Project Integrate Series Boxed Set

by Campbell, Jamie

  “So is taking out your chip and avoiding the Department, I could go on with our list of crimes?”

  Garrick pushed me playfully. “I don’t mean it like that. When we sort out this current situation, we’re going to have to all integrate back into the community. We shouldn’t stuff anything up in the meantime. We have to be mindful of how we will be portrayed by the humans.”

  He had a point but I didn’t think dating Lochie would negatively impact upon anything. Until he realized I had been lying to him, anyway.

  “I don’t want to hurt the project,” I replied. “I’m always thinking about it. I wouldn’t do that to our people.”

  “Good, just as long as you remember that.”

  I felt like a child getting a lecture from a parent but it was probably warranted. After seventeen years of having the rules of the project drilled into you, it was virtually impossible to forget about them. Eventually, we would be held up as examples of our race, we had to make sure the community thought warmly towards us.

  “I think we need some coffee,” I said, breaking the tension. It was already started to creep towards midnight and we had a lot more files to go through yet. It was going to be a long night.

  CHAPTER 16

  “Why haven’t you been answering your phone?” Kyle demanded, like a worried mother might scold her children. “I have been having all sorts of nightmares about what could have happened to you two.”

  “Sorry,” I apologized. I really didn’t think he would have been that concerned about us. We were only meeting with a hacker, after all. It wasn’t like we had a meeting with the enemy or anything.

  “We were engrossed in what we found,” Garrick continued to explain. We had already been standing at the door for a full three minutes before Kyle would even let us inside. “We didn’t get much but we think we know what the Department is up to.”

  That got Kyle’s attention. He let us sit down at his kitchen table as he bribed us with food for information. For a guy that ate bugs, he could cook a mean omelet. I hoped there were no bugs in it.

  I ate while Garrick gave Kyle a watered down version of what we had found in the Department’s files. We had talked extensively before we got there about what we would tell Kyle. We decided to stick with the basics and hope for the best. I wanted to trust him, but I couldn’t. Not until he proved himself trustworthy. Garrick was on the same page.

  “So that’s all you got?” Kyle asked as Garrick explained about the project being cancelled.

  “That’s everything,” Garrick replied. “We were locked out of the file before we got anything else.”

  “And that took all night?”

  “The hacking took longer than expected,” I added, hoping Kyle didn’t notice the hint of a lie that passed over our faces. “And the guy was late. We had to wait around and then there was a lot of convincing him to help. The whole thing seemed to take forever.”

  Kyle nodded, thankfully. “So we have proof the Department has cancelled the project, our leaders need to know about this. When I last communicated with them, they thought everything was fine. Their main concern was for the Originals.”

  “How are they going to react?” I asked, thinking about the air force and military being on standby.

  “To be honest, I don’t know,” Kyle confessed. It didn’t help to ease my concerns. He knew a lot more about the leaders of Trucon than we did. If he was concerned, then it was a good reason to panic.

  He led us into what was supposed to be a bedroom. Instead, it was equipped with more technology than I had ever seen in my life. If the gadgets in the living room were impressive, these ones were… out of this world. They obviously weren’t Earth made.

  “How does all this work?” I asked, running my hand across the stainless steel surface. There were more dials than on a DJ booth, two keyboards, a screen, and several speakers. I had no idea what everything did. If Kyle knew how to use it, then he was obviously way smarter than any of us.

  “You just flip a few switches,” he replied casually. He sat at the lone chair and turned dials, switches, and then typed quickly. Lights, both red and green, lit up as the machines started their action. “I’m going to open the line and request a communication. From there, we have to wait for a response. It won’t be a fast process. You might want to grab some chairs.”

  “I’ll get them,” Garrick volunteered. I stood there awkwardly watching Kyle work until he returned. We sat down and started the wait.

  “Do you think they’ll try to invade Earth?” I asked, voicing the question I most wanted answered. It was obviously what the Department feared would happen. I wondered how accurate their concerns were.

  Kyle spun away from the machine to face us. “Our leaders are smart and thoughtful. They will only resort to violence if they feel there is no other option. By and large, our planet is a peaceful nation.”

  “They don’t have wars with themselves then?” Garrick responded. Kyle shook his head. “I guess it’s only Earth that does that.”

  “Our peaceful nature is how we managed to get the Earth leaders to agree to our arrangement. They didn’t think we would be likely to act violently if anything happened.”

  Thinking of our people like that didn’t put me any at ease. While it was great to know they were nice, it also meant there was a chance the Department would walk all over them. They might not believe there would be any repercussions of killing everyone in the project and calling the whole thing off. That didn’t bode well for the other members still at the complex. Or us, for that matter.

  “If they do have to invade,” I started. “How big is our planet? Would we have enough manpower to win a fight against the Department?”

  Kyle sighed before answering. “Our population is made up of about half a million people. We are a small planet, by any measurements. But most people would be willing to fight, especially considering what is at stake. We also have technology behind us. And we’d be attacking from the air. We’d start with an upper hand.”

  “You have spaceships and stuff?” Garrick asked. Boys and their toys.

  “We have crafts that can travel vast distances at light speed, some even faster. Most of the ships have been equipped with weapons in case they are needed. Our batch of warriors could be here within hours.”

  “Does the Department know that?” I had to ask, something told me they wouldn’t.

  “Not all of it,” Kyle confirmed. “There was a full disclosure when the agreement was being established but they didn’t tell them everything. We had to protect our own, I’m sure you understand.”

  I nodded. Handing over an entire generation of infants with nothing but a promise would have been scary. I’m sure the negotiations were intense and careful. It would have been wise not to show all your cards at once.

  The problem was, my loyalties were being torn in half. I didn’t want anything to happen to the people from my planet, I owed them a loyalty purely because I was one of them. I also thought they were the ones getting scammed and I didn’t agree with that.

  However, I was also one of the humans on Earth. I loved it here, and I didn’t want anything to happen to the place or its people. I was just as much a human as I was an alien.

  My anger at the Department was only growing. If they had continued on with the project as planned, it wouldn’t be a choice. The people of Trucon would integrate with the humans and we would all live together in harmony. Everyone would just become an Earthling. It was the act of cancelling the project that had caused the divide and it was all the Department’s fault.

  I was still seething when the machine started to crackle loudly. Kyle spun around to play with the dials. He tuned out the fuzz and made the voice clearer.

  “Satellite,” the male voice boomed. “Make your report.”

  “Leader, I have news that is unsettling to say the least,” Kyle started. “I have confirmation that Project Integrate has been cancelled. All the members have been rounded up and are being detained in a pr
ison-like facility.”

  “Is your information reliable?” Except for being too loud, the man sounded just like any human. He spoke slowly though, possibly to ensure he was clearly heard.

  “Yes, it comes directly from the source.”

  “This is not good news.”

  “No, it’s not. I’m sorry to be the bearer,” Kyle apologized respectfully. “What action would you like me to pursue?”

  “Hold. I will return once I have spoken with my fellow leaders.” The line clicked off. Everything went deathly silent. I looked at Garrick but he was just looking at me with the same confused look. Apparently neither of us could believe what had just happened.

  So Kyle was telling the truth. He really did have a direct line to the people of our planet and was acting as their spy. It filled me with relief. As least one person was exactly who they said they were. With so many people having a separate agenda, it was rare to find someone who was actually honest.

  It took over an hour for the line to crackle again. Neither of us moved in case we missed the leader’s return. I didn’t know what would happen if they didn’t get a response and I didn’t want to know either.

  “We have discussed the situation,” the same male voice boomed. Kyle turned the volume down a little but it didn’t really make a difference.

  “What are my orders, Leader?” Kyle replied.

  “We wish to talk with the Department in the hopes of resolving the situation amicably. We will arrange a meeting for you to attend.”

  It was a relief to hear they weren’t going to just charge in with their battle ships blazing. Perhaps Kyle was right and they were a peaceful nation?

  The man continued. “My colleagues tell me there is a female member of the project that has requested help. Her name is Amery, has she made contact?”

  Kyle shot me a look before replying. “Yes. I have members Amery and Garrick here with me. They are safe in my custody. Although the Department is trying to recapture them.”

  “I will take that under advisement. Please continue to keep them safe. You have done well, Satellite.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “It might be some time before we reply. We will communicate again once we have spoken with representatives of the Department.” He clicked off.

  Kyle shut down the machine and checked his watch. It was starting to get dark outside already. “I have to go. Do you guys want to stay here? I don’t mind if you want to move out of that trailer.”

  I avoided the question, not really wanting to live in Kyle’s bug-infested house. It was more of a bachelor pad. “Where are you going? What about if they get back to you?”

  “I have an Originals meeting. If I don’t go, they’ll know something’s up,” he explained, grabbing his wallet and keys. “It’s now more important than ever I find out what they’re up to.”

  We let him go, not that we could really stop him. He was out the door so fast we barely got to wave goodbye. Garrick and I stood in his living room, trying to work out our next move.

  I knew what I had to do. An Originals meeting was the flame to Lochie’s moth. He was just stupid enough to go back there even though I warned him not to.

  “I have to get to Lochie’s before he goes to the Originals meeting,” I said, taking out my cell phone. I quickly texted Lochie a message saying I was on my way over.

  “You should let him go. If he wants to get killed, then that’s his choice,” Garrick shrugged. Ugh, I was so over their petty fighting. They were worse than teenage girls.

  “If he gets killed, then it’s on my conscience.”

  Garrick stared at me. Lochie hadn’t replied to my text which meant he was either already at the meeting or he was ignoring me because he was on the way there. I had to move fast. I started for the door. “Do you want me to drop you back at the trailer?”

  He grabbed my arm to stop me moving. I looked up at him, silently asking what he was doing.

  Without any warning, Garrick closed the gap between us and planted his lips on mine, kissing me.

  CHAPTER 17

  I was too surprised to do anything for a moment. I couldn’t allow myself to enjoy kissing Garrick. It wasn’t right, on so many levels. I pulled back. “What are you doing?”

  He looked at the floor, was he guilty? Regretful? I couldn’t tell what the hell was going on anymore. “Stay with me.”

  “I can’t,” I shook my head, trying to make the thoughts fall into place. It wasn’t working. “Why? Why did you do that?”

  “Stay with me.”

  We locked eyes for a moment and the realization started to set in. Garrick wasn’t asking me to stay with him, he was asking me to choose him. I couldn’t breathe, I had to get out of there – fast.

  I pushed past him, mumbling something I was sure he didn’t hear. Unexpected tears stung my eyes and I had no idea why. All I knew was that I had to get out of there.

  I hurried to the car and sped off down the street. My heart raced with worry. Worry about Garrick kissing me, worry about Lochie going to the Originals meeting. I couldn’t sort out the jumble of thoughts in my head.

  I instead tried to focus on the road. I didn’t want to add getting into a car accident to my list of mistakes for the day. I don’t know how everything had gone from being happy that the leaders of our planet were doing something to help us, to feeling like something bad had just happened.

  Why had Garrick kissed me? Why did he even want me to choose him? Since when did I have a choice between him and Lochie? I didn’t know he had any feelings for me. We were friends, comrades, that was all.

  Garrick was the one that had gone on about the project rules to me and he had broken one of the big ones: no dating other members. We couldn’t integrate with humans if we were too busy with each other. It went against the entire purpose of the project. It only served to confuse me even more.

  I wiped angrily at my tears, wishing they would stop. I was angry at Garrick for putting me in that situation and angry I was letting it get to me. My path should have been clear – I loved Lochie. I should be throwing away what just happened and hope I could repair my friendship with Garrick. That is what I should be doing.

  Yet a part of me wasn’t. A part of me was thinking about Garrick and how maybe I liked the way he kissed me. Maybe he felt like he should kiss me because of something I had done. Perhaps somewhere along the way I had given him permission to do it. I hated myself for thinking like that.

  By the time I pulled up outside Lochie’s house, my brain was frazzled. I checked myself in the rearview mirror, wiping away the stray tears. My eyes were red, I desperately hoped Lochie wouldn’t notice. If he was home, anyway.

  I checked my phone, there was a message from him. In my haste to get there, I must not have heard it beep. I read through:

  At home, will wait. You okay?

  I didn’t bother texting back, instead I called to let him know I was out front. His head appeared in the doorway only a few moments later.

  I hurried over, my legs still a little shaky. “Hey, I’m glad you’re here.”

  He put a finger to his lips to indicate I needed to be quiet. Without saying a word, he took my hand and led me upstairs to his bedroom.

  Everything looked the same as when I had last been there. Some stray clothes were still on the floor, his bed was only partially made, and his desk was hidden underneath a pile of stationery. Same old Lochie. It comforted me somewhat, perhaps everything didn’t have to change.

  “What’s happened?” He asked, concern dripping from every word.

  “Nothing, it’s all good. I just had some time so I thought I’d come and see you.” I forced a smile. Hopefully it didn’t look as fake as it felt.

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “Nope, all good,” I lied. I wasn’t doing a good enough job of convincing him as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a bear hug.

  I didn’t care that he was crushing my ribs, it was where I belonged
. I wanted to be in his arms, nobody else’s. At least I hoped so, anyway. Thoughts of Garrick flashed into my mind which only made me feel even guiltier.

  Lochie finally released me. “Are you hungry?” I nodded so I didn’t have to speak. “Wait here and I’ll fix something. Are you here for a while? We could watch a movie or something?”

  I nodded again and stood in the middle of the room as he left, unmoving. I never thought I would say this but Lochie was the sweetest guy I’d ever known. Sure, he was a real pain and extremely annoying at times, but I loved that about him now. What used to irritate me to no end now just made me smile. How could I possibly be thinking about Garrick?

  But the truth was I did think about him. Garrick understood me in a way Lochie never could. We were the same species, we had the same problems and obligations. He also knew exactly what I was and wanted me anyway. Lochie didn’t know anything, and when I did eventually tell him, I’m sure he wouldn’t take it well.

  I considered walking out and leaving Lochie. He wasn’t going to the Originals meeting to get himself killed, it was safe to leave him alone now. I could go back to Kyle’s house and work out what the hell was going on between Garrick and I.

  But I couldn’t make my feet move. Instead, I sat on the lounge and waited for Lochie to return. And that’s where I would remain all night.

  Lochie brought back some freshly reheated lasagna – home cooked. It smelt delicious, just like the kind my mother used to make.

  As he cleared a place on his desk, I spotted something familiar. “You have my handbag.”

  Confusion crossed his face as he looked from me to my bag sitting on his shelf. “Oh, yeah, you left it at the park when…”

  When the Department had kidnapped me, he didn’t need to finish the sentence. I could completely understand why he didn’t want to. The memory of that day was probably just as bad for him as it was for me. I jumped up and grabbed my handbag, so grateful to see it again. Everything was still inside. “I thought this was lost forever.”