Chapter 17: Tris – Maps and Plans

By the time Tobias comes upstairs for lunch, most of the others have gone – Christina for a follow-up on her leg, Uriah to practice with the mock Control Computer we used yesterday, and Cara to continue training downstairs with George. I expect Amar to go with them, but he stays, chatting comfortably with me and then with Tobias after he finally arrives.

Tobias doesn't say much. It's clear that he's calmer now, but his eyes are still full of thought, and he doesn't seem to want to talk about anything that happened downstairs. I can't blame him. After the way he was exposed at Candor, I'm sure he hated seeing Peter's secret forced into the open like that.

When we're done eating, Amar leads us back to Anna's office. She stands as we enter, smiling in greeting, and then gestures us toward the chairs. There are several maps strewn across her desk.

She gets right to the point. "I thought you'd like to see the plans, assuming you're still willing to go..." She raises an eyebrow hopefully, and I smile back at her. I guess there must be something of my mother in her mannerisms, because I always seem to want to please her.

"Yes, we're still going," I say immediately, not even trying to negotiate the point.

"However," Tobias states firmly, giving me a look, "we want input on the plans."

"Absolutely," Anna reassures him. "Nothing is set in stone here. In fact, there are a lot more unknowns than I'd like, so you're going to have to come up with a chunk of it on the fly. But let's start with what we know…."

Pulling one of the maps forward, she begins, "this is the country of NUSA. It will be hard for you to grasp the scale, but this distance here is fifty miles, and this is a city that's about ten times larger than ours." I stare, staggered by the size of the country. My entire world has always consisted of one city, but you could fit thousands of those inside NUSA.

Anna continues, "This shading indicates population density – the darker the color, the more people live in that area. Our city population is about this color here," and she indicates a spot that's almost white. Then, she runs her finger down a long, dark stretch that contains a dozen labeled dots, with Philadelphia in the center. "As you can see, the population is heavily concentrated along the coast, with the capital in the middle, and it gets sparser as you move west. " Her finger moves to the northwest corner of the map, to an area that appears to be in the middle of a huge lake. "We are approximately here."

"I never noticed that we live underwater," Tobias states evenly, and I bite back a laugh.

Amar grins. "Until very recently, that's exactly what NUSA thought." His smile fades as he adds, "Unfortunately, they know better now."

Tobias nods, looking back at the map. I doubt he grasps the size of this world any better than I do. I'm used to distances I can measure with my feet, not ones that would take months to walk, if it's even possible to cross them on foot.

Amar draws his finger along a line that travels south from us and then east, stopping on a dot labeled Pittsburgh. "We expect them to gather their forces in Pittsburgh and take this route to us," he says as he retraces the lines in reverse. "It's their westernmost city, so it's the closest point for attacking us, and this is the least damaged roadway leading from there to here, so it's a pretty safe bet."

"Based on that," Anna says, "we've sent forces to bomb the road here." She places her finger east of a point called Indianapolis. "No one lives there, so it will take NUSA a while to bring in supplies to fix the road or bypass it."

"In the meantime," Amar adds, "we'll be taking this route." His finger traces a line that runs almost directly east from us. "It's a much more difficult road, because large stretches of it washed away years ago. But that means NUSA is unlikely to use it, whereas we have some experience working around that." I nod. So far, it makes sense.

"We'll take four vehicles to this point," he continues, pointing to an intersection with another line, "and then the others will split off. One will go south to Pittsburgh, one down to Morgantown, and one all the way to Hagerstown. All three of those groups will set off bombs simultaneously, targeting water treatment plants if possible, or connecting roadways if they can't get to the water plants. The idea is to make it look like we're trying to slow down the troops. That will hopefully attract attention and forces away from Philadelphia around the time we get there."

Tobias frowns. "It could also cause them to heighten their security across the board."

"That's possible," Anna admits, "but we feel it's unlikely they'll worry about the Control Computer. As far as we know, they can replace it easily, or broadcast from a backup location, and they don't know that someone with your ability exists. So, it's a pretty good bet that the attacks will distract them from you, rather than making things worse."

I look at her, frowning a little too. "It could also cause them to increase the amount of serum they add to the water," I say, "and to increase the frequency of their broadcasts. If they want tighter control over the population, that seems like the logical thing to do."

Amar nods. "The thing is, we're pretty sure they're doing that anyway, because they wouldn't want to send the bulk of their troops here without securing the populace first. And there's a maximum dose of serum they can use before their people start dying…so it's hard to see how the attacks could make that aspect worse."

Tobias and I exchange a glance. I hate arguments that start with "it's hard to see," because they're often wrong, but Amar does have a point.

Anna sits back, steepling her fingers and touching them to her lips thoughtfully. "One of the biggest variables is how much contact to make with the other rebel groups along the way. There are a few we've worked with before, and if they're still operating normally, they would definitely make things easier. But that's a big gamble."

Amar's voice is careful as he explains, "Something you need to understand is that everybody in NUSA is potentially a threat, even the kids you see in the street, and even the rebels. They all have receivers implanted in them, so they receive the government's broadcasts, and they all drink water that's laced with Suggestibility Serum. So, they're all potentially dangerous, particularly if the government does increase the dose of the serum or the frequency of the broadcasts."

I'm about to say it's obvious we should avoid the other rebels when Anna adds, "But on the flip side, it's impossible to travel all the way to Philadelphia without some kind of help. If nothing else, the van will need gas, and that requires money."

"Money?" Tobias asks.

Amar scratches the back of his neck. "That's kind of a hard concept to explain. In the factions, you receive food, clothing, housing, and all that stuff because you're a member of the faction, and you work a job within that faction as part of being a member. In NUSA, people receive money in exchange for their work, and they use that money to buy food, clothing, and so on. Nothing is given to them except for water – since that's how the Suggestibility Serum is delivered. The bottom line is that we'll need money in order to travel within the country."

"If we can't trust the other rebel groups," I say, "how else can we get money?"

Amar debates that for a moment before saying, "we should definitely bring some items that we could sell. But if that's not enough, the only other choice is to steal. That attracts attention, but it may be what we have to do."

I scowl at him, not liking that option at all. It was strange enough taking supplies from Candor, let alone stealing from total strangers, not knowing if they might go hungry as a result. But that's only a small part of what's bothering me. There's a much bigger tension building in my stomach as I look at the map and the hundreds of miles we'll need to cover. We know so little about what we'll encounter, and if we can't trust anyone, even our allies…how can we possibly do this?

"Anyway," Amar says, clearing his throat, "our goal is to get here." He points to the dark area labeled Philadelphia and then reaches for another map. This one shows streets, and it's clear it's a detailed view of the city. "We'll be bringing two guides who used to live in the area. Hopefully, they can help us find local resources and a place to stay while we scout out the city."

I look up, a thought prickling at the back of my mind. "But they have receivers implanted in them, right? Won't they have the same problem as the other rebels? They could turn on us."

Anna nods solemnly. "That's one of the biggest dangers of this mission, but we do have one thing that will help. Jeanine designed a special filtration system to separate the serum from water, and with the help of some other people we pulled from Erudite over the years, we were able to come up with a portable water bottle that does the filtering without being obvious about it. The guides will each have one of those, and as long as they only drink their filtered water, they'll be relatively safe. They'll still receive the extra broadcasts, but without the serum, they should be able to withstand those."

I bite my lip as I think about that. As with everything else, it's risky, but the alternative is to go there blind, and that seems even worse.

"Okay," Tobias says, "assuming we get there, where is the Control Computer?"

"Our information is that it's in one of these two buildings," Amar answers, indicating two locations a few blocks apart. "We don't know which, so we'll have to scout them out when we get there."

Tobias quirks a skeptical eyebrow. "Do you at least know something about the security in the buildings?"

"Very little," Anna says grimly. "Just that it's relatively light. As I said earlier, the government doesn't think there's much threat to the computer system, and they may also feel it's better not to attract attention to it. After all, their approach works best when the people don't know they're being controlled."

I give Tobias a half smile. "Well, at least we have plenty of opportunity for input." He tries to smile back, but I can see the worry in his eyes. I can't blame him.

"What supplies can we bring?" I ask, trying to figure out what we'll have to work with.

"We have lots of choices here," Amar answers, "but we're limited to what we can hide in the van. The odds are high that we'll be searched at some point along the way, but there's a secret compartment in the floor, so we can bring about nine cubic feet of materials." He pauses briefly before adding, "We might be able to get some additional supplies there, depending on what you want, but we shouldn't count on it."

I nod, feeling a bit defeated by the magnitude of this entire effort.

"We should look through the available supplies today," Tobias suggests, looking at me, and I can tell he's hoping that will spark some ideas. It seems like a reasonable starting point.

"Sure," Amar says. "We can do that after dinner, when the training is done. We'll have the place to ourselves then. And…if you want, you can bring the others. I don't know how much you want to share with them, so I'll leave that up to you."

Tobias purses his lips thoughtfully, looking at me, and I shrug. "Cara helped a lot with the last plan," I tell him. "And Christina did too."

He nods. "Uriah was helpful with ours, and he's probably the most resistant of them, so I guess we might as well bring all three." Then, he turns and looks levelly at Anna. "You've been careful with pronouns. You aren't coming with us, are you?"

His comment surprises me, because now that I think about it, he's right, but I didn't notice it earlier.

Anna shakes her head slowly, her mouth tightening. "No," she admits. "It's been brought to my attention that I need to stay here and negotiate with Evelyn to prepare the city. She apparently won't work with Marcus."

I snort. "Did you honestly think she would?" I ask.

Her eyes are a bit sad as she answers, "Yes, I did. I didn't realize until yesterday the depth of her hatred, so I assumed she could set her feelings aside enough to act in the city's best interests. It seems I was wrong about that."

Tobias is still watching Anna, his eyes narrow. "I won't work with him, either, if you're wondering," he says.

She sighs, kneading the back of her neck. In that moment, something about the set of her mouth reminds me of my mother, and I feel an odd desire to make things easier on her somehow. But I don't. Tobias has the right to decide if he will or won't work with his father.

"He is Divergent," Anna says quietly, her eyes meeting Tobias'. "And he knows more about what you'll be facing than almost anyone else. Your odds of succeeding would be higher with him along." She gestures toward me without moving her gaze and adds, "She is more likely to live if he goes with you."

I tense. Anna has just found the one argument that could convince Tobias, and it bothers me that she did it so easily. It must bother him too, because his mouth sets in a line, and he glares at her for another few seconds. Finally, his eyes flick to me and then to Amar.

"She's right," Amar says simply. "There's no question that he would add value to the team, but not if he'll distract you too much. You have to decide that."

Tobias looks down at his hands for a long time, and then he turns to me. His voice is quiet as he says, "It's up to you. I'm too biased to make the call."

I didn't expect that, and for a moment I'm humbled that he's trusting me with something this important to him. But I'm not sure which decision is right. I despise Marcus for what he did to Tobias, but I was able to look past that just a few days ago, when I worked with him to go after Amanda Ritter's video. We certainly couldn't have done that without him, and not just because he had knowledge he wouldn't share. He was also very focused on the mission, and he helped keep the rest of us that way too. Maybe this is another time we need him….

As I think about it, I realize there's also something else guiding me – something selfish.

I look at Tobias and say gently, "I'd rather risk his life than yours." He closes his eyes, releasing a barely audible sigh, but he nods.

Turning to Anna, I add, "He can come as long as he's not in charge."

"Don't worry about that," Amar says. "I'm in charge." And for the first time, I understand why he's here with us and not in the training room, why he's been staying with us practically every waking moment since we arrived. This is his mission, and we're at the center of it. I'm not sure exactly why, but the thought makes me feel better. I don't know when I started trusting him so much.

"Good," I say, meeting his gaze. But something about his expression is off, and I think I know why. "Who else is coming?" I ask.

He answers slowly. "We had to weed out some volunteers because of low resistance, and one because of age." The corner of his mouth quirks as he says, "Some Divergent girl you saved in Candor tried to volunteer, but she was only nine." He clears his throat. "Anyway, the remaining group is about the right size, so I'd like to bring them all unless you have a major objection." By the look on his face, I know I will, but after deciding that Marcus could come…I probably can't say no to what I suspect he's about to say.

He continues, "That means your friends Uriah and Robert, and Lisa – the woman you met yesterday. And of course Cara and Christina and Marcus, as we just discussed. Our two guides – you met Pari the other night, and the other is Margot. Oh, and Lauren," and he gives Tobias a quick smile. Then, his face turns serious again as he finally says the last two. "And Caleb and Peter."

Even though I expected him to say that, the words still run through me like ice, carrying cold through every extremity of my body. Caleb is resistant enough to go with us.

My voice is stern as I say, "Does that mean he wasn't under the serum when he betrayed us? When he helped kill Marlene, and lured me to Erudite to torture me and try to kill me? Was he acting freely then?"

Anna shakes her head. "No, it doesn't mean that at all. He's resistant, but not as much as you are, and he's not nearly as strong-willed. Like almost everyone else, he has a breaking point. With a high enough dose, he falls, and our information is that Jeanine was using some extreme doses – high enough to kill the people who live out here." She gestures into the vague distance, in what I assume is NUSA's direction.

She looks at me and adds gently, "We wouldn't be considering him if I didn't believe he's genuinely remorseful."

I stare at her for a moment, feeling a burning behind my eyes. Finally, I have to look away, blinking back the moisture. I don't want to cry here.

Tobias takes my hand, squeezing it gently. "I decide this time," he says. I look up, about to protest, but he's right. For all the same reasons he let me decide with Marcus, he needs to be the one to decide on Caleb. Oddly, I feel relief at the thought. Either way, if something happens to Caleb, it won't be my fault. I nod.

"He comes with us," Tobias says to Anna. Then his voice turns deadly as he adds, "but I'll be the one to tell him." There's something satisfying about that answer….

I swallow and then look up at him again. "What about Peter? You know we can't trust him."

Tobias' eyes are thoughtful as he says, "He's helped us as often as not, but no, he's obviously not reliable."

"I don't know what to make of him," Amar admits, interrupting Tobias' thought. "But you should know that he's the most resistant person we've ever tested. We gave him more serum than we've ever used before, and it had absolutely no effect. That's the only reason I'm suggesting him."

I stare at him and then at Tobias. "Is he Divergent?" I ask. The idea never occurred to me before, but it makes a kind of sense. After all, he was never under Jeanine's simulations.

"Not that I know of," Tobias answers at the same time Amar says, "Yes." We both look at him.

He shrugs. "George was curious, so he administered another aptitude test. The results were…disturbing." At our raised eyebrows, he sighs and continues. "He manipulated the simulation right up front so he could pick up both the knife and the cheese. He fed the cheese to the dog – and then stabbed it while it was eating. When the girl came in, he said he'd killed her dog because it attacked him, and he threatened to send her to jail for releasing a vicious animal. Then, he stabbed himself in the leg to exit the simulation. The program showed him as having no aptitudes whatsoever."

"He made sure he didn't match anything," I say quietly.

Anna nods. "He wanted us to know he's Divergent, without knowing anything about his actual abilities."

"But why?" Tobias asks.

"So we'd let him go with us," I answer slowly, "without assigning him any duties."

There's another silence, and then I add, "What I can't figure out is why he wants to go."

We all look at each other, and it's clear no one has any answers. Finally, Tobias says, "I guess we'll have to ask him..."