The Chase

by Bradley Caffee

  “Chief Administrator,” Willis stammered, “it’s not his fault!”

  “You mean to tell me that two of your teammates can hardly stand because of the beating they’ve taken, and it’s not the responsibility of the injuring party?”

  “Chief Administrator—”

  Schwipp! The door behind Blacc opened revealing four uniformed officers and another administrator who raced to Blacc and whispered in his ear.

  “Given the disgraceful actions in the last race, the administrators had the foresight to place extra cameras throughout the inside of this track,” Blacc said. Jez let out a small yelp, producing a sneer on Blacc’s face. “It seems the footage of the interior clearly shows these two half-wits attack their own team leader. Why they would want to harm their meal ticket out of here escapes me, but I believe their actions to be a shame to our Alliance.”

  “What does that mean, Chief Administrator?” Willis gestured to Jez and Toad.

  “It means we have a predicament on our hands,” Blacc said. “By rule, Red Team has won the right to represent the Alliance at this year’s Chase. However, two of your teammates have proven themselves traitorous maggots. Not only that, they are too injured to continue running without the intervention of our doctors.”

  “You mean?” Willis prodded.

  “I mean, these two will be recoded faster than a monkey on fire would jump in a river.”

  At the sound of the word ‘recoded,’ Jez’s face shot up at Blacc, suddenly alert. She wrenched her body free of Kane’s relaxed grip and threw herself toward Blacc.

  “No!” she screamed. “You can’t be serious.”

  “As serious as the plague, red runner. Back off.”

  “No! No!” Her frightened cries echoed in the spherical room.

  “Get a grip, Jez,” Willis said, but she didn’t relent. Her body writhed on the ground as her terror overwhelmed her.

  “What’s her issue?” Perryn scrunched her face in disgust at the display.

  “I’ll tell you,” Amber said, her expression smug. “It’s been our little secret. Something I picked up from my previous alliance.”

  With that, Amber stepped over to Jez who was curled into a quivering ball on the floor. A swipe of her hand threw Jez’s hair backward revealing her ear, which Amber yanked forward without being gentle.

  “She made all kinds of threats about what would happen if I told anyone, but I don’t see how that matters anymore.” Amber spat on her thumb then she rubbed at Jez’s ear next to her recoding number. A few moments later, Amber withdrew. “See?”

  The group leaned in to take a peek at the still whimpering figure. Next to the number nine on her ear, still partially covered by the make-up Amber had been removing, was a second nine. This would be Jez’s one-hundredth recoding. Silent seconds passed as the truth spread through the group. Willis let out a long breath, and the others followed, seemingly waiting for someone else to breathe first. He couldn’t help the tiny spark of compassion developing in his chest for the sobbing Jez.

  “So, Red Leader.” Blacc squatted next to the still-seated Willis speaking in soft tones. “Who will be the lucky two?”

  “Two?” Willis searched Blacc’s face, confused.

  “You’re short two teammates. As team leader, you get to select their replacements for the Chase. Any member, any team.”

  Willis looked up at the other runners. He ignored Blacc’s ongoing explanation and recommendations, which included Walker and Stone. His eyes stopped on Perryn’s, which were wet with tears. He could tell she was trying to not appear too hopeful, but he’d made up his mind as soon as the question had been asked.

  “Perryn and Jaden,” Willis said.

  “What? Who?” Blacc tried to catch up to what had happened.

  “I choose Perryn and Jaden,” he repeated.

  Blacc’s face darkened at the names. “Are you certain, Red Leader?”

  “Absolutely, Chief Administrator. Perryn and Jaden will join Kane and me at the Chase this year.”

  Blacc jerked upright and addressed the group. “Officers, please escort these two sad excuses for Alliance runners to the hospital wing. Please remind the doctors that they have another chance to break the hundred barrier.

  “Blue runners,” he continued looking at Dex and Amber, “I’m afraid you will be going with them.”

  “Totally worth it.” Amber smiled as she watched Jez. “I wouldn’t miss seeing this happen for the world.” Her comment renewed Jez’s screams as the officers escorted her to the door. She shook violently to escape their grip, but their hold was firm. Shouts of “no” and “please” could be heard for several seconds after the doors closed as the rest stood silent.

  “Blue Leader,” Blacc finally turned to Perryn. “As a team leader, you have the right to veto your own removal from leadership to join another team. Do you agree to this transfer?”

  Her gaze never left Willis. For a long couple seconds, their eyes communicated silently. He could see the corners of her mouth begin to turn upward. Her lips trembled.

  “Are you kidding me?” she shouted at Blacc, and she threw herself to her knees and wrapped her arms around Willis’s neck. Willis held her, ignoring the sting of the cut on his shoulder, as her fear of recoding drained out with each joyful tear. Jaden cautiously stepped forward and crouched next to the two of them. He placed his hands on their shoulders and looked down. His body trembled, and Willis thought he might be crying. It wasn’t tears, though, that caused Jaden to shudder. His smile was slowly broadening into a quiet laughter.

  “Who would have guessed,” Jaden said, smiling from ear to ear. His head shook in disbelief as breathy laughter welled up again. Soon, Willis and Perryn and even Kane joined him.

  It wasn’t a mocking laughter. It was not the kind that took joy in others’ sadness. It was the quiet laughter of pure joy.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The plush seat on the transport was as unfamiliar to Willis as the planet below. The Alliance-yellow upholstery felt like a guilty extravagance. He shifted to fight the inescapable softness cradling his body. For most of his life, Willis had lived in the barracks of one training center or another. His recent years were passed exclusively on the cold, hard surfaces of the space station. Now, he found himself seated on the luxurious Western Alliance transport that was to take them from the space station to the surface.

  Blacc had given them one hour to pack up. Willis got the impression that he intended to get them off the station as soon as possible. The Chief Administrator would have a lot to answer for the last few weeks on the station. Creed was dead. Jez was useless genetic material. Zeke was who-knew-where.

  Willis was shocked to discover that the hour was more than enough to pack everything he owned. The station had provided their every need, and he had little to call his own. He found two regular uniforms waiting for him in his quarters, which he packed. A special uniform for the Chase would be given to the team later. A few notes from friends from junior training that he’d kept, and all his Red Team notes were the remaining items he owned.

  He rested his head on the back of the seat. Perryn had cleaned up and packed even faster than he did. She wanted off the station, and he couldn’t blame her excitement. Her exhaustion over the last few hours had caught up to her, though, and she’d fallen asleep the moment she sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

  Willis felt the warmth of her fingers intertwined in his. He’d saved her life by selecting her, but she’d done so much more for him. He’d always taken his future for granted, but she’d shown him a new world. He always knew that he would leave the station one day, compete in the Chase, and return home. Perryn’s story was different. She struggled for hope, and that made her hope all the richer. She’d experienced life without it. He understood now, and that was a form of salvation all its own.

  Kane sat next to Willis on the other side. Huge and silent, he appeared to be enjoying his luxurious chair. Without this ex-convict, Willis wo
uld be lying dead on the track. A small shudder ran the length of Willis’s spine as he considered it.

  On Perryn’s other side sat Jaden. He gazed out the window of the transport at the station. He couldn’t imagine the conflict within his friend, who was likely thinking about his mother. Jaden’s one hope was to leave his mother for a time to try to save her. The world was different seen through his eyes, and Willis would never be the same for knowing him.

  Willis smiled as he considered the three people with him. His consciousness drifted as the transport jerked away from the dock. He slept all the way through reentry.

  The sudden thump of the transport landing on the surface jostled Willis to consciousness. He rubbed his eyes to clear his vision.

  Perryn was rubbing her eyes and muttering her disbelief that they’d landed already. She glanced over at Willis.

  “What do we do?” She let out a long yawn.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess we sit here until they tell us to do something else.”

  “Whatever it is,”—Jaden spoke still peering out the window—“it’s going to involve a lot of people. Check this out.”

  Willis leaned over Perryn to get a view out the window. His breath caught when he saw the crowd. A sea of people was gathered outside the transport. He’d never seen so many in one place. Here and there the glint of a camera caught his eye, but mostly there were endless pairs of eyes staring longingly at the transport and pressing in for a better view. An occasional sign welcoming them dotted the edge of the crowd. Reporters were already giving their opening words, no doubt building up to their dramatic exit from the transport.

  “They can’t be here for us, can they?” Willis moved to let the others get a view.

  Jaden arched a brow. “There’s no one else on this transport for them to see.”

  Willis found himself wishing that Sheila had been on the transport. She would know what this was all about, but she wasn’t permitted on an Alliance transport. Her travel had to be arranged by her employer. Could she be out there? He scanned the crowd for her, but there had to be thousands of people.

  A burst of light filled the compartment as a door opened, permitting the low rumble of thousands of voices to suddenly boom. A man wearing an expensive suit stood in the light, an opaque outline until their eyes adjusted to the new brilliance. He stepped closer revealing his perfectly combed hair, designer shoes, and Alliance pin on his lapel. He flashed a smile at the four racers, making Willis uncomfortable under the gaze of his unnaturally brilliant blue eyes. Nothing about this man felt genuine. He was all polish and shine, and he appeared far too happy to be there.

  “My friends! Welcome back to your home in the great Western Alliance.” He extended an arm, gesturing at his surroundings. “My name is Stan Jacobson, and I’ll serve as your Alliance liaison during your time leading up to the Chase. I’m here to help you through the next several days.”

  The four of them stared in silence. Stan’s eyes shifted back and forth waiting for some indication that any of them were impressed. For a second, his smile waned. Catching himself, he smiled fully once again.

  “So, where shall we start? You,” he said, glancing at his notes, “must be Kane. Am I right? I bet you’re bursting with excitement to be here.”

  Willis chuckled to himself at the pathetic display. This man had obviously recently been assigned to them if he expected to get much conversation out of Kane. Seeing the flat expression on Kane’s face, the man moved on undeterred.

  “And you are—Perryn? And—Jaden?” He was reading his notes again. “How exciting to be placed on the Chase team last minute.”

  “We’re thrilled.” Perryn rolled her eyes. She must have been as unimpressed as he was with Stan. He made a note to tell her later that he liked her take on people. It agreed with his.

  “And that leaves me with,” he said, his smile broadening to the corners of his eyes, “the one we’ve all been waiting for—the hope of the Alliance—the son of the great Thomsons.”

  He leaned in to take a closer look at Willis as if fascinated. “You must be the ever-famous Willis. I can’t tell you how honored I am to be one of the first to meet you.”

  His eyes were dazzled as if star-struck by Willis.

  Is this how it’s going to be with everyone? The thought made Willis ill. He was used to the relative privacy of the training facilities he’d been in all his life. This kind of gawking wasn’t familiar—or comfortable.

  “Yes, it is”—Perryn added dramatically, trying to hide her laugher—“so I wouldn’t stare too long unless you want to offend the future hero of the Alliance.”

  Stan shot upright, his blue eyes wide with apology. The self-confident man suddenly appeared embarrassed. Perryn delivered an elbow to Willis’s side, and he let out a small snort trying to hold the chuckle inside. On Perryn’s other side, Jaden vibrated in his chair, silently laughing.

  “Mr. Jacobson.” Willis smiled to let him know it was a joke.

  “Please, it’s Stan to you.” He held up a hand.

  Willis sighed and glanced at his still smirking teammates. “Fine. Stan, if we’re going to get along, you have to lighten up.”

  Stan nodded excitedly. “Certainly, Mr. Thomson.”

  “Willis.”

  “You sure?” The awe returned to Stan’s face.

  “Of my name? Absolutely.”

  At that, Jaden couldn’t take it any longer. He guffawed so loudly that they momentarily couldn’t hear the crowd outside. Willis and Perryn joined in the rising laughter. Even Kane smiled. For a moment, the stress of the crowds and the coming Chase melted away. Stan looked at the four of them, obviously not expecting them to be real people. He gave an unsure smile and tried to add a rather artificial laugh of his own.

  “Okay, Stan,” Willis said, composing himself, “what’s going on out there? What are all the people here for? Us?”

  “Of course. You four are this year’s Alliance representatives in the Chase. Mr. Thomson—er, Willis, will be the next Law-changer.” He smiled broadly and waited for the rest of the team to react.

  “Law-changer,” Willis repeated, his expression flat.

  “It’s the good Law that protects us all, isn’t it? They’re here to celebrate your arrival.”

  Willis gestured to his teammates. “So what are we supposed to do?”

  Stan breathed a sigh of relief. These were the questions he had prepared to answer. Before they could ask anything else, they were handed laminated cards containing their schedules. Meetings with the press, various appearances, and check-ups with the Alliance doctors were all noted. For several minutes, Stan briefed them on the immediate details.

  “But first,” Stan held up a finger, “we must not keep your fans waiting any longer. If you’ll follow me.”

  They stood and followed Stan to the doorway. Stepping out, he gave a nod to someone in the distance, and the music began. A loud voice squawked over the speakers. “Citizens of the proudest alliance in the World Coalition, we present to you the future champions of this year’s Chase!”

  The crowd’s deafening roar overwhelmed Willis as he descended the steps of the transport. Camera flashes blinded him, almost causing him to miss a step near the bottom. Microphones were shoved in their faces, and journalists shouted questions. The four racers could do little more than stare at the crowds as they made their way to the narrow path cleared for them.

  “Mr. Thomson, how does it feel to be back on the surface?”

  “Any words for your fellow racers in the Chase?”

  “Millions of young women want to know, is there a special someone in your life?”

  “Willis Thomson, can you comment on the ethics of Alliance training methods?”

  The tone of the last question stopped him. He glanced around to see who had asked, and a familiar face greeted him. To his left, Sheila stood there in a blue jacket holding a microphone toward him. Her face was turned away from her cameraman, and she winked at Willis. He smiled and
moved on. She wants me to know she’s here.

  A minute later, Stan and several officers had pushed them through the crowd to a small building at the end of the landing pad. The doors shut behind them, comforting Willis as the noise of the crowd almost disappeared.

  The building contained a hallway, at the end of which was an unlabeled elevator door. Stan ushered them inside and pressed the lone button. “You’re at Alliance Headquarters in Central City,” he told them.

  “Kind of a small building to be the headquarters,” Perryn remarked, a bewildered expression on her face.

  “That’s because the public front of the headquarters is a mile away at the center of the city. Much of the facility is underground. Lessons learned after the Great Collapse, you know.”

  Willis marveled at how big the facility must be as they descended for more than a minute underground. The sight that greeted them when the doors opened made his stomach sour. The hallway in front of them looked exactly like their barracks on the station, the red lights replaced with Alliance yellow.

  “We’ve constructed your quarters here in the headquarters to look like the station to help you feel more at home. I can’t imagine the shock the transition must be on you all,” Stan said, trying to sound compassionate as he walked in front of them.

  To Willis, it felt like returning to prison.

  Willis jolted up in his bed. He’d lain down as soon as Stan had left them in their rooms, intending to rest his eyes for a minute. Noticing the clock, he was surprised to see he’d slept an hour. He might have slept longer, but someone was at his door.

  “Come in,” he croaked, his voice still sleepy. Schwipp! The door slid open revealing Stan, this time with two officers.

  “Willis, there’s been an alteration in your schedule,” Stan said. He stared at his shifting feet. “I apologize, but you have a new appointment, and I’ve come to escort you there.”

  “Sure thing,” Willis grabbed his jacket and gave the uneasy Stan a pat on the shoulder to let him know he didn’t mind the interruption. In truth, he was glad for something to do.