Numb

by Isabelle Carey

  I'm suddenly angry. It's one thing to have a totalitarian government like Paradise but it's another to have one just so you can play with the people's lives like pieces on a chessboard. I hate the Coalition.

  "You're more than likely wanting proof, aren't you Noah? Sadly, I can't provide much proof so you have to trust me on all of this. But I promise you that I'm telling the truth. Here are a few pictures that Aidan managed to take concerning secret meetings between the Chancellor, his inner circle, and representatives from the Coalition. I hope this will be proof enough for you."

  Several images pop up on the screen in sequence and in about ten second intervals. The first picture has the Chancellor shaking hands with a man dressed in a suit bearing a crest on the left breast pocket. There's a date stamp on the bottom of the photo. I squint but I can make out the symbol but I can read the date well. This picture was taken six months ago. The second picture has some of the people Dr. Cato called out earlier all gathered around a table having a discussion no doubt about how to make life more difficult for the people of Paradise. This picture has a different date than the first, a more recent date. The third picture contains more of the secret meetings between the select group of officials from Paradise and the Coalition, again with a different date. So does the fourth and fifth pictures. Then, there are no more pictures.

  "As you could see from those photographs, the Chancellor meets regularly with the representatives from the Coalition. The Coalition is also the reason why the Amber Army has yet to openly attack SAFE. The Coalition likes the rebellion. They think it makes things interesting around here. They love it when someone is immune to the Purge or even stops taking the gas altogether. They enjoy the conflict and it's sickening." She pauses and stares at the camera with a look of genuine disgust on her face. I agree with her. This is sickening.

  "Why are they studying us?" Dr. Cato asks rhetorically. "That, I cannot answer. But I have proposed some of my own theories. Remember, that secret project in the north that we've talked about in the past. Project Lightning? Well, that project, I feel, stands at the core of why they are studying us." She moves over to a keyboard and starts typing. Then, she shifts her camera towards the very screen I'm viewing now.

  "My husband worked on Project Lightning before he died," Dr. Cato continues, standing in front of the camera's eye again. I wonder briefly how Liam's father passed away. "Along with Aidan's father, who was a gifted engineer that passed on some very important skills to his son, my husband led research concerning the Catalyst, tracing it origins while trying to figure out its fully functional capabilities. Besides powering the Grid, what else could the Catalyst do? Could the Catalyst be a source of power for the entire globe? The Project Lightning research team soon discovered that the Catalyst wasn't born of Earth, but rather it traveled here somehow through a meteor crash a long time ago. The Catalyst is alien technology that us humans accidentally discovered. I personally don't believe in other life forms but someone out there in the galaxy light years away constructed the machine that we call the Catalyst and the Catalyst has become the source of the Amber Army, in addition to providing electricity for the island."

  I'm confused and I don't follow her. I'm glad she stops speaking for a moment so that I can catch up. The Catalyst is alien technology? I've read a few science fiction books and those were some of my favorites, simply because all of made up stuff really helped me feel, however temporarily, that I was actually escaping from a depressing place like Paradise. But I never believed that any of that stuff was real. We already have some impressive technology so I figured we could engineer some of the products I've read about. But as far as the existence of aliens is concerned, I have yet to see one so I don't believe in it.

  Aidan's father was an engineer. That's why Aidan is so talented at hacking into the Grid. His father probably worked for the Core. And the Catalyst is the source for the Amber Army? How can a machine create enhanced soldiers with weird lightning abilities? I don't know but I'm about to find out.

  "Okay, now I'm about to delve heavily into science, Noah, so please bear with me for a second. I know that the topic of anything scientific bores you, but you should, like me, find this interesting, even if it's unbelievable and immoral. We all know that the human body is surrounded by an invisible electrical field called a vector. Scanners, of course, can read vectors like DNA blueprints, and each vector is unique to each individual. These vectors are dormant, unable to produce an electrical charge, except mildly through static discharge. But what happens when a human vector receives a few jolts from the Catalyst? Sometimes nothing happens, in particularly among adults, as we have a condition known as vector deficiency, which means that our vector fields are permanently disabled. But with children, sometimes something does happen. The vector can become active, granting distinct electrically charged abilities."

  Wow.

  I'm immediately stunned.

  This is crazy.

  What Dr. Cato just said is the stuff of science fiction novels and the weird thing about it is that it's true. I believe her not only because she wouldn't have gone through this much trouble to make all of this up, but also because I have seen these so-called "electrically charged abilities" in action when Liam and I were on the monorail.

  Unreal . . . . But yet, very real.

  "When this was discovered by the Project Lightning research team ten years ago, emphasis instantly shifted from studying the Catalyst to churning out soldiers for the newly reformed Amber Army. The research facility became a soldier-making factory before it was finally converted into a fake reform school. You felt like you were making a difference, didn't you Noah, when you had Parliament enact the law not to send children to prison? But sadly, you weren't, my love. This was the intention of the Coalition all along. What happens at the facility remains a secret but by calling it a reform school, it allows the government to inform the public about its existence but still keep the citizens in the dark. Clever, really, as well as malicious. And now, all of the kids under eighteen who break the law are sent to this wretched place where they are tortured and forced to live in condition that are perhaps worse than the conditions they were used to. There, they remain until they exhibit some kind of electrical power and then they are sent to a training facility to learn how to use their newfound ability effectively and become a soldier for the Amber Army. Once a vector is activated by the Catalyst, it usually remains active for the rest of a person's life, so bye bye vector deficiency."

  Scarlett. She's the first thing that comes to mind now. She's not in prison as my family and I were led to believe. If Dr. Cato is telling the truth, then Scarlett is more than likely trapped at this reform school and enduring torture until her vector field is activated by the Catalyst. What if it never activates? What if she has vector deficiency? Will she continue to suffer the Catalyst for the rest of her life or is it capable of killing her through electrocution? And if her vector field does exhibits a power, she will become a soldier for the Amber Army. Could she be one already?

  Scarlett . . . . I can't decide if her fate is worse now than what I thought she had before. I think I prefer prison to the Catalyst. I would never want to serve the Core as another one of their armored pawns.

  "So far, eighteen different abilities have manifested, with some being more common than others. I was recently asked to be a part of the research into a side project that stems from Project Lightning called the Harbinger Initiative. I declined, even though I didn't exactly know what was being asked of me at the time, and I'm thankful that I did. I have discovered that the Harbinger Initiative involves creating a nineteenth ability by altering a current one. Tests are run on certain kids who demonstrate superior control over their abilities, as well as more power. I've heard that ninety percent of children tested under the Harbinger Initiative have perished so far. The death toll continues to rise."

  I think about Scarlett again and I try not to connect her to the Harbinger Initiative. But it's no use. I can't stop myself from
seeing her dead body, another casualty to the horror that scientists are trying to create.

  "Each ability has become its own class, if you will, and here is a list of the eighteen classes, along with notes concerning each one. I don't know enough about the Harbinger Initiative yet but Aidan is working on it."

  Dr. Cato picks up the camera and focuses on the viewscreen so that its image fills up the entire scope of the camera's point of view. I see a computerized list and I read it quickly:

  Project Lightning Classes

  Mirror – Has the ability to view and mimic the electrical field around a person, as well as that person's ability. Mirrors can only mimic one ability at a time. In order to learn a new one, the Mirror must sacrifice his or her current ability.

  Drifter – Has the ability to "move" his or her electrical field from once position in space to another, granting the ability of limited short-burst teleportation. A powerful Drifter's electrical field can "remember" places that the Drifter has been before, and he or she is able to teleport to those places through extreme concentration.

  Conductor – Has the ability to manipulate his or her electrical field to manifest in the form of visible electrical energy. Because Conductors literally attack with their own electrical field, they must watch the usage of their ability carefully. In many instances, Conductors and Chargers are always around each other. Some Conductors also have the ability to use static electricity as a form of telekinesis.

  Reader – Has the ability to inject a part of their electrical field into all kinds of electronic devices, giving them full control over whatever device they choose through technopathy.

  Sensor – Has the ability to read variations in a person's electrical field and react to actions that have not been executed. In other words, they are able to "predict" the actions of a person and act accordingly based on variations in that person's electrical fields. Some Sensors also have demonstrated the ability to absorb residual electrical field signatures in an area and form "visions" of what has happened in the recent past.

  Berserker – Has the ability to cause his or her electrical field to convert outside stimulus, mainly energy from electrical sources, into electrical energy, which is then added to their own electrical field. The field builds up to the point that it becomes visible to the naked eye. Once the field has reached overload point, the Berserker can then project the field anywhere causing a massive explosion similar to a bomb. The explosion can vary from that of a small grenade to that of a hydrogen bomb.

  Protector – Has the ability to change the magnetic aspect of their electrical fields to create an opposite polarity of whatever comes in contact with it, causing energy projectiles to bounce off the field. This creates an impenetrable shield, of which the Protector can use to protect themselves or others, depending upon the strength of the Protector.

  Silencer – Has the ability to negate the electrical field of anyone, making that person lose his or her special abilities for a subjective amount of time through temporary vector deficiency.

  Transmitter – Has the ability to cause his or her electrical field to absorb and redirect any outside stimulus, mainly energy projectiles, as energy without sustaining any damage from the initial attack.

  Concealer – Has the ability to alter his or her electrical field's energy signature to match the signature of object that surrounds him or her, thus giving the appearance of concealment. This makes Concealers invisible to the naked eye. Some also have the ability to shield a person's electrical field from those who are able to sense those fields and use them to their advantage. This includes Mirrors, Sensors, Chargers, and Seekers.

  Healer – Has the ability to use either his or her own or others' electrical field to stimulate the cells in the body to heal wounds extremely quickly. Healers can heal anything from minor abrasions to major injuries and even some diseases. Healers possess limited immortal that varies from Healer to Healer.

  Charger – Has the ability to tune in to the electrical energy signature of anyone and "recharge" a person's depleted electrical energy. This makes Chargers one of the most sought after class, as their ability is extremely beneficial, along with the ability of Healers.

  Seeker – Has the ability to focus on the electrical energy signature of any person and locate that signature anywhere in the world to within a ten-mile radius. Some Seekers also have the ability to "inject" a portion of their own electrical field into the mind of a person and scan or communicate with the person mentally, giving them a form of telepathy.

  Trickster – Has the ability to, through touch, insert a part of their electrical field into the mind of a person and manipulate their brain activity, giving them control of that person's mind through thoughts, illusions, and commands. A Trickster's powers work exceptionally well against weak-mind adversaries, those who take the Purge, and people who have fallen in love with the Trickster. Love comes into play when it involves another Empath. Trickster powers generally don't work on Empaths, unless the person is in love with the Trickster or exhibits love for another individual.

  Disruptor – Has the ability to transfer a part of their electrical field into the mind of a person and cease the firing of electrical impulses in the brain. This gives Disruptors the ability to shut off different parts of the brain to completely stop certain parts of the body from functioning physically.

  Pulsar – Has the ability to manipulate their electrical fields to project shockwaves from any part of the body.

  Eraser – Has the ability to fuse a part of their electrical field with the mind of a person and remove thoughts and memories.

  Replacer – Has the ability to alter the electrical field of objects to duplicate them or to alter them. Also, some Replacers have the ability to copy the electrical fields of other people and alter their own electrical field to match through physical cloning.

  The list lingers on screen for a little while after I finish reading it all. At first, it amazes me that all of these insane abilities exist, but then I quickly remind myself that the government actively creates these abominations to strengthen the Amber Army. Children around the island are suffering for no good reason at all. And Scarlett is one of them.

  "All of these classes are out there somewhere behind the armored suits of the Amber Army soldiers," Dr. Cato says, speaking before the camera again. "It's abnormal that kids can do some of this stuff, like control people's minds or cure diseases. Healers have been studied but no cure to diseases like Black Death has come from these studies except for the Healers themselves being immune. However, one positive that can come out of this is that all children with active vector fields are somehow impervious to Black Death. Maybe a cure can be found but at what cost? I have prided myself on trying to find a cure to this terrible plague but I could never subjugate myself to experimenting on children. There has to be another way. If only we can activate the vector fields of adults without the Catalyst's torturous influence, perhaps that would help. But I digress . . . ."

  She stares for a moment at the camera, almost thoughtful. Then, she continues speaking as though she hadn't interrupted herself. The entire time, I'm thinking that just because it was discovered that a person with an active vector can't ever have Black Death does not justify what these children, kids like myself, are enduring.

  "They call these kids Empaths because those who vectors are activated by the Catalyst have essentially preyed upon the collective negative emotions of those around them. The Purge is not welcomed by the team involved with Project Lightning because it is believed that negative emotions cause these powers to manifest in connection with the Catalyst. Kind of a double standard there if you ask me. The Core lives and dies by the Purge and so do the citizens of Paradise, but these children are given free passes in order to become soldiers for the Amber Army. I suppose that's one benefit to participating in the project. At least these children no longer have to suffer the Purge's influence. I know firsthand what the Purge can do to a person. I've told you that some people who are im
mune to it start to go crazy in the head outside of their own control. I've also told you that the Purge causes Black Death, but yet the government still dispenses it every day. I feel that they will one day get desperate enough that all children will be submitted to Project Lightning at a young age. That may be the only way to generate a hundred percent survival rate to the cancer, if everyone can have an active vector field before reaching adulthood. The Coalition seeks perfection beyond whatever their motives might be for creating Paradise. This is all a study to them. This is all a game to them. But one day, I feel that everything will change to something far worse than the present, whenever they become bored and decide to up the ante."

  I knew it. I freaking knew that the Purge caused cancer! I knew it all along because my father became less sick whenever he wasn't inhaling that crap. I suddenly feel compelled to rescue him and Abigail both right now. I don't want them to inhale another whiff. But what can I do to save them? Plus, Liam warned me about being impetuous. Am I really so impatient that I barge right in to trouble so that I always end up in sticky situations? Liam was correct when he said that when it comes to my family, I don't hesitate to do anything for them.

  "But if this information I have given you was to get out, everything could change for the better," Dr. Cato carries on with addressing Noah Emerson. I barely pay attention, hating everything right now. I hate feeling helpless the most because it makes me feel that I'm too weak to save my family. "There has to be international laws against this. I doubt that the United Nations would allow this to continue if world leaders ever found out what the Coalition was doing here. That's where you come into the picture, Noah. Use your resources and do something to spread the news. The Entity has promised me that SAFE will learn the truth, but a tiny militia hiding underground may not be enough to end the tyranny of Paradise. We need help outside of this island if those rebelling against the Coalition are going to be able to actually instigate and survive a war. The Amber Army is a very powerful foe, but right now their numbers are small in comparison to the armies around the world. If we can act now and quickly, we can destroy the Coalition and everything they stand for.