Resilience, page 8
Ariana’s hold on the walker state began to dissipate. She closed her eyes, saw lights flashing beneath her eyelids: red, green, blue. She slipped into the spirit world and joined Eli.
“Where have you been?”
“Sorry,” she said. Jericho, in dragon form, landed lightly beside her. The sea spirit’s words echoed in her mind. Together. “It took me a while to stop thinking about Fletcher.”
Eli crossed the glade, greeting Jericho with a scratch behind his ear. The salamander-turned-dragon leaned into his touch with a throaty purr.
Una, wreathed in red light in her spirit form, landed beside them with a whump of air. Eli turned to her with a soft smile and she ruffled her feathers. Tilting his head toward Ariana, he said, “Still no sign of Fletcher or Robyn.”
Ariana leaned against Jericho, letting the tranquil glade calm her worries. All of a sudden, the salamander’s whiskers twitched. Something is not right, he projected. Ariana straightened, scanning the forest around them for the source of the disturbance. Una let out a cry, taking to the air as the trees in the clearing began shaking violently. They seemed to groan, lights sparking from their falling leaves. Darkness cloaked the bright sky, and the clearing turned from day to night. The wrongness of it penetrated Ariana’s very bones. An icy wind pierced her skin, her muscles, and anchored itself in her skeleton. “Eli?” she shouted.
Through the darkness, Eli’s fingers found hers and a dome of blue and red energy blossomed around them. Then the earth stilled and the sky brightened. The trees rustled their branches like a sigh of relief.
Eli released her hand. “I’ve never felt cold like that.”
Ariana nestled close against Jericho. “It was more than cold. It seemed to choke out every emotion except fear.”
Eli sat and brought his fists together. Ariana joined him. “Do you think it has something to do with Fletcher?” she said.
“I don’t know. But I suspect we’ll find out soon enough.” Eli closed his eyes. “Let’s get out of here.”
Her father’s study felt different with the twins in it. Less musty, more lively. Ariana and Eli looked over Kara’s shoulder as she pulled up data on her laptop. “Another solar flare. The biggest one yet, which is weird. We’re not due for another one until tomorrow, and we’ve been able to predict every flare so far.” Kara chewed on her bottom lip as she looked over the numbers.
“You didn’t notice anything strange?” Ariana pressed. Kara shrugged. “I guess there’s always an outlier. But otherwise, it’s been business as usual. Aster’s working on the satellite array, convergers are training in the south field, and the dinner crew is getting organised.”
Eli steered Ariana toward the door of Bry’s study. “Thanks, Kara. Speaking of training, we’d better get going. We’re late as it is.”
“Roger,” Kara said, already back on her laptop and immersed in her work.
“What?” Ariana hissed once they were out of hearing distance.
“You heard her – nothing unusual happened here. Maybe it was just because it’s the first time we’d been in the spirit world during a strong solar flare.”
Ariana paused. She hadn’t thought about that possibility. “Maybe,” she allowed. “But what about the darkness and the cold?” She thought of Atlantis’ words. “Could the energy of a solar flare really penetrate both the physical and spirit worlds?”
Eli opened the farmhouse door. The day was crisp and cool. Across the field, convergers were stretching and warming up. He began jogging toward the south field.
Ariana ran to catch up, tugging on Eli’s sleeve. “Or maybe Fletcher’s in trouble.”
“He’s on his own journey right now. And he has your father.” Eli turned around, jogging backwards. “He’s not an idiot, Ariana. We have to trust him.”
“But that’s my point. We have no idea where they are, so we can’t help them and we risk losing them both.” Ariana stopped, choking back tears as she finally vocalised her greatest fear.
Eli skidded to a halt, his face pained. “Oh, Ariana, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean …”
Ariana shook her head, willing the tears away.
Eli pulled her close. “I care about them too. Fletcher is like a brother to me, and Bry? He’s basically a second father. I’ve never felt so lucky, but their welfare just isn’t in our control right now.”
Ariana pressed her face into Eli’s shoulder. “Thank you, I needed to hear that.” She straightened and wiped her eyes. “I wish we could do something, but you’re right, worrying won’t change anything. Their fate is in their own hands. I just hope they’re being careful.”
“Oi! You’re late!” Jacob shouted, running over. He pushed his sweaty fringe out of his eyes. “We’ve finished running drills and now we’re just mucking around. Want to join in?”
“Hurry up!” Sara yelled, her leopard, Ming, darting between her legs and almost knocking her over. Eli loped over to join Sara and a group of new convergers.
Ariana threaded her arm through Jacob’s and forced a grin. “Guess that means you’re stuck with me.” They headed over to another team of convergers. “How’s Poppy?”
Jacob’s face brightened and he raised a hand to his ear. A bee flitted onto his palm and danced with excitement. “She’s loving the wildflowers, though she’s travelling further and further each day.” Having said hello, Poppy buzzed upwards and disappeared into Jacob’s messy hair.
Lucy broke away from her team of convergers and came toward them, her vampire bat hopping around her feet, matching the converger’s fidgety energy. “Okay, how are we going to play this?”
Ariana studied the set-up. Eli stood with Sara and Basil on the other side of the field. A group of other new convergers whooped from the fence line. This had fast become one of their favourite games – basically touch football meets tag, except with four-legged team members.
“Hard and fast. You know the drill,” Jacob said, jogging on the spot.
Lucy grinned. “Rightio. Alright, everyone, are you ready? On my whistle.” She put two fingers in her mouth and issued a piercing note. “Go!”
They pounded toward Eli’s team. Lucy flipped effortlessly over Basil, her vampire bat lifting her the extra metre she needed to clear him. “Got you!” Lucy shouted, slapping Basil’s arm and landing in a roll.
Ariana and Jacob ran in tandem zigzags as Sara and her leopard raced toward them. Sara lunged at Jacob and tapped his arm. “Sorry, buddy, you’re out.”
“Oh man,” Jacob groaned. “Just one time I’d like to get through. Just once.”
Lucy reached the fence line with a whoop of delight. “One point!” she yelled, joining the onlookers. She cupped her hands around her mouth and hollered, “Come on, Ariana!”
Sara and Eli circled Ariana. Heart pounding, she waited until the last second and sidestepped the pair. Pivoting, she dropped to the ground in a roll and nudged into the walker state. A surge of energy washed over her as she straddled the physical and spirit worlds. As Jericho spiralled upwards into his spirit form, Ariana grabbed his scales and pulled herself astride his back. They hovered over the field for a moment then dived toward the fence. Taking a deep breath, Ariana left the walker state and Jericho rocketed back to being a little salamander once more. She grabbed the fence with both hands, exhilaration coursing through her.
“Nice try,” Eli called from the opposite side of the field, where he sat on the fence with Sara. “But it’s a tie.”
“Rematch!” Sara hollered.
Ariana grinned. Eli was right. She had to focus on the here and now, not spend every waking moment worrying about Fletcher and her father.
Chapter 10: Puppets
Retinal scanning software, version 4.3.1
Patent number: 700658
Description: Neural binary insertion code for real-time retinal imaging. Requires functional harvest implant chip as power source to perform binary inversion; see Report 34, section A for potential side effects.
Internal MRI memo, quoted in The Last Bastion of the Anthropocene, Ester Akintola, the final UN Secretary General.
Derek fumbled for his alarm, the floor lights brightening as the jarring noise abated. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he padded into the bathroom. A gaunt face greeted him in the mirror. Every day the same. Work, eat, sleep, repeat. Except now something had shifted. For starters, his room smelled different; Fang’s presence lingered from the night before. He felt the dynamic between them had changed but would she have her mask back on today as if yesterday had never happened? He hoped not. He needed a friend here. Someone to talk to. He’d seen his own tiredness and fear mirrored on Fang’s face as she sat rigid on the edge of his bed. Out of her element but willing to try and forge a new alliance. Perhaps it was time to trust her.
Derek splashed water on his face and reached for his toothbrush. Somewhere deep in the military complex, Catherine was being held prisoner, but were circumstances really any different for him and Fang? Neither of them were allowed to leave the compound or have any contact with the outside world. Vulcan insisted it was for their own safety, given the solstice was only months away and global order was crumbling. According to the Chief Director, HAARP was the safest place on the planet, except it didn’t feel safe.
A wave of nausea threatened to overtake him. Derek clutched the sink. Look what I have done to the people I called friends. He hated himself, hated his weakness. Vulcan was ruthless, but he was right – outside of HAARP, there was no guarantee of survival. Not with the power Vulcan now wielded. Derek turned away from his reflection. I can’t change the past. I have to make the best of the current situation, starting with Fang. She’s the only one I can trust; my only way out.
Derek pushed open the command centre door. The room buzzed like NASA mission control on steroids. Technicians sat at their stations, intent on their monitors. Snack detritus and stained coffee mugs delineated the night shift about to clock off from the fresh-faced newcomers. Derek climbed the stairs to the central hub, his heart hammering in his chest. Pausing halfway, Derek looked at the enormous central screen that flicked from feed to feed, Fang’s words echoing in his mind. Real-time control. Onscreen, soldiers drilled against dummies and sprinted around obstacle courses with their partner animals.
Derek palmed on the monitor and scanned the latest updates. No word on Robyn. The knot of tension in his chest loosened. So she was still safe, somewhere. Or dead, a little voice suggested. Maybe even long dead. It had been over three months since Robyn attacked the MRI compound in Bulgaria. He had to believe she was alive.
Derek pushed the thoughts away and skimmed the drills and active missions data. Most of the technicians monitored the training drills, but Alpha team oversaw a converger mission in progress. Vulcan’s hand-picked favourites formed an elite crack squad for dangerous missions. Derek clicked on a smirking image of Mikey and pulled up the live retinal feed from his lion. The footage bounced as Mikey ran. Derek caught a glimpse of Daniel and his bear to the right. The pre-dawn darkness swallowed the convergers in their dark bodysuits but the lion’s natural night vision showed everything as if it were full daylight.
“Who’s on Alpha team?” Derek said into his headset.
“That’d be us.” A group of technicians raised their hands. “They’re en route but have not yet made contact. We’re on it.”
“Roger that,” Derek replied. He pulled up the mission information and his stomach churned in dismay.
Mikey held up a fist and his team stopped. The two-storey weatherboard house looked neglected, the lawn too high, but a small vegetable garden down the side held new seedlings. A shiny pink bike was leaning against the fence. His lion prowled forward, head up, and sniffed the air. Mikey detected the scent of grass, linen and flesh. His lion huffed, impatient. Mikey ignored him and scanned the street. No lights penetrated the darkness. Power rationing had been in force for weeks now. Good.
He turned to the girl behind him and gave the command. She knelt on the path and released a tiny scorpion, which skittered under the solid door. Moments later, the door clicked open, and the scorpion scuttled back to the girl’s outstretched hands. She tucked it into the lining of her jacket and grinned.
Inside, the hallway was neat. Men’s dress shoes and tiny gumboots lined up by the door. A vase of fresh-picked flowers stood on a narrow table. Mikey unholstered his blaster and signalled to Daniel. Together, they crept upstairs, pausing on the landing. Mikey nudged open the door. The dull yellow light of his blaster illuminated the sleeping figures on a bed. Mikey didn’t hesitate. He raised the weapon and fired two electroshock bursts in quick succession. Daniel stepped inside and checked the bodies for signs of life. Satisfied, he gave Mikey the thumbs-up. In less than a minute, they were back on the street, the door closing behind them with a soft click.
“Mission complete,” echoed in Derek’s headset. The bluntness of Mikey’s words sent chills down his spine. He re-read the briefing notes and pulled up the footage logs, skimming through the statistics, revolted by the normality of it all. Around the globe, Vulcan had systematically executed those who refused to comply with his vision – dozens of government leaders and military leaders assassinated. They were not innocent people – tinpot despots, corrupt government officials and terrorists among them. With the major league of nations destroyed, resistance had crumbled. Even the few commentators who had joined Hypatia online reached consensus: the shadowy leader of the MRI was on a trajectory to become the supreme commander on Earth. And Derek had sat back and watched it all unfold. Surely this had never been the MRI’s intention or mandate. The previous Chief Director, Miranda, cannot have planned or foreseen this outcome.
His mind snagged on a hazy memory. Derek looked up from his screen: Fang’s office, the day of the attack on the Bulgaria compound. There had been something in a folder, something important. Derek listened to the tech chatter through his headset and scanned the command centre. Images of deep jungle, desert dunes and deserted buildings. He tried to recall the memory but it eluded him. Derek shook his head and returned his attention to his monitor where gigabytes of biomonitoring statistics waited for him. Data to crunch, reports to file. He pulled up the statistics program and buried himself in work, soon absorbed in a world view from the perspective of bears and killer whales. A glimpse of what it must be like to be bonded with those majestic animals. It made him sick to his stomach. Vulcan had imposed slavery on innocent children and animals. Corrupting the convergent bond was an aberration of nature. And the end result? Murder.
Derek rested his forehead on the desk. When the time came, he would be responsible for manipulating the lives of more children and animals. At Vulcan’s command, Derek would simply push a button; no less guilty than those who did the actual killing.
Gunfire erupted on the main screen and Derek’s head snapped up. Actual gunfire. With growing horror, he watched a line of soldiers collapse under a combined bear-human attack. Real people, not training dummies. Bloody claws flashed and chilling grunts echoed around the command centre. Above the staccato of gunfire, terrified screams pierced the speakers. Derek turned away from the limp mangled bodies splattered across the screen.
Around him, fingers danced on keyboards, and the technicians’ chatter swelled. “We got a hot one; damping down the signal.”
“Geez, how did you not see that guy?”
“Bloody idiots …”
Bile hit the back of Derek’s throat. Frightened people were dying, struck down by monstrous beasts. Derek sank into his chair. Biomonitoring statistics flashed onscreen; hundreds of individual heartbeats. Real heartbeats, real death.
An alarm sounded. The technicians fell silent and listened to the new instructions being relayed over their headsets. Derek grappled for his own, only catching the end of Vulcan’s announcement: “… gone rogue, interfering with operations. Incapacitate their soldiers and terminate the assets.”
He looked up at the main screen. The video feeds went dark then rebooted.
“Omega team, have you got a lock on that contingent coming up the rear?”
“GPS is kicking in now. I got it.”
“Beta, can you take the flank?”
“Roger that.”
“Get ready. On my mark.”
Onscreen, a group of bears and their soldier partners froze, eyes wide. As one, the soldiers clapped their hands to the base of their skulls, their faces contorting in pain. An image of Ariana spasming under a powerful electrical current flashed through Derek’s mind. Just as quickly, the soldiers straightened, their faces deadpan.
“Bring them around, now! The rest of the contingent won’t be expecting an attack from their own soldiers.”
Derek’s headset crackled as the technician teams responded. The realisation dawned. They’re controlling them through the harvest implant chips. Derek could not bear to watch the bloody destruction. Everything Fang feared is happening. Finally, when everything fell quiet, he dared to look at the screen. Confused and bewildered, the chipped soldier-animal pairs wandered among their fallen comrades.
“Is the final current charge ready?”
“Ready.”
“Three, two, one.”
Dozens of heartbeats flatlined on Derek’s monitor. Soldiers and bears keeled over in a wave of death.
