Project Integrate Series Boxed Set

by Campbell, Jamie

  “And that’s when the government has full power,” Garrick finished for him, getting into the conversation. “They are the heroes that swoop in and make it all better while people forget about how they got in that situation in the first place.”

  “Exactly, man. There are powerful people in the world and they all have the same theory that they’ll do whatever it takes. Lives mean nothing to them.”

  “And they’re all a part of a secret society?” I asked. I had heard the theory once before but listening to Hayden describe it, he was starting to convince me it was real. I think he could convince anyone with his enthusiasm.

  Hayden nodded keenly. “It’s called the Inner Circle. It’s made up of three dozen of the most powerful people in the world. They meet in secret, from all different countries. The decisions they make change the world, exactly as they planned it to. Individual governments might think they’re the ones calling the shots, but it’s these people. There is nothing they can’t touch.”

  “So who gave them all the power?”

  “It’s passed down. The Inner Circle has been around for centuries, established when it was realized that the world is a global community, there needed to be someone to call the shots. Individual countries were too much of a risk to just let free.”

  I wondered what the Inner Circle would say about the aliens that were currently residing on their planet. Did the US government have to pass the project by them before they agreed to it? I couldn’t imagine the head of the Department having to seek permission from three dozen people of a secret society first. Still, anything could surprise me yet.

  “So does that mean the Inner Circle know what every country’s government is doing?” I asked. “Is there a full disclosure policy or something?”

  Hayden shrugged a little as Harmony absentmindedly rubbed his arm. They were cute together, it reminded me of Lola and Asher. They didn’t fight enough to be compared to Lochie and I. “The rumor is that the governments don’t do anything without the Inner Circle telling them to. If you believe the hardcore theorists, they ensure the leaders of all countries are pliable and able to be manipulated by them.”

  “So everyone is just a puppet for the Inner Circle?” Something told me Garrick didn’t believe Hayden’s theory. I found it pretty out there as far as reality went too but I wasn’t going to insult our hosts. I think Garrick was trying to hide his own feelings too.

  Hayden didn’t seem to notice. “Officials aren’t elected unless they will make good puppets. The Inner Circle has complete control over everything.”

  “But most leaders are elected based on votes by the people. How can the Inner Circle control that?”

  “Ballot rigging, sometimes. Other times, they will make sure their preferred person’s opponents all have a scandal in their campaign. They manipulate the people’s opinion to ensure their person gets a win.”

  “So none of us actually have free will?” Garrick sat back in his chair, winced when his shoulder hit the cushion, and shifted again.

  “Their greatest manipulation is making us feel like we do have free will. Really, we’re just pawns in their game,” Hayden replied. He exchanged a smile with Harmony, snuggling closer. “But not us. We’ve dedicated our lives to fighting back. If enough people realize what’s going on, we can make the Inner Circle powerless. We can reclaim our lives from the evils of a few.”

  “How do you do that?” I couldn’t help but ask. I was curious about how they were going about bucking the secret society. Perhaps the Inner Circle was just making them believe they were rebelling?

  “By living off the grid,” Harmony replied for the both of them. “We don’t have social security numbers, we eat only the food we grow, we don’t pay taxes, and we help spread the word by protecting people like yourselves.”

  “There’s other people like us that need help?” And here I was, thinking we were special.

  Hayden nodded eagerly. “We are a small community, but we fight fiercely. On any given day, one of us can find ourselves in trouble with the fuzz. We all have vowed to provide refuge for fellow freedom fighters.”

  He made us sound like we were doing something noble, when all Garrick and I were doing were saving ourselves. I guess in the bigger picture, we were trying to save the people from our home planet, but right now wasn’t about them. We were purely saving our own skins from the complex and everything the Department wanted to do to us.

  “Well, we’re certainly grateful to you for taking us in with no questions asked,” Garrick stated politely. “We didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

  “You are welcome, my friend.”

  As if on cue, a yawn escaped my mouth. I was barely keeping my eyelids open but I didn’t want to be rude. Hayden noticed. “We might go to bed and leave you to it. We don’t have much room, but I hope the lounge will be comfortable enough for you?”

  “It will be perfect,” I replied. It was only small and I didn’t know how we would both fit, but at least it was safe there. The Department would never think to come there and, without the chips, they wouldn’t be able to track us down to the tiny house.

  “I’ll get you some blankets,” Harmony offered as she raced off. After ten minutes, Garrick and I had made up some makeshift beds – one on the lounge and the other on the floor with some cushions. We were left alone for the night.

  Garrick and I fought over who should sleep on the lounge. We kept insisting it should be each other. The entire argument made me think of Lochie, it was just like I was back in his bedroom, getting annoyed because he was being so nice. I lost this argument too, chivalry winning over in the end.

  I lay on the lounge, barely keeping my eyes open. Unfortunately, Garrick couldn’t sleep. “We’re going to have to do something tomorrow. We can’t live here for the rest of our lives. Do you have any idea what to do?”

  I sighed in the darkness. At least the streetlights were visible through the thin curtains, it wasn’t like the darkness of the cell. I had been straining my brain trying to figure out what our next move should be. I didn’t want to involve anyone from back home, whatever we decided. I made a silent promise to them that I would keep everyone I loved out of it. They shouldn’t be placed in the line of fire for me anymore.

  There was only one thought I kept coming back to. “Do you think the people from Trucon know what’s going on down here? Do you think the Department told them the project is on hold and their children are being held captive?”

  Garrick took a few moments to think it over before replying. “I can’t see them agreeing to it. Not if they were told everything, anyway.”

  “The Department could have told them we’re being kept together for safety, just like what they probably told our parents.”

  “Do you think our people would do anything if they knew the truth?” He asked thoughtfully.

  I didn’t have an answer, it was actually a really important question. What would the people of Trucon do if they knew what the Department was up to? Considering they were the ones who needed Earth before the asteroid hit, would they be in a position to make demands? Would they have enough power to step in if they thought their children were being mistreated? Would they care enough to? It was too much for my tired brain to deal with.

  “I don’t know. But I reckon we should find out,” I finally replied.

  After that, Garrick could have continued to lie awake and stare at the ceiling, but I was lost to my dreams. Or should I say nightmares. Fires chased me through long corridors, lapping at my heels and threatening to overcome me. Smoke filled my lungs again, making me gasp for air.

  I was thrust from my dream and woke up still finding it difficult to breathe. My throat was dry, sore from the smoke damage I had sustained at the complex. I quietly crept from the lounge to the kitchen and poured myself some water.

  The triangle mark on my left wrist caught my attention. I had nothing to cover it with, leaving it exposed for all to see. I always felt naked when the triangle was showing, like
it was a beacon that kept me apart from being a normal person. I was going to have to ensure it remained hidden somehow.

  I stayed up until morning, unable to settle down again. My mind wouldn’t switch off, it was determined to think of the past, present, and future all at once. I couldn’t focus on any one thing, instead having thoughts that led down paths where I couldn’t follow.

  Our hosts woke up before Garrick did. Harmony helped me tend to my shoulder after I had a shower and she leant me some more clothes. I was wearing a light sundress in a deep shade of blue, hoping I would be able to wear my own clothes in the near future. At least the dress was comfortable and I had to admit it was pretty too. Harmony had a nice closet.

  Garrick finally awoke and I helped dress his shoulder wound before he got ready for the day. We all had breakfast together, it was cozy in the little house, we almost felt like a family. A strange, bizarre, weird family.

  “Do you guys know anyone with a radio that can penetrate through space?” I asked, remembering Garrick and I’s previous conversation.

  “Why? You need to call home for a lift back to your planet?” Hayden asked. Garrick and I exchange a glance quickly. How did they work out what we were? Had they known all along? Apparently we were terrible at keeping the secret we had kept for seventeen years.

  “Guys, he’s joking,” Harmony added at seeing our serious expressions. “We have a friend who has a whole radio setup. If you need to use it, I’m sure he’ll want to help.”

  I tried to laugh, pretending I thought it was a joke the entire time. I don’t think I pulled it off but Garrick did a pretty good job of it. He was a good actor, I had to hand it to him.

  “We can take you there this morning,” Hayden offered.

  “That would be great,” I replied, hoping my embarrassment wasn’t written all over my face. If my nerves weren’t so on edge, I might have been able to handle it all better. But until I knew we were safe and could go home without retribution, there was no way that was going to happen.

  We waited while Hayden made the call to his friend before leaving via the internal door to the garage. Garrick and I crouched in the back of the van while Harmony rode in front with Hayden. It felt good setting out to do something that might help us. If my hunch was right and we were able to speak with someone from our planet, we could ask for help. We just might be able to save not only ourselves but everyone else back at the complex.

  CHAPTER 7

  I got the feeling Hayden’s friend, Ryder, didn’t get out much. His pasty white skin, the set of his shoulders in a hunch, and the way he laughed at all his own jokes screamed he wasn’t the kind of person who had much social interaction. Not face to face interaction, anyway. He was probably a master of the internet chat rooms and online gaming world.

  I tried to ignore the musty smell of his converted attic as he showed us his radio equipment. It took up a full table, wires and gadgets going in all directions. I had no idea what any of it did but he seemed to be an expert so I knew Hayden had brought us to the right place.

  “What frequency do you want to transmit on?” Ryder asked, his hand on the dial in anticipation. I looked at Garrick pleadingly, hoping he might be able to offer some assistance. He just shrugged, clearly I was going to have to work this out for myself.

  “What frequency do you normally transmit on to contact outer space?” I turned the question back on Ryder. After all, he was supposed to be the expert, not me.

  “Depends on where you’re trying to get your message to.”

  I stared at Ryder, trying to assess how much I could trust him. Hayden had vouched for his discretion, but did I want to add fuel to the fire if he was already out looking for little green men every night? I guess I had no choice. “Have you heard of the planet Trucon?”

  “That’s a new one.”

  “It’s located between Mars and Saturn, just behind Jupiter. I’m trying to contact that planet, any chance you can recommend a frequency?” I crossed my fingers, hoping this long shot might actually work.

  Ryder adjusted the dials and put his headphones on. “I think this one will work.” He held up a microphone for me and I sat down. I had played the conversation in my head all morning but now it was time to say it out loud, all words completely vanished from my brain.

  I took a minute, taking a deep breath and trying to focus. It was no good being a scatterbrain, it wasn’t going to fix anything. And I had a lot of things I needed to fix.

  “I just speak into the microphone?” I checked with Ryder, he gave me a nod in reply. “This message is for the people of Trucon. My name is Amery, I am a member of the project. We need your help, we have been imprisoned. Our lives are in danger and our enemies are everywhere, including those we once trusted. Please reply your understanding so we can communicate further. Over.”

  Ryder hit a button to stop the transmission and allow for incoming messages. “So, the project, huh? Sounds heavy.”

  “It’s just code,” I said flippantly, trying to shrug it off. “You know how the government doesn’t like to call anything by its real name. We all have to be mindful of who else could be listening in on the conversation.”

  “There’s ears and eyes everywhere,” Ryder replied, his eyes open wide as he looked around the room pointedly. I got the feeling he probably thought people listened in on him on a regular basis. I wondered what kind of messages he was sending into space. Perhaps the people of Trucon would listen to him for fun. Maybe they replied randomly for even more fun.

  “Have you ever had anyone reply?” I couldn’t help myself. Knowing Trucon was out there, inhabited, surely there had to be more people floating around in space and all too happy to communicate with those on Earth. I doubted we would be the only two inhabited planets in the universe.

  Ryder nodded enthusiastically, making his mop of brown hair bob up and down. “I’ve had some beeps back at me. I’m sure they were of extraterrestrial origin. They’re out there, just waiting to communicate when the time’s right.”

  “Let’s hope that time is now,” Garrick added, joining in the conversation.

  “How long should we wait for a reply?” I asked. A part of me never expected an answer. It was a long shot and I was perfectly aware of that fact.

  “It might be a while, the radio wave has a long way to travel,” Ryder explained. “I’ll start recording and let you know if anything comes back.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “That would be awesome, thank you so much.”

  “Anything for the cause.”

  We left Ryder in his stuffy attic and returned to Hayden and Harmony who were waiting patiently downstairs for us. I couldn’t believe all these strangers were so willing to help just because the government were after us. It was surreal to think there were such nice people in the world.

  After leaving Ryder’s place, we went by the supermarket where I picked up a burner cell phone. It was a prepaid and Hayden lent me some cash to pay for it. In other words, it was completely untraceable. The government, the police, the Originals, none of them would be able to find me through the phone.

  We returned to our temporary home and I went into the tiny courtyard of a backyard to make some calls. My first call was Lochie, I desperately needed to hear his voice and know he was okay.

  “Hello?” He answered. I felt like crying at hearing his voice, I couldn’t believe what a sap I was becoming.

  “Lochie, it’s me,” I replied, hoping he would recognize my voice. Surely, it hadn’t been that long since I was taken. “I can’t talk for long.”

  “Amery? Where are you? Are you okay? I’ll pick you up, wherever you are, I’ll be there.” The words came out quickly, I had to concentrate to keep up with him.

  “I’m fine. Is everything okay there?”

  “Yeah, we’re good. Where have you been?”

  I didn’t want to answer all his questions over the phone. Just because I couldn’t be traced, it didn’t mean nobody was listening in. The Department could have
tapped the phones of everyone in my life. I had to be careful about what I said. And I had to be quick or my minutes would run out.

  “I’ve been kept somewhere I couldn’t leave. I’m okay, everything is okay. I just needed to know you were safe,” I finally replied. There was so much I wanted to tell him, it was torturous not being able to.

  “I miss you, we all do. When are you coming home?” Lochie’s voice betrayed his concern. Perhaps he hadn’t forgotten about me and moved on after all.

  “Not for a while. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Then I’ll come to you. Tell me where you are.”

  “Lochie, I can’t. I don’t want to involve you, I’ve already hurt you enough.”

  “Amery, don’t be so stubborn and let me help you.”

  This was going nowhere. A beep on the line told me I was already running out of time. “I have to go. Just know I’m safe and doing everything I can to come home.”

  “Amery-” Lochie didn’t get a chance to finish before I hung up on him. It took every bit of my willpower not to immediately call him back so I could hear his voice again.

  In so many ways, I wished he would just forget about me. I hated the thought of hurting him by tangling him up in my mess. He didn’t even know I was an alien, I was lying to him about the biggest part of who I was. Perhaps I should tell him, so then he could hate me and move on with his life. That would be one way of getting rid of him.

  I dialed my home number next, taking a few deep breaths to shake off the sadness I felt over Lochie. My parents would probably conjure up the same emotions and I had to stay strong. It was difficult but it wasn’t their problem. It was mine and mine alone.

  My dad answered. “Hello?”

  “Dad.” I had to choke back the tears.

  “Amery. I’m putting you on speaker. Your mother is here too.”

  “Hi, honey,” Mom added so I knew she was really there. I imagined them both huddled over the phone in the living room. God I wished I was there with them.

  “Mom, Dad, I miss you guys so much.”