases, second of all she failed the test he'd just handed back, and thirdly she just all around hated chemistry.
But Malcolm seemed more distracted than usual. He gave up teaching after tripping over his terms five different times and gave them time to do their homework. It was pretty easy though, identifying which compound was an acid and which was a base.
That was how she'd spent the whole last half hour before now. Currently she was dreading the following period, Dr. Linda's group therapy session. On her schedule it was called being a positive force in the world. In reality they put everyone they've captured in one room and have them talk about why they ran. It's all about making them feel safe and realizing the government doesn't mean to harm them. That this is actually helping them. 'For the betterment of society'.
Riley was the only one without legacies in there and it was degrading. The whole stupid period is with or without legacies. Sadly the period was over and everyone was leaving. With a wince she cleaned up her stuff and loaded it into her backpack.
"Riley, can I have a word?" Malcolm questioned. She froze, his tone was cool and harsh. He never has done that to her. If they needed to talk they'd talk later in private. What was his deal?
Riley shouldered her backpack and approached his desk.
"So Riley what happened on this last test?" Malcolm inquired.
Students were slowly trickling out of the room.
"Malcolm you know I don't understand chemistry. It just doesn't come easy to me." Riley pleaded.
Then the last student left the room and Malcolm's whole demeanor changed.
"The door Riley." Malcolm whispered.
Riley walked over and closed the door.
"The blind and lock it." Malcolm added.
Riley gave him a questioning look before doing as he said.
"Lexa has already taken care of the surveillance cameras." Malcolm reassured.
"So this isn't about my chem test?" Riley questioned cautiously.
"Riley, I honestly know you lack in expertise in chemistry and offer to give you some tutoring when I come over for our late night meetings. But this has absolutely nothing to do with it. My backup server can't be found and I fear for your friends. Gia's laptop is my backup server and if it can't be found that means that something has possibly gone wrong with them." Malcolm sighed, burying his face in his hands.
"You want me to use my red crystal to try and contact them." Riley finished, dropping her backpack on the floor.
"If you could please. That way we know they're at least safe." Malcolm admitted. She knew he really meant so he knew they were safe but she didn't correct him.
"How long since you've been able to find the backup server?" Riley questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"I last accessed it two days ago. It could've disappeared anywhere in between now and then." Malcolm shrugged, his face looked worn from age and worry.
"Got it. So you are going to make me late to Linda's class to get a status report from your granddaughters?" Riley smirked, blue eyes sparkling with mischief.
"I figured you wouldn't mind." Malcolm chuckled.
Riley reached in her pocket and pulled out her red crystal. It gave off an unearthly glow as it recognized a Garde's presence.
"Six, come in Six." Riley called into the crystal. There was a tense silence as they await a response.
"Hera? You there?" Riley asked.
"Careful with those! They are a delicate object! A female voice barked. "Eden please release Lorien!"
"Sixty?" Riley inquired.
"This is umm… what's my code name?" A very familiar female voice questioned.
"The most wanted EG escapee new and improved." Casey drawled.
"Can I be ten?" Sidney questioned.
"No! Save that for her family." Kat argued.
"How about Artemis and then we can save this conversation for later?" Riley suggested, trying not to laugh.
"Artemis I like it. What can I do for ya Nine?" Sidney inquired.
"Bill Nye wants to know what happened to the goods Sixty is carrying." Riley answered.
"Bill Nye can relax, I have the hard drive safe and sound. It's just not in anything currently." Gia replied.
"Why did you remove it?" Malcolm inquired.
"We were hacked in Seattle. We are now in a new location that is undisclosed currently. I just still believe it was a the stupidest move ever." Gia huffed, enunciating the end of her statement. .
"Which is why it's the safest." Cecilia argued.
"Alright children. Everyone safe?" Riley pressed, glad they couldn't see her grin.
"Physically safe. Casey is going to be learning the painful side effects of the healing stone in a few minutes." Kat answered.
"Do I dare ask why?" Riley chuckled.
"Cecilia was teaching Sidney some moves with her energy manipulation and Casey's big mouth got him in trouble." Kat explained.
"I was just pointing out that Cecilia is basically a dangerous laser beam and we don't need two of them!" Casey protested.
"So he was the target." Kat finished.
"I recommend giving him something to bite down on. It's gonna sting a little." Riley teased.
"Bite me Athena." Casey called.
"Love you two Hera." Riley replied.
With that she put the crystal back in her pocket. It'd sever the connection once she wasn't touching it.
"They seem to be safe wherever they are." Riley replied.
"But I didn't hear Adelina and Henri. Also why would they be using the healing stone when one of the twins could heal him easily?" Malcolm pointed out.
Riley frowned at the thought. He made a good point about that.
"Want me to call them back?" Riley offered.
"No, do it later. You should go see Linda." Malcolm replied. He hastily scribbled her a late pass and she was off to the worst class ever. Maybe then she'd get to go privately spar with her father or even a dummy to take anger out on after suffering through Linda's class.
Riley entered the gym expecting to find her father, not a bunch of teenage boys screwing around. She forgot about his class with this months graduating students. They'd all turn eighteen this month and get to leave this place for whatever comes next. She went to leave but she felt a telekinetic tug on her shirt.
"Hey there. Your Nine's daughter right?" The biggest one inquired.
"Yeah, so?" Riley retorted.
She was used to stupid teenage boys, they are everywhere.
"Where's your padre?" He asked.
"I could ask you the same." Riley replied, crossing her arms casually.
"She's quite the feisty little thing ain't she?" Another boy chuckled.
"Since you seem to be so tough why don't you show us some moves? I doubt any of us could beat the daughter of the great and powerful Nine." The main one taunted.
He was egging her on and she wasn't gonna let him win. Waste of her time really.
"I don't feel like sending all of you to the infirmary so I'll just leave." Riley told them casually.
"Not so fast little girl." He warned, eyes narrowing with anger.
Riley sensed another one behind her and jumped out of the way. He face planted right where she'd been standing.
"Now gentlemen you don't want to make my father angry." Riley cautioned. She planted her feet firmly and ready her body to have to fight these knuckleheads.
Nothing to worry about imagine they're just like the computer simulations. Except unlike the fake EG agents and simulated Mogadorians she fought these boys had something she didn't, legacies.
A boy charged at her from behind, she simply stepped aside to let him join his friend on the floor. One of the big guys henchman charged her head on. She grabbed his arm and flipped him. The left one made an attempt but she tripped him and he also face planted, too easy. The main guy now frowned as the group dispersed.
"Alright playtime is over. Let's have some real fun now." He smirked.
That's when he disappeared for view. Of course he has invisibility because the universe just happens to hate her. She got a hard jab in the side, how do you defend yourself from someone you can't see?
Use your other senses. Echoed into her head except it wasn't one of her own thoughts.
She froze listening for his footsteps or breathing. Her skin tingled waiting to feel a sign that he was close. She felt a quick breath of air on her back. She quickly flipped to stand on her hands and kicked behind her. There was a grunt when she made contact with something.
"There you are." She mumbled.
She charged and started beating her invisible foe with everything she had. Suddenly her throat was squeezed by some invisible grip.
Her foe materialized and she saw it was his meaty hands that were slowly crushing her trachea. She tried to break away but she was losing strength. But nonetheless she continued to squirm in his grasp. With a grunt in annoyance he slammed her into the hardwood floor and resumed crushing her throat.
She reached out with everything, anything she had to fight back but there was nothing to help her. No allies, no legacies, no weapons. She started getting dizzy from lack of oxygen and her eyes grew heavy. She wasn't going to go down like this. There had to be something she could do. But she had run out of options.
Then she felt it, the sharpening of her senses, her whole body tensing, the crackle of energy in the air. It reminded her of the day at the airport before she was caught. Right before Cecilia goes nuclear and lays waste to everything. Her father has told her that Cecilia was too powerful for EG to contain or control. That's why they are feverently hunting for her so they can cure the biggest threat to them.
It was all just so unfair and cruel in the end. Why can't they just be left alone? Riley was brought out of her end of life thought process by the boy being propelled away by some invisible force. Actually all ten boys were sprawled on the ground ten feet away. She flopped to the ground completely exhausted. She decided to focus on her breathing. Then her father and Malcolm walked in, just after the fun.
"What in the name of Lorien?" Nine demanded. He rushed over to her.
"Are you okay?" He questioned, blue eyes glistening with worry.
"I think. What just happened?" Riley mumbled.
Malcolm observed the scene with a victorious grin. "The false hope theory is no longer false."
Nine frowned at Riley before looking at his rather shaken class.
"Malcolm take her up into your lab for now. She seems very weak." Nine decided. Riley had to agree, she hadn't felt this weak since she got the cure. Malcolm helped her stand up and they hobbled up to his lab.