The Novida Code

by David, JN

  “I know you're up to something, Lauren. I know you. But there's too much at stake this time, Lauren. This isn't about getting back at a teacher for unjustly punishing a student. You're risking your life if you have a go at these people.”

  “And d'you think I don't already know that? I'm not doing this on a whim. I'm simply not going along with it, that's all.”

  “Going along with what?”

  “Giving up. Surrendering. With the Earth abandoning the fight unconditionally and wagging its tail to welcome its new masters.”

  “I know it's hard, intolerable, even, but it isn't up to you to put up a fight!”

  “So who then, Auxana? Who should put up a fight? Those who won't sit back and allow such things to happen”

  “At any rate, not a girl who turned eighteen only a couple of months ago.”

  “Other people, then. OK. And have you any idea who you're then leaving responsible for saving our lives? Some unknown person endowed with the requisite qualities? In the hope that he or she doesn't hide under their bed and actually dares to do something?”

  I looked blankly at Lauren. “You mean that as far as you're concerned, no-one is going to fight them?”

  “No, Auxana, I mean that as far as I'm concerned, everyone should fight them. The days of girls, war veterans and heroes are over. Anyone on Earth who can think and can still move should fight now. But that's not happening. Nobody is lifting a finger.”

  “Maybe you don't see it but…”

  “No, Auxana, I refuse to sit back and leave it up to others to do what needs to be done. I can't rely on other people. Where would I be right now if I'd waited for the authorities or the police or whoever to come to my aid? I no longer believe in heroes, Auxana, I only believe in myself.”

  I gazed at her for a moment, then shook my head:

  “OK then. What do you have in mind? I presume you have a plan…”

  Her affected calm evaporated:

  “I do have a plan, but you're not part of it. This time, there's no question of you following me.”

  “Act normally”, I replied somewhat ironically. “In any case, you know full well that you can't stop me following you!”

  I detected a calculating gleam in her eye and decided to put an immediate stop to any complicated plan she might be about to hatch for tying my hands. “Listen Lauren, if you try to do this on your own, I'll go before the headquarters and scream insults at the Efeghis until they chuck me into a hole.”

  “You wouldn't dare.” But now I could sense her backing down. She tried again to dissuade me: “You've no idea of the hornet's nest I'm about to stir up. You'll be risking your life and that of all your family.”

  “So will you.”

  “I don't have any family, as you well know. My mother died last year and I'll shed no tears if they take Léon away because of me.”

  “And what about your life?”

  “I prefer to die fighting than live as a coward.”

  “Well, so do I, so that's settled. How do we go about it?”

  “Auxana, I don't think you really understand what you're doing.”

  “Don't be condescending, please! I'm not doing this just for you. It's my decision and I'll face the consequences.”

  She stared at me for a moment. It was the sort of scrutiny for she would later become renowned, her eyes delving to the depths of your soul, sizing you up, weighing up everything. Then she turned away with a sigh. And I knew I had won.

  3 Lauren

  “So, how do we go about it?” Auxana had asked.

  I couldn't bear to see her asking me this, following me and my crazy scheme. For that's what this certainly was, I was under no illusion whatsoever. There was every chance that I'd end up being tortured and murdered in some cell before managing to be of any real use.

  But if that were the case, it wouldn't be a huge loss for mankind, and I knew I had no alternative. I couldn't let these people invade us and quietly transform us into the poodles of their Empire. But Auxana… now she was another matter. She didn't deserve to languish in prison because of me.

  I knew that it would be impossible to stop her following me, and I realised that a tiny selfish part of me was glad of this. Because, deep down, I was scared. Really scared. And with Auxana, I would at least have someone whom I could trust implicitly.

  “OK”, I said. “First of all, we need to find a group of collaborators and join them.”

  “How do we find them?”

  “That's easy. They'll probably be slinking like docile dogs at the heels of their masters. Tomorrow, we'll pay a visit to the headquarters.”

  “Why not this evening?”

  “It's better to go in the daytime. And wear some decent clothes. Dress sexy, but don't overdo it.”

  “Why?”

  I gazed at her for a moment before replying with a sigh: “I don't imagine it'll be our intellectual qualities they're after.”

  “You mean…”

  “I mean that they'll certainly be looking for a little company.” Auxana's eyes widened. It took her a while to digest this piece of information.

  “It isn't compulsory but it's quite possible that they'll ask us to sleep with them.” I added quietly: “Are you prepared to go that far?”

  “How about you?”

  “If that's what it takes, yes. You can still back out, Auxana. Nobody's forcing you to do this.”

  There was a moment's silence before she replied. I knew she'd give me an honest answer, without worrying about losing face. Then, she looked up again:

  “Yes. I'd loathe it, but I can do it.”

  I could see in her eyes that she'd grasped the situation. What we were going to do would be no game: it would be unpleasant, repugnant and extremely dangerous. All that in the faint hope of learning something useful, something that could help us beat the Efeghis and send them back to where they came from.

  “Alright. We'll meet at midday tomorrow at your place. And in the meantime, not a word until we're in a safe place. We're going to be watched every minute of the day. They'll certainly be expecting to be infiltrated by bogus collaborators like us. We'll have to be able to really live this lie. It must become second nature.”

  “Right. So I like and admire the Efeghis…”

  “No. It would look suspicious if you went too far. I'll take the role of the enthusiastic collaborator. I'd rather you played the sceptic. You're dubious about them but you still want to follow me to get a closer look at them in spite of your objections. And you're gradually converted, on seeing just how nice and trustworthy they are…”

  “OK. See you tomorrow, then.”

  The expression on her face told me that she was going to need a good while to take all this on board. Unfortunately, I already knew that she wouldn't back out. “See you tomorrow”, I replied, and we separated.

  That night, I found it hard to sleep. I kept going over and over my conversation with Auxana, trying yet again to find some way to stop her following me. I realised above all that I hadn't really tried to discourage her. I was only too happy to have her at my side. But I'd failed in my duty towards her, and I had a nasty feeling that one day I was going to regret this.

  I resigned myself to the idea that it was too late to make her change her mind. I just hoped that she'd very soon get fed up with all this and leave.

  The next day, I met her as agreed, in her city apartment.

  The student quarter was still my favourite part of the city. Even the war and the invasion had failed to mar its beauty, what with the ruined ramparts of the former Roman city, the traditional little shops and the countless booksellers. Surrounded by numerous faculties, this was the ideal place for a student who was away from home – as long as they were sufficiently well off.

  I couldn't afford such a high rent and refused to rely on Auxana's family for this. My digs were therefore in a rather quiet suburb. Of course, since the invasion, the city centre had become a hub for the Efeghis, and local residents were now lo
oking to move away towards the outskirts.

  Auxana was staying in a charming little pedestrianised street close to the city centre. Its wrought-iron lamp posts were hung with flowers, and peace and quiet reigned in this neighbourhood, where – by mayoral decree – only sliders and pedestrians were allowed to pass. With hindsight, I realised that this was not a good choice for a meeting place. Far too quiet. Of course, for the time being there was no reason to put us under surveillance, but it was better to acquire certain habits as early as possible.

  I only had to ring once before she replied. I could tell by her voice she was scared. But when she opened the door, the determination showed on her face. I waited for her to close the door before starting:

  “Do you have any music?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “I'd like to listen to the latest Rox concert.”

  Auxana raised her eyebrows but went to look for the Rox crystal that I'd given her for her birthday. She placed it in the player beam and I leaned over the console to increase the sound to a level that I reckoned was suitable. Finally, I replied to her question:

  “I'm doing this because from now on we must always assume someone could be listening to us. So, no discussion that's not in character unless we're in a safe or particularly noisy place.”

  “And which places do you consider safe?”

  “I can't think of any right now, but if I do, I'll let you know”, I replied.

  In fact, it was rather early to be taking such precautions, but it was best to get her to assimilate these rules as quickly as possible.

  “Right, where do we start?” asked Auxana.

  “I think we must begin by drawing up a list of questions that we'll need to be able to find answers to.”

  “OK” She got up to look for something to write with but I stopped her: “No. No paper trail. We're going to memorise this list along with any other information we find.” Auxana nodded. This wouldn't be a problem for her; she possessed an excellent memory.

  “Right!” I continued. “The first question is: what do the Efeghis want?”

  “I think that's pretty obvious: our planet.”

  “Yes, but why? For its water? Its natural resources? Its living space? Its population?”

  “Why is it so important to know what they want our planet for?”

  “If we know what it is they're after, we'll know one of their weak points. We'll potentially be able to eliminate what they want, if that's possible – and without any risk to ourselves. Or perhaps we could exploit the fact that it's something they're lacking.”

  “OK. We'd also need to find out more about their world.”

  “Yes, and their culture too. We must be able to think like them and anticipate their reactions.”

  Auxana smiled: “I think I'm going to leave that part to you. Any other questions?”

  “Do they have any enemies? We also need to know a few details about their physiology: what they eat, drink, etc. What can make them ill or even kill them.” I saw Auxana shudder at that word.

  “This is war, Auxana. We're bound to have to kill people.”

  “I know!” she replied sharply. “Let's carry on.”

  “That'll do for now. I think we're going to come across other questions as we go along. Right now we need to prepare ourselves to enter the headquarters.”

  “What sort of preparation do you envisage?”

  “Psychological preparation, mainly. We're going to have to get totally into our characters.”

  I saw Auxana stiffen. Her deeply candid nature was going to make things difficult.

  I reassured her: “Don't worry. I'll help you. It's like being on stage. You have to concentrate so hard on your part that you end up believing it yourself.”

  4 Auxana

  I don't know how many times over the next couple of hours I almost gave up. Each time, I resisted for the same reason. Shame. Not shame at losing face in front of my friend. But shame at letting down my world.

  I believe that until that moment, I hadn't quite realised just how serious Lauren was. I knew now. She would stop at nothing to see it through to the end. That was also the moment that I began to realize. To have an idea of what she would become.

  I think that from all our time together in the Resistance, the memory that will remain with me, above all, is this: the two of us in my apartment, planning to turn the world upside down. And the craziest thing of all is that I knew she was quite capable of it. That's why I supported her, that day and every other day that followed.

  And yet, I found her so exasperating. She would go over and over the same detail, thousands of times. My attitude had to be perfect in every way: totally in keeping with the role she'd assigned me.

  She'd even made contingency plans in case I ever inadvertently betrayed myself by reacting instinctively instead of in “character” with my adopted role. That was why the role she'd picked for me was that of the weak-sceptic-who-lets-herself-get-carried-along.

  Finally, we were ready. Or at least, as ready as we could be. After a quick meal, we decided to take a tax-air to the Efeghi headquarters.

  The large square in front of the city hall was deserted. I remembered this square from the time when we still possessed a government. It was then full of passers-by, tourists and souvenir sellers displaying their holos depicting the finest views of the city.

  Nowadays, nobody dared pass close to what had become the symbol of our defeat: the Efeghi headquarters.

  Even the tax-air refused to enter the square, dropping us some way off. We would therefore have to cross the whole square before the prying eyes of all the occupants of the neighbouring buildings, who would be peering through their windows at the brazen traitors collaborating with the enemy.

  Already, I could feel my resolve wavering. But Lauren didn't stop for one second. She paid the tax-air and got out quite naturally. It took me longer to climb out. I felt hundreds of hostile eyes burning into me.

  “Are you going to take all day?” the driver asked me, scornfully. I supposed this was a familiar sight to him: young women coming to offer themselves to the invaders. Without replying, I got out and caught up with Lauren, who was waiting impatiently for me.

  “Right, let's go”, she said in a small voice that wasn't her own. She was already acting her role: the sweet, malleable young girl.

  “Yes”, I agreed, “we'd better get going.”

  Slowly, we crossed the square. Despite knowing that we weren't traitors, every step that I took felt like a mile.

  In front of the security gate, two Efeghis were standing guard. They were wearing black and silver uniforms, whilst a silicon ear clip indicated an earthling communications device. Lauren smiled at them.

  “Could you please take us to see Commandant Amar? We're students from the Landell School.”

  It was bold of her to ask to speak to the commandant himself, but he had come to see us in person and had requested help from the school community. A naive young girl of eighteen might well believe that all she had to do was to go to the HQ and ask to see him.

  With scarcely a glance at us, the guards asked to see our identity cards. Then, without returning them, they muttered something in their own language into their speakers.

  I made a mental note to pick out as many words as I could in order to learn their language as quickly as possible. I began to repeat the message in my head in a bid to familiarise myself with it. This also helped me cope with the tension of the eternal wait in front of the gates.

  At last, an Efeghi appeared. He spoke angrily to the guards for a moment, took the identity cards and turned towards us to address us in our own language:

  “I'm very sorry, ladies. I had ordered my men to make you wait inside.”

  He spoke very softly and slowly, slightly separating each syllable. A warm smile lit up his face; he was very handsome. I realised immediately that we were dealing with PR. Lauren managed a blush and stammered an almost inaudible reply accepting his apologies. I too accepte
d, but in a calmer voice, as my role demanded. The smile on our interlocutor's face broadened slightly:

  “Don't be afraid. Follow me…”

  We followed him inside the former city hall. I'd been here on numerous occasions and could therefore note the changes carried out by the Efeghis when they took over the premises. Every symbolic reminder of our government had disappeared. At the same time, I noted the absence of Efeghi symbols. No flag, no work of art, nothing. The walls were bare.

  I found this unsettling. I'd learned to define a culture by its artistic expression, so its absence at the heart of one of the planet's biggest headquarters was astonishing.

  An invader tends to swamp the zone he controls with his own cultural references, as though to mark the territory, to make it his.

  Ever since the beginning of the invasion, I'd been astounded at the absence of this imprint. I vowed to mention this to Lauren later.

  Our interlocutor guided us to a hall, which I recognised as the former electoral hall, where I remembered people coming to vote during quarterly referendums. The hall had been transformed into a luxurious lounge. I noted the high-quality, stylish English furniture. Arranged like this, the room was pleasant enough, but still devoid of the slightest detail defining our invaders.

  With consummate courtesy, our guide invited us to sit down before taking a seat facing us, and introducing himself:

  “I am Olden, assistant to Commandant Oxonates. They tell me you would like to meet him.”

  “Yes”, replied Lauren softly. “We were very impressed by the speech he gave at our school, when he asked for our help. I know we're very young but we thought we'd be able to do something.”

  Olden gazed at us silently for a moment. Lauren had warned me that the Efeghis were bound to expect to be infiltrated by bogus collaborators. It was highly likely we'd be tested – several times over.