Ari’s father, Malcolm, has been like a surrogate dad to me. My own father worked with him when they were in the US Army. Malcolm was a Command Major Sergeant and my father’s rank was Sergeant Major. My dad died during a tour of duty when I was fourteen and thereafter Malcolm became a pivotal force in my life. I don’t know if he felt accountable for my father’s death, or whether he felt a duty as his friend to look out for his family, but whatever the motive, he took me under his wing. Elijah was only eight and he seemed to find it easier to deal with things. I, however, was at a crucial stage of adolescence and my mom didn’t know what to do with me.
Malcolm welcomed me into his family as if I was his own flesh and blood. We spent many hours out on his fishing boat, in comfortable silence, hoping and waiting for that all important bite. We spent every Saturday afternoon at target practice. As I began to spend more and more time with him, I found myself being invited to stay for dinner, or to join them on family outings. I didn’t want to intrude, but Malcolm could be very persuasive when he wanted to be.
I had met Anneka, Ariana, Lily and Deacon before of course, our families had often shared group dinners together in the past. I’d never paid much attention to Ari though, she always seemed so much younger than me, even though there were only two mere years separating us. As we both grew older and matured we became closer. Ari was the one who encouraged me to run; she’d seen me at Sports Day and knew I was fast on my feet. She had been a member of a running club for years and she persistently begged me to join. I eventually folded. I loved it and it was an interest that we shared together. I ran my first 10K with her by my side, I still keep the framed photo by my bed.
When Agent Dale first showed me a photo of Commander Skyee I was completely taken aback. I listened carefully as he explained his involvement and confirmed that my referral had come from him. It all fell into place naturally after that. If Commander Skyee was working with Clementia that was all I needed to know. I didn’t just respect him as a father figure, he was a remarkable military man who had never faltered in displaying sound judgment. If he felt this was the right thing to do, then it made my decision-making process all the easier. Besides, I had also reached another important conclusion. If I cooperated and helped the resistance movement achieve its goals, then Ari and I could be reunited. I needed no stronger incentive. I told Agent Dale there and then that I would assist.
Isla and I complete the journey home in silence. If she notices my brooding, she doesn’t mention it. I think she’s as keen as I am to restore the harmony between us, although it can’t be long before she gives me one of her lectures, it’s well overdue.
“Do you want to come in for something to eat?” I ask her.
“What’s on the menu?”
I mentally run through the list of foodstuffs in my kitchen. “Fish pie.”
“Count me in,” she says and we both walk towards my front door. We have an hour until the curfew kicks in, but I’m a fast worker and I have hot, steaming plates in front of us in half that time. I power up my laptop while dessert is in the oven and receive a message from Clementia Central Control; our training is cancelled tonight. That can only mean some unforeseen obstacle has disrupted the schedule.
Clementia operates like a well-oiled machine but the authorities attempt to thwart the movement is starting to take affect. They’ve been rounding up sympathizers all over the place so Clementia is working day and night to protect systems and data, and security has been heightened. They’re in the process of adding new ID entry gates to all access points to their underground lair, they should be operational soon. They’ve lost several good people, fearing they’ve either been incarcerated or terminated, some are definitely running scared. The ruthlessness of our government never ceases to disgust me. The fear of discovery is hanging over everyone, like a dark rain cloud hovering in the distance.
“Training is off,” I tell Isla.
“Damn it!” She slams her fork down on the table.
“Don’t take it out on the poor fork,” I say lightly, in an attempt to diffuse her mood. If ever there was a person born to champion the rebel cause, it’s Isla. She’s never been shy about hiding her loathing of the authorities, and she doesn’t have many kind words to say about the folks on Novo either. I worry that someday her mouth is going to get her in serious trouble. It’s not that she isn’t intelligent enough to know when she should keep stum, it’s more that she’s fearless. She will say what she wants to say, whatever the consequences. That’s either very brave or very foolish, I haven’t quite worked out which yet. I like to think that I’m the voice of reason that helps keep her out of harm’s way; I am one of the few she will actually take advice from though she will still argue her point to the nth degree.
“I’m frustrated too but getting mad about something you can’t control is a waste of energy,” I tell her. “Channel it somewhere else,” I add as an afterthought.
“Zane, you’re so completely, utterly, bloody annoying at times, do you know that?!” she roars at me in frustration. “I’m out of here, thanks for dinner,” she says as she gets up hastily and grabs her jacket from the back of the chair.
“No sweat, see you in the morning,” I call out after her.
I while away the few hours until bed working on decoding some of the applications Clementia have sent me; progress is slow, but I’m starting to make some headway. Finally, I collapse into bed and I am out for the count in seconds.
Ari is consoling Cal. They are lying on her bed wrapped in each other’s arms, listening to music. They drift off to sleep locked around one other. Her mom, Anneka, places a blanket around them and turns off the light. Ari tosses and turns in the bed, clearly agitated. She mumbles something incoherently in her sleep. Again and again. Gradually the words become clearer and I hear her distinctly say, ‘Zane’.
I jolt awake that very minute. She said my name!
CHAPTER 17
I try to analyse what it means. Is she starting to remember me? Us? Only I’m not sure if that’s possible. Agent Dale had explained the nature and purpose of the Vita to me.
There was so little time for me to say goodbye to Ari that spring day. Malcolm had taken me into his confidence a few weeks before the change happened. He wanted me to go with them to Novo and had arranged for me to attend an assessment. I ticked all the boxes except for one; I failed the medical assessment on account of my heart condition. And despite my desirable computer skills, my youth, my otherwise strong physique, good character and Malcolm’s personal recommendation, my application had been declined. I only received word the day before the scheduled journey; Malcolm had been appealing it to the highest levels within the new regime, to no avail. My bag had already been packed. All I could think of those last few hours was if, and when, I would get to see Ari again. We had plotted and planned and made fervent promises to keep in daily contact. We made a pact: to not ever lose hope of seeing each other again.
But it was unchartered territory and who were we? Two kids in the first flush of young love. My own reality was happening on Earth. The new authorities took to power immediately and wasted no time in exerting their control. Life as I had known it, altered dramatically overnight. Forced to leave school and find work, separated from my family, my past times and freedom drastically curtailed. All my attempts to email Ari failed—I received one bounced mail after another. I couldn’t understand why she didn’t make contact with me. I went through the whole gamut of emotions. Denial of what was happening, swiftly followed by anger, at her, at the authorities. I then sank into depression, distraught at her loss and the futility of my situation. Gradually I resigned myself to my fate and learned to accept it. I never stopped pining for her though, and hoping that someday, somehow we could reconnect.
When Agent Dale explained that all Novo residents memories of those left behind on Earth had been wiped that first day—when the nostalgia elixir was administered and the Vita was inserted—I felt relieved to finally have an explanation. Ari
hadn’t chosen to forget me, she’d been forced to. Then despair set in. If she can’t remember me, and she’s forbidden from returning to Earth, how will we ever find our way back to each other? And if we do, will I be the only one who has retained those feelings? Or will it all come flooding back to her? It was upsetting but still the most hopeful I had felt in the two years since I’d last seen her. If I can find a way to get to her, I will find a way to make it work. She fell in love with me once before and it can happen again.
Then the government announced the introduction of ‘The Calling’ and specified the plan for every seventeen-year-old to be compelled to marry and have children. I’d seen some of this in my dreams and Agent Dale filled in the blanks. I’d spent so long feeling angry with those who left us behind, that I’d never given any thought to what their life might be like. Sure, they had more outward freedom, and a nicer environment to live in, but what was being done to them was arguably more abhorrent than what was being done to us on Earth.
I’ve watched in dismay as Ari grows closer to Cal. Every dream has steadily chipped away at my hope, my desire to one day be reunited with her. I was stupid to ignore the possibility that she would be attracted to others, and I’d seen for myself how she could easily garner admirers without even trying. I recognized all the signs in Cal; that had been me before him. He was desperately in love with her. And it’s not that I could blame him, Ari has blossomed into a stunning woman. It seems most likely that they’ll be matched as suitors, and if I can’t get there in time, then I will be helpless to halt the government’s assigned fate for her. Over the past couple of weeks I have veered from euphoria—at the potential prospect of having her back in my life—to utter distress, at the thought that I could be too late. And now she’s called out my name in her sleep. Is she dreaming of me too? I am excited at the possibility.
Ari’s own extrasensory gift only started to properly develop before she left Earth. My ability to see and hear things through someone else’s mind only works with those who are close to me, like their mind has to be familiar to me, in order for me to connect. Ari’s gift works differently. She is able to tune into others, familiar or not, not quite seeing and hearing everything, but aware of stuff on the outskirts of the mind; sensations and emotions. I’d spent the first few months of the new regime desperately trying to connect with her through my mind, with zero success. We’d never tested our abilities over long distances, so after time I’d naturally assumed that she was just too far away for it to work. More recently I’ve wondered if the government has altered or removed her ability. Now I’m definitely reconsidering my theories. The capability to see her through my dreams is totally new; if she’s experiencing the same then maybe our mutual talents have adjusted to our new reality. What I don’t understand is why it’s taken so long, why couldn’t this have happened when she first left? When I spent countless nights fruitlessly trying to tap into her mind. Whatever the explanation, if there is one, I’m glad now and I cling to the hope it elicits in me.
The meeting with Malcolm had been bittersweet; he was as choked with emotion as I was. I hadn’t realized quite how much I’d missed his presence in my life until that moment. There hadn’t been too much time to catch up though as he was on a routine fly-by and he couldn’t afford to be off the grid for long. He was happy that I’d agreed to help and promised to ensure I received the necessary equipment.
“Why did you get involved in the movement?” I’d asked him although I could guess the motivation. He’d paused considerably before responding.
“I thought I was giving my family its best chance at a bright future, but the reality of life in Novo is so far removed from that vision. I won’t stand idly by anymore and watch this regime destroy their future, and what’s left of humanity.” He’d taken his leave then. I had said a silent prayer that it wouldn’t be too long before I saw him again.
That was ten days ago and I was still trusting that he would remain good on his promise. So far I’d received no deliveries of technical equipment, but Malcolm has never let me down in the past, and I don’t expect any less of him now.
I look at the clock and it’s already 6 a.m., almost time to get up. There’s no point in trying to get any more sleep at this hour so I get up and do some weights. I try and do some form of exercise every day, my mental and physical wellbeing depend on it after years of running religiously every morning. I have renewed vigor today and I know it’s because I am buoyed up by my dream.
***
Isla looks me over suspiciously as I bound out the door.
“Someone’s in good form today,” she says, eyeing me warily.
“Is there any law against that?” I retort.
“No,” she says before adding, “well, not yet anyway. Dare I ask what has you in such good spirits?” Now doesn’t feel like the right time to confide in her about the dreams.
“Can’t a guy just be happy without the third degree,” I say teasingly. She shakes her head from side to side. “What?” I ask.
“You’re so moody, I never know what frame of mind I’ll find you in,” she says bluntly.
“Just trying to keep it interesting,” I say.
“Never a dull moment,” she replies with a smirk. Isla is so pretty when she smiles, her whole face comes to life and she positively glows. If things were different, I think I could be happy with her. I didn’t know she harbored romantic feelings for me until the night of the party.
Cian’s parties are legendary at this stage. The area in which we live comprises housing that is assigned purely for those working in Ceut. Most of us had come from family houses and places we called home, but once the new regime was established it was mandatory that everyone passed ownership of their homes to the authorities. We were all initially housed in huge warehouses constructed as temporary halfway houses. The government swiftly built new communities of terraced dwellings for workers of the two plants. Everyone else either had to move to another state to secure work and accommodation, or resign themselves to remaining indefinitely in the warehouse. Both prospects were daunting, neither overly appealing. Securing my job in Ceut was a poisoned chalice; it meant a life of solitude in my one room up, two room down abode. But ultimately I adjusted.
Discovering friends like Cian and Isla helped, and there are a few other guys and girls in this block around our age. We’ve formed a strong bond and it’s an unwritten rule that we all look out for one other. Having social get-togethers is challenging though. The Rangers supervise the streets at night and anyone found to be breaching the curfew is immediately detained. We figured out their schedule and every night at ten there is a shift change, and we have a tiny window of opportunity to sneak out. Everyone tended to gravitate towards Cian’s house, and slowly it became custom and practice that the last Saturday of every month we would all congregate there. Once we’re safely inside we can’t leave until the next shift change at 6 a.m., so we all just crash on the floor.
We have to be careful to keep the volume down, so turning on the forbidden sound system is a big no-no. Instead, Cian entertains us by singing songs and playing on his guitar. He’s good, really good and it’s a damn shame that he can’t practice his talent openly. Abe has earned the reputation of chief publican; he has devised a way to brew his own beer and he keeps us well oiled. It’s potent stuff, two glasses or more and it blows your mind. I’m blaming it for my ill-conceived indiscretion at the last party.
It was in honor of Isla’s eighteenth birthday. We had all gone to extra trouble in an effort to try and properly mark the occasion. I had baked her a cake, Cian had written a song for her and Abe had created a special beer in her name, it was way deadlier than his normal brew. Isla was in flying form, as any self-respecting birthday girl would be. She was knocking back a beer and dancing happily around the room until she threw up all over the place and passed out. I had left Cian and the others to mop up downstairs while I carried her up to the bedroom. I had cleaned her up before tucking her in under the cove
rs. I was exiting the room when her arm shot up and grabbed mine. “Stay, please,” she slurred. I hadn’t thought twice about it, I’d crawled in beside her and promptly fell asleep.
At some point during the night she had started kissing me. All I remember is waking up and feeling a stirring of sensations that I’d long since buried. My body took charge and relegated my brain to second in command. I kissed her back with equal passion, and before I knew it, we were tearing our clothes off and we let nature take its course. I immediately regretted it, both because it was apparent that Isla didn’t, and due to the profuse sense of disloyalty I felt. Ari and I hadn’t quite gotten that far, but it had been edging precariously close to it at the time she left. I was always conscious of her age and my profound respect for her father. We had decided to wait until she was older. I’ve been intimate with other girls before Ari but not since, not until the night of the party. All of this had flashed through my mind in the immediate aftermath and I was totally disgusted with myself. Isla knows me well enough to read my expressions accurately. I had hurt her horribly and things were pretty awkward between us over the next few weeks.
I hope we’ve adequately put it behind us now; she hasn’t mentioned it once since that morning. Not that she needs to, she can effectively convey her meaning through her tart comments and sullen gestures. Nevertheless, I am eternally grateful that she has the graciousness to forgive me and that our easy friendship seems to be back on track.
We chat freely as we make the journey to Ceut. Cian catches us up just outside the train station. The start of another predictable day commences.
***
After work, Isla stops off at my house momentarily, to check if our Clementia training is back on track for tonight. I’m the only concrete link she has with Central Control as practically no one else has access to phone or email communications anymore. She’s delighted at my affirmation and goes back to her house to get changed.
True Calling Page 18