110 CHAPTER 109 KEYHOLE IN THE ROCK

"I am sure Abigail will be proud of you wherever she is. If she was alive to see the man you are becoming, she would have been impressed. You are a good kid, Nimrod, and you will make a fine man." Anabel said and placed a comforting arm on Nimrod's shoulders.

"Thanks," Nimrod said patted her hands, smiling weakly. "Your eyes remind me of my mother. And you sound a lot like her."

Anabel looked away. The uneasiness on her shoulders made Alex shiver. He couldn't help the thought which pointed to the darkness hanging around the older woman. There was something about her that he couldn't place a finger on. It was as if the woman was hiding something. But what can that possibly be?

"What about you, Alex? You have someone in your life?" Nimrod said.

Alex passed a quick glance at Anabel before returning his gaze to the path ahead. He tightened his grip on his clutches as the face of Vanessa came forming in his mind's eyes.

"A sister," He said, "Never knew my parents."

The weight of their feet crushing the dried leaf was the only words that passed through the silence that had covered them. 

"So this Zone-3 took you in, I guess?" Anabel asked.

"Yeah," Alex shook off the memory. He was not ready for another tone of guilt and bitterness. If the Regent and the rest of the resistance was going to throw him into the dark hole, because he had helped Jeff escape, then so be it. He would not regret his actions, and if given the opportunity, he would do it again. The Regent was the first to break his promise after all. He had promised Jeff safety and had gulled the rest of the people into agreeing with his theory in making Jeff a prisoner. It's all in the past now. Alex breathed in.

"How long, I mean, this Zone-3, how long have they been rebellious against the government?" Anabel asked.

"18 years, I think. The first time the government started imposing the HT on people. Why?" Alex said. 

"Just curiosity," Anabel said, but Matt could see the painted lies on the edge of her face. That darkness surrounding her seemed to have surfaced again, lurking at the side of her lips. The woman was also growing pale. Perhaps it was the sleep. She looked too weak to be walking.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Peters? You can still go back to the plane. I and Nimrod can talk to the Regent."

"No…no," The woman stammered, "I am totally okay. Lack of sleep, I guess."

Nimrod nodded and exchanged a questionable gaze with Alex. He must have seen the patch of darkness on the woman's face too, but he remained neutral to any sense of thought. Maybe he was taking the woman's word for it, or that Alex probably was being too sentimental and distrustful. Either way, they continued walking deeper into the forest, in absolute silence.

The grasses gave way for the canopy of green leaf and trees, which created a circular shield on the parameter. There was nothing significant about the place, and it could easily pass undetected by an unknowing eye. Alex knew better. He had been here many times, and he knew every nook and cranny. The green undergrowth had covered the edge of the basement, but he could almost see everything in his mind's eyes. The storeroom, the armory, and the training room.

"There," He pointed to the center as the breeze of home drifted over him. 

Sitting some pace away from them was a green stone. It was a cut stone that appeared to have grown out from the ground to waist length. Climbers and epiphyte surrounded it, making it impossible to identify the original white color of the stone.

"That's the entrance." Alex finished as they sauntered towards it. 

The grasses on the stone look unperturbed. It was the back door and was meant to be used for emergencies alone. Well, if nobody had used the door for the past three years, then it means that the people had grown too fond of safety, that they had forgotten all about the emergency back door.

"It looks old," Nimrod said calmly. Alex knew the older boy meant something else by the words. It was as if he was saying 'are you sure anybody still lives here?' He did not say anything about that, nor did he try to prove any point. The resistance and the Regent were safe for all he cared.

"You will need to pull out those grasses" 

Anabel was already at it even before Alex could finish the words. Nimrod was a bit reluctant to get his hands soiled, but he joined the woman nonetheless. They worked for some time, pulling the leaf out of the cut stone. 

"There, there" Alex shouted with excitement when he saw the keyhole.

The markings on them were rusty, and it was impossible to see the four languages that surrounded them.

"A key?" Nimrod hissed with disappointment, "You should have said that earlier on. How on earth are we going to find a Sol-K?"

"What will you do if you had a Sol-K, try to open the door," Alex chuckled and shook his head, "It doesn't work that way, Nim. This keyhole uses biometrics."

"Oh, that's interesting," Anabel's eyes widen, "I have never seen a door in Anadan that uses biometric"

"Yes, that's because nobody had thought of using one. This door was designed by our engineers. The best engineers in the history of Anadan."

"Bright brain," Nimrod looked back at the keyhole on the stone. "Too bad the government wants to control everyone."

"But how are we going to unlock this now? I see no biometric device on you." 

Alex swallowed as the cold eyes of the woman scanned him from head to toe. What was her problem?

"I don't need a Sol-K or a Biometric. Here, help me," Alex said and handed his left clutch go Nimrod. He leaped towards the stone and leaned on them, placing his hands on the keyhole, so that his wrist would cover every edge of it.

Nothing seemed to happen, and from the corner of his eyes, Alex could see the mockery on Nimrod's face. Laughter lined his eyes. Nimrod was obviously waiting for the disappointment for him to laugh at Alex, for wasting their time and giving them false hope.

Come on. Alex mumbled under his breath and pressed his hands harder.

"Click. Click" Came the rusty sound.

Alex smiled with triumph but did not remove his hands. He waited until a blue light sparkled and started scanning his wrist.

"Welcome home, young master." Said the male programmed voice.

"I told you," Alex said as Nimrod helped him up

"Your wrist," Anabel pointed.

Alex's smiles widen when he saw the tattoo on his wrist. It was a symbol of trust and maturity. It would be on his hands for a couple of days before they wear off. With this print embedded in his right hand, he could open any door in the resistance. Including the office of the Regent.

"Oh, it's nothing," He chuckled as pride covered his shoulders.

"Tell us, Alex. Your secret is safe with us." Anabel laughed.

"Yeah, tell us what it means," Nimrod added.

"Alright," Alex nodded. If Nimrod had not spoken, he would have to find something else to give as an excuse. He was suddenly becoming uncomfortable around Jeff's mother.

"This," He nodded to the circular ring on his wrist, "Is another means we used in unlocking other biometric doors in the resistance. Even though the markings will fade soon, the scan will remain forever."

"So mean, you can open any biometric doors with your right hand even though the print was no longer there?" 

"Yes, Mrs. Peters. Not just a Biometric door. I can also unlock any door without a Sol-K. It requires practice though"

"That's cool," Nimrod giggled and took Alex's hands, rubbing his fingers on dark markings to see if he could wipe them off. 

"I will wear off by itself," Alex laughed and Nimrod released his hands rather sheepishly.

"The voice," Anabel pointed at the cut stone, "The programmed voice. That was not Joci, was it?"

"No," Alex laughed. A part of him was proud because he was the one answering the question, but a little part, that silent part was warning him to be wary of the way he was giving out information. They are my friends. He seemed to say, shunning the silent voice.

"If we are using Joci, then the government would have hacked into our defense system a long time ago. We needed a programed voice, but instead of endangering ourselves with what the government had provided…"

"The Regent built its own." Anabel nodded with satisfaction.

"This is the first time oi am hearing this," Nimrod said with regret, "That must have been how they had traced our home, back in the Heroes City, and had attacked us right in the mountains where we had hidden." 

"It was also the same way they had found our Air Tripler and had attacked us." Alex pointed out.

"Yes, won't they attack the rest of the people in the plane?"

��No," Alex shook his head, "The attack they had launched on us was heavy. But they had concentrated on our engine, where they knew Joci's panel was. Perhaps they wanted us to escape. I cannot say for sure."