The Novida Code

by David, JN

  J. N. DAVID

  The Novida Code

  Date of publication: April 5, 2013

  Email: contact@jn-david.com

  Web: http://www.jn-david.com

  Copyright © 2013 J. N. DAVID

  Translation: Carol Gullidge

  Cover © fotolia.com - innovari & JND

  That night I dream of my beloved. We're on the beach where we first met, and we're making love. The air is so pure, the sand so fine and the gentle lapping of the sea so soothing as he comes inside me and I murmur his name for the first time… It's all etched in my memory, much more sharply than my name, my past, or even my life. That was the day he found out who I was. And I forgot.

  NOVIDA SHALL OVERCOME!

  The slogan is everywhere. On walls - chalked or sprayed - or on the ground, over countless flyers littering the floor. And in people's minds. The mind is essential. I understood that straight away.

  I'm 25 and I'm off to take part in a meeting of the major resistance groups in a bid to draw up our policy and share intelligence. I represent the most powerful of these groups: the Novida group, named after its leader, the world's most famous resistance fighter: Simon Novida.

  I'm 21 and I am trying to join the Resistance. I'm being interrogated by a cell. They find out about my past as a collaborator and turn me down.

  I'm 18 and I learn about Earth's unconditional surrender to the invaders. I decide to become a collaborator.

  I'm 15 and leaving home for the last time to go and live with my best friend Auxana. Because my stepfather comes into my bedroom at night and I can't take it anymore.

  In 2 years, war will be declared.

  In 3 years, the war will be lost and I'll become a collaborator in the new regime.

  In 6 years, I'll have tried and failed to join the Resistance.

  Following their rejection, I'll have created my own resistance group along with its fictitious leader: Simon Novida. I am Simon Novida, but nobody knows this.

  Part I Collaboration

  1 Lauren

  My 15th birthday was the most important day of my life. That was my first victory. The first monster that I'd slain. My stepfather.

  I hated that title. There was nothing fatherly about that man. He was despicable, a pervert. For months now he'd been trying to abuse me.

  I didn't let him. I struggled, hit him, and yelled as soon as he came into the bedroom. When my mother came rushing up, he would say I'd had a nightmare. She'd go away without a word, not wanting to understand.

  I'd tried several times to explain to her but she preferred to believe it was just bad dreams. I used to run away to stay with Auxana, my best friend, but the police would always find me and take me back home.

  For them and for our friends and neighbours alike, the truth was perfectly straightforward. My stepfather was charming, polite and above all rich. I was just an awkward problem kid. Sulky, sullen and suspicious, forever running away, I didn't deserve such nice parents.

  No one, not even my mother, took my side. Only Auxana believed me. At school, where everyone else avoided me, she was my only friend, and she'd even convinced her parents of the veracity of my accusations. Legally, they couldn't help me, but the support and affection I received from her family were what kept me going.

  So I had to take matters into my own hands. As nobody believed me, I decided more subtle action was called for.

  Several times I'd caught my stepfather in conversations hinting at certain illegal activities. I hacked into his crystals and eventually - the day before my birthday - found what I was looking for. I decided to wait until the following day to confront him in front of my mother.

  That day, I was ready. I was waiting for them, alone, sitting on the sofa that had its back to the French windows. I wanted them to be dazzled by the light and my face to be in shadow. I waited in silence, my hands shaking slightly. At last the door opened. It was them. They were coming home with my presents and the shopping for my birthday meal.

  My stepfather saw me first. He smiled, a nasty ironic glint in his eye: “How are you, darling?” He'd been using his term of endearment for quite some time now to show that he bore me no ill will for telling all those “lies” about him.

  “Very well, thanks”, I replied with a smile. He was astonished. I'd stopped smiling a long time ago. But he was unruffled. He calmly continued on his way to the kitchen to put away the shopping.

  My mother followed him in and smiled at me as she walked past without a word. She looked shattered. This constant clash between her husband and her daughter was wearing her down. I loved her in spite of everything but just wished she'd understand there are some things that can't be negotiated. Things that are so wrong you have to take a stand against them. It hurt me, far more even than being treated by everyone like a pariah and a liar. For her to know, and yet do nothing.

  I waited for them to return to the sitting room. My stepfather came in first. He used to contrive opportunities to be alone with me. He got a kick out of my fear, the way I shrank away from him. But this time I was calm.

  He sat down on the sofa opposite me and smiled: “How was your day, my darling?”

  “Fine”, I replied, gritting my teeth for all I was worth. But it was essential to keep cool. I'd learnt the hard way that nobody listens if you yell. “I learnt a lot…”

  “That's good.” He turned back towards my mother, who was coming into the room. “Our little Lauren has learnt a lot at school today.” He knew how I hated him talking about me like a little girl, and loved provoking me into losing my cool. But I'd promised myself never to lose my cool again.

  “I wasn't talking about school.” My mother instantly recognized my tone. She'd been a witness to our rows for so long: “You can tell us about it later, dear. We need to prepare your birthday meal.”

  But my stepfather persisted: “What do you mean, my darling?”

  I took my time in replying. I wanted to savour this moment. I was boiling inside with hatred but on the outside, I was calm. I wasn't going to spoil everything. My stepfather was staring at me with his fake smile while my mother watched us both with a look of dismay.

  At last, I replied: “I learnt a lot about you, Léon.” He was still smiling. “What do you mean, about me?” I think he honestly had no idea that I could hurt him. He too had ended up believing that I was a failure, a loser, a pathetic mythomaniac.

  “Well, for example, I learned that your fantastic fortune was built on a house of cards.”

  He laughed: “You poor darling! You're still living in a dream world. I think it's time to call a psychiatrist.” He got up and switched on the comm unit.

  My mother shouted, “Please don't, darling, she can't help it, please!” She was grabbing him by the arm and pleading. I supposed he was calling one of his psychiatrist friends. He knew everyone. No doubt, the psychiatrist would have confirmed his version of my mental state.

  “I have proof”.

  He stopped, turned toward me and looked at me for a moment. Then his smile returned: “What proof? I haven't the faintest idea what you could possibly be talking about.” But he never finished his call. This time, I had all his attention.

  “I found the title deeds to some of the properties you mortgaged in order to found your company…”

  “…So?” He was speaking calmly, but for the first time I saw fear in his eyes.

  “It's very similar to the one you showed your partners, except the original doesn't name you as the legal owner. I think the correct term for you is beneficial owner.”

  My mother interrupted: “What on earth do you mean, Lauren?”

  “I mean that our dear Léon doesn't own the properties he's based his company on. He can't sell them and he has no right to mortgage them like he did
.” I added, enunciating each syllable with relish: “It's illegal.”

  “Rotten little bitch! What have you done with it?”

  “Made copies, loads of copies that are safely hidden, and which I won't hesitate to disclose if you carry on with your call.”

  He sat down again facing me, his face red and contorted with rage.

  “What do you want?”

  “I want you to rot in jail. But that isn't going to happen. You're too crafty, you'll certainly have covered your tracks and you'll be able to pretend you didn't know what was going on, or something. I know you're very pally with Judge Williams…”

  “So?”

  “So, I'll just quietly keep those documents under lock and key, and I'm leaving to live with my friend Auxana. And this time, there'll be no police coming to fetch me…”

  “And why would I do this? You said it yourself, I'm sure I'll manage …”

  “Don't be an idiot Léon. You'll get by, but your company will suffer. You're going to lose money, a lot of money. And nobody wants that, do they?”

  He remained silent and I smiled. My first proper smile for months. We all knew I'd won. I got up to pack my bags in my room. I decided to take with me anything I wanted to keep, as I had no doubt he'd take it out on my things as soon as I'd gone.

  My mother followed me into my bedroom, where I was already packing my suitcase.

  “I'm begging you Lauren, please don't do this.” Her eyes lowered, unable to look at me, my mum was aloof and distant, standing stiffly against the door. It hurt, but I ignored her. She went on: “Don't destroy our family.”

  I finally looked up at her: “Mum, you're the one who's destroyed our family. When you let your new husband hurt me.”

  At last, she looked up at me, her eyes brimming with tears: “I'm not like you Lauren. I can't fight back all the time.”

  I looked at her at length, then replied: “Well Mum, I'm the way I am, and I don't allow people to rape me.”

  Without a backward glance, I added, “I wasn't asking you to fight back all the time, Mum. Just this once, to save your daughter.”

  I left without waiting for a reply. In any case, I knew not to expect one. I left home that evening and moved in with Auxana. With their usual foresight, her parents had prepared a birthday meal for me, with a wonderful chocolate cake. Auxana must have told her mother it was my favourite.

  Nobody mentioned my situation. Auxana, her brother and her parents had organized the party as if I belonged to their family.

  I gazed at the birthday lights flickering around me and unwrapped my presents with shrieks of delight.

  To tell the truth, I couldn't really enjoy the party that much, but just being there with them meant a lot to me. I no longer had a family but I wasn't alone. And I knew I'd never forget this.

  2 Auxana

  The Earth surrendered on 17 May 2065. Unconditionally.

  The war had been going from bad to worse for several months but we never thought to see such a capitulation.

  Only a year earlier, our sole concern was to find a university that met both our requirements: Lauren wished to study Medicine and I had opted for History of Art.

  With the announcement of the invasion our whole future went up in smoke. When we saw the huge technical superiority of our alien enemies, we understood. Without ever having set eyes on them, the papers had depicted the invaders as grotesque, semi-rational beings, and assured their readers of a swift victory. But Lauren didn't believe this. After all, they were currently invading us, and we hadn't even ventured beyond the nearest solar systems.

  We were scared. At any rate, I was scared. Sometimes I think that Lauren doesn't know what fear is. But she was very pessimistic, and that terrified me. She was certain that we would all soon be called upon to fight on Earth.

  In this, she was mistaken, as we realised during President Gourdoyne's speech. Unconditional surrender. It didn't seem possible. I felt ashamed for our world and Lauren was seething with pent-up rage.

  But she soon calmed down, even before the arrival of Commandant Amar Oxonates. Since our country was the temporary leader of the world coalition, he had decided to visit a hundred or so of our schools. The headmaster had given us clear instructions on how he expected us to behave, laying particular stress on our conduct, which had to be exemplary. Lauren had taken special care over her appearance – which astonished me. She had carefully smoothed her long brown hair and even applied makeup, using blue eyeliner that emphasised the colour of her eyes and her red lips. I couldn't understand it. I thought that she would have tried to look her worst out of defiance.

  When I asked her why, she simply smiled without a word. And I understood. I knew that smile. This was the smile she reserved for when a teacher was harassing and ridiculing one of our school mates. The smile that meant she was going to even the score. No punishment could deter her and the teachers themselves had learnt to beware of that smile.

  It scared me to see her smile like that. I had no time to question her further beforehand, as we were in the front row in the big courtyard where the TV cameras were installed, and the Efeghis were arriving.

  And this came as a surprise. We already knew that they looked like us, but they were beautiful, with fine, almost noble features. In any case, this was how they were described in all the newspapers – the same ones that had poked fun at them during the war. Only their skin tone was different, being slightly grey. But that didn't stop a few idiots amongst us from gazing admiringly at them. To my huge surprise, Lauren was one of them.

  “What's got into you?” I asked her.

  “Shut up and listen!” she hissed back. The alien commandant was already climbing the steps of the stadium that had been erected in the middle of the courtyard, and positioning himself in front of the microphone.

  “My friends,” he began, in a firm, melodious voice. “I'm here today to assure you that you'll come to no harm. From this moment on, you become members of the Empire, and my primary duty is to protect you.”

  “How sweet of him” I murmured to Lauren.

  “Shut up!” she interrupted, sharply. She was listening with apparent fascination to the commandant, the hint of a hesitant smile playing on her lips. She was beginning to frighten me.

  “OK, tell me what's going on!”

  “Later!” she replied in a harsh voice that belied the sweetness of her expression. A sense of unease swept over me. I was afraid that she'd try to ridicule the enemy, to do something in front of the cameras. Sensing now that she was up to something far more dangerous, I was really scared.

  The commandant went on: “I assure you that everything on Earth will remain as before. As far as you are concerned, we're here only to maintain order and ensure your well-being.”

  A voice butted in, vehemently, “You can take your assurances and stuff them up your ass, you bastard!”

  It was Michel, a youngster in our class who had frequently complained about being just too young to be recruited. The commandant smiled without responding and went on: “I understand your fear and hostility. Time alone will prove to you that our intentions are peaceful. But, for that to happen, we'll need your help. In order to avoid the mistakes and misunderstandings that could turn us against each other.”

  “If they're that peaceful, why did they go to such lengths to invade us?” Fabienne, the school nurse, exclaimed in a fairly loud voice. Lauren frowned slightly, and edged away from her. She was still gazing intently at the commandant like a lost child seeking desperately to be reassured.

  I couldn't make up my mind whether to laugh or cry at her game. For I was beginning to realise that Lauren had simply lost it. She had decided to fight. And she had absolutely no chance. I knew she was intelligent and mature for her age, but, like me, she was still only a kid of eighteen.

  Meanwhile, her ploy had attracted the commandant's attention. He concealed it, but I saw a glint appear in his eye. Lauren is beautiful. You don't very often notice this, as she smiles only rarely
, watching the world with a hard, remote gaze. After what she's been through, I understand her, yet it's still hard to get close to her. But the Lauren she was revealing today was quite a different creature. Sweet and diffident, like a fragile and impressionable young girl.

  “This is the beginning of a new era for all of us. We must forget past differences and look together towards the future. A future where our two worlds will be brothers, able to work together for the good of all.”

  The end of the speech elicited a few boos. I didn't join in as I had seen the commandant's eyes scanning the whole crowd, registering every reaction. I sensed that those who had opposed him most violently would come to regret it, and I was grateful to Lauren for having prevented me from making the same mistake. Despite all this, I was furious with her. She had succeeded in attracting the attention of the leader of our enemies and I already knew that she wouldn't stop there.

  I waited until school broke up to ask her for an explanation. At the end of the Differential Geometry class, I pulled her to one side: “OK, now will you please explain yourself!” Lauren replied with a smile whilst keeping an eye on the corridor where teachers and students were milling around us:

  “Keep calm, Auxana. Act normally. The last thing you want is to attract attention…”

  “The last thing I want is for you to do what you have in mind, whatever that might be.”

  “I have no idea what you're talking about,” she replied, in a calm and reasonable voice.

  “Don't try that game with me!” I exclaimed. Two nearby students turned round as they passed by. Lauren burst out laughing as though in response to a good joke. The students continued on their way. Lauren turned back towards me. For once her mask of sweetness slipped and she glared furiously at me:

  “Just calm down right now! Smile and act normally.”

  She smiled as she spoke and her face remained perfectly calm. Only her eyes and her harsh tone of voice betrayed her irritation. Besides, she was more than just irritated. She was scared. For me. I calmed down and did as she asked. Maintaining what I hoped was an impassive expression, I pressed her: