Threader

by Rebekah Turner

  It was done.

  My gaze drops to Olivia and I see she’s laughing. Anxious, I glance back to Archer, who’s still down. I can tell something is wrong, and soon everyone in the crowd knows it as well. Archer’s legs jerk a few times, before his entire body starts to convulse. His teammates begin to back up nervously and the crowd falls silent as people exchange bewildered glances. Then the silence is broken by the sound of Archer’s shirt tearing, exposing swelling muscle covered with coarse hair. His head swings back and he gives a low, guttural howl.

  ‘Something’s wrong.’ The popcorn bucket drops from Cora’s lap onto the floor. ‘He’s reverting.’

  A scream breaks the shocked silence, then panic erupts around us. Cora grabs me and pulls me out of my seat, heading for the exit. Around us, people shout and struggle to leave and we join the surging crowd.

  ‘I can’t believe it,’ Cora shouts back at me over the noise.

  A voice echoes through the room from the speakers, asking everyone to remain calm and to exit in an orderly manner. I block out both the voice and the all encompassing sense of guilt and responsibility. An elbow juts into my side and someone steps on my foot, nearly tripping me, and then I’m shoved into a small alcove that hosts a compact fire-extinguisher droid.

  I pause, trying to focus. I know I have to go back. I have to fix what I’ve done. Taking a deep breath, I push back into the crowd, going against the tide. My TP skips around, searching the frenzied atmosphere for Archer’s mind. Then I stumble free of the crowd and spy him. He’s on his feet now, his head bowed and swaying. Dutch and Cooper are there as well, holding their hands up and shouting for him to calm down. All the other players are gone, even the referees.

  I’m about to send my talents towards Archer, when hands grab me and whirl me around. Jasmine Harper sneers back at me, her fingers digging into my arm painfully.

  ‘Don’t even think of it,’ she says.

  ‘He’s reverting.’ I point out the obvious. ‘I just want to help.’

  ‘No one needs your help, threader.’

  I shake her hand free. ‘Archer is going to hurt someone.’

  ‘This isn’t your business,’ Jasmine says, then she’s running towards Archer, who’s taking a clumsy swipe at Cooper. The hydra avoids it with ease, his handsome face creased with worry.

  Jasmine joins them, calling for Archer to settle his body, to remember his calming techniques. But I know none of that will work, because I’ve caught a glimpse of Archer’s talent, straining at the seams, and I know how it craves freedom.

  Taking a breath, I send my talents towards him, and when I enter his mind, Archer throws back his head and howls, even though he shouldn’t have felt me. My talent skips around his ragged, burning primal centre. I know I’ve only got seconds before he starts to fully revert, so I strike hard with a rough, uncompromising thread. Archer cries out as I weave my talents around his, and then he stalks towards Cooper, snapping and snarling.

  As I pull tighter on the thread, I feel it singe and burn. His body begins to change and I feel it. His heart swells, the bones in his legs and arms crack and break, then reform. The sensation overwhelms me, and I gag, almost falling to my knees. Archer bounds for Jasmine now, his shoulders misshapen, jaw hanging low and eyes feral. Jasmine rolls out of the way, coming up behind him. Her hair snaps out, curling around Archer’s neck, squeezing. But Archer shifts his weight and Jasmine flies across the room, smashing into a table. Then he lunges at Dutch, who stumbles back with a shout, before Cooper takes Archer down with a tackle. Both men wrestle for a moment before Archer’s jaw clamps around Cooper’s arm. The hydra tries to struggle free as blood flows down to splatter on the ground. He hisses and yanks his arm harder, but the movement only tears the flesh more and I spy claws starting to extend from Archer’s misshapen hands.

  Closing my eyes to concentrate, I try to ignore the roaring furnace inside Archer and regain control of the thread. The mind of a reverted primal is alien and frightening, but I don’t retreat, because I have to undo what I’ve done. Archer resists me and he’s strong. He releases Cooper to take a swipe at Dutch, sending the big guy crashing into the bleachers, claw wounds across his chest. I push for control, but the primal pushes back. I grip harder, choker-chain tight. Sweat drips down my face and my body begins to tremble. I try to stop him from moving. Try to cut off his consciousness. Opening my eyes, I realise he’s coming for me and now I’m just trying to stop him from getting here. Archer snarls, casually knocking Jasmine aside as she tries to pull the bleeding Cooper to safety. He’s got no interest in her now, his eyes are only on me.

  I want to turn and run, but all I can do is watch this nightmare of my own making advance towards me. I push back with my TK, and Archer’s steps slow, but he still continues to advance. There’s a flicker of movement behind Archer a moment before he stiffens, his arms jerking by his side. A group of security guards come alongside him, holding shock-sticks, and I realise they’re shooting Archer full of electrical charge, shutting him down. Archer gives a mournful grunt, then collapses face first.

  CHAPTER 30

  The version of events I give later to the security guards is slightly altered and after I’ve told the story twice, they tell me to return to my room and make myself available in the event they have more questions. I head towards one of the back doors, keeping my eyes averted from where a medic is checking Dutch’s chest, applying suture glue to the open wounds. Cooper has already been taken off in an ambulance to the town’s medical centre. As a hydra, he has regenerative abilities, but even those have limits.

  Outside, I notice clusters of cadets on the greens in the distance, the atmosphere charged with excited whispers and gestures. I keep to the shadows and for the first time, I wish I could slide into them. Nearby, a whirr of an inhaler alerts me to someone standing deep in those shadows.

  ‘That sure was something.’

  Jasmine steps forward. Her hands have Cooper’s blood on them and shake when she takes the inhaler out of her mouth. The sickly sweet smell of a stimulant reaches me and I stare at her, not sure what to say. Not sure there is anything I can say.

  ‘Thanks,’ Jasmine mutters, tucking the inhaler in her pocket and then heading back into the gymnasium. Watching her, I wonder what she would have done to me if she knew the truth. Too tired to be creatively thinking up the many deaths Jasmine would have tried to inflict on me, I just continue back to the residential levels, my head down.

  The quiet in my room is a relief, and I keep the lights off. My slate continues to beep as Cora sends me panicked messages, asking where I am, and I reply that I made it out fine and I’ll catch up with her tomorrow. No way do I want to rehash what happened tonight and after a steamy shower, I crawl into bed, still feeling dirty.

  The next morning I stay holed up in my bedroom, relieved it’s Sunday and I can just hide in my room. I have no doubt Archer’s reversion will be all anyone talks about for weeks and my involvement will be examined. I check my slate, then wish I hadn’t. There’s nothing but news about Archer’s reversion. There’s speculation about me as well and photos that show me standing in front of Archer, my face all scrunched up. I notice I’ve had three missed calls from Bobby, but I don’t call him back. I can’t face him right now and pretend everything’s alright.

  I can barely look at the cadet chats, though I skim news articles that cover the incident. There’s a lot of speculation and praise for the brave cadets who tried to help their friend.

  Around nine, there’s a knock on my door and I lie in bed, pretending I can’t hear Cora calling my name. After a few minutes, she messages me, but I continue to ignore her. I groan when someone knocks on my door again ten minutes later.

  ‘Josie Ryder, it’s Cora.’ Something in her tone suggests she knows only too well I’m in here, so I drag myself out of bed and let her in. Her arms are crossed and she looks angry as she stalks into my room, whirling to face me.

  ‘Where did you go last night?’ she demands
. ‘Do you know what people are saying?’

  I shrug and inch around her to sit on the bed. ‘What?’

  ‘They’re saying you had something to do with Archer reverting.’

  Olivia. The bitch has told people what I did. It occurs to me that I could lie. Cora would believe me. After all, we’re friends, right? And that’s what friends do. I briskly remind myself that friends aren’t supposed to lie to each other. Bobby would tell me to be honest. Of course, then he’d tell me to get the hell out of here and lay low, but it’s probably time I start following my own advice. And that’s to tell the truth and face the consequences. ‘It’s not exactly like that. I can explain.’

  Cora’s jaw drops. ‘Why would you do something like that?’

  ‘I didn’t mean to.’ I rub my face, exhaustion slipping over me. ‘I never meant to hurt him.’

  ‘Then why?’ Cora asks. ‘You need to explain this to me.’

  I tell her about what Olivia said and her ‘deal’. The story comes out hesitant at first, then finishes in a rush. By the time I’m done, Cora’s staring at her feet, like she can’t stand to look at me. Finally, her gaze meets mine.

  ‘Let me get this straight. You destroyed Archer’s reputation so you could have a dress.’

  ‘It really wasn’t like that,’ I say desperately. ‘I told her I wasn’t interested, but she threatened to tell the authorities about what happened with Jasmine. And about what happened when you got lost in the deep. What could I do?’

  ‘Are you blaming me?’ Cora’s eyebrows snap together.

  ‘What? No!’

  ‘Have you ever entered my mind? Made me do something?’ Cora’s eyes narrow. ‘I have been wearing a lot of purple lately …’

  ‘No.’ I’m tired now and wish she would just leave. I’m hoping for some gratitude for trying to protect her, but Cora is looking at me as if she doesn’t know me at all. ‘I would never do that.’

  ‘You should have told Olivia to get lost,’ Cora says quietly. ‘I could have handled myself against the academy. What happened wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was a freak accident.’

  ‘Are you serious?’ I snap. ‘You really want people poking around into your sliding history?’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Cora shoots back.

  ‘I don’t know.’ I wave an agitated hand about. ‘What good is a slider who’s afraid of sliding? What would the academy need you for then?’

  Cora draws in a quick breath, then her face crumples and she storms out of my room before I can take it back. I stare at the closed door, then walk to the bathroom to wash my face, as if I could scrub away my actions. A numb feeling has settled over me and as I look in the mirror, I think about all the things I could have done differently. I’ve been blinded by my ambition to succeed within the walls of Helios. There’s another knock on the door. I open it, hoping it’s Cora again so I can explain, only to see Aaron instead.

  ‘I heard about last night,’ he says. ‘Are you alright?’

  ‘Just fine,’ I answer cautiously.

  Aaron clears his throat. ‘Director Eckhart wants to talk to you. Now.’

  Eckhart knows.

  The thought is a lightning strike to my chest, sucking the air from my lungs. I know I can’t refuse. Can’t run away. What happened is my responsibility. I made a terrible mistake and now I’m to face the consequences. How Archer’s talent had gotten free of my thread poses frightening possibilities. What if it happens again and I really hurt someone? I accused Cora of having a talent she isn’t in command of, but what good is an unstable threader to Helios?

  Grabbing my jacket, I follow Aaron outside. Cadets lounge on the wide strips of grass and stone benches. There’s an excited vibe to the warm Sunday morning air, with groups of cadets clustered about, buzzing with gossip about last night. I’m not sure if I imagine it, but some throw dark glances my way. Aaron pretends not to notice, but his pace quickens as we head to the main building. Once at the top floor, the secretary lets Eckhart know we’re there, then instructs us to wait.

  ‘Do you know what happened to Archer?’ I ask Aaron, fishing for information.

  ‘He’s under sedation.’ Aaron settles down on one of the low settees. ‘It’s not the first time a primal skipped their medication and reverted.’

  I frown, not following. ‘Why would Archer skip his medication?’

  ‘My understanding is that it brings a primal’s talent to the forefront,’ Aaron explains. ‘Makes them faster and stronger. Technically, that kind of thing is against the rules of the game, you understand. But it’s almost impossible to regulate where the “talent” starts and the person ends. I think once Archer’s back on his feet, he’s going to be facing some serious questions.’

  I stay silent, digesting this new bit of information and a glimmer of hope winks to life inside of me. Then I crush it ruthlessly. What Archer may or may not have done doesn’t alter what I did.

  The secretary finally motions for us to enter the office. Inside, Eckhart waits behind his desk, his face unreadable. Without a word, he gestures for me to sit. Aaron settles in a chair beside me.

  For a moment, nothing is said and the silence is thick. Shame heats my cheeks and my stomach twists at the thought of what I’ve potentially thrown away.

  Eckhart leans back in his chair, the material squeaking. ‘Josie. Is there something you want to tell us?’

  Confession bubbles close to the surface, but I hold back. ‘No.’

  He watches me closely, his eyes deep pools. For a crazy moment I imagine they’re infinite, tunnelling deep into a soul that can see into mine. I know I’m kidding myself that he doesn’t know what I did. When he speaks, his normally rough voice is smooth, confident.

  ‘Rather unfortunate business, the primal boy reverting like that, wouldn’t you say?’

  ‘We know you were involved,’ Aaron says from beside me.

  I’m almost surprised when these accusing words pass Aaron’s lips instead of Eckhart’s. Instead of disappointment on their faces, though, I see expectation.

  ‘It wasn’t hard to get to the truth about what happened, what tipped Archer over the edge,’ Eckhart says. ‘In a place littered with TPs, secrets are hard to keep. Naturally, Olivia Galloway will face disciplinary action for her role in this unfortunate event as well.’

  My eyes dart from Eckhart to Aaron. Maybe I’m not going to be the villain in this story. Maybe everything will be lumped on Olivia’s head, where it bloody belongs.

  ‘Of course, I was disappointed to discover you could be so easily compromised.’ Eckhart’s words crush that fragile hope of mine. I watch as he stares at his desk with a frown, as if in deep contemplation. ‘Helios runs on a system of trust and honesty, Josie. To see you swayed so easily … well, frankly, that alarms me. It makes me think that you don’t understand what the academy is about.’ His eyes lift to mine as he smacks a hand against the table. ‘Family. Pride. Integrity. Attributes I’m not sure you possess.’

  ‘I didn’t want to hurt him.’ My defence sounds pitiful, but I’ve got nothing left.

  Eckhart pauses to wipe his mouth with a cloth. ‘I believe you, Josie. If you’d known your thread would trip Archer’s primal talent and kick off a reaction, I’d like to think you would have stood up to Olivia and her threats.’ He pockets his handkerchief. ‘Still. This is a very serious matter and other members of the executive board could demand that you’re removed from the academy.’

  ‘Charges might be brought against you,’ Aaron adds. ‘What you did could be considered an act of aggression against a fellow cadet.’

  My throat constricts as I think of the shame this will bring to Bobby, to have his niece carted off to jail. And who knows what disciplinary action I’d face if they send me back home.

  ‘However.’ Eckhart lifts a single finger. ‘There might be a solution. I wasn’t going to approach the issue until you’d gained more experience and insight into the threading technique with Aaron, but now we might not have
that luxury of time.’

  ‘She’s strong enough,’ Aaron says to Eckhart. ‘She’s ready. Tell her.’

  I start to wonder what the hell is going on, because I suddenly realise there’s more happening here than me just getting into trouble.

  Eckhart gives me a crooked smile. ‘Josie, I told you the work your parents did on the Ciliary Gate project was revolutionary and yes, some of it was dangerous. When I asked you about following their work, you voiced reluctance. Naturally, I understand. But what I didn’t explain to you was that had that project succeeded, the Helios Academy would have been a new superpower. Bigger than any mega corporation. We would have been the shepherds of the next stage of mankind, carving the future of humans worldwide.’

  ‘The Ciliary Gate was a disaster,’ I point out, thinking this big solution isn’t sounding so hot. ‘Surely you can’t expect me to help you with a project that killed people.’ I pause, then add, ‘My parents were responsible for those deaths and like I told you, I’m sure they wouldn’t want me to continue their work.’

  ‘What happened was an accident,’ Eckhart corrects me. ‘Try not to judge them too harshly. No risk taken, no reward given.’

  Aaron interjects quickly. ‘And I’ve been working with Director Eckhart, trying to revive the Ciliary Gate. The disaster twenty years ago won’t happen again. I can guarantee it.’

  ‘I wouldn’t even know how to help you,’ I say.

  ‘You already have the answers in your mind,’ Eckhart says, and I can tell he thinks he can convince me, knows what I’ll do to keep my place at the academy. ‘Your intuition is all we need, just like the trick box, or how you dealt with the Skymmer android. Your instinct is your strength.’

  ‘I don’t want to do this.’ I can barely get the words past my throat. I might be a lone wolf like Bobby, but I’m also feeling very wounded and worried. Desperate, I point out the obvious. ‘Last time I threaded, I hurt Archer. Maybe my thread isn’t stable enough.’

  Aaron shakes his head. ‘Archer’s talent was the one that wasn’t stable. It was just bad luck. Anytime we’ve threaded, the bond has been rock solid.’ He reaches over and takes one of my hands. He’s trying to look sincere, but it’s marred by a hungry gleam. ‘Trust me, Josie. If we pull this off, you’ll have the world at your feet.’