The Regenerates

by Maansi Pandya

  “Hey,” he whispered.

  Ven jumped as he felt Conner’s breath by his head. “Would you stop sneaking up on me? You’re creeping me out. What do you want?”

  “You are more than welcome to say no,” Conner began. “But just let me tell about Vigor. Seriously, a few whiffs of this stuff and you’ll have enough strength to lift a motorized transport pod with your bare hands.” He pulled out a clear packet of neon blue powder and a small pipe and held them out. “Sure you don’t want any?”

  Ven’s eyes narrowed. This stuff would make him strong? He instantly remembered his brush with death not too long ago. A fiery feeling rose in his stomach. What if it really was this simple? What if I never have to worry again? The next time Kayn tries something, I could…

  Hardly daring to believe what he was about to say, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Look,” he whispered. “I can’t exactly carry around a pipe with me in public, nor can I let my girlfriend” – his heart leaped as he said it – “over there know about this.” He gestured at Coralie. “So unless you’ve got another option, it looks like I’ll have to pass.”

  Conner slapped a hand on Ven’s shoulder, grinning. “Not a problem, friend! I’ve got a version here that you can mix into water and it works the same! The water will still be blue, though, so you’re gonna have to deal with that.”

  Ven’s heart was racing. He tried not to think of what his mother would say if she was here. He reached into his pocket. “I really do need supplies,” he said, so quietly that Conner had to bend his head closer to hear him. “So if you charge me too much, you can forget it. You’re already getting business from us, so don’t push it.”

  Conner sighed. He pulled out another packet from his jacket pocket. This one was much smaller, and contained a teaspoon of the strange neon powder.

  “This is a sample,” he said. “Should last you a couple days. It’ll be five Koins for this amount. Sound like a deal?”

  Ven’s heart was now thumping painfully fast. Hands quivering, he pulled the money out of his pocket and snuck it into Conner’s open palm. Then he took a quick glance around him to make sure neither Kayn nor Coralie was in sight and hurriedly stuffed the packet in his pocket. Conner was beaming.

  “This stuff had better not be illegal, got it?” Ven said. “If I get in trouble for this, I’m going to track you down and make you pay.”

  “Relax, it isn’t. Haven’t you heard of those brawling competitions that take place in Muran and Crion? They take Vigor all the time before their matches. It helps makes things more interesting. I’ve heard there are politicians who bet money on the brawlers based on how much of the Vigor they can consume before they–” He paused.

  “What?” said Ven.

  “N-nothing,” Conner mumbled. “I’ll also give you this.” He handed Ven a card with the word “VIGOR” written in bright blue. Ven turned it over. On the back was a list of names and beside them, an address. “It’s a list of sellers from the surrounding cities in case you run out and want more.”

  Ven glared at Conner, then looked behind him again to check for Coralie. “Tell me, an opiate like this has to have side effects. Care to share? Or should I call this whole thing off and take my money back?”

  Ven could see beads of sweat rolling down Conner’s temple. He had never seen anyone so wimpy. Conner rumpled his already messy hair.

  “Alright, alright,” he said. “A few hours after you take a bit of it, your vision gets a bit…blurry, and you start feeling, uh, tired. That’s all. Oh, and the Vigor takes effect ten minutes after you’ve taken it and lasts about an hour.”

  “What happens if you keep taking it regularly? Do you get insomnia?”

  Conner’s eyes widened. “Who told you that?”

  “One look at the black rings under your friend Tanner’s eyes was more than enough evidence of that.” Ven thought for a moment. What on earth was he doing? Was he really so desperate? He couldn’t afford to let this stupid thing hinder him later on. Should he call the whole thing off?

  As though he had read Ven’s mind, Conner tightened his grip around the Koins Ven had given him. “So…are we all good, then?”

  Suddenly overcome with a desire to do something brash, Ven nodded, forcing himself to shut out the nagging voice in his head that was telling him to pour the powder into the dark canal the second they left.

  Conner winked at him. “You won’t regret it, friend.”

  Coralie’s voice rang out. “Hey, Ven, come check this out!”

  Ven jumped and on instinct, slapped his hand to his pocket. She gave him a funny look before grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the end of the store.

  “Take a look at this revolver,” she said, walking over to a shelf and picking up the sterling silver weapon and running her hands over it.

  “It costs a fortune,” she said, “but the bullets are made of chrome and are supposed to be really powerful. It’s a shame it’s so expensive. I could totally use one of these.”

  “I’ll bet you’re an expert at telling the quality of weaponry,” said Ven. “Since you’ve probably seen a lot of prototypes back in Co–” Ven froze, suddenly remembering what a stupid idea it was to bring up Coralie’s father’s business. Ven looked at her, silently praying she wouldn’t start to cry again. Her face was blank. Ven couldn’t tell if she ignored the statement on purpose or not. There was a quick pause before Coralie moved to another shelf and picked up a copper compass.

  “Say, we could probably use one of these,” she said, clicking the buttons on it.

  Ven sighed in relief. “Y-yeah, how much are they?”

  “Five Koins,” she said, looking at the small red sticker on it. “You got any Koins left, Ven?”

  He winced and Coralie raised her eyebrows. “Don’t you have any?” Ven asked, his stomach twisting.

  “I do. I was just asking. In case you wanted one for yourself.” She smiled wryly.

  She knows. Damn, she knows…

  Kayn tapped Ven on the shoulder. He flinched again. “If you’re done, let’s go. I’ve got everything.”

  Ven forced himself not to look Coralie in the eye as they made their way to the cash counter and handed the female clerk their items. It felt like he was carrying an explosive in his pocket. Had he made a terrible mistake? Ven tried to let his hands hang loosely at his sides. If he put them in his pockets, he was only going to make Coralie more suspicious.

  Perhaps she didn’t know, and he was just being paranoid.

  As they were about to leave, they passed Tanner at the top of the stairs. He eyed the purchases in their hands. “Looks like you did get us some business after all, Conner,” he said, slapping Conner on the back. Then he turned to Ven, Kayn and Coralie again. “You three said you were looking for the quickest route to Hygon Pass, right?”

  Ven’s ears perked up. “Yeah. Do you know something after all?”

  “Can’t guarantee anything, but I’ll give it a shot since you’ve been loyal customers. We’re gonna get a proper dinner thanks to you three, so I should try and do something to repay you. Do you guys have a map or anything?” He took another long whiff of his pipe. Ven noticed for the first time that the smoke rings were bright, neon blue. He stared at them and tilted his head, watching them grow and then disappear.

  “Ven.” Coralie slapped his arm. “Hurry up and give him the map.”

  “Oh, right. Here.” Ven pulled it out of his satchel and handed it to Tanner.

  Tanner examined it, and just like Conner, he wore a confused expression. “Um…where did you say you were from, again? Because your map is…off.”

  “See, I told you I wasn’t lying!” said Conner.

  “We get it,” said Ven. “The map is all wrong. What do we do?” He decided it was probably best to leave out where they were from.

  “You get a new one,” said Tanner, scratching his chin and handing them back the map. “Have you heard of Doon? That crazy cartographer in Crion? He owns a map store. It�
��s really famous. Apparently his whole family have been cartographers for generations. He’s a nice fella, and I can guarantee you he will not only give you a new map, but will lay out a route down to what blades of grass you should walk on to get there.”

  “That’s brilliant!” said Ven. He couldn’t believe their luck.

  “Make sure you have your identity papers before you get into Crion, though,” said Tanner.

  “They just started that new system where they screen everyone’s papers before they enter. Getting back out isn’t a problem, but getting in is.”

  Ven and Kayn exchanged glances. Cor and Crion didn’t exactly have a cordial relationship. Several hostile incidents had taken place between the two cities back when Kayn’s father was Grand Magistrate.

  “Oh,” said Ven. “In case we don’t have papers, is there any other way we can get into Crion?”

  “You don’t have identity papers? What are you people, nomadic?” said Conner.

  At this point Ven felt it was unfair to hide so much information. “Actually…we’re refugees from Cor. Cor and Crion have been fighting for so long that I don’t think we’re going to get papers.”

  Tanner raised his eyebrows and let out a long whistle. “Cor? I’ve never heard of refugees coming from there. You travelled all the way here from Cor?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You actually escaped alive? That’s crazy!” said Conner. “Those guys are messed up, huh?”

  Ven didn’t dare look at Kayn. Was this really how the outside world saw them?

  “About that way in,” said Tanner. “I’m assuming you smuggled yourselves out of Cor illegally. So I’m sure you won’t mind me saying that the only way for you to get into Crion without papers is to smuggle yourselves in.”

  “We’re listening,” said Coralie.

  “There’s a large, underground mining tunnel that’s been abandoned for years. It passes under Lamparth as well as under Crion, and goes on till it reaches Muran. The path from Crion to Muran has caved in, but the one from here to Crion is still clear. But there’s a reason the few people who know about it don’t dare enter. Not that they would need to, anyway, since most of us have identity papers. The point is, it’s been out of use for so long that it’s become a haven for dangerous beasts.”

  They looked at each other. Ven was still virtually useless in a fight. He wondered if Coralie at least knew how to use a pistol or a blaster, since her father used to create prototypes. Ven gripped his pocket tightly. If I have to, I have a water canister in my satchel. I’ll just do it…

  “We’ll go,” said Kayn. “Thank you for your help.”

  “Are you sure about that?” said Conner. “It’s really dangerous. There were even talks in town about demolishing the entrance so no one would stumble in by accident and get killed.”

  “We’ll be alright,” said Kayn. “We’ve had to face dangerous beasts before. It’s crucial that we get that map from Crion.”

  Ven felt it best not to remind him that they hadn’t fared so well the last time. “Oh,” he said as a thought suddenly struck him. “How are we supposed to see down there?”

  “The tunnels are lit by a special chemical ectoplasm that reacts to heat and movement,” said Tanner. “As long as no one is down there, it’ll stay dark. The minute you take the elevator down and start walkin’ around, the tunnels will light up. That ectoplasm is corrosive, though, so don’t let it touch your skin if the tubelights break.”

  Ven and Coralie smiled at each other. Everything seemed to be working out.

  “Thanks.” Ven looked at Tanner. “We’re going to need one more favor, though. We need a place to stay tonight.”

  “Fine with me,” said Tanner. “But it’ll cost you a bit more.”

  Coralie groaned.

  “You people really are cheap, you know that?” said Ven, as Conner laughed nervously.

  That night, Conner led them down to his living quarters in the basement floors of the towering metal building.

  “It’s no luxury mansion, but I can’t complain,” said Conner. “All I’ve got are couches, though, so you’ll have to make do. I think Tanner lent a room to your tall buddy, meaning you two will have to share.”

  “What will you do?” said Ven.

  “I barely sleep. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be around. Got some people to meet in town after midnight.”

  Conner left Ven and Coralie to themselves. Ven walked over to one of the couches and ran a finger over it, picking up a thick layer of dust. “This is…gross.”

  He felt a painful blow to his head. Ven cried out and turned to see Coralie with her fist raised. “Ow! Coralie, what the hell?”

  “Give it to me.” She held out her palm and gave him a stony look. “The Vigor in your pocket. Hand it over.”

  Ven stood there.

  “Yeah, I heard you.” Coralie told him. “I was right behind the shelf when you and that weirdo were talking. I’m not an idiot, Ven. What’s wrong with you?”

  He gripped his pocket tightly. “What? I’m not giving you anything. It’s my decision. What does it matter, anyway? There’s hardly anything in it. He barely gave me a teaspoon.”

  Coralie pulled up a metal chair from nearby and motioned for Ven to take a seat on the couch across from her. He sighed irritably and sat down.

  “I know why you took it from him. But that’s really not the answer, and you know it.”

  “I couldn’t do anything, Coralie, don’t you get it?” he said. “You said it yourself, that was a really close call. I could be dead right now, thanks to Kayn. You don’t get how awful it feels, being constantly afraid and useless. I don’t ever want to be in that situation again, understand? Someone has just given me a potential solution, and I’m going to take it.”

  “Alright,” said Coralie. “I understand how you’re feeling, Ven. I do. But let’s say you do try out whatever little he gave you. What happens when you run out? Do you feel better, then? What happens when you become desperate for more and start seeking it out? Then before you know it, you’ll feel ten times weaker than before, and your body will become dependent on it for strength…” She had a fiery look in her eyes as she reached out and took his hand, letting their fingers interlock. “Please don’t,” she said. “You don’t need it, and it will not help you. You can become strong without it.”

  Ven took his hand from hers. What was her problem? It wasn’t that big of a deal. He had no intention of turning into Conner any time soon. He knew what he was doing, so why didn’t she trust him?

  “I obviously can’t force you to do anything,” said Coralie, “but I can sure as hell tell you what’s on my mind. What you do after that is up to you.”

  Ven loosened his grip on his pocket. What if Coralie was right, and he did become dependent on it? But all he wanted was to become a little stronger. He wasn’t doing it to fight in brawls or earn money. What was wrong with that?

  “So.” Coralie crossed her arms. “What’s it gonna be?”

  “I’m keeping it,” said Ven.

  Coralie scoffed. “Fine. If that’s your choice.” She didn’t look angry, but she quickly got up from the metal chair and lay down on the couch at the end of the room, keeping her back to him. “Let’s get some sleep. We need to be well rested.”

  Trying his best to ignore the pulling sensation in his gut that said she was right, he rested his head on his satchel and closed his eyes.

  ***

  Against a large red sandstone cliff was an entrance to a mining tunnel. It was beginning to crumble, and was partially blocked by rubble.

  “Looks like someone already tried to block it off,” said Kayn.

  Tanner had led them a short distance outside Lamparth. The surrounding area was a dry, sandy wasteland.

  “You should still be able to make it through, though,” said Tanner. “We just need to move some of this out of the way.”

  Kayn, Ven and Coralie helped him lift some of the collapsed stone barrier off of the entrance
until they could climb over it.

  “Thanks for your help,” said Ven.

  “Be careful,” said Tanner. “If you stay hidden, you may be able to avoid confronting whatever is down there.”

  Ven took a deep breath and together, they stepped over the rubble and into the darkness.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  It took their eyes a moment to adjust. The tunnel was dark and damp, and the walls were moist. It was larger than they had expected. The top was so high that it strained their necks to look up. Old, rusting mining carts lay lopsided at the edge of the tracks. Long, snakelike tubelights lined the tunnel walls and emitted a bright green light, illuminating their path as they walked.

  Tanner had told them to turn left every time they hit a corner. If they did so, they should eventually reach a lift elevator that would take them up to a metal factory on the edge of downtown Crion.

  “I thought you had to avoid Crion,” said Ven to Kayn as they walked through the tunnel, being careful not to trip on the rubble covering the floor.

  “Yes, I know,” said Kayn. “There’s nothing we can do. I’ll just have to blend in. Besides, according to that ignorant news woman back in Renneth, my photograph hasn’t been released, so that’s one less thing to worry about.”

  “It’s not just him who has to blend in,” said Coralie, looking directly at Ven and pretending Kayn wasn’t there. To Ven’s relief, she didn’t look or sound upset about last night. “Cor and Crion are enemies. None of us are safe there.”

  Kayn snorted.

  They made their way through the winding maze of tunnels until they came to a halt at a very solid wall. The green tubelights fizzed.

  “What’s going on? Did we make a wrong turn somewhere?” said Ven.

  “This doesn’t make sense,” said Coralie. “He said we just have to keep turning left and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing.”