Beta Planet: Rise

by Dayton Grey

  In school that day, Geon could hardly pay attention to a thing. During his Continued Existence class, he found himself daydreaming about the strange message and world beneath them, and professor Tinashe ended up giving him a very public lecture about the importance of being cognizant and aware of ones surroundings. It was especially bad timing because the class subject of the day was on reaction and safety maneuvers during seismic activities.

  In his thick accent, he said to Geon, “If you sit there and stare off into the heavens like that, and we have a seven-point-oh on the Richter, then I doubt you will be here tomorrow, Mr. Shay. Do I make myself clear?”

  Geon nodded but didn’t even care that he was being targeted as a lesson in humiliation. He was too excited and anxious about Allea’s news and wanted to help them take the next step. But how?

  At lunch, the four of them sat down and slowly picked at their food, even Kumuki seeming preoccupied with the events of that morning. No one said a word and each of them stared off in a different direction, trying to figure it out.

  Sabien’s eyes brightened. “I’ve got it! No. Never mind.”

  “Hmmmm,” Allea said as she twirled her hair in her finger. “Hmmmmmm.”

  “Hmmmmmm,” Kumuki repeated, imitating Allea.

  This continued for nearly twenty minutes.

  Sabien looked up and raised his index finger. “Okay now I’ve got it! So… Aurora. She lives underwater, right? So what we do is, we build ourselves a submarine. It will bypass the red zone. And we’ll already be underwater, so we’ll be able to meet her and all her fish-friends!”

  Geon looked at Sabien with an appalling expression on his face. Sabien realized how he sounded and looked back down at his food.

  “Come on, Sabe,” Allea said. “Where are we going to get the know-how, the time, the parts, or the credits to build a submarine? There must be another way. Let’s think about this from another angle. Instead of searching for options, let’s simply rule out options, okay? We can start with, I dunno, how about… submersible vehicles?”

  “Don’t have the know-how, time, parts, or credits,” Geon said with a wry smile.

  Allea nodded and continued. “Swim?”

  “Nope,” Sabien added. “Even with my legendary upper body strength and a ‘borrowed’ JetSurf suit, the Open is far too cold, too rough, and too dangerous.”

  “Okay. PMV or hydroid? Assuming we could even get our hands on one?”

  “Again no, Allea,” Sabien added. “Their tracking blocks them from entering and crossing the red zone.”

  “Can they be hacked?” Geon asked.

  “What’s that, brother?” Sabien said turning to look at him, a perplexed expression on his face.

  “Hacked? Can they be, you know, hacked?”

  “Still not sure what you’re saying Geon. Allea, what’s he saying?”

  “Hacked? You know… HACKED?” Geon was flustered by his inability to explain himself.

  Allea leaned forward and spoke into her cuff, “Definition: hacked.”

  The LifeCuff projected the definition of the words into the air and as she read it she smiled and said, “Oh I see, Geon. ‘Hacked’ is a term that used to be used many years ago which meant to use one’s skill in computer programming to gain illegal or unauthorized access to a file or network.”

  “It wasn’t that many years ago,” Geon mumbled to himself.

  “What he means is infiltrate,” Allea said.

  “Or altered,” Sabien added.

  “Cracked.”

  “Pirated.”

  “Hijacked.”

  “Phased”

  “Snaked.”

  “Metamorphosed.”

  “DIGI-BOMBED!”

  “What I meant,” Geon said loudly, his face turning red, “was HACKED! Hacked. H-A-C-K-E-D!”

  “Okay, Geon calm yourself,” Sabien said with a laugh. “Hacked, it is. That’s the word of the day everyone. Hacked!”

  “To answer your question, Geon, no they can’t be hacked, because of the kill-switch. The second you try to infiltra—… um, hack… the PMV, the power will shut off rendering it unusable. And then CARE gets notified. And the second they find out…”

  “It’s bad news for all of us,” Sabien said with a nod.

  “Well, it seems like we’re out of options,” Geon said, feeling dejected. “I mean, it’s like this world is completely restricted by technology. Everything we do, everywhere we go. It’s frustrating. If we only just had a boat. Like a regular… boat. Like an old… boat.”

  As Geon talked a slow tingle ran through him, an idea beginning to form, and he became more and more excited.

  “Like the type of boat that I remembered when I was a kid. Like the type of boat that didn’t have a tracking system or a kill-switch or any of this new technology. Like the type of boat that simply floats on water and goes where you drive it! I’M TALKING ABOUT THE BOAT FROM THE MUSEUM! FROM MOOH! THE ONE WE SAW THE PICTURES AND THE KEY FOR!”

  The other three looked at Geon in shock, but slowly their smiles began forming. Quietly, Allea leaned in toward Sabien and said, “Do you think we can?”

  “I dunno. I mean… could we?”

  “It’s possible, certainly. But probable? I dunno.”

  “Maybe. I dunno. Could we? We could right? But no, no. I dunno.”

  “It’s brilliant isn’t it?”

  “Brilliant.”

  “LET’S DO IT!” Kumuki squealed.

  “Hang on a second, guys,” Geon interjected. “Let’s talk this through. Ally, what do you think? What are the risks? Is this even possible?”

  “Well,” she said with a sigh looking upward as she envisioned the options. “Okay, the boat. Genius idea, Geon. I mean really splendid.”

  Geon felt a surge of pride that he was able to contribute something meaningful to the group.

  She continued on. “I mean, it’s amazing, because I wouldn’t have even considered that antiquated piece of history as an actual means of transportation. None of us would have. But here you are, fresh from the past, and it’s like this is all fitting together and wouldn’t work without you or your different perspective. The beauty of it is that we actually needed to simplify our thinking… devolve, if you will. No offense, G. The boat is simple, moves fine I’m sure, and has no tracking in it. It’s just amazing.”

  Allea looked at Geon and smiled and he could tell that she was proud of him as well.

  “It’s true, G. Amazing idea. But let’s focus on viability before we start celebrating.”

  “Okay, you’re right,” Allea said to Sabien, looking up some information on her cuff. “Well, we were all at MOOH last week. We know the boat is kept down at Oden Bay near the Open. And we know the key to the boat is in the case at MOOH. So the question is, how do we get into MOOH after hours, and how do we get the key?”

  “After hours?”

  “Yes, Kuki,” Sabien added. “The only way this will work is with the cover of darkness as our ally. It has to be at night.”

  “Also, the cameras will be off at night to conserve energy. The only way they will turn on is if we trip the alarm, but I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen,” Allea added.

  “Okay, so how do we get into MOOH,” Geon asked.

  “Well. There are no guards that I know of, but it’s certainly monitored and secure, like all official buildings here. I don’t think it would be too difficult to do some research on the type of security it has and write a program to override the system. Actually, Helano has a lot of experience in security systems software. Maybe he could be of assistance to us?”

  The three boys nodded in unison.

  “Although I don’t think we can just walk down the street and come in the front door. There will be CARE officers monitoring the street for curfew-breakers, as usual. Maybe there is another way.”

  “Underground?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m thinking, Kumuki,” Allea said with a nod.

  “What’s with you and
the subterranean, Kuki? Underwater… underground. Were you a potato in a past life or something?” Sabien asked with a sarcastic smile.

  Kumuki just shrugged and creased his forehead.

  “Kumuki is right, Sabe,” Allea continued. “The aqueduct is probably the only way we can get into MOOH unnoticed. I can get the blueprints I’m sure. It’s a complex system of tunnels below the street level, for water and sewage,” she explained, seeing the bewilderment on Geon’s face.

  He and Sabien both crinkled their faces at the sound of sewage-filled tunnels.

  “Sewage sounds bad,” Sabien said, his face still puckered. “But I’ve heard there are worse things living down there. Far worse. There are rumors that there are all kinds of radioactive hybrid amphibious man-eating creatures. They were CARE experiments gone wrong, you see?”

  He turned and looked at Geon, who didn’t know if he was being serious or not, but responded nonetheless.

  “Sabe. I doubt that’s true. And really, there’s only one way to find out, right?”

  “Exactly,” Allea said. “And once we’re in the MOOH, we just need to get to the key and get it…”

  Her voice trailed off as they all realized the same thing at the same time. What if they can’t get into the case to get the key? It’s in a locked case.

  Geon looked at her and replied, “Is it possible to break the case? Or cut it somehow?”

  “That’s the problem, Geon,” she said. “If we damage anything in any way, there will definitely be an investigation from CARE, and one way or the other, they will find out that it was us.”

  “We can break the lock!”

  “The problem with that is it probably triggers the alarm. And even then, how do we fix it after to make it look whole again,” Allea said, nodding at Kumuki. “We could put a new lock on it, but even then, we don’t know the digital code for the lock. We would need to know that as well.”

  Geon and Sabien shook their heads. “It’s too much risk… too difficult. There must be another solution,” Geon said tapping his fingers on the table.

  “Well…” Allea said with a smile. “There might be another way. But, it’s risky.”

  “Risky is my business,” Sabien said, puffing his chest out for everyone to see.

  “What is it,” Geon asked, leaning forward and whispering.

  “G. Remember Shiv’s TechSci Concours project?”

  “Oh no,” Sabien said, crinkling his nose.

  “Oh, what was it… the duplicator? Oh my god, Ally. Would that work?”

  “I don’t know, G. I actually don’t know if it does work, or how it even works. But Shiv is incredibly intelligent, despite his serious personality disorders. So I would bet that it does work.”

  Geon and Sabien both rolled their eyes as she continued.

  “I can find out after school today in the lab. And then we could…”

  “Borrow it?”

  “That’s right, Kuki. We would borrow it,” Sabien said with a wink. “And maybe when we’re done borrowing it we might accidentally drop it into the waterways where it belongs!”

  “Sabe,” Allea said sternly. “If we do this, no evidence and no destruction. We have to replace everything as it was.”

  Geon nodded and agreed. “Sorry, Sabe. I’m with her on this one, even though I can’t stand the guy either. Let’s first find out what it does and if this might work for us.”

  As he said that he looked down at his cuff.

  “I know what you’re thinking. The cuffs. How do we mask them? I think Aurora might be able to help with that.”

  The four finished eating and heading back to classes, but the rest of the day was a blur for Geon. He could barely contain his excitement. It was as if all the pieces were fitting together perfectly. It was almost as if he was meant to do this.

  After school, Geon had originally planned to go to the lab with Allea and forgo JetSurf practice again, but Allea thought it best to not have Geon there if she was going to get close to Shiv and his device. Geon was so excited by the latest development in their plan that he decided to finally get back on the board and into the waterways again. Coach Aquila seemed annoyed by Geon’s heroic return to the sport, but the students all supported and cheered him on as he became comfortable on the board again and zoomed around the waterways. He made a conscious effort to steer clear of the large ramps though. I’ll save those for tomorrow.

  Once they got home, Allea recounted the afternoon with them.

  “I asked him if he was working on a duplication device and he seemed flattered that I was talking to him. He told me that it was a real-time scanner and three-dimensional duplicator. Basically, it can scan any small object and then recreate it in seconds using a quick-dry liquid polymer that pours into a flexible molding. He said it’s not meant to duplicate a device with mechanics or technology, but that it’s meant to create the basic building blocks of those devices.”

  “He showed me how it worked and I told him it was neat,” she said, visibly cringing at the thought of it. “He said the idea was to build a machine that can replicate even the simplest of tools for isolated and secluded groups of people around the world. ‘A simple knife or other tool might save a life, you know’?”

  “I almost slipped and asked him if it could copy a key but then saved myself and gave him a hair clip instead.”

  Allea reached into her hair and pulled out the small metal clip that was holding her hair up in a bun over her head and held it up for them to see. Her wavy black hair fell down to her shoulders, bouncing along the way.

  “He put the clip into the machine and said that any LifeCuff can be easily synced to the device and that it can be used even without a cuff. Once the device was on, it scanned the clip with thin bright lasers and then instantly calibrated the mold, pouring the quick-hardening liquid polymer into it. The mold is actually the most innovative part, if I must say. It’s a pulse-reactive fluid. It’s as easily moved and changed as water, but when an electronic pulse hits it, it instantly hardens.”

  Geon and Sabien rolled their eyes once more.

  Allea continued to explain what Shiv had told her. “He said that the device has hundreds of tiny pulse points around this space which builds the mold exactly as needed, and then when it matches the scanned device, it holds the pulses and the polymer pours in. Amazing, right?”

  Allea smiled as she pulled the cloned clip out of her pocket to show the others.

  It did look exactly the same.

  “He blushed and stuttered a lot which was strange, but I thanked him for the demonstration and left. I don’t think he suspected anything!”

  I don’t think she has a clue that Shiv might like her.

  “You know, it’s sad, really. Deep down he probably isn’t that horrible of a guy. I think he just has problems and doesn’t know how to deal with them. It’s a shame to waste a good mind like that.”

  “It’s not a waste,” Sabien said with a smile. “His mind is going to help us with our most important mission, yet!”

  “So, what’s the plan,” Geon asked. “When do we want to do this?”

  “The sooner the better,” Allea said. “If we really want to do this, let’s commit and go for it. Sabe?”

  “Tomorrow. Tomorrow night. But we need to get Shiv’s device.”

  “That’s easy,” Allea said. “I can grab it after school. But there is one thing I think we need to tell Geon. I think it’s time.”

  Geon shifted in his seat, suddenly worried about what Allea was about to say.

  “Geon, you’ve heard us mention a place called Narakai, haven’t you?”

  Geon nodded seeing that his sister was deadly serious.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Well, it’s basically a prison,” she said. “It’s where CARE sends anyone that breaks the laws. Serious offenders, I mean.”

  “Like people who break into museums,” Geon said, more as a declaration than a question.

  “Exactly,” Sabien added. “
And it’s not like a normal prison. There are stories… horrible… stories. It’s an island, G.”

  “Far away from the mainland,” Allea said.

  “Really far!”

  Sabien nodded at Kumuki and continued. “We’ve never seen it, but we’ve heard that once you’re banished to the island, you have to stay there for life. We don’t know if CARE sends minors there, but we still need to consider the worst-case possibility here.”

  “So, Geon, this is important. We need to decide as a group because we could be risking everything. What do you want to do?”

  Geon sat and thought about their words carefully. He saw that Allea, Kumuki, and Sabien were all looking at him intently and wide-eyed, waiting for him to answer.

  They’re waiting on me. Why is my opinion so important? I don’t want to let them down. But something has felt wrong since I woke up. I need to know. I NEED to know.

  “Guys. I would never want to put any of you in harm’s way. You know that. Ally, especially you. So I can’t decide or speak for all of us. But I can say that I feel like we’ve come together for a reason. I feel like I was awakened for a reason. I feel like this is all happening for a reason, and deep down, I truly want to know what’s going on here. I need to know. And living our lives in ignorance, not knowing the truth, well, I might as well be back in a coma again. Because that’s not living.”

  They looked at Geon and then at each other and smiled.

  “It’s settled then,” Sabien said, putting his hand on Geon’s shoulder. “We leave tomorrow.”

  Chapter 12

  Morning couldn’t come fast enough for Geon, who spent much of the night awake, thinking about their plan. He wondered what this world was like, and if everything Aurora had said was true.

  If it was true, why are there people underwater in the first place? And why hasn’t CARE told us about this? Why is this a secret?

  A myriad of questions inundated him and he found himself unable to even eat breakfast because of the excitement and agitation. The typical smell of fishy morning mush didn’t help the matter, either. Geon noticed that Allea, too, was jittery and had a feeling it had to do with Aurora. She told them she would send a message to her again last night, and he assumed that she had responded.