Dawn of the Tiger

by Gus Frazer

  The sun was now up and the heat felt good on Finn’s skin, the air fresh and crisp, void of the normal humidity at that time of year.

  ‘Hey guys, so what do you think of this “Silent Coup” business?’ asked Sam.

  ‘Fan-bloody-tastic, about time someone stood up and took charge,’ said Jack.

  ‘Yeah, I think it’s the best thing to happen to Australia since it all went to shit,’ said Finn.

  ‘Damn right,’ continued Jack. ‘I wish I could join up and go fight now.’ This was nothing new. Jack had announced this many times over the last few weeks.

  ‘You can, mate. The army is accepting people up to the age of 50 now,’ said Sam with a smirk.

  ‘Nah, it’s not that. I got two kids to think about. I can’t just run off and leave them,’ said Jack, shrugging resignedly.

  ‘Good point,’ said Finn. ‘You got to think of the family.’

  ‘Still, you could get a non-combat job in the forces,’ said Sam, not letting him off the hook.

  ‘Yeah, I suppose, but what would I do? I’m not working in a kitchen or running around after some officer. If I joined the forces, I’d need to fight,’ replied Jack.

  ‘I’m thinking of joining,’ said Finn matter-of-factly.

  The others stopped and stared. Although they had talked about joining up many times before, not one of them had said it so seriously.

  ‘You for real?’ asked Jacob, looking amazed.

  ‘Yeah, I am. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and I think it’s time to do something. I think General Stephens has the right idea and I believe in what he’s trying to do,’ said Finn.

  ‘Good on you mate,’ said Jack, sounding a little awed. ‘I think that’s bloody great.’

  ‘Are you sure about this? You saw how many people died in the invasion. What makes you think it’ll be any different going out into the desert now?’ asked Sam.

  ‘To be honest, I’m not sure. I’m not sure of anything, but I do know I’ve got to do something worthwhile with my life.’

  ‘Well, I think you’re insane going out there,’ said Sam. ‘What’s the point in losing your life? There’s no way we’re ever going to take down the Chinese army, it’s just not going to happen.’

  ‘You may be right, but you may be wrong too. There’s no way to know without trying,’ said Finn.

  ‘Mate, Australia needs more young guys with that attitude. Good on you,’ said Jack.

  ‘Well, like I said, I’m only thinking about it. I haven’t signed up yet,’ said Finn. ‘Anyway, we going to do this Anzac or what?’ He launched off before anyone could reply, getting a head start on them all.

  As he swam he realised the truth was that the more he spoke about joining up, the more convinced he was of doing it. He knew though that if he didn’t act on his decision quickly, he might pussy out and convince himself to do something completely different. Like he did when he quit the reserves.

  Getting back home that morning, Finn went straight to the Australian Army website and filled out the registration form. Once he submitted it, he immediately got an email informing him that he had to go to the recruitment division in Pitt Street to sign up. ‘Doesn’t look like they’re overrun with traffic to their site,’ he observed to himself.

  That afternoon he went in and signed the required papers. He knew he shouldn’t be surprised at how easy it was to sign up, but it was still a little shocking to waltz into the nearly empty recruitment centre, put his name on a few forms and find himself a member of the army. He was immediately shuffled through a few physical and aptitude tests. He knew he was reasonably fit and didn’t find any of the testing too difficult, but they refused to tell him how he did, so he wasn’t quite sure.

  After the battery of tests, he was sent to a waiting room to receive further information. A woman entered the room and handed him an information pack, then sent him on his way. As he strode back to his Jeep, he flipped open the pack and read the cover letter. It said he was to do his basic training for three months at a base in the Blue Mountains. From there, he would be selected for further training or be placed in a suitable role within the army. Finn had no intention of failing or even just passing his training — he knew he had to excel. He didn’t necessarily want to be an officer, but he wanted to be in the top tier of soldiers — special ops or something like that. Given his training in the army reserve, the recruitment officer had said that he would be fast-tracked through his training and placed quickly with a combat-ready squad. The Australian army often did this, mixing the highly experienced with young soldiers with the best potential. It was a proven way to expedite the training of elite soldiers.

  That weekend, Finn went to his parents’ home for lunch. Midway through the meal, Finn decided to announce his news. ‘I’ve joined the army. I’m going to fight the Chinese,’ he said, deadpan.

  Sonia dropped her cutlery and put her hand to her open mouth, eyes wide, her hands beginning to tremble almost immediately.

  Tom, who was sitting directly across from him, placed his knife and fork carefully on the table, head bowed down towards his plate of food as his eyes slowly moved up to level on Finn. The room was silent. Finn was transfixed by the stare from his dad. It seemed to last an eternity. Finn gripped his cutlery hard and shifted in his seat.

  Tom finished chewing, still not making a sound. Finally, he sat back in the chair. ‘Not a fucking chance, son,’ he said slowly, in a tone Finn couldn’t remember hearing before.

  Sonia, hands still over her mouth, turned to look at her husband with equal shock.

  ‘Dad, it’s too late. I’ve already joined. I’m going to training camp week after next.’

  ‘You stupid, selfish little shit,’ said his dad, face now flushed with anger.

  ‘Tom, please, there’s no need …’ started Sonia.

  ‘There is a need to give our son a reality check. There’s a need for our son to get his head out of his own arse and realise what he’s about to do!’

  ‘Dad, I know what I’m doing. I’ve never been more sure of anything,’ said Finn.

  ‘I don’t give a flying fuck what you think you know. I’m calling my lawyer, he’ll know a way to get you out of this mess.’

  ‘Dad! For once, can you just listen to me? I want to do this. I am going to do this, so get used to it.’ Finn’s control was slipping, his voice wavering.

  ‘Get used to my son going out to get killed for some dirt? Finn, I will never support what you are doing. You’re a smart kid with way too much going for you than to go and join the army. That’s what stupid people do, stupid people who have no other option in life.’

  ‘Listen to yourself, Dad. That’s fucking pathetic. Because of people like you, Australia became an easy target for China. I don’t blame them for attacking us. We’re gutless.’

  Pushing his chair back, Tom stood. ‘There is no way I will condone this. No way!’ With that he turned and left the room.

  Sonia, regaining her composure, reached over and took her son’s hand. Giving him a long, searching look, she seemed to come to a decision. ‘Finn, your dad loves you. That’s why he’s upset. You can understand that can’t you?’

  ‘Yeah, I can, but he must be able to understand that I need to do this. I need to try to do something worthwhile with my life. I’ve never once been challenged — nothing I’ve ever done has felt real. This feels real.’

  ‘I’m glad you feel like you’re doing something important. Your dad and I just want you to have a long and beautiful life. I don’t agree with what you’re doing, but I respect your decision.’

  ‘You do?’ asked Finn, relieved to hear her say it.

  ‘Yes. You’re your own man, Finn, and if this is something you need to do, then do it. Just don’t go getting killed or hurt. I want my son back alive and well.’ Tears welling up in her eyes, she squeezed Finn’s hand.

  ‘Thanks, Mum, I really appreciate it,’ Finn said softly, leaning in to give her a hug. For the first time, Finn actually
felt scared. All the people who had tried to convince him not to go had bolstered his confidence and made him focus on creating more reasons to do it. Now that his mother was condoning it and supporting him, it suddenly felt more real.

  Oh God, what have I done? he thought, hugging his mum.

  Sunday morning in Bondi, and the sun streamed through the windows of Finn’s lounge. Getting out of bed, he pulled on his board shorts and a shirt. Wandering down to the café barefoot he felt totally free, savouring the feeling, knowing that in a week’s time he’d be starting a whole new chapter in his life.

  Walking in he immediately spotted Sophie, the English girl, behind the counter. ‘Hey, Sophie,’ he greeted her with a broad grin, ‘How are you? Been surfing lately?’

  ‘Hey Finn. No, I’ve been focussing on my yoga. Loving it actually.’

  ‘Ah, yoga, huh? Nice one.’ He nodded, hands in his pockets.

  ‘So, what can I get you?’

  ‘Err, regular flat white, egg roll …’ Finn paused and then decided to go for it. ‘And your number?’ he finished, emboldened by the fact that he had just a week to make this happen, if it was ever going to happen.

  Sophie looked squarely at Finn without hesitating. ‘Coming right up,’ she said, turning with a smile.

  Two minutes later, she handed Finn his coffee and roll. Written on the bag in black texta was her MiLA number. That’s what I’m talking about, Finn thought to himself. ‘Thanks, talk soon’ he said. And with that Finn strolled out trying to look as casual and cool as possible, feeling a million dollars.

  Later that afternoon, Finn sent Sophie an Instantext (IT). ‘Hey, Sophie, it’s Finn,’ he said into MiLA, ‘was wondering if you’d like to go out for a drink sometime?’ He watched as the screen registered his words, converted them to text, and sent the message to Sophie.

  Sophie’s response was right on time — not too quick, not too slow — suggesting they meet at 8 pm the next day.

  ‘Game on baby, game on,’ he said to himself. Now that his time in Sydney was on the clock, he had a sense of urgency about him.

  The following evening they met at Lewis’s, on Curlewis Street, a cool old wine bar that spilled out onto the pavement. She looked incredible — long dark hair, tanned skin, and a beautifully yoga-toned body. She knew how to dress too, pulling off the bohemian chic look perfectly, totally natural but elegant at the same time. The confident smile she gave Finn when she greeted him showed him she was fully aware of how good she looked.

  ‘So, how long have you been over here for then?’ asked Finn once they’d settled down with their wine.

  ‘Oh, about two years now,’ she responded.

  ‘No going back?’

  ‘To England? No way, I can’t stand being back there. My parents keep trying to convince me to come back home, given what’s going on here, but I just love it here.’

  ‘Wow, don’t blame you. I lived in London a few years ago after finishing uni. I mean I had an amazing time, but it was never a place I could live.’

  ‘So you’re a Sydney boy then. Would you ever live somewhere else?’ she asked.

  ‘Well, I don’t know where I’ll end up. I’ve actually just joined the army,’ Finn said, staring right into Sophie’s eyes to see what sort of reaction he got.

  ‘Are you serious? You’re going to fight the Chinese?’ she said, huge brown eyes holding his gaze but clearly astounded.

  ‘Well, after training, depending on how I go, I’ll be posted for combat, or I’ll be assigned to some other duty.’

  ‘That’s amazing, Finn. Although I think you’re mad,’ she laughed, white teeth contrasting against her tanned skin. ‘I think it’s great that you’re actually prepared to go and fight,’ she said, serious now.

  ‘Yeah, well, it’s something I really believe in.’

  ‘So did you just suddenly decide to do this? I thought you were a suit!’

  ‘It was pretty sudden. Well, I was in the army reserve when I was a kid, so I kinda know what the training’s all about.’

  ‘Still, you’re really going out there to fight for your country. I respect that.’

  Feeling a little embarrassed by the attention, Finn tried to play it down. ‘Well chances are I’ll get posted to the mailroom or something lame like that. Anyone who has come from finance is probably earmarked for office duties, and I’m definitely not skilled enough for something cool like the Militech,’ he said in a self-deprecating tone. The Special Military Technology division of the army, known as ‘Militech’, had been getting a lot of publicity lately, with their aggressive recruiting campaign to get all of the best hackers in the country on their staff. It seemed like it was working, as the buzz was they were getting close to being able to work out Chinese coding.

  Smiling, Sophie straightened and looked directly into his eyes, ‘I think you’ll be able to get to exactly where you want to go. I think you’ll be awesome.’

  ‘Anyway, so what else has been going on in the life of Sophie?’ Finn asked, wanting to put the conversation back on her.

  The rest of the night went by quickly as they chatted and laughed. Finn couldn’t believe it had taken him this long to ask her out for a drink. They even laughed about it. By the end of the night they were both mildly drunk. Finn walked her home, which was an apartment she shared on Roscoe Street with two girlfriends from the UK. At the door, she started to rummage through her bag to find MiLA. ‘Oh my God, I can never find MiLA,’ she said. ‘Half the time I have to throw pebbles at the window to get my flatmates to let me in.’ She finally dug it out, raising it with a smile of triumph. She turned and passed MiLA over the door sensor, unlocking it. She held the door slightly open and turned back to Finn.

  ‘Hey, I really enjoyed tonight,’ said Finn.

  ‘Me too. So are you around this week, before you go to training?’

  ‘Yeah, I am, but I got a load of things to sort out with the flat and everything. I’ll give you a call later though. Yeah?’

  ‘Yeah, that would be cool,’ she said.

  Finn moved closer to her. He had been on enough first dates to know when to go in for a kiss. As Finn stepped in, so did Sophie and they came together and gently kissed. Parting, Finn walked away with a wave and a goodnight.

  Sophie occupied his thoughts for the short walk back to his apartment.

  Two days later he sent her an IT to see what she was up to on Thursday night, and if she fancied dinner. To his disappointment she was out already with some friends, but they arranged to meet on Friday. He would have to reschedule Chris, but he would understand … he would totally understand.

  They had arranged to meet at Ravesi’s in Bondi at 8 pm to start the night and see where it went from there. Finn arrived early and grabbed a seat at the bar. Ordering a beer, he pulled a small white pill from his pocket. Throwing it in his mouth, he washed it down with the beer. It was a Harmony pill, completely legal and commonly used as an anti-depressant to calm the mind and create a sense of bliss. Mixed with alcohol, though, the Harmony created a far more exciting effect on the user.

  Sophie arrived, turning heads in her wake. Even in a room full of beautiful people, she stood out. Finn stood and smiled, greeting her with a kiss. He felt a flush of pride being seen with her in public — much like how he’d used to feel when going on a shopping spree in his trader days. Like a master of the universe.

  ‘Harmony?’ he asked, once they’d settled down.

  ‘Sure,’ she replied with a casual smile, taking the pill he’d offered and washing it down. She gazed at Finn pensively. ‘You know, I get a bit nostalgic when I see really old movies where people offer each other cigarettes … it seems so classy and cool. Sometimes I feel like we’re missing out. But I guess with the Harmony it’s like the same kind of thing, huh?’ she asked Finn.

  That kicked off hours at the bar drinking, laughing, flirting, progressing to more drinking, more flirting and kissing at the bar. Finn would cringe if he saw another bloke behaving this way in a public sp
ace. But tonight it was like there was no one else around, just Finn and Sophie.

  Neither of them wanted the night to end, so when the bar shut they hopped into Finn’s Jeep and requested it take them to Kings Cross. It pulled up out the front of Resonate, one of the newest clubs in Sydney. Sophie walked up to the front of the queue, taking Finn along behind her by the hand. She approached one of the bouncers.

  ‘Hey, Greg, how’ve you been?’

  ‘Not bad, Soph. Looking good!’ he replied, opening the door for them. They walked in and entered a long dark hall. The deep vibrations from the club rumbled. The walls along the hallway were like speakers. As the name suggested, they properly resonated. It created a strange feeling of disorientation — the sound so powerful it was more of a feeling in the whole body.

  ‘Hey, want a patch?’ asked Sophie.

  Finn stopped. ‘You got some?’ he asked, surprised.

  ‘Yeah, have you had one before?’

  ‘No, I’ve heard too many stories about people being paralysed and shit.’

  ‘That’s all rubbish, come on, turn around.’

  Finn turned and Sophie took the small patch from her clutch. It was a rectangular sticker the size of a 50-cent coin, which contained a sophisticated multi-layered optoelectronic circuit board.

  Finn felt Sophie’s hands on his neck, feeling for the C1 vertebra on his spine. She rubbed the area softly, increasing the blood flow. He felt her stick the patch on just above the vertebra. There was a momentary sting — and then a surge through his whole body. It took his breath away as his body convulsed once involuntarily. It passed quickly and he felt like never before. It was as if he had shed his old skin like a snake or cicada. His new skin felt everything — the air, the noise, the temperature. Then Sophie touched his hand gently. It sent a pulse all the way up his arm. It was incredible.

  ‘Oh my fucking god, what … what’s happening?’