The Significant

by Kyra Anderson

  “I will not entertain the notion of Trids being granted citizenship,” Venus said, her beeps becoming shrill and causing Isa to cringe. “You are also to remove the Trid child from your circle. Two Trids close to you is far too many.”

  “Alright,” Isa said. “She has secondary protection from Dr. Michael Busen, who is keeping her under his protection as a research patient for this new virus. If you wish to remove her from my circle, I will not protest.”

  “She is removed from your circle.”

  “Venus, I have been noting the trends in your network and have noticed that many nobles and other citizens of Tiao have put in requests for non-profit fundraising for Trid,” Isa started carefully. “If we are unable to grant citizenship, and the public already knows about the V-99 Virus, then it might be best to allow them to raise the money and put that into a hospital along the Trid border that provides healthcare to Trids and those living in the Walking District.”

  “We do not need this becoming a larger problem,” Venus stated. “In a few months, this will fade.”

  “I do not think it will,” Isa disagreed. “We need to assure the people that the virus is being treated. The people are more concerned about the spread of the virus than the Trids themselves. If we allow the citizens to raise money for a hospital, it will be easier to assuage their fears and keep the peace.”

  Venus was silent for a moment, doing her own calculations and algorithms.

  Isa sat in the chair, her expression controlled, though the heat of the room was starting to make her light-headed.

  “You have my permission to approve fundraising for a healthcare service building in the Walking District,” Venus said. “Submit a proposal to me by tomorrow.”

  “I will.”

  Isa tried not to show her relief at making small progress.

  “Update your investigation on the virus that took down the feed blocks.”

  Isa tried to hide the deep breath she took to prepare herself, her relief vanishing.

  “The virus was an R-type. It was aimed at your security computers. Since you were linked with the feeds, it attacked anything blocking it. Thankfully, Rayal noticed what was happening before more of your security code could be copied for decryption.”

  “The origin?”

  “I have been unable to locate it.”

  “The timing of this is too close to the attack on Caroie and the various pirating acts that have been occurring along our trade routes,” Venus stated. “Someone is trying to destroy us.”

  “I understand.”

  “You must find the origin of this virus,” Venus said. “There has been another attack on my systems. The coding is in Gihoric.”

  Isa straightened, her heart racing suddenly. She was unaware of the second attack, and she knew she could not tell Venus that she was the perpetrator for the first virus.

  “Your heartrate escalated,” Venus noted.

  “When was this attack?”

  “Three hours ago,” Venus answered. “It has been blocked and destroyed.” Venus was silent a moment. “You understand we are on the brink of war with Gihron.”

  Isa swallowed hard and tried to gain her bearings.

  “Take precaution,” Venus said. “After what you did five years ago, you should have known this war was going to take place.”

  Remus punched in the code for Isa’s office door and it opened, allowing him into the locked room. Isa was reclined on the couch, one arm over her eyes, her breathing slow.

  “Feeling better?” Remus asked, walking to her NCB chair and leaning against it as he looked her over. He had been sure to let her rest for at least an hour after her meeting with Venus so her headache could subside.

  “A bit.”

  Remus was silent for a few moments before he sighed.

  “That was very reckless of you.”

  “What?”

  Remus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, square device. He put it against the NCB chair and pressed the button. It gave a high whine and the blue and purple lights on the end flickered rapidly. Isa saw the jamming device and her stomach tightened in apprehension.

  She had been expecting this confrontation with Remus.

  “The stunt you pulled with Kailynn in Trid,” Remus clarified. “That was very reckless.”

  “I got Venus’ approval to build a healthcare facility in the Walking District,” Isa said, sitting up and swinging her legs off the couch. “You used to support my plan to naturalize Trid.”

  “And I still do,” Remus assured. “Your methods, and motivation, are questionable.”

  Isa pursed her lips.

  “I see…”

  Remus looked at his feet.

  “Are you sure this is about the good of the planet and not about Kailynn?”

  Isa let out an exasperated chuckle.

  “Do you really think I would let her use me like that?”

  “I think there are many who would take advantage of you,” Remus said strongly. Isa groaned and stood, turning away from him.

  “I don’t need to listen to this lecture.”

  “Maybe you do,” Remus snapped. “Isa, you know better than anyone how quickly a situation can turn bad. The difference is that you’ve let Kailynn get closer to you than anyone else. She could destroy you.”

  “No, she couldn’t,” Isa said, turning to look at Remus. “Colonel Amori already did that. I’m never going to be the same.”

  “You know I hate it when you talk like that.”

  “Like what?” Isa said sharply. “When I tell you how I feel? When I recall those painful memories? Let me remind you, Remus, that I lived in that hell every day for months. Every part of who I was was destroyed by him.”

  “If that were the case, you would not be trying so hard to get the Trid District naturalized,” Remus said. “But because of how different you have been since Kailynn came into your life, I can’t help but be nervous that she’s going to turn around and stab you in the back.”

  Isa pinched the bridge of her nose.

  “You’re getting reckless,” Remus said again. “And I’m not sure that you’re in a state to be handling that sort of pressure.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Dr. Busen and Dr. Arre are worried about your health, as am I. Your latest results show that there has been a decrease in blood flow to your brain. Isa, don’t shrug this off!” he snapped when he saw Isa turn away, groaning, irritated. “Stress is going to increase the possibility of seizures and stroke.” Isa turned around and fixed Remus with a stern look. However, when she saw his face, her expression softened quickly. His eyes were showing fear, something that he never let show to anyone else.

  Remus took a deep breath.

  “I don’t want you to feel broken,” he said. “I wish I could take away the pain he inflicted on you. I wish I had noticed what was going on earlier and maybe I could have done something to change it. I know I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.” He looked at Isa pleadingly. “But Kailynn is more dangerous than you might realize. She has so easily passed all your barriers, barriers even I couldn’t overcome after the accident. And it scares me.”

  “Remus,” Isa murmured, walking to her Silver Elite.

  “You know I’m absolutely nothing without you,” Remus whispered as Isa stopped in front of him. “I don’t care about being your partner again, I just want you to be safe. Seeing you with her, it’s like I’m waiting to see you fall apart again, like Kailynn is going to do the same thing Colonel Amori did, and you won’t notice it’s happening until it’s too late.” Remus swallowed hard and lowered his gaze to the ground. “If you were to die, I would not be able to live.”

  Isa placed a hand on Remus’ face.

  “Remus…” she whispered again. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened five years ago.”

  Remus took her hand.

  “Neither can you,” he said strongly.

  Isa took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

>   “Remus, you have been, and always will be, my strongest support,” she whispered. “You know me better than anyone.” She took Remus’ face in both hands and smiled at him. “Remember when I was first appointed? You and I had huge dreams about how we would change everything.” She closed her eyes and pressed their foreheads together. “The two degenerate Elites revolutionizing the Altereye System. Every time I became discouraged, you were right there to pick me up and remind me of what we were doing.

  “It seems that Colonel Amori also took that fire from you, just as he did from me,” Isa murmured. “And maybe, what we both need, is a fiery Trid with no manners but a lot of heart to come in and remind us of who we really are.”

  Remus looked at Isa, surprised to see that Isa looked younger, as though she was still the seventeen-year-old Elite that had taken over the Syndicate with passion enough to pull the planet through any ordeal.

  “I imagine how painful it is for you to see me with Kailynn,” Isa said, one of her thumbs running over Remus’ cheek. “And I apologize for the pain I’m inflicting on you.” Isa swallowed hard. “But she’s helped me feel stronger. She has made me remember who I was, who I am.” She tightened her fingers on Remus’ face to get him to look at her again. “I am the Golden Elite of Tiao,” she whispered, “but do you remember what I told Venus when she appointed me?”

  Remus looked at Isa and a small smile crept over his face.

  “That you wouldn’t be Golden Elite,” Remus said quietly, “unless I was appointed your Silver Elite.”

  Isa smiled and nodded.

  “And look at where we are now,” she said. “You said you’re nothing without me, but you were the one who got me to this point. You stood by me through all that shit five years ago, even though I constantly abused you and tried to push you away. I am nothing without you. I knew I would never have survived as Golden Elite without you by my side.”

  Remus watched as Isa’s smile widened.

  “I need you to stand beside me as you did then,” she said. “I need Kailynn with me. But I also need you more than you seem to realize. Keep me grounded, and we’ll change this planet, and the Altereye System. I promise.”

  Kailynn was completely unaware of the conversation that Isa and Remus had had when Isa called. When she heard the bright tone of the Elite’s voice, she was worried and excited at the same time.

  When Isa told Kailynn that she had approval to fund and build a medical care facility in the Walking Districts that would provide healthcare to Trids, Kailynn thought she was dreaming. She asked Isa where they would get the money and how long it would take and began spewing questions as fast as she could think of them, but Isa just told her that she had to work on all the details and that she would not be home until later.

  For some reason, it was very comforting for Kailynn to hear Isa talk to her as though the home was theirs.

  Kailynn told her that she would see her “at home,” her cheeks flushing, the butterflies jumping in her stomach.

  And she had every intention of going back to Anon Tower. However, she had something she needed to handle first.

  Walking among the streets of Trid was becoming more and more foreign to her. The dilapidated structures closest to the Walking District were in even worse shape after the protests that had been occurring in Trid. There were different groups demanding different things, such as healthcare, food, and schooling for the children, though some were just yelling and blaming Anon for everything happening in the universe. That was when the Officials would get involved and it normally ended in violence.

  Considering he way things had changed after her previous visit, Kailynn knew she had to speak to Raphael.

  His words had stung. She had been unable to get them out of her head. They were on constant repeat, getting louder in the quiet hours of the night when she was trying to sleep.

  She could not avoid it any longer. She needed to talk to Raphael. She felt she owed him an explanation.

  She walked into the bar that her gang frequented and glanced around the tables. She saw a few members of the Cobalt Panthers, including Viv and Raphael. Viv was the one who spotted Kailynn. She tapped Raphael’s arm and pointed to the door.

  Without saying a word to the other members of the gang, Raphael stood and walked out of the bar, finding Kailynn around the corner as she slipped into an alley for some illusion of privacy.

  “Hey,” she greeted.

  “Hey.”

  An awkward, heavy silence followed the forced greeting. Kailynn shifted her feet nervously back and forth before clearing her throat.

  “They’re still running tests on Emira,” she started. “But she’s getting to stay at the hospital under protection of one of the top doctors.”

  “Really?” Raphael said, unable to keep the bite out of his voice. “Something Isa arranged?”

  Kailynn flinched from the words.

  “No…actually, I did….”

  “You?” Raphael said. “Wow. Already a member of high society.”

  “I want to say I’m sorry, Raffy.”

  “That’s all you want to say?”

  “A lot of things happened very quickly,” Kailynn said. “I was working as a Significant, and I got caught up in Elite affairs.”

  “How?” Raphael demanded. “Elites aren’t supposed to be with Significants.”

  “It’s really complicated,” she said hesitantly. “The point is, I have another job now.”

  “Which is?”

  “Working for Syndicate Intelligence,” she murmured, lowering her eyes.

  “Oh, it’s even better than I expected,” Raphael chuckled. “Here I was hoping you had been arrested and this was part of your release program.”

  “…you were hoping I had been arrested?”

  “It was the only explanation I could come up with!” Raphael snapped. “You didn’t tell me anything. You just said that you needed me to do something for you, and I did it because I always do what you ask. Then you come around, wanting to go into the house of someone with Wheezing Death and the started talking to yourself like a psychotic and then you start talking to Isa, who is the enemy of all Trids. So yeah, I had hoped that you were arrested and that was the reason for all the madness last week. But no. Instead, I hear that you have a job with Syndicate Intelligence.”

  Raphael sighed heavily.

  “What the fuck has happened to you?” he hissed.

  “A lot,” she admitted, her voice pained. “Raphael, I don’t want this to be the way this conversation goes.”

  “And how do you want it to go?”

  “I want you to understand that a lot of shit is happening in my life and I don’t know how to tell you without pissing you off!” Kailynn snarled. “It’s not that I want to lie to you, or keep things from you, but I’m scared you’ll hate me.”

  “Would you rather I make up reasons for what happened?” Raphael asked. “I know something is happening, Lynni. I’m not an idiot. You have been weird ever since you got Theo and the others out of Uren. And now that they’re arrested again…it’s like you’re desperate for them to be released. Look, Lynni. I know he’s your brother and you love him, but he has done nothing but use you your entire life.”

  “Raffy, that’s not—”

  “No, let me say this,” Raphael interrupted. “He used you when it was convenient for him. When he needed you, he came to you. And he made sure to tell you that he loved you and wanted what was best for you because he knew that if he was ever in trouble, he needed someone to count on. And you proved time and time again that he could count on you. Now, you’re working for the fucking Syndicate! How far are you going to sink before you realize that he’s not worth it?!”

  “Don’t talk about my brother like that!” Kailynn barked, shoving Raphael backward. “You know nothing! This isn’t about Theo! It started out as a way to get him out, but now…I’m in too deep. I need to find a way to survive and deal with all this shit. My life has been turned upside down…and I don’
t know that I want to change it.”

  “…what are you saying?” Raphael whispered.

  “I…” The words were trapped in her throat. She opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to decide what to say. “Raffy…My life has changed. I’ve changed. I want different things now. I can’t explain how it happened. It just did. I have a chance to shape my life away from Trid, and I want to take it.”

  “By working for the Syndicate?”

  “Yes,” Kailynn said. “By working for the Syndicate.”

  Raphael pursed his lips and shook his head, turning away as if looking at Kailynn would make him sick.

  “Raffy…”

  “I don’t know who you are anymore.”

  “I’m the one that helped get it approved to have a hospital built in the Walking District for Trids,” Kailynn said sharply, walking back into Raphael’s field of vision. “I haven’t abandoned Trid. I’m trying to help it.”

  “Wait, what? A hospital?”

  “Yes,” Kailynn said. “I know that it seems like I’m turning my back on you, but I’m not. We can’t change things like this. We have to be smarter. If we want to change things for the better we have to try different things until we get the result we want.”

  “How the hell did you get them to approve a hospital?” Raphael said sharply.

  “I had help, of course.”

  “I’m sure, considering you can’t read or write. You would have to.”

  Kailynn, irritated and angry, slapped Raphael.

  “You know what, you’re being an asshole!” she snapped. “For fuck’s sake. I’m still helping Trid. Now, no Trid can know that I had a part in this, or they’ll destroy the project and then there will be no helping the Trid district. And, if this is some sort of way to tell me that I belong here, I will tell you now that I don’t belong here, and I don’t belong in Anon. I don’t belong anywhere, which is why I need to do this. I refuse to be one of those people who dies in an alley or in my flat to have other people discover me and dump my body in the landfill. Things have to change, and I’m willing to do it. So if you want to back me up, then back me up. But I will do this with or without your help.”