The ARC 01: Tainted

by Alexandra Moody

  ‘I was just flicking while I waited,’ he says, somewhat embarrassed.

  A picture of the barren surface covers the front of the book. It makes me sad to think all those beautiful places I’d just seen in class have been lost.

  ‘Sebastian, you can’t keep looking through these books hoping to find a mistake in them. We all know there’s nothing up there anymore.’

  ‘What about the stars Elle? Like you said, there has to be a reason they’re covering it up.’

  ‘It was probably a freak occurrence and they don’t want people to get false hope. Look at the way you’ve reacted. You’re straight back to believing there’s something up there.’

  He shakes his head passionately. ‘That’s not true. I’ve always thought there was more up there than the wastes we see on our screens. The Earth is huge, and I don’t believe that one asteroid alone could take everything out.’

  I groan, frustrated. ‘You know it didn’t. It was the impact winter that did most of the damage.’

  He sits there thinking for a moment. ‘Well there has to be something up there,’ he replies quietly. ‘How else will I be able to find Mum and April?’ There is absolute loss and agony in his voice as he says this, and it takes everything in me not to say the easy, reassuring answer: that of course there’s life up there; that his mum and April are living happily on the surface.

  ‘Sebastian, you know I want them to be alive more than anything, but you’ve seen the live feeds. Even if for a brief moment the clouds opened and the stars were seen, it doesn’t mean it’s any different up there. If it were, why would they lie to us? Why wouldn’t we be back living above ground? It just doesn’t make sense!’

  ‘Yeah, you’re right,’ he responds, his shoulders slouching in defeat. ‘I guess it’s just that I still miss them, and there’s a part of me that has to believe there’s something more than this.’ He waves his arms around the room.

  ‘I know, me too.’ I walk over to the wall and slide down next to him. ‘You know, just because there’s nothing up there, doesn’t mean they’re not somewhere safe.’

  There’s no way of knowing where they are, so we can only ever speculate. I watch his face, as he stares thoughtfully at the far end of the archive room. He then turns to me, his face now only inches away, his blue eyes looking deeply into mine.

  ‘We’re older now. Safe or not, I don’t think I could just stay here and allow you to be taken away from me. If they took you from me I would come for you,’ he whispers intensely.

  I stare back at him, shocked. It’s such a controversial thing to think, let alone say aloud. People are quarantined for a reason. If he came after me, he’d surely become tainted too.

  As I look into his eyes I can see his determination and resolve. He won’t have another person taken away from him. His face begins to drop when I don’t respond and he goes to look away. I lightly take a hold of his chin and pull it back so he looks me in the eye.

  ‘I don’t think I could just let you go either. I’d come for you too,’ I whisper back.

  He beams in response, but his eyes are fierce, as though he’d take on every person in the ARC to keep me safe.

  ‘Promise?’ he says.

  ‘Promise.’

  He laughs to lighten the mood and then focuses down on the book in his hands. ‘I’ve been wanting to talk to you about something,’ he says, refusing to look at me.

  ‘You have?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Well—what is it?’ I ask when he doesn’t continue.

  A frown crosses his face. ‘It’s about us,’ he starts uneasily.

  ‘Okay…’ I laugh uncomfortably. Where the hell is he going with this?

  ‘Do you remember a few weeks ago when that massive group of us met in the rec room late at night?’

  ‘The night we played spin the bottle?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘What about it?’ I ask. My heart is thumping so loudly I begin to worry he can hear it. I think I know what he wants to talk about and I have a sudden wish to just disappear.

  ‘I wanted to ask you why you refused to kiss me when it landed on us?’

  I freeze, feeling completely unsure how to respond. I don’t even know why I refused to at the time. I acted like a complete idiot that night and the last thing I want to do is relive it.

  ‘I guess because you’re my best friend,’ I say. ‘I can’t kiss you and risk losing that.’

  ‘It was just a stupid kiss,’ he mutters.

  I shrug and refuse to talk about it any further. The whole thing was embarrassing then and it’s just as embarrassing for me now.

  He watches me cautiously. ‘Don’t you want to why I’m—’

  ‘Oh, I nearly forgot. Your surprise.’ I cut him off. I pull my bag onto my lap and start to forage through it.

  ‘Elle, I think I should tell—‘

  ‘Do you want your surprise or not?’ I ask him.

  He sighs and nods. I don’t know why he’d want to dwell on that night anyway.

  ‘Now close your eyes. Put out your hands. And ta da!’ He opens his eyes and his face lights up.

  ‘Strawberries!’ he exclaims. ‘But how did you—’ He stops mid-sentence, a scowl crossing his face. ‘You went to the Plantation again.’ His words are an accusation rather than a question.

  ‘It’s not like you haven’t done it before.’

  ‘I know, but I thought we’d both agreed to stop. It’s dangerous.’ Pretty rich coming from a guy who had me break into the Council Chambers, not even 24 hours earlier.

  ‘It was fine.’ I try to reassure him, but he looks so worried.

  He goes quiet for several minutes and I wait silently for his anger to subside. When he does speak again, disappointment is rife in his voice. ‘You went with him again. Didn’t you?’ he says.

  I have no idea what he’s talking about so I wait for him to explain.

  ‘Ryan. You met him in the Plantation again.’

  ‘Yes. And?’ I reply, confused. I don’t know why it’s such a big deal.

  ‘He’s old! You shouldn’t hang out with him.’

  ‘He’s not that old,’ I counter. He’s totally too old to hang out with, but there’s no way I’m letting Sebastian know I agree with him. I stand and swing my bag onto my shoulder. ‘You know what, I should probably go get some lunch. You coming?’

  Sebastian glances down at the book closed on the floor next to him. ‘Nah, I have a few things I want to check up on in the library. I’ll see you later.’

  Sebastian’s behaviour is worrying me, yet I leave him to his ‘things’ in the library. I am still mulling over why he’s acting so strange when I reach the school dining hall. I’m so worried about Sebastian, it takes me a minute to realise everyone is quiet. Not quite silent but they are all muttering in hushed voices to each other. Something is definitely up.

  I grab a tray and line up to get some food. I peer around as I wait, attempting to figure out what’s going on. Kate stands in line in front of me chatting dramatically to a couple of her friends. I take a step closer and try to overhear what she’s saying. I manage to catch the end of a sentence.

  ‘…had been mixing with the wrong people. So I guess who knows?’ she says. Kate’s good at commanding her audience. She lets that settle over the girls before she continues. ‘And to think I saw her out in the foyer just before talking to Sebastian.’

  ‘What did she look like?’ one of the enthralled girls asks.

  ‘Oh, well, you could definitely tell the girl was sick. She was sweating all over and, to be honest, I thought she was about to faint. I guess she was really nervous about her testing?’ The girls both nod in agreement. ‘But to think,’ she pauses for dramatic effect, ‘she was tainted!’ The two girls gasp.

  ‘Sorry,’ I interrupt. ‘Kate, who are you talking about? What’s happened?’

  ‘Oh Elle.’ She turns to me and recoils like there’s a bad smell under her nose. ‘Have you been sitting under a rock all lunc
h?’

  I ignore her jab at me. ‘What’s happened?’ I repeat.

  ‘Chelsea Turner,’ she says, with a cruel snigger. ‘She’s been taken.’

  CHAPTER TEN

  We’ve always been told taking people is a necessary evil. They’re sick and are unable to stay here because it threatens the safety of everyone else in the ARC.

  No one knows why it affects some people and not others. All the Council will tell us is people become sick because of the new element brought to earth by the asteroid.

  There were protests in the beginning, when people first started disappearing, but it rarely happens now. There are stories about the brutal things the Council did to make sure people complied. I’m not certain I believe the rumours are true though.

  They tell us taking the tainted away is for their own good. I personally like to believe people who are taken live in the top levels of the ARC. We can’t access the top floors, so it makes sense. I guess that’s why I’ve always been fascinated by trying to make out the figures that wander across the walkways high above the Atrium.

  Maybe I’m naive to believe they’re still alive, but my gut tells me the tainted are okay.

  It has been ages since anyone from the ARC has been taken, and even longer since anyone from school has been taken. The morose atmosphere that seems to descend on the ARC when someone is found tainted is inescapable and all encompassing.

  Classes are cancelled for the rest of the day, and students are invited to visit with the school therapist. The therapy sessions are a total waste of time, but they’re mandatory for anyone close to someone who is taken.

  As I leave the dining hall I see Sebastian exiting the library at the same time. There’s pain so transparent in his eyes and his shoulders are hunched over as though his backpack weighs a thousand tonnes.

  He doesn’t notice me as he slowly turns to leave school. I take a step forward to follow him, to see if he’s okay, but the look I saw on his face makes me hesitate. He disappears around the corner before I can make up my mind.

  ‘Are you alright Elle?’ I turn around to see Gemma coming up behind me. Her face is pale and, like most people who pass me in the foyer, she looks worried.

  ‘Oh,’ I scratch my head, ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Have you heard?’ she asks, swallowing tightly, as though dreading the idea of repeating what’s happened.

  I nod in response. ‘I can’t believe it. No one’s been taken in six months.’

  ‘Has it really been that long? Poor Chelsea,’ she says, causing a group of girls to burst into tears as they walk past and hear her name.

  ‘Let’s go to the sports centre,’ I suggest. ‘I doubt anyone would be in there right now.’

  As we walk to the gym I become frustrated and annoyed by how shallow most of the kids around me are. I understand Chelsea’s friends must be grieving, but half the students I come across are gossiping, the other half are acting devastated, despite never knowing her.

  I can feel my teeth clenching as we walk past a large group of younger girls. One particularly obnoxious girl laughs as she says, ‘I always knew there was something wrong about her…’

  Gemma firmly grabs my arm and tugs me away from the group as I turn to give the girl a piece of my mind. I may not have known Chelsea, but she definitely doesn’t deserve being talked about with such disrespect.

  ‘Elle, don’t…’ Gemma warns as she firmly marches me away. I relax my shoulders and allow her to steer me around another group of students, who are huddled together, comforting each other.

  Finally we arrive at the gym. I begin to relax as we enter the large, empty space. Gemma insists we sit on the trampolines and as soon as we sit down, and I allow the gentle bouncing momentum to rock me, I can see the appeal. It’s soothing and all my muscles slacken as I allow myself to unwind.

  ‘Intense day,’ Gemma says, while she scoops her dark blonde hair back into a ponytail. ‘I barely knew the girl. Still, I wouldn’t want to be in her place right now.’ She lies back and stares at the ceiling. ‘Did you know her well?’

  ‘I’ve seen her face around, but I wouldn’t say I knew her,’ I admit. ‘I saw her talking to Sebastian this morning. I think they were friends.’ I try not to sound like that troubles me, but I’m worried about how he’s coping after seeing him looking so sad before. ‘I really hope he’s not taking it too hard.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it Elle, I’m sure he’s fine.’ she says.

  I try to feel reassured by what she’s said, but it makes me want to check in on him even more.

  ‘Did you hear about the dance?’ Gemma asks.

  ‘What about it?’

  ‘They’re moving it up to this Saturday!’ she says, unable to keep the excitement from her voice. ‘There was a notice on the board about it at lunch. They must have decided it would be a good pick-me-up for the students after what’s happened with Chelsea. I mean, it has been so long since anyone’s been taken, it’s really shaken everyone up.’ She pauses, thinking. ‘I just hope I don’t end up in something as bad as what I wore last time!’

  I nod sympathetically. Gemma’s outfit at the last dance had been pretty atrocious. It was some gaudy number with sequins all over it. Mine hadn’t been too bad, a simple blue dress. Of course Kate had managed to wear the most amazing outfit. A red, backless dress that had all the boys drooling. Then again, she’s a councilman’s daughter and has resources far beyond those of the school costume room.

  ‘You really had no chance of getting a good one with that unfair detention. It’s seriously not your fault,’ I say. ‘Don’t even worry about your outfit for a second. I will personally make certain we find you a good one this time!’

  She seems slightly encouraged by this.

  I’m about to start scheming on how we can make certain we are the first in line tomorrow after school, when we hear a mixture of boys voices and the slapping of balls against the floor in the courts next door to the gym.

  We both tilt our heads attempting to put names to voices, but are unable to make out what boys are there. I shrug my shoulders at Gemma and relax back on the trampoline. I’m not really bothered about knowing who’s next door, but she seems to have different ideas. She hops off the trampoline and starts walking towards the door. As she nears, she turns and waves me over.

  ‘Fine,’ I whisper back to her. I don’t even know why I’m whispering. I really don’t care what boys are in the sports centre. She probably wants to know if it’s Cam.

  We both walk quietly to the gymnasium door. From here we can make out everything they say. I still have no idea who it is, but Gemma seems seriously intrigued.

  I am leaning against the wall, my arms crossed against my body, when my ears perk up. I’ve just heard Sebastian’s name.

  ‘The kid was devastated when I told him about Chelsea,’ one of the guys says.

  ‘Well, do you blame him?’ another responds. ‘I would be too…’

  I hold my breath, not daring to move. Gemma looks at me, concern crossing her face as I feel the blood drain from mine. Why is Sebastian so upset about Chelsea being taken?

  My cuff vibrates with an incoming comm from Sebastian. I don’t want to talk to him right now though, so I ignore it. Instead, I turn to Gemma and quietly tell her I’m leaving.

  The guys are still chatting about Sebastian, but I tune them out. I’m not sure I want to know why Sebastian is devastated about Chelsea. The thought that something could have been going on between them leaves me feeling empty inside.

  When I turn down my corridor I find Sebastian sitting by my door. He’s leaning his back against it and staring up at the flickering light bulb that hangs precariously from the ceiling. His eyes seem deep in thought and my stomach clenches when I guess he’s thinking of Chelsea.

  ‘You didn’t answer my comm,’ he accuses as I approach.

  I shrug and search my pockets for my swipe key. ‘I was busy.’ I try to avoid looking at him as I move past him to the door. The lock happily
beeps and the door to my quarters opens.

  ‘Are you too busy to talk now?’ he asks, standing just inside the doorway, leaning against the frame.

  My bag lands loudly on the floor as I drop it down, and I take a deep breath before turning back to him. ‘No. Now’s okay. What’s up?’

  He checks up and down the hallway before entering the room, closing the door behind him. ‘I’ve been thinking a lot about what we heard last night. I want to know more about what they’re hiding from us. It’s clear they’re keeping so many secrets and I think it’s about time we knew the truth about the tainted.’

  I sit down on my bed and cross my legs, pulling my hair to one side so I can play with its ends. I’ve also been thinking about last night all day and I want to know more too, but it’s risky to keep breaking the rules in search of more information. Especially when the truth may make no difference anyway. ‘We already know too much and I don’t want to get into trouble senselessly searching for more information. I wouldn’t even know where to start.’

  Sebastian sits on Quinn’s bed, all the while watching me, his eyes cautious as though he’s evaluating me in some way. ‘I think I know a way to get to the top levels of the ARC,’ he says.

  ‘Yeah right.’

  ‘No really, I think I’ve found a way to the top of the ARC,’ he repeats.

  I stare at him, allowing his words to sink in. For as long as I can remember I’ve felt connected to the top levels of the ARC, like they have a magnetic pull over me. They’ve always seemed to elusively hold the answers I’ve searched for. Has he completely lost the plot though? There’s no way to get up there unless he plans to somehow scale the Atrium walls. Surely any plan he’s thought of is suicide.

  ‘Does she really mean that much to you?’ I finally ask.

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Chelsea. She’s the reason you’re doing this, isn’t she?’

  ‘What?’ he exclaims with disbelief. ‘Why would you ever think this is about Chelsea?’

  ‘Well, it’s only now she’s gone you’ve come up with this plan.’