Intentionality

by Rebekah Johnson

  Thirty-four

  The shuddering is uncontrolled, as is the stare. There really is nothing I can do to communicate with these people. I am spent; every ounce of will has been broken. Eventually, there will be words to say, about our next move: Lily’s future together with the future of the girls on The Grid. However, during this moment of emptiness, I cannot bring myself to climb back into reality. Not yet, not when I have witnessed and possibly experienced a tragedy.

  Over to my right is a warmth, the shadows of people, protectors. To my left someone is crying, huge ragged breaths follow deep wails of desperation. This is Dawn; she too has had her world shattered in the last hour. We had no one down here but our classmates. They were our family and sanity. I have just delivered a blow that has severed her support network and left her in effect an orphan. She and the bystanders, I am sure are thinking what I already know. Those Grid girls cannot stay like that forever, that cruel factory process that they are going through will only do them harm. Dawn has been slightly protected by my inability to describe just how agonising the persistent electronic buzz really is. That teamed with the perishing temperature, cramped conditions and the constant brain drain of the Ascension test. I can estimate a shelf life of days, before some Acers fall by the wayside. That is my most terrifying realisation. What will happen to those Acers, my sister and friends when they can work no more? Perhaps I only experienced my first shift in the Grid; maybe these girls work in rotation, one test at a time. However I very much doubt that such a humane scenario exists.

  Willem breaks the uncomfortable silence.

  “Mae I am going to be firm with you. All is not lost, Lily is not in that contraption and neither are you. With the help of the Grand Acer…”

  His speech came to an abrupt end at that point as Paul the engineer came hurtling into the room.

  “This has just been intercepted by Luke. You need to read it urgently.”

  It’s another blow I can sense it.

  Willem read the message carefully, before turning to the waiting crowd.

  “We need to reassess our plans here. The Resistance will help. They are ready. Your video evidence could never have been anything but condemning for Natura and her government. This is a copy of an E-mail, sent to the new Grand Acer. At last we hold the element of surprise, as he has not and never will receive it. Mae, Natura has sent for you. If you do not arrive, Lily will be, in her words, disposed of. This is clearly a desperate move because she has relinquished the need for another Ascension test. Something is very wrong. We can sneak in while her thoughts are elsewhere.”

  Suddenly people are moving, awoken from their statuesque poses. Purposeful and full of clarity, they begin to sketch out a plan.

  We have just the hours of the night to get to the mainland, then between the hours of sunrise and dusk to achieve our goal.

  Lily will be taken by Julia and Elizabeth to an underground storeroom. It will be my job to communicate to Lily, to tactfully explain why she must deviate from her previous instructions. That’s something I need to build up to. Possibly write a script. It is definitely not something I am about to do now. I will have time while we are travelling on the sub.

  Craig is on his way back to The Nest. Of course, Natura sent for me so he has been allowed clearance immediately. However because the new Grand Acer has not been informed, we shall all be able to travel to Intentionality together on that one sub. There will be no need for an extra sub to be hurriedly and secretly prepared. I do not need to worry about being alone. If we leave at night through the air hole in Deck Zero, with Craig having docked under The Nest, the Grand Acer will not be informed. We will not have to explain our movements to Acer guards, who will be at the top dock, leaving only the small possibility of anyone interfering with or discovering our tight timetable of plans. The first time someone may become suspicious will be the moment Lily is sent for to be moved towards the cylinder process. They will find that she is sadly missing for the disposal process!

  With Lily safely hidden, and a well-timed arrival, there should be just enough confusion in the ranks of the troops to be able to find Natura and reason with her. The Monos still want equality but now they will demand that she steps down as leader. Therefore putting an end to whatever tests she is carrying out on those new Acers in that factory void.

  We fear that we may not be able to stop the process in time for Grace and Summer to be taken to the cylindrical rooms but there is a possibility that once there, they will be held there, while the search for Lily goes on. I remember that all chairs exited the cylinders at the same time and for some reason I feel that this is vital to the process.

  For now I wait. Everyone with the exception of Dawn has left to carry out their own necessary jobs of preparation. Willem will lead events both here and during the journey. Once inside the underground tunnels of The Grid, he will hand over command to Luke.

  Mrs Alder and the rest of Willem’s family are planning for life after the takeover. They know that the first few hours after a major upheaval are vital to the security of the incoming government and for the safety of all involved. Dawn will not travel to Intentionality. She and Paul will remain on The Nest, she is not long recovered and Willem wants his Abyss plans guarding, possibly even developing once life has settled. She is incredibly happy to be away from any potential uprising, her skills are in numbers and theories not negotiation or quick practical thinking amongst threatening situations. I am relieved because if everything does go wrong, I shall at least have saved one of my dear friends.

  The Grand Acer is at present contacting his daughters; we need codes for The Resistance and then their assistance in hiding Lily. They will fight with us. Their history of being let down by Natura and her medics in the case of their mother has neither been forgiven nor forgotten. We have guaranteed their safety in the tunnels. Once they are hidden with Lily, they will become our responsibility. We wait for their decision, in turn The Resistance wait for the codes.

  I have to say that I am feeling braver by the minute. Now that the secret is out and the shock has dissipated, I am left with hope. Strange but encouragingly true. I must be able to assist somehow; surely my Evo-skill can be useful for things other than translation. I am a born communicator, wouldn’t it be incredibly useful if I could get a message to the Grid girls. If The Resistance can infiltrate the E-mail system over in Intentionality, then it makes sense that they could attempt to access the main computer supplying the Ascension test. It is clear that our Grand Acer knew nothing of the horrors in The Grid void but surely if you are in charge of ‘The Grid’ in general you have some understanding of the computer system or who is responsible for its maintenance and programing.

  Thirty-five

  Here it is, that long awaited moment. The time Lily and I so meticulously planned together… my departure from the place that has been my home for so many years. As expected we were not discovered in our trip to Deck Zero. Why would anyone look in the cavernous tunnels inhabited solely by the Monos? We moved in the dark, we moved without shoes and barely audible breaths, in stealth and with strength in numbers. The sub will be full. I will be travelling amongst a future government, the main alteration being the significant addition of leading Monos. Of course there are other noticeable modifications; we are a mixed team and by that I mean two classes working co-operatively towards one goal. We are also not to be ruled by one all-powerful entity.

  Willem’s father and grandfather will remain on The Nest to ensure peaceful negotiations with the new Grand Acer once the takeover has begun.

  I am ready to drop neatly into the sub. I have no possessions in tow. Nothing needs to weigh me down or hamper my voyage. I have been outfitted in a practical, black jumpsuit, my hair is neatly tied back, and on my feet are neat running shoes. My only allowance is the ceremonial gift from my sister and of course the necessity of the tracker anklet. I need to be able to flee at a moment’s notice. Willem is my guardian, I am to do what he says immediately and in turn he wi
ll ensure that I can do my job once inside. I have been trusted with the job of calming and rapidly educating The Grid girls, to maintain trust in their sudden change of circumstance.

  We plan to release them, and then nurse them back to health in a secure nursing environment. In order to do this, I need to get as close as I can to their communication centre, access the system that feeds the Ascension test into The Grid girls and then hook myself up instead. We are working on a gut feeling that it may be possible for my ‘twin-to-twin’ telepathy and Evo-skills to be manipulated by me, so that I will be able to talk to all of the girls through their brain scanners. Mrs Alder is also developing a healthy computer system virus that will be used to both stabilise and cleanse the girls once they are weaned off their Ascension program.

  The sub is cramped and dark because of the deep ocean below, however, most surprising of all is its high standard of comfort. My seat has been reserved next to Willem. I shall take it and watch the rest of the loading operation.

  “Do you wish you were back in the land of the uninformed?” Willem enquired.

  “No that’s never actually crossed my mind, I was always confused as to why we were kept so alone, the reasons that we were given, never really held enough truth for me. All of that brainwashing and regimental routine was completely unnecessary if we were to develop the Evo-skill anyway!”

  “Will mate, long time no see!”

  A tall blonde man approached, he shook Willem’s hand and then hugged him, strongly. They looked at each other knowingly, then began rehearsing the journey plans including emergency procedures.

  I know that I should not have listened, but I needed to know what to do in the case of an emergency. Were we talking about illness, a broken limb, lost member of our team or a mass attack? Was a full on attack even possible? I knew we were going to be the hunted, but this new world of ours had always been proud of its peaceful vision towards valuable human life. I began attempting to access Willem’s mind and then had a really impossible idea. More like an exploration of the outer limits of reality.

  Could I access this man’s mind?

  Should I access this man’s mind?

  Would I access this man’s mind and find something I did not want to?

  As Willem was not making eye contact, even when I stood shoulder to shoulder and neither was he about to introduce me in order to draw me naturally into the conversation, I decided to begin my research in stealth.

  The sensation was different to when I talk to my sister or Willem. Rather like listening to yourself talking when you have blocked ears. The sound echoed making the words unclear. His tone was transferred yet not all of the highs and lows of pitch. I have discovered that some words need this to be understood. However as a first attempt not too ineffectual. The main message was that the sub was ready, but plainly ill protected from any attack, as it was built as a showboat to transport girls, who were not being hunted. The engine is slow, the hull flimsy and safety measures non-existent. In conclusion, yes I could and would access the man’s brain, no I should not have done, as I suspected there are things I am better off not knowing. We are travelling on this sub, we have no further options open to us and now, as a result of my snooping, I have to enquire further in order to limit my fears along the way. I shall begin with a positive remark and then ease in my admission of spying.

  “Willem I have great news. I am able to hone my skills past the circle of Lily and you. I have been able to listen in on a conversation on board.”

  “Oh my God Mae, that’s awesome. I have been trying for years. That Evo-skill of yours never fails to impress does it. Tell me who have you found out about? Does the Grand Acer have a secondary plan? Has anyone smuggled a chocolate stash on board?”

  I giggled aloud remembering that we were, after all, teenagers, amongst this very grown up situation.

  “No I am sorry to say that I have turned into a spy of the worst kind. I have just eaves dropped your conversation!”

  Not quite so much humour in his eyes this time, but still no anger. I couldn’t really have asked for a better response, as I don’t really know who that man was.

  “As expected with the difficulties of having a first attempt at anything, some of the details were lost as I tried to work out the skills involved. The main problem is hearing the words. Some of the sound is lost and the result of missing words is lots of misunderstandings. However, for me the main issue is that I am now more scared than before, previously I was only reticent about getting from the sub to the communication room, now I will be scared about the whole journey, start to end.”

  “I am assuming that you overheard Craig and me talking about the sub being prepared for a journey but not for defence. I can also assume you heard Craig panicking about the lack of facilities in an emergency. Knowing you, you have nurtured this into a huge ball of worry and turned a possible medical emergency into a hole blown out of the back of the sub,” half joked Willem.

  “We are definitely in trouble if we can’t dock in the usual place. The sub only holds a certain amount of fuel, however there is a Mono dock close by, which will be expecting our arrival anyway. As for the medical emergency, we have the miraculous skills of Nurse Spendlove. The guards on the mainland are on the move that much we know but we are assuming that they are preparing for your arrival. We sent a fake E-mail from the Grand Acer a couple of hours ago, saying that you were on your way. Remember, Natura ordered your delivery. They are expecting you. We do need to make a stop at the Mono dock first to unload everyone. After that detour Craig, as sub driver and myself dressed as a chaperone will take you over to the Intentionality official dock.”

  That was me informed! Brief and to the point, I am still on a need to know basis, however now I know that I can accept voices from other non-Acer brains and therefore, surely I can train myself to send messages out. He swept off to oversee other more pressing concerns.

  Craig has returned to the cockpit, he seems to be working through final checks. He has on a microphone and headset and is speaking to someone. I look around to see if we are all accounted for, mentally taking note of seating positions and friendship groups. Who is ally with whom? Who is a protector and who therefore is the protected? I see six Mono guards, tall, healthy, strong looking people. These have not been on The Nest for the whole of their lives. They are darker skinned, taller than the usual, this sort of body definition and colour can only be gained from soaking up the nutrients of the sun. The Resistance have arrived. Each guard seems to be shadowing one of the most important leaders. They are together at the circular table towards the back of the sub, still deep in discussion, no doubt about the finer details of leadership. Not, I suppose tossing coins for the most sought after jobs! Mrs Alder is there, along with Nurse Spendlove and Willem’s aunt, Mrs Jones, next to her sits, the Grand Acer and lastly I can see the back of young male whose silhouette I do not recognise. Willem and I are seated further forward. I have noted that our chairs recline, my sister would have been looking from just this viewpoint when she relayed her journey to me.

  There is suddenly a jolt and a gush of bubbles escape next to my window. The sub has been released from its mooring. We are plummeting down towards the black of the ocean in the dark of the night; we are not using lights to guide us. I am as usual petrified, a high-pitched screech releases itself involuntarily from my lungs and before I can come to my senses Willem is chuckling by my side.

  “You can’t pay for that kind of thrill, can you Mae? I forgot to mention that we would be navigating with only our radar. We don’t want to be seen. If we travel along the seabed for as long as we can they won’t be able to use The Nest sensors to detect us. Remember, The Nest guards don’t know about either E-mail. They will take this as an act of defiance and launch an attack.”

  My stomach has now regained its rightful place just under my furiously beating heart, thankfully it is no longer blocking my airway!

  “You didn’t think to tell me, or did you think it would take my m
ind off other events of peril?” I chastised.

  “Oh come on Mae, you have to admit that bit was fun. Just to let you know we will be hours along the bottom so you could get some sleep. I am coming back to be with you just as soon as I have listened to the latest update from Luke.”

  “Is that the man over by the table?”

  “Yes that’s the man with intelligence and anger, all rolled into one pretty large force of nature. He is in charge of The Resistance this side of the electric fence. I have been working with him for a while to make our plans evolve into reality. It is Luke that made this quick response possible and it will be him we rely on to make the right choices if the plan meets with the need for unexpected alterations. Since your visions, he is even more determined to take Intentionality. He will do it with force if necessary to save those who are being overpowered by Natura and her regime.”

  As Willem finished his monologue, Luke turned to call him over. My mind began to race in an attempt to place his incredibly recognisable face, although a much older version of the one I expected. Then it came to me in a blast of clarity. I was looking at the man in my dream. His frantic gesturing by the wooded area, as the train flew past had set his face forever in my memory. But I had that dream even before I could communicate to my Evo-gene memory. Willem could clearly tell by my face that some thought had escaped and was running riot with my emotions. He slid his hand into mine and squeezed.

  “Mae, Luke is on our side, your side. He won’t hurt you. In his mind you and The Grid girls are just as damaged as the Monos. It’s Natura and her council that will suffer in this. Our civilisation will not be swapping one cruel leader for another. In fact he won’t be leading up the new council at all. He wants to travel when this is all over.”

  “No Willem, it’s not that I am scared of Luke. It’s just that I know him already. When I dreamt of the journey before in my living pod, he was there, begging us to stop, warning us of the danger. Why would he even have cared if he didn’t know about The Grid girls?”