Life Unnormal

by Jill Caplin

  But it happened. Even if only for an hour or two. Tessa still imagined people running into the Entertainment City and spending a few minutes of precious time in the hologram area or catching a few moments of a movie. Maybe there were workers in the shops of New City who didn’t mind selling to people in The Annex. A fantastic real-life fantasy came alive for a short time. It felt awesome.

  “Time to go,” her father said.

  They hurried down an alley to a door similar to one of the exit doors of New City. Tessa never noticed an exit door in an Annex that ever led to a tunnel.

  “Unlike other doors,” her father explained, “this one will operate only for an hour. Axel should already be in the tunnel with his girl by now. If you follow the tunnels to the left, you should hit the utility door to the Power Center. Hopefully, Aden will make it out in time to meet you.”

  “I know he took a risk. You can’t come with us. Can you?”

  “No, this is where I stop,” he said. Tessa noticed two Security members behind them, heading in their direction.

  “What will happen to you now?”

  “You have to go. I love you, “he said.

  He whispered the name of a tunnel entrance and a code in her ear. Tessa watched the pair of Security coming closer.

  “I love you, Father,” she said, starting to cry.

  “Do not forget what I told you. See you later,” he said, as Tessa watched him brush a few tears from his eyes.

  Hugging him for a brief moment, Tessa whispered, “Goodbye.”

  Tessa gazed in agony, crying as her father walked in the direction of Security.

  Tessa pulled her body through the door. Looking behind her, the last image she saw of her father on his knees.

  Closing the door, Tessa wiped the tears away from her face. She turned left at the first tunnel and observed Axel standing with a young woman who had short auburn hair and green eyes. She hung onto his arm.

  “I want you to meet Hope,” Axel said.

  Smiling at Hope, Tessa surprised her by walking up to hug her. Axel hugged Tessa as well, whispering two more codes in her ear.

  Tessa just stared at him and then smiled.

  “You might need those one day. Keep those codes and what your father told you to yourself. Don’t share them with anyone if you understand what I mean.”

  Of course, Tessa knew he meant Aden. She smiled, totally agreeing with what he just said to her.

  “I have you and Joe to thank for letting us be together. We couldn’t live together in New City because he was Security. I was just a foreman’s daughter,” Hope said.

  “You’re welcome. Have you seen Aden?”

  “Isn’t he being here with you? If he’s with Joe, then…I’m sorry.”

  “It was his choice. What do we do now?” Tessa asked.

  “Well,” Axel said, “If we walk for a day or two, we should run into that Annex I told you. What about if we share my code with a few people before it resets?”

  “Sounds great… but I do have to go back to the Thorndale Annex,” Tessa said.

  “These tunnels interconnect even though each city entrance is another New City and Annex,” Axel said. “We should be able to get you in since I know a few codes. Why do you want to go back there?

  “I made a promise to someone,” Tessa said, thinking of Felicia.

  “Don’t forget about me. I am going with you.”

  “Aden,” Tessa said, turning around to see him standing behind me.

  Tessa rushed up to him. He gave her a quick hug.

  “Figured I might be late,” Aden said. “But I’m still here. So, where to next?”

  “We’re off to Thorndale,” Tessa said.

  “Sounds good to us. Let’s go,” Axel said.

  28

  Holding

  Tessa shook her head, as she paced her walking again through the tunnels. No matter how hard she tried not to, she kept worrying about Felicia. A sour feeling settled in her stomach, wondering how Felicia could be in trouble. After being so obsessed about finding her parents and herself, Tessa then felt guilty, putting off looking for Felicia way too long.

  Losing her parents forced Tessa to start looking beyond herself. She really wanted to start helping other people, except Maude, who believed the Thorndale Annex had to be her home.

  Tessa and Aden calculated how they would only have enough time to get into the Thorndale Annex, find Felicia and leave out another tunnel before Security became aware, they were back.

  She grimaced with pain, mourning her father. Tessa wanted to confront Aden about going to see her father, but she knew she had to wait until the right time.

  Time of day seemed to blur as the light glared nonstop through the thin beams at the top of the tunnels. Moving faster than ever before, it felt as if they rested less often.

  “So, you sure you can get us back in?” Tessa asked Axel.

  “I see no problem with it.”

  “What will you two do next?” Aden asked.

  “We may have to keep looking for an Annex where Security isn’t looking for me yet,” Axel said.

  “You know more than one code?” Aden sneered.

  “Everything I needed was programmed into my eyes. What Security didn’t know was I have a thing for remembering a few codes. Even gave one to Dr. Abraham. I can give you one. There is a time limit on all of them.”

  They walked for a long time with the tunnels twisting and turning. Finally, they arrived at the entrance to The Thorndale Annex.

  “After you save Felicia,” Axel said, to Tessa “If you want to, look us up. You know where.”

  “Something I need to know?” Aden asked.

  “Nope. Nothing to tell, man, since you are staying here,” Axel said.

  “Thanks for everything,” Tessa said.

  Axel told Aden a code then left in the opposite direction with Hope.

  At the door to The Thorndale Annex, Aden entered a code on the panel. The doors opened.

  Inside, they located the alleys behind the Containment Centers. The wait outside the door of the Laundry Containment Center seemed to take way too long. Finally, Tessa noticed Maude leaving the Center towards the dorms. Maude glared at Tessa with a startled look. Tessa smiled at Maude.

  “What are you doing here?” Maude asked.

  “Have you seen Felicia? You know when her shift ends at her Center?”

  “You don’t know. How could you?” Maude said, “She was exchanged last month, but then something bad happened about a week ago.”

  “What happened?”

  “She was returned to our Annex and sent to a Holding Center.”

  Tessa remembered a Holding Center as a place where they kept young people just long alive enough to remove their body parts for people who needed medical procedures done in a New City.

  “Why would they send her to that horrible place?” Tessa asked.

  “Have no idea. You better hurry. If Felicia stays there longer than a week, who knows?”

  “Thanks, Maude? How’s it going here?”

  “Life is fine here, thanks. Nice and safe.”

  “Safe is good. Bye, Maude, please don’t tell anyone we were ever here.”

  “If you don’t hurry, I won’t have to tell them because they’ll be here, so please go.”

  Tessa and Aden hurried towards a group of buildings beyond the Containment Center and the dorms and apartments. From what they heard; the Holding Center stood before the Power Center. She just hoped it wouldn’t take long.

  29

  Sideways

  The Holding Center appeared different from the other buildings. Guarded by a Security member, Tessa came across a door with a scanner for both an optical and digital scan. They waited until the Security member turned away from his post like he was taking a break.

  Tessa watched Aden overcame and stunned the Security member with a Taser. With Tessa’s help, they held him up long enough to scan his eye and used his fingertip to gain access. The door opened. T
hey only had minutes to look for Felicia.

  Once inside the room, Tessa felt shocked seeing to how many bodies were inside the horizontal pods what lined the walls of the Center. Tessa passed by several, noticing inside the pods there were people of different ages, all dressed in only under clothing. Each pod had a control panel on the outside, like the ones in a hospital used to measure a patient’s vital signs.

  Tessa read the names on the pods while Aden searched for her ID on the central computer. She noticed at least one incision marked a different part of each person’s body.

  A beeping sound started, and Tessa observed a robotic creature with long arms as it appeared out from a room in the distance. It proceeded to take one of the pods into its long metal arms and carry it back with it into a room.

  Tessa wanted to follow the robot. She stopped, noticing Aden signaling he located Felicia. After a few minutes following his arm signals, she discovered her. Aden met Tessa at her location. Felicia slept like the others with no incisions on her body.

  “You know, if we raise body temp and heart rate slowly, we can let her out,” Aden said.

  “How would you know something that?” Tessa asked, stunned to think he even knew anything about the pods.

  “Seems like the right thing to do,” Aden whispered.

  “How would you know about such stuff?” Tessa sneered at him.

  “We don’t have time for you to argue with me now.”

  “Fine. I just want her out of here.”

  Tessa watched as Aden pushed a button on the control panel bringing Felicia’s body temperature and heart rate up to a regular rate. With a push of another button, he opened the pod. From her bag, Tessa grabbed an extra pair of shorts, and together they pulled them up and over Felicia’s hips. Aden sat her up slowly, and Tessa placed a shirt around her shoulders.

  Tessa lifted her legs out from the pod to sit her up. Hearing Felicia moaning, Aden carried her, as they rushed to an exit door behind the Center. Aden plugged in the code Axel gave him, and the door opened. They left The Thorndale Annex, walking about a block or two away from the exit and into the tunnels.

  Aden placed Felicia on the ground. Tessa buttoned her shirt. Felicia opened her eyes, shocked but happy to see Tessa.

  “Hey, you…thanks,” Felicia said, smiling.

  “What happened? I figured you would be happy to be exchanged?” Tessa asked her.

  “Well, at first I thought I could put up with the girl slapping me around. When her father groped my butt, I had enough.”

  “Sorry to hear you had to deal with all that. What did you do?” Hit her?” Tessa asked.

  “Oh, no… Didn’t want to be taken away. Just dusting her room. Just happened to be inside her father’s study while he ate lunch. Just happened to see a few accounts he left on his computer on his desk. Well, he just happened to see me. I ended up here.”

  “Do you know why you were not just taken away? Aden asked.

  “Who are you?” Felicia asked.

  “This is Aden.”

  “Well, the father didn’t want to admit he let someone look at his computer. Said I was trespassing which is grounds for the Center. Hey, just happy to see you guys before I got… the laser.”

  “Glad to be here for you. Kept my promise,” Tessa said.

  “You happen to see what the father has on his computer?” Aden asked her.

  Tessa scowled at Aden for bombarding Felicia with any questions.

  “The less you know, is better.” Felicia just glared at him.

  “Can you get out of this tunnel?” Tessa asked.

  “Well, I can get us into any Annex. I can also add a negative balance on each of us so we can live there. What do you think of that?” Felicia said.

  “You worked for a Banker?” Aden asked.

  “A jerk and a jerk for a daughter, but yes, I did. How did you know it wasn’t a Counter?” Felicia asked.

  “Doesn’t sound like a Counter’s job, that’s all. We’d better get going,” Aden said.

  “I agree,” Tessa said, not wanting to waste time arguing with Aden about what he said to Felicia. Tessa didn’t like how difficult it could be figuring out what Aden was talking about.

  “You’re the best,” Felicia said with a smile. “Thanks for coming for me.”

  “You’re family. Plus, I saved you.”

  “I got her out of that pod,” Aden said.

  “Can’t forgot what you did for me,” Tessa said, baffled about all of his odd comments and reactions.

  “Can’t wait to see what happens next,” Felicia said with a smile. She tried standing up, using the wall as support but slumped back down.

  Tessa wanted to move, distance themselves from the exit, but Felicia kept losing her balance and needed to rest. Tessa waited for Felicia to be strong enough to travel.

  Aden motioned for Tessa to talk to him in private.

  “So, where are you going?” Aden asked, scratching his head.

  “Aren’t you staying in Thorndale?”

  “You’re thinking about taking Felicia somewhere else?”

  “Can’t stay here with her. You can end the Union. So why does it matter if we just leave you here?”

  “Not exactly what I planned.”

  “What does it matter to you if you stay here and we go somewhere else?” Tessa asked, confused.

  “Need to think. I’ll be back.”

  Aden’s face seemed to change from a smile to a blank look. Tessa couldn’t wrap her head around the detached way he stared at her.

  She wondered how he really would consider her dropping Felicia off at the next Annex and leaving her to work on her own. Tessa never imagined leaving Felicia. After all Felicia had been through, Tessa wondered how Aden thought she would treat her cousin like dirt. Tessa wanted to take her to Axel and Hope. She would never tell Aden her plans.

  He didn’t say a word after he came back. The silence stung Tessa while they waited for Felicia to gather more of her strength.

  For a few minutes, Tessa wanted to talk to him, to try to figure out why he suddenly changed about their situation.

  “What’s up? You said you were all for saving Felicia?”

  “I was all about helping you. Just wished things were different.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That I could be different.”

  “What are you talking about?” Tessa asked, totally confused,

  “Where’s your Taser? Better hold it for you?”

  “What? Why are you changing the subject? I lost it.” Tessa didn’t know what he talked about, so she lied to him. He didn’t make sense to her at all.

  “This had to end someday, you know.”

  “What do you mean end someday? We’re just getting started!” Tessa scowled.

  “No, it all has to stop. This adventure of yours.”

  “What do you mean?” Tessa asked

  “Stop asking. Just look,” Aden said, dryly.

  Turning around, Tessa noticed two Security members heading towards them. Looking at Aden, she wondered what Aden would do; fight or talk to them first.

  Instead, her anticipation turned to shock and disgust, as Tessa watched him walk up to one of the men and shook hands with him. She almost expected it, but it chilled her.

  Tessa’s first instinct felt like she had to try and fight herself. She still had the Taser concealed on her body. She speculated how far the fight would last and to what purpose. Tessa smiled at Felicia. She knew she needed to stay with Felicia, the only person she had as family.

  Tessa stood next to Felicia as she stood up slowly and lowered her eyes. She whispered a few words in Tessa’s ears, and Tessa understood what she meant.

  Tessa turned away from Aden. Tears started down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the back of her hand.

  The two Security lifted Felicia to her feet. Tessa just stood there as Aden walked up to her.

  She slapped him. He winced and grabbed her arm.

  “Why? I ha
ve the right to know. After all, you did with me without me.”

  “Met you while doing surveillance for Security as a warehouse worker. Assigned to go undercover for my father. Told him about your wanting to escape. Said to stick with you until the right time.”

  “But you helped blow up the field?”

  “Once you left, you have no idea where I was.”

  “My father said you arranged it all,” Tessa said.

  “Sorry about your father. He said he wanted to be part of the plan to do anything for you.”

  “Sure, you are! Just as sorry you are about using me the entire time.”

  “Just went along with you to see what gaps we had in Security. That was my job.”

  “After everything…you were just doing your job.”

  “Yes, quite well, if I do say so myself. Like to be Head of Security someday.”

  “You son of a bitch!” Tessa shrieked, trying to twist away from the grip which only made him grab her arm harder.

  “Had to be done. Just so much I could let you get away with.”

  “Let me get away with what! You went along with all of it!” She growled, glaring at him.

  “Yeah, like I said, doing my job. It ends here. Here, back to The Thorndale Annex where we first met.”

  Tessa’s gut instinct to run and keep running stopped as she heard Felicia whisper in her ear, telling her all would be okay and not to run. Tessa wondered how far she would get. She also didn’t want to end up in Detention.

  Tessa didn’t want to risk getting caught. If she followed Aden’s plans for her, then she would have a better chance of escaping one day.

  They walked to the door where one of the Security scanned his eye and opened the door as the other held Felicia by the arm.

  30

  Capture

  Once inside The Annex, Tessa and Felicia were escorted straight to two beds inside a building called the Adult Dorm. The interior seemed a different shade of grey from the last one she left. The floor felt hard as concrete. Being nineteen, Tessa belonged there. With Felicia still being seventeen, Tessa felt worried how she ended up placed somewhere else the next day or sooner.

  Grinding her teeth, Tessa burned with the anger towards Aden. How stupid she felt, trusting him the entire journey without doubting why he agreed so readily to come with her and even join in a Union. Tessa felt chilled knowing Aden went with her on the whole journey with his agenda in mind.