Altered Reality

by Eliza Green

  ‘No, but he’s definitely blaming himself for Anton’s disappearance. He’s very angry.’

  Elise frowned. If he was going through the five stages of grief, he should be experiencing depression now, not anger, she thought.

  ‘I know that the stories about Anton’s death aren’t true, that he wasn’t killed on the surface,’ Arianna went on.

  Elise frowned. ‘What makes you think that, child?’ Pierre and Leon even arranged a small ceremony for Anton to keep up the pretence of his death, but it clearly wasn’t fooling everyone.

  ‘There are rumours going around that Anton is on a planet called Earth.’

  Elise concentrated on Arianna’s thoughts, fighting back the other Indigenes’ emotions. ‘Who told you this?’

  ‘The Surface Creatures are talking about it. Is it true?’

  Elise could sense no malice in Arianna; she was speaking the truth. Her husband had been in such a rush to concoct a story that he hadn’t considered what the humans above ground might be saying. It seemed they already knew the truth about Anton’s whereabouts. This was not good news.

  ‘How many know about this?’

  ‘I don’t know how many. Our hunters think the story of his death is too convenient. They’re threatening to take action of their own—they’re talking about trying to rescue him.’

  Elise felt a new sense of dread. The false story had been in circulation for months but she’d been so focused on her own problems, so overwhelmed by others’ emotions, that she hadn’t noticed the escalating unrest among the Indigenes. Pierre certainly wouldn’t be happy. He relied on her ability to read others as a way of forewarning him about trouble.

  ‘Have you spoken to anyone else about this?’ Elise asked.

  ‘Just Stephen. He said he was going to talk to Pierre about it. But ever since our last hunting trip, Stephen’s stopped talking to me. You should have seen him, Elise. He tore the animal apart. I’ve never seen such aggression, even from the strongest males.’

  So Pierre already knows about all this? Why hadn’t he told her? It pained Elise deeply to learn that her husband was keeping secrets from her. She let go of Arianna’s hands. ‘When did you last speak to Stephen?’

  ‘About two weeks ago.’

  ‘Do you know if Pierre has acted on this information?’

  ‘No, sorry. I can’t be certain, Elise,’ Arianna said. ‘I’ve been too busy looking out for Stephen to notice much else.’

  ‘Thank you for telling me, Arianna—and for filling me in on Stephen’s condition. I’ve been lax in my obligations. It won’t happen again.’

  Arianna nodded but didn’t move. ‘If I could be so bold as to make an observation—’

  Elise nodded.

  ‘I’ve noticed that you haven’t been yourself. Is there something bothering you, something that I can help with?’

  Elise shouldn’t have been surprised that another empath had noticed her changing mood, but Arianna’s comment took her aback. It meant that others may have noticed, too. She didn’t want the Indigenes to feel as though she was not in control. Being a valued and trusted elder was of extreme importance to her.

  ‘You’re kind to offer,’ Elise said. ‘I’m fine. It’s Stephen we need to watch over now. I can sense changes occurring within him. When those changes reach their peak, I can’t be sure he’ll be able to deal with them.’

  ‘I sense the changes in him, too. I can’t explain what they are.’ Arianna seemed upset.

  Elise touched her arm gently; a shock passed from Arianna straight into Elise’s hand. They stared at each other wide-eyed.

  ‘What was that?’ Arianna whispered.

  ‘I … I don’t know,’ said Elise rubbing her hand.

  She stared at Arianna. She could see it clearly now: Arianna’s mind was meeting her half way. Other Indigenes who tried to get close could only hover in the background like shadowy figures. Arianna’s presence was strong and stood out from the rest in her mind; it was easy for Elise to concentrate on her. She relaxed for the first time in months.

  ‘I’ve always sensed great empathy in you,’ Elise said. ‘It’s strong. I can see that now. It’s the reason you’ve come to me. You sense that we share something—a common trait.’

  Arianna’s voice became animated. ‘Yes, Elise. I … I can’t explain it. It’s this feeling I get when I’m near you. I have always felt drawn to you, like you’re the only one who can help. My mother always admired you greatly—’ Arianna suddenly dropped her eyes to the ground. ‘I’m sorry, elder, I shouldn’t have spoken to you so disrespectfully.’

  ‘Please, child. Don’t apologise.’ Elise lifted Arianna’s chin with a cool finger and resting her other hand on her shoulder. She could sense Arianna’s strong presence.

  ‘I see now that I should have come to you earlier with this,’ Arianna said. ‘I thought I could handle it.’

  ‘Perhaps it’s time we all worked together a bit more,’ said Elise. She would need to speak to Pierre soon if they had any chance to stop the dissent among the Indigenes from escalating.

  As she dismissed Arianna from her private dwelling, she couldn’t quell her irritation that Pierre had been keeping her out of important business. Pierre was always trying to protect her. They could be so different at times. Elise found herself wondering if Elizabeth would have chosen Pierre as a husband. Perhaps the humans deliberately paired her up with Pierre when they transformed her into an Indigene. Or had she and Pierre found each other naturally—because of their love for each other? She wasn’t sure.

  Her husband, with whom she had been so close, was keeping secrets from her. Yet she was doing the exact same thing with him. She would confront Pierre soon enough. Stephen was her priority now; she needed to speak to him.

  Elise arrived at Stephen’s private dwelling in District Three’s northern quadrant. She climbed to the second tier and listened outside his door. She couldn’t hear anything. She couldn’t sense him either. Arianna had told her that Stephen was using the Nexus, so Elise decided to try the tranquillity caves next.

  The northern tranquillity cave was busy and Elise battled against the volume of emotion there. She jumped into a vacant hole and connected to the Nexus as quickly as she could; it gave her the power to tune out the emotions and she had a better chance of finding Stephen that way. First, she checked for Pierre’s personality signature—he wasn’t there. Then she searched for Stephen’s. She couldn’t sense him either, so she called out to him.

  Stephen’s head swam with thoughts that were not his own. How could he see into Anton’s mind if he was light years away? Anton’s thoughts didn’t seem to make sense. Nothing made sense.

  The Nexus was doing very little to make the pain in his head go away, its tendrils hovering close by, unsure of how to deal with his energy. If anything, it felt as though it was making things worse. He could sense the other minds that were connected, visible as balls of energy inside the Nexus; their thoughts came through as murmurs, background noise, garbled and unidentifiable.

  Suddenly a single female voice came through. It was stronger than the others and Stephen tried to block it out. But it wouldn’t go away. It shrilled unnaturally, echoing inside the Nexus as if it was in a large tunnel.

  ‘Where are you?’ it called out.

  He shook his head. He couldn’t be sure what was real and what false anymore. So many voices.

  ‘Stephen, I need to speak to you.’ The voice was clearer now.

  Why was someone calling his name?

  ‘Stephen—please—I know you can hear me. Please try to concentrate on my voice.’

  He recognised it now, even though the Nexus had deformed it.

  ‘I’m here,’ he answered cautiously. Elise had never connected with him inside the Nexus before.

  ‘I can’t say much here because others are listening. Can you disconnect? We need to talk in person.’

  ‘I can’t. I need to stay.’

  ‘Please, it won’t take long. Meet me out
side the Gathering Room.’

  The pain in Stephen’s head worsened and he was reluctant to leave the Nexus. But he had no choice. Elise, an elder, was giving him a direct order. He disconnected slowly, letting the pain in his head find its own level, and made his way to the Gathering Room.

  Elise quickly ushered him inside. The Gathering Room was soundproofed and used for elder and Council meetings. It had been the place where Stephen had relayed details of his meeting with the human boy, Ben, to the group. Currently, the large space with a raised platform at one end was unoccupied.

  Elise turned to face him. ‘Arianna came to see me. She’s worried about you—as am I.’

  Stephen became defensive. ‘Why did she do that?’

  ‘You haven’t been yourself. I know you’ve been struggling to manage a pain in your head. I’d like to help you. We can control it together. I can help to guide you through your loss.’

  Stephen shook his head. ‘Arianna shouldn’t have spoken to you. I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about, Elise. I have everything under control.’

  ‘When did you notice the changes?’ Elise asked gently.

  ‘I don’t know—when I left Earth, I guess,’ Stephen said. ‘But the pain’s manageable. It comes and goes. There’s no problem.’ This was partly true.

  ‘I understand you’ve spoken to Pierre about the changes that are happening to you. Why haven’t you chosen to confide in me?’ Elise asked.

  Stephen laughed. ‘I needed a general perspective on the matter. You empaths are far too emotional for my taste.’ His reply was laced with contempt and it surprised him that he meant every word.

  Suddenly the pain returned with full force. He angrily clutched the sides of his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

  ‘Stephen, please let me help. I hate to see you like this,’ Elise said. ‘You might be surprised to hear that I’m also experiencing changes.’ She reached out to touch his arm but he pulled it away.

  ‘You can’t help me, nobody can. This is my punishment.’

  ‘For what? For Anton’s capture?’ Elise’s voice got louder. ‘Damn Pierre and his stubbornness. Listen to me—you aren’t to blame for that.’

  ‘That’s what Pierre said. So why do I keep seeing things from inside Anton’s head, watching what he sees, feeling what he experiences. I’m not being allowed to forget what I made happen.’

  ‘I have a theory about the changes you’re experiencing,’ Elise said.

  ‘What kind of theory?’

  ‘That they’re quite natural and connected to your survival.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘I think something inside us changes when new threats arise. Your mind altered when you lost Anton, when you experienced the most severe stress. And the humans are threatening our survival again. Don’t you see? We’re simply evolving to help us deal with the new threats.’

  Stephen shook his head. ‘That doesn’t explain how Anton can connect with me.’

  ‘That’s just it,’ Elise said. ‘I don’t believe Anton is connecting with you. I think some latent abilities are awakening in you to help you cope with the situation. I don’t know which abilities—or if it’s an entirely new one or a progression of one you already have—what I do know is that fear and threats to our survival affect our minds as well as our bodies and I think our minds are going through a rapid process of evolution under these new threats.’

  Stephen stared at Elise for a moment, and gently shook his head. ‘You can’t trick me into believing this is something other than my punishment, my guilt. I know how I feel. It doesn’t feel like change. I can see—’ There was no point in trying to explain. Pierre hadn’t been interested in his theories. Why would Elise be any different?

  ‘See what?’ Elise asked leaning in closer.

  ‘I have to go. I need to use the Nexus. The pain’s getting worse and the Nexus sometimes helps to take the pressure off,’ Stephen said backing away.

  Elise didn’t try to stop him. ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’

  ‘No. Just leave me alone and tell Arianna to mind her own business,’ Stephen called from the far side of the room and rushed out the door.

  Chapter 23

  Earth

  Charles Deighton arrived early—a day early—at the Galway Medical Facility, excited at the prospect of catching the scientists out and finding out what was really going on. With his security team in tow, he crept towards the room where the Galway team were gathered. He twisted his fingers and rubbed his hands together gleefully as he contemplated their reaction to him. His presence put people on edge and it thrilled him immensely.

  From the shadows, he watched as Dr Caroline Finnegan flapped verbally about something. Normally such a level-headed doctor, she seemed to be in a bit of a state; he wondered why. He didn’t care much for order or reason; he found people who acted out of character far more interesting. He scrutinised her closely, enjoying the mounting sense of excitement he always felt on these occasions. But this time, it was tempered somewhat by the knowledge that he would need a convincing excuse for doing what he was about to do.

  When dealing with the World Government board members, people with a wide range of personalities, he needed order and reason. Their ‘humane’ decisions confused him and having to pretend to act normally around them frustrated him. In those situations, order helped him to understand how they wanted him to operate in their name; it allowed him to track their behaviour patterns and predict what they were most likely to agree or disagree with. The members who embraced his more ‘visionary’ view of the future were no trouble. It was the rest—the majority—who posed the biggest threat to his plans for great change. He thought about the Latin words that graced the walls inside foyer of the World Government offices: Ignorantia juris non excusat—ignoring the law does not excuse. He laughed every time he read the motto. How ironic it was, how empty, if the board members’ more interesting decisions were anything to go by.

  Deighton watched the doctor closely: every step she took, every check she made, the way she tucked loose strands of her red hair behind her ear. Any normal person would like her, but something irked him about the way Dr Finnegan scurried back and forth checking reams of data on the screens at either end of the laboratory, like a blue bottle repeatedly banging its head against a pane of glass when an open window was right there. On one of her passes, she stopped mid-way to scold her unkempt female assistant about something.

  He chuckled quietly to himself as they prepared for the visit they thought was happening tomorrow. Everything was proceeding exactly as he’d planned. Soon the board members would have their formula, and the plan to create a new bloodline that would outlast future environmental threats could begin. The second generation were a marvel to look at, their physique and skills beyond what the government could have hoped for humans. But there were still flaws, flaws that could be addressed in the next generation. The doubters on the board had had their opportunity to protest, and to argue that the human race should be left as it was. But an early vote had been taken before they could fully formulate their arguments and those more adventurous members who had been sitting on the fence tipped the majority in favour of change. The final vote was binding.

  If Dr Finnegan was correct in her assumptions—the end was tantalisingly close. But Deighton had to think ahead; he needed to consider how he would explain to the board members what he was about to do; he needed to hone his public persona, the one that was outraged at humanity’s plight—the overcrowding, the lack of work, the poisoned air. Publically he would argue, Oh dear, look at the mess we’ve got ourselves into. Not our fault —someone else’s, probably our ancestors. Privately, he would happily kill off most of the population, saving only the worthy few. He could never say that to the board members, of course—some of them were so sensitive about matters such as the termination of human life.

  Deighton recalled how they had reacted to the doctor’s death, the one that Anton had killed. Half of them ac
cused him of taking uncalculated risks with others’ lives, while the others had listened impassively. The seed of doubt had been sown in their minds—the Indigenes were not to be trusted—but not all the members were convinced. He needed to do something else.

  He was aware of how some of the board members viewed him. ‘You’re an enigma, Deighton,’ Peter Cantwell the Third, one of the founding members of the World Government, used to say. He liked that. He was willing to think outside the box, to try radically new ideas. Ordinary thinking would only take them so far. It was important to explain that to the board members who sat on the fence, the ones who might vote either way.

  A sudden crash jolted him out of his thoughts. He chuckled when he saw the messy-haired female assistant in a heap on the floor with an empty tray in her hand and surrounded by the cultures it once held.

  ‘And this is who I trust my operation to!’ Deighton said to the security team behind him. He clucked his tongue light-heartedly.

  ‘Unbelievable,’ his head of security said.

  Deighton smiled. He knew they’d agree with him; they were like a pack of well-trained dogs. He snapped his fingers and they fell into line.

  ‘Come on—while they’re distracted,’ he said. ‘Quietly though—I want to keep the surprise going for as long as possible.’

  They padded towards the room, Deighton hanging back behind his security team, just as Dr Finnegan rushed to help her assistant to her feet while the rest of her team gathered round.

  ‘Are you okay, Felicity?’ Dr Finnegan asked, holding out her hand. ‘You’re all fingers and thumbs today.’

  How perfectly delightful, Deighton thought. He could feel his excitement peaking. He tried to keep it at bay; he wanted to savour the moment. Meanwhile, the Galway team were talking among themselves about how many times the girl had fallen that week. Deighton smiled when he heard some of the ruder comments about her clumsiness. People could be so cutting.

  The girl was half way up off the floor when she caught sight of Deighton grinning at her through the open door. Her eyes widened and she slipped out of Dr Finnegan’s grip, hitting the ground again with a bump.