The Upper Worlds (The Soul Survivor Series Book 1)

by Van Forson

  “You must keep an open mind, try new things, dare to dream thoughts full of wishes, high hopes and aspirations.”

  “I don’t have time to dream.” I snapped back, “I’m too busy trying to save the entire universe, remember?”

  “You can never be too busy to dream my girl. It’s one of life’s pleasures and sometimes the only thing you can do in this hectic world.” Dr Stoneway stood up, leaning heavily on his cane.

  “Yeah, whatever,” I answered quietly.

  The conversation had got my back up. Why couldn’t he just give me a mission and let me be on my way? I wanted to be back home in the clean, pristine, regimented Upper Worlds. I didn’t belong here.

  “Remember your humanity; your Human-kindness is what makes you so unique. It’s that individual quality you have that is magnificent. You are free to have more artistic flair than any Artisan Code Type, have more psychic ability than any Tachion and be more versatile than any Lappion.

  “Being Human is to be celebrated. The only thing all other life forms have going for them is that tiny bit of humanity in their DNA, without that we would have all been doomed a long time ago.” With that Dr Stoneway turned to leave, but not before adding,

  “Don’t look on the outer for what you can only find on the inner. It will come together young un, I promise you, it will all come together. It always does.” Dr Stoneway chuckled as he scuttled off into the distance, leaving me alone.

  Everyone was enjoying Kimetic without me. The circles had now elevated and in a perfect cross-legged pose, were whizzing around way up in the air. It was quite a sight to behold. I tried to spot Sal, Jet or Skye but they had blended in with the mass of Saps, and I couldn’t make out one from the other. I looked on feeling sad, lonely and insignificant. If this was what it meant to be Human, the ancestors could keep it.

  ***

  Philippe ran through Sub Zero, the beaten down Tachion part of town. He had wanted to talk to Kid, but couldn’t get her so he used his ESP to locate Wain instead, even though he knew he shouldn’t. If the Orbs detected him, he would be fuzzed by the Guardians. But right now he didn’t care if they terminated him.

  Philippe spotted Wain in a crowd wearing a blue band on each of his three wrists and holding a placard that read, Tachion Power. He had never been to a TL rally before. Wain, on the other hand, was a regular. They had been communicating telepathically about the day's events, as Philippe approached he began to speak aloud,

  “…So then the Guardian threw me out, and Mindy sped off with Brad, she didn’t even see me, doesn’t know I saw her kiss him.”

  Wain shook his head, “Man, that’s why I’m an activist, yo. You can never trust those Code Types, no matter how nice they seem, they always backstab you in the end.”

  “You know I don't like when you say things like that Wain. My parents are Code Types. I was born a Tachion because of the mutation in my DNA. Your family have always been Tachions. Our situations are different.”

  “Nevertheless Bro, you’re one of us and we have to stick together. Look around at how the Code Types treat us, keep us fenced in Zero, away from them, like animals.”

  Philippe looked at all of the Tachions around him. Some had apparent mutations like he did, but others could pass for Code Types, and on occasion probably did.

  He read some of the placards held by the Tachion protesters. One stated, More food. Another said, Desent edukayshun. One placard held by a small one- eyed girl simply said, Equality.

  Philippe shook his head. He felt like a fraud here; these were not his issues. His mum prepared nutritious meals daily. He attended FB, one of the best schools in the state. He lived and thrived in Upper Worldian luxury, not in Sub Zero squalor. He accepted the Tachion struggle, but it was not his. Just because he looked like them, didn’t make him one of them. His parents had taught him that. But his parents didn’t understand what he had to go through to fit in. He didn’t understand the Tachion community and was made to feel like a freak amongst the Code Types. Only Mindy had taken the time to try to understand him, and now everything was ruined.

  “That’s why I don’t mess with the mainstream yo.” Wain said, snapping Philippe out of his thoughts, “I’d rather stay here, in Zero amongst my own. I feel safe here.”

  “I used to feel safe in the Upper Worlds, but I’m not so sure now. I never knew people like Max felt so strongly against us.” Philippe pounded his fist into his hand.

  “Max is a trip! And I was just beginning to like that guy. Look, I don’t expect you to be as deep into this as I am. But read the TL literature; you have to take a stand. Otherwise, the Upper Worlds will crush you, they’ll crush all of us and won’t even bother to look at the sole of their shoe and the mess they’ve made.”

  Philippe didn’t like when Wain did his fighting talk, he wasn’t sure how involved Wain was with the TL movement, but he knew it went deeper than misspelt placards at freedom rallies.

  “Wait till Kid hears this. She’ll have words with Max and talk to Mindy for you. Kid is just like her mother. She cares about all people. I'm certain her compassionate Type will kick in any day now."

  “I don’t know if I even want Kid to smooth anything over for me.” Philippe lied to hide his dented pride.

  “Well, Kid will do it if you ask her to or not, you know how she is, the backbone of the whole crew. I’m not even surprised she’s this prophet or whatever she’s meant to be. She’s different from the rest. She’s the only Code Type I trust.”

  “Yeah.” Philippe agreed, “Kid is special.”

  “Here, take this,” Wain said transferring data from his IM to Philippe’s. “It’s information about the TL, the real deal, not what they tell you on the Upper Worlds. The movement could do with a hulking Tachion like you.”

  “Sure.” Philippe replied despondently.

  Both his hearts felt heavy. He needed to talk to Kid. She always looked out for him, she would know what to do. Where was she?

  Energy is neither created nor destroyed.

  So embrace your spark and light up the void.

  Twelve: Kimetic

  “…And then we picked fruit from the trees, real circular fruit! Not like the fruct-a-lite stuff we get in tubes.” Jet chattered excitedly.

  “Yeah, apples are crunchy and kind of flaky but juicy and shiny.” Skye hopped from one foot to the other as she explained.

  Even the little bird that nestled in Jet’s hair constantly chirped in as if giving me an account of the wonderful time everyone was having.

  “Yeah, whatever,” I said, trying to hide my interest as I swung lazily in the hammock.

  We had been in Commania for three days now, and while the others had been practising Kimetic and going off to explore this new and strange land, I had chosen to spend my time alone. I didn’t want to be here; I wanted to get my mission and go.

  “So when are you going to stop sulking?” Jet asked, hand on hip.

  His stance and tone reminded me of our dad. I rolled my eyes and turned over.

  “It’s great here. Why are you being so anti-social?”

  “Why don't you just go away and be all happy clappy somewhere else.”

  Even though he irked me, I knew Jet was right. I had kept to myself since the first night and Dr Stoneway’s lecture. I only joined everyone at meal times because Dr Stoneway insisted. He had this hang up that we should all eat together. I wouldn’t have even bothered to obey his instructions if there wasn’t any chocolate. That was the best thing about this place. The food. I didn’t get why everyone else, especially Sal, was acting like this was the greatest place on earth.

  Sure, the Saps couldn’t do enough for us like plait our hair or wash our clothes or invite us to join in the games they seemed to play endlessly. But all that freaked me out. I didn’t get why they were all so friendly. There had to be something wrong with them. They were just too nice.

  “So are you going to join us today?” Sal asked with an actual teeth-baring smile. Gone was her usua
l scowl.

  I looked her up and down. She was wearing a long multi-coloured, knitted garment Deschanels’ mother had made for her. Sal was getting into this way of life. She looked like a proper Sap.

  “Nah. It’s not my thing.” I said.

  Ever since Dr Stoneway had spoken to me, I couldn’t shake my bad mood. He had talked about, ‘conquering my emotions’ but I didn’t feel like taking his advice. I didn’t even understand what he meant.

  “Kimetic is good. It’s changing me.” Sal offered quietly.

  I looked her over again. She was right, Sal was even beginning to look different, and it wasn’t just her clothes. Maybe it was because she was smiling so effortlessly.

  “There’s a lot I’ve been keeping to myself and being in Commania is helping me bring it to the surface so I can deal with it. I can show you some things I’ve learned if you like,” she said.

  I could tell she wanted to talk, but I didn’t.

  “Nah thanks, I’ll pass.”

  “What’s wrong Kid?” Sal asked, cracking her knuckles. “Have I done something to upset you?"

  “No, I’m fine.” I lied. “Did Deschanel go with you fruit picking?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

  Apart from eating chocolate, staring at Deschanel was the only thing that made being in this muddy, mossy, itchy, irritating place worthwhile.

  “Yeah, he’s an excellent guide. In fact, I’m going to meet him now. See you at lunch.” Sal stomped off towards the bustling village where the Saps were undertaking their morning chores.

  “Sayonara!” I threw over my shoulder and rolled back over.

  “You’re such a loser.” Jet said.

  “What?” I reared myself angrily over the hammock.

  “The Prophecy must be wrong. There’s no way you could be the Soul Survivor.”

  “I’ll leave you two to talk.” Skye unlinked Jets arm and sauntered off.

  “Catch you up.” Jet said, then turned to face me. “You’re lazy, moody, miserable but most of all a scaredy cat.”

  “What’s your problem!” I shouted; he had touched a raw nerve. “If I were such a scaredy cat, you wouldn’t even be here! You're lucky I even brought you to Commania.”

  “No, you’re the lucky one. You’ve only gotten this far because of all of your friends and here you are sulking like a brat because you’re jealous of Sal and Deschanel's friendship.”

  “No, I’m not.” I protested weakly. Was it that transparent that I liked Deschanel? I hoped not.

  “Yes, you are. I see the way you look at them. And because Dr Stoneway didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear, you’re putting a downer on it for everyone. We should be making the most of our time here until you complete the mission. But no, not Kid, she’s so great, she’s better than everyone!”

  “Seventy-two hours in Commania and all of a sudden you’re some wise guy.” I snapped.

  “At least I’m trying to learn new things. But don’t mind me. You just keep on doing what you’re doing, laying about and moping all day. And when The Prophecy fails, be proud of the fact that it was solely down to you!”

  “Why you - ” I fumed, scrambling after him. I fell out of the hammock and landed sprawled out on the floor.

  “Pathetic.” Jet turned and walked off.

  I watched him amble into the distance teary-eyed with my knees and ego both badly bruised.

  Jet was right. I had been acting like a loser, but it annoyed me that he had pointed it out. He was like my walking, talking conscious all of a sudden. When did he get so smart anyway?

  “Hee, hee, hee.”

  The sound of giggling crept up behind me. Poppy and the other children, who had led us to Commania, looked down on me, laughing. Great! All I needed was little kids mocking me. I wished I had never followed them here in the first place.

  Poppy, held out her small chubby beige hand. The other two, one brown, one pink, helped me up from the ground and they led me away from my hammock.

  The further we walked, the denser the terrain became. But Poppy read the vines, and undergrowth like a keen adventurer read a map. For a little person, she had perfect footing and didn't miss a step. I tripped a few times.

  “Let's sit here besides this Kapok tree.” Poppy said.

  The three children sat cross-legged underneath it.

  “You young’uns are extraordinary.” I marvelled.

  “Takes one to know one,” Poppy looked me dead in the eye before she patted the ground next to her. “Sit.”

  I slowly sat down next to the extremely capable child.

  “Close your eyes and still your mind,” Poppy commanded in a manner that sounded as if she had not long learned how to talk.

  I laughed to myself. I hadn’t taken on board anything Dr Stoneway, the oldest wisest man on the planet, had said and here I was being given instructions by a five-year-old. Somehow it was easier than following anyone else’s orders, so I did what I was told. I shut my eyes.

  “Good. Now focus slightly above and between your eyebrows and gently concentrate, but not too hard. Look with a manner of effortless effort. That’s your door to your inner worlds. Do you see it? Do you see it?” Poppy asked expectantly.

  “No,” I didn’t see anything but a black space with squiggly colours swimming around.

  “Breathe. Look deeper, past the noise in your head, past your worries, fears, doubts and concerns. Do you see it now?” Poppy said encouragingly.

  I pulled a face; I couldn’t hear any noise. Then I realised she wasn’t talking about sound. Beyond the noisy images of my mind, there was something, but I didn’t know what it was.

  “Don’t strain, relax.” Poppy said.

  I relaxed my face, my brain and my body. My breathing became deeper. Thoughts of the past day, week, month ran through my head. I sat watching it all pass until it emptied from my mind. Now I felt calmer.

  The children began to softly chant and I found myself joining in. Soon I felt a tingling sensation, it started in the centre of my forehead and rushed all over my body.

  The soles of my feet rooted into the soil as if I was one with the mighty tree beside me and we both grew from the earth below. Every strand of my hair connected with the sky, receiving transmitted waves from the ether that tuned into every soul on the planet. I could feel everything far and wide. A sound of rushing water flooded my ears as if I were in the depths of the sea and the blue-skied heavens danced in my mind. Simultaneously I felt a billion sorrows and a billion joys which gave me a sensation of complete balance and an understanding of everything and everyone. I had never experienced such a feeling in my entire life. There was no space or time, yesterday or tomorrow. I was one with this present moment, and it was magical.

  I didn’t need to open my eyes to know that I had elevated and was whizzing above the ground in a circular motion. I watched my internal screen, and a brilliant blue light blazed while a soothing humming filled my ears. I was drifting, flying fast within me, but at the same time, I felt outside of myself. I could see my physical body atop the tree, eyes closed, in a circle with the little children, but another part of me was floating, going elsewhere.

  I opened my eyes and was sitting beneath the Kapok tree. It was no longer made of wood but rather constructed of binary data, a mass of dots and ones creating a virtual holographic picture, like the ones all over the Upper Worlds.

  The whole scene was a crude digital replica of Commania. Gone were the wooden houses and campfires. No longer did birds soar, lush vegetation grow or playful animals frolic. Every element of life was missing. In its place were burnt out tree stumps and frazzled earth, hidden just beneath the surface by pretty simulations, which sketchily fuzzed in and out.

  Something terrible had occurred here, and Commania had been destroyed. Whoever had created this fake version didn’t have an eye for detail or simply didn’t care.

  “Oh no! What had happened to this thriving, loving, sweet place?”

  I got up from the tree and walke
d gingerly through what would have been the bustling village full of Saps. Not a soul was in sight. As I took each step, the binary code parted and then regenerated. I reached the clearing where the Saps would usually eat their meals together. Instead of the Sap population, I saw a committee of people in white coats gathered around the long communal table. At the centre stood a man covered from head to toe in red. His form looked like no Code Type, Tachion, Lappion, animal or creature I had ever seen.

  I dropped to my belly and slid along the undergrowth to hide. This wasn’t the mud that squelched underneath my feet that I complained about but secretly loved its soft feeling. This was dry arid land, unsuitable for any being on Earth to live in.

  The committee toasted as the figure dressed in red spoke. His sinister voice sounded as if he was underwater gasping for air.

  “We have finally entered the Maya stage, the final illusory phase. This was the last stand, and we have eradicated Mother Nature and all of her life forms from The Upper Worlds.”

  One White Coat began to laugh, and the others followed suit.

  “Yes, my faithful followers. The world is mine!” The man raised a silver goblet and displayed long talons on each finger.

  I watched in horror. I couldn't see his face, but the man’s hands alone were so vile it made the hairs on my head prickle.

  “Yuck,” I whispered.

  The bush simulation cut in and out, revealing my hiding place.

  “No-oo! how can this be, how did you survive?” The man wailed in his distorted voice.

  The entire congregation of White Coats turned to look at me. They began to chatter amongst themselves rapidly.

  “It's the Human!” Someone announced, and the White Coats shook in fear.

  “Seize her now!” The man in red demanded.

  I hopped to my feet and turned to run. Then I realized that the White Coats looked more afraid of me than I was of them. I turned to face them and folded my arms.

  “Noooo!” Several White Coats trembled, scared stiff.