by Tina Chan
“The small dun horse is mine,” Chelsa said.
Jaiden surveyed the remaining mounts. “I’ll take the brown thoroughbred with the white stockings.”
“Ghost!” Chelsa yelped. “Where is he?”
“He’s probably just hiding nearby,” Jaiden said. “I don’t think he was left behind. He’s a smart leopard.”
“But everything was so chaotic Ghost might’ve missed us leaving on the droid-horses!” Chelsa sounded hysterical. “I can’t lose Ghost—he’s all I have left of Alex.”
“Alex?” Jaiden asked. “Who is he?”
Chelsa didn’t hear him, though, and continued rattling on. “What if the bandits got Ghost? What if Ghost thought we went to Launceston? What if a bear attacked Ghost?”
“Chelsa, get yourself together,” Kristi said, placing a firm hand on the distraught girl’s shoulder. “Ghost is fine. He’s a tough leopard. Don’t worry about him.”
She picked up the reins of three droid-horses from Chelsa’s slack hands and handed them to Jaiden, then grabbed the rest of the horses and started walking to Oxfield.
Chelsa straightened her back. “I don’t know what came over me. Sorry guys, I didn’t mean to freak out.” When neither Jaiden nor Kristi answered her, she said, “Really, I’m done freaking out. Ghost knows how to survive in the wild and I know he can locate us by following our scent.”
“I have never seen you lose your marbles the way you did today,” was all Kristi said.
“Who’s Alex?” Jaiden repeated his question later on that day. They passed underneath the stone arch proclaiming they were now officially in Oxfield.
“He was a friend of mine,” Chelsa said. “A very close friend.”
“He was your friend?” Jaiden asked.
Chelsa closed her eyes. “He died about a month ago.” A single tear leaked out from the corner of her eye. “Oh God, I’m losing it again for the second time in a day. This must be some sort of emotional breakdown record for me.”
Jaiden brushed away Chelsa’s halfhearted attempt at a joke. “It’s okay to cry once in a while. Let out your feelings if you want; don’t hold it all inside you.”
Kristi attempted to lighten up the mood, “What are you, Jaiden, a therapist?”
“You don’t understand,” Chelsa said. “I killed Alex.”
chapter sixteen
[ Troop ]
“What would you like to buy?” The bakery girl shifted her weight from her right foot to her left foot.
“I would like a loaf of carrot bread,” Troop said. He was pretty sure “carrot bread” was this week’s password. Or maybe it was chestnut muffins? Oh well, I’ll find out soon enough.
“Hold on a second.” The girl left her position and hollered into the kitchen, “Mr. Vikens, someone needs you.”
So he had remembered the correct password. Mr. Vikens, the tutor provided by the Company, emerged from the kitchen wearing a flour-dusted apron.
“Thank you, Layla. I’ll take it from here,” Mr. Vikens said to the girl. “Troop, meet me in the cellar. I’ll be down there in a few minutes.”
He nodded and headed downstairs. The bakery cellar was located directly beneath the kitchen. The carpeted stairs muffled Troop’s already quiet footsteps to a dead silence; the overhanging lights cast a welcoming glow when he flicked them on.
Troop dropped his bag on the couch and surveyed the cellar; for an unknown reason, something felt off about the room. The tall, magnolia bookshelves were still in the same position, books neatly organized on them by alphabetical order. The smart-glass desk with two wheelie chairs were still as they were from last time. Yet Troop couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was out of place…
Scanning the room once more, he finally spotted the culprit. Someone had left open a hardcover book on a black wheelie chair. Troop flipped the book over, reading the text on the opened page.
“No one ever told her it was impossible.
So she did it.”
“The 1000 Quotes. That’s a good book,” said Mr. Vikens in his deep voice.
“Sorry.” Troop fumbled, dropping the book onto the desk. “I didn’t mean to pry. Were you reading it?”
“No. Layla must have been, though.”
“She knows about your cache of books?”
“Don’t worry, she’s trustworthy. She works part time for the Company,” said Mr. Vikens.
“I see.”
“Your mom landed her the job with the Company.” Vikens clapped his hands together. “Alright, ready to begin today’s lesson?”
“Yeah.” Troop seated himself and waited for Vikens to introduce today’s topic.
“Good. We’ll be covering the Civil War II. First, tell me what you already know of it then we’ll move on from there.”
“Well, it was a war fought between the East and the West Region. The East wanted to make it a requirement for all citizens to be Perfected. However, the West felt that undergoing the procedure should be left up to free will.” He picked at his brain, but that was all he could come up with.
Vikens grunted. “It’s a start. Not a phenomenal one, but a start nevertheless.”
Troop bit the inside of his cheeks. It was next-to-impossible to impress Vikens.
Vikens handed him a list titled “50 Civil War II Facts and Key points” then said, “I’ll give you three minutes to memorize this, starting…now.”
Troop skimmed the list, starting from the top:
1. Started in 2075
2. Ended in 2078
3. Porter Salders led the East Army
4. Joseph Smilton led the West Army
His eyes sped over the words, devouring them like an inferno devouring a haystack. He soon reached the bottom of the list:
47) The Battle of Fox Crossing was the turning point of the Civil War II
48) Joseph Smilton was kidnapped by the East Region on July 5, 2078
49) However, the West Region Army was winning the majority of the battles
50) A compromise was formed between the two sides: Smilton would be released unharmed but the Government would make a law requiring all planned infants to be Perfected
“Time’s up.” Vikens plucked the list out of Troop’s hand. “Start reciting.”
“Do they need to be in order?”
“Ideally, yes, but it’s okay if they’re not.”
Troop closed his eyes and started listing the facts out loud; he always found it easier to recite with his eyes closed. After listing forty-eight facts, his mind drew a blank. “Uh…”
Vikens tapped his pen to a staccato beat on the glass desk.
“That’s all I can remember,” Troop said.
A look of disappointment crossed Mr. Vikens face. “That’s not good enough.”
“Forty-eight out of fifty isn’t terrible,” Troop said before he could stop himself.
“No, it’s not,” Vikens agreed. “But it’s still not good enough. You need to be a perfect Perfect—unless you want what happened at your last school to happen again.”
Troop lowered his eyes, afraid he might’ve been too forward with his earlier words. “Yes, sir. Give me another chance. I won’t let you down.”
Vikens pulled out another piece of paper from his folder and passed it to him. “Let’s try again. Fifty Facts about the Formation of the New Countries. Time starts now.”
“The hack was a success,” said Jack. “I changed Tompkins’ grades as you requested. I only boosted them a few points though—didn’t want to make it look suspicious.”
“Nice work,” Troop praised.
“I also raised a few other members’ grades a point here and there.”
“Did you try to raise mine as well?”
Jack paused, not sure if Troop was asking him a trick question or not. Troop had made it clear to everyone not to delve into his private information.
“No,” said Jack after a second’s hesitation. “I didn’t try to change your grades. I could if you want me to. Just giv
e me the word and I will.”
He brushed Jack’s offer away. “No need. My grades are fine the way they are.”
“Troop! A word with you,” Bruno called across the school courtyard.
“Later,” said Troop to Jack.
Bruno waited for him beneath the shade of an elm tree. The shadows cast by the branches upon Bruno’s face gave him a twisted, sinister look.
“What do you want?” Troop asked.
“You moved here a few years ago.”
“I thought you already knew that.”
“Why?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Your profile’s blocked,” said Bruno.
“What are you talking about?”
Bruno continued on as if he hadn’t heard him. “I couldn’t access your school records even after Jack disabled the network security system. I could access everyone’s records but yours.”
Troop grew stone cold. “And why, Bruno, were you trying to get into my records?” His voice could’ve froze boiling water on the spot. “You know better than that.”
“I was curious. I wanted to know why all your information is classified—ID number, past school records, your address—”
“Curiosity killed the cat.”
Bruno gave Troop a suspicious squint. “There’s something going on here. I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’m going to find out if it’s the last thing I do.”
“I simply prefer not to share my personal information with the world,” said Troop.
“You’re hiding something.”
“I’m hiding something? What would I want to hide? You’re being ridiculous.”
“Maybe.” Bruno shoved his hands into his jean pockets. “But remember this: one misstep and I’ll be waiting to take your place at Ludus.”
“I don’t make mistakes,” said Troop. I’m perfect.
“We’ll see about that.”
“If you’re making a threat, Bruno, you may very well end up being the next target of VicDay.”
The corners of Bruno’s mouth lifted slightly. “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure. It wouldn’t be wise to target the heir of Ludus High—no matter how popular you are.”
“Was that a threat?”
Bruno shook his head. “No. Merely a warning. Consider yourself warned.”
Troop locked his glare onto Bruno’s icy blue eyes. Bruno held his gaze, but eventually lowered it. The first bell rang and the two boys went their separate ways.
Troop remained composed and in control on the outside, but on the inside he was shaking. No one could find out the truth about him.
chapter seventeen
[ Kristi ]
Kristi’s jaw dropped open. “What?” she asked, thinking, Am I seriously hearing Chelsa confess murder?
Jaiden pulled them behind a gardening shed for some privacy. Chelsa swiped away at her wet eyes.
“You heard right. I killed my boyfriend.” She swallowed and continued on. “And I live with the guilt everyday. Ghost is all I have left of him. Alex gave me Ghost when he was just a cub. He snuck Ghost out of the lab where he volunteered because they were going to exterminate him.”
Neither Jaiden nor Kristi could come up with a reply. One of the droid-horses nickered, reminding them that they were still around and getting edgy.
“Come on, let’s check in at an inn for tonight. We also need to find a stable for the horses,” Kristi finally said.
Chelsa numbly followed Jaiden and Kristi, allowing them to lead her to Quick Wink Inn. The innkeeper, a bored looking girl in her early twenties, showed them to their room then left.
“Jaiden, will you go find a place for our three droid-horses to spend the night? I’ll ask around for a droid-pet buyer and purchase some supplies as well.” Kristi turned around and pushed Chelsa back onto the bed when she tried to get up. “And you’re staying in this room for now.”
She picked up the electro-slate and went outside. Kristi untied the four horses to be sold from the hitching post. Looking up at the public news-screen, a picture of Jaiden and her declared to be wanted persons flashed by.
Even though the pictures displayed were taken before their haircuts, Kristi reminded herself to buy some hair dye as soon as possible. The newscaster appeared on news-screen. She displayed her pearly whites—Kristi supposed it was the reporter’s attempt at a smile—then said:
“Two sailors were found dead this morning behind a warehouse. The police aren’t sure how they died, but wounds suggest they were stabbed to death. Citizens should report to the authorities right away if they see any suspicious activity or know of any information regarding the two murders.”
The pictures of the murder victims appeared on the screen. Kristi stifled a small gasp; they were the same two travelers she had been eavesdropping at Troll’s Tavern.
Chelsa has killed another person before. And she saw those two sailors at the Troll’s Tavern as well. Kristi whipped her head back and forth, clearing her thoughts. I refuse to believe Chelsa murdered those two people. I bet it was that shady merchant who committed the crime. Yeah, that must be it.
She checked the time scrolling across the bottom of the news-screen. It was 5:47 p.m.; she still had a decent amount of time left before curfew. Spotting a sign advertising “Drake’s Droids”, she pushed open the door and entered the shop.
Droid-dogs barked in cages, droid-parrots recited the alphabet from their perches and droid-cats sauntered around the store. Schools of droid-guppies zipped around in the Plexiglas tank being displayed in the center of the shop, their neon light pulsing beneath their opaque scales.
“How may I help you?” asked the man standing behind the register.
“Do you buy droid-horses?” Kristi said. “I have a few that I am looking to sell.”
“I don’t deal with large droid-pets. However, George down the street deals with droid-horses.”
Kristi thanked the shop owner and left. She looked down the street and made out a sign with the words “Oxfield Stables” written on it. She grasped the droid-horses’ reins and guided them over to the stable.
A broad shouldered man was brushing a droid-horse. He didn’t look up when Kristi entered the barn; the grooming job absorbed his complete attention. She cleared her throat. He still didn’t notice her.
“Are you George?” she asked.
“That’s me. Is there anything I can do for you?” He stopped his cleaning and looked up.
“I have four droid-horses I need to sell. The owner of the droid-pet shop up the street said you deal with droid-horses.”
“I’ll buy droid-horses if the price is reasonable.”
“The horses are outside,” Kristi said.
“Alright, I’ll come take a look.” He led the droid-horse he was grooming into a stall then came outside where Kristi had tied the horses to the sign. “Nice droids. They all seem fairly new.”
He fondly scratched a brown horse beneath the jaw. Next, he gave each droid a quick look-over. “I’ll give you 1,000 points for the lot.”
Kristi wasn’t sure if 1,000 points was a good deal or not, but figured 1,000 seemed like a nice, even number.
She stuck out her hand. “Deal.”
He shook her hand then transferred the points onto Chelsa’s account. “Pleasure doing business with you.”
Her next stop was the general store, where she planned on picking up more food, camping supplies and hair dye. The general store’s glass door was heavier than it looked, and Kristi grunted with effort pushing it open. Inside, there were shelves filled with a wide assortment of items, ranging from edible gum to DIY solar-car kits.
Kristi obtained a hover-cart and started shoving dehydrated food into it, not paying attention to what was going into the cart. The hover-cart levitated a few inches above the floor, suspended by repelling magnets stuck on the bottom of the cart and magnetic tracks running beneath the linoleum floor.
“Are you cooking for an army or what?” asked a store employee wit
h a nametag reading: Hello, my name is SAMMY.
Kristi checked out the contents of the overflowing cart. Indeed, she could probably feed a small army with all the food she’d tossed in there. She started replacing some of the packages back onto the shelves. Sammy reached over and helped her.
“I’m going on a droid-horse trail ride that requires me to camp over night for a few days,” Kristi explained.
“You’ll probably be interested in this then,” Sammy said. She snitched a bottle off a shelf. “It’s a water bottle with built in ultraviolet filters that will make contaminated waters safe to drink. Saves you a lot of time from boiling water if you run out of purifying tablets.”
“How much for a water bottle?”
“Twenty points.”
That’ll be sixty points for three water bottles, Kristi thought. It’s not cheap, but hey, I have 1,000 points to spend. “I’ll take three of them.”
Sammy placed the bottles in Kristi’s cart. “Let me know if you need any more help.”
Kristi wandered to the hair section of the store and picked up a black dye, blonde dye and light red-brown dye. She couldn’t decide which color to choose for Jaiden and her, so she ended up placing all three dyes into the hover-cart.
Moving on, Kristi entered the outdoors section of the general store. She snagged a second-hand tent, two backpacks and three more sleeping bags since the bandits had stolen theirs.
Something round and shiny being displayed behind a glass counter grabbed her eyes. She walked closer to the object, still not sure what it was. The thing was made of two circular pieces of metal hinged together. One of the circles contained a cross-like symbol.
“That’s a compass,” Sammy said, seeing Kristi’s interest with the object. “I think it still works. It’s usually antique collectors who purchase old artifacts like this.”
“What does a compass do?”
“Tells you which way the direction east lies…or maybe it was north. Nobody uses compasses anymore though, when you can just use UnivMaps.”
“I’ll take the compass.” Kristi’s tongue blundered through the unfamiliar word.