Worlds Between

by Heather Lee Dyer

I stare down at the long sleeves and pants. Just about every inch of my body is covered with canary yellow material. I turn my wrist to look at the perfect yellow line, which is still a bit red around the edges. What have I gotten myself into?

  The door clicks open and I cringe. My heart sinks as I realize my old clothes are gone, along with my knives. I should’ve been paying more attention, though in my defense, I’d arrived here unconscious. I glance around the room for a weapon or anything I can steal.

  A girl around my age steps around the bed. She’s dressed in yellow, like me.

  “I’m supposed to take you to the dormitory.” Her brown hair is pulled back into a severe bun but her hazel eyes are sharp and intelligent. Definitely not reeducated. I relax, glad it wasn’t one of the Kreon guards.

  I follow behind her in silence, wondering if this is the girl Elan described. Some of the features seem to match, like the freckles across her nose, but if I’m wrong, I could reveal myself as a fraud on my first day. Better to play along until I get my bearings. When we exit the building out a side door, I shade my eyes from the afternoon sun. We’re in the building closest to the gate. I can’t have been out more than a few hours.

  Everyone is walking in straight lines, silently. Just as I saw from my spot in the tree, they’re all are grouped together by their colors. I know Jamie is a yellow, like me, but from close up I can see the groups are divided by age or height as well.

  The buildings are all new and white with small windows. They look like they’ve been cut from one piece of plastic, with smooth, sleek sides. The Kreon logo is painted on every single one. A black circle with a smaller solid blue circle offset inside. There are mech guards outside every building entrance. Sentinels, I correct myself.

  My pulse spikes as I stare at the nearest one. I’ve never seen one this close, in broad daylight. Its mechanical body is more solid than I would have guessed, though fitted with snug bits of colored glass at the joints, which hide internal wiring. I’ve seen how fast they can move, so I assumed they were made of thin, light metal. But this one is built like a tank, with sharp edges and flat armor. It cradles its gun arm across its chest without moving, but the red eyes pulse as it watches us approach.

  The girl in yellow sidesteps him, swiping her wrist against a metal panel. The door opens, and she steps inside, waiting for me.

  “Will mine do that?” I ask, nervously glancing at the guard as I follow her inside.

  “It should. It’ll only allow you to go in yellow designated areas, though.”

  She turns and walks down a bright white hallway. I hurry to catch up with her. We take a lift up two floors. The building is deceptively large. I try to remember our path in case I need to retrace my footsteps.

  We get out and walk down another hallway, this one tinted slightly yellow. The girl halts in front of a door with the number 327 on it.

  “This is your room. Mine’s right next door.”

  “My room?” I stutter, trying to keep the amazement out of my voice. I’ve never had my own room before. Not ever.

  She nods, but her eyebrows furrow together, like I’m a puzzle she can’t solve. Her intense gaze makes me want to duck in my room and hide, but I’m afraid that will just make me look more guilty. So I try making conversation instead.

  “I’m Lila,” I say. The syllables feel strange in my mouth. “Have you been in the compound long?” Maybe if I ask enough questions, I can figure out if she’s the New Terra contact I’m supposed to be looking for. It’s not like I can ask her outright if she has any top-secret Kreon intel she wants to share.

  “I’m Tessa,” she says, “but don’t bother getting to know anyone around here. We don’t stay here very long.” She folds her arms, frowning at me. So much for small talk.

  “Um, I guess I’ll see you later then,” I say, backing towards my door.

  She narrows her eyes, then before I can say anything else, she grabs my arm tightly and pulls me down the hallway.

  “I’ll show you where the bathroom is,” she says loudly. She maintains her fake smile as we pass several doors.

  “But I don’t need to go right now,” I protest. She digs her nails into my arm hard so I stop talking. At the end of the hallway is a set of double doors. We push through, letting them swing behind us.

  Tessa doesn’t slow down as she pulls me along behind her. We pass a row of sinks, toilets and then at the end there’s a large bathing area with single stalls along the perimeter. She pushes me into one of the separate showers and closes the flimsy plastic curtain behind us.

  Tessa pulls my face close to hers and whispers. “They don’t have cameras or listening devices back here. It’s too wet. So this is the only place you can ask me questions about this place. Real questions. The rest of the time you need to at least pretend to go along with the program.”

  I nod quickly, grateful for the opportunity to speak plainly. But my heart is still pounding from being dragged through the halls, and I’ve got so many questions I don’t know where to start. Plus, this could all just be a setup. I had to be careful, at least for a few days.

  “You come in here to find a better life, or were you caught?” she asks.

  I grind my teeth. “Caught.”

  “Thought so,” she says. “Just watch yourself. They don’t like yellows to socialize. We haven’t earned that right yet.”

  I frown. “What did you mean, no one stays here? I thought this was a safe haven?”

  She laughs and shakes her head. “That’s just what they tell us on the outside.” She leans against the wall. “It’s a training arena for the Kreons. They’re always observing us, testing us. They try to figure out where we’ll be most useful in their society. But once they place you, it’s a life sentence. And if they don’t place you, it’s even worse.” Her words sound like a growl. Then she sniffs, and suddenly recoils away from me.

  “Did I do something wrong?” I ask.

  I watch as the muscles flex in her jaw.

  “Just be careful, Lila. And take a shower. You stink.”

  ***

  Tessa turns and hurries out of the stall. I’m not sure where I’m supposed to be next, but a shower sounds like a great idea. I peak my head out of the shower stall and see a wooden shelf full of thick yellow towers. I leave my clothes in a locker and return to the shower both, twisting the metal knobs until a jet of water rains down on me. I adjust the temperature quickly, moaning as it goes from frigid to warm.

  I’m no stranger to hot showers, but they were solar-powered and merely a drizzle of liquid. And even then, they only lasted a few minutes before the water pressure ran out. Compared to that, this was an entirely new experience. I stay in until my skin is red, and use the soap and shampoo containers screwed into the wall liberally until I’m cleaner than I have been in years.

  The scent of lavender follows me back to my room. I swipe my wrist against the panel on the door, scared I’ll be locked out in the hall wearing nothing but a towel, but then it beeps and I push inside, shutting the door behind me.

  The room is small but clean and modern. A single mattress against one wall, a desk and chest of drawers in the other. There is even a mirror. Best of all, there’s a window, looking over the central courtyard. I can’t believe all this is mine. For the first time, I realize why some people would choose to live in the compounds, even if it means giving up their freedom.

  I grew up learning from my father that the New Terra revolutionists were dangerous to our free way of life. For every small act of terrorism, the Kreons responded by destroying entire communities. Women, children, animals—it didn’t matter who or what was in the houses, they would purge hundreds of humans if it meant getting rid of a few troublemakers.

  Humans can only survive by being invisible, and not fighting against the alien invaders. It isn’t giving up, according to my father, and it isn’t cowardice. It’s the only smart move in the face of absolute Kreon power. But now I realize there is
something even more dangerous than revolutionists fighting a losing battle. It’s clean sheets and lavender scented soap and soft towels. It makes me doubt everything my father taught me. If living in the compounds is this comfortable, why spend years hiding out in the woods, cut off and isolated from each other? Either way, the Kreons win.

  I get dressed and dry my hair, then hang the towel up to dry. I’m just starting to go stir crazy when there’s a knock on the door.

  “We should get down to dinner,” Tessa says when I open it. “We’ll have a group meeting afterward and then it will be bedtime.” I follow her downstairs. We leave the dormitory and follow lines of girls and boys dressed in different colors. Tessa drags me over to a line of yellows. As we wait in line outside a tall building, I look around for Jamie, but I don’t see him. When I glance back, Tessa is studying me.

  I shrug and lean closer. One question can’t hurt.

  “My little brother is here somewhere. I just want to make sure he’s all right.”

  I shrink back under her glare, which has turned hostile.

  “Tell me you didn’t come into the compound just to find him?” she hisses.

  I wince and nod slightly. The line is moving slowly. Tessa grabs my arm and pulls me forward. She leads us ahead of many yellows who turn to look at us as we pass.

  “Aren’t we supposed to pretend we’re compliant?” I whisper harshly. “You’re getting us a lot of attention.” My palms start sweating as I remember Elan telling me to make sure to stay under the Kreons’ radar. Sentinels flank the double doors into the cafeteria building, towering over the children. For a second I think Tessa is going to hand me over to them, and out me as a fraud. I shiver as we pass between them and enter a large cafeteria. Inside the moon-shaped building is a kitchen and serving area, with long tables in curving rows. It has a high ceiling and is ringed with large, opaque windows.

  Tessa turns her head slightly so her face is next to mine without slowing down her steps. “You want to find your brother, don’t you? The littles eat first, so we need to hurry.”

  I pull my arm out of her grasp and walk behind her with my arms at my side. I do my best to look like I’m just as emotionless as the other kids here, but my eyes are desperately looking around for Jamie. I’ve never seen this many teens and children in one place. Even on the busiest trading days, only a handful of kids come along with their parents.

  Each color group is getting trays of food and then sitting down together at tables in the large room, according to age group. The noise level is higher here; a quiet murmur mostly, but with so many bodies, it harmonizes into a steady hum, punctuated with the occasional burst of laughter. Talking must be allowed in certain areas.

  Tessa leads us to the front of the yellow line and we take plastic trays. Adults with vacant eyes drop food on our plates. Tessa leans in and whispers, “Don’t drink the milk here. At all.” She makes eye contact with me until I nod that I heard.

  “Why?” I whisper as some sort of meat cubes are plopped onto my tray.

  “Just don’t. I’ll explain later.” She grabs a container of juice, and I do the same.

  I crane my neck toward the plastic tables as I follow Tessa. The smell of the food makes my stomach growl and I realize I can’t remember when I last ate.

  She leads us slowly around the perimeter of the room. As hungry as I am, I smile. She’s giving me time to look for my brother. I don’t know if she’s humoring me, or setting me up to get in trouble, but either way I’m grateful. I slow my steps and sweep my eyes over the gray tables.

  A few of the kids are shoveling food like they haven’t eaten in a while. My stomach rumbles again as I look out at the sea of faces. Some of the little kids are smiling, like this is just a regular day. Like they aren’t prisoners in an alien compound. They’re all clean, and although some are leaner than others, none are malnourished. I wonder if their parents brought them here to keep them from starving or if they were part of the Kreon roundups.

  “Rya?”

  The small voice makes me stop in my tracks and my heart thuds in my chest. I almost drop my tray in surprise. I know I shouldn’t respond to my real name, but I can’t help it. I turn slowly toward the table I just walked past. There, looking up at me with his bright blue eyes, is my brother Jamie, looking healthier than I’ve ever seen him.

  SEVEN

  I TRY NOT TO CRY as I look at my little brother. I didn’t even recognize him at first. His hair is cut short and his skin is practically glowing. They must have groomed him after orientation. I lean down and hug him tightly until he gives me that familiar growl of annoyance. But then he unpins his arms and wraps them around me to hug me back. I think my heart might burst as a single tear runs down my cheek.

  “Jamie, I was so scared when I couldn’t find you.” I whisper into his ear.

  “I’m sorry, Rya.”

  “You need to call me Lila in here,” I whisper.

  He nods, and his eyes are wide and serious. I pull back slightly and kneel beside him so we’re eye-level. “The important thing is that we’re back together. I’ll get us out of here somehow.” I look around and see Tessa tapping on her wrist. Time’s up.

  Jamie lets go of me and puts his hands in his lap.

  “I fought as hard as I could,” he murmurs. He’s holding back tears as well. For the first time, I see the bruises on his wrists, underneath the newly etched yellow band and black slash that marks him as a citizen. I feel like my heart has been ripped out, but I smile and squeeze his shoulder.

  “I know you did, Jamie. Don’t worry, I’ll figure something out.”

  Tessa leans down and whispers in my ear, “We’ve got to go. You’re drawing too much attention.” I glare at her, but she’s right. Jamie wipes his eyes and picks up a fork, staring at his plate instead of me.

  “You need to eat with your group,” he whispers, without raising his eyes. He squares his shoulders and goes back to eating, his posture stiff. I look up and see we’ve already caught the attention of the adults. Afraid they’ll call the sentinels just outside the doors, I turn to go. But I lean down and whisper in Jamie’s ear, “I love you Jamie. Be safe.”

  He nods slightly as Tessa pulls me away.

  ***

  We sit with a table of yellows that are all around my age. Well, actually more like Lila’s age. They all look a few years younger than me, and I’m the tallest, other than a quiet boy they introduce as Gage. He smiles at me when I sit down. He’s the only one who acknowledges my presence, though I see a few furtive glances in my direction.

  I pick at my food. Besides the cubes of meatloaf, there’s mac and cheese, string beans and even chocolate pudding. It’s good, better than I’ve had in years, but anxiety has stolen my appetite. I’ll have to find out later from Tessa what’s wrong with the milk, and how she knows. I’ve found Jamie, but now what? How much time did I have to find the New Terra contact and signal Elan?

  In between bites of food, I listen to snippets of conversation, while watching Jamie talk with other kids at his table. He’s never had anyone else to talk to other than my father and me, and occasionally neighbors like Melvin. Part of me is happy he’s making friends; but another part is terrified he’ll tell them too much. When a buzzer rings and the others start collecting their trays, I scarf down the rest of my food quickly and follow the others out of the cafeteria. I lose track of Jamie in the crowd, and finally stop craning my neck to see which direction he went. Somehow I’ve got to find out where he’s staying. Tessa tells Gage to lead our line, and we walk single file toward another building. Tessa seems to be the unofficial leader of our little group, even though she’s only been here for a few weeks, which is probably why she was assigned to be my welcoming committee. She leans in close to me as we walk. “I know you’re upset about your brother, but you need to be vigilant around here to keep yourself safe.”

  I follow her eyes, noticing the mech guards spread throughout the compound. They’re
walking around the perimeter fence, in between the buildings, and of course near the main gate. Their mechanical eyes make it seem like they’re looking right at me. Small spy drones crisscross overhead, and my skin crawls as they buzz past. But the human soldiers are easier to miss. Along with adults dressed in colored outfits, I notice a handful of figures in dark uniforms, the top half of their faces covered in some kind of vision-enhancing visor and helmet. Without the electric batons glowing softly from their waists, they’d probably be swallowed up in the shadows.

  “Enforcers,” Tessa whispers as I study them.

  I shiver and give her a nod. “I understand.” I can’t help Jamie if I get myself caught. I give her a fake smile, which she returns and then faces forward again.

  The narrow path leads through the center of the compound, featuring wide, round pools of water with raised bridges between them. They’re pierced by some kind of kinetic sculpture: tall jagged fountains, made of shifting cubes of gleaming metal. White lotuses drift across the smooth surface, giving off a heavy perfume that clings to the air.

  “I had a sister once,” Tessa says suddenly as we walk.

  I look sideways at her. Although her facial expression is neutral, I can see the deep hurt in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” I say. She flexes the muscle in her jaw. I don’t press her anymore, here in public. But I add it to the list of questions to ask her later in private. If she lost a sister, it would give her motive to join New Terra. Maybe I could get her to open up about her past and reveal her true identity.

  We pass another pair of mech guards and enter an older building that’s full of chalkboards and desks. My interest perks up as Gage leads us into a large room full of partially built rabbit-sized robots, shelves of metal parts and tables full of tools.

  I reach up to wipe my mouth, making sure I’m not drooling. I walk along the shelves touching the unfamiliar alien tech. Some of the machines are brand new and others look old, but polished up and repaired. This stuff would be worth a fortune at the market.