The Lying Planet

by Carol Riggs

  “What on Liberty is going on here?”

  I eye his angry face while my hands tremble, smeared with Konrad’s blood. More people appear. Behind them, Aubrie hurries into the kitchen with Harrel and Misty. Peyton and Leonard are on their heels.

  “He pounded my face,” Konrad moans, sinking to his knees and wiping his hand under his nose. “Just because he’s hyper about his ceremony and doesn’t want to flunk. He wanted to know what Blake did to get banished.”

  “He’s lying.” I grope for a reason, a fitting excuse. “I brought in a stack of dirty bowls to help out the kitchen workers, and Zemik started mouthing off about how Blake and Aubrie had a secret fling going on behind my back. It’s totally insulting to her. Aubrie would never do that when she’s promised to me. So yeah, I punched his face. More than once.”

  “That’s not what I said.” Konrad’s glare deepens.

  Peyton’s father jerks a thumb toward the door. “Someone get this kid a towel and crushed ice, and someone else fetch an adult from the medical center.” He turns to me with a frown. “You should be ashamed of yourself, pounding on a boy four years younger than you. Even if he did say untrue things about your girlfriend. What were you thinking?”

  “I guess I wasn’t thinking much.” My rage starts to seep away. I look down at the mess that is Konrad’s face and feel a twist in my gut. “Sorry, Zemik. Watch what you say about my girl from now on, okay?”

  Konrad swears, then moans again. I shoulder my way past our audience and stalk out the back door. Before Aubrie or anyone else can come outside and stop me, I get on my hoverbike and ride north, with my thoughts in a muddy scramble. Incredible… I just beat up a kid for keeping his older brother’s secret. For being loyal. I hate who I’ve become. On top of that, I’m sure another lecture awaits me at home. The creatures posing as Mom and Dad will bombard me with furious questions about my fight and come up with a fitting punishment for my behavior. Something on the order of helping Konrad with his chores, or some such rot.

  A sudden thought swirls through me, sucked in through my nostrils with the evening breeze. They fill my head with awe.

  I don’t have to go home right now. I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to, including the extra work hours Farrow assigned me for my escape attempt. Nothing matters anymore, as long as I don’t make the aliens suspicious and I can keep thinking of excuses to stay on Aubrie’s good side. Tonight, my excuse will be that I’m upset from the fight—which really isn’t that much of a stretch.

  I turn off the main road and aim for the hay barn at the cattle compound, hoping Peyton and Leonard will meet me there. It’s too bad we don’t have wristcomms to call or message each other. And now, with the alien reality we’ve discovered, we’ll never earn one at our Testings. If they even exist.

  I stash my hoverbike behind a bush as the sun stains the horizon with red-orange, and sneak across the field. On a hook by the barn door, I find two lud-lights and use one to help me get back to the hay cave. It’ll be a great place to think, although staying out late means I’ll miss tucking Rachel and Tammi into bed again.

  Blowing out a sharp sigh, I lean against a prickly hay bale. With only ten days left, counting the Saturday of my ceremony, I’d like to know whether there was more to Blake’s defiance than digging the tunnel and sneaking through it with a girl twice a month. If that was really enough for the Machine to give him a failing score. I wonder who he was with. He flirted with lots of girls over the years.

  After about twenty minutes, the hay rustles. Leonard tumbles over the bale wall first, followed by Peyton holding a lud-light. Good. I really need to talk this out.

  Leonard stretches out on a bale. “You really beat the snot out of that jerk, Jay-Jay. Spill the spicy details. Let’s hear what you found out from Punk Brain. Anything useful?”

  “Blake was meeting someone in the woods since last summer. A girl.”

  Peyton cocks her head to one side. “Why the woods instead of in the zone?”

  “More privacy,” Leonard says, his voice full of innuendo.

  “That’s a lot of risk just for privacy.” The implication of his statement hits me. “Wait. Surely he didn’t accidentally get some girl pregnant, like that Jackson guy did a couple of years ago—”

  “He’s smarter than that,” Peyton says. “He wouldn’t risk banishment by not using protection.”

  Leonard snorts. “No one means to get anyone pregnant. Even with those birth control packets the medical center hands out, protection isn’t a 100 percent sure thing.”

  “We don’t even know if babies started outside the lab are affected by genomide traces like the Board tells us,” I say. “Does the dust really endanger fetuses and cause miscarriages? All we know is the Machine can detect a pregnancy even a few days old and slash our scores because of it. Both Jackson and his girlfriend got banished.”

  “Why would the aliens lie about pregnancy?” Leonard asks. “Seems like they’d want more babies. More food.”

  With a shiver, Peyton rubs her arms. “So maybe genomide dust does cause miscarriages. Or maybe the beasts wouldn’t be able to control us if we had families of our own. Or maybe it affects how we taste when they harvest us. Whatever the reason, the only thing we know for sure is Blake was meeting someone.”

  “Who, Shelly?” Leonard says. “She liked messin’ around. She even kissed me once.”

  “Shelly wasn’t Blake’s type,” Peyton scoffs. “She helped him dig the tunnel, that’s it.”

  “I don’t see how you know for sure,” I say. It sounds like Peyton knows Blake fairly well as a friend. Is that what I am to her—just another friend? For some reason, that idea sends a pang of disappointment through me.

  Peyton throws me a skittering glance. “Trust me, Blake and Shelly were only friends. His type is more, I dunno…sweet, smart, and pretty.”

  Like Aubrie. She doesn’t have to say it. “It doesn’t matter who the girl was. Sneaking off to meet her is at least partly why Blake got banished, and it doesn’t help me one bit. I’m not gonna risk meeting a girl in the woods—or getting her pregnant—just to lower my score.”

  Leonard gets up and paces around. “Fine. So, today, Peyton and I checked the graduation roster by the education office and got the names of everyone in the next ceremony. There are seven this time, counting you, Jay. Should we tell the lucky kids what we know?”

  “I vote yes,” I say. “The sooner they start trying to get banished, the better. Maybe if all seven of us fail, everyone will refuse to get Tested. Even Farrow and the rest of the aliens might have second thoughts about how accurate their contraption is.”

  “That’s brilliant.” Leonard cackles.

  “Speaking of the Machine,” Peyton says, “I found out its history from spying on my parents again last night. They used the two Machines in Fort Hope to experiment on humans left from the War and found out we’re perfect for harvesting at eighteen. Anybody older than that starts breaking down fast and tasting nasty. The nourishment value isn’t as good, either.”

  My dinner curdles in my stomach. “They Tested survivors for nineteen years? That’s what they were eating while we were growing up and ‘ripening’?”

  “Sounds that way. They kept people in detention at Fort Hope to use for starter cells and experimenting on until they ran out of subjects. Then six years ago they started our Testings.”

  “Sick,” Leonard says. “You gotta stop sneaking around and listening in, Peyton. It’s too risky.”

  “I swear, Len, you worry more than my mother,” she says. “Anyway, back to the graduates. Three of the girls are good students, but I’m not sure about Niya. The guys—”

  “Wait,” Leonard says. “If one of these dudes rats us out, would the aliens kill us?”

  Peyton’s expression goes fierce. “All these kids are definitely gonna die if we don’t tell them. Whether we die or not is more of a gamble.”

  “It’s a really risky gamble,” Leonard mutters.

&nbs
p; “Then sit this one out. I’m telling the four girls. Jay, you want to tell the two guys?”

  My lungs go tight. It is dangerous. And not only for us. If we get caught and our plans fall through, every human being in Sanctuary is destined to die. It’ll be business as usual for the aliens. But there’s really no choice. “I’ll tell the guys. Who are they?”

  “Rich Vorley and Thomas Baker.”

  “Okay. Harrel’s been dragging his heels, but we’ll tell Misty and Sean and the others I hang with, too.”

  “Do you trust them?” Peyton asks with a frown. “They’re awfully…dedicated.”

  “I think I can convince them.” At least I hope I can, anyway. “I have the imprintus, and Harrel can back me up.”

  Leonard scuffs the hay by his feet. “Sorry, guys. I just can’t do it.”

  “That’s okay,” Peyton says. “Let’s move out and get home, before we rack up so much punishment we can’t go anywhere.”

  I rise to my feet. “Good luck, Peyton.”

  “You, too.”

  I thump Leonard’s back in farewell, and find one of my arms slipping around Peyton’s shoulder as if it has a mind of its own. I give a squeeze to make the sideways hug seem more brotherly, but the warm tingles that rush through me are screaming anything but. I fight the sudden urge to use both my arms to pull her even closer. It’s probably a good thing I have the lud-light in my other hand, to keep me from doing anything more embarrassing. Peyton goes unusually quiet, her eyes cast downward in the semi-darkness.

  What in the stars above is she thinking? I’d sure like to know.

  I extract my arm and force myself to climb out of the hay cave. Peyton and Leonard emerge after me to cross the field toward the road, silent and stealthy as a pair of nocturnal animals. I watch them go. What a tough day. My emotions have been all over the place. I hate faking what’s going on between me and Aubrie—and I don’t know what’s going on between me and Peyton. I’m in some sort of edgy limbo with them both, not quite with either of them.

  I pedal my hoverbike home by the light of the moons and dock behind the side gate. As I expect, Mom and Dad await me in the lounge room.

  “Where have you been, son?” Dad rises from his chair and thwacks down his gardening reader. “It’s way after dusk, and you didn’t tell us you’d be out late.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say, talking fast and energetically. “I really didn’t want to miss tucking Rachel and Tammi in, either. I’ll be here tomorrow night, I promise.”

  “You’d better be,” Mom says. “Not letting us know where you are is irresponsible. Especially after that horrible fight with Konrad we heard you were involved in. If you want the privilege of freedom and making choices, you have to follow the rules—”

  “I know, I know. But you wouldn’t believe how awesome the evening was. I couldn’t leave it. I was sitting at the lake where Aubrie and I sometimes hang out. It really helped me calm down after that messy deal with Konrad. The moons looked like globs of white butter, and the lake rippled in the glow. Night-things rustled. Fiddlewings sang, and cool air blew across my arms. It smelled like freedom. Like beauty.”

  Dad’s mouth falls open, and Mom’s frown turns puzzled.

  “That’s…poetic,” Dad finally manages to say.

  “I was thinking,” I say, continuing my inspired line of speech. “I’m going to miss living in Sanctuary. Soon I’ll be off to Fort Hope and then Promise City, and I won’t see this zone for a long time. I’ve grown up here all my life. Even though I want to check out new places and things, I’ll miss Rachel and Tammi and both of you. You’re the best parents ever.”

  Before I can think about it too much, I rush over and hug Mom, then Dad. They feel soft and warm. Human. Like the parents I always thought I had. Tears well up under my eyelids—real ones. “Good night, and I’m really sorry for worrying you.”

  I retreat to my room, leaving the sight of their astounded, uncertain faces.

  Chapter Sixteen

  When I reach the gardens after sessions the next day, Rich and Thomas are shuffling around like lost worrels by the entrance. I’ve recruited them for a couple hours. I motion them to follow me, and Dad gives us instructions and a set of hand rakes, his face wooden. He’s being polite, since we’re in public, but I know I’m in for a lecture about my biology exam score later.

  The three of us begin leveling a section of tilled ground.

  “How’s it going, guys?” I ask, trying not to grit my teeth or think about how important it is for my words to come out right. I need to sound casual and relaxed. “You looking forward to our ceremony?”

  Thomas’s sandy hair flops over his pudgy face as he rakes. “Sessions suck and the ceremony won’t change anything. After we graduate, we get shipped to Fort Hope and then fly off to Promise City to do more boring work for the rest of our lives.”

  “You’d be bored with anything, Thomas.” Rich flips his rake over and uses the back of it to fine-tune his leveling. “Niya and I want to get a dwelling unit together in Promise City. Since I’m pretty good at mechanical stuff, I can fix UHVs and equipment for people.”

  “Niya, the girl who’s graduating with us?” I ask.

  “Yeah.” A blush creeps onto Rich’s face.

  “You both have girlfriends,” Thomas grumbles. “Me, I’ll be on my own.”

  There’s no point in delaying what I have to say. I ignore my loud, uneven heartbeats. Here goes nothing. “What if you guys found out none of the graduates ever makes it to Promise City…that everything the adults have told us all our lives is a lie?”

  The muscles on Rich’s arms go taut as he stops raking. “What do you mean?”

  Thomas narrows his eyes.

  I push myself to keep talking. “Think about it. No graduate has ever come back to visit after their mandatory trial year.”

  “Big deal,” Rich says. “They like living a higher-tech life. I know I will. Plus, my older sister wrote me a letter saying it’s really hard to get a ride on the airship.”

  “That’s not what’s going on.” I launch into a quick explanation about the pills, the aliens, their shape-shifting ability, and how the Machine tests everyone for food quality. After making sure Dad or any other adult isn’t looking, I pull the imprintus from my pocket and let them take a good look before I press the cover back on. They’re both silent and round-eyed for a moment, until Rich swears.

  “That can’t be right, Jay,” he says. “I know you can’t fake images like that, but this is way too hard to believe.”

  “Three of my friends have seen the aliens in real life, too. If we don’t want to be eaten, we have to escape Sanctuary or else flunk our Testing and get banished. I tried escaping and got caught. Now I’m trying for banishment. I just got a D-minus on my last exam. On purpose.”

  “Serious freakage!” Thomas’s voice comes out hoarse. “It must be real, then. No wonder my parents are distant, almost sneaky. I always thought they were more robot or cyborg than human. I think…I think I’m gonna puke.”

  “Hold on,” Rich says. “You’re swallowing this way too easily, Thomas. My parents have been great, totally normal and human. It might be like Jay says, but I want live proof before I do something as drastic as ruining my score and getting banished.”

  I re-pocket the imprintus, my breathing shallow. “Skip your pill tonight and see for yourself. Whatever you do, don’t tell an adult or anyone who might spill it to a Board member, or we might all end up dead before the ceremony.”

  “What about Niya?”

  “She and the other girls in our ceremony are being told today.”

  A shaky smile flashes on Thomas’s face. “This is supernova scary, but definitely not boring. How else are you trying to flunk, Jay?”

  “Anything I can think of that’s against the rules and doesn’t hurt kids. It doesn’t have to be major, since the Machine scores down for bad attitudes.”

  Thomas throws down his rake. “Why are we working here like good littl
e boys? We should be doing the exact opposite of what they want.”

  My rake joins Thomas’s on the ground. I’m so relieved this chat is over with, I’m wilted. “You guys up for some helioball at the square?”

  Rich shakes his head. “I’ll catch you tomorrow after I see these aliens for myself.”

  “Be careful,” I say to him. “Come on, Thomas. Keep an eye out for my parents, and let’s sneak out of here.”

  …

  At the Nebula that night, I gather empty plates and walk to the dishes bin. Leonard manages to be there at the same time.

  “What’s up, man?” Leonard lowers his voice. “Peyton says the four girls are almost hysterical, but they believe her.”

  “Good. Tonight Rich is skipping his pill to check it out. Thomas is taking my word for it.” I fall silent as a younger girl approaches. Leonard and I swap sober nods and drift off in opposite directions.

  At my regular friends’ table, I catch Harrel’s eye. I mouth, We need to tell them. Soon.

  He flicks a glance at Misty, who’s sitting really close to him, then at Aubrie. Not here, he mouths back.

  I nod. Right. It’s too public, and I bet he’s afraid he’ll mess up his chances with Misty if he starts spouting things about aliens and flunking our Testings on purpose. He also could be worried about Misty sharing it with Aubrie—who might freak out and tell Farrow what we’re saying. Good point, but we can’t wait much longer.

  A few minutes later, Aubrie and I head for zone square. We find a distant bench facing an ongoing helioball game, and I place one arm around her shoulders even though I’m not feeling the great vibes like I did with Peyton. It’s like she’s slid from the focus of my life to the far corners where she’s another one of my friends I care for…but the special aura of her has worn off. This past week has scarred things between us. It’d be more honest if I broke things off right now, but I’m afraid she’d get even by telling the Board about my “hallucinations.”