Awakening

by Hayden Pearton

  *

  “So, Barsch m’boy, I take it your journey did not end as planned?” Kingston said, after Barsch had risen.

  “You could say that,” he replied, stretching out his tight muscles, “I made it to the Station, but it had been sealed tight.”

  “Did you try the computer terminal?” Kingston asked, moving to help Barsch. Even though he was uninjured externally, there was no telling what the electricity had done to his internal organs.

  “Yeah, but it said that the system had decided that I was already dead, so it wouldn’t deactivate the lockdown for me.”

  “I see… that is problematic. However, I do have some knowledge of computers, despite my appearance, so I might be able to create a work-around. Once you’re all better, we’ll go and have another crack at it, okay?”

  “Thanks, I’d like that,” Barsch replied, although in truth the thought of returning to that hostile place made the faint pain in his chest grow stronger.

  A sudden crash brought an abrupt halt to the mellow atmosphere. The sound had come from Kingston’s bedroom, but the only thing in there was-

  “The girl!” Barsch cried, leaping forward. In that instant, all his pain and numbness had been forgotten, replaced by a feeling of great urgency. Kingston barely had time to move out of the way, before Barsch rushed past him, reaching for the door.

  “Wait Barsch! It could be dangerous!” Kingston shouted, hurrying after his young companion.

  “But she could be in danger!” Barsch shouted back, skidding through the study’s open doorway. Without waiting for Kingston to catch him, he threw open the door to the old hermit’s bedroom.

  And stopped, as the most beautiful thing he had ever seen stared back at him in surprise.

  Just as it had in the glade, time decided to slow down, so that Barsch could better appreciate the magnificent creature before him. Her long white hair, fluttering in the breeze; her pale yet healthy skin, gleaming from the midday sun; and above all, her enchanting, violet eyes. Lying next to her, shattered beyond repair, were the remains of a glass jar, but this was only noticed in passing, compared to the girl.

  She was still wearing the white shift Barsch had found her in, but she wore it in the same way one might wear a fancy gown. In his mind, the girl was wearing a radiant smile, and spoke with the voice of an angel; but reality is cruel, and if past events were any indication, Fate had no love for Barsch’s hopes.

  “Are you… okay?” he asked, relaxing only slightly.

  “I am fine,” replied the girl, in a tone that immediately shattered Barsch’s angelic image. To say that it was a cold tone would be to say that glaciers are only big ice cubes. It seemed to freeze the air around her, making Barsch wish he had stopped to grab his greatcoat. Still, he could deal with a cold tone, as long as her expression defrosted his heart, but this too was a hopeless dream.

  Her face was completely neutral in every way. Her mouth formed a thin line that showed no teeth, and her eyes, while unnatural, held no warmth. She looked at Barsch the same way one might look at a piece of furniture, or a plant.

  “Um… good?”

  It was then that Kingston, having finally caught up, entered the room. He too was stopped dead by what he saw, but to his credit, he recovered far faster than Barsch.

  “Hello, um, I’m sorry, I don’t know what to call you?” The old man blurted out, a moment later.

  “I am ALZA00971.” Again, a terse answer, and just as cold as before.

  “Zero zero what now?” asked Barsch, surprised to find the words had come from his own treacherous lips.

  “ALZA zero zero nine seven one” she repeated, this time with emphasis.

  “Hmm… sounds a bit like a pod code, but not from any Station I’ve ever heard of…” Barsch replied, thinking of his own pod code: HUM-7728.

  Kingston had taken a step away from Barsch, a strange look in his eyes. If Barsch had not known Kingston, he would have thought the old man looked ready to fight. But that was absurd, wasn’t it? The only other people in the room were two harmless teenagers, and Barsch doubted that the girl could do much damage to anyone.

  “Well, it is a bit of a mouthful. How about I call you… Alza?”

  “Alza… very well… if that is what you wish.”

  Her voice was still as icy as before, but after hearing it for a while, he had started to get used to it. Still, their reunion had not exactly gone as he had planned, and her demeanour was so far removed from what he had imagined he was still having trouble accepting it.

  “Well, Alza, my name is Barsch, Barsch La Tergan, and this here is Kingston…” he stated, pointing to the anxious hermit. She gave no indication that she had heard him, so he decided to forge ahead with the question that had been on his mind since they met.

  “So, Alza, where are you from?”

  Alza looked at Barsch impassively for a few tortuous heartbeats before answering, “I… I do not know. The first and last memory I have is seeing you in that glade, and then… nothing.”

  Barsch had been expecting as much, given her first words to him, but it did leave him in a rather troublesome position. If she was like him, and had been awoken early, then she might have travelled miles from her Station. If he took her back to Genesis, her loved ones might never find her, and if he let her find her own way back, she might never make it. In addition, with Kingston’s health being so bad, he could not risk spending weeks escorting her back home…

  “Wait, there’s something I’m missing… something important. Kingston’s health… his sickness… his medicine… the jar!”

  He had forgotten it in the excitement, but the very thing that had alerted them to Alza’s awakening was now lying on the floor in a hundred pieces. Dropping to his knees, he began searching the floor for any traces of the vital medicine. Even if it was only a teaspoon, it could buy Kingston enough time to make more…

  “There’s nothing here! No, that’s impossible, I have to keep looking. The jar still had some medicine when I last saw it, so it can’t have just disappeared! If I can’t find it, his pollution sickness might-

  And then, with a terrible realisation, the pieces of the puzzles came together. His speedy recovery, the strange tasting soup, and the empty bottle…

  “Kingston, please tell me you didn’t…” he sobbed, half-kneeling on the floor. He turned to look at the hermit’s face. His expression was all the confirmation he needed.

  “I’m sorry m’boy… I couldn’t let you die… I just couldn’t…”

  At that time, Barsch did not know what to feel. Should he feel betrayed that Kingston had lied to him? Manipulated him into drinking the last of the medicine? Or should he feel grateful for the old man’s sacrifice? He did not know. It was all too fresh, too sudden to take in.

  Without that medicine, Kingston would die, and there was nothing he could do to stop it…

  “No, that’s not true! Kingston said it himself that he was planning on making more in a few weeks’ time. If we can find more medicine… if we can get it in time, we can save him!”

  “Kingston, where is the medical clinic you were planning to visit?”

  “What are you talking ab- No! I won’t let you, it’s too dangerous!” Kingston said, eyes lighting up in surprise once he realised what Barsch planned to do.

  “It’s the only way, and besides, you were planning on going anyway! All we’re doing is… moving up the schedule.”

  “You don’t understand, lad. The route I was going to take would have taken three weeks!”

  “There must be another way there, right, Kingston? The shortest route is always the most dangerous, right?” Barsch could see it, the moment his words reached Kingston, the old man changed ever so slightly. If Barsch had not been watching for it, it’s possible he might have missed it entirely. Kingston was hiding something, something big.

  “That is the shortest route, boy! If there were another… I would know of it!”

  “Kingston, please, don’t
lie to me. You saved my life, twice, so please, allow me to repay my debts… allow me to help you.”

  “Okay, okay!” he said, holding his hands up, “There is one other route… one that will only take a few days, but it’s just too dangerous! I won’t endanger your life just to prolong an old fool’s death!”

  Barsch sighed wearily, recalling a similar argument he had once had with his father. He had almost forgotten how stubborn adults could be, especially if they thought that they were right.

  “Kingston, I’m going, no matter what. Now, you can either wait here for my return, or you can come with me, and help keep me safe. It’s your choice.”

  And just like that, Barsch had won. Kingston noticeably slumped down with resignation, unable to keep up with the youth’s strong will.

  “Fine, have it your way!” he grumbled, heading out the door, “If we’re going to go, then we might as well go now, before it gets dark. Gather your things and ready yourself for travel, we leave in one hour.”

  Smiling, Barsch took a step towards the door, but something made him stop. Alza had remained quiet throughout the whole argument, and even now she made no attempt to speak. He knew that he could not leave her, but he also did not have the luxury of figuring out where she had come from. They would have to take her with, and hope that things worked out for the better.

  “Um, I guess you’re coming with us. I’ll get Kingston to prepare a rucksack for you, okay?”

  “Very well, I shall accompany you,” she stated, ignoring his question.

  Barsch shook his head as he left the room, pondering her strange behaviour. Would anyone have been able to remain so calm in that situation? She had awoken in a stranger’s bed, been interrogated by two men, watched them argue, and then she had been informed that she would be going on a dangerous journey with them.

  Where was the outrage? Where was the outright refusal? In a way, he was glad she had not refused to tag along, but her apathy to almost everything around her had made him worry far more than if she had said no.