by Mark Lingane
“I’ll place it in one of these three boxes. I want you to sense which one it’s in.”
Sebastian doodled away, drawing dragons, while Oliver shuffled the boxes around.
“Pick one,” Oliver said.
Sebastian glanced up at the three aligned containers then focused back on his drawing. He had a vague but incessant feeling about its location. “Right,” he whispered.
Gavin pointed to the middle one.
Oliver picked it up and opened it. It was empty. He then opened the left container. It too was empty. The one on the right revealed the battery.
“Well done, Gavin, you were very close. The field is so small it’s amazing you can detect it at all.”
“I reckon you got lucky with that one,” hissed Isaac at Sebastian. “Gavin wasn’t too far off.”
Sebastian gave him a sideways glance. “Statistically, he’ll always be close if he picks the middle one. It’s either going to be the center one, or one on either side. He’s got a one in three chance of getting it right, and a two in three chance of getting close. We all have the same chance. Do you like my dragon?”
Oliver had set up another round of the experiment.
“Left,” hissed Sebastian as the strange feeling crept over him.
Gavin chose the middle one.
“So close, Gavin, so close,” Oliver said. “You’re showing an adept skill at sensing.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “What’s the point of this?” he hissed to Isaac.
“Did you want to say something, Sebastian?” said Oliver.
“Er, I was saying to Isaac here … how amazing Gavin’s talents are.” He paused and thought back over his statement. “Yeah.”
“That’s more like the attitude you should have. Far more grown up.”
Sebastian went back to his drawing. Gavin returned to his seat, exhausted from the effort of prolonged awesomeness, and Oliver droned on with the rest of the lesson. And it went on for hours.
A tired fly buzzed across the room and landed on the edge of Sebastian’s desk. He watched it crawl all the way across, then slowly buzz off into the air and repeatedly crash into the window.
Finally, after what seemed like a month, the school bell rang. With lightning speed, the boys who appeared to be asleep moments before had collected their belongings and dashed out the door.
“Lunch,” said Isaac.
The two gathered up their own materials and made their way out, as Oliver began to pack up his own things.
“Sebastian, I told you to see me after the class.”
“That is what you said. But I don’t like the way this place is being run. I’m going to complain to Nikola.”
Isaac gasped, grabbed his arm, and hurried him out the door, closing it quickly. They could hear the ranting of Oliver from the other side.
Isaac turned on Sebastian. “What’s the matter with you? You can’t say that to the teacher.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not respectful. You need to be respectful to adults.”
“My mother used to say we should all respect one another, and Mr. Stephenson wasn’t respecting anyone other than Gavin.”
“Let’s get out of here before he comes after us.” Isaac turned and they headed down the stairs.
“Maybe he should have left me in the cells,” Sebastian said.
“The cells?” Isaac spluttered. He paused halfway down the staircase. “What were you doing in the cells? What kind of person are you? Forget it, I don’t want to know.” He continued on his way into the food hall.
“I wasn’t in the cells. Well, I was, but not for any illegal reason.” Sebastian paused and rethought his statement. “I hadn’t done anything wrong. I just wanted to get a friend out and things got confused. The guard got upset and wanted to shout.”
“Mr. Floater? You got Mr. Floater angry? That’s a lifetime of grief. There’s a lot about you I’m not sure I want to know. Yet …”
“Let’s eat. Things won’t be so bad after that.”
They entered the hustle and bustle of Mrs. Wasp’s domain and searched for an empty bench.
Isaac shook his head. “You really have a lot to learn about the food hall. I’ve got a better idea.”
Sebastian and Isaac laughed as the man shouted after them. They ran down the alley and into the main street toward the eastern gate and disappeared into the crowd. Isaac threw an apple to Sebastian as they entered the city center.
“This is proper food,” Isaac called out.
“How can you run so fast? You’re like a machine. You don’t even look tired.”
“Forged from steel,” he smiled, as he banged his fist on his chest.
“Sure you weren’t stolen from a forge? Where are we?”
“City center. Cool, isn’t it?”
Sebastian glanced up at the tall buildings surrounding the expansive square. A large, black statue of a man dominated the center. The surrounding buildings seemed to face it. This was the center. Someone had said this point is important. He wondered why.
Sebastian found himself drawn to the immense carving. As he approached, he felt something lash out, stinging deeply into his brain. The feeling of falling overcame him. He slowly turned and faced a tall, round building, clearly the oldest in the square, set next to Old Benjamin the clock tower. Sebastian stepped toward it and his vision went white.
And his world was outlined as if sketched. The lines swirled and new images flowed over him.
His mother, falling cities, desolate plains, dragons, green people with razor-sharp teeth. The images tore apart and he was left with the feeling of loss. A final image landed before him, a warrior in red armor walking into the light.
And a man whispered, “Sorry.”
“Hey. What’s up?” Isaac’s voice floated in through the mental fog. The images faded away to be replaced by Isaac’s face.
“What?” Sebastian snapped out of his trance.
“You went all weird staring at the Potenza tower. Well, weirder than usual.”
“I … er … the … um. It’s.” He pointed vaguely toward the tower. “I feel …”
Something had changed. Every time he blinked, he could see the world, white lines outlining it against the black backdrop. But the image that haunted him, more than his mother, was the red warrior.
“I’m glad we’ve cleared that up.”
“Can’t you feel it?” He prodded his forehead with his fingertips.
“What?”
“The air feels … spiky.”
“Whatever. You’re probably not used to city air. Let’s get to the station.”
Isaac led Sebastian through the winding alleys toward the east. Angry words were whispered by those loitering in the streets, who suspiciously watched them pass by. He could feel the negative sentiment, although Isaac was oblivious to the comments. Heavy industry lined the streets here. Big buildings constructing big things by serious and big men, who toiled away in the heat, drenched in sweat and dirt. Great brass chimneys rose into the skyline, pouring out white steam as heavy hammers pounded on freshly poured molten steel. Gusts of hot air blew out from the doors of each building as the boys ran past. They entered the quadrangle. The enormous eastern gates were shut, with several sentries patrolling the base and above, along the great wall. Massive beams barring the exit were secured into place by a cog three yards in diameter, attached to pistons measuring eight yards high. Teams of horses pulling heavy carts with contents lashed under dirty sheets queued in a haphazard line awaiting departure authorization. Isaac pointed over to the right to a building that dominated the square. It took up the whole of the square, massive beyond any building he had ever seen.
On the front, an arch stretched across three dozen yards between two thick pillars. Six carvings of men and women wearing, what appeared to Sebastian, sheets and helmets. Each clasped a weapon—sword, knife, or spear. A large clock sat above them, indicating twelve thirty. A wall of glass was inset into the arch, allowing the su
n to spill in and illuminate the expansive floor. Its scale was beyond the New Toowoomba station and took his breath away.
“Quick; I’ve got to get back to school,” Isaac said.
Sebastian ran up to the first of a row of windows “I need a ticket to Toowoomba.”
“Express is shut down,” replied the ancient man.
“I know. There must be another way. Via another town?”
“Can’t. Passenger lines are down out south. Only train going is freight.”
“Can I get a ticket on one of them?”
“No. They are freight trains. Not for passengers.”
“I’ll pay.”
“There are no seats. It is a freight train.”
“I’ll pay double.”
“Are you listening? Push off; you’re delaying real customers.”
“Hey, I am a real customer.”
Isaac grabbed Sebastian’s elbow and pulled him aside. “Leave him; I’ve got an idea.”
Isaac made his way across the shiny floor, ducking around the workers and traders. Although the number of trains entering had been reduced, the station still buzzed with activity. The inside reflected the external facade and the huge clock took pride of center, with the internal workings surrounded in a large stone column five yards square. Isaac knocked on a low-set hatch, which opened to reveal a young, slight girl with strawberry-blonde hair in long ringlets. She had a dirty face and was smoking a cigarette.
“Oh, Penny, is he in?”
The girl looked Sebastian up and down as she leaned casually against the wall. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Sebastian.”
Sebastian waved. Penny gave him a smile and a stare that made him feel uncomfortable.
“What’s up?”
“We need to talk to him. Sebastian needs to get on a train.”
“Leaving so soon? Shame.” She puffed lightly on her cigarette. “He’s on four.”
She stepped aside, allowing them into the column’s interior. The room was full of metal buckets containing sweet red roses, tied in pairs. Above them for several stories loomed massive cogs, ponderously clicking clockwise every second, surrounded by a wooden staircase running around the edge of the room.
“Come by and have a chat sometime.” She puffed on her cigarette and let the smoke out slowly.
Isaac dragged Sebastian to the stairs, rapidly rounding the turns until they arrived at a landing that occupied half the floor.
“Steps,” Sebastian gasped. “Too many.”
The rough, pale wood creaked underfoot as they made their way to a young boy, sitting at a plain desk, with short, dark hair and the most dazzling blue eyes Sebastian had ever seen.
“Hugo, amigo! He knows all the secret places around town.”
“Isaac, it’s been a while. You don’t like us anymore? Or have they got you locked up good and tight?” Hugo replied.
“Hey, you know how it is. I’m my own man. Busy, busy, busy. Yeah, free as a bird.” He laughed nervously.
Hugo smiled and nodded, and continued to draw. To Sebastian, the picture was a bit rubbish. A rocket was sticking out of the moon. Then he felt it. Sebastian glanced over to Isaac.
“Hugo. Hugo. Stop drawing. Listen, my friend here wants to get to Toowoomba.”
He didn’t put down the pencil. “The express line is closed.”
“You’re a tesla,” Sebastian said.
Hugo stopped his drawing and carefully placed his pencil on the table. He slowly raised his piercing blue eyes and stared directly at Sebastian.
“Why are you hiding here?” Sebastian asked.
“There have been … situations. I’d rather not be associated with them.”
“But you are one of them. I can sense it.”
“That is interesting; no one else can. Take it from me, these are dangerous times for teslas.”
“This is all fine and well,” Isaac interjected, “but I’m on limited time. People to go, places to see. Hugo, the trains?”
“North central line has been disrupted.”
“How do you know?” Sebastian said.
“They send signals along the rail lines by tapping on the metal.” Isaac tapped his ear. “Special listening devices. Hugo nicked one from some mad scientist.”
Sebastian looked at the young boy. Hugo couldn’t have been much older than he was. “No. The sound wouldn’t travel far enough. You send electromagnetic signals down the lines.”
“How do you do that?” Isaac said, he being the one who didn’t understand this time.
“I advise you once again, that these are dangerous times for teslas. All teslas,” he said flatly as he stared at Sebastian.
“Yeah, okay,” Isaac said. “Aren’t we the lucky ones. Whatever. Trains.”
“No passenger trains are heading south.”
“What about freight trains?”
“Passengers aren’t allowed on freight trains,” Hugo said.
“Yeah, the ticket guy said,” Isaac said.
“So where does the train driver sleep?”
“Eh?”
“Trains have shift crews. One driver cannot take the train all the way. He needs to rest. So where does he sleep?”
“Ah, I can get a ticket for the crew section?” Sebastian said.
“No. But you can stow away.”
“Isn’t that illegal?”
“How desperately do you want to go?” Hugo said.
Sebastian sighed. “Okay, how do I get to Toowoomba by freight train?”
“Take the C train from here, then change at Quilpie. Bourke—”
“Bourke. That’s not even in the same country,” Isaac said.
“—Dubbo, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Warwick. Toowoomba,” Hugo finished.
“Tamworth!”
“How long will that take?” Sebastian said.
“Two weeks if you can get the connections.”
“Two weeks! When is it leaving?”
Hugo glanced up at the towering clock face above. “Now.”
“Oh, typical.”
On queue, the train blasted its horn.
“You sure you want to go?” Isaac blurted to Sebastian.
“Of course.”
“I owe you, Hugo,” Isaac shouted, as they turned and ran down the stairs. They pushed out through the hatch, shouting a hurried goodbye to Penny, then over toward the trains. The commercial area was separated from the passenger platforms, in a warehouse that allowed easy access to the industrial sector. Security guards patrolled the interior, as men with trolleys maneuvered cargo onto the backs of stationary carriages. Isaac pointed over to an enormous letter C hanging from the roof at the exit. The train was already pulling out of the station. They jumped off the platform onto the sleepers and ran after it. Large stones covered the ground, and Sebastian fought for balance as he sprinted after the train. Isaac had no problem catching up and pointed to the ladder welded to the crew’s carriage.
“Come on, Sebastian. It’s here,” he said, urging his friend along.
In the end, Sebastian couldn’t get the speed and gave up. The train accelerated and steamed away.
“I couldn’t,” he wheezed as he pointed over his shoulder. “It was that I …” he fought for breath. “Nearly tripped. Hate running.”
Isaac laughed.
Sebastian gave up and shook his head. “Too fast.” He gasped for air.
“Looks like you’re with us for a while longer.”
Sebastian kicked a rock in frustration, which turned out to be the top of a buried stake. He hopped around clutching his foot.
From behind, one of the security guards shouted and ran out after them. A panel opened at the end of the platform and Penny beckoned them over. They scampered and ducked through the small opening under the platform. Penny pulled the panel closed, leaving them squatting in near darkness in the cramped space, listening for the footsteps of the guard stomping over them. Sebastian could feel her squeezing in right next to him.
“Those favors are beginning to tally up,” she said. Her voice seemed lower than before and right next to his ear.
“You want us to buy some rose petals?” He tried to swallow, but his throat was dry from his run.
“I’d prefer them pressed,” she whispered.
15
ISAAC AND SEBASTIAN had survived the lunch ordeal and now rested outside in the schoolyard getting their breath back. The school boys moped around the small courtyard, basking in their last moments of sunshine before class.
“Sorry you didn’t get your ride.”
Sebastian shrugged. “I’ll get there in the end.”
“How did you know he was a tesla?”
“Who, Hugo? He puts out a small charge. Gavin does the same.”
Isaac was hesitant, “Do I?”
Sebastian glanced over at him. He didn’t have the heart to tell. “Yes. Just like the others.”
“That’s all right then. You know it’s one of those things you always worry about because it gets competitive.”
“What happened? Why is he hiding? Are there others?”
Isaac sighed. “A while back, someone started to say we were somehow related to the cyborgs because we’re different. Big joke, right? But a lot of people bought it. It got a bit tense and there was violence and stuff. A whole bunch of the teslas just ran away.”
“Is Penny one?”
“Of course not. Girls can’t be teslas.”
“Why not?”
“Because they’re girls.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good reason. I definitely wouldn’t tell Melanie that.”
“Who’s Melanie?”
The school bell rang and they made their way back into the yard. Sebastian’s heart sank as he realized the chances of getting quickly to his mother were slipping through his fingers. Unable to concentrate, the day played out in a haze as the lessons wafted over his head. He even turned in without dinner.
The next day, he woke in a better frame of mind. Today, he decided, was going to be a good day. He was going to be positive, and in true spirit, the morning lessons positively crawled by. Questions involving numbers and, Sebastian was certain, lucky guessing from Gavin filled in the minutes that felt like hours. He could see he had some ability, like Hugo, but he didn’t seem to know how to use it.