by Eliza Green
Jason pressed the binoculars to his eyes and adjusted the range. He saw the high wall surrounding Essention and the guns perched on top, with sensors attached to their sides.
He snatched the binoculars away. ‘I should have known there was something wrong with Essention. Those high walls are a dead giveaway.’
The more time he spent with the rebels, the fewer excuses he had to maintain his prejudice.
‘You’d have to be a mind reader to know what they had planned. They’ve been clever. Don’t beat yourself up about it.’
‘But it’s my fault. I can see that now.’ Jason snatched at breaths. The binoculars dangled from his hand. ‘My parents and their secret late-night conversations. The things they discussed with us that made no sense. They were preparing us for this.’
Max gripped Jason’s shoulder. ‘And now you have a chance to do something about it. You can start by helping Preston. You two are close to a solution to this communication problem of ours.’
Jason and Preston had combined Thomas’ energy-displacer technology with the satellite booster. Their plan? To create a corridor for a message to pass through while distorting the force field around Arcis long enough to sustain the connection. Glenvale was the final, unobstructed test to see if it would work.
Jason watched Max. ‘You said there were others besides your wife who went into Arcis and never came out. Anyone close?’
Max focused on the scenery. ‘Neighbours, friends. People like your sister who had no clue what Essention was. Too many to count.’
Jason’s pulse raced at the mention of Anya.
Max continued, his jaw tight. ‘Many of the soldiers you’ve met lost someone to a place like Arcis. They just disappeared without a trace. That’s why we sent volunteers into Arcis to report what happens there. We know there are other machine-built urbanos like Essention with an Arcis at their core, but we still don’t know why. The ninth floor is still a mystery.’
Jason looked down to see Preston and Thomas coming through the gates. They carried boxes of electronic equipment from the trucks, as well as the homemade satellite dish. Preston looked up and gestured for him to come down.
Jason left Max to it and helped carry more equipment inside. They set everything up in the room just off from the flat roof, almost identical in size to the one belonging to the Jenkins. Preston fired up the machine that Jason hoped would be good enough to maintain a steady signal through Arcis’ force field.
The screen reported the force field’s energy was almost at full strength. Their plan to maintain a steady connection to Arcis hadn’t worked up until now. But the addition of Thomas’ energy-displacer tech would hopefully show an improvement.
Preston spoke into the microphone. ‘Testing, testing... Pavesi, Kouris, if either of you can hear me, tap on your communication cards.’
Jason hovered behind him, while Thomas gnawed on his thumb. Preston tried again, but the machine received no definitive signal back.
‘We know the lights dip just before rotation,’ said Thomas. ‘Ask them to report back any other patterns that might indicate a draw in the power.’
Preston glared at him. ‘I can’t ask them until I hear back from them.’
Thomas rolled his eyes and gestured to the machine. ‘Keep trying. They might not be able to answer.’
Preston turned back around. ‘Dominic, Sheila. Tap on your communication cards if you can hear me.’
Jason heard something. It was faint, but unmistakable. A series of taps. He looked at Thomas, who translated with a smile. ‘I can hear you.’
The tapping stopped.
‘I lost it.’ Preston huffed. He pulled Jason and Thomas down to sit either side of him. Jason scooted closer as Preston pointed at a box on the table.
‘What are you both waiting for? We’ve got a signal to stabilise.’
41
Carissa turned from the screen, confused. Warren had just left the girls’ bathroom. Then Anya had come out with June, looking upset. Something had happened and Carissa was dying to know what.
What had Warren done? Her curiosity had never felt so strong.
She would erase that feeling from her memory.
Carissa got up and paced the footage room in the Learning Centre, at the heart of Praesidium. Dozens of screens filled one wall, showing stolen moments of time in Arcis.
Different groups. Different screens covering the separate floors.
The cameras didn’t capture everything. The Collective said their purpose wasn’t to see all, but to see enough to learn from the participants’ behaviour. Carissa wondered about the conversations in the rooms with no cameras: the bathrooms, shower rooms, the medical prefabs on the fourth floor.
Carissa faced the screen again. She wrapped her arms around her waist, bunching up her long white dress.
She searched for the one person who’d meant something to her Original.
June.
Tears moistened the corners of her human eyes. A small inconvenience for the privilege of having them, the Inventor had said. Carissa touched her finger to the wetness first, then tasted it.
Salty.
She’d seen the Originals in Praesidium cry before. She knew what it meant. But her tears didn’t carry the weight of their emotions; the sobbing, the wailing, the screaming.
Emotions didn’t control Carissa. Yet, here she was shedding tears over someone her Original used to know. The moment felt too contrived. She wanted to be more spontaneous.
She would erase that thought before her download for the Collective ten.
The footage angered her enough that she turned away from the screens. A deep fluttering in her stomach lingered. Then it faded.
She left the room that was part of the Learning Centre and exited through a door leading outside. She squinted as the brightness pinched at her eyes.
Carissa found shade under a tree and removed an orb from her pocket. She tossed it into the air. It hovered beside her like a pet.
She had seen too much, felt too much that day; her thoughts could prove difficult to erase before tomorrow. She needed to do something safe, something expected. If she erased too many experiences, Quintus would get suspicious. He might accuse her of showing sympathy for the human experiments.
The sun glistening off the metal orb dazzled her and caused fresh tears to fall. She left the experience intact for the Collective who would understand what had caused them.
In the distance, she watched Originals go about their working day. The Collective liked to make use of them, to remind them of who was in charge. The electrical force field surrounding Praesidium helped with that reminder; the Originals, including the Inventor, could not leave. Carissa had seen how fast the right voltage in Arcis could bring the humans down.
She circled the tree while the orb chased her. She darted one way, then another, laughing lightly at first. But when the humming orb fell into a predictable pattern, Carissa slowed, allowing it to catch her. She patted it then commanded it back into her pocket.
She sat on the grass, her pocket bulging with the obedient orb, to watch Original Vanessa, the librarian, walking back to the library. She wore a primrose yellow dress that complemented her dark skin and her figure, which was rounder than her Copy’s. The Originals wore colourful clothing, while the Copies wore white—a colour that reflected their purity.
Carissa didn’t like Vanessa’s Copy. She was mean and cold, unlike Original Vanessa, the forty-six-year-old woman whose eyes smiled when she did. She’d shed a tear for her when the Collective no longer deemed her useful and terminated her.
She stood up and followed Vanessa to the library. Carissa had all the memories of her Original. It was for that reason Quintus, the spokesperson for the Collective, had ordered the Copies to limit their interaction with the Originals for fear the Originals might form an attachment.
But something inside Carissa pushed her to break that order.
Her Originals’ memories had frozen Carissa in time, snapped her in
to place; like one of the screens that showed Arcis. She could learn nothing new from them. In contrast to the Copies, the Originals continued to experience and learn. Carissa resented being stuck in one place.
Vanessa stopped halfway to the library and sat down on a bench. Carissa’s fake heart skipped a beat, and she rethought her plan to interact. But she could always blame the librarian for the interaction. Vanessa would be punished, not her.
But Carissa didn’t like that idea. She had hated watching Anya receive electric shocks, or seeing how the supervisor on the second floor had left Tahlia to die alone. The Arcis programme had been designed to get the best and worst out of the participants, so the Collective could learn from them. So all the Copies could.
But how could they do that if the teenagers were dead?
She walked back to the Learning Centre. She would seek the Collective’s permission to speak with Vanessa. Carissa already had too many gaps in her memories.
Ω
The Collective ten were quieter than usual. Carissa kept her hand pressed to the central podium in the Great Hall. Only a handful of voices permeated through her cerebral unit. Carissa was about to break the silence when Quintus’ voice came through.
‘You are here to ask a question,’ Quintus said, his voice loud in her head. His face didn’t appear on screen.
‘Yes.’
‘About the Originals.’
Carissa swallowed. ‘Yes.’
‘What is it?’
‘I wish to satiate my curiosity about them. I wish to prepare for the others’ arrival.’
‘There is no reason for you to interact with an Original, 173-C,’ Quintus said.
‘I understand that. As you know, I’ve been watching the participants in Arcis...’
She dared not call them by their first names.
‘While the experience has been very useful, I feel I would learn more if I spoke to the librarian.’
‘128-O?’ Quintus sounded amused. ‘You have no use for the librarian’s knowledge. She is here to assist our efforts in preparing the Copies for life beyond Praesidium.’
‘Will she help the others when they get here?’
‘Of course.’
‘Then, I would like to understand how she will do that. And why the Originals are so fascinated with books.’ Carissa paused. ‘Why do we keep their printed materials?’
‘Because books are important to them, so they must be of equal importance to us if we are to be like them. I will check with the others.’
Quintus’ voice grew quiet as he consulted with the other nine. Carissa held on to her hope. At least it wasn’t an outright no.
Quintus returned. ‘We have discussed it. The ten agrees it would be useful to experience what you do. Permission granted to interact with 128-O.’
Carissa nodded at the screen, even though only the Collective’s voices interacted with her.
She kept her thoughts neutral as she left the screen room; Quintus would no doubt examine them tomorrow. Outside, she played with the orb for a while to add to her footage for the next day.
Then, when she couldn’t wait any longer, she headed for the glass and wood building.
Carissa approached the south-facing entrance covered in wooden panelling that protected the books from sun damage. She hesitated by the door.
She never hesitated. Why was she so nervous?
She opened the door and walked inside.
Bookcases covered every inch of the glass walls, all stuffed with books. More lay on the floor, ready to be catalogued; recent finds from some of the towns.
The library was split over two floors. There was a large open space on the ground floor, and the first floor, set further back, was accessible by a set of glass stairs. Two Originals worked in the upper area, cataloguing books. Vanessa was on the ground floor, sorting through a new delivery. She wore a pair of glasses on the end of her nose.
Carissa hesitated again. What would she say to her?
The Originals, in their bright clothing, stopped to stare at her. It wasn’t uncommon for Copies to use the library, but they usually went straight to the terminal by the door and accessed the full collection of books.
Carissa couldn’t move. Other Copies passed her. They didn’t speak to the Originals; the Originals didn’t speak to them.
A panic built inside her as she determined this was not normal Copy behaviour. The Collective would see that tomorrow. With that thought in mind, Carissa unstuck herself and walked over to the terminal. She pressed her palm to the sensor and the library of books became available to her. She downloaded the entire collection to her cerebral unit, overwriting the previous file. The smell of musty books on the shelves nearest her drew her attention. She disconnected and walked over to them, running her fingers along the spines.
‘Hello.’
Carissa jumped at the sound of Vanessa’s voice. She sucked in a discreet breath.
‘Hello,’ she replied mechanically, the way she did when an Original initiated conversation. The Inventor was the exception to her rule.
‘Can I help you with something?’
Vanessa’s dark-brown eyes were as warm as her smile. Carissa stared at the librarian. The moment felt too long.
Carissa shook her head and looked away. ‘No, thank you.’
Vanessa returned to her stack of books on the floor. Carissa thought about leaving when she remembered the Collective was interested in her experiences.
‘Wait, please.’
Vanessa turned, one eyebrow raised. ‘Yes?’
Carissa kept command of her voice and lifted her chin. ‘I wanted to ask you a question about these books.’
‘Sure. What do you want to know?’
‘Why do you keep them when you can just download everything from here?’ She touched the terminal with her finger.
Vanessa laughed softly and walked over to the terminal. She tapped the side of her head, at the point where Carissa’s cerebral connection disc was installed. Vanessa had only one disc, above her ear, for communication.
‘We don’t have an extra connection, like you. We can’t simply download what we want.’
Carissa touched both of her discs, the one on the side of her head and the one above her ear. ‘If you can’t download, what do you do?’
‘We read.’ Vanessa still smiled.
Carissa frowned at her. ‘Read? Why?’
Vanessa placed a hand on Carissa’s back, causing her to flinch. If Vanessa was bothered by her reaction, she didn’t show it.
‘You’re about thirteen, am I right? Let me show you some of the books I used to read when I was your age.’
Carissa permitted the Original to lead her to the pile of books on the floor. The librarian rummaged through it and showed her several titles: The Adventures of Christina Popple, Reporter; Breaking Rules; My First Kiss.
Vanessa hid a fourth book behind her back. ‘This was my favourite. It’s not catalogued yet, and you look like you know how to be discreet.’
Vanessa’s half smile confused her. The librarian slipped her the book, then showed her a couple more. Just for show, Carissa realised.
Without looking at the book, Carissa pulled up her dress enough to slip the contraband in the waistband of her leggings.
Several more Copies entered the library. Vanessa stepped away from the terminal, hovering close by in case they had questions.
One of the Copies asked to see a book: The Evolution of Man. The Collective ten wanted the physical copy, he said.
Vanessa searched the database and located it upstairs. While she was distracted, Carissa slipped out of the library with her gift.
She spent the afternoon playing with her orb to distract herself from the book that dug into her side. Her time must be managed carefully if she was to explain away the gaps in her experiences. And she really wanted to keep the book a secret.
Pretending to keep busy wore her out. Carissa finally gave in to the temptation. She found a quiet spot on the other s
ide of the city in Zone C, near the medical facility. She removed the book from her waistband and read the title: The Curious Child with the Peculiar Eyes.
She opened it, and began to read. Words she could process, but reading the text required extra concentration.
Her watery eyes blurred every time she tried.
Carissa slammed the book closed and tucked it into her waistband again. She would find a safe hiding place for it later.
Watching the screens required less effort. But footage from that day’s activities in Arcis wouldn’t be ready until tomorrow.
She felt her impatience build as she sat on the grass and tossed her orb into the air. It landed perfectly on her palm each time. She demanded the orb show her pictures of the rest of Essention—a dull activity in comparison to watching the feed from Arcis. The Collective used the orbs offsite. Hers had just returned home from a stint in Essention.
The orb replayed tedious footage from the water purification area. Carissa switched to imagery from the hospital in South Essention. Through the glass exterior, the orb had observed adults, and children around her age, lining up to receive their daily injections. She fast-forwarded by a day and watched the same adults and the same children receive injections to make them better.
Except now, they looked sicker than they had the day before.
42
Anya felt like she was in a race; running from one drama to the next. Coupled with the stress of living and working alongside the same people, she didn’t think the last three months could get worse.
But something trumped all that. And it had happened with Warren in the bathroom, just a few hours ago.
She pushed down the memory of the event by evoking memories of her old life in Brookfield. With her mother’s constant demands that she match with a boy, things had been had been stressful there, too. Why had Jason escaped the matching process? She’d asked Grace about it once to which she replied,. ‘Because you’re female.’