Only that’s what it felt like.
Mel parted the split in the room-dividing curtain, a smile on her face and a tray in her hands. “You must be starving.”
Chase sat up and let her put the tray on his lap. “Let me guess. Bread and an orange. Maybe a chunk of…What is that meat product you people eat?”
She laughed. “I wish I could tell you. I didn’t find any of it this morning, but it’s obvious we get our rations from the same place.” She picked up the orange and peeled it for Chase. “I know it must be hard for you to get used to.” She stuck her hand in the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a small bag. “Here’s a little something extra.”
He opened the plastic. The aroma of peanut butter brought a smile. “PBJ? Now that’s classy. Could be from one of the best restaurants on the Synvue Complex.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know. I never ate at those celebrity joints. Somebody like me couldn’t get her foot in the door.”
He took a bite. Grape jelly mixed with the nutty cream, reminding him of his childhood, and not the obnoxious establishments where he’d spent so many evenings with Kerstin.
“I wish I’d known you when we were kids,” he said.
“When you were a kid, I was a baby.”
“When we were a little older then. I’d have been seventeen when you were ten. We could have been friends.”
Mel tilted her head. “If you’d been hanging around when I was ten, my daddy would have threatened you with great bodily harm.”
“Where is your father now?”
“In Heaven.”
“Oh. There’s so much about you I don’t know. What about the rest of your family?”
“My mother and brothers are in Detroit.”
“Underground?” Chase bit off another chunk of his sandwich.
“As far as I know.”
“Haven’t you been in touch with their group since we got everybody connected?”
“The system is operating well, but not every group has the capability. Detroit is a ghost town. The church there, like so many others, needs to be brought up to speed. They need computers and programmers.”
Chase attempted to spark the exoself. “I almost forgot.”
“Forgot what?” Mel asked.
“That I can’t do anything about it. I wish I’d known before I lost…Maybe I could have done something.” Chase wiped his hands on the towel from the nightstand and then rubbed his eyes.
“The larger branches are all connected, Chase. The smaller ones will get there. We’ve got everything we need to help them come online. Well, like I said, they need computers and programmers. I’m not sure what to do about that.” She lowered her gaze.
“You’re worried. I’m sorry—I wish I could help. I’m worthless the way I am now.”
She looked him in the eyes. “I don’t want to hear you say that again.”
“It’s true.”
Her brow crossed and she got up to leave. “I have a lot to do to get ready to leave.”
“I didn’t mean anything by that, Mel. Thank you for the breakfast.”
She faced the curtain. “You think we don’t need you now? You think I don’t need you? You need to decide what you’re gonna do with the rest of your life now that you’re so worthless. As for me, in a couple of hours I’m headed back to Blue Sky Field. Doctor says you can travel. I hope you’re coming with us.” She flipped the curtain aside and left him.
“Mel. Wait.” But she kept going. “Of course I’m coming with you.” He’d done it again. She was mad and making plans that might or might not include him. “Chase Sterling…Charles Redding…You’re both stupid.”
The doctor returned with a cheerful bedside grin and proceeded to check Chase’s wounds. “How are you feeling?”
“Surprisingly good. At least, physically.”
The man’s expression muddled as he lifted Chase’s leg. He held it under the knee with one hand as he raised and lowered it with the other. “Any pain?”
“Not at all. You did a great job setting the break. So why do you look concerned?”
After coming around the bed the doctor pulled the bandage off Chase’s shoulder. Chase glanced down to see what caused even more consternation to cross Dr. John’s face.
“Looks better,” Chase said.
“You heal remarkably fast. I wonder if…”
“If it’s because I’m transhuman?”
“Well. Yeah. I’ll remove the stitches before you leave. You don’t need them.”
“A couple of days ago, I took a punch. The bruise was gone in a few hours. The pain, too.”
“Who punched you?”
Chase smiled. “That’s not the point. When it happened, I wondered the same thing you’re wondering now.”
“You mean this is something new?”
“After my initial transformation, I was kept in a coma for the several weeks while my body healed. This is definitely something new.”
“But you lost your strength, right? And your vision and hearing have returned to that of a normal human being. So what’s with the rapid regeneration?”
“Doc, don’t ask me to explain. But it’s a relief to know something is still there. It’s beyond relief.” Chase twisted in the bed and put his feet on the floor. “It’s hope.”
“You think you’ll be restored. Is that it?”
“Before I escaped from the Helgen Institute, the scientists shut the exoself down, along with the other programs that were used for augmentation. Then my doctor rebooted me, so to speak. These past couple of days, I’ve been thinking I’d lost it all, but maybe I haven’t. I mean, they activated a killswitch and I shut down. But my designer organs are still functioning.”
“And something is causing you to heal faster than humanly possible,” Dr. John said.
“I can get it back. I just need to reboot.”
“How do you do that? And what’s to stop them from shutting you down again?”
“As usual, I have no idea.” Chase stood, walked without so much as a limp, and slid the frayed curtain to one side of the window. Sunlight filled the room. Past the dead town, brown hills rolled in the distance. The green was gone for now. The sky was still bluer than blue. “But I’m going to figure it out.”
31
Dr. John left as befuddled as any retired doctor would be who’d just treated his first transhuman patient. Chase pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt that had been left on a chair. A jacket hung there too, and he tossed it over his injured shoulder that no longer bore the sting of being zapped with a laser gun. What would Amos think of him being healed like this? Chase hadn’t mentioned that the leader of the neighboring branch of the underground was in dire need of a doctor. The person running this branch might object to Chase taking off with the only access these people had to medical treatment.
Didn’t matter. The doctor might have to start making house calls.
Maybe it’d be a good idea to talk to the leader first. Dr. John would have to get permission anyway. Chase passed four empty beds—everybody must be healthy today—and a cabinet with medical supplies and pill bottles locked behind grungy glass.
The hallway outside the clinic was filled with smiling faces. Everybody watched him. Had they been standing there waiting for him to come out? He stopped in front of a man who had a VPad strapped to his belt and a clip board in his hands.
“You look like a man in charge,” Chase said. “Can you direct me to your overseer? I’d like to thank him.”
“Her,” the young man said. “She’s in the room nearest the entrance.” The guy smiled. “Used to be the principal’s office.”
“Thanks,” Chase said. He pointed to the left. “This way?”
The man nodded and Chase continued down the hall. He stopped to look back. “What’s your name?”
“Harper.”
“Thank you, Harper.” He walked another hundred feet before he found the lobby of the old school building. A door to his right had an old placard fastened t
o it. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE
Chase knocked. The door opened to a middle-aged woman. Her blue eyes were kind, but her expression was stern.
“Mr. Sterling. I’m sorry I haven’t come to introduce myself.” She stepped to one side.
“Not a problem. I know you’re busy.” The roomy office contained a wall of computers, and even a work station capable of pulling up a holograph. Nothing like Blue Sky Field, but more than enough to ensure communication with other branches of the underground.
“I understand you’re well enough to travel. More than recovered from your recent injuries, I hear. So I assume you’ll be leaving this morning.”
“Yes. That’s why I wanted to see you.” He sat in a wooden chair, and the woman took her seat behind a desk that looked as if it’d been there a long time. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”
“Haley,” she said. “What is it that you need from me, Mr. Sterling?”
“Call me Chase. You know, if I still had the exoself, I could tell you the name of this place. I know there are two other main branches in this area besides Blue Sky Field. All three showed up in my systems before I arrived in Quebec. The other two were called Mist Covered Hill and Storm on the River. Which is this?”
“The latter, although we’re not on a river, but a large lake.”
“This was a mining town,” Chase said. “Why are you up top in this old schoolhouse and not underground in the abandoned mines?”
“If you were still functioning properly, would you know about the instability of old mines?” She sounded irritated.
“But you don’t even try to hide yourselves.”
“No need. It’s perfect, really. The only people living in this area don’t object to us being here. In fact, they’re glad. What we have, we share. Everyone in Gagnon is out of the system. We feed them. And our doctor sees to their care. They wouldn’t dream of turning us in.” She leaned forward. “Now, Mr. Sterling, tell me what it is that you want.”
Chase cleared his throat. “Do you know Amos, the leader at Blue Sky Field?”
“Never met him, but these past few days we’ve been communicating. I sent word that you were here with us.”
“He’s dying.”
The woman sat back and folded her arms. “Our doctor is not going with you. If it’s medical attention you want, you’ll have to bring Amos here.”
“I don’t know if he’ll go for that.” Chase moved closer to a window. He couldn’t get enough of the sun. “I’m wondering why we don’t just move the whole operation. How did the international headquarters end up underground when you’ve got an ideal location right here in the open?”
“Think about it. Satellite images show a couple hundred people surviving with little. Then all of a sudden the population doubles, and facial recognition shows one of the new residents happens to be the world’s most wanted man.” She tapped her fingers on the desk. “I don’t think so.”
“Has Melody got the satellite redirected for now? She used to need me for that kind of manipulation.”
“I don’t know what she did, but she said it was only good until noon today. All of you need to go. And you’re not taking my doctor. He stays put.”
“Yeah.” Chase walked to the door. “Thank you for speaking with me.”
“I’m sorry about Amos. If you can get him here, Dr. John will treat him. But the treatment might not change the outcome.”
Chase nodded. He pulled the door open and left the principal of Storm on the River to her work. Now he had to find Mel. To apologize. Again.
He found her with Switchblade in the clinic, loading a few basic medical supplies into a duffle bag. Dr. John wasn’t around.
“You got permission to take this stuff?” he asked.
“No, I’m stealing it.” Switchblade stuffed a bottle of antiseptic into the bag.
“Seriously?” Chase pulled open the top of the duffle to look inside.
“Oh, come on, you know I wouldn’t take this stuff. Dr. John gave it to us.” He grabbed the bag away from Chase and zipped it shut. “Look at you walking all over the place. Somebody pray over you, man?”
They probably had, but he didn’t acknowledge the question. “Switchblade, could I have a minute alone with Melody?”
“Yeah, I know you messed up again. The girl don’t like it when you get all sorry for yourself.”
“OK, that’s enough, Switch.” Mel spoke for the first time since Chase entered the room. “Why don’t you go check on our ride?”
“You sure you want me to leave you alone with the miracle man?”
“Yes. Please. Take the bag and we’ll meet you out front.”
He hoisted the duffel over his shoulder. On his way out, he slapped Chase across the back. “She’s all yours, Charlie. Don’t mess it up. Might be somebody waiting to clean up after you.” Then he winked at Mel.
She huffed and crossed her arms. Looking at Chase she asked, “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I’m an idiot. A few months with an exoself didn’t change that. Now that it’s gone, I’m back to being a stupid idiot. I’m sorry. No more self-pity. I’m going back to Blue Sky Field and I’ll do what I can to help. Even if it’s not much. And if all I can do is fall deeper in love smartest girl in the underground, then so be it.”
A smile crept in to replace the sour expression.
“And you’re not just any girl. You’re my girl.” Chase put his arms around her. “Forgive me?”
“Seventy times seven.” She held him close.
“Huh?”
“Bible.”
“Oh.” He pulled back and lost himself in her lovely face. “Come on. Let’s go home. Back to Blue Sky Field where we belong.”
She took his hand in hers and led him out of the building and into the sunlight. The vehicle this time was an old sedan fitted with an electrical charging system. Dr. John was outside with Switchblade, and he joined Chase and shook his hand.
“I heard about your leader. I’m sorry,” the doctor said. “I probably couldn’t help him anyway. We don’t have that kind of medicine.”
“Word gets around fast in this place,” Chase said. He looked to the building behind him to find the leader of Storm on the River watching from her office window. She gave him a wave and he returned the gesture. Turning back to Dr. John, he said, “Switchblade doesn’t know about Amos. You didn’t tell him, did you?”
“No. He was too busy asking about your health. That’s a good friend you’ve got there. He’s got your back.” The doctor smiled and leaned in. “He’s the one who punched you, right?”
“Did he tell you that?”
“Not in so many words, but the combination of guilt and concern…I just figured.”
“A few days ago I could beat him up. Now, he knows he can take me.”
“Like I said, the guy’s your friend. Keep your friends close. It’s a scary world we live in.”
Goodbyes were shared, complete with hugs and blessings. Chase was getting more comfortable with the Christian life. He loved the way they spoke to each other. The way they loved each other. The way they loved him.
But it wasn’t his life. It was theirs. Maybe the two-hour drive back to Herouxville would offer a chance to learn more about this stuff. “From these people,” he said with a smile. Amos told him God had a sense of humor. He must have a lot of patience too.
“What did you say?” Mel asked.
“These are good people.” He climbed into the back seat. Not much chance of the ride going smoothly. Everything he’d done since he got to Quebec led to trouble. Why would a country drive in an old car be any different?
Mel got in next to him. Switchblade took the driver’s seat, and they pulled away from the old school.
“Something ain’t right,” Switchblade said. “You two sitting back there and me playing chauffeur. What’s with that? Let the black guy drive the old junk car while the transhuman and his girl ride in the back? You two better not start up nothin’ b
ack there.”
Mel lifted her eyebrows. Chase scooted closer and kissed her.
“Hey now,” she said. “Only thing I’m starting up is my computer. I’ve got work to do.”
She pushed Chase away. But then she smiled and ran her hand through his hair.
He needed a barber, if not his personal presentation assistant from Synvue. She’d kept him well groomed. Now he was a mess. Unkempt and unshaven. He might as well go with the beard after all. Only Mel didn’t seem crazy about it. He stroked her hair.
“What are you working on?” he asked.
“I want to know how your signal got to my computer after you got…turned off. And I want to understand the killswitch.”
“I wish you all would stop using that word,” Switchblade said. “I keep thinking somebody’s gonna kill me. You know? Kill Switch. Gives me the creeps.”
“Sorry, buddy,” Chase said. “Maybe we should call you something else. What’s your real name?”
The man craned his neck to give Chase quick stare-down.
“Watch the road,” Mel told him. “Let’s try to get home without any more disasters.”
“Yes, ma’am. Driving Miss Melody. And Mr. Robot.”
Chase smacked him across the back of his head.
“Hey! You still got some punch in you, man. Even without the wired muscles. You two carry on. I’ll be quiet. I know my place—I’m the chauffer.”
Chase laughed, leaned back, and closed his eyes. Mel tapped the keys on her computer. Switchblade softly hummed some old tune. Probably one of those hymns. The tires met the road with a peaceful rhythm.
They were going home. He’d rest for now. But before the end of the day’s journey, maybe these people—two of the closest friends he’d ever had—would answer the questions nagging at him and pulling him into something he just didn’t get. Leaving him homesick for a place he’d never been.
But that empty feeling was nothing more than the hole left in him when the exoself was stolen. The other friend. The one that made him who he was. He wanted it back. That’s all.
He opened his eyes and watched the rush of trees and open fields. No way God had anything to with the ache inside him. He let his eyes fall shut. No way.
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