The Upper Worlds (The Soul Survivor Series Book 1)

by Van Forson

  I wanted to thank Skye for risking her life carrying out all of my demands and always looking out for my brother. I wanted to tell Sal her friendship meant the world to me as she had stuck with me through the thickest of things. But I couldn’t. I was lost in my inner worlds. My eyelids felt like they had been stuck down with glue. And then the slide show began, just as I had always heard, right before you die your whole life was meant to flash in front of you. And here it was.

  Every moment of my entire life whizzed by at breakneck speed. The visions of the past now blended with those of the future. I saw Max as a grown man, marching at the head of a group of White Coats. Jet and Skye back-to-back fighting Guardians ferociously. Dai gave a Capsing pill to Cindy. Mindy held a newborn anxiously covering up the baby boy’s chest, which beat with the force of two hearts. I saw myself slumped on a rocky floor.

  “What is taking so long?” Came the sound of General Grey’s voice. I saw it on the inner before he said it on the outer.

  My eyes rolled to the back of my head, my body convulsed. Everything was being revealed to me on my inner screen.

  “What on earth is she doing?” General Grey said in disgust as Kid convulsed violently.

  “If the cameras are in place let’s put this rabid child out of her misery.”

  “Wait! There’s just one more thing.” One of the highly decorated Sergeants stepped forward with long powerful strides.

  “What?” General Grey demanded.

  He wanted to get this over and done with, but he didn’t want to miss his moment of glory. The TV cameras were of utmost importance to his ego. He would be canonised on the screens across the nation as the man who successfully captured Keziah Monrova. That would show everyone who mocked him when his tibia bone broke, and he didn’t make it into the Allstar baseball team. He had the chance to be a hero again, even if it was through regen and with the military.

  “What is taking so long?” General Grey demanded.

  “This!” The sergeant held out his open palm and emitted a force so strong that the rays knocked the first circle of Guardians to the ground and they shattered into tiny pieces.

  “Wh- what?” General Grey froze in horror.

  The sergeant was now in full view. The highly decorated man wasn’t part of The Admiral’s Elite Military at all. It was The Res.

  “Annihilate him!” General Grey wailed like a banshee.

  The next round of Guardians launched missiles at The Res. With one flick of his hand, he sent their bullets flying back to them, and the Guardians exploded.

  “Urbanites. Ante up!” Commanded The Res.

  Urbanites appeared from every conceivable direction to attack the Code Type and robotic militia. They rose from potholes in the streets, descended from buildings and scurried from safety hideouts. Their crude weapons were made from broken bottles and rope; they wielded crowbars and slingshots. Anything that they could lay their hands on was now a fighting tool.

  The Res and his imposter Urbanite army had infiltrated the Official Militia disguised as Elite Guardians. Now allies or enemies were impossible to tell apart.

  “Tachions!” The Res bellowed to the masses of people who passively watched from behind the cordoned off areas.

  “I know you are frightened, but isn't it time that you took a stand? Those in charge have led you to believe that you are inferior. That you are weaker. That you are defective. That is a lie. A lie that you have allowed yourselves to believe and it has kept you at the lowest rungs of society.

  “The truth is we are super. Magnificent beyond our own comprehension. What we have are not defects. They are powers. Powers that they cannot control so, they will not let us harness.

  “My brothers and sisters, cower no more. It’s time that we stopped living in fear of everything, including ourselves! It's time that we rise. You are much stronger than they are. You can beat them. You must defeat them. Tachions. Ante up!”

  The Res rallied the Tachions passionately while single-handedly taking out rounds of attacking Guardians.

  A rapturous applause rippled like a tidal wave through the crowd. Many pumped their fists repeating the words The Res had said like an anthem,

  “Ante Up! Ante Up!! Ante Up!!!”

  Spurred on by The Res a round blue Tachion nodded contritely. He clapped his hands in front of him. A small cloud of frost emitted from his palms and icicles fell from his hands. He jumped back, afraid of what he had just created. He slowly raised his hands and tried it again. More ice cubes fell from his palms. He laughed, unbelieving what he was able to generate.

  A Guardian menacingly approached him, pop con raised,

  “You are breaking the first Truth. Halt that activity immediately or you will be annihilated.”

  The Tachion held up his hands in surrender. A thick sheet of ice shot from his hands, and with one accidental blast, he froze the Guardian in its tracks.

  “Whoops!” The blue Tachion jumped back, looking at his palms in awe.

  More Guardians ran towards him, and he shot out ice blasts freezing them instantly. The blue Tachion laughed maniacally shocked by his newly discovered Tachion power.

  The Res snapped the chains from the crew as easily as most people snap their fingers.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Sal whispered as The Res released her.

  Kid slumped to the ground as her chains fell away. The Res swiftly picked her up and carried her carefully like a precious jewel.

  “Look after them, Skye.” The Res commanded as he fended off more oncoming Guardians.

  “Of course.” Skye instantaneously created a force field protecting Jet and Sal from the missiles flying all around them.

  Kid was still lost in her inner worlds being bombarded with the past, present and future happenings; Brad and Philippe in Kindergarten played catch. As small children, they were the best of friends. The image raced through time. Now Captain Brad led the National Football team. He ran onto a packed stadium of adoring fans. A red lazer beam targeted his back, Philippe held the gun. In adulthood, they were the worst of enemies.

  General Grey launched a pop con missile at The Res. He was too busy shielding Kid and did not see it coming. The mighty Res was obliterated and turned to dust.

  “Ha-Uh!”

  My eyes sprang open. All around me was the carnage of war. Guardians were launching missiles, instead of Tachions running for cover, they were fighting back! Some caused explosions; others were hurtling through the air. The Tachions fought alongside the Urbanites against the Elite Militia. And they were winning.

  “Nice to have you back.” The Res said.

  I didn’t waste time. I had already seen what came next. I pulled The Res down and threw myself in front of him. The blast from General Grey’s gun went straight to my heart.

  Everything faded to black.

  Choose wisely your time,

  And with whom it you spend.

  For endings are inevitable,

  And beginnings mark the end.

  Seventeen: The Long Goodbye

  “Where am I?”

  My body ached. A loud whirling sound in my ears made my head throb.

  “She’s awake everybody. Kid's awake!” Jet rushed to my side.

  Through blurred vision, I could see that I was laid on the floor of a makeshift tent. My eyes adjusted to the familiar friendly faces.

  “Where are we?”

  “The Outer Limits. How are you feeling?" Sal asked.

  “I'm not going to lie, I've felt better.” I croaked.

  “You’re unfuzzable!” Jet said excitedly, “You took the full blast from General Grey’s gun and nothing! It just bounced off you.”

  “Thanks, Jet, but I can't take credit for stopping the bullet. It was this.”

  I fished out the crystal on the shoelace.

  “The gamma ray struck it, instead of me. Lady Zono made me promise to wear it at all times; now I'm glad I did. She protected me with one of her magical crystals.”

  Th
e Res peered at me with his sharky grin, “I thought I was coming to rescue you, but you ended up saving my life.”

  I smiled sheepishly, “I'm glad you came with the Urbanites. Without you, we wouldn't have made it out of Sub Zero alive.”

  “Zero will never be the same again.” Skye whispered.

  “I know. I feel so terrible for what the Authorities did there hunting for me.”

  “No, it's not that. The Tachions were incredible. They finally fought back!”

  “What?”

  “Yep,” Skye beamed proudly, “I never thought I'd ever witness so many Tachions harnessing their powers.”

  “I wish you had seen it, Kid, the battle in Zero was epic,” Jet said. “The Elite Militia retreated! Their guns and weapons were no match for Tachion power.”

  “All that the Tachions needed was the impetus for they did not know their worth. But now they have knowledge of their self, things in Sub Zero will never be the same again.” The Res said.

  “If all Tachions were ever to realise their powers, they would be unstoppable,” I said. “No one should ever be forced to play down their talents. They should be encouraged to use them wisely.”

  I turned to the members of the TL in the camp, “But remember, two wrongdoings can never make a right. Violence to those who oppress you is not the answer. There are other routes. Have the courage to find them because if you do, no one need ever feel lost in our world again.”

  The TL nodded in sombre agreement.

  Zen, a high-profile activist, spoke for the movement, “From this day forward the TL pledge an alliance with the underground dwellers and an allegiance to you and your crew, Keziah. I have never witnessed the bravery in the face of danger you all showed. And we will heed your words. This is my promise to you.”

  I smiled gratefully. The Prophecy had set our world alight, and change was on the horizon.

  ***

  “…I can’t believe you just said that.” Philippe looked at Cindy, shocked.

  School time was over, and they sat in the courtyard of FB on the Top Tables.

  It was unusual that Cindy had asked to meet Philippe alone, they only ever hung out together with other people around. He knew something had to be up, but he wasn’t expecting this.

  “It’s true! If I were Tachion, I would be part of the liberation movement.”

  “How can you even say that? You’re an archetypal Code Type. They want to destroy people like you.”

  While on the run from the Authorities, Philippe had spent time in Zero. The Tachions had treated him kindly, but one thing he knew for sure was that there was no love lost between Tachions and Code Types.

  “Not destroy, just be on a level playing field. I’d fuzz a few for equality.”

  “You don't know what you're saying Cinds.” This conversation was making him uncomfortable.

  “Yes, I do!” She squeaked, “I’m never taken seriously because of the way I look. But I have opinions too. Gosh! No one understands my PGP.”

  “What’s PGP?”

  “Pretty Girl Problems.”

  Philippe glanced at Cindy sideways, and a chill ran up his spine. Her smile was plastered across her face so broadly it just didn't add up with what she was saying. She looked pained, not pleasant.

  “I never knew you felt like that. I thought you loved being an AE.”

  “I hate it,” Cindy said flatly. “I mean look at how the Gold Star Code Types like me treat people different from them like you.”

  The muscles on Philippe's face rippled. No matter how hard he tried to assimilate, in the presence of Code Types, he always felt insecure. From the stares of strangers in the streets to the jeers from the jocks and his own parents’ prejudice, Philippe was always judged by the Types.

  “I don't see it like that,” Philippe said masking his feelings.

  “Well if I were you I would, like, totally support the TL all the way. I mean if you won't take a stand for Tachion rights, why would you expect anybody else to?”

  Philippe's muscles tensed.

  “I've got to go Cinds.” He stood up to leave.

  “Why what did I say?” She blinked.

  “Nothing. It's just that I don't know anymore. I don't know what everyone wants from me. I stand out here on the Upper Worlds, and I don't fit in Sub Zero. Where am I meant to go? Who am I supposed to be?”

  Cindy jumped to her feet to comfort him.

  “I didn't mean to upset you,” she said softly.

  “It’s ok, Cinds. I guess I just have to figure out where I belong.”

  Looking into her face, which was the same as the girl he loved, calmed him.

  “And what about you?”

  “Oh, like, I know where I'm supposed to fit in. I’m just not wiling to conform anymore.”

  They looked off in silence at the perfectly lined purple carnations in the forecourt. As the auburn and yellow leaves blew blissfully in the wind, they both knew that their lives were about to take an extremely different course and FB was behind them forever.

  ***

  Sal looked up from the potion she was mixing, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Yes. I didn’t send Skye into dangerous territory to get this stuff and not make use of it.”

  “But you’ve never Capsed before. You don’t know what it will do to you.”

  “I have to see my parents and the only way I can do so is in disguise, so please let me have it."

  Sal looked to The Res for back up, the only authority she believed could even try to challenge Kid. The Res stopped chugging on his pipe and blew blue smoke into the night air.

  “If Keziah says she’s seen the future then she has to do what she has to do.”

  “But Capsing can be really dangerous for a first timer,” Sal said hoping to win The Res over to her way of thinking.

  “Then you better make sure you get the levels right.” The Res boomed sternly.

  Sal got back to work, carefully adjusting the chemicals in her potion.

  “Now I must return to my city. There are matters underground that require my immediate attention. Jahni and Pepo are my most skilled riders, and they will take you home. After that, you are on your own. As The Prophecy states, only the Soul Survivor can capture the three-eyed beast, only you know what you have to do.”

  I nodded, thankful that The Res respected my choices.

  “You have discovered your purpose, the sole reason why you are alive. Stay focused and finish the job you came to do.”

  The Res extended his balled up hand to me, signifying the ultimate respect. I was honoured and quickly bumped his fist.

  “Until we meet again.” The Res bowed with his hand across his chest before disappearing into the darkness.

  I looked wistfully after The Res. A lump formed in my throat. I had a sinking feeling that I would never see him again.

  Sal tapped me gently on the shoulder and held up the mixed solution, “It’s ready.”

  ***

  “Nightfall.” Brad instructed, clicking his fingers.

  On command, a myriad of twinkling stars appeared in the moonlit sky. A hundred-foot screen showed the latest blockbuster movie. Brad and Mindy were the only ones at the drive-in, parked in his convertible cruiser.

  “Now we can really get comfortable,” Brad said, gently manoeuvring Mindy towards him.

  “Daylight!” Mindy said quickly, and the scene overhead changed to a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds sailing sleepily across it.

  She didn't feel romantic. But Brad didn’t get the message.

  “Nightfall.” Brad instructed again, and the stars reappeared.

  He held Mindy’s hands staring longingly into her beautiful face.

  “Minds so much has gone on over the past few weeks, but I’m so glad we’ve got each other. I would do anything for you. I don’t care about anything else as long as I have you. I just want to tell you that - ”

  “Braddy, not now.” Mindy interrupted him.

 
She feared he wanted to say those three special words to her, but she didn't want to hear it, not from him anyway. She had been trying to avoid this talk for a long time, but here, in a deserted drive-in, there was no escape.

  “Daylight.” Brad said, and the clouds reappeared. He wanted to see Mindy properly when he spoke the words from his heart.

  “I can’t keep it to myself anymore. We’re special. We’re perfect together. Even your mother says we were made for one another. Things couldn't have turned out any better.”

  “Brad! Like, how can you say that after all the terrible things that have happened?”

  “Of course I'm not happy that Wain was fuzzed. Or that Kid is a delusional enemy of the state.”

  “We don’t even know that to be true."

  “Hush. Let’s not speak about them. I don’t care about them. I would have traded the whole lot of them in for you. I love you. I have always loved you and will always love you, more than you could ever know.”

  There it was, he had said it, and the words made Mindy’s stomach churn. How could she profess the truth that she was in love with someone else, someone unsuitable for her? Someone who her mother despised and the rest of her world viewed as a genetic misfit. How could she explain to the hunk before her that if she could live her life the way she chose she would be with Philippe, instead of him. She wanted to say all of those things, but she couldn’t. She was a Gold Star Code Type, and she had to adhere to the Upper Worlds conventions. Here her life was predetermined to follow a path and this path led her right into Brad’s arms, forever.

  “Nightfall.” Mindy instructed, and the stars once again sparkled above.

  The weirdest sensation came over her. She had only ever felt it once before. But now she realised it was a feeling that was here to stay. She was relieved to be enveloped in the darkness because the shadows hid the solitary tear that slid from her eye and rolled down her cheek.

  ***

  “Kid, you can’t drink it all at once, it will give you a crazy head rush,” Sal said nervously. “Actually,” she took a beaker from the ground and poured half of the solution into it. “It’s better this way, less potent, shorter lasting effects.”