The Ark Plan by Laura Martín

never really giggled in the compound.”
    I shrugged, feeling awkward. “I’m glad Herman got away,” I said, changing the subject as I began picking sticks and leaves out of my hair.
    â€œYeah, I was real worried about the dumb lizard that almost got us killed.” He rolled his eyes, and I elbowed him in the ribs.
    My compass still hung around my neck, and a quick glance revealed that it had survived my tumble. The T. rex moved away from us and began hunting around the edge of the trees, probably hoping for another chance at Herman. Shawn was preoccupied with reorganizing the contents of his pack, so I walked back toward the meadow to get a better view. The thing really was massive.
    Suddenly, a strong hand clasped me by the shoulder, making me jump. I was about to tell Shawn to knock it off, that I was fine, but when I turned around Shawn was ten feet away from me, his eyes wide with alarm. I looked up into the green eyes of a stranger.
    â€œLet go of her!” Shawn yelled, his voice cracking. He pulled out his stun gun and trained it shakily on the strange boy holding my arm. It was a pointless gesture. A dinosaur stun gun would knock us both out if he shot it. Shawn was clearly terrified, but I was too shocked to be scared. What was another person doing topside? The boy beside me chuckled.
    â€œThat’s a cute toy, but it isn’t going to do you much good out here.”
    â€œIt’s no toy. Let her go, or I’ll shoot,” Shawn said, his voice squeaking again.
    The boy snorted. “Doubtful.” I saw Shawn’s shoulders slump slightly in defeat as his bluff failed. Whenwas he going to learn that I could take care of myself? Twisting, I smashed my elbow into the boy’s stomach. He let out a little grunt of surprise, and I ripped my arm up and out of his grasp. Not taking my eyes off his astonished face, I leaped backward. Instantly Shawn was behind me, and we stood glaring at the stranger.
    â€œImpressive,” the boy gasped, bending over to catch the breath I had knocked out of him. I studied him. He was younger than I’d first thought, probably around our age, although his dark close-cropped hair and bronzed skin made it hard to tell.
    â€œCome any closer and I’ll shoot,” Shawn warned.
    The green-eyed boy smirked, and snatched the gun from Shawn’s hands faster than I’d have thought possible. Shawn barely had time to grunt in surprise.
    â€œThey told you this could drop a dinosaur, huh?” He gave the gun a yank and a twist, disassembled it in three moves. He looked inside and laughed. “I think they gave you a bum gun,” he said. “I’d heard they couldn’t penetrate dinosaur hide, but yours can’t penetrate anything.” He handed back the iron fragments. I gaped at what was supposed to be the deadliest technology in the compound. The gun was nothing but a shell. No wires, no bullets, no place for an electrical charge, completely useless.
    â€œBut,” Shawn sputtered. “This was supposed to, the marines said . . .”
    â€œI wonder if all of the stun guns are fake,” I said, turning to Shawn. “It would explain why the marines don’t allow anyone else to use them.”
    â€œYou’re a quick one, aren’t you?” The boy grinned. “And I’d heard you moles take a while to come around.”
    â€œMoles?” I asked, looking from Shawn’s shocked face back to the boy’s.
    â€œThat’s what we call you compounders, because you all live underground,” the boy explained as though this were common knowledge. “Like blind moles in your tunnels.”
    I blinked at him stupidly. “Who’s we ? Don’t you live in a compound?”
    He snorted. “Uh, no. Never have. Never will. I prefer fresh air and this little thing I like to call freedom.”
    â€œThat’s impossible,” Shawn said. “No one can survive topside. The