The Rainbow Maker's Tale

by Mel Cusick-Jones

  “Hey!” Cassie exclaimed. “You can’t do that!”

  She sounded breathless, which made me smile. I grinned, but thought back at her: “I think you’ll find I just did.”

  The door to the records suite slid open and Medic Jones entered. We both jumped at the intrusion and turned guilty-looking faces in his direction. It wasn’t difficult for him to guess that we had been doing very little work. At least, not research that The Clinic would be happy about.

  “I need some assistance in Records.” Medic Jones was addressing me.

  “Of course,” I replied. Pushing back my chair I threw Cassie a look over my shoulder. “I’ll see you later?”

  Cassie agreed. “I’ll meet you after I finish.”

  “OK,” I pushed the image of the hill path in the park we had taken yesterday out to her. I half-wondered if she wouldn’t understand, but hoped that she would. She nodded once without looking away from her screen, which I took to mean that she’d got my message.

  Reaching up, I pulled the headset from around my ears and placed it carefully back into the holder beside the screen. Pointing my finger towards the streams of research that were still churning on the monitor, I was about to ask Medic Jones if I should leave the system on, but before I could speak he was already nodding at me to leave the program running. Shaking off my irritation at the Medic’s brusque attitude, I stepped around him and through the opening, only to find myself stood waiting in the corridor whilst he stayed in the archive room.

  “Did you need me to come as well Medic?” Cassie’s voice drifted from inside the room. She’d obviously noticed him waiting around too. The only response was a slight shake of the head and then he was beside me.

  Pointing a single finger along the corridor, he silently indicated the route we were to take, before turning away and leading me off. Behind his back I shook my own head. Adults could be so odd sometimes.

  When we reached the new room – another small, research space – Medic Jones was swift to show me what needed doing before excusing himself. It was a simple analysis of blood types within the Family Quarter residents and current stock levels of donor blood. That was easy enough. I programmed in the parameters I needed to get the search report underway. Then, finding myself alone, I decided to begin some research of my own. There was even more reason to look at what Cassie’s records showed now.

  Using the spare terminal I logged in to the main population data system – using Father’s administrator passcode – and pulled up my personal file. My morning waste sample analysis was in, showing heightened levels of testosterone and flagging a note for further investigation. With a couple of key strokes I returned the figures to the normal range, repeating the action I’d been taking several times a day since I discovered what was in my vitamin tablets and stopped taking them.

  Once my own data was looking perfectly normal – I also had to reduce my heart rate anomaly which registered on two scanners yesterday afternoon as Cassie and I had walked back from Park 42 – I turned my attention to Cassie’s records. At first I was intending only to check that her body scan results had shown nothing problematic after yesterday’s accident. But, once I was inside her profile, I couldn’t help but look further.

  The first thing I noticed was that Cassie’s vitamin supplement had recently been adjusted. Until the time we started the placement it had included a small amount of lithium. The only purpose for lithium I was aware of was as a mood suppressant, which was troubling; but then, two days after we finished school, this element had been removed. It was replaced with small doses of dopamine and norepinephrine, alongside a standard vitamin complex.

  Flicking further back in her records, I noted that Cassie had a lithium component to her daily vitamins virtually every day. The dose had been steadily reducing over the past six months, until it was removed as we started the placement at The Clinic.

  I made a mental note to go back and check our classmate’s records. It would be interesting to see if the lithium was just something Cassie had been given, or whether others were affected. It would certainly explain their lack of interest in the problems I found with the Family Quarter.

  From my previous research, which I’d taken back several years, I did not recall lithium being added to my supplement. The Council’s main interest in my health profile appeared to be testosterone levels: I’d noted a fluctuating pattern of adding the hormone, and then counteracting it with doses of oestrogen. My chart read as if two people were fighting over my tablets, without knowing the other was doing anything.

  I was ready to look at something else, my finger hovering over the close command for that page. Then a single entry from a few weeks ago caught my attention.

  Cassie had received an additional injected vitamin on the morning of our last school examination, for iron deficiency. It reminded me that I’d received exactly the same shot that day. I remembered being pulled aside, with Cassie and two other boys from our class after initial registration at school, before we entered the examination room.

  We were told that our recent blood tests – taken two days earlier – had shown low iron levels and we would need a concentrated supplement now. The remainder of our dose was to be managed through diet and had already been scheduled into our meal program. I recalled that a mountain of green vegetables had been added to my plate for the next five days.

  Curious, I clicked on the link to open the chemical analysis of what Cassie had been given and a small pop-up appeared:

  Supplement Composition: 50% liquid iron, 25% vitamin C, 10% pheromone-A, 5% pheromone-D, 5% testosterone-F, 5% serotonin

  I frowned as I read the breakdown of the ingredients. That was not an iron injection; it was something else entirely. And, it had been given to me, and Cassie.

  Why?

  * * *

  I rubbed a weary hand over my face. It was dripping with sweat and my hand came away wet. Normally, running through the combat and agility sequences I’d developed would make me feel calm and order my thoughts. But that was not happening today. I couldn’t relax. There were too many thoughts churning away inside my head to allow me to unwind.

  No one could understand this. No one.

  Least of all me!

  Just when I thought I could see a way of making things – anything – work with Cassie, something new got thrown in the way. Now, more than ever, I was questioning whether she was a tool in the system. If she was a tool, was I stupid enough to fall for it? Or was Cassie simply trapped in the same way as me…? It was possible we were both being manipulated.

  CRACK.

  The loud snapping sound of the tree branch, smashing beneath my fist, diverted my attention. I’d only been using it as a centre target to direct my sweeps against; I hadn’t actually meant to break it. Perhaps I was angrier than I’d realised. I punched the tree trunk again, deliberately now, half-relishing the blunt pain inside my knuckles.

  What right did they have to try and manipulate us?

  Thump.

  Surely we could have free choice in one area of our lives?

  Thump.

  Why did they need us to fall in love?

  Thump.

  My fists pounded into the narrow trunk, punctuating my questions. I only stopped when the burning in hands matched that in my head.

  For a while, I simply stood, my arms hanging limp at my sides, while doubts and questions washed over me. Back and forth I ran everything through my mind, until finally it began to slow down and fell into a rational order. It started with the first day I’d spoken with Cassie.

  Had I been affected by the injection we’d been given?

  No. I didn’t think so. Even without the pheromone boost we had both been given, I’d always been aware of Cassie. I didn’t need chemicals to know that I liked her, although perhaps they helped me overcome my shyness that day…

  What about Cassie?

  I couldn’t answer for her. I wasn’t sure how quickly chemical pheromones would work, or the removal of the li
thium mood inhibitor. However, the additional serotonin, dopamine and other junk that had been going into Cassie’s daily supplement in the past few weeks would surely have some effect. Possibly even this intriguing new ability she had acquired...

  It made me furious all over again, to even think that how I felt about Cassie might, for her, be merely based on chemicals that had been forced into her body. Just speculating that Cassie’s affection for me lay in lies and deceit made a hollow, empty space open inside my chest.

  I rolled my shoulders and shook out my arms, trying to loosen the knots that had formed. I didn’t need to be this tense – it wasn’t all bad. Even though it was probably wrong of me, I did feel better about the adjustments I’d made to Cassie’s supplement. A few simple updates to her natural chemistry records had re-designated her daily tablets as a plain multi-vitamin complex. Nothing untoward and nothing hormonal would be going in there now: it was exactly the same as the one I was being given because my test levels were all within the safe range. Well, they were normal on the database, at least.

  I grinned, feeling better enough to begin my exercises again. This time, I knew I was going to push myself properly and, in preparation, undid the front of my day suit and rolled it down until I was able to tie the sleeves around my waist. Satisfied with this, I ran through some light stretches to warm up my muscles and began my routine.

  A slow mantra cycled in my mind as the precise fluid movements of the sequence drew me in. “Being human is natural; natural is normal,” I whispered, running through the movements over and over. It wasn’t something I usually did and might have sounded like I was trying to convince myself, but I wasn’t. This was just how I felt at that moment and was a truth I was sure of. Today, I trusted nature, in a way that I did not trust the world of the Space Station Hope.

  Chapter 13

  A long while later, I realised I wasn’t alone. The sensation of being watched by unseen eyes crawled up my bare spine, making the hairs at the base of my neck shiver. It was not an unpleasant feeling – quite the opposite, in fact – simply because I knew it was Cassie watching me. Without stopping, I began to search my surroundings trying to glimpse her before I spoke. At first there was nothing but the same grey-green blur of bushes and rock, but as I slowed my rotations I found the only obvious place she could be.

  A large outcrop of rock hid most of Cassie’s figure from view. As I continued to move I caught snippets of her: the right half of her face, one green eye following my body as I shifted around. Another flash of her face, this time I saw her lips twitching with the ghost of a smile, before I whirled on again.

  Despite my fear that Cassie might have been influenced by the recent additions to her daily supplements, I couldn’t help but want the way she looked at me to be real. For me, it was real.

  “I know you’re there.” I paused for a fraction of a second, before finishing the sequence with a high-spinning kick. When I landed I was in the perfect position to see Cassie’s face as she reacted to my words. She ducked behind the rock for a split-second, before re-emerging almost immediately, guilty features blazing red. To avoid further embarrassment I feigned nonchalance and continued with my routine, circling and sweeping my arms around me in a series of gentle punches.

  Pretending Cassie wasn’t there quickly became difficult. Each time I spun my body around now, I found my eyes being drawn back to her. Simply seeing her standing there, watching me, filled me with a curious, nervous excitement that was hard to ignore.

  “What are you doing?” she eventually asked, breaking what had become a heavy silence.

  Curiosity coloured her words and, with some relief, I was happy to note that she sounded intrigued and not scared. It was a bit of a gamble, trusting her with another of my secrets, but it felt natural all the same.

  “Just…one…minute…” I replied, my words popping out around the deep breaths I was taking. The last few movements in the sequence flowed together, before I came to a complete stop and was able to re-focus my attention on Cassie.

  “What was that?” Cassie repeated her question, prompting me to answer as I ambled across the clearing to where she stood.

  “An experiment.” I was deliberately vague. Right now I didn’t want to talk about my secrets; I was interested in hers. Rinsing my mouth with fresh water, I stepped closer to her.

  She swallowed thickly, her breath appearing to catch in her throat. It was nice to see that I could distract Cassie; it was normally the other way around.

  “Am I making you uncomfortable?” I hoped the answer was yes.

  She looked away from me. “I’m not nervous.”

  I laughed at her very unconvincing lie, before lowering my face and bringing us closer together. “How about now?”

  “Nope.”

  Cassie’s breath wafted across my lips as she spoke. All I could think about was putting my mouth onto hers and tasting her. “And now?” I whispered.

  “Not even a little bit.”

  Cassie’s eyes were half-closed, her breath shallow and soft. Everything told me that she wanted me to kiss her.

  “That’s good,” I murmured. Closing my eyes, I pressed my lips onto hers.

  I was so scared, but, happy at the same time. When Cassie kissed me back, her mouth opening to mine, all my fears vanished. There was nothing in my head – no questions, no anger, no tension – nothing, but Cassie. Winding my arm around her back, I pulled our bodies closer, and fell completely in love…

  It was hard to pull away, but I had to let the poor girl breathe. Or perhaps run! I laughed hollowly inside at my own joke. I really hoped she wouldn’t run. The force around her was magnetic to me. Even now, when I wasn’t touching her as much, the warmth of her breath on my lips immediately drew me back. With some effort I stayed still, but kept my arm locked around her.

  Cassie’s eyes remained closed and I watched her lips twitch minutely as though she was holding off a smile.

  “I’m still not nervous,” she said unexpectedly. Her voice was more breath than words. Then she opened her eyes, blinking up into my gaze.

  “I’m glad!” I laughed, taking the opportunity to lean back a little further. She was still too distracting up close and personal. I stared at her now – even though she watched me too – with a confidence I could feel growing in every part of my body. My certainty stemmed from the realisation that Cassie liked me too. A lot. The expression on her face told me everything. I’d never seen her look so happy.

  I couldn’t help it: I laughed aloud at the sense of delight I felt. As if to confirm my thoughts, Cassie smiled up at me, her expression content. She stood, unmoving, between my arms.

  Was this the right time for Cassie’s present?

  Probably…I just wouldn’t tell her that I took the afternoon off to dig it out and make repairs, in the hope of impressing her. I cleared my throat. “I almost forgot…” Yeah, right! “I’ve brought something for you.”

  My statement seemed to put Cassie on edge. Her gaze lost the softness it had held a moment earlier, and I could see that she was really looking at me now.

  “What is it?” Caution was evident in the grim expression that now clouded her features.

  “Don’t look so worried,” I assured her. “I’m not going to subject you to invasive procedures or anything. You should see your face!”

  She didn’t seem to like that I found her funny, and she pulled a face at me.

  “Come on,” I encouraged, taking her hand and coaxing her to where I’d put the Rainbow Maker. She noticed the large black crate immediately.

  “What is it?” She looked from the box, back to me, sounding less nervous now.

  “It’s the Rainbow Maker.” I was unable to hide my smile as Cassie recognised it. The expression on her face was lovely. “I’ve repaired it – no more kinks – just for you.”

  “No!” She exclaimed, laughing happily. “Really? You’ve fixed it for me?”

  “Yes, for you, Cassie.”

  She’d moved
in front of me to get closer to the box, but at these words she turned around. Her gaze weighed heavily on mine and I wondered – as usual – what she was thinking. She looked serious, but pleased at the same time. It was an unusual combination.

  “Will you show me?” She asked.

  Something inside me did a joyful little jump, as I heard the excitement in her voice. “I’d love to.”

  Stepping around Cassie I hurriedly setup the various elements of the Rainbow Maker. It was essentially a box with a water feed, a light point and a viewing slot – not massively technical, but what did you want from a ten year-old science project?

  The original problem had been the positioning of the light, which hadn’t been at the right angle. I’d seen the fault immediately today when I’d pulled the model out. When I glanced at Cassie and saw the excitement in her face, I finally understood why I’d kept it all this time. Part of me must have always hoped I would get the chance to show her this and I almost felt ten years old again, proud that my skills my impress a pretty girl.

  It hadn’t taken me long to make the adjustments, so that it would work properly. I added a step shape to the top of the box, so that the light source was now recessed beneath and behind the viewing point, rather than immediately beneath as it had been on my original model. When I had set the water spray up and looked into it today, the rainbow was clearer and the colours more vivid than they had ever been. Better refraction. And perfect for Cassie.

  After checking and double-checking the basic components were all working I moved aside to make space for Cassie.

  “If you place your chin on here,” I indicated the outside step above the newly positioned light source. Cassie dutifully knelt down and leaned onto the box where I’d pointed. “You’ll need to press your eyes close to the viewing slot, so that no other light gets in. That’ll give you the best results.”