The Sensorians: Trust

by Brigitte Morse-Starkenburg

  I sat down to eat my hot ham and cheese panini and savoured every little morsel of it. I had learned to take my time with food as it gave me something to do, though I once had taken so long it had been taken away from me before I'd finished. From then on I made it my sport to time my eating so that I was exactly done after thirty minutes, as that is when they would come back and collect it. Most days I was spot on, and today was the same. Those tiny little victories kept me sane.

  Now there wasn't a lot to do apart from just going over my notes again and wait for Zack to arrive with the exam papers.

  CHAPTER 3

  Zaphire

  Zack and I were waiting for a good fifteen minutes in Markus' office before he and Michael joined us. Michael had stepped into Frank's boots as the right hand man, after Frank had moved up north to lead the mission there. Michael was a very smart man and a master of manipulation, so you always had to have your wits about you when he was around. He would have you agree with things that you'd never even thought about or were likely to ever agree with. Frank had been more of a second father figure, whereas Michael was like a strict teacher. Highly respected in our community but also someone to be slightly wary of.

  “Sit down everyone. We need to discuss what your plans are for Eliza, and where we're going from here. I asked Zaphire to be here because she will be useful for Eliza when she first comes out of isolation. I want you to help Zack ease her back in and keep control over her senses. She'll have a hard time for a few days adjusting to exposure to the outside world again and there may be a danger of sensory overload.”

  Both Zack and I nodded in unison, agreeing that a meltdown was highly likely on the cards, with her only just getting to grips with her gift even before isolation.

  “Do I still need to be on 24/7 with her?” Zack chipped in.

  “No, not so strictly. Her exams are finished, but she still needs to be protected as Rick knows she's with us. So, though there is no need for round the clock observation, she is still your responsibility. She can't leave the compound unsupervised, under no circumstance. You need to think of a way to set up boundaries, ensuring her safety.”

  “Zack, do you think she will choose to stay with us?” Michael raised.

  The question shocked me slightly. It hadn't even crossed my mind that she may want to leave us and go back to live with her mum, if that even was a real option. I wasn't sure if Markus would truly let her go back to her old life even if he may have presented that as a choice. The thought of what would happen if she chose not to cooperate mortified me and looking at Zack he wasn't entirely sure what she would do.

  “She hasn't given me any reason to believe she's faltering in her loyalty to us. She has been relatively compliant in isolation and eager to show she's accepting her punishment. However, as I haven't had a chance to talk to her properly I'm not a hundred percent sure.”

  “What did you have in mind for her after she comes out?” Markus asked.

  I was curious about that too. Zack had been a bit coy with sharing his ideas with me.

  “She needs a few days to acclimatise and then I want her to go to Alice for a short break. She can have a good think about what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Hopefully, she'll choose us voluntarily and then we can start the next mission training with her. What time frame do you have in mind Markus?”

  “I would like to see her operational in two weeks ideally. We need to get insider information sooner rather than later as I don't want Rick gathering momentum. If that were to happen, it becomes a question as to whether we should just take him in before he can do more damage rather than collecting all the intelligence to know who and what exactly is involved.”

  “It's tight, but I'll do my best. Zaphy will help with building up her fitness again, though I made sure she did enough exercise to keep her fairly fit, so that shouldn't be a problem. A few more self-defence lessons and boxing won't go amiss though. Can I rely on you to help build up her resilience as well?”

  That question was directed at me and I nodded eagerly. I couldn't wait to work with her again. It meant I would definitely have plenty of time with her.

  Michael wanted to know if Zack had any ideas as to how to get Eliza back in touch with her father and Zack explained he thought it was best if Rick was the one that made first contact. It had to look like she was having second thoughts about living with us. Zack was hoping the time with her mum would not only clarify Eliza's mind over whether to be loyal to us, but also would send a signal to Rick making him think there may be a way in for him. He hoped that Rick would try and contact her during that time.

  “Rick will know exactly where she is but he'll assume she's monitored, so he isn't just going to approach her, is he?” I questioned.

  “No, obviously not. But he'll find a way. Trust me,” Zack answered a little prickly.

  “Don't underestimate him. I got the feeling he really wants Eliza on his side, so he will be prepared to take a few risks to get his way.”

  “I know, I know. But how do we keep control of the whole situation if we're not physically there? I feel uncomfortable about leaving Eliza on her own with her mother,” I persisted.

  “Who said she was going there on her own? I want you to go with her, Zaphire,” he answered smugly.

  My heart made a little leap which didn't escape the men's attention in the room. Zack quickly continued to cover my embarrassment.

  “Rick would be highly suspicious if we just let her go back on her own, but we have to make him believe he has at least got an opportunity to approach her and get inside her head again, using their familial bond.”

  I nodded in agreement, still feeling excited by the prospect of accompanying Eliza to her mum's. Then a horrible thought entered my head.

  “How safe is this for Alice? Could it encourage Rick to use her as some kind of leverage to help “persuade” Eliza to join his side?”

  “That thought did cross my mind. We've been monitoring Alice from the moment Eliza came back to us and we haven't seen any suspicious movements as yet. I think he'll leave Alice out of it as he wants Eliza to join him by her own free will. He knows if he coerced her, he would never fully be able to trust her. He wants Eliza to be his full willing partner in his absurd bid to take over society. That's what I'm counting on anyway. However, as I said, we have Alice under observation, so we would be made aware of any danger she might be in and will be able to act immediately.” Zack answered confidently.

  “Well, it seems like you have covered every angle so far. Well done,” Markus spoke appreciatively, seeking agreement from Michael, who with the tiniest movement in his eye muscle did just that. No need to speak.

  I could tell Zack was chuffed, he always was driven to please Markus, from the moment we were taken into the Community when we were mere toddlers. Not that he was a goodie-two-shoes, as he was certainly no angel, but he did love to win Markus' respect and appreciation. My main motivator has always been the acceptance and love from my peers. Loyalty to and from my friends and brother is the most important factor in my happiness. I could never be like Zack, and I'm okay with that. The fact that Markus rarely praises me, doesn't bother me that much and I know he thinks I'm brilliant at what I do, which was working in the field.

  I was never going to be management material, I could only just about manage living within the rules myself, let alone imposing them on other people!

  Markus got up and that was our signal to leave. Laura was waiting to speak to him next. I wondered how that meeting would go down. We surely would find out soon and I was keeping my fingers crossed for more flexibility in the requirements to pass the monthly fitness test. Only a small thing, but sometimes it's the small things that can make the biggest impact on morale. I just hoped for Zack's sake that Markus wouldn't find out it was him that instigated the issue once again. Markus did not like being challenged on things he really believed in. He could be a stubborn sod sometimes. Actually, most of the time.

  “What are yo
u smiling about, sis?”

  Zack put his arm around me and his warmth enveloped me. His touch was so comforting and a feeling of nostalgia engulfed me, taking me back to our childhood where it had always been Zack who had offered comfort and safety.

  “Nothing much Z. Just having a little silent dig at Markus in my head,” I giggled.

  “Don't we all, from time to time,” Zack half smiled, half sighed.

  A message came in on my phone reminding me of my huge list of chores I had to do today, none of them particularly interesting. I longed to go out investigating again. I loved catching people out in their lies and deceit, going undercover and weaving my way into people's lives. It was super rewarding to see criminals caught and punished because of the evidence you had been able to provide. If you know when people lie, it becomes a whole lot easier to know where to look for incriminating evidence. The best part of my job is to prevent crimes from happening though, even if they are small scale. I personally saved a woman from rape when I realised the sick plan forming in the attacker's head, and even foiled a plot to rob a local bank. Exciting times. However, today I just had to get on with the boring stuff.

  CHAPTER 4

  Eliza

  I thought today would never come! The last three days were possibly the longest ever. I practically jumped out of bed this morning, even though yesterday was the last day of the 6am exercise classes (thank God). I was up and waiting for Zack at 5.59am. He wouldn't come for another hour at least, but I woke up and was so ready to be out of here, there was no point trying to go back to sleep. I regretted that now though, so I forced myself to lay down and close my eyes for a bit, counting down the minutes only to be up again not long after.

  I felt excited, nervous, happy, scared and a multitude of other emotions swished through my body like a tornado, and like the proverbial ants in your pants, I could not stay still. I kept lying down, getting up, pacing around the room and back to lying down again, for what felt like, a hundred times at least. I wasn't sure how I was going to react when Zack would finally say the words that meant I could get out of here. I tried not to think about it too much and just let it happen. I didn't even dare to think about Zaphire. I just wouldn't let my mind go there. It was too much.

  At 7.28am I heard Zack's familiar footsteps approaching and then the keys jangling. Everything seemed to be going painfully slow but finally the door opened and Zack stepped in. Annoyingly, as calm and collected as always. He stood there, I swear for a full minute, just looking at my face, still testing me. But I was strong. I waited, trying to show as little emotion as I could muster, breathing slowly and focussing on a little dark spot on the brick wall behind Zack.

  “Eliza, I am now terminating your solitary confinement. Your time in here is over and you are free to speak.”

  He looked at me expectantly but my mind was blank and I was vaguely aware my mouth was hanging open. When I still hadn't said anything or had moved after what must have been a few minutes, his eyes turned to concern, his hand gently touching my arm. My arm jerked back involuntarily.

  “Eliza?” His hand back on my arm but now a bit tighter. “Are you okay? Answer me,” he insisted.

  The sheer sensation of his hand around my arm, shook me back to reality, so odd the feeling of someone touching me and so intense at that. I had forgotten the magic of human touch and the feelings they elicited, magnified a hundred times over due to our gift. My body responded.

  “Uh...yes Sir, yes I'm.....I'm fine,” I managed to stutter. “Thank you, thank you so much.” My voice more steady now, though still sounding fragile. I hadn't used my voice properly for ages and it felt odd, feeling my vocal cords tremble. I stepped forward and embraced him, surprising myself as not long ago I had just wanted to slap him. Zack allowed my hug and gently put his arms around me too for a brief moment. Then he took my arms and more or less forcefully broke us up, which I was grateful for, not wanting to embarrass myself.

  “Come on, Eli. Let's go to your room. Have a shower, get some decent clothes on and then we'll have some breakfast together.”

  Being in my own shower, singing to my heart’s content (revelling in stretching my voice), with my own shampoo and conditioner and a lovely warm fluffy towel waiting for me, was heaven. Choosing what clothes to wear a pleasurable novelty, probably soon to wear off, but I was enjoying every moment to the full. It had somewhat taken my mind off my, hopefully imminent, reunion with Zaphire.

  But first, I had to deal with Zack. I felt awkward with him, not knowing exactly what our relationship was. Was he my friend? Trainer and coach? Ex (nearly) lover? My superior? It was complicated and I didn't know how to behave towards him. I had tried to read him a little but he wasn't letting me in much. On top of that, I wasn't sure how I felt about him myself. I swayed from intense hatred to pure admiration and love, and most embarrassingly, lust. However, whatever my feelings were, I knew he, and the whole Sensorian community, had my complete loyalty. That hadn't diminished one bit during my time in isolation.

  “Hey, Eli. Come sit down. I made you some breakfast. It's still hot, so tuck in.”

  Zack sat back in his chair, waiting for me to join him, which I did.

  “Oh my, this smells soooooo good!” I exclaimed whilst cramming my mouth full of the scrambled egg and bacon bits. A month of plain Shreddies every morning banned from my brain instantly. A little smile played around Zack's lips whilst he lifted his eyebrows slightly.

  “Someone's forgotten their manners, somewhat,” he chastised mockingly. “Slow down a little, please. Don't want you to choke on your first day out. Zaphire would never forgive me.”

  “No chance,” I snorted but trying to resemble some sort of decorum whilst I wolfed down the rest of my breakfast.

  “Have you noticed anything in your room?” Zack asked randomly. I looked around.

  “Your bed has moved? Does that mean you are trusting me to stay in my bed now?” I dared joke a little.

  “Yes it has, and no, not at all. But, you don't have to be under 24/7 observation anymore so you can have a bit more freedom now. I'm still in the bedroom next to you, though, and your door will be locked at night.”

  His smile softened his words a little. He wasn't being grumpy about it, just matter of factly.

  “Hmm, afraid I might do a runner?”

  I pulled a defiant face, but Zack ignored that wisely. I finished off the last crumbs on my plate and took a deep sigh before asking Zack the question I had been dying to ask since getting out.

  “When can I see Zaphire?”

  It came out like a whisper, but I couldn't hide the passion and desperation behind it, judging by Zack's face and the spike in the emotions he emitted. Sometimes I hated our gift.

  “Get yourself together and then we can go and see her, if you want.”

  Hearing the words I had been waiting for for weeks made me feel both overjoyed and scared shitless.

  CHAPTER 5

  Zaphire

  A soft knock on the door made my heart leap, but Zack gave me no time to gather my thoughts as he was already standing in my room and beside him was Eliza, looking gorgeously cute but ever so nervous. Her thumping heart and huge pupils gave away that her feelings towards me had not waned whilst in isolation. I breathed a sigh of relief and allowed some of my own emotions out too. I wanted Eliza to have no doubts about my feelings towards her.

  “Hey, long time no see!” I blurted out, running into Eliza's arms and hugging her hard.

  “I've missed you so much,” she whispered in my ear, which made my whole body shiver.

  I felt Zack's awkwardness instantly and before I had a chance to say something he mumbled his excuses and was out the door. Almost immediately I received a message to meet up with him in an hour to discuss plans and I was to bring Eliza.

  “How the hell are you, crazy girl? How are you feeling? I have a thousand questions for you but first this.” I don't know what came over me but before I knew it, I manoeuvred Eliza onto the sofa and plan
ted my lips on hers and waited just a second to gauge her response. After an initial stiffening in her body, she went soft and her lips melted into mine. It looked like my unpremeditated and bold move had paid off. I gently pulled back and gazed in her eyes. “I needed that,” I sighed with satisfaction.

  She didn't say anything for a minute, but I let her be. I could feel she was happy, though maybe a little overwhelmed.

  “Wow. Zaphy, I wasn't expecting that. I don't know what to say.”

  She shifted slightly uncomfortably in her seat. I gave her a bit of space, fearing I was going to cause a sensory overload. I should remember she had only been out of isolation for barely a few hours, making her vulnerable.

  I noticed a little tear forming in her eyes, but I felt it stemmed from a feeling of relief, rather than sadness.

  “Talk to me, Eliza. I can second guess what you're thinking by the signals you're giving but I would like to know what exactly is going through your mind. I want to hear you say it.”

  “I was so scared you'd moved on, or that I'd imagined you had feelings for me. I drove myself mad with all sorts of scenarios of our reunion. I had far too much time to think about it this last month!”

  A shy smile formed on her face.

  My heart melted thinking of the agony she must have gone through in her cell, without much to distract her. I had truly fallen in love with her, that much was clear to me. I couldn't wait to tell her the news I was going to accompany her to her mum's soon, but I had to wait till the meeting with Zack.

  “I wish I had been able to find a way to contact you, but you know Zack; too thorough for his own good sometimes.”

  I rolled my eyes but to my dismay, I still noticed a spike in her vital signs on hearing his name. To be honest though, that could be explained by all sorts, rather than her still having a thing for him. I was getting a little paranoid. In a few days I would confront her about it. She wouldn't be able to hide anything from me and there was no point worrying myself about it for now.