*
The Australian parliament house was situated in Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. The ACT was created as a separate state in southern New South Wales in 1909 when Sydney and Melbourne were Australia’s 2 biggest cities and an agreement couldn’t be made about which of the 2 cities would house parliament.
The current Prime Minister - Oscar Borsak - sat in his comfortable throne-like swivel chair. He looked at the historic picture of Canberra being founded. He always found comfort in this picture. It reminded him of how Australians more than 100 years ago couldn’t decide between 2 cities so they compromised by creating a brand new one in the middle.
‘They took a breath, stood back and decided it’d all be fine if they met in the middle.’
He breathed deeply and grinned wryly to himself. This is how he approached his terms. Some people have called him the laziest Prime Minister Australia has ever seen. He didn’t mind. The world was changing and he was just along for the ride. Plus he’d been re-elected. So the public obviously didn’t think he was too bad.
It was times like this though; these last few months; that he wished he hadn’t been pressured into becoming a politician. His family came from a long line of proud Australians that stood up for the rites of people to be free to do what they want. Within reason.
The nation was currently in uproar about the blurred lines of laws that existed with these society sects like the organisists. Their ability to go off the grid is increasing with their new sponsors and satellites.
The Shootman clans were even worse but at least they can be tracked. But their assassinations over the last decade have increased since gun laws were relaxed.
But this big current issue with the Epicurus labs was playing on his mind horribly.
‘How could Kayden ‘The Monster’ Epicurus bloody do this to me?! After all we bloody went through in high school. He even sent his monster to the school that Jacko Jansz is principal! It was always me throwing us into trouble, not him!’
Kayden and Oscar went to a private high school in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney that could only be attended if invited. It was for gifted minds; leaders; athletes. Due the school not being huge it was generally the same sports team for all sports. The pair - Kayden and Oscar - instigated the mischief their whole team would get into; mainly Oscar with the twisted idea and Kayden convincing everyone else to get involved.
Rugby union was their most important sport; it was also their favourite. Kayden being so large in his teens was a natural front rower; Jansz was their prop, known for how cheeky he was in the scrums; Oscar being second row – he was the one throwing them into the fray on a field and off it.
Their team was known as the Avalanches. They used to beat and stamp the ground to invigorate each other before a match. It was an accident involving the avalanche idea that resulted in most of the Avalanche team separating and growing apart.
It was their final week of year 12; 2015; their graduating year. Exams were long over; everyone was enjoying their final days together before leaving for university or travels overseas.
They had a prank in mind for their school principal; a man they considered a role model and a good friend to all of them - Tony O’Rance.
Despite the handsome pay cheque O’Rance was receiving he drove a 2005, green Ford territory 4 wheel drive. It was a reliable car but it sat beside cars in far newer and better condition and in the Avalanche boy’s eyes it wasn’t what their beloved principal should be seen in.
So Oscar hatched a plan to destroy it publicly as their final week prank. The good thing about it being such a well off private school is that he knew the Avalanche boys would chip in to buy a new car. 1 of their best friends, Barry Bradsworth, came from a wealthy family that owned a chain of Jaguar car dealerships. When he told his father they wanted to get the Principal O’Rance a new car, Matthew Bradsworth jumped at the opportunity to donate a brand new C-X17, 4 wheel drive. What Mr Bradsworth didn’t know was that the boys were planning to destroy the Ford Territory and the means for doing so was risky.
Barry Bradsworth. Anyone would describe him as an overly positive; fun; bouncy lad. He played on the wing for the rugby team. He was short but strong with an intoxicating broad cheeky smile and loud laugh; he had clipper short, brown hair that he cut every week – he claimed it was curly and that he couldn’t stand the sight of it. His best friend was the largest Indian anyone had ever seen – Raz Tephrosia. Born in Sydney but with 2 Indian parents; yet the team still joked with him and repeated his words to him like he had a strong Indian accent; he was a good sport about it all. Huge, deep brown eyes and shiny, white teeth against his brown skin; he made girls knees go weak. His sense of humour matched Barry’s like they were a pair of stage comedians that had been together for decades.
Barry and Raz were the biggest jokers on the team and they were inseperable. It was natural that they were known as Baz and Raz.
Oscar’s plan was to go into the mountains not far from the school. It was a popular area for abseiling and rock climbing due to the large rock walls. He’d find the perfect location to let off a few explosive charges to create an avalanche of rock that would land on top of the Ford Territory. It would all be live streamed to the internet and they’d have it playing on the projectors at the school assembly. They’d get a horrified reaction from O’Rance and then unveil the brand new C-X17.
It all looked so smooth on paper. The Avalanche boys were ecstatic about their plan. Oscar went about designating teams to set up the projectors on a surface that would drop away to reveal the new CX; Matthew Bradworth had set the rule that only Baz was allowed to drive the CX; Baz was a great driver, so was Raz; Matthew had put them both through defensive driver training. None of this was a problem for Oscar’s plan. The projector screen would be set up early that morning and cover the CX until the destruction was finished playing. It was decided that Baz and Raz would stick together and drive the Ford territory to location too.
A team was made to make sure the internet connections and projector set up were all perfect.
1 of the lads, Elliot Sato was most trusted with getting his hands on explosives and detonating them safely. A chemistry addict; a fitness addict; education addict; the boys all knew he’d be the one chosen for the job. He knew it too when the plan was laid out. Part Japanese background, still very Australian, he was overjoyed to be part of the task. He had spiked black hair and a wise look in his eyes.
Oscar would present the assembly; Kayden would be in charge of Baz, Raz and Elliot. He would be personally filming it all.
The rest of the boys had a special place in the audience to witness what they had constructed.
The day came. Oscar and Kayden had found the perfect location while hiking a week before; there was a huge overhanging rock that jutted out from a high cliff face. It would be perfect rock to drop onto the hideous green 4 wheel drive.
The camera was set on its tripod. The explosives were set in their drilled holes. Kayden and Sato waited in the small clearing for Baz and Raz to come up the rough track and park the Territory under the huge rock.
Baz and Raz slowly brought the 4 wheel drive over the rocks. Kayden was already recording on a new camera that streamed directly online. An ear piece kept him connected to Oliver, the head Avalanche tech boy.
Back at the school, Oscar Borsak stood alone on the stage at a tall podium beside the huge white screen. He was concluding his final speech.
“But above all of our favourite staff - Principal O’Rance – you have gone above and beyond for your pupils, despite us being known as the most chaotic grade to ever stroll the halls. You’ve been angry with us and been proud of us. I know you feel proud of us today. But in keeping with our chaotic nature; we’ve prepared a live demonstration and a bit of bang for a finally for you.”
A sound from Kayden’s ear piece notified him that the projection was up. “Eeh! It’s up! The whole assembly can see O’Rance’s fourbie!” Oliver exclaimed.<
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The whole school including staff looked up at the projection of Baz and Raz crawling the principal’s car over a rough 4 wheel drive track to halt it right under the huge sandstone rock. Matthew Bradsworth sat with his wife beside the Tephrosia’s and a bunch of other parents a few rows from the front; he couldn’t wait to see the unveiling of the beautiful C-X17 and the reaction of Principal O’Rance. The audience was transfixed on the green four wheel drive parked below the cliff face under the jutting chunk of stone. O’Rance’s face was concerned; he sat completely silent in the front row.
Baz and Raz stepped out of the vehicle, giddy with excitement. Huge grins spread across their faces as they walked down an embankment, around a few large sandstones towards Kayden, Sato and the camera. Sato pictured an action movie style walk away from an explosion and suddenly hit the trigger.
Horrified screams erupted from Kayden’s ear piece as his other ear was bombarded with a large boom. Barry and Raz were thrown forward; the ground shook for a few seconds; the giant boulder thudded down, crushing the green Ford Territory like a boot on an aluminium can.
It was visible on the screen for barely a second as the wave after wave of huge chunks of rock from high up the mountain cascaded down upon the clearing. It filled up the clearing in a few seconds and kept sliding. Some rocks bounced so high that they started raining down around Kayden and Sato. Then the larger boulders started gaining pace from the cliff edge.
Kayden and Sato watched as Baz and Raz were swarmed with rocks and still the stones kept falling. Kayden made eye contact with Raz Tephrosia as he was hit in the top of the head by a tennis ball size shard; he stumbled and fell; Barry Bradsworth attempted to scoop him up, himself getting hit from behind by a boulder the size of a small car. It collected them both and had them dead within a heartbeat.
Sato let out a horrified yelp. “Aaaahh! Run, Kayden!”
Kayden swiped the camera over realising it had captured the whole terrifying scene. They began to sprint into the thin trees but it was on such a steep decline that they slid. There were fallen branches everywhere. It was slow moving for the pair; boulders crashed through the thin trees and bounced; one cleared Kayden’s shoulder by a few inches. Small rocks were bouncing around their legs. Sato took one to the tailbone, stumbled and impaled his stomach on a fallen branch. It didn’t go all the way through but it was deep. Boulders slipped through towards them. Kayden made a fast decision. He knew that you should never remove the thing that’s impaled a body, but what choice did he have? If he left Sato then he’d be killed by a boulder. Adrenaline shot through Kayden Epicurus’ veins as he hoisted Sato off the branch. Blood flowed everywhere over the boy’s thin waist and down his legs. Kayden set him down behind a tree for the slightest bit of cover that they were going to get. He grabbed the first aid kit strapped to his belt and shoved a whole triangle bandage into the fist-size wound.
Sato cried out in pain. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he flexed and grabbed Kayden by the wrists.
Kayden was too strong and kept the same pressure on the wound. He pressed another triangle bandage onto it and unwrapped a pressure bandage to wrap around his whole waist.
The boulders were fewer in number now but they were still a danger.
“Sato, hold yourself up for a second!”
Sato heaved his legs up so his mid-section was elevated. He let out a large “Heeeung!” - As he held the position. But Kayden was fast strapping the bandage to him and he was wrapped up tight and not losing as much blood.
“Kay-Kayden, man. Man. Aww.” Sato puffed jagged words at him with spit flying all over his chest.
Kayden could hardly hear him. He still had his ear piece in and the quietness had suddenly burst into a flurry of voices. “Kayden! Are you alive?!” Oliver’s voice struck him like a lightning bolt.
‘The whole school just saw that. Baz and Raz’s family...’ Kayden’s thoughts made his brain feel like it would explode. ‘How the hell are we going to talk our way out of this one?’
Back at the school the audience had just witnessed 2 of the loveliest people they know get bombarded with boulders. Matthew Bradsworth was in a frenzied fit the moment his son had hit the ground. O’Rance was beside him trying to calm him. The white projection screen had dropped at the same time the sound had been cut from Sato’s scream and the dusty avalanche of boulders disappeared to reveal the shiny C-X17.
It stood silent and uncaring. Oscar Borsak hung his head. “That-” He began, then he looked up at the silent, aghast crowd and towards his team. People had their hands over their mouths in disbelief. Oscar had to act. “Oliver! Get Kayden on the phone. Check his condition. Niel, call an ambulance, we need paramedics to get up there in a chopper, ASAP!”
He looked out at the crowd. “This was never meant to go this way. Mr and Mrs Bradsworth; Mr and Mrs Tephrosia, I don’t know how to say how sorry I am.”
He hung his head and walked down from the stage.
*
Oscar Borsak sat in his parliament office with his head down. Glimpses of that day often caught him off guard throughout his day. But it was a long time since he’d thought of it in such detail. He remembered being so happy once he found out that Sato and especially Kayden had survived and been air lifted out of there. Now he can barely think about Kayden Epicurus.
Oscar hit himself in the chest and coughed to clear the lump in his throat.
The phone beeped. His secretary’s voice came over the small speaker. “Kayden Epicurus on the line. He says it’s urgent.”
Chimeras 05 Page 2
