by Eliza Green
Bill stood up. ‘I can’t give you what you want, Mr Patterson. But we can provide extra troops if you meet me halfway on this.’
Patterson mirrored him. ‘We want guns or nothing. And we’ll go on strike if we have to.’
‘Are you sure that’s how you want to play this?’
‘Bill, we’d rather not resort to other measures to get what we want.’
‘Is that a threat?’
‘No, it’s a promise.’
The lights in the biodome flickered before returning to full brightness. Bill frowned at the light in the ceiling.
‘That’s happening because of your friends in their environ. They’ve doubled the draw of power. Did you know that?’
‘Since when?’
‘Two hours ago.’
Clearly his and Laura’s talk with Simon and Tanya had been for nothing. What did Tanya want with the extra power?
‘My team and I will deal with it.’
Bill walked away.
Patterson followed him to the exit. ‘And if you can’t, remember this. You’ll want us on your side, not against, when the time comes.’
Bill left the biodome and climbed into his waiting car while Patterson watched him from the door.
The car drove out through the open section in the chainlink fence. Bill glanced back to see Patterson speaking to a man. Harvey Buchanan. The men shook hands. Bill almost ordered the car to turn around.
Buchanan on Exilon 5 wasn’t a surprise, nor was his connection with Patterson. It only proved there was more to this union than an irritation over the peace treaty. For one, Harvey hadn’t been on Exilon 5 long enough to feel its effects.
One thing was clear: Bill would not put weapons in these men's hands. They wanted something else, power most likely, similar to Tanya and her followers. But this power did not come from the grid. It came through spilled blood and temporary alliances.
And destroying the peace treaty would be the fastest way to upset the regime.
Bill had to be careful. If Harvey was involved, he should expect a fight on his hands.
14
Stephen watched Anton at work in his laboratory. Serena had left with Laura an hour ago and he needed a distraction while he waited for her to return. He hated it when she went out alone but Laura had insisted it was the only way to help Bill.
Anton melted a lump of silver metal in a bowl. Next to the bowl was one of Anton’s moulds, but Stephen had no clue what the mould would make.
You could help me instead of brooding over there, said Anton.
I need to know she’s okay. We’ve no idea what these humans want.
Anton laughed. You’re worried about Serena? I think the humans should be worried about her.
Stephen switched to his voice. ‘Don’t mock me, Anton. I’m not in the mood.’
‘I’ll stop mocking you when you start making sense. Now, quit your sulking. Serena can look after herself.’
Stephen sighed and shuffled closer to Anton’s work. Anton was right, but his bond with Serena was stronger than the one Anton had with Arianna. Sometimes when they were separated, he felt her pain.
A noise at the door drew his attention. Arianna entered the room wearing a pair of gloves that reached her elbows. She carried a three-litre container of liquid nitrogen.
She glanced at Stephen and his melancholy lifted.
Damn empaths. Can’t hide anything from you, he said.
Arianna smiled. No, you can’t.
Anton pointed to a free space at the end of his workbench. ‘Set it down over there, Arianna.’
She set the container down gently and removed her gloves before turning to Stephen. ‘Why is your heart racing? Why do you look like you’re about to be sick?’
Stephen studied his friends’ auras; Anton’s was a happy green while Arianna’s was an indecisive yellow. He imagined his own to be closer to grey than a calming blue.
He hated feeling so out of control when Serena put herself in danger. In the beginning it had been easier to convince her to stay out of trouble, when she was still figuring out her influencer ability. But the more she understood the ability that gave her temporary control over humans, and, to a lesser degree, Indigenes, the more he knew Serena would want to help.
Her gift was a double-edged sword; it made her both unique and invaluable. She was gifted to the point where sometimes only Stephen watched out for her safety. She had been human once, but her genes had been altered using Anton’s mutated DNA. She had become a unique creation with the abilities of all Indigenes—part empath like Arianna, part envisionary like Stephen—but only in small measures. Her ability to influence the minds and actions of others stood out above all else.
‘Did you tell him she’ll be fine?’ Arianna said to Anton.
‘I did, but he’d rather brood than believe me. Stephen, she’ll be back before you know it. Can’t you see it?’
‘Not down here.’
Never in the District, not with the omicron rock acting as a buffer to his envisioning abilities. But to go up top would show Serena he didn’t trust her. She’d warned him to stay below, that if she caught him checking up on her, she wouldn’t speak to him again. He’d broken her rule once and she’d ignored him for a whole month. The silence in his head had been the worst punishment ever.
But there were other barriers to his envisioning ability than the omicron rock. He’d succeeded before in using his ability below surface, eight years ago to be exact, when Charles Deighton and a few board members had visited Exilon 5 to start a war. His vision had given the Indigenes a few weeks’ notice to prepare for their arrival.
But the existence of the genetically superior humans that lived in the caves had changed how his ability worked. Ever since their creation, ever since the human and Indigene splinter groups had joined forces, Stephen had felt a physical block on his ability. He couldn’t be sure it was something the GS had done, or if the groups had created a device to counter his efforts.
Whatever the reason, he was flying blind.
‘What if the GS humans are at this meeting with Bill?’ he said.
Stephen settled next to Anton, who checked the progress of the melted silver.
‘Then she uses her ability on them. Relax, Stephen.’
Anton slipped on heat-proof gloves and lifted the bowl with the molten silver off the heat. He poured it into the mould that Stephen saw held a microprocessor separated from the base by a small, metal lattice. The metal took the shape of the mould and swallowed up the microprocessor.
Anton’s answer didn’t satisfy him.
‘The GS humans are evolving too fast and we have absolutely no data on them. I can’t get a read on them. It’s like they’re blanks. Plus, they don’t venture outside of their caves long enough for me to predict their future.’
He omitted the part about the block on his ability.
‘That’s why I’m making this,’ said Anton.
‘What is it?’
Stephen leaned on the bench. The mould rocked, forcing Anton to steady his experiment.
‘Watch where you put your giant hands. I’m building a neurosensor using amorphous metal. It’s a neural detection device that should be able to monitor brain activity.’
Using a set of flat pincers, Anton picked up the mould and placed it on a platform set over the container of liquid nitrogen. He lowered it slowly into the nitrogen and left it there for just a few seconds. When he pulled it out, the metal had solidified to a glossy finish. The end result was flat and round—a perfect shape to attach to the side of the head. But Stephen still didn’t understand its usefulness.
‘If we can’t access their minds, how does the neurosensor give us an advantage?’ he said.
‘Through specific genome evolution, the GS humans may have found a way to block all telepathic communication at will,’ said Anton. ‘We know they have the ability—it’s a given if they used our genetic code. This disc has a dual purpose: to monitor the brain activity of the GS w
hile amplifying our thoughts to stimulate theirs, so we can locate a weak point in their barrier. Ferromagnetic metallic glass has a low magnetisation loss, which makes it a high efficiency transformer that will facilitate electrical energy to transfer between two circuits, or brains. If we can get close enough to the GS, the device might enable us to hear snippets of their thoughts. Like eavesdropping.’
‘So how do we get close enough to hear them?’ said a new voice.
Stephen turned at the sound. Serena stood at the door, arms folded. Stephen ran to her and almost knocked her over with the force of his hug.
He pulled away and studied her face, pressing his forehead to hers. I was worried.
Have faith in me that I won’t break, she said.
‘It’s not that. I just can’t stand the thought of losing you.’
Serena smiled. ‘And I hate it every time you hunt. I worry that some animal will finish you off, or worse, a hostile human who knows how valuable you are to this district.’
Stephen returned the smile. ‘So we’re agreed; we’ll never leave this district again. We’ll live out our remaining years in the Council Chambers?’
‘Fine by me.’
Stephen grabbed her hand. ‘Well, before we become recluses in our own home, tell me how your meeting went.’
Serena led Stephen over to Anton, who stopped what he was doing. Arianna joined them.
‘The meeting was between Bill and a human called Ollie Patterson, the foreman of one of the construction sites in the west of the city. They disappeared inside the biodome and spent no more than ten minutes talking. Ollie requested guns from Bill to protect their construction site, where their safe house is also located. Ollie accused the GS humans of stealing their stock.’
‘What did Bill say?’ said Anton.
‘He refused to agree to his demands. Then he left.’
‘What did you sense from Ollie?’ said Arianna.
‘Enough to know he’s lying and the guns aren’t for protection. I sensed he’s planning a revolt.’
‘Did any Indigenes show up?’ said Stephen.
Serena nodded. ‘But not from this district. They were from District Eight, Gabriel and Margaux’s territory.’
That was bad news. If Indigenes were travelling from other districts, it meant the groups in New London had gained notoriety. ‘That’s where Serena and I must go next, to speak to Gabriel and Margaux and understand the problems they face there. This is worse than I thought.’
‘What about me and Arianna?’ asked Anton.
Stephen nodded at the neurosensor. ‘Can you make more of them?’
‘It will take me a few days to make more micro processors, but yes.’
‘First, I need your help with something else, Anton,’ said Stephen.
‘Anything.’
‘We need to find out who is inciting this rogue element. Just because no Indigenes from this district turned up at the meeting doesn’t mean they’re not involved. This problem is not limited to one district and I suspect it may have started here, considering we’re the closest district to the GS humans. I’d like you and Arianna to talk to the youngest Indigenes, those who’ve just exited their Evolver stage. Maybe they’re bored, or feeling let down by the treaty. Maybe they were too young to understand what the treaty meant at its creation, or to understand what life was like before it existed. Peace creates restlessness and the chances of them speaking to Serena or me as elders are slim.’
‘What makes you think they’ll speak to me?’ said Anton.
‘Because you’re more approachable than I am. You’re like a younger version of Gabriel. We live in different times to Pierre and Elise. Being an elder doesn’t hold the same respect as it once did.’
‘I seem to recall the others didn’t accept Gabriel when he came here,’ said Anton.
Stephen remembered the time well. Elise had just died and Pierre had locked himself up in Council Chambers. Gabriel and Margaux had volunteered to help, but their presence had only angered the Indigenes.
‘They clam up around Serena and she’s better at conversing than I am,’ said Stephen. ‘So get them talking. Irritate them if you have to; be the source of their anger. We often reveal too much when we’re angry.’
Anton nodded and picked up the neurosensor disc, rolling it between thumb and forefinger. ‘We can try. But I’d like to test the neuro sensor first. I don’t know how much range it will give me.’
‘How long will you need?’
‘A day to test it.’
Stephen frowned. ‘On who? We can’t risk getting close to the GS humans and tipping them off about our new invention.’
Anton smiled at Serena. ‘How about the only Indigene who can block us?’
‘This evening, I promise, Anton,’ said Serena. ‘As soon as Stephen and I get back from District Eight, I’m all yours.’
15
What a joke. Marcus had pictured a different future on Exilon 5 to the one Harvey Buchanan had in mind. Instead of doing great things, Harvey thought pairing him with an Indigene would be a good idea.
Fucking bottom feeders.
Their first meeting had been in the middle of nowhere, when Ollie and Harvey had introduced him to the fuckers. The second had been just an hour ago, different meeting location, same middle of nowhere. The tall freaks and their shining devil eyes watched him like he was their next fucking meal.
What had happened to the pecking order on this planet? Since when did people trust the Indigenes?
But cool-as-a-cucumber Harvey had divided up the groups of humans and Indigenes and paired Marcus up with a male Indigene called Clement, who had the freakiest blue eyes he’d ever seen.
Harvey’s earlier warning that he owned Marcus rattled around his head.
Looks like you got me, you dipshit.
Ollie Patterson had gathered their group to discuss the meeting he’d just had with Bill Taggart. Harvey stood by his side.
‘I demanded weapons—to defend our construction sites,’ said Ollie, glancing at Harvey. ‘But Taggart said no.’
That didn’t surprise Marcus. People like Taggart were no different to those who ran the factions back home. They liked power too much to just give it away.
Harvey instructed the new human-Indigene pairings to monitor all activity in the region.
‘If those GS 100 or Taggart sneezes, I want to know about it,’ said Patterson.
Harvey nodded. It was subtle, but the nod told Marcus that Harvey controlled things, not Patterson.
Marcus watched him, the man who did Harvey’s bidding. He couldn’t be sure what Ollie got out of the arrangement. Harvey was easier to read. A man who rivalled Gaetano Agostini’s ambitions should never be crossed.
Patterson recounted other details of his meeting with Taggart. It sounded like a chat about nothing. But as he stood there, Marcus knew now would not be the best time to break off on his own. A few days on Exilon 5, that’s all he’d had. He knew nothing about the planet other than what Harvey and Ollie had shown him. But one thing was clear: The wrong people ruled.
That didn’t mean no place existed for a man like Marcus Murphy. He would prove to Harvey he could toe the line just like everyone else, even if that meant working with a bottom feeder.
Marcus’ day would come.
The meeting disbanded and Marcus began his surveillance with Clement. He perched on a rock that formed part of the boundary line and observed the landscape with a pair of magnifying glasses. The area included the GS 100 caves. Clement stood still and listened.
Marcus shivered at the creepiness of his “partner”, who’d said nothing more than yes to Marcus when he’d asked, ‘Should we go over there?’
Not much had been happening around the caves until an hour ago, when three freaks dressed in white, hooded cloaks had emerged from a cave his glasses couldn’t reach. Clement had confirmed it. The trio moved fast to the environ.
Clement pointed in the distance. ‘Over there.’
Marc
us readjusted the magnification and saw four new entities slumped in hover chairs being escorted by another three of the GS.
‘This is ridiculous,’ said Marcus. Clement didn’t respond. ‘I mean, look at them. They’re like two hundred years old. A ten-year-old girl could take them out.’
Clement made a noise.
‘What?’
‘You humans are too linear in your thinking.’
He spoke in a cold tone that made Marcus shiver.
‘Linear, how?’
‘You look at the outside and see weakness. Their strength lies in their mind.’
Marcus didn’t get his point. ‘So? If the body dies, the mind dies with it.’
Clement waved his hand. ‘Again, you only see what’s on the outside.’
Marcus put the magnification glasses down and looked at Clement.
He kept a safe distance between him and the blue-eyed weirdo, who had shifted closer to him. ‘Okay, I’ll play. What do you see?’
The Indigene looked into the distance. ‘I can’t read them. Their minds are closed off. That means they can hide their true intentions.’
‘So? I can’t read your mind. Doesn’t mean I’m weak.’
Clement smirked at Marcus. ‘You humans are weak. I could access your mind if I wanted. I know what you’re thinking.’
Marcus panicked and thought of something boring. ‘Fuck off out of there. My thoughts are none of your business.’
The Indigene levelled a glare that unsettled him. ‘You believe you’re destined for greater things. You despise, yet admire, the human called Harvey and you’re wary of the other one called Patterson.’
‘So? You don’t have to be a mind reader to get that vibe. We humans call it instinct.’
Clement sneered. ‘But you have one thing going for you.’
Marcus folded his arms. ‘What’s that?’
‘You’re afraid.’
Marcus laughed. ‘Fear? And they call you super humans?’ He blew out a breath. ‘More like imposters. I’m not afraid of anything.’