The Upper Worlds (The Soul Survivor Series Book 1)

by Van Forson

  “And it’s not just all about me, me, me,” she added quickly noticing that no one had joined her in the celebration of herself. “Tomorrow I’m going to swap places with Cindy so she can experience how great it is to be me.”

  Just then Cindy synched in, “Oh, my. I just got off work. What did I miss?”

  “Nothing Twinny, just Kid, trying to put a downer on TEN, which she can’t because it’s so totally awesome!”

  “Yay!” The Twins chimed in unison.

  “It’s not a downer, but we are all being brainwashed to think, buy and even love in a way that the Upper Worlds tells us to.” I defended my position.

  “We’re all so different, but we all listen to the same music. Watch the same movies and consume the same way everyone else at school does. Jet doesn’t do any of that, and he rarely watches screens.”

  “It’s a shaky hypothesis basing what’s regular and irregular on Jet,” Max said.

  “Skye’s just like me, and she doesn't watch the screens either.” Jet said proudly.

  “And I rest my case,” Max said taking off his spectacles, signalling the end of the conversation.

  I had to win him over. I needed his help.

  “Just look at all of our bedrooms.” The Twins, Wain and Max looked around. Yes, they did differ in that Wain and Max had tech related things and The Twins had pink glittery stuff, but there were common themes that we all shared.

  “For instance, why do we all like the Allstars?” I asked, “We all have their images on the walls and saved on all our screens.”

  “Because DJ Dan is so good-looking. They are the greatest, and we must play their music, buy their records and all of their merch at all times.” Mindy gushed.

  “And they’re all fully fashioned forward. They are the greatest, and we must play their music, buy their records and all of their merch at all times.” Cindy informed.

  “Their music has a funky beat.” Max said snapping his fingers offbeat to a rhythm inside his head. “They are the greatest, and we must play their music, buy their records and all of their merch at all times.”

  "They’re just generally awesome the best band on the planet. They are the greatest, and we must play their music, buy their records and all of their merch at all times.” Wain threw his hands over his mouth, panic-stricken, as if confused by what he had just said.

  Jet and I slowly turned to face each other.

  “Why do you like the Allstars Kid?” Jet asked.

  “I just do,” I said my voice trembling. I pursed my lips not wanting to say anymore, but somehow the words flew out of my mouth. “They are the greatest, and we must play their music, buy their records and all of their merch at all times.”

  “Oh, my days!” Jet jumped up, “You are all being brainwashed!”

  “Like total buzz kill,” Mindy whined.

  “So what do we do about it?” I asked shocked that I was right.

  “If you are sure that TEN is controlling us with messages put in their broadcasts then why don’t we just find a way to stop it.” Jet said.

  “How? I wouldn't know where to begin.”

  “You mentioned that a mixing desk runs the whole subliminal system,” Max said trying to regain his logical composure after sounding as brain dead as the rest of us. “There must be a mainframe, and if you can get the coordinates, I can crack the coding. We could interrupt the signal and change the frequency, modify the encoded message to whatever we want it to say.”

  “Really? Could it be that easy?” I asked.

  “Anything is possible; it’s just a matter of figuring out a way,” Jet said. “We’ll take our cue from you,” he nodded with a newfound respect for his sister.

  ***

  “Like, oh, my, gosh! It’s even better than Mindy said it was.” Cindy squealed enchanted by the underwater scene beneath our feet and the Vir Sim celebrities along the corridor.

  “Nice to see you lay-deez.” DJ Dan greeted us just like he had done the day before. Unlike yesterday, I was not impressed by the gadgetry. Today I was on a mission.

  “Yeah, yeah, heard it all before,” I said dragging a starry eyed Cindy down the hall.

  Cindy and I walked into the busy, reception area where Ivan was waiting for Cindy, who he thought was Mindy.

  “Dah-ling!” Ivan trilled air-kissing Cindy on both cheeks.

  “Okay,” Cindy responded confused. I elbowed her in the ribs.

  “That’s Ivan, Mindy's friend,” I whispered.

  “Oh yeah. Hiiiii!” Cindy chirped.

  Ivan took two dramatic steps backwards and looked Cindy up and down. “You look different today. I liked your coiffure better yesterday.”

  Cindy self-consciously touched her hair. She could never get it as perfect as Mindy always seemed to.

  “But that’s okay girlfriend, one of the stylists will fix it for you in the studio.”

  “Ok, like yeah, sure.”

  “Have we got an exhilarating day in store for you little lady,” Ivan told Cindy linking her arm.

  “Kay, and what about my friend?” Cindy asked pointing to me.

  “Oh?” Ivan responded doing his infamous up and down look.

  “I'm all right; you go ahead,” I said sizing up the TX door that led to Sector Seven.

  “Fab.” Ivan chirped relieved that he didn’t have to take me, the hoody-wearing, pony-tailed girl, with him to the studio.

  Before she could say another word, Ivan grabbed Cindy and dragged her off towards the glass tower.

  I skipped through the foyer and turned the handle of the heavy door leading to Sector Seven, but it was locked. I swiped my finger on the print recognition system.

  ‘Access Denied.’ it stated loudly.

  “Can I help you?” A sleek Guardian caught me struggling with the door.

  “I’m meant to be working in there.” I insisted.

  “Transmission is out of bounds. No one is granted access.” The Guardian said firmly.

  “But yesterday I was - ”

  “But nothing. Move away from the door.” The Guardian scanned my router. Within seconds my details flashed before us.

  “You are work experience from Falconbrook High. You must join your fellow student in the studio. Now come with me.”

  The Guardian forcefully pushed me towards the glass elevator while radioing instructions to the studio staff on his IM. I took one more wistful glance at the door to Sector Seven and then sullenly walked off to join Cindy.

  ***

  “That was so awesome.” I chattered excitedly to Cindy on our way to the lunch zone. “I can't believe we got to watch a real life taping of Go Fish that's like my favourite show ever! And did you see Lance Lavern wave at me!"

  The glitz and glamour of the star-studded studio had put my earlier mission to get the mainframe digits from Sector Seven way out of my mind.

  “And they’re going to use you as a background feature in the next taping for sure.” I gushed.

  “Yeah, I know.” Cindy smiled, but she had been quiet all day.

  Her hair was now fashioned into a new cutting edge asymmetrical style worthy of being in Centrale, and her outfit had been changed by a studio stylist.

  “It’s even better than Mindy described,” I said.

  “Yeah,” Cindy agreed, way off her usual super excited self.

  “I can’t wait to tell everyone at school,” I added sounding more like Mindy than Cindy did.

  I continued to chatter as we picked up our food groups for lunch. I opted for the nutri granules with a dash of essential fatty acids, a fruct-a-lite and koko desert. Cindy just took a vacuum of 02 infused with nutrients. We took a seat on the trendy levitating chairs and rested our food mid air on the space trays. Cindy inhaled her 02 deeply.

  “Yum.” She smiled feigning enthusiasm.

  “Is that all you’re going to have? You should try some of this koko; it’s so tasty. My ma says it’s a synthetic derivative of the cocoa bean, which makes real chocolate. She tasted i
t when she was on National Service in Freeca. That's where she and my dad met as part of the Youth Corps. Ma says that chocolate has the best taste in the world, a hundred times better than this koko. I can't even begin to imagine how good it must be.

  “You know most AEs are not designed to consume more than a minimum daily calorie intake, so I doubt I’d ever be able to taste such a treat.”

  Even though Cindy was smiling, as she always did, I could sense something was up.

  “Are you alright Cinds? You don’t seem like yourself today.”

  “It’s nothing really. It’s just ironic. Here I am only consuming air, which makes me an airhead, which everyone thinks I am anyway.”

  “No, who would ever say such a thing?” I said not wanting to hurt her feelings.

  Cindy attempted to roll her eyes but looked cute instead of irritated, “Of course they do. Just because I'm beauty personified, everyone thinks I'm stupid.”

  “You are extraordinarily beautiful.” I agreed.

  “Oh, I’m not boasting. If truth be told, I hate my Code Type.” Cindy said flatly.

  “What?” I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “You’re more than just beautiful. You're kind, funny and a good friend. I would love to have one ounce of what you and Mindy have. Do you know how many hours I’ve spent in the mirror trying to smile like you?” I confessed. “You two are adorable. What's there to not like about your Type?”

  “That’s just it,” Cindy tried, and failed, at sounding cross. “People always lump us together. I'm an individual you know. I have my own thoughts and feelings, but no one cares about that. It's the Twins this and the Twins that. And, if that wasn't bad enough, everyone prefers Mindy to me anyway.”

  “Don't say that Cinds, that's not true.”

  “Yes, it is. Even here at TEN all anyone has said to me all day is that I looked better yesterday, my clothes were more on trend yesterday, and I was way funnier yesterday. And yesterday Mindy was here and not me. I was born second, and ever since then I've been the runner up to everything Mindy does.”

  “It’s not like that,” I said, knowing full well it was. “And we, your friends don’t think of one of you as better than the other.”

  “It's ok. You don't have to lie. We all know Mindy is way more on point than me. She loves all of the attention. I don’t. I just do it because I don’t know any other way. I’d rather blend in with the crowd and not care about my appearance, like you Kid.”

  “Thanks, I think that’s a compliment.”

  “It is, the biggest you can get. There’s nothing great about being stunning. You may not have your Type yet, but we all have our issues, believe me.”

  I hugged Cindy tightly. No one’s life was as straightforward as it seemed.

  "Excuse me while I powder my nose. I don't want Ivan to see me red and puffy." Cindy hopped from her chair.

  I watched her walk across to the restroom. As she did, I spotted Techy James leaving the canteen. I jumped off the chair and dashed off after him.

  “Hey James, how’s it going?” I tried to sound casual as I cornered him by the exit.

  James looked at me blankly, “Do I know you?”

  “Yes, I'm Kid, I worked with you yesterday, and I need to get back into Sector Seven.”

  “That area is top secret. I must not discuss what goes on in Sector Seven.” James said hostilely.

  “Erm okay, but it’s just that I left something there that I need, so can I pop by and get it?” I asked.

  “No!” James snapped loudly as he left the canteen. “And please do not speak of this again.”

  I edged out of the room embarrassed. Cindy ran after me.

  “Like what was that about?” Cindy squealed.

  “I don't know,” I said.

  James overreaction had me certain that what happened yesterday was not an elaborate figment of my overactive imagination. The thrilling time in the studio had almost blinded me to my mission, but now I was refocused.

  “All I know is that there's much more going on at TEN than meets the eye.”

  ***

  Back in my bedroom that evening the crew had gathered, physically and virtually.

  “There’s no way I’ll get back inside Sector Seven. It was pure luck last time.” I told my friends.

  “You make your own luck.” Jet said, sounding like The Res.

  That one meeting with the leader of the underworld had left a serious impression on him.

  “It’s not that simple. I won’t be able to get the coordinates for Max to hack into the mainframe.”

  “Yes, you can, through me,” Wain said.

  I turned to look at him. “What?”

  “You’ve been to Sector Seven before, right?” Wain said

  “Yes.”

  “And you saw the digits on the mixing desk.” Wain continued.

  “Yeah, briefly but it was a long number, and I don’t remember it.”

  “But it’s somewhere in your memory bank, right?”

  “I’m not sure; I didn’t pay attention.”

  “Well maybe if you let me in your mind, I can find it.” Wain concluded.

  “Whoa!” Philippe said. “You know you shouldn’t use ESP for that, we’re warned against using our powers on Code Types. We don’t know what might happen.”

  “I know yo, but do you have another solution? Kid has seen the coordinates; they’re stored somewhere in her memory. I’ll find it if she lets me.”

  Wain turned to me, “You know I'd never let you come to any harm. If it felt like you were at risk, I would stop the process immediately. Last night at the TL Movement meeting we were discussing a direct assault on the Upper Worlds and now Kid here you are bringing it to the crew. You’re a revolutionary, just like your ma.”

  Philippe shifted uncomfortably at the mention of TL. He didn't understand the Tachion Liberation Movement’s fight for freedom against the Upper Worlds.

  “I really cannot entertain any talk of revolution. Why anybody would want to harm another is illogical to me.” Max said pushing his specs up his nose.

  “Well let’s not talk about revolution brother. Let’s just act on it yo,” Wain said, “starting with TEN.”

  Revolution was the last thing on my mind. That wasn’t why I was stalling. I didn’t want Wain, or anyone else, reading my thoughts. My mind was private. It housed my insecurities and my fears. I didn’t want even my closest friends knowing those.

  “Don’t worry, I promise I won't look for anything else but the digits,” Wain reassured me.

  “Well - ”

  “Well, I wouldn’t encourage it,” Max interjected. “Naturally it would be a fascinating first-hand study, but I wouldn't want you to be the guinea pig. I care about you too much Kid. Your mind is already screwy from everything that has been going on. To have someone else in your brainwaves could short circuit it, send you haywire. It’s too dangerous. If your father knew you were even considering this, he’d have you re-engineered for sure.”

  I looked into the TV screen and zoned out, thinking about all of the events that had taken place recently. The Harlequin in the schoolyard, my intense dreams, the expedition to UC, Mr Grimm, The Arcadians, The Res, the Soul Survivor Prophecy, work experience at TEN, seeing all of my favourite stars, encoded messages in media transmissions. It had been the most intense period of my life, and finally, I was living for a purpose. I knew what I had to do.

  “Thanks for the concern Max, but it’s a chance that I have to take.”

  Max pushed his specs up nervously.

  I turned to Wain sure of my decision, “Let's find those digits.”

  ***

  The whole crew watched in awe as Wain begun the process of entering my mind.

  Jet and Skye perched nervously on my bed.

  “Be cool, Sis. You’ll be just fine.” Jet said.

  “Thanks.” I gave him a thumbs up and tried to put on a brave face before Wain attempted to put me under.

  I lay on the floor in the midd
le of my room and Wain levitated above me staring directly into my eyes.

  “I’m gonna do this properly.” Wain announced clearing his throat.

  “Ok.” I’d never seen him act so seriously before.

  “Keziah Monrova do you give me permission to enter your mind?” Wain asked.

  Mindy stifled a giggle; the formal request sounded funny coming from him. Philippe winked at her. Mindy smiled broadly back. Brad looked from one to the other and sulked. Romance was budding between Mindy and Philippe, and there was nothing he could do about it.

  Max tutted at their silly flirting. He was on tenterhooks. Was he the only one worried about how dangerous this was?

  “Yes, I do,” I nodded.

  “Good. Then let's begin. Kid, inhale deeply, hold for three counts then exhale deeply.”

  “Ok,” I said and followed his instructions.

  I began to breathe in and out slowly. As I exhaled, Wain inhaled my breath. As he exhaled, he breathed his air into my face.

  “Ewww, that’s really gross!” The Twins chimed in unison.

  “Yeah.” Sal agreed, “I hope you’ve brushed your teeth.”

  “Totally. Bad breath would be the worst!” The Twins giggled.

  “I’m joining our life force together yo, so we become one,” Wain explained.

  “Still gross.” Sal murmured.

  “Wanna join our life force Minds?” Brad said blowing air in her direction.

  “You’re so silly, Braddy!” Mindy said coyly twirling a golden lock around her finger.

  Brad shot a dazzler. Mindy beamed back. Philippe looked away feigning interest on a loose bit of stitching on the lace of his shoe. Brad smiled triumphantly. The competition for Mindy’s affections had no clear winner just yet.

  Usually, I would feel very silly breathing into someone’s face, especially with all my friends watching. But something was coming over me. I was beginning to feel relaxed. I yawned.

  “That’s it, Kid, just go with it,” Wain said.

  My eyelids began to droop. Wain opened his wide, concentrating intensely. A small silver smoke like cord rose from my forehead into Wains. I closed my eyes.

  “I don’t like this,” Max said. “I don’t like this one little bit.”