True Calling

by Siobhan Davis

  He lifts the duffle bag from the ground and moves it to the dining table where he zips it open. He removes a small black box and places it flat on the table top. He places the palm of his hand against the lock, it automatically opens and he deftly lifts the lid. The box is filled with a variety of small metal and glass objects in different sizes and shapes. He selects a pair of pincers and carefully lifts a small metal oval device. He instructs Cal to tilt his head back and he cautiously inserts it slowly into his nasal passage. Then he removes the pincers and presses the side of his nose firmly with his fingers. He releases his grip and asks Cal if he can feel it. “I can’t feel anything.”

  “A1,” Agent Dale says.

  “What about the scanners, will it detect the device?” I ask.

  “It’s coated in an invisibility membrane so the scanner shouldn’t pick it up,” he responds. That’s what I’d thought. I don’t disclose the fact that I know the scanner won’t pick it up, that would only invite all sorts of questions.

  “I think that’s enough for tonight,” Raina says.

  “Let’s disperse,” Agent Dale agrees. “We’ll re-engage tomorrow at twenty-hundred hours. Be careful when using your data-cuff, it’s fully operational so use with extreme caution,” he advises before securing the duffle bag.

  “Stay safe,” Raina says as they make their exit.

  It’s a lot to process, but it’s exhilarating at the same time, I have a million other questions buzzing around my head. “All in good time Ariana,” I hear Raina reassure me silently.

  I’m not convinced that the data feeds have been replaced in the house so I’m still slightly on edge, Cal doesn’t seem to have any such concerns though.

  “It feels good, to be doing something constructive for a change.”

  “I’ll try not to take that as an insult,” I say in a lighthearted tone.

  “How do you feel about all that psychic stuff Raina said?” he asks as he pushes a lock of my hair behind my ear.

  “More assured, there was a part of me that feared I was losing my sanity. It’s good to finally have an explanation and it’s exciting to discover what more I might be capable of.”

  I hear the key turning in the lock and Lily calls out as she pulls the door shut behind her. Cal prepares her regular nightly drink of hot chocolate and I tuck her up in bed.

  I rejoin him in the living area. “That reminds me, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?” he queries out loud. His implication is clear as day. He tows me swiftly to the sofa and pulls me down on top of him. We’re kissing hungrily and his lips burn my skin as he moves from my face down to my neck and chest. I feel his hand on the small of my back pushing me to him and his other hand is scaling my leg. I know where this is leading. It takes considerable willpower to forcibly break away. “What’s wrong? No one is watching us anymore,” he says breathlessly.

  “Lily and Deacon are,” I tell him.

  “What? They’re not here,” he says, and both his tone and expression register confusion. I know he won’t be happy with my latest thinking.

  “Cal, this is their home as well. I don’t want to make either of them uncomfortable or set a poor example. Lily’s at an impressionable age; I don’t want her to see us sharing a bed, it’s not right and I know my parents would strongly disapprove,” I say. I’m not overly happy with my reasoning either, but I know it’s the right thing to do.

  Deep down he knows it is too, so after a few minutes silent analysis he says, “OK, you’re right.”

  I kiss him lightly at his door and bid him goodnight. I can tell that he’s utterly dejected.

  A part of me is glad that I’m on my own as I so desperately need time to think. Cal’s increasingly aggressive mood swings are starting to alarm me. He’s always been a bit hotheaded, but these latest outbursts are more intense and troublesome. What’s driving his behavior? And is this what my father and Zane meant, when they warned me of him? I love him so much, but I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that his behavior concerned me. I eventually fall into a troubled sleep.

  “Ari? Can you meet me in Strata at nine o’clock tonight? Come alone.”

  I’m awfully bad tempered when I wake, I snap at Cal several times without any justification. I know what’s affecting my sour mood—come alone! The constant insinuation that Cal isn’t to be trusted is getting on my nerves. OK, I know I’ve been having some minor doubts myself but that’s only because I know these latest outbursts are uncharacteristic. The others don’t know him like I do. If people don’t have confidence in my judgment then I will have to put my foot down, we’re a double act, end of story.

  “Sorry for being such a grump,” I say.

  “Have you changed your mind about me?” he asks unhappily.

  “Of course not,” I say but we don’t have time to discuss it in detail as his NSAF transport is due any minute. “I’m in a bad mood with Zane,” I tell him truthfully. His look is a mixture of relief and scepticism, and pleasure too.

  “What’s he done to earn it?”

  I’ve promised to be truthful with him so I answer honestly. “He wants to meet me in Strata tonight, without you,” I say.

  “Does he now?” he says, before adding, “what are you going to do?”

  “Bring you with me of course,” I say without any trace of uncertainty.

  “Good answer,” he whispers back; there’s no need to be careful anymore, but old habits die hard I suppose.

  “We’re a team, I don’t do anything without you,” I say faithfully.

  “I love you. If I ever lose you, I’ll die,” he says fiercely, as he places a gentle kiss on my lips.

  “Hey, no such talk, OK? I’m not going anywhere.”

  Just then I hear a vehicle pull up outside the house and I feel a sudden rush of fear. “Please be really careful,” I plead. “No heroics and whatever you see, hold it together, promise me.”

  “I promise.”

  “Your temper worries me, remember that getting mad won’t help Ben and I won’t forgive you if you don’t come home to me,” I say sternly.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll see you later in NSAFTA,” he tells me, as he kisses me one more time.

  ***

  Cal fails to turn up to the Academy at all and I’m beside myself with worry. It effectively sidetracks me from feeling any anxiety over my imminent re-acquaintance with Zane. Cal’s status constantly displays as unavailable so I’ve no way of contacting him. I’ve just decided to storm the NSAF building myself when he eventually makes an appearance. He stumbles in the door and I smell alcohol on his breath. I force him to sit on a stool while I make a strong pot of coffee. I don’t criticize him though, it must have been truly dreadful for him to resort to this. “How awful was it?” I ask tentatively as I hand him a steaming cup. He takes a grateful sip and curls his hands tightly around it.

  “Worse that the worst you can imagine,” he says with a haunted look in his eyes.

  “Did you keep it together?”

  “Yes, but once I came out I ... I wanted to smash a few things, smash them. Instead, I sought consolation in a bottle; it helped blot it out,” he says as he laughs derisively.

  “What’s Ben going to do?”

  “He won’t cooperate, but I knew that already. I just wanted to make sure he was alive. Only barely as it turns out—they’re torturing him Ariana! Not that there are visible signs of injury but he couldn’t walk unaided, and he’s so thin! We have to get him out of there.”

  “Let’s talk to Agent Dale, see if he can help,” I say rationally.

  “You know a lot more than you’re letting on, don’t you?” he says and I detect a note of resentment in his tone.

  “What?” I ask, equally resentfully.

  “What did Agent Dale say about information from your father?” he asks scathingly.

  “I told you! I kept things back to protect you!” I shout out. “Don’t do this,” I plead. “We have to stay tight. Anything I concealed was to ke
ep you out of harm’s way, please believe me,” I implore.

  “OK, I guess I’m not thinking too clearly,” he admits after a few minutes. “I’m just so ... so ... frustrated. I hope the rebels accelerate their plans; I can’t get off this damned planet quick enough.”

  “We’ve to meet Zane in an hour, you need to sober up. Coffee, drink...,” I say as I top up his cup.

  Six cups of black coffee later and we’re ready to leave. Cal is still somewhat intoxicated, but I don’t want to be late, so we set out on our journey to Strata.

  My nerves are completely frayed by the time we reach the screen. I can’t relax out here and given what I know now about my talents, I’m loathe to ignore the sense of dread I feel. “I’m still uneasy out here,” I warn him.

  “I feel it too and I don’t even have any special ability,” he says similarly cautiously. I stand hesitantly in front of the screen, afraid to peel it back.

  “Ari, it’s OK. Come join me,” Zane says silently. I strip back the screen and we both step inside. I have butterflies in the pit of my stomach and my palms are sweaty. I can make out his silhouette as we approach our usual spot. Zane rises to greet us. If he’s upset that I brought Cal, it doesn’t show, his expression is neutral. He looks taller and leaner in the flesh. When we’re standing face to face, he can’t hide the emotion he’s feeling.

  “Ari, it’s so good to see you, I’ve missed you so much,” he says tenderly as he pulls me forward into his embrace.

  CHAPTER 27

  “Get your hands off her,” Cal seethes. Zane immediately releases me. Alcohol and a fiery temper aren’t a good mix. I take Cal’s hand firmly in mine and implore him to back down; the air is fraught with tension.

  “Let’s all just calm down,” I say steadily.

  “If we had met alone, it would have been easier,” Zane says, but there’s no malice in his voice.

  “That would have suited you perfectly, wouldn’t it?” Cal spits back. He isn’t being very gracious, but I can understand, to a point.

  “Cal, please, there’s no need for this. Zane, you know I don’t have any memories of you?” I say gently—I don’t want to hurt his feelings unnecessarily.

  “I hoped your psychic gift would shield you from the effects of the nostalgia elixir, but I could tell from my dreams that you had no recollection.”

  “So you were dreaming of me too?” I say excitedly, though I’d already assumed more or less that.

  “Yes, same as you. I’ve been working with Raina these last few weeks, to expand my ability. She taught me how to communicate directly with you though it’s still a work in progress. It’ll be much easier to communicate silently now that we’re in closer proximity,” he says.

  “Gggrreatt,” Cal says.

  “Is he always like this?” Zane asks directly of me.

  “I’m right here,” Cal shouts out.

  “Cal, please,” I beg. “No, he isn’t always like this, he’s just had a shock, and he’s a bit drunk, so make some allowances,” I say and I’m not asking.

  “Sure, no sweat,” Zane says agreeably.

  “What can you tell us? We’re still so much in the dark,” I say.

  “I can’t reveal much, for your protection.”

  “Oh, please, someone—give us some credit,” Cal interjects. I sigh loudly, he’s really testing my patience now. I choose to ignore him.

  “Tell us what you can,” I say.

  “First, I need you both to take this anti-truth serum, it’s precautionary, in case you’re captured,” he says as he hands both of us a tube and plunger. Cal is struggling to assemble his; the alcohol is messing with his co-ordination. At any other time, his fumbling would be quite funny. I take it from him and nimbly push the tube into the plunger and inject it into his arm. I’m not sure if I need to take it again, but I don’t want to admit it out loud, not with the mood Cal’s in. I focus on sending a silent message to Zane.

  “I already took one of these, do I need another shot?”

  “There’s no harm in taking it a second time,” he silently responds, so I go ahead and inject it into my arm. Cal is furious at our blatant ignorance.

  “Ariana, what did you say?” he asks sharply as he places both his hands on my upper arms.

  “Don’t speak to her like that,” Zane says firmly but he’s even toned. Cal hurtles towards him. I plant myself firmly in between them both and push my hand out to restrain Cal. He’s weakened by the liquor, so I’m successfully holding him at bay. I feel my own temper flare.

  “Enough. I’m sick of this!” I say.

  “Tell loverboy to back off, OK?” Cal says. Loverboy? What is he on about? Have I been wide of the mark in my assessment of Zane?

  “Cal, I love you but please shut up. You’re not helping the situation,” I say sternly to him. He can tell by my fierce expression that I’m not in the mood to be messed with.

  “Zane, what’s the nature of our relationship?” I ask nervously.

  “You’re my girlfriend, or were,” he says as he pulls up the sleeve of his right inner arm and shows me his tattoo. It’s a red love heart overlaid with the word ‘Ariana’. Uh oh, I think, and in a moment of clarity I realize that Cal had already sussed this out, he hadn’t bought the sibling rationale for one minute. I know at some point I’ll have to figure out how I feel about this, but there isn’t time to digest it now. As I look at Zane, all I see is love shining in his eyes. It’s weird because there’s a sense of familiarity, of comfort, but he’s still a total stranger to me.

  “It’s OK Ari, I can wait until you’re ready to love me again,” he says silently in my head.

  “Zane, you can’t have any expectation, surely you see that?” I respond silently.

  “I promised I’d never give up on you Ari, and I won’t stop hoping that you’ll remember.”

  “You’ll only get hurt, I’m in love with Cal now,” I tell him bluntly because there’s no point sugarcoating it. For a split second, his calm facade slips and I see a hint of the anguish he’s trying hard to contain. No matter what I do from now on, someone is going to get hurt, I think unfairly. This exchange has only taken a minute or two, but Cal is no dummy, and he knows that we’re excluding him from our conversation again. But he’s not angry this time—he’s hurt. I understand now what’s been going on in his head. I move over and wrap my arms around him, but he makes no attempt to put his arms around me—I’ve wounded him deeply.

  “You’re the one I want, that won’t change,” I whisper in his ear. He sits there dejected, and I don’t know if it’s a consequence of the alcohol or the heart-pain, but he remains totally silent. I know it’s unfair to feel grateful, but I do, it’s easier when he isn’t belligerent.

  “Zane, what else can you inform us of?” I ask as I try to steer the conversation to more neutral topics instead. I purposefully ignore the look of abject sorrow on his face.

  “The plan is to retrieve the information we need from NSAF and make the return journey to Earth in four days time. We’ve developed technology which enables us to move around undetected, but we can’t risk it long term, one slip up and everything could be compromised,” he says.

  “What type of technology?”

  Zane removes a box from his pocket and extracts a small round metal disc, similar in size to the Vita. “This magnetic chip counteracts Vita functionality; it confuses the signal, so the authorities lose the ability to track you. People on Earth don’t have the Vita yet, so we were implanted with fake Vita’s before we arrived on Novo. We use the magnetic chip when we need to go into hiding, but the rest of the time we have to be identifiable to the authorities; otherwise we would draw attention to ourselves. I wish I could give you the chip now, but it’s impossible when the authorities are stalking your every move. You’ll be given one as we prepare to leave. In the meantime you’re at risk,” he says painfully.

  “Why?” I ask. He hesitates before responding.

  “The authorities can kill any of you at the fl
ick of a switch,” he says somberly.

  Cal and I exchange shocked looks. “How long have they been able to do this?” Cal asks.

  “We think it’s only been developed relatively recently.”

  “Cal, that man in the penitentiary...” I start to say as he finishes my sentence, “That’s what they did to him.” I think of all the top secret research work being undertaken and wonder what else they’re planning.

  “Does the chip stop them from killing us?” I ask, and I pray that his response is positive.

  “We don’t know, we haven’t been able to test it,” he says, and it requires no further explanation.

  “Are there plans to rescue the prisoners?” I enquire.

  “Yes, but only a select few as we don’t have room for everyone.”

  “How does the selection process work?” Cal asks, and I know that his thoughts, like mine, are firmly focused on Ben.

  “Those that will be of most value to the cause will be rescued.”

  “You’re kidding?” Cal asks indignantly.

  “No, that’s what Clementia have decided,” Zane admits. I sense that Zane is no happier with this than Cal.

  “Then they’re no better than the authorities,” Cal says in disgust.

  “Ben’s on the list, we’ll get him out.”

  “What about my family?” I ask.

  “They’ll be rescued too, I knew you’d never leave without them.”

  “Can you add my sister Melandra to the list?” Cal asks.

  “I’ll put in the request, that’s as much as I can do,” Zane says. It’s not enough.

  “Tell them I refuse to come unless she’s included, will that do the trick?” I ask. A slight smile plays on his lips, and I realize he was anticipating this reaction. We all go, or no one goes, I say silently.

  “Thanks,” Cal says as he takes my hand in his. Zane looks away and absently kicks the dirt at his foot. I take a moment to think about how hard this must be for him. I’ve no feelings or memories of us, but he does. It must be soul destroying to see that Cal has replaced him in my affections, but I don’t know how to make this situation better; it’s like treading on eggshells.