Jane Doesn't Save the World

by Erin Grey

  44

  The bit where I escape

  With the examiners locked into my peripheral view, I coughed an answer. “Can’t—talk—now!”

  “Jane? Is that you?”

  Examiner Atropus looked at me with a frown, but was quickly distracted by something Examiner Ursa was saying.

  I coughed again, “Can’t! Talk! Now!” I thought for a second, then added. “Later!”

  “Are you quite well?” asked Examiner Atropus, and I nodded.

  “Something in my throat.” I pointed to it and grabbed the water at my side. “Water should clear it.”

  “She’s not alone. No, she can’t talk right now,” came Charis’ voice as she addressed an unknown party behind her. “Jane, ping me when it’s safe. I’ll be on permanent standby.”

  “Right,” I coughed and drank more water at Examiner Pero’s glare.

  “But an hour earlier and we could have recorded that entire incriminating discussion!” lamented Jasper. “We must tell Charis to record immediately she gains capability!”

  “She can’t talk to her now, smartarse,” said Sandy. “The Evil Trio over there will hear every word.”

  “What about Morse Code?” suggested Gwendolyn.

  “We don’t know Morse Code,” said Sandy.

  “Oh.” Gwendolyn sagged. “What about semaphore?”

  “That’s the use of flags, Birdbrain. Hardly less noticeable than talking.”

  “Go toylit,” said Emmy.

  “The child makes an excellent suggestion,” said Jasper. “Although a guard will escort you to the door, you will be allowed a modicum of privacy, assuredly enough to contact Charis.”

  The bathroom was the same size as the one in my cell, but at least it wasn’t a stall and the door shut properly.

  “Charis,” I called softly once I was safely ensconced. “Are you there?”

  There was a scuffling sound—she must have been reaching for the mic. “I’m here,” she answered. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “We had lost your signal completely! Then I got a ping out of nowhere—”

  “Thank goodness they didn’t remove the translator.”

  “They couldn’t—the translator is wired into your brain. They’d risk brain damage if they tried to remove it.”

  “Well, thank goodness they didn’t, then,” said Sandy.

  “I don’t have much time,” I said. “Can you still hear everything I hear?”

  “The software has reset somehow; I can only hear your voice right now. But I think I can install a module that will allow me to pick up more, as we set it to do before.”

  “And record? You can record everything I hear?”

  “If the module installs successfully, yes.”

  I puffed out all the air that was holding my shoulders taut at my ears. “Good. This whole thing is a lot bigger than we thought, Charis, and it’s bad, really bad. I need you to record what I’m hearing. I just hope we haven’t missed our chance. How are the guys? Aidon and Ric and Quirinus?”

  A worrying pause. “They’re alive. And Aidon has made it clear that our priority is to get you to the portal. We need details about your position—”

  The guard banged on the door. “I have to go,” I whispered. “I’ll tell you more tonight. Just start recording as soon as possible, ok?”

  Back in the examining room, the Examiners were frustratingly quiet about anything implicating. On the way back to my cell, I begged Examiner Atropus to take the long route back so I could see outside. When we paused at the small window that looked onto the purple grass between the building and perimeter fence, I tried to draw her out.

  “Am I the first human you’ve had here?” I asked in as nonchalant a tone as my acting skills allowed.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I caught her head jerk up, then carefully turn back to looking out of the window. “No,” she said. “There have been others.”

  “More than one? How did they get here? Through the portal below the building?”

  “Some did, yes. Why do you ask?”

  I tilted my head in what I hoped was an indifferent manner. “Just curious. What happened to them?”

  She smiled her plastic smile. “You are hoping I’ll tell you we sent them back. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but you know the rules.”

  I kept my face blank. “Then they’re still here? In this facility?”

  “No, not anymore.” Her reply was clipped.

  “Then where did they go?”

  “You don’t need to worry, Jane,” she said in that awful motherly tone she probably thought was reassuring. “They’re in good hands. So are you.”

  I withheld a grunt of frustration at her deflection and tried another tack. “You keep asking me about my energy. But I don’t know what you expect me to do. I’m not a mutant with weird superpowers.”

  “Of course not, we never intended to imply that you were defective in any way.” She pursed her lips as she composed her next sentence. “Each person on Eorthe has what we call an energy. This energy can be expressed in different ways. Some are able to manipulate elements like fire, water, or air. Others can take on the form of various creatures.”

  I widened my eyes and gasped in fake astonishment. “Really? What do you do?”

  She laughed, but I use the term loosely, because what she really did was say the words, ‘ha ha ha’ in a rehearsed descending tone. “Mine is very complicated, and I do not have the time to explain it to you. Simply put, I can transmit communication over large distances.”

  I waved a jaded hand. “Oh, like a tablet can.”

  She reacted just as I hoped: defensive of her abilities. “I did say ‘simply put’. It is far more complex than that.”

  “Uh huh,” I rested my chin in my hand and examined the grass more closely.

  “It’s not just any communication. It’s a type of coded instruction or signal that causes a reaction in the receiver.”

  I swivelled round to face her, excitement plastered all over my face. “So, you can control people?”

  “Yes,” she answered smugly, then quickly changed course once she realized what she’d said. “I mean, no! That isn’t quite how it works—”

  “I think it would be cool to control people. Imagine all the good you could do! You could stop a child from running in front of a vehicle, or prevent a murder, or … any number of good deeds.”

  “Yes.” In her defence, she looked a combination of guilty and disappointed. “Those are certainly good deeds.”

  “Can you use it to help people like me? People who don’t know how to use their energies?”

  She brightened up. “Of course. We only need to find out what your energy does, then we can work with you to help you control it. You will be much more comfortable once you are able to use it at will.” She examined her nails. “Have you any idea what your energy does?”

  “Oh, maybe.” I flapped a dismissive hand. “Strange things have happened since I’ve been here. Oh!” I snapped my fingers as though a thought had just struck. “What about those other humans? What energies did they have?”

  “Oh, well,” she stuttered, clearly caught off-guard. “We were not able to ascertain exactly … that is, the subjects were unable to access … the process was not yet refined …”

  “You didn’t find any, did you?” I shook my head sadly. “That means you probably won’t be able to find one in me either. In fact, why are you even looking? It seems obvious Earth humans simply don’t have them.”

  “Well, when we compared normal humans with abnormals—”

  “What do you mean by ‘abnormals’?”

  “Er … I’m referring to abnormal behaviour. Humans with mental illnesses or behavioural defects of some kind, as opposed to humans without such irregularities.”

  “The defective ones have energies? But why would you want defective energy?”

  “Defectives are easier to control than—” She stopped herself and reset her
face as though changing the lock screen of a tablet. “Goodness me, it’s getting late. Your supper must have been delivered by now. I’ll let the guard escort you back.” She hurried away.

  “Good,” said Sandy. “If we can fluster her, we can win this.”

  * * *

  Once the lights were switched off in my cell, I contacted Charis and told her everything I’d learned. She had not managed to record any of my conversation with Examiner Atropus, although she had got the listening module working.

  “We shall have to try again,” she said. “Perhaps tomorrow, when you’re in for more tests, they’ll let something slip.”

  “I hope so,” I answered dejectedly.

  “We’ve missed so much incriminating information already,” complained Sandy.

  And I didn’t know how I’d get more out of the Examiners.

  “But what’s more important is: how can we get you to that portal?” said Charis. “I haven’t managed to get a lock on your location yet.”

  “Really?” I was surprised. “I thought Ric implanted a tracker. Have you asked him?”

  Silence.

  An awful suspicion struck me, turning my stomach.

  “Something wrong,” moaned Mitch.

  “Oh no!” said Gwendolyn.

  “Charis?” I asked. “Is Ric ok?”

  “He’ll be fine,” she answered softly.

  “What do you mean, ‘he’ll be fine’? Is he not fine now? Did something happen when I was caught?”

  Charis sighed. “Aidon didn’t want me to tell you. He said it would upset you for no reason.”

  “If Ric is hurt because of something I did, I need to know about it,” I said, adamant. “And I won’t discuss my escape through the portal until you tell me.”

  A long pause. “When they discovered you’d gone off alone, they came after you. They made it through the service tunnel because you’d already disabled everything, but just before they got out into the open, a drone locked onto them.”

  “I know. That’s why I could see them on the screen in the control room.”

  “Yes.”

  “But then I switched the screen off, so no one was monitoring that particular drone.”

  “It was a combat-enabled drone.”

  My stomach had already turned; now it flipped repeatedly. I wanted to throw up. “It … it attacked them?”

  “Yes. It started with low-impact stun beams, just enough to cause a few minor burns. But, when the guys didn’t stop, it turned up the intensity. Ric was hit in the lower back, directly on the spine.”

  I blanched. “Oh hell …”

  “It’s alright! He survived. Quirinus and Aidon got him out. He’s in an intensive healing pod. It was touch and go at first, and it will be some time before he wakes up, but when he does, he should be as good as new.”

  “Should be? That doesn’t inspire much confidence.”

  “Trust me. He’s been through worse. He’ll get through this.”

  “And the others? They weren’t hit?”

  “Only by the low-intensity beam, so they’ve both got a few burns, but they’re on the mend. Ric was the last one into the tunnel. The drone got him just as he reactivated the living wall.”

  I dropped my head into my hands. “This is all my fault.”

  Charis didn’t contradict me, and Sandy felt a little peeved that she didn’t, even though we all knew I deserved it.

  “He’s been through so much already with his sister and everything,” I murmured. “Aidon must be furious with me.”

  She didn’t answer straight away. Finally, she said, “We just want to get you through that portal, like we promised.”

  I exhaled heavily. “I have a plan,” I said. “I’ve been practising, and I’m certain I can disarm the guard and the Examiner who always escort me to the examination room. Do you have a map of the building in front of you?”

  “I’m pulling one up now.”

  “My cell is in the East wing, level 3. If you’re approaching from the North, it’s the fourth door on the left.”

  I listened to the faint sounds of Charis swiping and tapping her computer, then her melodious voice responded. “I have it.”

  “From there, take the first right, second right, then first left. We usually exit the passage through the stairwell and head to the next level up, because the passage is a dead end. I have never once seen anyone in that passage, and the only two doors there are always open. They lead to empty rooms. I think that’s a good place to put my escorts once I have them tied up.”

  “And how exactly do you plan to tie them up?”

  I grinned to myself. “With vines, of course.”

  “Alright, if you’re confident you can neutralize them both before any alarms are sounded, it just might work.” Charis didn’t sound convinced.

  “Then, if my memory of the layout is correct, I can follow the stairwell down to the underground level, exit to the South, and take the service lift down to the portal.”

  “You’ve got it. I can’t believe you were able to locate it without any help. Your memory is phenomenal.”

  “Aidon drilled the route into me. It was just a matter of working out how things connected up after that.”

  “Your energy is certainly strengthening, though.”

  “I’ve been working on it in my cell.”

  “Perhaps that’s what triggered the translator to reactivate. Your energy must have created new cells or connections or something. How did you plan to get through the security around the portal?”

  Heat crept into my cheeks. “I thought I’d just muscle my way through. You know, with plants.”

  Charis giggled. “Were you going to bribe the guards with flowers?”

  “That works here too, huh?” It was good to have a reason to smile, however silly. “Well, yeah, I figured no man in uniform can resist a pretty bouquet.”

  Charis laughed her ringing crystal laugh. “Fortunately for you,” she said once she’d composed herself, “there are no guards in that part of the building, only alarms and ID-access doors. I can override those from here. But you’ll have a tiny window before they close again. I can only keep them open so long without alerting the entire building and triggering a lockdown.”

  “Got it,” I said. “I don’t have any way of tracking time, so you’ll have to direct me.”

  “Of course. Can you be ready to go tomorrow?”

  I hesitated. “But, I haven’t gotten you any recordings to use against them.”

  “That’s not important,” said Charis. “We will handle the Regulators. The information you’ve given me will help. The main thing is to get you out of there before they hurt you.”

  “I wanted to help though. I mean, after getting myself caught and jeopardizing the guys’ safety, I want it to have been worth it.”

  “Sometimes dreadful things just happen, and there’s no point to it, no upside, no happy result,” she said. “It’s awful, and you can’t change it. The best you can do is pick up the pieces. And we’ll accomplish that by getting you home.”

  “Ok,” I agreed while Gwendolyn and Mitch shook their heads. “I think the best time will be when I’m escorted back to my cell after testing; that’s when no one will be expecting Examiner Atropus to be somewhere else. Even if the other Examiners are waiting for her, they won’t be alarmed if she’s a little late. She often takes me on a detour or stays to chat a bit.”

  “While trying to win you over to their side,” sniffed Charis. “I agree with your timing. I need you to signal the moment you leave the room so that I can keep track of your position. Maybe you can tap the translator 3 times.”

  “Like this?” I tapped a finger over the translator.

  “Perfect,” she answered.

  “I could do it every time we go through a doorway. Then you’ll know exactly where we are.”

  “Excellent idea.”

  “Having an extra day with the Examiners means we have one more chance to record them discussing t
heir plans.”

  “Jane,” said Charis. “It’s wonderful that you are so determined to help, but this is not your problem.”

  “If they really are extracting mentally ill humans from Earth to use as mind-controlled soldiers, then yes, it is my problem.”

  “We’ve got it under control,” insisted Charis. “We’ll do everything in our power to stop them carrying out their plan on either planet. But, I need you to focus on getting to that portal tomorrow, alright?”

  “Yes, fine,” I grumbled, then took a deep breath. “I appreciate everything you’re doing to help me get home. You’ve all been through enough for me.”

  “Get some sleep,” said Charis kindly. I heard the long-suffering smile in her voice. “You need to be in top form tomorrow.”

  * * *

  As the day in the examination room passed, I became more and more anxious, not about my escape plan, but about the fact that the Examiners were giving me absolutely nothing that would be of benefit to TRAG. Even my surreptitious probing of Examiner Atropus on our morning walk brought out nothing of value.

  “We simply cannot leave without anything useful at all,” said Jasper. “There must be something we can give to TRAG.”

  “Oh, yes,” agreed Gwendolyn. “It would be a terrible waste to miss this opportunity!”

  In vain, I struggled to coax something out of them. I even considered revealing my powers to spark a reaction. But that would have destroyed any chance I had of getting out. The element of surprise was my only weapon.

  “Because no one expects the Spanish Inquisition,” sniggered Sandy.

  Gwendolyn giggled too. “I don’t understand why it’s funny,” she tittered.

  Sandy laughed harder. “You never do.”

  The end of the day drew nearer and nearer, and still they gave me nothing. By the time Examiner Atropus indicated that it was time to leave, I was feeling desperate.

  Desperate is never a good place for me.

  Examiner Atropus asked whether I’d like to take the scenic route back, and I said no, I was tired and wanted to get straight to bed. If she thought that odd, her face didn’t show it, and she refrained from conversing as we walked. Perhaps she was tired too, especially of pretending to be friends with someone she clearly viewed as less than the scum beneath her feet.