by Cindy Borgne
“What if Deltoton made an exception because the Genners found the mine?” I asked.
Beacon laughed. “They could easily take the mine, but they haven’t. Instead they are guarding it for Gentech, which can only mean they had some sort of plan all along.”
“Maybe it means they respect Gentech.”
The entire room burst out in laughter. I didn’t care what these brainwashed drones thought.
Clare tugged at me harder and whispered, “Stop.”
“You don’t have the experience to be making these statements,” Kodet said in a condescending tone as if I wasted everyone’s time. “If we allied ourselves with Deltoton again, it could lead to another betrayal.”
“Eventually we will defeat Deltoton and their rogue friends,” Beacon said, “and secure our position as the leading organization on Mars.”
“Exactly,” Kodet cut in. “This planet can only sustain so many people. Right now that limit is being pushed. Besides, the Genners are going to want to focus on their usual ideas of making little human habitats and somehow reaching Hinun despite not having the resources or technology. Maybe they’ll drag Deltoton into it.”
“That would be ideal,” Beacon smiled. “If they use their new found wealth for science rather than military, we will defeat them sooner than expected.” His eyes stopped on me and narrowed. “Sit down!”
I sat down and brooded. Beacon and Kodet speculated based on what they believed. The idea of Kayla being in on a trap that would sacrifice the lives of her people just to attack Marscorp was insane. All my visions of her gave me a sense that she was not that kind of person.
“Sir, wait.” Kodet’s voice went up an octave. He stared at his monitor like he saw an explosion. “Deltoton just messaged me, and it says they want to inform us they’ve merged with Gentech under the name of Vallar. There is a list of a couple of other small organizations also joining Vallar. It says they expect us to stay away from their mine.”
“Merged!” Beacon shouted. “Have they lost their mind?”
Nobody said it, but I could tell by everyone’s pale and dazed expressions they knew Marscorp had a tough opponent – the first one in about ten years.
****
After the meeting, Clare led the way into Nate’s room. She stopped in the doorway, looked behind her and went inside. “Don’t ever do that again.”
I followed and shut the door. “I couldn’t just sit there.”
Clare went to the computer on the counter. “It’s not that I disagree with you, but Beacon said no and you kept on pressing.”
“But he’s going to kill more people now that he wants revenge.”
“The thing is Beacon wants information from you, but he doesn’t want to argue with you and definitely not in front of the council.”
“Because I’m a kid, right?”
Clare shook her head. “You’re intelligent for your age, but yes, and it’s not just you. He has advisers. They give him information and he does what he wants with it. There is nothing you can do about that.”
“But did you hear when the Gentech diplomat said they tried to negotiate with us?”
“Yes, but we don’t know everything that’s going on. Beacon might be right about Deltoton. It all could’ve been a trap.”
“Oh hell no, it was no trap!” I raised my voice and spoke faster, shocked that she believed Beacon. “Nate could read the Genner diplomat. He said it was the truth.”
“Interesting.” Clare’s face twitched awkwardly. She squirmed and glanced at my leg. “It’s been a long day. You need to get off that leg.”
I pulled a chair over to Nate’s bed and sat down. “Why can’t he consider a different way?”
“I’m sure he has regrets he’d never admit and it seems to have become a matter of pride now.”
I grimaced at the continual air noises coming from Nate’s respirator. My throat tensed too much. Trying to relax, I took a deep breath.
“So much has happened to you these past few days.” Clare took a dataviewer off the counter and a stack of data chips. “You need to get back to normal life. For one you missed your exams, but thankfully the dean agreed to let you take them next week.”
Study? My mind was a million kilometers away from school.
“Also,” Clare continued. “Don’t forget what Beacon wants. You get those visions and you’ll get back in his favor.”
Like I even cared.
“I know how you feel. I’m under pressure to save Nate, but . . . .” She stopped and looked back at her computer along the wall. She shook her head. “He’s asking the impossible.”
I didn’t want her to say that.
She went to her holo and tapped a key to bring it out of sleep mode. A holographic image of a brain materialized above the desk. “This is a scan of Nate’s brain.”
Only a few areas of it lit up in blue, red or yellow and only once about every thirty seconds.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to give you false hope,” she said. “Someone with this much brain damage just doesn’t come back to life.” She touched my shoulders. “Only his body is alive.”
I took in a shaky breath. “I know, I can’t sense him.” If only I could’ve gotten along better with him, before this happened.
She touched my cheek with her wrinkled hand. “It’s not your fault.”
Even though I didn’t believe her, it somehow made me feel a tad better. “Thanks for being honest with me.”
“Go get some more sleep and perhaps when you wake you’ll be ready to study.”
I went back to my room, turned off the light and got in bed. Kayla was probably in that hydroponics room grieving for Layne. Still, I found it hard not to imagine being with her, even though I knew it could never be. I pulled the cover up and drifted off to sleep.
****
A soft white light spread before me. Colors merged with the light and formed a thick wooded area around me. Streaks of light flowed down through the few openings in the tall canopy of trees. Pink and yellow wild flowers grew along the leaf-covered ground. I stood on a trail, wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
Birds chirped in the distance. I wondered if this was Earth.
“Ian!” shouted Nate from beyond a brush covered hill.
“Nate?” I spun around and looked everywhere, but couldn’t see him.
He continued to call for me. I ran in the direction of his voice, bashed through the brush and almost tripped a few times. I reached the top of the hill. Below, a long beach of white sand bordered a lake so large I couldn't see the other side.
Nate struggled in the choppy water and waved one hand. “Over here, I’m trapped.”
“I’m coming!” I charged forward. My ankle snagged on a thick vine. I tripped and rolled down the hill onto the soft sand.
I jumped up and ran toward the water. My best friend’s arms slowed as he tried to keep his head up. A series of three big waves headed toward him. I plunged into the water, expecting to feel cold, but there was no change in temperature. It didn’t feel like water, but it had a force to it. I swam hard against a strong current.
The waves rushed over Nate and blocked my view. They crashed into me, knocking the wind out of me, but I managed to stay on top of them. The current pushed me back onto the beach. I coughed and sat up, trying to see Nate in the swirling water.
“Nate!” My voice echoed across the lake.
The waves settled and turned dark. The sandy beach dissolved into the water. The vision. It’s going.
My heart raced with panic. I couldn’t get it back and gripped the sides of the bed while my eyes darted around the room. A racing heart made my temples pound. The clock read three in the morning. Light from a small lamp dimly lit the room. It was a dream.
I sat up and the room appeared to shift. “Nate?” I put each foot on the floor slowly, stood up and reached for the door to Nate’s room. My trembling hand touched the doorknob. Part of me didn’t want to open it. I held my breath and pulled the door open. N
ate sat in the center of the bed, wearing an elite uniform.
I stopped and gasped. “You’re okay?” I could fully sense his presence. The lifting of a massive burden made me feel light. I rushed over and hugged him.
“You have to leave Marscorp.” He patted me on the back, but his hand lightened to a point where I couldn’t feel it anymore.
The room flowed like the ocean. Nate’s face went expressionless. His body faded until I could see through it. This isn’t real.
The room dissolved into blackness. I awoke with a shout and covered my mouth. Dampness covered me, making my shirt stick to me. Nate’s door was shut.
Am I awake now? Finally? My mind is playing horrible tricks on me.
I wiped my hands across my damp face. My trembling foot touched the cold floor, causing a chill. The floor hadn’t felt cold before. My wound ached when I put weight on it. I stepped carefully to the metal door, turned the knob and peeked inside.
Nate’s bed was made and empty. The monitor glowed with only a blank screen. Nobody was here. I flinched and staggered backwards, bumping into the door. Calm down. Maybe he’s in surgery or something.
In the dream, the ocean had overwhelmed Nate. This wasn’t a good sign. I breathed heavily and tried to stop shaking.
I hurried back to bed, sat on the edge and pressed the intercom button for the nurse. “Where’s Nate?”
“I’m sorry,” said a quiet female voice. She took a long pause. “He-he died a few hours ago.”
A cold shock slammed through my body. I remained staring.
“Hello? Are you there? Ian?”
“He died?” I said, hoarsely.
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
My throat clenched as if someone stepped on it. Blood rushed into my face. I took a deep breath and shouted, “Where’s Dr. Clare?”
“I-I don’t know. She was in a meeting.”
“Get her, damn it!” I pounded my fist on the cement wall.
“Yes, sir.”
I punched the off button on the speaker and dropped onto the bed. In a burst of anger, I fought with the blankets, and they ended up on the floor.
The doorknob turned with a squeak. I flinched and stared at the door. Clare entered, turned on a small lamp next to me and sat on the edge of the bed.
“I heard the nurse told you about Nate.” Clare blinked with dark circles under her eyes.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“I couldn’t, Beacon called me to his office right after it happened.”
“How?” My voice cracked. “How can you want to be involved in this?”
Clare jumped up and paced near the bed. “We’re Marcs. What else can we do?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I could live out in the middle of nowhere the rest of my life.”
She paused. “Don’t be ridiculous. Have you ever heard of anyone leaving Marscorp?”
“Ah, no.”
“Even if you could leave, it wouldn’t make any difference. Why risk your life by trying to leave? The strong survive here.” Clare continued - her face thinner and paler than usual. “You’re upset over Nate, but believe me it will pass in time.”
I didn’t believe it would ever pass. “I’m not going back to it.” I snapped and brooded at her.
“Ian, please, I’ve had a bad day.” Clare’s legs buckled. She tipped toward the chair before the desk.
I jumped out of bed, grabbed her and directed her over to the bed. Clare wiped her brow with the sleeve of her white lab coat, her hand trembling.
“They’re working you to death.”
“I’m okay,” she said softly.
“You need rest.” I helped her over to the pillow. “Lie down right here.”
Clare didn’t protest. I sat by her and didn’t say anything, not wanting to upset her further. I covered her with the blanket. In a few minutes, she slept soundly.
I went into the next room and sat in the chair by Clare’s computer, trying to think of a way to leave Marscorp. No matter what I came up with, the only option was finding a remote organization far from Marscorp. Maybe the small groups had no future, but after what I did to Kayla my future didn’t matter. I needed an escape route. Wanting to look at flight information, I tapped a key on Clare’s holo to wake it up.
Again, that 3D image of Nate’s brain appeared and rotated above the desk. Clare had added descriptions for sections of the brain, such as memory, emotion, and different body functions. Clare had tried so hard to save him.
I didn’t want to wake her by using voice commands, so I used the keyboard to close the image and brought up flight information at the major terminal.
As I scrolled through the available flights to our few allies, it occurred to me that every time I boarded a vessel they would do a retina scan. My elite status would get me on the flight, but Beacon would also be able to track me. It wouldn’t be difficult for Beacon to radio ahead and have security waiting. I tapped my foot nervously. Clare was right about the difficulties.
Tears over Nate crept into my eyes again. I shook my head, got up and went down the hall to the desk where one woman sat. “Excuse me, Nate Forshay was my friend. Would it be possible for me to see him one last time?”
She turned to me with big eyes. “I’m so sorry, but he’s already been cremated.”
“What?” My voice rose angrily.
“They needed his organs badly for other patients. When a patient dies, they don’t wait long to do the cremation.” She tilted her head and blinked.
I turned and grumbled down the hall. Does everything have to be nothing more than a resource to the Marcs – even human organs?
Chapter 11
After two weeks of scrubbing bathrooms at the medical facility, they allowed me to go back home.
Late at night in my dark room, I watched the numbers change on my bedside clock. Damn, 0230 hours and I can't even close my eyes. When I rolled over and faced the opposite wall, the darkness only served as a screen on which the events played over and over. As I closed my eyes, I saw Layne straining to breathe, his body covered in blood as the medic tried to save him.
What-ifs chased each other through my mind with no sign of slowing down. Beacon would wonder why I hadn’t had a vision for him. What will I do then?
I turned on the holo. The projection needles sparkled as an image of my inbox on a flat screen appeared above the holo. I glanced at Nate’s name in my call log at the bottom left corner of the screen. Out of habit, I nudged my hand toward his name, but stopped.
I’m trapped here with no other purpose, but to be used for killing.
Uneasiness built inside of me. I took some deep breaths, trying to get it to go away, but it only increased. My fists tightened and heat rose into my face.
He uses me for his own power.
I stood up and in one swipe knocked down a shelf full of model midranges and hovercrafts. Most of them tumbled to the floor thudding as they fell on the carpet. One of them hit the side of the desk, making a loud clank before it settled on the floor.
I eyed the door, wondering if I’d woken up Clare, although her room was on the other side of the house. I wiped cold sweat from my forehead.
After a moment, I picked up one of the model ships from the floor and considered changing my identity and flying myself to another organization.
I brought up the database for Marc vessels and adjusted the holo to display the different models in the middle of the room. The first one, a small hovercraft, rotated slowly for easy viewing of all sides. I continued to select different ones, trying to find something I could modify enough that would allow me to live in it for at least a few days if necessary. Nobody would find it odd if I requested a new hovercraft, seeing as mine had been destroyed in the battle.
I paused at a small metallic blue hovercraft. With some work the fuel tank could be replaced with a larger one. I filled out the necessary forms and submitted them. The ship slowly rotated.
As I waited, I decided not to tell Clare I was still
trying to find a way out. She made it clear she was against defecting, and unlike me, her abilities saved lives. I would go live somewhere remote and never let anyone know about my visions.
Unauthorized request.
“Crap!” I swung my fist at the desk, but stopped an inch before hitting it.
Beacon had changed my security clearance. I’d never get past the border patrol. I kicked one of my soccer balls around. With no ideas left, I decided to go for a walk.
I got dressed and headed down the stairs. Thanks to Clare my leg was almost healed. Her voice came from the study. Around the corner, Beacon’s holographic image floated near Clare. The sight of the admiral left a bitter taste in my mouth. I stayed out of view and listened.
“Dr. Clare,” Beacon said, irritated, “it’s been a few weeks. Where is my report about Ian’s visions?”
“Sorry, but he has post traumatic stress.”
“Then give him some medication for it,” Beacon snapped, impatiently.
“Medication is a complicated thing with him. It can greatly distort his visions and we might get inaccurate results.”
I sat on the stair steps rubbing my damp hands. Clare’s stalling wasn’t going to work.
Beacon rambled on. “First he sneaks out into battle, then he questions me at the meeting and now he won’t have visions? The problem is simple – he’s spoiled. I didn’t punish him enough.”
Clare cleared her voice. “But sir, he has been through so much. He’s still in shock over Nate.”
“He’s weak and it’s my fault. I’ve made life too easy for him. Let’s see if some hard work gets those visions going again.”
“Work? What sort of work?” She sounded appalled by the idea.
“He’ll find a new appreciation for my generosity if he spends a month doing menial labor.”
“Menial labor?” Clare’s voice squeaked. “Do you mean - send him to a factory?”
“Yes, get him started this week.”
“Putting him suddenly in an entirely different environment would cause his post traumatic stress to increase severely. You could ruin him as a seer.”