The Synchronizer

by Francis Tint

  “Over my dead body,” Corey said.

  “When hell freezes over,” Blake resonated.

  “Then I guess we’ll just have to do it the hard way.” Dylan held up Julia’s torch gun and aimed at the pair. Corey quickly conjured electric sparks on his fingertips. Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch. The sprinkler above his head started spraying down water. He was electrocuted by his own powers. The sparks left his hand into the water mist, creating twinkles throughout the room.

  Blake observed the sparkles in awe. It was just like the ones from the dream. No, not just from the dream. She had seen them multiple times before. Corey used to show the trick all the time, illuminating a dark space like fireflies in a forest. Flashes of her childhood memory with Corey resurfaced in her mind, replaying in her head like a record on loop.

  It wasn’t just the memories that were coming back. More importantly, she could feel her powers flowing in her veins.

  “I’d say you’re out of moves,” Dylan derided.

  Blake opened her eyes, which were glowing a luminescent blue. She lifted her hand. “I still got one more.”

  Waves and gushes of water rushed out from her body toward the assailants like a tsunami. Dylan and all his minions tumbled down under the force of the water like dominoes. Blake closed her fist, and the water instantly froze over, solidifying and incapacitating their enemies.

  With a cone of chocolate-chip-cookie-dough ice-cream in one hand, and the other hand holding a mint-chocolate-chip ice-cream, Blake walked toward the bench where Corey was seated. “If my memory serves me right, this is your go-to.”

  Corey graciously took the ice-cream. “Thank you. Glad you got your memories back.”

  “Not everything,” Blake sighed. “It’s just bits and pieces with you. I still could not remember everything about my dad.” She told him about what had happened back at the nuclear reactor site, how they had unlocked some of her memories, and had tried to force her to give the instructions for building the Synchronizer. “My other memories came to me after you guys woke me up. The sparkles you created reminded me of our past.”

  “I should really watch where I stand. Not the first time to fall for that trick,” Corey said with a slight tone of embarrassment.

  She took a deep breath. Everything still felt so unreal. She couldn’t help but to blame herself. “You’re right all along. The Synchronizer is a dangerous doomsday machine. We should’ve never gathered those instructions. And we should never build the device.”

  “It’s now kept in a safe place. I’m confident with Zach’s security system.”

  “I hope so. I’m not doubting Zach. Back there, they gave me a warning. They hinted we might have a spy among us. When you were chasing after Kaitlin, someone made you invisible. We assumed it must be the Typhon, but they denied it.”

  Corey looked visibly conflicted. With everything that had happened, he couldn’t picture any of them as a traitor. “They could just be lying.”

  “Quite possibly, but they admitted to drugging Tylor. Why lie about Kaitlin?”

  “Probably just trying to alienate us.”

  “We should still be cautious.” She gave a weak smile. Ouch! She felt a sudden pinch on her right arm, like a mosquito bite. She couldn’t help but to scratch it.

  “Stop,” Corey urged. “You’ll only make it worse.”

  “I have no idea how I got this.”

  “It’s probably from the injection they gave you when they hooked you up to the machine,” Corey explained. He took out some ointment and gently applied it to the wound on Blake’s arm. She intently watched as he tended to her arm, reminding her yet again of one of their past interactions.

  As a clumsy girl, she had never been able to ride a bike properly. Her father had continued to encourage her, claiming it’s a key essential life skill. Again and again she would fall and injure herself, but Corey would also be by her side, looking after any cuts and bruises.

  These memories were finally returning to her rightfully, like a remastered classic film. The images were clear and the emotions were strong: how very safe and protected she felt in his presence. But there was an undeniable void in all these recollections. The fatherly figure she yearned to remember was nothing but a haze, like a glitch in a permanently damaged computer file.

  “Good as new,” Corey said, as he placed a plaster over the wound.

  “Thank you,” Blake responded, hiding back her tears.

  Loud applause followed as Corey and Blake entered Zach’s home. Their friends adorned such elaborate decorations as if they had just saved the world. There were champagnes, cakes, and anything festive one could think of.

  “Here’s to the heroine who saved us all,” Julia tooted, raising her glass.

  “I should really be thanking you guys for coming to save me in the first place,” Blake deflected with a shy smile.

  “Aww… humble as always.”

  “Seriously, Blake,” Tylor added, “we were totally caged like sitting ducks until you powered up.”

  “Coming to our rescue like our very own ice queen!” Rachael said, standing atypically close to Tylor.

  “Look at those two,” Julia interjected, “already finishing each other’s sentences.” With the remark, Rachael blushed and slyly moved slightly away from Tylor, who darted a death glare at Julia but did not deny the accusations. “Anyhow, Blake,” Julia said, changing the subject, “how did you, to use Tylor’s turn of phrase, power up?”

  “I’m not quite sure. I saw Corey’s electric sparks in the air, and some of my memories just came back along with my powers,” Blake replied.

  “It’s not the first time you see Corey in action,” Julia said. “What’s different this time?”

  “After I woke up in the chamber, I felt less burdened. I would say that it’s as if I broke free of some restrictions. When I saw the sparks, many of my memories just came flushing in, and I felt instantly recharged. It was like rediscovering a hidden part that had always been with me all along.”

  “Probably the electric jolt unblocked the neural pathways in your brain’s limbic region,” Zach speculated. “It likely also activated the part of your brain that powered you back up. So are all your memories back?”

  She shook her head. “I still couldn’t remember my father. Everything about him is still a blur.” She said with a hint of sorrow.

  “It takes time, hon,” Julia consoled her. “Celebrate the small wins. They’ll keep us going.”

  “Agreed,” Corey added in a solemn tone, “but we also should plan for what’s next.”

  “C’mon,” Zach protested, “would it hurt you to live just a little?”

  “I agree with Corey,” Blake contended. “We should really stay alert. We have two enemy fronts, and we don’t know their next moves.”

  “I doubt Dylan and his minions are going to try anything anytime soon after we seriously toasted them big time,” Tylor said.

  “They will recover,” Corey refuted. “It’s just a matter of time.”

  “In the meantime, we still have the big boss, Ashlea,” Rachael said.

  “And we have absolutely no clue what she’s capable of,” Tylor added.

  “Let’s regroup on what we know,” Blake spoke logically. “We know they’ve been experimenting on candidates to change their isotopic makeup. Maybe they’re trying to create some sort of conduit to travel to another universe, but we aren’t really sure.”

  “I still can’t believe these concepts are now our regular day-to-day vocabulary,” interjected Julia. “Ok, let me play along. Their first try created a bunch of freaks, and they’re now basically Hermes’s hitmen.”

  “Their second try was a bust, since they kept killing their subjects,” Zach added.

  “They’re also trying it on kids,” Tylor continued, “but we crushed their plan by snatching Sam back.”

  “But that doesn’t mean they haven’t experimented on other kids,” Rachael warned. “The evil ones always have evil backup plans.”


  “How about the Synchronizer?” Blake asked, “It can control the energy balance within the multiverse. Do you think they’re after it?”

  “They must know about it,” Zach added. “Ashlea was part of the design crew.”

  “But they never got it working,” said Tylor. “She probably abandoned it.”

  “Hm… so what’s their play?” asked Zach, to no one in particular.

  “Do you think we’re missing something?” inquired Blake. “How are these events connected? We clearly alerted them when we chased after the shapeshifter. But they never took any action. All our confrontations were with Dylan and his cult. What’s the missing link?”

  She returned to the covert communication forum. After all the adventures she had engaged in, she had positively developed a tight bond with the group. This had made it increasingly difficult for her to perform her tasks, to continue the espionage. How ignorant of her to think it would have been easy for her to compartmentalize the relationship she had developed. Also, the risks she had taken felt categorically life-threatening. Had they really been able to guarantee her safety? Should she continue to betray her friends?

  But, as the saying would go, blood and water and so forth.

  She went down the dark hallway, and approached the dreadful door. She pulled on the handle. Damn. Not again.

  And the footsteps also!? Why did the guard always monitor this obscure part of the building? Good thing she came prepared this time. She inserted the key to unlock the door. A much more elegant way to open a door compared to a hairpin.

  She proceeded down the hallway to the flat door panel, and looked at the surveillance camera. She waited. The red light started flashing. She waited and waited. Something was off. This was taking way too long. She might have done her hair a little differently, but that shouldn’t have fooled the facial recognition program.

  She fixed her hair and smiled at the camera, hoping that would speed up the process. Still just the flashing red light. Something was definitely up.

  She never found out whether the facial recognition would finally register her identity, or if the keyhole would materialize. When she opened her eyes again, she was tied up to a chair, in a chamber isolated from the outside world.

  Corey and Blake left Zach’s place and went to a park. It was the calm before the storm. What scared Blake most was that she knew absolutely nothing of Ashlea’s plan. The Synchronizer had been her dad’s lifework. It was one of the few things left that had belonged to her dad. But maybe holding onto something so dangerous to the multiverse was not rational. “You’re right all along,” she spoke softly to Corey. “What’s hidden should stay hidden. We should destroy the instructions.”

  Corey placed his hand on Blake’s in an attempt to console her. It was a difficult situation. She needed to come to terms with destroying her dad’s lifework. Life used to be simple and straightforward. There had always been a safety net. But her world had been turned upside-down. She needed to bear the sacrifices and consequences of whatever actions she took.

  “You’re not alone in this,” Corey said gently. “Whatever happens, I’ll be here.”

  Blake nodded soundlessly.

  Corey pointed up. “Look!” The previously empty night sky was filled with shooting stars, embellishing the dark void with glistening diamonds. Blake gazed at the ambience in awe. As she reached out with her hand, more sparkles materialized around her like fireflies. The sorrow on her face was immediately replaced by a bright optimistic expression.

  “Stop this. What if a stranger walks by?” Blake warned. “I’m not five anymore. You don’t need to cheer me up with sparkles.” She protested as she tried futilely to conceal the smile on her face.

  “Your face tells a different story,” Corey responded. “And I like this look much better.”

  Blake blushed and struggled to find a response.

  “Come,” Corey took her hand and brought her close to a water fountain. “We just escaped a monsters’ den. We can afford to be carefree. We deserve it.”

  “Ok. But what would you like to do by a fountain? Toss a coin and make a wish?”

  “You don’t remember? You used to ask me to skate with you all the time. You hated biking, but you loved skating.”

  “On water?” She thought for a second, “Oh right. I could do this now.” She tapped her foot lightly on the water. Her eyes glowed a gentle luminescent blue, like a freshly polished sapphire. Instantly, the water froze over, revealing a clean expanse of ice. She also magicked some skating blades underneath their shoes.

  She hadn’t gone skating since she had been adopted. But as soon as she stepped on the rink, her feet gracefully glided on the surface like a gentle breeze kissing the ocean waves. She leaped and twirled, jumping elegantly like a deer hopping in meadows.

  She looked back, and noticed Corey was still struggling to gain his balance on the skiddy surface. His feet were dangerously trembling like scaffolding in a gusty storm. He attempted to put one foot forward and kicked the other one back to gain some momentum. Instead of soaring in the wind, he succumbed to gravity and made painful contact with the frosty plain.

  She slid back and helped him up. “I see you never got better at this.”

  “Slippery surface’s not my friend.”

  With hands linked, Blake guided Corey along the ice, hoping the slower pace would get him more accustomed to the ice. Memories of them skating in the past came flooding back to her mind. Corey had never been a good skater; but whenever Blake had been distraught, he would always skate with her in an effort to cheer her up, no matter how much pain the experience would bring him.

  “Ok. I think I’m getting this,” Corey said doubtfully with his eyes still tightly locked to the surface.

  “Let’s see how you do on your own.” She slowly let go of him.

  One foot after the next, he attempted to master the sleek skating rink. He took a few steps and it looked as though he had finally acquired the art of skating. He gained confidence and took a larger stride. Immediately, he lost balance, and leaned forward for Blake’s support.

  His hands grasped tightly at her arms, and his face fell just inches away from hers. Their eyes met. The world seemed to have slowed to a halt. For that second, it was as if all of the problems and troubles had gone away. They shut their eyes and their lips locked for the very first time.

  They slowly drew apart from each other. “Ok. I think we have enough,” her hands still held tightly on Corey’s. “Our friends are probably stressing out at home, worried sick for their lives. We should get working.”

  “I’m sure they’re all just chilling at home.”

  “Where am I?” she asked, still tied to the chair in a desolate room. “Who are you? Let me go. Let me out of here.”

  A computer screen appeared before her. She continued to protest, “Dylan. We already kicked your butt once. We can do it again. Dude, just give up already!”

  A simple word appeared on the computer screen.

  Wrong

  Who could it be then? This sophisticated and sinister setup in fact did not resemble Dylan’s barbaric style. In that case, only one other option remained. “Benjamin. Why are you doing this?”

  His response was captured on the computer screen.

  Everything’s already in motion. Your service is no longer required.

  That made absolutely no sense. Who gave him the right to tie her up when she’s not needed? She’s not some sort of puppet at his disposal. “How can you say this? You can’t guarantee that! Also, I’m not just a pawn. You can’t do this to me!”

  We can’t rely on you for the success of this mission. It’s too critical.

  “I’ve done everything you asked for. It’s not my fault they found the chemical link tying to the clinical trial. You have no right to tie me up. Absolutely no right.”

  You care too much about your friends.

  She was stunned after seeing those words appear on the screen. Her loyalty was being questioned. But s
he had done nothing of that sort. She would never betray them. Would she? “That’s a baseless accusation. I demand to talk to your boss.”

  There was no response on the screen. She repeated, “I demand to talk to my mother!”

  Corey and Blake arrived at her dad’s place. “Are you sure you still want to do this? You can change your mind,” Corey said. “Should we consult the others?”

  She considered her options. Her dad had purposefully invented the device to safeguard the multiverse. Either it had already worked or they had run into some hiccups they couldn’t resolve. In any case, it didn’t seem like the device was urgently needed. It was definitely safer to destroy it lest it fall into the wrong hands.

  “I’m sure. There’s a chance there’s a spy within us. I don’t want to involve the others.” Blake placed her finger on Zach’s security scanner.

  With both fingerprints detected, the safe popped open. She gingerly took out the three pieces of instructions, the blueprint of a device that could mean the destruction of their universe and beyond. She placed them neatly together for a final look.

  “You sure about it?” Corey asked again.

  There was no response. He looked into her eyes, which were glowing bright blue. She was staring intently into space, unresponsive. “Blake?”

  CHAPTER TEN

  P.S.

  Blake found herself wandering in a barren field. The wind was blowing harshly at her, scratching roughly against her skin. Her bare feet made contact with the coarse field. The smell of ash and burned coal filled the smoggy air.

  Not far before her, she saw a tall shadow projected out of nowhere. She got closer to it. No, it’s not a shadow. She didn’t quite know how to describe it. It looked like a void in space, an area where no matter could exist and no light could pass through. Out of curiosity, she reached out to the void.

  Just before she touched the void, a woman in a scout cap pulled her away. “What do you think you are doing?”