by Eliza Green
She was right. He’d always had his abilities, always relied upon them. Without them, Stephen felt odd, unsettled. But if Serena—and Laura—could adapt from being one species to another, then he could try.
A loud, banging noise down a nearby tunnel startled him. ‘What was that?’
He cocked his head and listened.
Serena had shifted into a crouch—her familiar hunting stance. It set his heart pounding faster. Wide-eyed Indigenes stopped in the tunnels and looked up nervously.
‘More blockades?’ Serena breathed out.
‘I don’t think so.’
The sound did not match the one he’d heard earlier that day. Stephen jogged along the tunnel, pushing Indigenes out of the way. The noise sounded nearby.
Serena kept up with him. ‘It sounds like it’s coming from inside the district.’
The beat of his heart rattled his chest. This couldn’t be a more perfect time for District Three’s dissenters to return and strike an attack. Most of the district was either unable to sense anything or not operating at full strength.
Stephen raced through an intersection and slid to a halt in an unfinished area that had been part of Pierre and Elise’s expansion plans. The area contained several sealed-off tunnels that went nowhere. Other things had taken up Stephen’s time, like agreeing to new additions to the outdated peace treaty, for one. The tunnels had never been finished.
Stephen stopped and listened, hearing nothing. ‘There’s nothing down there, just dead-end tunnels.’
He heard another bang up top.
‘Someone’s trying to access the tunnel space from up above,’ said Serena, through a flurry of hard breaths. ‘If they get inside, they’ll breach our environmental controls.’
He stuck a hand out. ‘No, Pierre never added the force field to this area.’ An invisible pressure made his fingers tingle. ‘It stops here.’
Serena visibly relaxed. ‘A small advantage to us. If they are Indigenes, we can trap them. If they’re humans, we let them cross with their gel masks on. Then we rip them off.’
Stephen turned to see a small, tight crowd had gathered behind him.
He pointed to a few Indigenes. ‘Get ready. We don’t know what we’re dealing with. We’re going to need to act fast.’
Anton pushed through the throng. Arianna showed up with Margaux. The former elder’s top lip was curled up in anger. That was not a good sign.
‘He’s back,’ she spat out.
‘Who’s back?’
But Margaux didn’t answer Stephen; she just glared at the open tunnel. Another crash sounded, followed by the sound of a heavy object hitting the dirt.
‘They’re inside,’ hissed Serena.
Stephen crouched low, one leg pitched in front of the other. The first of the invaders appeared, covered in dirt. He stumbled to the edge of the environmental force field.
Stephen straightened up in surprise. ‘Clement? Where did you come from?’
He wasn’t alone. A worried looking Laura was with him, followed by Emile and Marie.
Behind him, Margaux growled. ‘You!’
Stephen realised her comment had been about Emile.
‘What’s going on? How did you get in here?’ he asked the visitors.
A layer of sweat made Clement’s dirt-covered skin glisten. The second he crossed through the force field, he popped out his air-filtration device and gulped in air. The others did the same, except for Laura, who breathed unhindered.
Clement pointed up. ‘You could say we drilled down.’
Laura’s presence set Stephen on a new edge, reminded him of the ITF’s betrayal. He squared up to her. ‘Why did the ITF order the entrances to be blocked?’
Laura swallowed a new breath and shook her head. ‘It wasn’t us. It was Harvey; he’s taken control of the cities. Bill’s been trying to call you—to warn you.’
Stephen didn’t understand. ‘I tried to call him back... Margaux heard men say that they were from the ITF.’
‘That part is true,’ said Laura, ‘but they have turned against us and are working for Harvey.’
‘Why?’
Laura straightened up and caught more of her breath. Her gaze went to the group who had gathered around them. ‘Should we talk somewhere more private?’
Stephen was past secrets and discussions. ‘No, say what you have to say here.’
She nodded softly. ‘We need your help. Harvey took Ben.’
‘Ben?’ His eyes widened. His hands shook. ‘When?’
‘Yesterday. His landlady reported him missing.’
‘What does Harvey want with him?’
‘Collateral, we think. He’s looking for Jameson.’
‘The doctor? Why?’
‘Again, a mystery.’ Laura glanced around. ‘Bill is out there with one of his operatives. We need to get inside New Tokyo without being detected. We have good reason to believe that’s where Harvey has taken Ben. We find one, we find the other.’
‘I might have an idea.’ Emile stepped forward; Margaux responded with a growl. He ignored her.
Stephen almost growled at him too. ‘What are you doing here, Emile? Come to steal more of my district from me?’
The elder actually looked contrite. ‘No, Marie and I were out hunting and became locked out of our district early this morning. By the same obstructions that cover your entrances. We came here seeking shelter.’
Stephen scoffed. ‘There’s no room for a traitor.’
Emile shouted, ‘I am no traitor!’
His wife showed no reaction. She simply stared at Stephen.
This request had thrown him. ‘You went against my rules, divided my district. Pierre would have had you thrown out the second you got sick.’
The elder visibly shook. ‘Do you want my help or not?’
‘Not.’
Without the ability to sense Emile’s mood, Stephen didn’t trust his own instincts. All he knew was how much his skin crawled at having the elder close. He better understood Margaux’s violent reaction to Emile.
Serena touched his arm, breaking him out of his tension. ‘I think we should hear what he has to say.’
Stephen gritted his teeth. ‘Fine. Speak.’
Truth was he was curious.
‘The tunnels beneath District One lead into the Maglev railway system in New Tokyo.’
Serena said, ‘But won’t Harvey’s men have thought about that?’
Emile shook his head. ‘We’ve been in and out of that city for years. There are so many humans living there, nobody notices us.’
‘And what do you steal?’ asked Laura.
Emile shrugged. ‘Whatever we need. Raw meat, clothing. Technology, books.’
‘And how do you expect to get inside your district if it has been blocked?’ asked Laura.
Stephen sensed wariness from her. Clement had recovered and was listening now. He looked to be more open to Emile’s help.
The elder shrugged. ‘The same way we got into yours.’
Stephen pulled Serena off to the side, away from the crowd.
‘I don’t like this. I don’t trust him,’ he said to her.
She kept her voice low. ‘Bill needs your help.’
‘It’s not our fight. It’s between Harvey and the ITF.’
‘It’s not Ben’s fight, either.’
Stephen’s guilt twisted deeper when she mentioned him.
‘And it became ours the second they blocked our district. They are trying to keep us from this fight.’
‘What fight?’ He had no strength left for anything except healing. ‘We are still recovering from the effects of the virus. None of us have full strength yet.’
She clamped the sides of his arms. ‘Then we must get everyone ready. Those who weren’t affected will use the Nexus en masse.’
‘What? No!’ He pulled back. ‘That’s too dangerous.’
‘We have no choice. Bill and this
Jameson doctor found a cure. Even Harvey helped. But I trusted that man about as much as Bill did, and I know you didn’t trust him, either.’
Stephen paused for a moment. He looked back at the group; all eyes were on him. Some could possibly have heard their conversation; others would not have deciphered much from their mumblings. Margaux was too busy glaring at Emile and the passive Marie.
Stephen returned his attention to Serena. ‘I don’t trust him.’
She flicked her gaze over and back. ‘I don’t, either, but he’s outnumbered here. Those who chose to stay did so because they follow you, not him.’
That gave him hope. He chewed on his lip, knowing in his heart what he had to do. ‘We need to help.’
‘We do. And we need to use the Nexus.’
He bit his lip harder. ‘I know. That’s what worries me.’
☼
Stephen and Serena gathered with selected volunteers at the entrance to one tranquillity cave. Stephen ordered them to occupy the floor units except for two, and wait for further instructions. At other caves, Laura and Clement, and Anton and Arianna were organising similar operations there.
‘The Nexus will either go into shock or it will repair faster,’ said Serena.
‘They’re our only two options?’
‘You have a better idea?’
Stephen shook his head and walked over to one of the last two units.
Serena frowned, as if she were listening out. ‘They’re ready when you are.’
‘Okay, let’s get in there.’
He released a sigh and climbed into one unit. He heard Serena climb into the remaining one.
Stephen sat on the floor and closed his eyes. The rock face changed to a dazzling, bright-white web, but no tendril followed. In his mind’s eye, he forced his energy through the sticky membrane keeping both realities apart.
On the other side, the Nexus wall waited, looking less pale in appearance than before. In fact, it had a slightly pink hue. The tendrils that had floated listlessly before had retreated part way inside the wall. The scene looked closer to normal, but the Nexus was far from the robust system it once had been.
Serena’s energy floated inside and came to a stop beside him.
It’s getting there, she said, still able to use her telepathy in this reality. It took a lot of my energy before, but I feel good, strong enough to give it more.
New energies arrived, more pairings than the numbers they’d used to re-introduce the Nexus to them. A new ripple in the wall caught Stephen’s eye. Small waves skittered across its surface, growing in thickness and speed as more energies arrived.
‘That can’t be good,’ he said.
Serena floated closer to the wall. She appeared able to attach her energy to its weak structure. One of the tendrils grabbed on to her and pumped her energy back into the wall. It calmed the undulations, but only for a moment.
The more energies entered this plane, the deeper the ripples became. The wall dislodged Serena’s energy suddenly, hurling her backwards. She gasped. On the outside, Stephen grappled for her, even though she was in another unit. On the inside, he caught up to her fast-moving energy, slowing it down by attaching his energy to hers.
Serena shook off the attack. That was... unexpected. I’ve been a constant energy source to the Nexus. It should know me.
Seeing she was okay, Stephen focused on the other users. Their energies had gathered in the centre of the Nexus—their usual spot to linger. The Nexus wall surrounded them on three sides, the last side taken up with the entry points into this realm.
Tendrils darted out from the wall, aiming for the collection of energies, striking at them. Stephen heard yelling and grunts coming from inside the tranquillity cave.
‘What’s it doing?’ he asked Serena.
It must be protecting its space. The Nexus is unbalanced. The more energies that are here, the worse it appears to get.
‘This was a bad idea. Maybe we should forget about it.’
She whispered, No, wait. Look at the wall.
Stephen focused on it. One tiny tendril appeared, different and weaker compared to the larger, fatter ones that had attacked the collective energies. Thin as a piece of string, it snaked its way to the collection of energies. It wasn’t attacking; instead, it curiously prodded the edges of the group. While the fatter tendrils slashed, this one buried itself deeper in the middle.
‘I’ve never seen a tendril that thin before,’ said Stephen. ‘It’s not behaving like the others. Why?’
I have a theory, said Serena. We should watch.
The thin tendril rippled from tip to root. It appeared to be feeding on the collective energies. Stephen saw a bright, bulbous energy ball pulsate along its length and back to the wall. A second, equally thin tendril extended from the wall and found the centre of the group, then a third and fourth, until half a dozen string-like tendrils were feeding from the energies. Pale white in colour, these new strands pulsed and bloated with their feed. The more they took the more golden their appearance became.
The fatter tendrils halted their attack, becoming listless again.
The thin tendrils grew in size, thickening a little along their length. They pulsed with a new energy, like a bobbing throat when someone swallowed.
Are you seeing this? Serena said.
‘I am but I don’t understand.’
The smaller ones are regrowth. My energy must have given it enough to grow new tendrils that were not poisoned by the virus.
‘Why aren’t the fatter ones doing the same?’
He saw they had retreated but not by much. The older tendrils drifted over the top of the collective energies, but at least they had stopped attacking.
Come on. Serena floated over to the wall.
Stephen followed her. She stuck her energy to the wall once again. New, microscopic tendrils appeared, caging her inside a thin mesh.
He copied her action, feeling a weak pressure against his energy. It manifested on the outside as a tickle on his skin.
The new tendrils thickened one by one, turning from pale white to a soft yellow the longer he stayed connected.
But then something else happened. One by one, the fat tendrils detached from the wall and floated aimlessly in the space.
‘What’s happening?’
Serena said, I’m not sure, but they were part of the original infection. Maybe the Nexus has enough power to rid itself of the last of the poison.
‘The new feeding... it feels strange, ticklish.’
I have an idea. Serena called out to the other users. Everyone to the wall, now.
Some moved; others did not. Stephen assumed not all could hear her use of telepathy.
‘Follow the others,’ Stephen repeated. ‘Attach your energies to the wall.’
Slowly, the users came to the wall. They mirrored both his and Serena’s action. As they did, tiny tendrils appeared and more of the fat tendrils detached from the wall.
A steady pulse from the wall jostled him a little. It was small at first but the wave quickly grew in strength. The new tendrils had lost their string-like appearance and were closer to a rope in thickness.
When one squeezed him hard, Serena laughed.
‘What?’
Nothing bad. It’s just... I can feel it... the real Nexus. It’s here. It found us.
The Nexus was stronger. Stephen felt stronger. He disconnected and climbed out of his unit. He wasted no time in ordering the next group to connect, specifically those who’d been affected by the virus. An hour later, those weakened by the virus reported a marked improvement in their strength, their dexterity.
Standing next to Serena outside the cave, Stephen flexed his hands.
‘How do you feel?’ she asked.
‘Good, better.’
‘And your other abilities?’
He’d already tried to sense the others, both through telepathy and though his ability to see their auras
in colours. But his world remained both silent and dull. He shook his head.
‘Give it time.’
Laura joined them. ‘I hate to rush you but we need to help Bill. I’m worried he’s going to attempt to rescue Ben alone.’
Stephen blinked. In all the drama he’d forgotten. ‘Of course.’
He returned to the Central Core, where the majority of his district had gathered. From there, he selected a small team of eight strong males and females. The team would not enter the city, but would protect the area outside the district. Clement’s efforts had given him a route out as well as others a way in. He would not leave the district undefended.
But when Emile started to direct others, Stephen felt his power slipping away again. He wished he could ditch the pair, but they needed both elders to get them inside New Tokyo and help Ben.
Serena nudged him. ‘Trust me; they’re not listening to him. They are wondering why you’re not speaking.’
Her words sparked him into action. He stood taller.
Emile was still talking when he interrupted him. ‘We will leave now to find the humans who have blocked us inside. Your priority now is to keep this district safe. Continue to use the Nexus, as needed. Trust me, your leader. We will turn this situation around. We will regain our freedom.’
His speech stunned a shocked Emile into silence.
Margaux laughed suddenly, loudly.
Serena whispered, ‘That speech put him in his place.’
But Laura’s next words brought him back to the real problem.
‘We don’t have enough encrypted channels available to use the DPads effectively,’ she said. ‘We also can’t risk leaving messages on them. We’re going to need a better way to keep in touch. Do you have any of those communication stones lying around?’
The communication stones. Why hadn’t Stephen thought of them?
Anton, who was nearby, nodded. ‘Good idea. I’ll collect as many as I can.’
19
While Emile and Marie were looking the other way, Laura slipped on the neurosensor.
The group, wearing black hunting outfits, climbed out of the hole Clement had made, and set off on foot in the direction of Bill’s car; Laura had given Stephen and Serena general directions to it. Under the dim, blue hue of the double moons, the way ahead was a minefield of rocks and obstacles. Laura had not lost her special vision and could see fine, but she worried the others might struggle. Out in front were Stephen and Serena. Anton and Arianna followed with District One’s elders. Anton carried a bag with him, filled with as many communication stones as the district could spare. The volunteers branched off in different directions to keep watch for any dangers in the vicinity close to the district.