by Loren Walker
It was fascinating to watch the participants settle into a living routine, and eventually, reveal their hidden abilities. Most only had the sputterings of Eko, of generating Nadi energy. The children, especially, made Voss nervous. There were four in total; Ganasan, CaLarca and the twins, Shantou and Marette. All under the age of sixteen, all with those burn-swirls on the small of their back, soon to be a deep orange-brown scar. Why had their parents allowed them to come to this place? He wouldn't have. And, watching Tehmi from a distance, one hand on her smug belly, he wouldn't have let Tehmi in this place either, not if it were his baby she was carrying.
The green-haired girl, Cyrah CaLarca, fascinated him. The girl could actually manifest objects with her Nadi, something that Voss had never seen before. He put on his most kindly voice and asked as many questions as she was willing to answer, hard-nosed and suspicious as the girl was, and watched her during experiments. She reacted strongly to psychotropic drugs, the Nadi flaring so hot and so violent than her heart beat too fast, and the girl passed out. Voss raced to her side to draw out the access Nadi: middle knuckle pressed into her belly, energy sucking up through his veins, and setting his bones on fire. He refused to scream with pain. Afterwards, everyone treated him with reverence, especially Kuri and Shantou. But when he managed to get Joran alone, and told him about the lingering pain, Joran soothed Voss's worried words, and gave him a reassuring kiss. That intimate touch, after so long, diverted Voss's thoughts for a while.
But soon, too soon, worries crept back in. The group was advancing rapidly, growing more and more powerful. Things were changing for Voss too. His brain felt rubbery, like cells eased apart and snapping into new places, the more he looked into the black eyes of CaLarca, or the scared brown eyes of Ganasan, the ten-year old that Joran had managed to recruit into the experiment.
And groups were forming, like Kuri Nimat, the young man with the shock of black hair, his chin held too high to be humble, and one of the twins, Shantou Lyung, with the red hair. Between them, there was a strange, almost perverse attraction in the air (how old was she again?). Taking them aside one night, Voss reminded them that there were to be no relations during this period. To his surprise, they both started crying, and begged him to keep their relationship a secret. After that night, Kuri and Shantou were always close to him, thanking him under breath for his protection.
A month into the program, Voss was shaken awake.
Above him, Joran’s face was half in shadow from the candle he held in one hand. “Come on," he instructed. "It’s time for the next phase.”
What phase was that? Voss couldn’t remember, but he roused himself from the warm bed, and followed Joran up the stairwell.
Kuri and Shantou looked up when they entered; huddled together, half-asleep and terrified. Joran settled onto the floor next to the couple. Voss hesitated. Was this some kind of intervention? He hadn’t told Joran about Kuri and Shantou, but perhaps it was obvious.
“Sit, Voss. Please.” Joran gestured at the remaining spot in the circle. “I have something to share with you three.”
Three?
“You’ve learned about Eko, and Nadi,” Joran began. “And you’ve learned about Insynn, or precognition. Now, the three of you are ready to learn about the fourth ability.”
“The fourth,” Shantou repeated in a whisper.
“Yes,” Joran said. “It's been referred to as ‘Nyx.’"
"Doesn't 'nix' mean to obliterate?" Kuri asked, as Shantou gripped his hand. Voss wished he could do the same with Joran.
"In a sense, yes," Joran said. "But it's more subtle and beautiful than that."
He glanced behind him, and Voss was surprised to see Tehmi’s pregnant silhouette in the shadows.
She took two steps towards them.
Then she stopped, quarter-turning on the ball of her foot, and started to walk in a dragging side-step.
No one spoke; the only sound was Tehmi’s bare feet, sliding across the floor.
Then she turned again, her back to the group, walking backwards.
Finally, when she was about to step into the center of the circle, she stopped moving.
From his seat, Voss stared up at Tehmi’s profile; her nostrils flared, her face flushed. Still, she said nothing.
"You made her do that," Shantou said. “Did you make her do that?”
"I did," Joran confirmed.
"How?"
"Very similar to Eko,” Joran said. “Much like finding the threads of memories, it's finding the threads of the body, and coaxing them to move independently of its host."
"Is that all you can do with it? Make people move?" Shantou asked, sounding less impressed. Voss felt a flash of anger at her arrogance. Didn’t she realize what she was being shown?
"No," Joran told the girl. "With practice, you can control the speech of a person, or speak through them. When you discover the right parts of the brain to connect to."
"How do you know what parts of the brain are safe to touch?" Kuri asked, a strange glint in his eye.
"By exploration," Joran smiled. "And experimentation on each other - "
The question burst out of Voss: "Maybe we shouldn't be doing this."
Everyone turned to face him, surprised.
Voss stared at Joran, wishing that they were both Ekos, that they could communicate without voices. These two children, they weren't ones to be trusted with this kind of knowledge, he could sense it. Couldn't Joran?
"You can, and you will," Joran said quietly. “It’s vital that you master this skill. Because I’m trusting the three of you to watch over the others from here on out, and ensure that they are safe, and controlled."
Voss didn't know what to say. It was a strange task to lay on these two young, unstable people, without telling Voss about it first. What did Joran expect them to do?
"What do you mean by controlled?" Kuri asked.
"There are powerful people in this study," Joran said. "And as we continue, if it appears that someone has grown dangerous, then we have to protect the integrity of the group."
Tehmi reappeared then, holding a cage with a rat inside. Joran reached into the cage and withdrew the critter. The rat climbed up his arm, its wormy tail wrapped around his wrist.
Joran’s eyes narrowed.
The rat froze, its squeak cut-off, one tiny claw lifted.
Then the rat tipped backwards, and hit the floor with a sickening thump.
Kuri, Shantou and Voss stared at the tiny corpse. Joran pushed its body aside, so Tehmi could pick it back up again and waddle back into the darkness.
"You did that," Shantou breathed. "You killed it."
Voss was speechless. He'd never seen Joran do that before, not in twenty years. What else was he hiding from Voss?
"Practice," Joran said. "It only takes practice to know where to push."
* * *
But it was a mistake. Voss recognized every sign of danger, from the greediness in which Kuri and Shantou lapped up the information that Joran provided, with how callously they killed rat after rat with a gleeful expression at night, when everyone was asleep.
It was bleeding into the day sessions with the rest of the group, too. Kuri kept pushing the others, trying to peer into their memories. Surprisingly, it was the youngest of the group, Ganasan, who put up the most vocal fight.
“I said no!” the boy had shouted. “And I won’t say it again!”
Along with everyone else on the floor, Voss turned at the noise.
Kuri raised his hands in defense. "We're just talking."
“You’re supposed to focus on the Nadi experiments,” Joran reminded him, a warning in his voice.
Kuri’s eyes narrowed. “I’m trying to help him."
Then he addressed the boy. “Gani, just go and ask Shantou. She did it, and it didn’t hurt.”
“Don’t call me Gani," the boy hollered." I don’t care. You’re not doing it, no matter what you threaten.”
“You realize that I could just do it if I
wanted to, and you couldn’t stop me,” Kuri said snidely.
“Stop it!” It was Tehmi, one hand on her belly, the other outstretched like some avenging angel as she announced: “He said no. Leave him alone. I mean it. He has a choice whether to -”
“Does he?” Voss burst out. “Does he really?”
Where did those words come from?
Tehmi glared at him. “Of course,” she said, a warning in her voice. “He’s just a child.”
“Unfortunate for them to be involved in this,” Voss couldn’t stop the words from spilling out. “But they are, and we are, and we both know that there’s no freedom, Tehmi.”
No one spoke. Voss stole a look at Joran. Joran’s expression was one of heartbreak, like his trust had been shattered.
Then Joran stepped to the center of the room. “You all agreed to a contract,” he said. “To payment, for three months of service, under the rules given to you on entry. Behave yourself, and step away from each other. Now!”
Then Tehmi gasped, her hands cradling her swollen stomach as her knees buckled. Joran ran to her, taking advantage of the distraction, even though Voss could see that Tehmi was faking the pain, how her contorted face went back to its neutral expression as she whispered in Joran's ear.
They were united.
But Joran surprised him again that night, taking him aside with a wide smile. "A great development," he told Voss in the shadows. "It's only natural that Kuri would rebel in this group, with his growing power. And even better, they trust you.”
“I don’t understand what your goal is. What our goal is,” Voss added, with some indignation.
His thoughts raced: When did I become one of your test subjects to manipulate?
"Therein lies the beauty," Joran said. "We are caught in the current, and the cold ride is unlike anything else. Let it go, Voss. Let what happens, happen."
* * *
"We need to leave," Kuri said.
Voss kept his expression neutral. Only an hour after his secret discussion with Joran, Shantou and Kuri had appeared like pale specters, and wordlessly gestured for Voss to follow them. They locked themselves in Kuri's room on the third floor, and in a whisper, shared their concerns with Voss.
Joran had ulterior motives, they were sure of it. They didn't need to be there any longer, not after all they had learned. They were stronger than him, stronger than anyone there, and the longer they stayed, the more they were certain that something bad would happen. Voss didn't ask if they were afraid of someone hurting them, or if they might hurt others, but both seemed likely.
Let what happens, happen. Joran's words floated through his brain.
"We need to get outside. We need to get away from here." Kuri put his arm around Shantou, whose red hair covered her face. They were both thinner, with a hungry look in their eye, since they had learned about Nyx. Voss hated every second of the sensation of using Nyx on that rat, how shuddery and weak it made him. What was its toll on Kuri and Shantou?
"I can't help you," Voss said. "None of us have the capacity to leave."
"Joran does." A thin, whispering voice came from under that red hair. "He leaves all the time."
Voss frowned. "He doesn't. I assure you, he doesn't."
"How are you so certain?"
A cold jolt went through Voss. He didn't know. He didn't know anything.
Voss stood up, surprising Kuri and Shantou, and left the room. He broke into all three floors of the underground base, but he couldn't find Joran anywhere, not on any floor. It's impossible, he told himself, as he searched each room, each corridor, to no avail. Tehmi appeared once, asking what was wrong, but she averted her eyes when he asked where Joran was.
Shantou was right. Joran was in contact with the outside world, while the rest of them festered in the underground, under the pretense that no one, including Joran, would be able to leave until the end of the ninety-day period. Joran had never shown him the way outside. He was using Voss like he used the others. He was a test subject, a commodity to be prodded. Joran didn't really love Voss. He just loved the fact that Voss would always come back to him.
He banged his fist on the wall of the second floor. At the loud echo, he heard the sound of a gasp. Light appeared in the darkness. Voss squinted; it was the teenage girl CaLarca, glaring at him, her mouth scrunched tight, and shoulders up around her ears. Spying on me. Following me. Little brat.
His thoughts turned. She's so powerful. Why didn't Joran bring her into the group to learn Nyx?
Because she's not weak-minded, came the quick response in his brain. Because Joran only showed the ability to those that he would still be able to control in the end.
It just made him angrier, and he hit the wall again. The impact reverberated up the wall. CaLarca disappeared. Voss rubbed his knuckles and slid to the floor.
I'm not weak. I'm not his to control. I'm not staying here any longer.
An idea struck him. Maybe the girl could help him. She was always watching everyone. Maybe she had seen Joran leave.
The next day, Voss cornered CaLarca, and before she could protest, he pushed her into his room. Inside, Shantou and Kuri sat next to each other on the bed, holding hands. Voss stood in front of the door, barring her exit. “I have a favor to ask of you, CaLarca. You’re always wandering. You know every corner of this place, I’d wager.”
The girl's voice was haughty, but scared. “I can’t break out of here, if that’s what you want."
Amazing! Voss couldn't help but laugh a little. “Perceptive little thing, aren’t you. But powerful. One of the most powerful ones here. What do you think about this experiment, CaLarca?”
CaLarca shuffled her feet. “I don’t know. It’s fine.”
“And what do you think about our hosts?” Voss pressed. How much did she know? How much had she guessed?
“They’re okay.”
“You can sense lies,” Voss told her. “You told me once, in conference. That’s related to Nadi, but you’ve developed some Eko talents, I believe.”
“I - maybe.”
“It’s okay. We’re the same as you,” Voss reassured her. “We’re changing too. Growing stronger. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
The girl nodded.
“But for what purpose? Why are we here?”
“To learn from each other," CaLarca recited.
“And then what?”
“We go home.”
“Do you really think that’s the case?" Voss pressed. "At the end of this, we just leave? Go our own separate ways, with a bag full of rana and powerful abilities? Is that logical?”
“I - I don’t know,” she stammered.
“Where’s Joran right now, CaLarca?”
“I don’t know. Somewhere, of course.”
“I would wager,” Voss said, a nasty edge to his words. “If you searched all three floors, you wouldn’t find a trace of him.”
“That’s not possible.”
“Were you put to sleep when you first arrived, for medical testing?” Voss challenged.
CaLarca’s fingers touched the back of her head. Shantou and Kuri echoed her movements.
“Something was implanted in you. In all of us,” Voss said.
It wasn't true; he had no implant of course, but he needed to show solidarity with them.
“I - I can’t - I don’t want to talk about this,” CaLarca stammered, backing away.
When Kuri went to go after her, Voss told him no, and let CaLarca pass, calling after her in a final, gleeful lash: “You will. Soon enough, you will.”
* * *
After that night, everything happened so fast.
Tehmi went into labor. Voss sat with Joran outside the room, and they talked like they used to, before all this started.
"I'm sorry to keep secrets from you," Joran said, running a hand down Voss's arm. Infuriatingly, Voss felt a spark deep within from the touch. "But it's time to disappear."
Voss froze. Had Joran overheard the secret meetings? "What - wha
t do you mean?"
"We have the controlled environment results of what can be achieved. Now I want to see what happens when pressure and mortal decisions are added into the mix."
"You're having a baby in there," Voss pointed out.
But Joran waved his hand, his eyes focused on a spot on the wall. "Everything is about to implode. The experiment is about to end, so I want to use it to its full advantage. Be ready. Start carrying a knife. When you need it, you'll find a exit from CaLarca."
Voss shook his head again and again, sputtering with confusion. "What are you - this is too much - these young people, you're manipulating them -"
"As are you," Joran said. "And have from the beginning, before you got this sudden streak of morality. This is all for the greater good. How can you forget that?"
At the words, Voss's mind grew slow and dreamy, and everything Joran said made sense, somehow. Was it Nyx, or something else that was altering his mind? Voss couldn’t say.
And had Joran known what was about to happen to Tehmi? Did he know it would be that night when everything fell apart?
Because he was nowhere in sight that next morning, when a hysterical Shantou came to Voss, dragging him into Tehmi's room.
The sight of Tehmi's lifeless body in bed was jarring, but not altogether unpleasant.
CaLarca was there, holding the squalling baby, and Kuri was wringing his hands over the bed, pleading with Voss to help. "We need to get out out," he repeated again and again. "We have to find a way."
CaLarca.
Voss turned to stare at the girl with the green braids, who shrank back.
“It’s time to leave,” Voss said loudly, feeling like an actor in a play. “Help us, CaLarca. Free us.”
CaLarca shook her head, clutching the baby.
“She doesn’t know anything,” Shantou broke in. “We need to think about what to say to Joran.”
Voss focused on CaLarca's brain: the spots that quivered, the ones that he could alter.
I hate you, Joran, for making me do this.
“You don’t want to stay," he recited. “You want to run away and forget that any of this ever happened. You want to forget about all of us. Start your life over on your terms, not theirs, or your parents. Yours. Let it go. You know you want to.”