by Eliza Green
The Inventor moved nearer, prompting the wolf to sit up. Rover kept his head low in the presence of his master. The old man bent down and patted the creature’s head. He responded by licking his outstretched hand.
‘Max doesn’t trust him,’ he said with a sigh. ‘He makes him nervous.’
Carissa patted the passive wolf’s head. ‘I used to be frightened of the Guardians. But that was because the Collective commanded them. Rover is nicer than the ones that patrolled the border in Praesidium.’
‘That’s because he’s free, miss.’ The Inventor straightened up. ‘Like you are now.’
But Carissa struggled with the price that freedom attracted.
‘He’s not free now. He’s chained up and unhappy.’
She stroked the wolf’s paw.
The Inventor cupped his chin in thought. ‘You’re absolutely right.’
He disappeared from the room and Carissa thought he’d gone for good. But then he returned with a chisel and hammer.
‘Rover should be free. This damn dog helped us to escape.’
He wedged the chisel into the collar around the wolf’s neck.
Carissa stood up, alarmed by his rebellious behaviour. ‘But what will Max say?’
He hit the hammer once. ‘Let me worry about Max.’ Rover scrambled to his feet and shuffled back from the Inventor’s efforts to free him. ‘Now help me to steady him.’
Carissa used her weight to steady the wolf’s large body when he tried to pull away from the Inventor again. He weighed a ton; Carissa’s small frame was no match. But she was also a Copy and Copies had strength. She applied what she had to stop the wolf from pulling too far.
The Inventor hit the top of the hammer again: once, twice, three times. On the fourth crack, the collar split apart and clattered to the stone floor.
The second the Inventor stepped away, Rover relaxed his body. Carissa stopped pushing against him.
He sniffed the floor, Carissa’s clothes and the Inventor’s hammer and chisel, which he still held.
‘Who is your master?’ said the Inventor.
Rover looked from him to Carissa. He sat in the middle between them, but his eyes settled on Carissa.
‘Well, well. Looks like Rover has taken a shine to you.’
Carissa’s heart swelled with love. Maybe the beast would protect her when Quintus doled out his punishment for her defiance. Or from the Inventor when he found out what she’d just done. Once was by accident. But her recent contact had been deliberate.
The Inventor walked to the door. ‘Well, I’ve got work to do.’ He paused and turned. ‘You didn’t answer me earlier. What were you doing past the perimeter fence?’
Carissa drew in a discreet breath. The wolf nudged her hand, as if to encourage her. ‘I was just curious. I wanted to see what was back there.’
‘Nothing but abandoned buildings now. You won’t get far with the second anti-magnetic field anyway. The town used to be whole. But this place is too big for the spotters to watch over.’ The Inventor opened the door and left, calling over his shoulder, ‘Stay in the camp from now on.’
Carissa nodded, even though he could no longer see her. She turned to Rover. ‘Our secret. Okay, boy?’
The wolf whined and nuzzled her hand.
16
Anya
Word spread fast around the camp that June had fallen ill. Anya put aside losing Alex as more than a friend and went to visit her. She entered the medical bay that she’d visited Dom in a couple of days ago. June was sitting upright on a bed near the door. She looked pale, but was smiling and chatting with Alex, who was keeping her company.
Feeling like she was intruding on a private moment, Anya slowed her walk until Alex saw her. He nodded to her, then whispered something to June. June looked over as Alex got to his feet and headed Anya’s way.
‘Hey,’ he said, offering her a smile as he passed her.
She smiled back, even though her heart wasn’t in it. ‘Hey.’
Anya approached June, who looked paler than she’d ever seen her. Her skin glistened with sweat.
She flashed a nervous smile at Anya and rolled her eyes. ‘Everyone is fussing over me. It’s getting old.’
Anya sat down beside her. ‘How do you feel?’
‘Okay. The medic isn’t sure what’s wrong—the ultrasound machine is on the blink—but the pain seems to have settled now.’
June placed her hands outside the covers, one over the other. Anya caught the tension and worry in her eyes.
‘So,’ said Anya, sensing the uneasiness between them. ‘You and Alex seem to have hit it off.’
June bit her lip. ‘He’s been a friend since we got out.’
‘Is that all?’ said Anya.
June shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I know you two were close in the city. He was your Breeder and I don’t want to step on any toes.’
‘What did Alex say?’
‘That you two were just friends.’
Anya smarted at hearing it, even though it was true. ‘We felt things for each other in the city.’
June nodded and dropped her gaze to her lap. ‘He mentioned it. I’m sorry. I won’t talk to him again.’
‘No,’ said Anya with a shake of her head. ‘It was because of the Rapture they gave us. I wanted him so bad, and he me.’ A blush stained June’s pale and pasty face. ‘But when we got out and the Rapture left our system, we sort of drifted apart.’
June looked up at her. ‘So you don’t feel anything for him now?’
Anya shrugged. ‘I have residual feelings, sure.’
‘Is that why you two are being weird with each other?’
‘I think I miss the friendship we used to have.’ She smiled as she remembered. ‘We weren’t together long, but it was intense and we got to know each other on a personal level. Seeing him with you, well, I’m like the friend who got shoved aside.’
‘I didn’t want that to happen, believe me,’ said June, shifting in the bed so she was sitting straighter. ‘It took me by surprise, if I’m being honest.’
Anya hadn’t come to make June feel guilty about it. ‘I wanted to check on you and to tell you I don’t want to get in your way.’
‘Thank you.’ June touched her hand. ‘Hey, I wanted to ask, what do you remember from Arcis? What memory did your Copy return to you?’
Anya shuddered. ‘The one of Warren and what he did to me in the bathroom.’
‘Was I there? I don’t remember anything.’
Only Sheila had been lucky to receive all her memories back from her Copy.
While painful to relieve the event, she also recalled that June had been a comfort to her that night. Maybe to unlock the good stuff, she had to face up to the bad. She told June about the fourth floor in Arcis, a place where the girls and boys were separated. The girls earned points if they teamed up with the boys for certain tasks.
‘One task in particular guaranteed rotation. Warren attacked me in the bathroom, tried to force himself on me.’
June’s eyes widened. ‘That shit! What happened then?’
Anya smiled as she remembered hitting him. ‘I punched him in the jaw. When he left, you and Yasmin showed up. You had been paired up with him. To help Dom you were screwing up his progress.’
‘Dom mentioned that, but not details.’ She rolled her eyes a second time. ‘Apparently, you and I are like delicate china. Everyone’s tiptoeing around the subject of Arcis, afraid that if they tell us stuff we’ll shatter into pieces.’ Curiosity flashed in her eyes. ‘Are you remembering anything on your own?’
Anya nodded. ‘I remember someone with dreadlocks. Jerome confirmed it was Dom.’
‘Yeah, I remember those dreadlocks too, from before Arcis.’ June grinned at something. ‘Sheila told me he wouldn’t stop touching his hair after. He said it felt like they were still there.’
Anya smiled too, but it dropped away when June winced suddenly. ‘Are you okay?’
She reached out for her.
&n
bsp; ‘Yeah.’ June settled, releasing a puff of air. ‘They’re phantom pains. They come and go, like spasms. But the medic can’t find anything physically wrong with me.’
It relieved Anya to hear that. She patted June’s hand. ‘I’m glad you’re okay and that we talked.’
‘Me too. I don’t have many friends, but Sheila said you were one.’ Her eyes twinkled with an admiration that Anya didn’t deserve. ‘I can see that now.’
Anya left June to rest some more. Except for the odd twinge, she was no longer in pain, but June didn’t look like herself. She would ask Alex to keep an eye on her. Although, she was sure he already was.
Outside, her ex-Breeder waited, chewing on his thumb and leaning against the wall. When she appeared, he straightened up, his damp thumb hovering next to his mouth.
‘Is everything okay?’
Anya nodded. ‘June’s a great girl. I’m glad you two have found each other.’
Alex’s eyes lit up; she saw the boy who’d once given her that same look. But when she pictured getting close to Alex, the same raw desire she’d felt while on Rapture no longer consumed her.
‘What are you going to do now?’ said Alex.
Anya knew Vanessa would try to corner her for the chat she’d been avoiding. Her aching muscles had other ideas. ‘I think I need to get back into a routine. Get running again.’
Alex nodded and smiled. ‘Sounds like a plan.’
He went back inside the medical bay, leaving Anya alone.
She returned to the female dorm and headed to a closet at the back of the room. It was filled with an assortment of clothes that looked to be donations from other towns. Or maybe they’d been here when the rebels took the town over.
Anya rummaged through the assortment of clothes and shoes. She picked out a pair of trainers that fit her feet. She accompanied the look with a fitted, red T-shirt over her green combats. The ensemble gave her a boost of confidence to try exercise again. Avoiding the courtyard filled with soldiers she no longer had permission to train with, Anya exited through the main door.
The sectioned-off compound was small, but she guessed its circumference ran about a mile in length. She started with a light jog to warm up her muscles. Her joints creaked and her ankles felt like they might snap in half. It shocked her how long she’d been sedentary. It would take time to regain her lost fitness, but routine would help her to claw back control of her disjointed life.
After completing a circuit, everything felt looser. Her lungs burned. It was a good ache, as if her body were saying hello. Anya picked up the pace, passing by the open courtyard where she’d started, past the alleyway to the workshop, where she caught a fleeting glimpse of Rover with Carissa, and along the back wall perimeter fence.
By the end of her run, the act of breathing hurt. At least she hadn’t seen Warren on her travels. She hit the street for another lap, but halfway around, she stopped as the exertion became too much. To her disappointment, the run hadn’t revived her. Instead, it left her craving a discipline that could only come from organised group training.
Shouts and commands punctured the air inside the exclusive yard. She stood at the entrance and watched, despite the pain of her forced isolation stabbing her heart. Her brother waited next to Dom, who sported a brand new haircut. Soldiers were setting up targets on the back wall. It looked like they were about to do target practice—something she still remembered how to do, and well. But standing not far from her brother were Warren and Jerome. Her knees almost buckled. She suddenly felt grateful that Max had ordered her out of this space.
Imogen was putting Sheila through her paces. The goddess looked well able to handle it, but she, too, had lost fitness. With a threat from Praesidium sure to be arriving soon, it would be pointless trying to get the soldiers fit. Learning how to shoot would be everyone’s best defence.
Anya watched the twenty or so soldiers chat with each other. She was so focused on the scene that she didn’t notice Vanessa join her.
‘You used to be pretty good at that,’ she said.
Anya kept her eyes on the gathered group. ‘Did my parents tell you that?’
Vanessa chuckled. ‘You were all they talked about.’
Anya frowned at this woman with a link to her past. ‘How did you meet them?’
Vanessa met her gaze. ‘We ran a rebel faction out of Halforth. Your mother and father helped to start the rebellion.’
Anya didn’t understand. ‘My mother never once spoke of the rebels.’
‘It was a secret organisation. We didn’t talk about it much. And even less when we got separated.’
But that was Anya’s point. ‘Neither did they, Vanessa. But you seem to think I have information to the contrary.’
Vanessa half smiled. ‘You and Jason are the only remaining link to that past. Not many of the Macklins’ original faction remain. In fact, Max, Charlie and I are the only ones left. You were able to tell us about this place, which confirms you overheard some things. This mountain range led us to the presumed location of the Beyond.’
‘But you said you didn’t find it.’
The older woman looked wistful. ‘There’s nothing out there except more land. What your parents claim to have seen could have been anything: a flicker of light creating a mirage in this endless, dry landscape.’ She gripped Anya’s shoulder. ‘But we’re certain others have crossed, because they never made it to the city and they’re not in the rebel camps. Your parents must have located the Beyond and were able to pass the information along.’
‘Or someone found it by accident.’ Anya faced her fully. Vanessa released her shoulder. ‘Maybe my parents told someone else. It seems odd to keep important information like that a secret.’
‘It’s another angle Max and I are considering, that someone preparing to cross might have hidden the coordinates somewhere safe. Your parents weren’t big on trust, and for good reason. Not many knew the Beyond even existed. That was to keep others from discussing it openly.’
It was possible her parents had discussed this issue, but with her amnesia Anya’s mind was a blank. All she remembered were stupid details like what colour their sofa was at home, what time they ate dinner at, or that Jason’s electronic projects smelled like rust.
Vanessa watched her eagerly. The hope in her eyes faded when Anya shrugged. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t remember anything like that.’
But the older woman wasn’t giving up. ‘I need you to think back to someone your parents might have mentioned. A trusted friend or a colleague, perhaps? Sorry to put this on you, but you kids are our only tangible link to your parents.’
Anya looked ahead of her. She stared at her brother’s back. ‘What did Jason say?’
‘Jason doesn’t remember anything.’
She didn’t see why it would be any different for her. ‘I’d like to help, but I barely remember Arcis.’
‘Don’t give up, Anya. The time I’m asking you to remember was before Arcis. You still have those memories.’ Vanessa sighed. ‘We don’t have much time. I’d like to work with you to see if we can jog your memory. We need to find the Beyond. We’ve already wasted too much time looking in the wrong place.’
Anya wanted to find this place as much as anyone. She pinned Vanessa with her gaze. ‘You spent time with my Copy. What did she tell you?’
Vanessa pursed her lips and looked away. ‘Canya was less than... cooperative.’ She looked back. ‘She was obsessed with Dom.’
Canya. Anya shivered at the memory of her Copy. She had looked exactly like her and had taken a name similar to hers.
She folded her arms and stared down at her boots. ‘I didn’t like her.’
‘Why would you? She had a chance to give you back your memories. Instead she gave you one—something traumatic judging from your reaction at the time.’
Anya looked up at Vanessa. ‘Did you like her?’
‘I try to keep an open mind about people, but... no.’ She added, ‘But I like you, so don’t compare yourse
lf to her. You two were nothing alike.’
It made Anya happy to hear that. Except for the pressure to remember, Vanessa was kind. She had been an ally to her parents.
‘She was the worst of me.’
‘But not the complete package. Don’t forget that. Can we talk later when you’ve had some time to think? I’d like to see what you remember.’
Anya nodded and gave her a weak smile.
Vanessa patted her on the shoulder. She entered the courtyard and walked over to Max, who was observing the training from one side of the yard. As Anya watched her whisper something to the colonel, she wondered what secrets her parents had held.
17
Dom
Dom’s new haircut had attracted wolf whistles from some of the soldiers when he’d first arrived to find June doubled over in pain.
Even Max had taken a second look. ‘My father is a master at cutting hair.’
And at giving advice.
With June out of danger, he enjoyed his new cut. It lightened both his head and thoughts.
Dom stood alongside others of similar fighting age to him. The group included Jason and Thomas, both of whom had been put on workshop duty. But if the machines steamrolled over everyone to get inside the compound, that skill wouldn’t count for much.
Max and Vanessa stood together in front of the main group. Vanessa pulled a soft hat out of her pocket.
Max said, ‘We need to split the teams up. Some of you will defend this compound. Others will go on the offensive against the machines to stop them from reaching the compound.’ He glanced at his second and first in command. ‘Julius will take leadership on attack and Imogen will take defence. We need everyone helping out, so that means the newbies will also need training.’
He gave Vanessa a quick nod. She pulled a piece of paper out of the hat and handed it to him.
‘Vanessa and I came up with a fair system to decide who would be fighting out there or in here.’ He read the piece of paper and said, ‘Jerome, you’re on defence.’