Between Two Minds: Revelation

by D C Wright-Hammer

  J-A scowled. “That’s it?”

  R-J winced at her callousness, but he proceeded. “No. Eventually, the voice asked about us, the Alliance. They asked about you, J-A.”

  “And? How much did he already know? How much did you tell him?”

  “His questions were strange. ‘Did you think you shifters would get away with it?’ and ‘Why would your leader be so foolish?’ It was like they were trying to trick me into giving them something. I told them nothing.”

  J-A narrowed her eyes, confessing her disbelief. “This many months, and that’s all?”

  “Piss off!” R-J exploded with frustration, and the guards restrained him. He sat down and shrugged them off. “That’s all? I was treated like trash for six months, and ‘that’s all’?! You’re a real piece of work J-A.”

  For the first time that night, she backed off. “Fine. Sorry. I’m glad you’re okay, R-J. I’m glad you’re back. We sure as hell could use the help. Now, what did we do with Gaia?”

  He was still calming down when he finally replied, “We found a cache of frozen organic hosts. I put in as much cross-referencing as I could to stick migrators with them. I made a backup of the changes, so we could track them as the migrations completed, but they took the chip from me. Still, I committed the changes. We’re just in the dark on the outcomes. This place is bumpin’ with new shifters, so I’m guessing it worked.”

  J-A’s expression didn’t change. “Something like that. How did you escape?”

  “That was weird too. On cue, the lights went out and I waited for the voice. Only this time, the door popped open. I thought it was a trick, and I waited a good five minutes before poking my head out. No one was there. I walked down the hall and passed some old computer terminal. They were on and I wanted to hack them, but I wanted to be free more. I found the exit and left.”

  “Where?”

  R-J replied, “It was at the old Countyville Prison just outside the city.”

  J-A’s head went up, and she looked around. After a moment, she seemed satisfied, eying the guards. “Thanks, K-M and P-W. You don’t need to watch him anymore.”

  The guards left the room, taking the tension with them.

  J-A leaned in toward R-J. “You know I’m going to need you to go back.”

  He smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that. We need to go back really soon and bring the heavy hitters.”

  “We’ve got other irons in the fire right now, but we’ll get there in the next couple of weeks.”

  R-J scowled. “Next couple of weeks? The data held on those computers will likely be scrubbed by then. Or outdated to the point of being junk. We need to go back tomorrow.”

  She shook her head. “Based on everything you said, it does sound like a trap. We’ll give it some time to settle down, and then we’ll go in with the right team.”

  R-J was about to offer another rebuttal, but J-A interrupted. “Now, your old bunk was taken, so you’ll be sleeping with the new recruits while we make arrangements. Go see Doc and get some rest.”

  R-J shook his head. Then, he stormed out of the room, still scowling.

  Tony was clearly baffled. “Doesn’t seem like Atlas’s style. What good would one shifter be to them? Why the random location? Why let him go?”

  J-A pursed her lips. “I was thinking the same thing, but we did infiltrate their data warehouse. They probably knew we accessed Gaia. Maybe they panicked and got sloppy.”

  Tony was firm. “With all due respect, J-A, I think we need to assume the possibility of a new player. This Minos_Yass.”

  She sighed. “I’ll get Intel on it, and we’ll see what they find.”

  A guard popped her head into the computer room. “J-A, the captive will be here in a minute. Where did you want her?”

  I couldn’t control myself. “Hey! That captive has a name. It’s Helen…” Then, I wasn’t so sure. “…or Natalie.”

  J-A rolled her eyes. “A regular Romeo over here.” She looked back at the guard. “What name is she going by?”

  The guard pressed the comm button in her ear. “W-N, ask the captive what her name is?” The guard nodded a couple times. “Helen. She’s mighty confused.”

  “You can bring her here. Thank you.”

  Tony spoke up. “When did Helen’s shifting start?”

  “A couple months back.” I nodded. “We were fortunate that her host knew how to fight. She got us out of a bad situation.”

  He continued. “How many episodes since?”

  “A few at least.”

  On cue, Helen appeared in the doorway with guards behind her. I popped up and rushed to her with my arms open. “Helen!”

  “Ryan?” Her face scrunched up, and it was clear she didn’t want a hug.

  I stopped. “Are you okay?”

  She continued to give me the look of disbelief.

  “Helen? What is it?”

  She leaned in and whispered, “One minute I was looking for you, and the next, guards are escorting me here. What the hell is this place?”

  I looked at Tony and J-A, and then back at Helen. “I know I told you not to follow me, but I’m glad you did. Apparently, you shifted into Natalie when you ran into trouble, and these…people picked you up.”

  I gave her a moment to process what I’d said before continuing. “This is the headquarters of the Shifter Alliance, migrators…and hosts who have come together to fight for justice. There’s a lot more to it, but just know we’re safe.” I was shocked the words had come out of my mouth, but despite doubting the Alliance since the mention of FPR, I suddenly believed the things I was saying.

  Again, Helen spoke softly, but this time with more anger in her voice. “Is this another lie? Have you been leading a secret life?”

  “What? No! This is my first time here too.”

  She shook her head and lowered her eyes.

  I took a deep breath and decided to try to move things along. “I want you to meet a couple people.” I opened my hand toward Tony. “This is the Tony. He started working here shortly after my migration. While it was frustrating, he avoided my calls for everyone’s safety.”

  That got Helen’s attention, and then, we all turned to J-A. “This is the very first mind-pair, as they call us. The mythical J-A, better known as Jessica-Amanda.”

  Helen’s face confessed her shock. “Jessica-Amanda? What? Like the stories?”

  J-A smiled more sincerely than ever. “It’s nice to meet you, Natalie-Helen.”

  Helen tilted her head to me. “You told them about—”

  “Charlie-Ryan only told us enough to keep you safe,” J-A said. “I can see you’re overwhelmed, and I’ve got other business to attend to, so we’ll talk later. Tony will show you to your living quarters. You’ll want to get some rest. Your host awakenings will happen early tomorrow.” J-A walked hurriedly out of the room.

  “Charlie-Ryan? Living quarters? Host awakenings?” Helen was rightfully perplexed.

  Tony explained. “All of the members who stay here are part of the Shifter Alliance. We have many goals as an organization, but a primary one is equal representation of the migrator and host minds within the host’s body, hence the double first names or more commonly double first initials.

  “We put all members through a procedure that enables this equality. Your host and you will develop a relationship that will dictate who’s in charge of the host’s body at what times. Essentially, setting guidelines for when you’ll shift back and forth. It’s not only the most humane way of having two minds co-inhabit a brain, but it’s also vital to your survival. When a mind-pair is at odds, it almost always ends poorly.”

  “Tell me about it.” The words escaped my mouth.

  Tony snickered, but Helen was working through it all. “What if I want to leave?”

  I looked at Tony, wondering how he’d respond.<
br />
  He thought for just a moment. “You discovered one of our entrances. It would take a vote by the council to allow you to leave.”

  She scowled. “Vote? Council? So, I’m your prisoner?”

  “It’s not like that.” Tony’s face softened, turning to me and then, back to her. “As you know, this country…the world is in a state of turmoil. Average citizens are not safe, much less migrators and hosts. We have the extra burden of ADG’s lies and corruption, and vile bigotry to boot. Our organization offers a place for your host and you to be yourselves while preparing you for the battles that are ahead. The council is made up of shifters from all walks of life. They vote on major decisions for the group.”

  “You sound like those FPR people.” Nothing got past Helen.

  He smiled. “That’s right. We have allies among their ranks.”

  Oddly, Helen’s expression eased for the first time since she’d arrived. “Have you met them?”

  Tony shook his head. “I know people who have. They want what we want, a world where we can all reach our human potentials and live in peace. But we both understand that getting there isn’t as simple as working within the current power structures.”

  She swallowed hard. “I guess that means there’s no going back to my normal life.”

  I shrugged. “Did we ever really have normal lives?”

  She seemed annoyed by my question more than anything.

  Tony spoke. “Come on. Natalie-Helen, I’ll give you the quick tour of the facility on our way to your room.”

  Helen seemed apprehensive but slowly followed Tony as he went down the hall. I reached for her hand as we walked, but she didn’t reciprocate. Tony recited the same speech he’d given me in the hallway, but in reverse. Once we emerged in the common area, Helen was intrigued.

  “Wow. Is everyone here a…shifter?”

  Tony nodded. “I’m currently the only exception. Once our movement gains more publicity, we’ll find as many non-shifter allies as we can.”

  We went down the hallway in which I hadn’t been, and up to the second floor. We passed several small rooms with bunk beds and dressers. Some had shifters in them, reading physical books or sleeping. We stopped at an open door to a room with no one in it. “There’s a week’s worth of clothes in each dresser. Down the hall, there’s two lavatories with showers. Obviously, use the one you’re most comfortable using.” He looked down the hall, and then, back at us. “If you were planning on having intercourse, please use the designated rooms I showed you on the way here.” He leaned in. “Otherwise, it would alarm the other members.”

  I blushed, smiled, and nodded. Helen’s face didn’t change.

  “Dinner will be brought to the common area in about thirty minutes. Help yourself. Breakfast is served at six tomorrow. Then, meet Doc in the migration area around six-thirty. That’s when we’ll begin your procedures. Any questions?”

  I had to know. “The procedures. Is that when I’ll be told about Charlie’s condition?”

  He tilted his head forward. “Yes. I pleaded with J-A to discuss that with you, and she was initially against it. But she’s come around. We’ll complete a comprehensive evaluation with you before attempting the procedure. We’ll discuss your histories, and we’ll run a battery of tests.”

  “Tests?” Helen’s brow went up. She took a step toward Tony and spoke softer. “What kind of tests?”

  “Bloodwork, body and neural scans. There’s a few others.”

  Her eyes became wide. “Are they optional?”

  It was understandable that Helen was questioning everything.

  Tony was trying to read her. “It’s for the safety of your host and you. The procedure can be stressful, and we’ll need a baseline to compare.”

  Helen didn’t acknowledge his response, nor did she offer a follow up.

  Tony cupped his hands together. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll see you in the morning.”

  I didn’t have anything, and Helen remained quiet. He left.

  Helen waited for a moment, then wandered over to the bottom bunk and sat down without a word. I guessed that meant she wanted to be alone, so I didn’t try talking to her. Instead, I opened one dresser to find the aforementioned clothes. Unisex undergarment, old-fashioned denim slacks, and light gray shirts. I checked the other dresser, and it was more of the same.

  “You didn’t know about the Shifter Alliance before today?”

  I turned around. “No.”

  “You haven’t been leading a secret life?”

  “When I told you no more lies, I meant it.”

  “Are you sure about this? About this place?”

  I shook my head. “I guess I’m not sure about anything. But I do know going at it—being a shifter—alone was no picnic either.”

  “I don’t know. I thought I agreed with FPR. But now it feels forced. As much as I hate it, I think I’ll miss generating leads. I’ll miss coming home after a hard day’s work and kicking back to relax.”

  J-A appeared in the doorway. “You really think that’s the best life has to offer?”

  Helen looked up at her but didn’t say anything.

  J-A walked in and sat down next to Helen. “I had interesting lives before all this. Had plans to do big things, and eventually retire and enjoy the fruits of my labor. Even if this hadn’t happened to me, those dreams would have never really come true. They outlawed retirement. They outlawed dissent. They outlawed freedom. Sure, they gave us outlets to make us feel special. But nine-to-five jobs were the worst. At the end of the day, we were just mice on squeaky wheels.”

  Helen let a snicker slip through her serious demeanor. Then, she said, “Honestly, I’m happy to meet Natalie for real. Enough of this random shifting, and let’s just figure it out. It is her body after all.”

  J-A nodded. “That’s exactly right. And trust me. Once she’s awakened, you’ll feel more whole than you thought possible. That’s how it works.”

  Silence fell over the room, and I cleared my throat. “Anyone else hungry?”

  J-A took her usual tone. “I’m guessing he’s a pro at ruining good moments.”

  “Oh, the stories I could tell you.” Helen didn’t miss a beat as usual.

  A shifter passed by in the hallway, and J-A looked at them.

  Helen mouthed, “I love her,” at me with the biggest toothy grin.

  Great! I thought. Now, Helen has backup to give me shit. And that was when it dawned on me. Up until that moment, J-A’s attitude rubbed me the wrong way. She was harsh, showing a lack of empathy. She was downright rude at some points. But I couldn’t deny that something about her reminded me of Helen. J-A commanded respect even if her words were severe. In the end, she didn’t see me as a weak kid who used to be paralyzed, but someone who needed to be challenged to do his best.

  “Come on,” J-A motioned, “let’s get dinner.”

  We made our way down near the rec area. Shifters were placing various premade plates. They all consisted of some combination of fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.

  “This looks great,” Helen said with muted excitement.

  “Where’s the meat?” I had always been fond of it.

  J-A explained. “Food has been the hardest thing to acquire in bulk since we came here. So, we started the underground gardens. We don’t have the space or the resources to raise livestock, but I’d be against it even if we did. The longer I eat fresh, natural food, the better I feel. The animals raised on the giant corporate farms are treated terribly to the point where they become mutations of their natural counterparts. Chicken breasts shouldn’t be the size of a human head. Steaks shouldn’t have their own heartbeat. And don’t get me started on the fish in the local river.”

  I turned to Helen, thinking she’d love the idea of all organic food, and sure enough, she had the biggest smirk on her f
ace. We found seats and dug in. The food was as good as advertised. I pointed to a shifter playing co-op chess, and Helen was astonished like I had been.

  Helen’s eyebrows came to a point, and she leaned toward J-A. “Does it hurt?”

  A puzzled look came over J-A’s face. “Hurt?” She shook her head. “No. No, shifting’s more like swimming. When one mind has the fore, as we call it, it’s like the other is submerged just under the surface of the water. You can hear and see some things, but things lose their definition to some extent. Shifting to the fore feels like coming out of the water. Shift out of the fore feels like going into it.”

  I found myself nodding at the explanation because it made sense to me even though I’d never swum. But Helen had avoided swimming since her accident, and she didn’t look nearly as satisfied. “When you’re not in the…fore, does it feel like…” She gulped. “…drowning? Do you feel helpless?”

  J-A sighed. “No, that’s the limit of the swimming analogy. Being in the background is more like being in an autocar. You’re aware of where the vehicle is going, you’re watching it move, but you’re not actually in control.”

  Helen continued grinning. “Got it. Thank you, J-A.”

  “You’re welcome, Natalie-Helen.” She took another bite of her food.

  The long day had caught up to Helen and me, and we enjoyed our meals in silence as we continued stealing glimpses of the community around us.

  After dinner, we parted ways with J-A and wandered back to our room.

  “Giving Charlie control of this…” I said, entering the room, “…his body. It’s really difficult for me to wrap my head around.”

  Helen nodded. “Maybe it’s because I’m a woman, but sometimes we have to give up our bodies for the sake of others. You know like—” Helen grimaced.

  “Like what? Are you okay?”