Time Catcher

by Cheree Peters

  This piques my interest. I wonder if Jay’s capture will be mentioned.

  Duncan is reeling off the day’s schedule but my mind is focused on how to procure the keys and search the cabinets. I subtly raise my left arm and rest it on the arm of the chair, facing my palm toward Duncan.

  Concentrate, Thea.

  Tense, my eyes start closing like they did the last time I used my Ability, but I force them open. Jay is not here this time to tell me if it works.

  The strain of concentrating must be showing because Duncan asks, ‘Althea, really, are you experiencing seizures this morning, darling?’

  His concern makes me more determined to succeed. You are a liar, I think. You are not my father. His face freezes in that concerned expression.

  My wrist tingling, I jump up and swipe the keys from the desk, swiftly unlocking the tall filing cabinet in the corner. I hear Jacqueline shuffle outside and I pause with my hand on a drawer handle. My eyes turn to the grandfather clock by the cabinet; the second hands tick by. Time is still moving, only Duncan is frozen. Interesting. It seems my Ability has multiple layers.

  I slide the first drawer open and find delegate reports concerning their Quarters. The lower drawers contain only useless information; typewritten armament reports, factory schedules, a handwritten letter. I pick a few documents from each file, including the handwritten letter, and fold them into my tapestry satchel.

  Kneeling to open the smaller cabinet under the desk, I am careful not to touch Duncan in case physical contact causes him to unfreeze. I still know so little about my Ability. As the locks click open, my heart beats faster. I flip through the tabs of each section, unsure what I am looking for. I am about to move on to the second drawer when I go back and look at the tab which reads ‘The Heir’. The file must be about me. Who else could be the Heir?

  The first page is a letter to Duncan.

  Duncan,

  Progress on the Heir is moving slowly but steadily. The cloaking elixir is successfully submerging her memories but it will take time for her to forget her past entirely, perhaps six months or so. Every few days fragments resurface, most relating to her family. I have my best scientist working on making the elixir more effective for longer periods. I am confident that soon the elixir will only need to be administered daily, instead of on the hour.

  As yet, we have not been able to ascertain that the Heir holds an Ability but we continue to conduct tests. However, as the Heir is twelve and most Manipulators manifest their Abilities by eight or nine, perhaps you are correct that the Heir is uninfected.

  I have been unable to extract information concerning . . .

  Jacqueline’s cackle penetrates the office door. Then I hear Harries’ low voice, here for the security report but distracted by the flirtatious Jacqueline.

  I glance at Duncan, who is still frozen in his worried look. I stuff the folder into the satchel, fastening the button closure with difficulty. I’ll have left the kingdom by the time Duncan notices ‘The Heir’ file is missing.

  I hastily lock the cabinet and throw the keys back on the desk. Back in my chair, I am face-to-face with a major problem. Duncan. How will I explain the unmoving form of my so-called father? How do I unfreeze him? I raise my hand and point it at Duncan, imploring time to begin.

  Without realising, my eyes are closed.

  I hear Harries enter the room. ‘Morning, Your Majesty, Princess.’

  I open my eyes. Duncan is still staring at me. It didn’t work and now Harries is going to notice that Duncan is unusually still. My hands start to shake.

  ‘A moment, Harries. Althea, please answer the question.’

  Never in my life have I felt such relief. I did it!

  What was his question before I froze him? ‘Sorry, Father, what did you ask me?’

  ‘Are you quite well?’

  ‘Oh, yes, yes, of course. I am nervous because I do not want to disappoint you.’

  ‘Do not concern yourself, darling. Today is about learning.’

  Yes, today is about learning. Learning exactly where Jay is. ‘Yes, Father.’

  His attention turns to Harries. ‘You are early, Harries.’

  ‘Ah, no, sire. Right on time, I believe.’

  Duncan’s head swivels to the grandfather clock and he shakes his head. ‘Indeed.’

  I clench my fists, feeling a bead of sweat at my hairline.

  Harries takes a seat next to me, gives me a brief smile, and begins his report. I wonder if he has deliberately tailored the report for me. He is only mentioning boring things: a robbery in the markets, a beating in the West Quarter. He says nothing about the capture of a Manipulator. The only item of slight interests is the North Empire’s troop movement – they are marching further south, towards the kingdom. Hopefully Eli, Jay and I don’t run into them as we escape.

  Duncan takes over, outlining today’s schedule once again. Tedious meetings with delegates are scheduled throughout the morning, but my father’s plans for the afternoon catch my attention. ‘And you get your wish, Althea,’ he says with a smile. ‘We will be paying a visit to the Jasper Institute.’

  ‘How kind of you, Father.’ I slouch back in my seat, trying not to show too much enthusiasm.

  ‘Your suggestion was quite opportune as I need to speak with the scientists, and you are due for your quarterly tests with Dr Kelvin.’

  ‘But why do I need more tests? They never show anything or fix my . . . seizures. And Dr Kelvin took tests after the parade.’ My panic rises and I feel an almost irresistible desire to scratch my tingling wrist. Surely blood tests won’t reveal my Token.

  ‘We must constantly monitor your health, darling. Your condition can change at any moment, Althea, as you know. Your seizures improved four years ago, we want to ensure they do not become worse.’

  I don’t argue further. If getting into the Jasper Institute means more needles will be stuck into me, then so be it. Little does Duncan know that I am not the only one being tested.

  The morning moves slowly. Each delegate meeting around the marble-topped conference table seems to drag on longer than the last. Every few minutes my eyes wander to the grandfather clock. If only I could speed up time.

  I am daydreaming when the last delegate comes in for the weekly meeting.

  Duncan’s voice jolts me awake. ‘Althea.’

  The delegate’s hand is outstretched, waiting to receive mine – Finn’s mother.

  ‘Althea, a pleasure to see you in this capacity. One day all of this will be yours.’ She smiles. ‘It is lovely to see you learning from your father as Finn is from me. I hope you can rule half as well as he does.’ Her voice is sweet but her eyes are cold. She can’t be happy with me breaking things off with Finn.

  I feel a twang of guilt as I reply, ‘A pleasure to see you too, Delegate Donoghue.’

  She has always treated me kindly, because I was the king’s daughter or because I was her son’s sweetheart, I don’t know. Watching her spread her reports on the table before her, I wonder if she knows who I really am. Was Finn pretending all this time, too?

  I feel my mind drifting – but this time because of heartache. I was in love with Finn. Regardless of everything else that was false in my life, I know that was real. At least it was for me.

  Why did Duncan meet with Finn on the balcony? Were they arguing about me? No, Finn mentioned the ‘Impure’ – Jay. Finn knows something, even if he doesn’t know about me. I’m annoyed at myself for doubting Finn’s intentions, but now I must doubt everyone. No one is safe from suspicion, even Finn and Tahan. Anyone and everyone could be part of ‘The Heir’ program.

  My attention is snapped back when Delegate Donoghue says, ‘Moving on to the breach of the Rampart in the north-west. A temporary barrier covers the hole.’

  ‘Excellent news.’

  I lean forward. ‘What is wrong with the Rampart?’

  ‘Nothing for you to worry about, darling.’

  ‘I thought I was meant to be learning, Father.�
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  Delegate Donoghue looks at me speculatively before Duncan replies, ‘You are learning, Althea, now please let Delegate Donoghue continue.’

  I lean back, hiding my annoyance. Jay probably tried to escape through the hole but they must have already known about it. Finn said they were having problems with the Rampart. Jay never stood a chance.

  As it turns out, I do know where the Jasper Institute is. I just never knew that it was the Jasper Institute. I always thought it was part of the medical ward in the North-east Quarter, but although it is situated directly next to the ward, the large building is separate. The inside is decorated completely in white. The gleaming white ceramic tiles on the floor reflect the white lights shining down from the ceiling. The sterile white walls don’t have anything on them, not even a clock. We are waved through the security checkpoint and head straight to the white stairwell and the building directory.

  G – Lobby

  1 – Applied Science

  2 – Electronics

  3 – Testing

  4 – Laboratories

  5 – Bio Chemicals

  6 – Experiments.

  I was foolishly expecting one of the floors to say ‘The Chamber’. Which floor would most likely house this chamber? I decide it must be on the top floor, Experiments. After what Eli has said, the scientists are probably experimenting on Jay, testing his Ability.

  We troop up the stairs, my full satchel bumping against my thigh, and we step out onto level three, the testing floor. A scientist comes to meet us, bowing to Duncan and me. ‘Your Majesty, Your Highness, welcome to the Jasper Institute. We have reserved a room for you.’

  ‘Thank you, Dr Bouchard.’

  The rigid, high collar of his light-grey medical coat barely bends as Dr Bouchard bows his head. ‘If you’ll follow me.’

  As we pass, people bow their heads over their work. No one dares look Duncan in the eye.

  ‘As you can see,’ Dr Bouchard explains, ‘the Testing floor is split in half. We have our testing rooms on the left while the right houses our work stations.’

  I look through the glass walls of the testing rooms at machines I’ve never seen before. Each work station is plain with a wooden desk and stool, separated from the others by a white partition. Harries gently guides me forward with a hand on my back. We reach the end of the floor and enter a glass-walled room in the corner. Dr Kelvin stands beside a metal stool, a tray of vials and needles on the only desk.

  I am used to the needles. Tahan squirms if she is in the room when Dr Kelvin runs tests on me. She’s never understood how I can be so calm about them jabbing me. If only she were here to witness how terrified I am. My nerves rise along with the hairs on my arms.

  ‘Good afternoon,’ Dr Kelvin says, ushering me onto the stool. Her gentle face doesn’t calm me. ‘Are you well?’

  I compose myself before answering, ‘Yes, thank you, and yourself? How is little Tamika?’

  She prepares a needle as she replies, ‘She is very well, thank you! She’s a bit sad because one of her friends was caught in the riots by the factories–’ she stops abruptly, glancing at Duncan. ‘But never mind that. You’re here for your quarterly tests. Shall we begin?’

  After all the years of her poking and prodding me with needles, I am scared. ‘Sure.’

  The scientists and Duncan have been using my Variant blood for their experiments to create the disabling serum for all these years, and I finally know it. The thought of allowing them to do even one more test makes me want to run screaming out of the building. But Jay keeps me seated. I have to find him.

  Duncan and Harries leave. It’s just me and Dr Kelvin, with two sentinels waiting outside the room. While my attention is distracted, Dr Kelvin jabs the needle into my skin. My blood fills the needle. It is red, like anyone else’s, and yet it holds these special genes they’re so interested in. All these years the truth has been hidden from me, but the truth has always been under the surface; in my memories and in my blood.

  ‘What riots were you talking about?’

  Dr Kelvin turns away as she empties the needle’s contents into a vial. ‘Oh, nothing, Your Highness, just a little tussle between the factory workers and the sentinels. Nothing to worry about.’

  Before I can ask more, Duncan re-enters, looking pleased.

  ‘You seem happy, Father.’

  ‘The progress of the disabling serum is advancing ahead of schedule. An experiment has yielded unforeseen, but gladdening, results.’

  ‘What experiment? What results?’

  ‘It is too complicated to explain, darling. In all the years I have been involved in this project, we have never made this much progress.’ Definitely not good. ‘Now, we shall tour the lower floors.’ He stands by the door and gestures me to go ahead.

  ‘What about the rest of this floor?’

  ‘The Testing floor is rather dull, Althea,’ he says with a grin. ‘There is no need to concern yourself with the particulars of what transpires here, darling.’

  I am concerned. Concerned for Jay. Concerned for me. Concerned for what new development has occurred and what it means for us. For the Variants.

  The Applied Science floor looks like organised chaos. Two young men in faded black slacks and half-untucked button-down shirts negotiate the bits of scrap metal strewn across the tables and the floor. A little older than me, the young men look exactly the same, with dark skin and short black hair – except one wears a pair of black-rimmed glasses while the other has a smudge across the left side of his face.

  The one with the smudge speaks, ‘Mr Cardiff–’

  The other interrupts him, ‘He means Your Majesty, sire.’

  ‘Yes, of course. Mr Sire. We have a new invention we’d love you to test.’

  Duncan looks at them with a combination of irritation and amusement. ‘Is that so, boys? I am sure my daughter is intrigued to see what you have come up with this time.’

  The twins look at me, excited. ‘Oh, miss, what an honour to meet you!’ The smudged one extends his greasy hand. His joyful attitude makes me smile and I gladly shake his hand. ‘I’m Bennet.’

  ‘A pleasure to meet you.’

  The other brother extends his hand, without a speck of dirt or grease on it. ‘I’m Darcy, Your Highness, and apologies for my filthy brother.’

  Duncan interjects, ‘Please, boys, show us your invention.’

  Bennet and Darcy take up position behind their workbench, on which lies some sort of bulky vest.

  Darcy’s face is more controlled than his brother’s, but I see a hint of excitement in his eyes. ‘As you are aware, Your Majesty, we’ve been tasked with coming up with new products for entertainment, something attractive to the young folk.’

  ‘Brother, if you would be so kind,’ Bennet says.

  Darcy pulls the vest over his head. The black vest has hulking shoulders and some of the plastic material on the chest looks almost transparent. He scratches at his wrist absent-mindedly before flicking a switch on the side of the vest. Neon blue flashes on the shoulders and around the waist.

  Bennet reaches under the workbench and pulls out a thick, plastic object that looks like a blockier version of a maserlock. Out of the corner of my eye I see Harries step forward, then step back when he sees that the maserlock is fake.

  ‘We call this a “gun”, sire,’ Bennet says, ‘from an old world word for a type of maserlock.’ Like Darcy before him, Bennet flicks a switch on the side of the gun and it lights up. It has a smaller neon red light on top with a red laser shooting from the tip. Bennet takes a few steps back. ‘The aim of the game, sire, is to “tag” your opponent by using the laser light to shoot the glowing targets on the vest.’ Bennet pulls the trigger and the laser flashes. Upon the laser connecting with the lights in Darcy’s vest, they begin to flash and dim.

  ‘We plan on making a bunch of them so people can play in teams, Your Majesty,’ Darcy says with a smile.

  ‘I see. And you think it is wise to have the children
on our streets playing with “guns”, almost like they are the sentinels tasked to protect them?’

  The brothers’ mirrored smiles drop and they look at each other. ‘They’re not maserlocks, sire. They’re toys, with flashing lights! The kids will love them!’

  ‘Boys, I have given you the opportunity to work in this facility, with resources any scientist dreams of, and this is what you come up with? Flashing lights and maserlocks that will cause mayhem for my sentinels?’

  Darcy, more level-headed than his brother, says, ‘Sorry, Your Majesty, we didn’t mean to offend you. We were just trying to come up with something exciting for the kids that wasn’t a ball to kick around.’

  Duncan looks at them with disdain. I feel sorry for the twins. They seem so excited by their invention.

  ‘Perhaps,’ Darcy continues, ‘we can find something to invent more to your satisfaction. Something more serious.’

  ‘Indeed.’

  Duncan walks away. I follow, glancing back at the young men. Darcy sullenly takes off the vest while Bennet sits, looking down sadly at the toy gun in his hands. ‘Cack,’ I hear him say.

  The next bench we visit has something to do with an electricity system. I don’t pay much attention until a spark appears and the flashing electricity board explodes. Startled, I step back. Duncan jumps a couple of metres back while Harries and the other sentinel cover him.

  Harries steps towards the smoking board. ‘What happened?’

  The horrified scientist utters a bumbling response but Duncan is distracted when a sentinel approaches and whispers in his ear. His eyes light up. With excitement or worry, I cannot tell.

  ‘Althea, darling, there is a matter that requires my immediate attention. Please wait here until I return.’

  Duncan walks toward the stairs, two sentinels falling in behind, leaving me alone with Harries. I rush to the stairwell, looking down at Duncan. ‘Can I come with you?’

  ‘No, you may not. You are not to leave this floor.’ Duncan’s stern voice echoes up to me.