The Perfect Outcast

by Melissa O. Hansen

  “I remember him!” Rex exclaimed. “Sampson gave some strange excuse for his disappearance.”

  “I’m sure he did. Lance was valuable to Sampson, and no one suspected he was conspiring against him. Even Camden thought him loyal to Pria because he took no part in the resistance there.”

  “How did he get here?”

  “He volunteered for a secret mission to find the hidden portal in the Blue Forest. Sampson wanted a way to enter and return so he could control both worlds better. Lance was one of Pria’s best scientists and worked for two hundred years in the laboratories. But after entering Carthem, he joined the resistance and established the security around Stormport. He’s a genius. Sampson is aware of this treason, so you can imagine his anger, but none of his attempts to penetrate Stormport have succeeded.”

  “How did you ever function without Lance?” Rex asked.

  “I’ve often asked the same question. But Carthem wasn’t as dangerous before he came here. After Alina was born and Lance left Pria, then Sampson, in his anger, became aggressive about matters in Carthem.”

  Alina asked, “Are there other cities besides Stormport and Jaden?”

  “No, Carthem is sparsely populated. We have a few people who come from Pria, but most are descendants of survivors from the Last Great War. So, the population grows slowly. Jaden is equipped with the same security as Stormport, which keeps them safe from Prian dangers. Most of our population lives in these two cities, but there are a few smaller towns as well.”

  “Are there any wild savages?” Alina asked, thinking about what she’d been taught in school.

  Baylor chuckled. “There are some distant towns, I hear, where the people live without electricity or modern conveniences. We don’t travel much because the wilderness is so dangerous. The nearest settlements are all similar to ours, minus the extra security. In time, we hope to implement this security in all of our towns, but it’s expensive and the resources hard to come by. If we could explore Carthem we could find all we need, but Sampson has kept the wilderness deadly to stop this kind of progress. You’ll find his iron hand squeezes us tightly here, which is why overthrowing him is our top priority.”

  “Let’s get moving, then!” Rex said, slapping his good leg. “Will Jade’s surgery take long?”

  “After the operation, it’ll take a week before she’s fully recovered. There have been some repercussions in previous surgeries, when the brain did not heal properly. But after five days she should be out of danger.”

  A rock formed in Alina’s stomach. “Do those repercussions happen often?”

  “You know, I’m not the one to ask. You can visit her and talk with Dr. Scott tomorrow. He’s too busy today. We have rooms for you to stay in, and food and donated clothing, but we expect you to work and contribute while you’re here. Many people fresh from Pria become helpless and depressed. Mortality is overwhelming for them, so they curl up in a ball and shut down. It’s expected every newcomer will go through this, so we have counseling for it. We call it ‘mortal shock syndrome.’ I personally believe the best antidote for it is work.”

  Baylor led them from the room and Rex leaned on Alina’s shoulder as he limped down the hallway to the foyer. Baylor raised his palm. “Wait here while I see if your rooms are ready for you.” He walked to the woman behind the front desk.

  Alina helped Rex settle into an armchair, then strolled over to the sprawling glass window. She recoiled as a small creature with eight legs skittered across the floor in front of her. She’d seen similar creatures in the woods when they traveled from the portal, but they were outside. Could those creepy things get inside buildings? Or bedrooms? Even beds? She shuddered and walked to the other end of the window.

  The cars fascinated her. Round wheels spinning over the ground seemed such a slow, inefficient way to get somewhere. At times, people walking on the sidewalks moved faster. Unsightly brown and white spots covered most of the cars’ doors and roofs, and they rattled and screeched as if they might malfunction at any moment.

  A young man walked past the window and Alina gasped as she noticed bright red bumps sprinkled over his face. The bumps are normal!

  He caught her staring at him and halted, his eyes widening. She felt a kinship to him, so she smiled.

  His jaw dropped, then he shut his mouth and hustled on, blushing up to his ears. He glanced back at her as he walked away.

  Alina crossed her arms and rubbed her jaw with her fingers. She must look different, because she’d never caught a boy’s eye like that before.

  “We’re ready for you,” Baylor called to Alina. She hurried to help Rex out of his chair, and they hobbled after Baylor to the elevator. They went up three stories to a quiet floor, where Baylor unlocked one of the doors and nodded to Alina.

  “This is your room. Rex will be next door. Food will be brought up shortly, and feel free to call the front desk if you need anything else. They know you’re here. Although, they don’t know Alina is here.” He grinned.

  “Please don’t spread the word yet,” Rex said. “I think we should keep her identity concealed until I consult with Camden.”

  Baylor nodded. “That’s wise. I’ll certainly keep her secret.” He glanced between both of them and smiled. “I’m honored to meet you. My father was expelled from Pria, and he carried a deep loathing for Sampson until the end of his life. I honor him by working to overthrow Sampson.”

  “Who was your father?” asked Rex.

  “Xavier.”

  Rex smiled softly. “Camden told me of him. They were close friends in Pria. I hope they shared some time here before he died.”

  “A little. His life was cut shorter than it should’ve been, but he accomplished a lot during his time.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Baylor. Thanks for your help.”

  “Always.”

  Rex hobbled with Alina into her room. She shut the door and looked around. “This isn’t bad,” Alina noted. The walls were covered in flowered paper, and she had a single bed with a blanket, a table and chair, a monitor, and a small bathroom. “Everything you need, right? Except a change of clothes. We should’ve planned this trip better,” she joked.

  “We’ll be fine. I think Miss Alina will have the entire city at her disposal,” Rex teased.

  She rolled her eyes. “So, what are we going to do?”

  “Well,” Rex sat on the bed, stretching his leg gingerly. “We stay here until Jade is recovered. I hope to talk to Camden soon.” He went quiet, staring at his bandaged leg. “It’ll be so good to see him again. I didn’t think he’d be alive when I got here.”

  Alina sat down next to him. “It’s wonderful news. I’m excited to meet him.” She paused. “But how does everyone know me?”

  “They must know of the plan. Lance and Baylor seem to.”

  “What plan?”

  “There are some things I haven’t told you. Perhaps now is a good time.” Rex took a deep breath.

  “As you know, Camden was my caretaker in Pria. He was one of the original founders and the last one to be banished. About thirteen years before you were born, Sampson approved Camden’s request for a ward, and he got me. His sole purpose was to train me for the resistance. All growing up, I knew that would be my life.”

  “But I don’t understand,” Alina cut in. “There are so many who enjoy life in Pria, or at least seem to. Are there enough people to organize a resistance?”

  “It’s taken two centuries to gather them, but yes, there’s enough. Sampson has made his share of mistakes and angered many people. When you live forever, it’s easy to get disgruntled and restless. His world hasn’t been as easy to rule as he anticipated.”

  “Who is J’koby?”

  Rex released a long breath and looked her square in the eyes. “He’s your father.”

  Alina stared, her mouth hanging open. “But—Sampson didn’t kill him?”

  “Apparently not. He must have been bluffing when he said that in the dungeon, maybe to catch
you off guard. I admit, I believed him. I don’t know how J’koby survived.”

  Alina clutched Rex’s arm. “Remember the room full of info-discs in Gordian? I looked at Jade’s disc after you left the room. I saw a picture of J’koby with her, and they seemed to be in love. But Jade can’t be my mother—you told me she died.”

  “Yes. You’re right, Jade is not your mother.”

  “But she and J’koby—”

  “Yes, they were together,” he snapped. “J’koby came into Pria on a strict mission and got distracted by her. He couldn’t resist, I guess.” Rex seemed angry. “So many fell for her, you know, because she’s different from other women. But she didn’t give anyone a chance until he—” Rex broke off.

  “What is it?”

  He paused. “Nothing.”

  “Come on Rex, you can tell me,” Alina prodded.

  He stared at his hands, clasped in his lap. After a moment he whispered, “I also fell in love with her.”

  Alina smiled, unsurprised by his confession. “Did she ever return your love?” she asked.

  “I was only twelve when she came to our house for rebel meetings, and too young for her, but I hoped when I came of age her feelings would change. They didn’t. I had flings of my own, which distanced her further. So, I stopped dating altogether to prove how much I wanted her.”

  “But she loved him.”

  Rex nodded, tightening his jaw. “Which was cruel, because he knew he couldn’t stay with her. He broke her heart, and she was never the same afterward.”

  “And now they’ll see each other soon.”

  Rex stared blankly at the wall. “Yes.”

  He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes. Though still handsome, he no longer fit the dashing socialite from Pria. He seemed—older.

  “Go take a nap, Rex. You need some rest.”

  He smoothed the bed with his hands. “That’s right, I can sleep in a real bed and forget my troubles for awhile. What a great idea! Don’t plan on seeing me again today. I may sleep till morning. No, wait, I want to eat first.”

  As if on cue, a woman knocked on the door and walked in holding a tray of food. She set it on the table. “You must be Rex,” she said to him. “I left your food in your room.”

  “Thank you,” Rex said.

  “You’re welcome. I’ll get some clothes sent up. Do you need anything else? Extra pillows, perhaps?”

  Alina smiled. “No, thank you, one is fine for me.”

  The woman left, and Alina glanced at the tray and sighed. “I’ll probably eat, too, just to stay busy. I don’t like being awake while everyone else sleeps.”

  “Yeah, that’s rough, you’re on your own,” said Rex. “At least in Pria, company was around, even if they were boring and shallow. Maybe the monitor will pass the time?”

  She glanced at the small, boxy screen. “Funny-looking thing, isn’t it? How do you turn it on?”

  Rex pursed his lips and scratched his head. “Beats me.”

  “Can you make it to your room okay?”

  Rex rose carefully, testing his leg. “I’ll be fine. I feel much better.”

  “Goodnight, Rex.”

  “’Night.” He gave Alina a hug and limped out of the room.

  The moment the door closed, Alina unzipped her uniform and retrieved Zaiden’s info-disc and the panel from the bodice of her gown. She reddened as she realized how often she’d thought of him that day. There were plenty of more pressing things to worry about. Perhaps she’d reverted to him as an escape.

  She took the disc from its case and turned the panel in her hands. She’d waited for almost two days to look at it, terrified it wouldn’t work outside of Pria. She inserted the disc into the panel and clicked it on.

  A rush of excitement surged through her as the panel lit up and Zaiden’s handsome face filled the screen. She smiled, then narrowed her eyes as she studied his features. His dark eyes looked troubled under his heavy eyebrows, and the smile on his lips forced and feeble. Alina suspected him of being somber and mysterious, but in this picture, he looked disturbed. She swiped the page and read the bold letters.

  ZAIDEN

  commenced: December 30

  caretaker: Arton

  His young photos showed an adorable boy with ash-blond hair and dimples when he smiled. His hair had darkened since then, but his eyes were the same—deep brown, the color of chocolate. He didn’t appear a happy child; he frowned more than he smiled. He was a sports star in grade school, in Sampson’s Young Scientists Club, and voted “Most Self-Absorbed” in his class at age twelve. All three pages showed him sulking.

  His caretaker, Arton, was a rumored womanizer, and the pictures confirmed it—almost every image showed him with a different girlfriend. Usually that vice corrected itself, as philandering damaged a man’s reputation until women avoided him, but it seemed Arton hadn’t reached that point yet. The more photos she saw, the more Alina disliked him. Zaiden seemed to echo her feelings because as he grew older, there were fewer pictures of him and Arton together.

  His coming-of-age had the usual transformation, from child-like charm to defined, stunning features. His dimples became mature indentations in his square jaw and his hair went from ash blond to golden brown. She loved how his light eyelashes framed his dark, mysterious eyes.

  She closed her eyes, and for about the hundredth time, visualized him staring at her in the dim light of Sampson’s dungeon. What drew her to him? Did she like him because he was the first boy to notice and be kind to her?

  She shook her head. No. She liked him because he was different. His eyes longed for more in life than Pria offered.

  She reached the page of his fifteenth year and found several photos of him with two boys who looked familiar. At the bottom of the page a bold caption stated:

  Zaiden with Chet and Lorenzo—extent of affiliation unknown

  Alina gasped. She remembered Chet and Lorenzo. They created a scandal by running away from home. It took three days to find them, deep in Pria’s mountains. Sampson called their actions revolutionary and dangerous and declared they must receive his therapy to cure them. Otherwise they might slip again, with more dire consequences.

  His therapy. Sampson used that term when a child became too disruptive, and she understood what it meant now. His indoctrination. Chet and Lorenzo were pulled from school for months, and when they returned, they were model Prian citizens. She’d never seen them with Zaiden, but dozens of pictures revealed a close friendship around the time the boys rebelled.

  Other pages showed Zaiden at school and athletic events, at city celebrations and outings with Arton and his pretty women. There were no photos of him with girls until she swiped and saw herself, talking with him on the street the day she walked home from Rex’s house.

  She recoiled at the picture. The angle, probably taken by the officials following her, caught an unflattering view of her profile. Her face glistened with nervous sweat. She looked like this as she declared to Zaiden she’d be a beauty one day. He must have thought her delusional.

  She pressed her lips as she studied his wrinkled brow and downcast eyes. He pitied her.

  He didn’t gaze at her from the cell in Sampson’s dungeon. She imagined it. A perfect boy like him, surrounded by beauty, couldn’t be attracted to the girl in that picture. Alina swiped again and found a close-up of him and Eris kissing at the Harvest Feast. She flung the panel across the room where it smacked the wall and landed on the floor with a thud.

  She sprang off the bed, grabbed an apple from her tray and took a bite. Everyone in Pria ate when they were upset. No matter how much they ate or drank, no bad effects came from it. Food wouldn’t bring any lasting satisfaction, but for now, it comforted her.

  She chewed furiously, tossed the core in the garbage and walked to the bathroom, where curiosity drew her to the mirror above the sink.

  Trembling, she walked in. Why am I nervous? She shut her eyes, flipped on the light, then flung them open. Her hands slap
ped over her mouth.

  She didn’t recognize the girl in front of her or the striking blue eyes blinking in shock. Her nose looked the same, but smaller. Lush, thick eyelashes settled on her pink cheeks, which were smooth, like porcelain. Though she’d been traveling all day, her honey brown hair looked soft and glossy. Her full lips revealed straight, white teeth when she smiled, and her figure was both slim and well proportioned.

  She stared in the mirror for a long time, shifting angles and smiling, trembling with excitement. Out of all her regrets for Zaiden that day, one now tormented her most—he wasn’t there to see her.

  The next morning when the sun peeked through her window, Alina made a mental note to acquire more reading material as soon as possible. Zaiden’s info-disc was all she had, and she perused it until she knew each picture intimately, except the one of him and Eris. She watched the monitor for a while, but entertainment in Carthem was not the big industry it was in Pria. She picked up only three streams through the static: a news report discussing local weather, an educational program about Stormport’s laboratories, and a drama with such exaggerated and stilted acting, she couldn’t turn it off fast enough.

  Alina opened her blinds to let in the sunlight just as someone knocked on her door. “Come in,” she answered.

  The same woman from the night before entered with a new tray of food. She set it on the table and took the nearly full tray from the day before. She gave Alina a worried glance as she left.

  “Thank you,” Alina called after her.

  She sat down, picked up her fork and took a bite of the eggs on her plate. Though somewhat bland, she enjoyed the simple, fresh taste. Prian food had a flavorful but artificial nature about it. This food attempted to be nothing more than nourishment for the body.

  Another knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” Alina said.

  Rex hobbled through the door, holding his breakfast tray and smiling. “I slept great! I think I’m getting the hang of mortality now.” He sat down and dug into his eggs. “The aches are annoying but sleeping and eating—wow! Immortals don’t know what they’re missing! Sampson’s smart to keep them ignorant. If they knew, they’d be coming over by the thousands.”