Contra: The Omni Duology, #2

By Andrea Murray

In the sequel to the young adult dystopian novel, Omni, one young couple will do anything to stay together, and one man will do anything to control them. 

After barely escaping death in Omni, eighteen-year-old Pierce has left behind his place in the Artist stratum in exchange for sanctuary with his family. However, when Harmony goes missing, he can’t help but think it’s just another ploy of the Omni government to force him to return. 

With Harmony on her own, the two must find a way back to each other while battling against the full might of the government, but one powerful official is determined to keep them apart. Bent on revenge, Pelagic will stop at nothing to expose the secret of Pierce’s parentage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dragon Moon Press
• Release date: Jun 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781988256177

Andrea Murray

Andrea Murray doesn’t consider herself a writer. Instead, she thinks of herself as a teacher with a writing problem. Though she began writing as a kid, Andrea didn’t become serious about it until 2010 when a group of students inspired her to write her first novel. Before beginning her adventures in education, she was a part-time janitor, secretary, factory worker, cashier, and waitress (but only for three days).When not teaching junior high English, she writes editorial book reviews or reads historical and paranormal romances. Besides reading, she’s a television addict and devote WAY too many hours to it. Visit Andrea's website at http://byandreamurray.com/ on Twitter @byandreamurray or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/andreamurrayfanpage/

Book preview

Prologue

Snow fell in thick blankets of cold against the backdrop of the Ural Mountains, five thousand miles from the capital of Omni. Inside their tents, groups of Artists, some of the highest-paid members of Omni society, huddled around steaming cups of coffee. The director and a cameraman argued over the fading light casting shadows on their set—ruins of a once-great temple abandoned long ago by the people who once lived nearby and who were still a mystery to scientists.

Swan Song would be Artist Harmony’s first starring role, and the studio had spared no expense. The performance stratum was the highest-grossing stratum in Omni, and the studio was hoping for a blockbuster turnout on this one. If Harmony could be established as a leading lady, their next films were sure to put them into the top spot in that stratum, making them unstoppable. They were betting heavy on the talent commodity of a teenager, especially after her recent media explosion with Drudge-turned-Artist Pierce. He’d saved her first from an aggressive fan, pulling her from the overzealous crowd gathered outside the Palace, where she was attending a sponsored event. Later, when Malice had tried to force her back to the party, Pierce had once again stepped in, taking more than one hit from the wide receiver while a reporter recorded the entire thing. After the video went viral, she and Pierce had been thrown together in the public spotlight.

As a result, Harmony’s career was launched to the stratosphere. Citizens couldn’t get enough of the diamond-in-the-rough Pierce; his seemingly fated love affair with one of the most popular young stars would be a gold mine. Today, Harmony’s blonde curls and pristine white coat made her seem almost angelic, like she belonged to the old temple, a conjured vision instead of a budding Artist.

Hidden near a boulder created by the set designer and not Mother Nature, Sovereign Acumen, sovereign of the Geek stratum—one of the four official strata in Omni—forced her fingers into her leather gloves. She still had no idea what any of this had to do with her. She adjusted the gray fur ushanka on her head, cramming in her auburn curls until the hat threatened to pop off her head. Her fur-lined coat couldn’t keep out the chill, and she wished again she’d set up a surveillance system from the warmth of her penthouse instead of in person. With all the advancements the Geeks had made in the last seventy years since the Omni party had replaced the United States’ government, she could have easily set up the system by tapping into the camera systems on set. As the sovereign, or supreme superior, of the Geeks, she had the full power of Omni’s technology behind her. Instead she and Pelagic, sovereign of Commerce, had traveled thousands of miles, flying outside of Omni’s normal control zone to freeze their butts off in Siberia. How had she let Pelagic talk her into this? He hadn’t explained why he’d wanted surveillance of a movie set in Siberia; he’d just promised her a big payoff, whatever that meant, and she’d blindly followed because she knew having someone as powerful as another sovereign owe her could come in handy. Where was the old reprobate anyway?

As if on cue, a tall figure in a vintage peacoat walked toward her. His white hair peeked from the bottom of a wool toboggan, and his navy eyes gleamed with mischief. Pelagic grinned. You look like a Siberian vision, dear Acumen. Are you certain you aren’t in this movie instead of just spying on that Artist, dear Harmony?

Her frozen cheeks refused to smile—the cold and his charm did little to cool her irritation. Despite how much she liked his disregard for authority and his easy nature, she was freezing. I’m not spying. I’m meeting some old-school fool—she poked his chest with her finger—who doesn’t trust technology. Tell me again why we have to be here? Just because you seem to enjoy this wannabe spy game doesn’t mean I do.

I trust my eyes, not your clever fingers tapping on a keyboard thousands of miles away. He craned his neck to better see Artist Harmony, who was standing about thirty feet away. Her blonde curls nearly blended in with the pristine surroundings.

A keyboard? You have got to get off that boat more. She shook her head, setting free several red curls.

"Nevertheless, we’re here now, and stop calling The Trident a boat. It’s a yacht, darling." He edged farther into the shadows when a short man handed the young beauty a cup and squeezed her shoulders.

Yeah, we definitely are, but why? asked Acumen. I could have tapped into the camera feeds downloading footage to a server back in Omni, and we could be watching all this from my couch—she tugged at the hat—"where it’s warm. This is what I do, Pelagic. I’m the head of the most advanced stratum in Omni, arguably the most advanced society in the world. She held up her finger when he opened his mouth. Not only am I freezing, but you’re keeping me from doing my job. You said we had to be here in person to check on the girl, but I don’t get it. It’s obviously her; that smart-ass superior of hers hasn’t somehow pulled a switch or anything. If we monitor her position by tracking their communicators, we should—"

I may be—What did you call me? Old school?—but old school will ensure we get the Drudge, said Pelagic. Do you see that ubiquitous little man?

Yeah, that’s Superior Galvan, right? Acumen said. Used to be an actor. He’s Artist Harmony’s mentor. Acumen leaned into Pelagic to absorb what body heat she could.

So this was all about Pierce. His fame in the media had raised him almost overnight from a Drudge, the lowest class in Omni, to Artist after accepting the contract Sovereign Adora, supreme superior of the Artists, had offered him, a contract promising outrageous wealth and the promise Harmony could choose her future consort. Since his recent rise, he’d been the hottest thing in Omni—until he’d mysteriously disappeared after a fire in his cubicle. True to form, the reporters had inundated every news source with his image, cashing in again on the citizens’ fascination with the pauper-to-prince story. No one knew his whereabouts, and it looked like Pelagic wanted a piece of the action for some reason.

Galvan is a bit of a problem, said Pelagic. He stands in our way now but could prove to be useful in the future. Pelagic slipped his arm around Acumen’s shoulders, pulling her even closer. She could smell the sea, his days spent on the waves. He’s her constant companion, her guardian as well as her weakness. If we’re going to get to her, we have to go through him.

But how does that help us? He’s just one old man.

No, he’s one experienced superior. He’s almost as important to the Artist stratum as you are to the Geeks.

She smirked. Doubtful.

The tan skin around Pelagic’s eyes crinkled. Nevertheless, we follow him until he gives us the key.

Enough double-talk, Pelagic. Why do we need him, either of them for that matter? Pierce made his choice, and now he’s vanished anyway.

I know you, Acumen. You’re too curious not to wonder why he disappeared, and you know very well that your novice Geek Hale was murdered by Superior Oesis. But you don’t know why. Well, I do. This story goes much deeper than one popular boy and his choice of strata. He nodded toward Harmony. This pretty Artist will lead us to the Drudge and the revenge I’ve sought for too long.

The reminder of the death of her newest recruit at the hands of that odious man, Oesis, brought a spark of anger to Acumen. Hale had been a promising kid with a lot of ability and a compliant attitude, the best kind of addition to her stratum. Oesis, a superior in the Artist stratum, had hidden his hit-and-run from most of Omni but not to those who knew how to look. And revealing his guilt to Pierce, Hale’s closest friend, was just plain cruel.

Acumen still wasn’t completely clear on why Oesis had killed Hale. She only had the footage that showed the act, and until she knew all the details, she’d keep it close to her vest. In Omni, any advantage had to be guarded. Acumen would love to see Oesis get his due, and tagging along with Pelagic might be the best way to see that happen, but she’d be damned if she’d let him know that. Pelagic had been playing the politics game for more years than she’d been alive, but one thing she did understand was power, and giving away too much too soon showed weakness. She liked Pelagic’s easy nature but not enough to let him think he could control her. Why would I help you? She turned to face him, and he tapped her nose before cupping her cheek.

Because, dear girl, you love a good challenge, and I can give you more power than you ever dreamed possible.

Chapter One

Restructure, Rebuild, Restore. The three words held Zenith’s eye as if they were flashing neon instead of gold foil printed on black poster board in his office at the Omni capital building.

Restructure, Zenith, sovereign in charge of Government, huffed aloud though everyone else had long since gone home. He touched the cool glass that had covered the poster for more than fifty years, wondering as he did every time he studied it who had preserved it so long ago, if the mystery person had truly understood the impact the slogan would make. The frame had been hanging in this office since before it was his office. Twenty years ago someone else’s name had stood sentinel on the door, and he’d been fetching coffee and looking forward to weighty meetings rather than staring glassy-eyed at duplicitous promises on a campaign sign.

Such hope, said a deceptively soft voice behind him.

His eyes shifted to the reflection in the glass. His wife smiled, her crisp gray suit outlining the curves he knew so well. She sidled closer, checking her perfect makeup in the glass before putting her manicured fingers on his shoulder, her red nails stark against his white shirt. The diamond on her left hand glinted in the light above the frame.

You’re here late. Zenith met Honor’s gaze in the reflection.

Her rich red lips pulled back in a near grimace as she ran her tongue over teeth. So are you. Your meeting was over an hour ago.

He turned, taking her hand and kissing the top before stepping away, the chill of his kiss matching that of her fingers. Years ago, he would have been thrilled to have found her here, waiting for him, rather than facing their dark cubicle alone, but that was before the pressures of being sovereigns, of being leaders, had conquered their love for each other. He had been her mentor, the first to suggest she be made a superior in the Omni Government. Government positions weren’t part of the normal aptitude test given to all citizens. They required special handpicked invitations, and being promoted to superior was a special honor, greater than that of other strata. The Artists might have the average citizens’ credits, but the government had their respect. Becoming a supreme superior had been Honor’s own doing, and her ambition seemed boundless now. Zenith suspected she would be after his position if he wasn’t careful, and this latest mess might be her chance.

Someone has to sort out this disaster, he said. Weeks ago when Drudge Pierce had captured the public eye, Zenith would never have guessed he would be averting a media firestorm. After being offered positions with almost all the strata including the government, Pierce had chosen to join the Artist stratum, and the boy had seemed to be on the fast track to immediate stardom since Artists held the citizens’ attention. As the only approved entertainers, Artists grossed the most credits through movies, music, and sports. Zenith had seen Pierce’s face splashed across screens all over the city. Despite their advancements, the citizens craved what they always had, a good love story, and Pierce and Harmony had been that. But after the death of his friend, Geek Hale, and a mysterious fire in his cubicle, Pierce had vanished. Sovereign Adora, supreme superior of the Artist stratum, had bombarded Zenith’s e-mail from the first moment news of the fire had been released. As the head of the most lucrative stratum, she felt her concerns deserved his undivided attention. And as the loudest sovereign he had to deal with, she would probably get it. He had the responsibilities of a Governmental sovereign, and that meant he had to keep the citizens satisfied. They wanted Pierce and Harmony to have a happy ending—they expected it—and he’d have to do his best to give it to them.

Zenith flipped his hand toward the other offices while he poured scotch from a crystal decanter. They think we can simply ignore this Drudge—

Artist, she said, gliding her hand along the back of the stiff leather chair facing his desk.

He glared, but she smirked, her fingers finding the peacock eye feather poking pretentiously from the pocket of her jacket.

Artist, he amended sourly. His cubicle burns, yet we find no body? There’s more to this story. Adora is the only one who agrees with me. The others simply want to concoct a tale for the citizens and martyr him to be done with all this nonsense, probably out of jealousy that Pierce didn’t choose to join their stratum and give them the publicity that Adora now has. The other sovereigns think we’ve spent enough time on it all. This boy—he shook his head and sipped—I have a bad feeling about him. He’ll be trouble.

Honor’s chuckle sent chills along his arms. I believe I said that when he refused our offer to join the Omni government. What citizen wouldn’t want what we offered? The boy is clearly insane, but he’s not a threat. He’s not smart enough for that. What is it you fear he’ll do, darling?

He cringed at the term of endearment. She only used it because she knew it bothered him. He rubbed his trimmed black beard, and her eyes followed his movement. She hated the beard, which is the only reason he kept it. He stared at the poster across the room.

When the first Omni candidate had won the national election over seventy years ago, he had promised a new beginning for the debt-ridden country once known as the United States. Plagued by crime and pollution, the citizens had wanted, had needed, a change. The party had convinced the nation to gradually overhaul every aspect of society, and life had improved, mostly. He remembered his father’s work trying to organize the four major strata, creating the aptitude test that would assign each citizen a role in the new order. That had been the hardest part, forcing people into categories like tiny boxes. When he was a young idealist, he thought his father was a beneficent genius, changing the role of every government official, doing away with outdated customs, and restructuring from the top down. They’d done away with many of the smaller cities, combining and redesigning them until all that was left were a few huge cities, all dominated by the Omni party and the city of Omni, an extension and restructuring of what was once Washington, DC. He watched as his father became the savior of the masses until a nearly unanimous citizens’ vote elected him the first sovereign. It was only later that Zenith had seen the true price of all that power, watching his beloved father become a monster, drunk on his position.

Are you listening? Honor snapped her fingers close to his face. It took several seconds for him to realize he’d been staring at the campaign poster. His wife shook her head and took his glass. What do you plan to do about Artist Pierce?

I’m launching a complete investigation. There’s more to this kid’s story. He retrieved the glass and loosened his tie.

An investigation will cause more questions than answers, said Honor. He isn’t worth the trouble. I say good riddance. He’s nothing, a Drudge turned Artist. She patted her perfect brunette bun.

The boy is the toast of the town, Zenith countered. Since he saved that girl, everyone’s been obsessed with him. I haven’t seen this much excitement among the citizens in years. He’s been on ONN at least a dozen times in the past couple of weeks, and Adora has messaged me continuously since the fire last week. She wants to protect her investment. She won’t allow us to simply cover this up. And neither would the citizens. Being featured on Omni News Network ensured that.

Honor rolled her black-rimmed eyes. Please, that brainless, plastic idiot! She bats her eyes, and you males fall all over yourselves. No doubt she’s more concerned about the publicity an ongoing investigation would bring to her stratum. Like that’ll hurt the outrageous salaries of those puppets! As long as you keep his name in the news—and hers as well—she can parade in front of those damned cameras and dab tears as fake as her boobs.

We can’t discount her opinion, Zenith said. She’s the sovereign of the most powerful stratum in society. He poured himself another drink.

"Funny. I thought we were the most powerful stratum."

"We aren’t technically a stratum, and you know that. Zenith scrubbed his hand across his face. His fingers drifted to the tiny gold eagle pin on his tie, a gift from his father when he got his first job as an office aide more years ago than he liked to remember. He had to get to the bottom of this before it became uncontrollable. She must be appeased, but maybe you’re right. I’ll keep the investigation as quiet as possible. Call Acumen. Tell her I want every piece of traffic footage from that night. I want to know every car, every bus, every citizen near the scene that night, and arrange a meeting with Superior Oesis first thing in the morning."

Honor stood, her hands on her hips. I’m not a secretary, Zenith. I thought you had a whole bevy of doe-eyed nymphs around here to do your bidding.

His patience evaporated, and he spun so quickly that scotch sloshed all over his desk. Just do it, Honor, or you may find yourself on the receiving end of my temper. His flashing eyes met hers. And we wouldn’t want that, now, would we? He turned his back and downed his drink, smiling at the sound of her heels clicking down the hall.

Chapter Two

So, you have news? Superior Oesis linked his fingers over his stomach and leaned back in his black leather chair, looking at Axis, an Omni Football League (OFL) running back and one of the league’s most popular players. Oesis had been a superior in the Artist stratum and a gloried babysitter in the Omni Football League long enough to know when a plan was unsuccessful, but he still wanted Axis to sweat. Thinking the boy might be able to use his fame, Oesis had given Axis the task of gathering information about Drudge Pierce through the forbidden market, hoping to have more luck than he’d had.

Pierce had frequently bought banned video games for himself and taboo fiction for Hale when they’d been Drudges, and Oesis had hoped someone might know more about his location now that he’d vanished. Oesis had a suspicion that Allay, sovereign of Healers, had something to do with the disappearance, but he still wasn’t positive. He wanted to check all of his avenues if possible, but he also wanted to stay clean of all this. He didn’t want Sovereign Zenith to know too much about his need to bring Pierce under his control—at least not yet.

Oesis couldn’t be caught asking questions about the teenager. He wanted his ducks in a row, unlike last time. When he’d killed Hale, he’d been too rash, and now Pierce was gone. He needed Pierce here but without anyone openly suspecting him. Better to send Axis. The vendors knew Axis and his brother, Malice, well, and if anyone could get them to talk, it’d be Axis. Axis was a major draw in the stratum, helping bring in millions of entertainment credits, but right now, he was a huge pain in the ass. And a week was long enough. Oesis couldn’t wait much longer.

Oesis stood slowly and leaned his hands flat against the paper-covered desk, glancing down at Pierce’s file. The boy’s history was the point, but he didn’t intend to share that with Axis. Pierce’s mysterious past was going to earn him the position he needed, the position he deserved. He could go all the way to the top with this prize: Supreme Superior, Sovereign Oesis. It had a nice ring to it, and someone would pay dearly to keep this mess a secret. Sovereign Zenith would hate the scandal. He’d do whatever he had to do to