The Terminals

by Royce Scott Buckingham

“I want to ask you about your teammates,” Ward said. “How are they doing? Anyone seem troubled?”

  He obviously meant Jules. “I think Jules is upset. She really liked Ari and Calliope.”

  “So did you, Cam. Are you upset?”

  “No. I mean, yes, of course. But I’m not…”

  “Not what?”

  Ward was probing. They wanted to know what Jules was doing. Or maybe they already did know and wanted to test Cam to see if he’d lie about it. “I’m not crying like a baby about it. It’s all part of the philosophy, right?”

  Pilot nodded.

  “Right,” Ward agreed. “Did Jules say anything to you? We’re concerned about her.”

  “No. Did she say anything to you?”

  “She was upset, like you say.”

  “Anything else?” Cam went on the offensive, asking the questions.

  Ward and Pilot glanced at one another. “Details about the mission,” Ward said quickly. “It’s nice to get it fleshed out. It sounds like you did well.”

  “Thanks,” Cam said. It was bullshit. He’d frozen during Calliope’s phone call, costing them precious seconds—they might have saved Calliope’s life in spite of her intention. He’d also been ineffective in the room. Wally had to save his sorry butt. Cam hadn’t even driven the car. Zara had. He was dead weight. “I think it’s time to get me some TS-9, though.”

  “Are you having symptoms?”

  “Yeah. I’m experiencing some muscular weakness when compared to my teammates, and a relative slowness in my movement. And my mind isn’t as sharp as it could be.”

  Ward scowled at the sarcasm. “You want to be enhanced. Is that it?”

  “I want to be an asset to the team.”

  Ward’s expression lightened. “That’s our Wingman,” he said to Pilot, and Cam felt relieved to be moving the conversation away from Jules. “We’ll let the doc know. She’ll consult with you next visit.”

  They had more questions. Ward asked for details of the trip to Macapá—who went where and when. How the confrontation with the bodyguards progressed, blow by blow. Who was quick or strong. Cam was honest, hoping to match his story to what Donnie and Zara and the rest had likely told them. It was best to be as accurate as possible, in case they asked about Jules again—if he was honest enough for most of it, he might earn enough credibility to pull off one lie. And, finally, Ward asked the question Cam had sensed was coming.

  “Did Jules ever say anything about an Internet kiosk?”

  Cam pretended to think. “There was one at the stadium,” he said vaguely. “We didn’t stop at it. We got sausages. Donnie had two. He’s a pig, you know.”

  Ward chuckled.

  Pilot nodded and spoke. “Be that as it may, we just want to make sure everything is all right with the team. If a member isn’t on board, we’d like to know. You’re still with us, aren’t you, Cam?”

  Cam forced a laugh and hoped it didn’t sound too forced. “Where else would I go?”

  “Home?” Ward suggested.

  Cam sat back in his chair. “Naw. I’m dead. This is home now.”

  * * *

  Cam went straight to Jules’s condo, where he found her gathering her things. She looked up. Her smile was as big as he’d imagined it while reading Ari’s journal. It finally matched the size of her eyes nicely.

  “What’s going on?” Cam asked, stepping inside.

  Jules peeked out the door behind him, and then ducked her head back inside and whispered. “They told me not to tell anyone. But I’ll tell you. They’re sending me home!”

  “What?”

  “I asked, and they said no. Then I demanded that they at least let me go to Scotland where I did a semester overseas. I’m sure the local family I stayed with will take me. And they said yes!”

  Cam was stunned. “I can’t believe it.”

  “I told you, silly.”

  “How will that even work? What are you going to tell people?”

  “They’re making up a story for me. I obviously can’t tell about this place, but don’t worry, I can totally keep a secret.”

  Just then, Pilot called for her to come to the Zodiac.

  “I have to go before they change their mind. They don’t want me shaking up the team—the whole ‘stay focused’ thing, you know.” She suddenly leaped at him and gave him a huge hug. “I’m glad I knew you, Cam.”

  Jules exited, and Cam stepped out of the condo to watch her skip down the beach to the waiting boat. Pilot glanced up and saw Cam in the doorway. He frowned until Jules arrived at the boat, and then smiled and helped her in. Pilot waded into the surf to push off, hopped in after her, and they headed to sea. Then she was gone.

  CAM’S PLAYLIST

  25. MY HEART OR YOURS

  by Love-n-Stuff

  26. DICE

  by One Shoe Magoo

  27. OH YEAH, MAKE ME

  by So It Begins

  “My heart, your heart, torn apart, fresh start. Oh-oh-oh!”

  “Where are they going?” It was Tegan. He sat nearby, far enough away that Cam was sure he hadn’t heard the conversation, but close enough to see Jules depart.

  “I don’t know,” Cam said. It was partially true and partially a lie. “I’m sure they’ll tell us at our next meeting.”

  “Yeah,” Tegan agreed. “They’ll tell us what they tell us.”

  “What do you mean?” Cam said.

  “You’re a snotty college boy. You figure it out.”

  “College boy?”

  “Aren’t you?”

  “Yes, but…”

  “You all are. Not all boys, but all rich school kids.”

  “We’re all on the same team.”

  “Kind of. But it’s no different here than anywhere else. The brainy kid, the athlete, and the good-looking girl argue over who they think is running the show, but they don’t realize it’s the people with the real money who pull the strings. They tell us what’s what and where to go and what to do. We fight their battles. We die for them. They don’t teach you that in college, do they?”

  “Is there someone you’d rather be dying for?”

  “Naw. One boss is as good as another. Mill operator. Mine owner. Army sergeant. Prison supervisor. Personal trainer. Makes no difference. We work for them, and then we die. It’s just quicker for us here.”

  “Coming here was our choice.”

  “We didn’t have much choice. You wouldn’t have come if they hadn’t told you that you were dying.”

  Cam cocked his head. He hadn’t heard more than a sentence from Tegan the entire time he’d been here. But it was the same amount that he’d heard anyone say to Tegan, he realized. Cam sat down in the sand to join him.

  “What’s your story, man?” he asked.

  “We ain’t got stories, do we? We checked those at the door. Just first names here. Not supposed to talk about where we’re from or what we did before. I thought it might be a kind of fresh start. But I was wrong. People are still who they are.”

  Cam nodded. “How is it rooming with Wally?”

  “He’s crazy.”

  Cam laughed.

  “Not a bad guy,” Tegan added. “But pretty much a mental case.”

  “Maybe it’s his way of dealing with all this.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Sorry I haven’t been friendly,” Cam offered.

  “It’s okay. You’ve been taking sides and chasing skirt. I’m just doing my time.”

  “Your time?”

  “I’m the farthest along.”

  Tegan set his jaw, and his eyes narrowed. It was tough for him to say. He meant the disease. His diagnosis was worse than the rest. He had less time to live.

  “I’m sorry,” Cam said.

  “Not your fault. I blame the docs.” Tegan grinned. It was the first time Cam had seen him smile.

  “I’m thinking I’m ready for the TS-9 myself,” Cam said suddenly.

  Tegan thought for a moment. “Naw. I get these headaches. Th
ey suck. You don’t want them.”

  “But you’re strong and fast.”

  “Yeah, that part’s fun. But it’s unnatural. It’s not me. I feel wrong, and when my head starts thumping like it’s gonna burst out of my skull, I feel really wrong. I think when the end comes you’d rather be you than TS-Cam.”

  Cam nodded and rose. “Thanks for the chat, man. I’ll try to be less snotty from now on.”

  Tegan smirked, and Cam saw that, if he hadn’t completely won over the big guy, he’d at least made a sort of peace with him.

  * * *

  Cam carried the split half of a roast fowl to the rear of his condo. The plastic wrap stretched over its surface kept the sand off as he slid it underneath. Then he headed inside.

  Owen showed up ten minutes later. “Hey,” the Donnie imitator said in greeting. He stood in the doorway carrying a large canvas bag.

  “What’s that?”

  “They’re rearranging the roommate situation.”

  “And…?”

  “And I’m here now.” Owen didn’t look confident. He lingered at the entrance, not bold enough to step inside yet.

  “They’ve assigned you to me?”

  “To this condo, yeah.”

  “I thought I’d get it to myself after…”

  “I guess not.”

  Cam puzzled over it. “There are five condos and six of us left. Who’s Donnie bunking with?”

  “I think he’s alone now.”

  “Wally?”

  “Alone.”

  “Zara’s alone, obviously. Tegan?”

  “Alone.”

  “So we’re the only roommates.”

  “I guess so.”

  Cam frowned. It made no sense, unless … They’re watching me, he thought. Owen had been sent to spy on him. He remembered what the skinny girl from the jungle had said. That’s what we’re all here for.

  Cam forced his frown into a smile. “Throw your stuff over there. Welcome to château Cameron.”

  Owen looked relieved. He ambled in and began to set up shop. Cam began to climb up to his bunk. Then he saw Owen reach for Ari’s diary.

  “Dude!” Cam barked.

  “What?”

  “Toss me my notebook, would ya?”

  Owen picked up the diary. He turned it over in his hands, and Cam was certain he’d open it. “Sure,” Owen said finally, and he threw it up to Cam, who shoved it into his pocket.

  Cam laid back and let himself slide into sleep. Owen couldn’t find out anything about him if he didn’t do anything. Besides, the diamonds were gone. If Owen went poking around, all he’d find was half a cooked bird.

  CAM’S PLAYLIST

  26. DICE

  by One Shoe Magoo

  27. OH YEAH, MAKE ME

  by So It Begins

  28. THE ENDLESS NOTHING

  by Necromoor

  “Roll ’em, roll ’em, roll ’em again.”

  Cam awoke to a narrow, grease-stained face. Female. The girl from the jungle. He sat up quickly. She stood on his rope ladder, leaning over him the way Pilot had those long weeks ago in the hospital.

  “Fank-roo,” she mumbled through a mouth full of dark meat.

  “You’re welcome,” Cam said. “What are you doing in here? I thought you didn’t want people to find you.”

  “It’s dark out, and your new buddy is off at a beach fire.” She tore another hunk from the bird leg.

  “He’s not my buddy.”

  “No?”

  “No. I don’t trust him.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’ve made me paranoid. By the way, you took something from me.”

  “You don’t need it. Or do you?” She cocked an eyebrow. “What’s your plan?”

  “Plan? I don’t have a plan.”

  “Well, you should.”

  “I want some answers. And I don’t want you to get me into trouble.”

  “Why are you so worried about getting into trouble? This is all for good and justice and blah-blah-blah, right?” She paused to eat again. “Well, I’ll tell you why. Because you sense it. I know you do. You can feel that something’s wrong.”

  “I don’t know,” Cam said defensively. “People are dying. Some of it is hard to take. It makes a guy think. But it’s an intense program. That doesn’t mean something’s wrong.”

  “You didn’t tell them about me. I would know if you did.”

  “No. I didn’t.”

  “Can I trust you?”

  “I gave you a chicken, or whatever that bird was.”

  “They give you food. Do you trust them?”

  “I have so far.”

  “So did I.”

  “You’re one of us, then?”

  “I was. Last year’s batch. TS-8.”

  Prior teams? Cam thought. Why not? Ward had never said there weren’t—he just never talked about them.

  “Why are you hiding?” Cam asked.

  “I’m not with the program anymore, and they didn’t exactly provide me with transportation out of here.”

  “You went AWOL. Wow. But what does this have to do with me? I can’t help you go anywhere. I’m here until I die.”

  “Until you die, huh? God, you are dumb. You don’t get it, do you? And I thought you were smart. A year and a half ago they diagnosed me with the same life-sucking, brain-eating thing they say you have. But look at me. What do you notice?”

  “You’re skinny and dirty?”

  “I’m not dead.”

  * * *

  Her name was Siena Black. She was from Eugene, Oregon, the only child of an architect and a teacher. She was about to declare her major in environmental studies at the University of Oregon when she was diagnosed with malignant glioblastoma out of the blue. She’d been on a team just like Cam—ten college-age kids. But she’d bailed and fled into the jungle. Siena talked machine-gun fast, spilling more personal info in a few minutes than his teammates had in weeks. But she didn’t linger. It was a trust offering, and she was eager to get to business.

  “So that’s a bit about me,” she said. “Now I need your help getting out of here.”

  “You’re telling me you’re not sick?”

  “I’m not a doctor. I’m just saying I haven’t died, and they said I would.”

  “From the tumor or the TS?”

  “They said both would kill me. But a tumor hasn’t killed me, obviously. And I stopped taking the TS-8. I couldn’t get it after I went AWOL. That was hell, by the way. I went through withdrawals. Lots of barf. Not pretty. That’s part of why I look like an anorexic runway model. My body’s so screwed up I don’t know if I’m sick or recovering or going to die in five minutes. But I’m still kicking. I know that.”

  “Proves nothing.”

  “I didn’t say it proved anything. Just said I need to get out of here. They aren’t very understanding about the desertion thing.”

  “They let a friend of mine go home.”

  “Did they?” She looked genuinely surprised, and there was a hint of hope in her expression, but mostly doubt.

  “That’s what she said. She begged and they agreed. She was a mess. Maybe you should have just cried a lot if you didn’t want to be part of the team anymore.”

  “Right. The almighty ‘team.’”

  “They’re my friends. You’re a stranger. No offense.”

  “Your friends aren’t that great. You don’t even trust your roommate.”

  “That’s because he’s a tool.”

  “The rest aren’t much better.”

  “How do you know? Eavesdropping? Sneaking under huts?”

  “I just know.”

  “Yeah. How?”

  “Because they hunted me.”

  “What?”

  “There were two of us. We were the leftovers. I started the TS last, and he wasn’t on it at all. They didn’t have any more missions for us. They were bringing in new kids, but keeping us isolated from them. Pilot told me I was going to be going away for some
‘individual training.’ He said to meet him at the boat the next morning, but I started getting a bad feeling about it. We agreed to run. Ward, Pilot, and some of your friendly teammates came after us.”

  “Then where’s the guy?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since we separated to split up our pursuers.”

  “Maybe he’s lost in the jungle?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You say ‘hunted,’ but what if they were just trying to find you?”

  “The athletic guy threw a dart at me while I was in a tree. A fall from that height would have been fatal.”

  “Donnie? He’s an ass.”

  “His minion and the big guy were after me too.”

  “Tegan and Owen? Why would those guys hunt someone who hadn’t done anything wrong?”

  “Because Pilot told them to? And Ward could make up anything in a team briefing. How do you know your targets were bad guys?”

  “Oh, please,” Cam sniffed. “Our first mission was to rescue doctors from pirates. Pirates have been bad since time immemorial. Three severed heads pretty much confirmed it.”

  Siena went to the doorway to make sure no one was coming. “Look, idiot, I was your team’s first mission. You weren’t there because you were the last-minute replacement for the poor sap that fell over the cliff chasing me. And I know damn good and well that I’m not a bad guy.”

  Cam fumed. It was interesting information, he had to admit, but was it true? And he didn’t like losing the logic fight. “Are you going to give me my diamonds back?”

  “No. I’ll need them when I get to civilization. If you’re staying here, you won’t.”

  “Fine. You’re right.”

  “You’re right, I’m right.”

  “I mean about the diamonds. About the rest, I’m not sure.”

  “Who do you think is funding all of this? They’re still testing TS. On us.”

  “Not on me.”

  “You ever heard of a control group? You’re the athletic, smart, normal human guinea pig they compare your enhanced teammates to. They’re not going to give it to you. Ever.”

  “Ward told us that the TS was experimental right up front. We knew that when we signed up.”

  “Then you know that the organization has to be a fucking pharmaceutical company, right, Cam?”

  For a moment Cam couldn’t speak. The idea was so overwhelming that it bounced around in his head and he had trouble getting hold of it.