Project Terra

by S. J Woods

  “And you,” Dane nudged Tommy. “I saw you were brave for Norah. I’m proud of you.”

  Tommy shrugged, trying to be nonchalant, but his mouth turned up into a delighted smile.

  “Alyssa.” Teonie beckoned Dane’s mother and Dane noticed that she had been stood away from the group, showing no interest in her children’s plight.

  Rose and Dane watched, with growing impatience, as Alyssa made her way slowly towards Teonie, drifting forwards with no real interest. As Teonie made the incision, Rose turned and walked purposefully away.

  “Are you ok?” Dane stepped to his sister’s side.

  “Mmmm.” Rose made a non-committal noise and hefted the small satchel from one shoulder to the other.

  “What else is in the bag?” Dane asked, looking at it properly for the first time.

  Rose shrugged her shoulders. “Just the stun-gun and some of Dad’s things. I found the gun in with Dad’s stuff when he died. I hid it before Sadie and Ma got rid of it.”

  “Why would they get rid of it?” Dane frowned.

  “They got rid of nearly all of his stuff.” Rose said, her upset clear. “Ma does whatever Sadie tells her too. Look at her. She didn’t even think to try to comfort Norah when she had her chip out.”

  “It’s not her fault.” Dane tried to reason with his sister, despite feeling the same. “She’s not herself.”

  Rose turned to look at him sharply. “Isn’t it? Sorry, Dane, but you’re usually the one with no patience for her. Anyway, it doesn’t matter now, does it? When are you going to tell me what’s really going on?”

  Teonie was still hunched over Alyssa, and Dane felt a flicker of impatience. What was taking her so long?

  “We need to get out of Apatia,” Dane finally answered her. “There was a classified experiment. Years ago, before you were born. We know things that we shouldn’t. Ma and Dad were involved. Teonie found a Government document that shows that they’ve been fed medication to keep them quiet over the years.”

  “What?” Rose’s mouth dropped open in shock. “They were involved? How? What did they do?”

  “They didn’t do anything wrong.” Dane interjected quickly. “They were given a baby, before you. Arielle. She was a hybrid. Half-human, half-Artificial. We didn’t know, but they took her back. It happened to Teonie’s cousin. There were others, but at the time, they told our parents that Arielle was the only one. Turns out they’ve been pumping their supplements full of medication to keep them like…” He turned and gestured towards their mother. “Like that.”

  The colour drained from Rose’s face, her hands covering her mouth in horrified disbelief.

  “Dane!” Teonie called over to them, before Dane could say anymore. “Can you help me with this?”

  Dane looked back at his sister and she bravely recovered her composure.

  “Go on.” She nodded towards Teonie. “I’m ok.”

  Dane crossed the short distance towards his friend. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and she looked away from the incision as Dane approached her.

  “I can’t find it.” She hissed from the corner of her mouth.

  “What do you mean?” Dane glanced at the neat-but-bloodied line in Alyssa’s neck. “It’s got to be there.”

  “Well, it’s not.” Teonie huffed, offering the scalpel to Dane.

  He stared at the proffered instrument, not taking it from her.

  “Maybe she hasn’t got one,” Teonie mused. “When did the chip programme even start?”

  Dane shrugged. “No idea.”

  “That’s helpful.” Teonie said through gritted teeth.

  Dane fumbled with his wrist-device, searching information on the Apatian Central Network. Teonie covered the cut she had made with a bandage and set about replacing her tools in the kit.

  “Well?” She snapped shut the box and looked at Dane expectantly.

  “It was phased in fifty years ago, became mandatory thirty-five years ago.”

  “She can’t have one then.” Teonie took the envelope of chips and dropped them into a plastic wallet. “Wrist-devices please!”

  Teonie flicked the switch on the jammer that she hadn’t let out of her sight. Dane watched with interest as his screen turned black and he happily relinquished the band that had turned quickly from a valuable tool to a prison sentence. Rose handed hers over without a second thought and Norah and Tommy followed suit.

  “Ma?” Dane held his hand out to his mother.

  “What are we doing this for?” She nodded her head towards the transparent carrier in Teonie’s hands.

  “We don’t need them anymore.” Rose cut in before Teonie or Dane had chance to respond.

  Alyssa frowned at Rose’s sharp tone. “Why not? Where are we even going?”

  “Can we just get moving?” Teonie reached over and snapped Alyssa’s band, flashing her an apologetic smile. “I’ll dump these. Dane, you can fill your mother in on everything.”

  “Everything?” Dane looked unsure.

  “What’s going on?” Alyssa repeated, her hand at her now-bare wrist.

  “Do you want to come and help me with this?” Teonie called out to Tommy and Norah, who happily followed her and Rico to the boundary where Dane could see the familiar scuffed ground that he recognised as a cover for a body of water.

  Between Teonie and Rico, they had the cover pulled up and the container of microchips and devices deposited into the stream within minutes. Teonie hung back for a moment longer; regaling Tommy and Norah with facts about bodies of water to distract them from the heated three-way exchange going on between the others next to the air-capsule.

  “Tee,” Rico inclined his head towards the capsule. “We really need to keep moving.”

  Teonie had told her brother everything, and she nodded in agreement. Rose and Dane clammed up the moment they were within earshot, but Alyssa took a while longer to recover her composure. Teonie could see the shock in her dark eyes, and she wondered how long it would take for the medication to wear off and what difference that would make to Alyssa. It was going to be difficult enough to evade the AMS and get out of the country, without having to worry about potential withdrawal symptoms and emotional breakdowns.

  Dane moved towards the craft, lifting Norah up and into the vehicle. Tommy, Rose and Rico climbed in after her, settling onto the bench. Teonie gestured for Alyssa to get in.

  She shook her head; her face a picture of worry.

  “We can’t!” Alyssa protested, still shaking her head. “Dane, this is crazy. There’s got to be a safer way.”

  “There’s not!” Dane shot back. “Please, Ma. I know it’s a shock, but we don’t have time to waste.”

  Alyssa was silent for a moment and Teonie held her breath, mentally counting down the time they were wasting.

  “No.” When she spoke it was with a firmness that surprised them all. “I can’t let you do this. Rose, Tommy, Norah. They’re just children.”

  “Ma,” Dane hissed at her, grabbing her hands in frustration. What a time for her to now start worrying about her children. “If we don’t move now, there’s a good chance we’ll all be dead.”

  Rose stepped out of the air-capsule. “Mama, come on!”

  “No.” Alyssa shook her head. “I can’t let you do this. Tommy! Norah!”

  “No!” Dane held a hand up in protest. “They’re coming with us.”

  “You’re not their mother!” Alyssa exclaimed, her eyes flashing with anger.

  “Neither are you!” Dane’s restrained temper burst its bank and the high emotions of the last few days finally came flooding to the surface. “You want to stay here? Fine! But you’re not killing the rest of us!”

  Dane stormed back to the capsule and slid in, calling back over his shoulder.

  “Teonie, Rose. Let’s go.”

  Alyssa remained where she was standing, mouth dropped open in surprise. Teonie looked between Alyssa and Rose, shocked at Dane’s outburst and unsure what to do if Alyssa refused to get in.


  “Mama, please.” Rose took her mother’s hand and Teonie could see Rose’s eyes were brimming with tears. “Please come with us.”

  Alyssa looked between her daughter and the aircraft, an air of helplessness about her.

  “We really have to go.” Teonie interrupted them quietly. “Alyssa, it’s your choice, but I think we need you.”

  “Don’t leave us.” Rose pleaded and Teonie felt herself relax when Alyssa stepped tentatively towards the capsule.

  Rose and Teonie followed her in. Teonie flicked the jammer back off, set the controls and there was a tense silence as the craft stirred into life before making the smooth ascent into the sky.

  “How long until we get there?” Rico asked, breaking the heavy tension.

  Teonie smiled gratefully. “Not long. We’ll do 200 kilometres in about an hour.”

  “I’ve got a rough idea of the best spot to cross,” Dane said to Teonie. “I’m assuming you’ve got tech back-ups.”

  “Of course.” Teonie nodded. “We need to try to get on without it if possible. The more we can stay out of the network, though, the better.”

  Teonie flicked open a hand-held device and they poured over the satellite image of The Keys National Park, quietly discussing routes and tactics. They both agreed on the same things; they needed to avoid being out in the open more than necessary to avoid satellite detection and they would stick to the quickest route, conscious of the challenge it would be to the children.

  “What do you know about Port Layton?” Dane asked.

  “This is the good news.” Teonie’s face lit up with the first genuine smile Dane had seen since this whole mess started.

  Dane couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her wide grin and the sparkle in her eyes. It was a welcome change to see her back to her usual bright, optimistic self.

  “The missing parents have been helped out via Port Layton by some of the resistance,” Teonie told him in a hushed voice. “The Port is manned by a small private security firm, contracted out from the AMS. There’s a man who will be looking out for us. He’ll give us the craft and the coordinates.”

  “Why would they contract it out if they know people are escaping to De Sierto?” Dane shook his head, not as easily convinced as Teonie. “Surely, they’ll be stepping up security by now?”

  “It’ll be fine.” Teonie dismissed his concerns.

  “I think we should have a back-up plan.” Dane countered. “We can’t risk being sitting targets.”

  “We’ve got some weapons,” Teonie shrugged. “And I can look up the coordinates if necessary.”

  Teonie reached for her bag that was tucked under the control station.

  “We should divide these up,” She said. “Your mother was AMS. She’ll be able to familiar with standard weaponry, right?”

  Dane shrugged, still not wanting to address Alyssa after the friction back on the ground.

  “What’s that?” Norah, growing bored of Rico and Rose’s attempts to distract her, spied Teonie’s mini-arsenal across the craft and leaned forward for a better look.

  “Careful!” Rose chastised her, as Norah lurched from one side of the small craft to the other unsteadily.

  “Sit back down, Norah.” Dane slid the bag back towards the front of the capsule out of Norah’s reach, but she had grown bored after almost an hour sitting still and continued trying to push her way towards the front.

  “Norah!” Rose tugged on her arm. “Please sit down. There’s hardly any room as it is.”

  As Rose pulled her back into her seat, the craft lurched in the air and Norah slipped backwards, banging her head against the window.

  “Ow!” She cried out as simultaneous shouts of surprise went up as the capsule dropped sharply.

  Dane held his breath, waiting for the capsule to level off, but they continued to lose height rapidly. The children were crying out now, and Dane looked around at the pale, frightened faces as his chest filled with panic. He felt something sharp pierce his bicep and he turned towards Teonie, who was gripping his arm in terror.

  “What’s happening?” He gasped.

  “The craft has disconnected!” Teonie gestured at the blank display screen helplessly. “It must be the tech-out!”

  TWENTY-TWO

  The craft spun wildly as it fell, and Dane could see the ground below them hurtling closer and closer.

  “It’s ok!” Teonie called out to the terrified passengers. “The tech-out has started, but the capsule will level out at three-hundred-and-fifty-feet. Rico, do you think you can take us down from there if the power doesn’t kick in?”

  Dane could barely hear her words over the panicked cries of the passengers and the last part of her sentence was drowned out by an ear-piercing scream as the craft suddenly, and without warning, snapped backwards as the craft’s back-up wings automatically unfurled.

  Rico struggled across the crowded capsule, sliding as the craft rocked violently from side-to-side with its sudden deceleration. His face was a mask of concentration as he used his arms to keep himself from falling. Teonie was struggling to her feet and she leaned towards the control station, wrenching away the black fiberglass panel, letting it clatter uselessly to the ground.

  Dane offered up a silent prayer that they had it under control. He forced his eyes to turn away from the looming city beneath, growing nearer with every passing second, and slid closer to his siblings. Rose had her arms around Norah and Tommy. Their heads were buried in their chests, as if they couldn’t bear to see their impending fall. Alyssa had leaned forward in her seat, her own arms thrown around the trio, murmuring something that Dane could not hear.

  Rico was working hard to access something underneath the control station and Dane watched as he pulled at wires, his face tense, panic growing with every second.

  “Come on, Rico!” Teonie was leaning over him, her hands clenched into fists, pressed into the skin of her face.

  Come on. Dane silently willed the boy. He could see from Rico’s expression that he was struggling, and Dane looked around the craft desperately for a Plan B.

  “What’s he doing?”

  Dane turned to the voice. His mother was calling, but not to him. To Teonie.

  “Alyssa!” Teonie gasped in realisation. “You might know! Rico! Let Alyssa look!”

  Dane felt all hope die as Rico stepped away and gestured towards Alyssa to take a look.

  “No!” Dane interrupted. “She won’t know.”

  “She might!” Teonie cried, ignoring Dane and pulling Alyssa towards the front of the capsule. “She was AMS back when they flew manual.”

  Teonie turned to Alyssa. “There should be a manual steering column. Rico can’t find it. Please, please say you can.”

  “Oh!” Alyssa was standing now. Her arms were stretched to the low roof of the craft to support herself as they dropped through the sky. “I think I remember.”

  She dropped to her knees as the craft swung a hard left, but her face was fixed upon the control station, seemingly oblivious to any pain. Rico moved away, holding out the cables in a defeated gesture towards Alyssa.

  “There’s meant to be a control.” Rico said, his face ashen. “It’s not where it should be.”

  Dane thought he saw realisation dawn upon his mother’s face and she kicked out at the control panel, knocking the whole front away from the wall. The craft lurched furiously with the motion and Dane fell backwards, his head bouncing off the wall of the capsule.

  “Alyssa, please!” Teonie was deathly pale. “Hurry!”

  Dane couldn’t help but look down and he saw the roofs of the high-rise buildings so close that he knew that they wouldn’t make it. He glanced over at Rose, praying they wouldn’t see, and her eyes met his. She held out her hand, wordlessly inviting Dane into their little huddle and he took it, bracing himself for the impact.

  All kinds of thoughts were racing through his mind. He saw his father. He saw Arielle’s cherubic face. He saw the future that Rose and Tommy and N
orah would never have. With a flare of anger, he thought of the people who had forced them to run and he thought of his own foolishness for listening to Teonie. He saw the panic and the heartbreak on her face and he couldn’t be angry at her. She had tried her best. They had just run out of time. His mind turned to Alyssa, to the mother that she used to be, that she still could be if they had just been quicker. His eyes sought her out as they fell through the skies, slowed-but-not-saved by the crude, rudimentary carbon wings. She was still trying. Her whole body was tensed with determination as she wrestled to uncover whatever it was that could stop them plummeting to their death. He felt his heart surge with love for her and, as the rooftops started to rush towards them and he braced himself for the final impact, he forgave her everything.

  They were sobbing now; Teonie, Rose, Tommy, Norah. Eyes screwed shut, given up on hoping to survive and instead focusing their wishes on a quick and pain-free end. Rose tightened her grip on Dane’s hand and he looked to his mother, suddenly needing to tell her that he loved her when the craft lurched again throwing them backwards.

  “Yes!” Alyssa let out a whoop.

  It took a moment for them to realise that they were drifting, still dropping, but no longer falling.

  “You’ve done it!” Teonie shouted in delight. “Alyssa! You’ve done it!”

  “We need to get out of the city.” Alyssa’s tone was controlled and serious. “We’re still losing height too quickly. Teonie, do you know where I need to aim for?”

  Teonie scrambled to her feet, peering past Alyssa into the distance through the glass walls. They seemed to be in the middle of a large town, maybe a city.

  “I think this is Sutton.” She said, sounding more hopeful than confident. “Can you drift South? I don’t think we’ve got the height to get any further East?”

  Alyssa pulled up sharply on the steering shaft she’d freed from the control station.

  “We’ve got less than five minutes until we’re on the ground,” Alyssa glanced over her shoulder at Teonie, her face steely with concentration.

  Teonie swallowed, feeling the pressure. “Take us South.”