[In Distress 01.0] In Distress

by Caethes Faron

  They drove south through some more houses until they reached a chasm formed by the ocean jutting inward. A little bridge spanned it, but Carson stopped short of it. “This is the divide between the residential and business sides of the compound. Don’t ever go over there. Our collars are set to alert Malcolm if we cross over this bridge or leave the property.”

  Will strained his eyes to see the wall that enclosed that side of the compound. He couldn’t find it. It was like a self-contained city. There were huge warehouses and office buildings in addition to more houses. In the distance, he thought he saw a manufacturing facility of some kind. “This is huge. I’ve never seen a compound this big. He’s never told you what it is he does?”

  “Nope. It’s not all his business. Every Beta who works for him lives in this compound. I think he even has a school here for their kids.”

  “So there’s a whole city here you know nothing about?”

  “How much did you know about the last city you lived in?”

  He had a point, but this was different.

  “It’s only a curiosity to you because you’re not allowed. If I hadn’t said anythin’, you probably never would have wondered, so pretend that I didn’t. In all my time here, I’ve never seen anyone who’s unhappy. That’s good enough for me.” Carson steered the vehicle west, down a hill. Will’s lungs filled with refreshing salt air. An unfamiliar, rhythmic sound grew steadily louder.

  Carson turned a corner, and Will saw the ocean. He couldn’t control the gasp that escaped his mouth. The sound he’d heard was waves coming in and out on the sand.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  All Will could do was nod. He had never seen the ocean before. It was gorgeous. The blue stretched as far as he could see, blending into the sky at some point in a hazy blur. Birds flew overhead, squawking in a way he would have found annoying had it been in any other context. As it was, he couldn’t blame the animals for their exuberant noise.

  “There’s a nice walkin’ path that connects the house to the recreation area and to the beach. It lets out a little farther down. Other than goin’ to the business side or leavin’ the property, Malcolm doesn’t mind where we go. There’s no need to ask permission unless you want to miss mealtime.”

  “I’ve never had an Alpha so concerned about all his Zeds eating together at the same time.”

  “He likes us to feel like a family. If it weren’t for that rule, we might not spend a lot of time together, and arguments could start, and resentments would fester. When we know we have to eat together three times a day, it’s an incentive to keep the air clear. We all get along well, but we have our disagreements. They never last, partly because we all have such a great time together when we eat that we can’t remember what it was that had us all riled. Plus, he knows meals aren’t somethin’ we could always count on. He never wants us to doubt that we’ll be fed.”

  The whole thing was weird, but at least it was a weird Will could enjoy. It beat the shit out of the weird stuff some of his previous Alphas and their friends had required of him. He shuddered to think of the nights Vincent had let his friends have free rein with him. At least when it was just Vincent, Will had known how to appease him. “So he doesn’t have sex with any of us?”

  “He doesn’t demand it of us or even ask.”

  Will didn’t miss the fact that Carson hadn’t answered his question. “Is he married?” He hadn’t seen a female Alpha, but Alphas weren’t known for their loving marriages. Will had belonged to a woman named Alisha for a little while between the time he’d belonged to Russell and Vincent, and he had entertained Vincent’s wife and the wives of his friends on occasion, but he didn’t particularly like to. Women mystified him. Pricks were easy.

  “Blast no.”

  “How does he get away with that?” Alphas were practically required to marry and produce children. It was their duty to humanity, the reason they were trusted with such wealth. They occupied the highest level of society because they had the best genetics to repopulate the planet after the Great Destruction.

  Carson pointedly stared at Will.

  “Another thing we’re not allowed to ask questions about?”

  “Right. You’re gettin’ the hang of this.”

  “Did he fall in love with Kaleana?” Carson’s face puckered in confusion. “She was his companion, right?”

  “Yeah, she’s been with him the longest, since he was a boy. I guess her age gives it away.”

  “Not around here it doesn’t.” Carson and Syrus both looked older than Malcolm, and Tony looked just a few years younger.

  Carson grinned. “True. He loves her, but not romantically. Stop tryin’ to puzzle him out. He is what he is. No sense tryin’ to figure out somethin’ you can’t change. All you gotta know is that, from here on out, you’re in good hands. All of us freaks stick together, Malcolm included.”

  Will found it interesting that Carson referred to Malcolm as a freak, although that was the perfect word to describe him. “So what makes Kaleana a freak?”

  Carson paused for a moment. “I guess the fact that she loves Malcolm and puts up with all of us.”

  “What if I were to break the rules?”

  “You plannin’ on causin’ trouble?” There was a hint of danger in Carson’s voice, like the growl of a dog protecting her pups.

  “No. I was just wondering.”

  “I haven’t had occasion to find out. None of us have thought it prudent. Anytime someone’s come close, Kaleana’s set ’em straight before it could go too far.”

  Will didn’t detect any trace of fear in Carson’s voice. He supposed that would have to suffice. His mind kept insisting there must be something more. It was easy to assume that all this hid some dark underbelly that only showed itself if a Zed crossed Malcolm the wrong way. He’d found no evidence to support that theory, so Will tried to let it go.

  Thunder rolled in the distance. Dark clouds moved in from the north at an alarming rate. Carson started the vehicle and headed home. They rode in a comfortable silence. Tree branches bent in the wind, and the delicious scent of rain filled the air. A few raindrops landed on Will’s head before they made it back into the garage.

  “Well that worked out perfectly.” Carson parked the car and headed inside. Will noted that Rufus was absent from the garage, as was the black bullet car. “As you probably noticed, the garage is underground. This entire level is the basement of the house. Not much but storage.” Carson led Will to the same side stairs he had taken the day before. Will wanted to ask if there was a lift, but the idea of Carson thinking he couldn’t handle the stairs stopped him.

  On the first floor, Carson showed him the cold, sterile entryway and the formal sitting room. “No one ever really uses it.” They peered into the ballroom with a grand piano at the back of the house, and Will admired the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the ocean. “Sometimes we have parties in here, or we’ll use it if we need a lot of space for somethin’. Malcolm plays occasionally.” Then there was the sunroom, decorated in light, bright colors and floral prints. An easel holding an unfinished painting stood in the corner. “Kaleana’s the only one of us who’s artistically inclined. If you want to paint or anythin’, there’s plenty of supplies. She’d be happy to show you.” He pointed out a back door that led to the garden, the recreation center, and the beach. Last of all, Carson ushered him into the library—an actual library with paper books.

  “I’ve never seen so many books in one place.” Trees were too scarce to expend on producing paper, especially when there was no need in a digital world. Will might as well have been stepping back in time when he entered the library. Bookcases stretched from the floor to the vaulted ceiling. The room spanned all three floors of the house. A wheeled ladder leaned against the shelves. In the center of the room were brown cabinets with shiny gold handles. “What are those cabinets for?”

  “A bit of nostalgia on Malcolm’s part. It’s a card catalogue, a way to find books.”

>   “Why not use the Glass Tabs?”

  “Because that’s the way he likes it. You can use your Glass Tab to read them out loud, but there’s no digital versions of them anywhere and no database of them. Do you want me to show you how to use the card catalogue?”

  “No, I’m sure I can manage. Thanks.”

  Carson nodded and led them back to the formal entry. Will made note of how to get back to the library. The mystery of books that couldn’t be accessed digitally intrigued him. They climbed the grand staircase to the second floor. “Mainly bedrooms up here. You remember the lounge from last night.” Carson pointed to it, giving Will his bearings. “Here’s the game room.” Carson opened the door on Rufus and Nick playing table tennis.

  “Hey, Will.” Nick waved. Rufus turned and smiled, making him appear much friendlier than his bulk would suggest. “Carson giving you the tour?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Cool. Stu’s watching a movie. We’ll see you at lunch.” Nick picked up his paddle, and the game resumed.

  Stuart was in the theater room, as promised. An action flick played on the screen. The deep rumble of the bass could be felt in the floor. Before they’d entered, Will hadn’t been able to hear a thing. Large leather recliners and sofas made up the tiered seating. At the bottom level, close to the screen, were some cushions. Stu was in a recliner right in the middle of the room. He turned and waved when the light from the hallway spilled across the screen.

  “Don’t you have anythin’ better to do?” Carson’s tone wasn’t as reprimanding as his words.

  Stuart shook his head and settled back into his seat. Carson sighed as he closed the door after them. “That boy’s gonna rot away in front of that thing.”

  “He kind of has a point, doesn’t he? I mean, what else is he going to do?”

  “He could be out exercisin’ his body or his mind. It’s not that he likes the movies so much, although he does, it’s that he doesn’t have to talk when he’s watchin’ ’em, and he can brush off anyone who tries to talk to him as bein’ rude.”

  “It’s hard to blame him, though.”

  “Aye, it is. Still, it’s not healthy. We all try to get him up and doin’ whenever we can. At least when he’s playin’ virtual games he’s doin’ somethin’.”

  Will heard the invitation implicit in Carson’s words, but he didn’t think he’d be able to be much help with Stu, other than maybe being a friend. At the moment, the only thing he could think of was the strange library.

  They settled on the sofa in the lounge, and Carson showed Will some of the finer points of using his Glass Tab. The most often used function was the messaging program. “It’s the best way to get a hold of Kaleana if you need to ask a question or get permission for somethin’. Malcolm technically uses it as well, but it’ll take forever to get a response if you message him directly.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s busy. Remember, there’s a whole lot more to the compound than you saw today. He oversees it all.”

  “I’ve never met an Alpha who did much real work. Doesn’t he have any Betas he trusts to manage things?”

  “I don’t think it’s a matter of trust. I’ve never met a Beta here who didn’t seem happy and devoted. Malcolm just likes to keep busy.”

  Will chewed on that thought for a while. Being an Alpha was a one-way ticket to wealth and leisure. Even Zeds and Betas who detested the Alphas secretly wished they were one. Every Alpha Will had known spent a good part of the day enjoying the luxuries their genetic code afforded. Malcolm didn’t seem to enjoy any of it. Will had entered a strange world.

  “Do you feel comfortable with the Glass Tab, or is there anythin’ you want me to go over again?”

  “No, I think I’ve got it.”

  “It can be a little overwhelmin’ after those stripped down generic tabs you’re probably used to, but remember, if you ever get confused, just click on the help icon or message one of us.”

  Will nodded and powered down the tablet. The thin glass went blank and then automatically folded into a small square that Will placed in his pocket. It amazed him that he could carry it around so easily. Every tablet Will had used had been one of the old cheap things that didn’t fold. The Glass Tab was the most advanced technology Will could ever hope to use.

  Sitting across from Carson on the sofa, Will couldn’t help looking at the scars marring the man’s face. They traveled down the left side of his neck and appeared on his hand as well. Will wondered if they went even farther down under Carson’s clothes.

  “Do you have a question?”

  Carson’s voice startled Will, and he hesitated.

  “Go on. You can ask it.”

  “What happened to your face? I’m sorry if that’s rude.”

  “Don’t be. Sometimes I think that’s one of the best things Malcolm’s done for me. It’s easier to come to terms with it when there are others like you around. I worked at a mine before I came here. I was never attractive enough to work in an Alpha’s home. A fire broke out in the bunkhouse. Our collars were set to electrocute us if we left, and it took them a while to realize that none of the Zeds could get out. One of the Betas eventually remembered, but it was too late for the others. I’m the only one who survived.”

  Sadness and anger warred inside Will. So much injustice in the world. Had he really landed in a place where such wrongs could be righted? By all the rules of logic in the world they lived in, Carson should be long dead.

  “Any other questions?”

  “Plenty. Life makes less sense now than it ever has, but it’s also the nicest it’s ever been.”

  Carson chuckled. “Odd, ain’t it? It’s near impossible to make sense of a life where we’re treated good, but we find a way to make sense of the fact that because of some genetic test at birth, we’re turned into Zeds, practically subhuman.”

  Will snorted. “We are subhuman according to the Geneticists and the Alphas.”

  “Aye, to many we are. But not all. Not Malcolm. The man couldn’t treat us the way he does if he didn’t think we were human. There’s absolutely nothin’ we can do in return, but he’s generous anyway.”

  “Like we’re pets.”

  “No, not like we’re pets.” Carson’s stern tone bit.

  “Come on, you know we’d be put down like animals if the Betas would allow it.” It was rumored that, generations ago, the Geneticists simply killed Zeds at birth. A simple saliva and blood test determined to which of the three castes each child would belong. Alphas almost always gave birth to more Alphas, but with Betas, it was more uncertain. Everyone accepted the need for the caste system to preserve the human race after the Great Destruction, but Betas couldn’t tolerate the thought of their Zed children being killed. Multiple revolts resulted in the Geneticists first allowing Zeds to live and then restricting the killing of Zeds. However, if a Zed died from working too hard or from a beating, that wasn’t killing them, was it? It was an honest mistake or natural selection doing its job. The whole system was disgusting.

  “Even if the law changed tomorrow, Malcolm wouldn’t let anythin’ like that happen to us. It’s not the law that stops him. Otherwise he’d be workin’ us like any other Alpha and waitin’ for us to die. You’ve got a lot of anger, Will, and rightly so, but don’t let it poison you against what you’ve got.”

  Carson had a point. Will didn’t know why he felt the urge to continue picking at his good fortune. Maybe it was time to simply relax and start building a new life. Still, his mind always loved a puzzle, and there was none greater than deciphering the man who had bought him.

  4

  Four

  The Glass Screen in front of Malcolm scrolled through lines of code. There had to be a weakness. There always was.

  “You should wrap it up.”

  Malcolm hadn’t heard Kaleana enter. “Excuse me?”

  “Lunch is in half an hour.”

  Malcolm returned to the screen as Kaleana sat across from him. “I’ll take it here.”
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  “Why don’t you eat with the boys?”

  “I’m too busy. You may eat with them if you like.” Malcolm turned to his secondary display and inputted some data he’d seen fly by. “I’m not great company at the moment.”

  “Really? You’re busy?”

  Malcolm paused and leaned back. As soon as the muscles of his shoulders hit the chair, he realized he’d been holding them stiffly for hours as he sat on the edge of his seat. Without his permission, his entire body relaxed. “Yes, Kaleana. You know I’ve been hacking this system for days. I’m also working on that petition.”

  “That petition is a waste and will only draw attention you don’t need.”

  “We’ve already discussed this.”

  Kaleana sighed. “You know you could pass some of your work to me. I’m a Zed, Malcolm. It wouldn’t be completely out of line to have me do some of the work. I’m here to lighten your burden.”

  “And you do, Kaleana. You know that. You keep this household running. Not to mention that you keep me sane. You know I’d be a wreck without you.”

  “Yes, I do.” Kaleana smirked. “But that’s not what I meant, and you know it. Anyone can take care of the household. Only I can help you with your work.”

  Malcolm clenched his jaw. Why did she insist on pushing him? She knew his reasons for keeping her as far away from certain aspects of his business as possible. There were days it took all his willpower not to foist some of his workload onto her. It was bad enough that he confided in her. That was a necessary evil. Having her be complicit, however, was not. “No, you can’t, Kaleana. It’s too dangerous. You already know too much. I’ll not endanger you further. Please stop asking me to.” Malcolm let her see the desperate pleading in his eyes. She was the only person he allowed to see such things.

  Kaleana sighed. “Fine. But don’t expect me to stop telling you how stupid you’re being.”

  “What would my life be without you to point out all of my shortcomings?”

  “Ha. Are you sure you don’t want to eat downstairs? A break would do you good.”