by Tony Corden
“It isn’t that simple, Olivia. You heard John the other day. He’s right, people want change. I know, because I want change. I won’t capitulate just to save myself from difficulties. What type of message would that send?”
“A safe one. Forget what John says about a revolution and think about the future. If people see you dragged off to the police station in cuffs, they’ll riot. Thousands will be arrested and relocated. Families will be broken up, and I imagine people will die—one man was killed yesterday when the police arrested him. He was old, and it was likely a heart attack, but there was no remorse shown by the authorities. If any of this happens, then the community will fragment even further, the divide between the haves and the have-nots will grow even wider. If things calm down, you would be in a position to bridge the gap peacefully.”
“Olivia, I’m not trying to force change on either the people or on the authorities. My dad helped me see that forcing change would always backfire. He also said that positive change needed to be fanned, it needs the opportunity to sink in, and it needs momentum to move people’s habits, ideas and dreams. Nothing I say will hold up in a court of law, you know that and I know that. Telling them what I saw and heard will only see it quashed. They already have their scapegoats, and they want my testimony to give justification for that without forcing them to do anything to the people who are behind what happened. My silence keeps the options open. Without evidence, they can only shut the investigation down, but they can’t close it.”
“Fair enough, I do see your point, and I even agree with it, but I’m supposed to give you the best advice.”
“Olivia, forget everything you learned in the last few years and think back to the idealistic young woman who wanted to be a lawyer. Think back to the days when you still believed you could work for justice and truth. What would that Olivia say?”
The braille reader went quiet for a while then Olivia’s words came through, “That Olivia would’ve expected your testimony to get the Kodomans life-without-parole. She would have told you to do whatever you needed to make sure the culprits were put away and the righteous justified.”
“Good, then that’s what I’ll do. I can’t give a testimony because we both agree it will be pointless. I agree I can’t simply refuse. What I can do is have you put this braille machine away and let the doctor see what happened. Show them the mattresses I shredded while I slept last night and let them make up their own minds.”
“How will you explain your escape and making your way to the house?”
“I won’t. No one else was there, and any suppositions you may have are legally without foundation. All the experts will agree that it is a mystery. Maybe someone helped me and then disappeared. Maybe they killed Earl and Billy. Maybe it is a miracle. Actually, I doubt they’ll think that even if that is the answer closest to the truth.”
“They might want to take you away for testing.”
“I’m sure you can find experts who will agree my case is hopeless and it is best to be with my family before I waste away or become so bad I need to be institutionalised.”
“Somehow the information will leak.”
“I know. We’ll also know where that leak came from and who is to blame. We will see by the mileage made from the story who else is involved.”
“What happens when the people riot to avenge you?”
“They won’t.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I’ll ask them not to.”
“How can you do that if you’re blind, deaf and dumb?”
“Politely.”
“I don’t need to know.”
“No, you don’t need to know, but if you ask, I’ll tell you. You’re not only my lawyer, but you’re also my friend.”
“No. You’re right that I don’t need to know. You’re also right that anything you say will be used against you. How do we run it?”
“Use my dad and mum to protect me. You to represent me. You guys can do and say whatever you want. No one except me knows what really happened. Mum, Dad, and you can only guess. Say whatever you like. The only possible snag is the bullet holes in my back, but they can be disguised as cuts and jabs from rocks. Please let them know that if any of the photos get leaked, then you will destroy them, the police that is, not the photos.”
“I guarantee they will be leaked.”
“I know, but I want them to be as discreet as possible. I was hoping your warning would mean nothing leaked which shows my face.”
“Vanity?”
“I am a sixteen-year-old girl who isn’t looking her best. It isn’t really vanity, I think of it as just simple humanity.”
“OK, let me take some pictures of your wounds and then I’ll go find some experts to have ready. What about writing on the hand?”
“I’ll make it slow and laborious. I know enough to know I’m with family and that’s about it. I won’t lie, I just won’t answer.”
Olivia had to use a physical device to take the pictures because Leah couldn’t give permission for Olivia’s AI to record her image. Within the multiverse everyone recorded, but as a result, the conditions for real-life recording were highly regulated. When Olivia had the visuals, she suggested Lin hide the braille devices and anything which could show Leah was able to communicate. After that, she went to use a Pod set aside for her use. After Lin had put the braille material away, she sat holding Leah’s hand while they waited for the police.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Leah, her mum wrote on her hand, ‘POLICE HERE’. Leah got to her feet and allowed Lin to lead her to whatever room had been set aside for the meeting. Once in the room, Lin pulled on Leah’s hand to bring her to a stop, and then gently pushed against her shoulders to tell her to sit. Leah dialled back the speed on all her working sensory perceptions and almost cringed as the nothingness rolled over her.
Leah wasn’t sure how long she’d been sitting, all she could feel was Lin’s hand in hers and her father’s shoulder touching her on the other side. Suddenly Lin let go, and it wasn’t acting that saw Leah jerk her arm, trying to reform the connection. She felt someone touch her leg and jerked again until she felt the gentleness which could only be her mother. Someone touched her skull, and she finally let the pain show as she pulled her head violently out of reach before cringing as her broken ribs responded to the contraction of her abdominal muscles.
No one else touched her for a while until someone made to lift her shirt. Leah responded by kicking forward with her leg. She knew enough to tone down the kick, but there was no way she was letting just anybody lift her shirt. Her foot came in contact with what she thought was a shin, but she then decided it was too soft. Soon after that, Lin’s hand returned to hold Leah’s. Leah started counting her heartbeats. It was another eight-hundred-fifty-eight beats before Lin slowly lifted her hand up as if asking Leah to stand.
Leah stood and allowed herself to be led from the room. Suddenly Lin dropped Leah’s hand, leaving Leah standing without any idea where she was. Moments later, a hand took Leah’s and started to pull her forward. Leah couldn’t tell whose hand it was, but none of her family or friends would have pulled without letting her know what was happening unless they were being watched. Hoping it wasn’t someone she knew, Leah pulled back and flung her arms around in a circle, making contact with people standing too close to her on both sides. Leah dropped to the floor and, pulling her legs into her chest, she started to gently rock back and forth.
Someone gently sat beside her, but she didn’t allow them to stop her movement, and she didn’t respond to anything they did. Finally, after counting past two thousand, she felt a finger write gently on her cheek. ‘THEY GONE MUM WILL TAKE YOUR HAND.’
Leah let herself be led back to the room where the braille equipment was quickly set up. Olivia was first. “Leah, they sent two detectives and a doctor. We explained where you’d been found but couldn’t explain how you got there. Your dad offered a guess which was a close approximation to what y
ou’d described except he offered no explanation for the two dead men. The doctor made a recording of your injuries, but when she asked a detective to raise your shirt he knelt to stay below the level of the video recorder. Your foot caught the detective in a most vulnerable place. He wanted you arrested for assault, but after being reminded that he’d neither sought your consent nor that of your parents, it was deemed a justifiable action.
“The doctor did a range of tests, including a bright light in your eyes, a loud noise near your ears. The detectives were taken to look at the room and asked your parents to lead you there so they could see how you behaved. Halfway there they told your mother to let go of your hand, and one of them stood on either side of you, and one took your hand to lead you. Your flail hit both of them. After you sat down, they asked how come you looked all right yesterday, and your mother explained that most of the time you were peaceful as long as you had some idea of who was around you. When they couldn’t get any more reaction from you, they insisted they take you for further tests.
“When your parents refused, they said they would come back with a court order. I explained the suit against them that I was starting in the morning and explained the expert opinions I would bring to any move to have you taken from your family. They backed down and left. Do you have any questions?”
“No. Thank you for the summary, Olivia. Is John here?”
John sat down and took Olivia’s place at the keyboard. “John here.”
“There is a snitch in the outer crowd.”
“I picked that up. Lacey’s gone to explain to some of the people we trust. They will move everyone along. I doubt we’ll find out who, but it could have been an innocent sharing of information.”
“Maybe, but I doubt people from the Switch would have used the word, peaceful.”
“Maybe. What next?”
“Do you and Jimmy have a plan yet?”
“Not yet. We’re trying to rush, but we don’t want to make mistakes. One day extra won’t matter long term. Be patient.”
“I really don’t have any other choice, John, do I. I’ll let you go. I need to read some more, then my body is suggesting it needs more rest. I missed having dreams, but now they’re back I really think I could do without them.”
John had no idea how to respond and left it for Lin. After John left, Leah read through the documents describing the Neural Enhancement chip, then after an early meal, she was led to the room set aside as her bedroom.
Diary - 21 December, 2073
Oh, God, WHY?
Why did you let me go through that? I thought you loved me? I trusted you to do what was best for me? Where were you?
?
?
?
Are you listening?
Where are you?
9
December 22 2073
REAL WORLD
Leah woke around midnight after a disturbed and restless sleep because of her dreams. Without Kevin’s sleeping potion, she also woke up every time her thrashing pulled against her wounds or some movement pushed one of the bandages into the mattress. She knew she had to sleep, but she hated the thought of being so out of it that she might hurt some accidentally. Leah wondered how long she’d been lying in the room and assumed it was morning. After sitting up and then standing, she waited until someone came to get her. She’d expected her mother but knew the hand wasn’t Lin’s as soon as it carefully pulled at hers.
It was Emily. Emily used her finger to ask what Leah needed. Leah mentioned the bathroom and asked what the time was. Emily told Leah it was just after midnight, then after helping Leah to the bathroom, she led Leah to the braille computer. Once she was there, she typed, “Sorry for getting you up Em, but I couldn’t sleep any more. If you don’t mind, I’ll sit here and read for a bit. I’ve a few things to research and a lot of messages to answer.”
“No worries Leah, I’ll be here if you need anything. Kevin has some medicine and other nutritional supplements for you. He said you could take them anytime after eleven. John wanted you to know that some information was leaked by the police. As soon as you’re able, he wants you to read the information from Olivia and Sharon.”
Leah took the tablets and was given another shot by Emily. Then she started with the message from Olivia.
To: Atherleah Carroll **78
From: Olivia Goodwin **45 [AI **21]
Regarding: Information leaks
Leah, we were right, the first report filed by the media was just after eleven this evening. Apparently, an unnamed source leaked several photos of you. The file data was scrubbed, but they are from the images the police took at the interview. The source is quoted as saying you have suffered debilitating injuries which have caused irreparable damage. You are unable to communicate with the outside world sufficiently to answer even simple questions. There is a photo of your face, one is a back view of your skull showing the burns, and another is a short motion-shot of you rocking back and forth on the floor of the room.
Stephen and I are working to find out who leaked the information and Stephen is pushing to sue. I think we should wait a bit, but that’s up to you. He has some good reasons which are worth listening to before you decide. The photos went viral within minutes and except for several prominent exceptions, mostly people you have spoken with in the past, they have been reposted by almost every news and gaming site on the planet. Hundreds of ‘experts’ have been discussing what might have caused the damage, but the consensus is it was the work of vicious criminals.
The police were asked to comment. After vowing to find the people who leaked the photos, they explained that the injuries were a known method of retribution in the underworld and hinted that your past may have somehow caught up with you. They have since denied that that is what they meant. Still, the suggestion has been taken up by some of the largest news worlds, and they are driving the direction of the conversation. You are being painted as a tortured soul who was trying to escape an unsavoury past which somehow caught up with you.
You said you could calm people down and I suggest you find a way soon because there are some very loud rumblings in the negative-tax areas. Anti-authority feelings are high and heating up, and Sharon can’t afford to stay quiet much longer. I’ll send another update soon.
Olivia
Leah sent a short reply thanking Olivia then found a message from Sharon.
To: Atherleah Carroll **78
From: Sharon Trang **23 [AI **5B]
Regarding: next steps?
Leah, John contacted me and described what had happened. I haven’t stopped crying. Catherine asked what was wrong and after she promised to keep silent, I told her. She shut down completely and was staring at the wall for over an hour. I didn’t know what to do. Finally, she turned and asked how I knew, and I described what John had told me. Catherine just up and left. Kate contacted me and said she got a call from Catherine. Apparently, Catherine connected with Kate and is borrowing one of the Pods at your centre here in Sydney. Catherine said to tell you that she and the others will be ready whenever you need them.
I mention that because I’ve been silent concerning the rumours, but I need to get something out there. I don’t want to spark riots, but I need to say something more than ‘I have no comment at this time’. The photos are clearly of you, and the experts have painted a bleak picture about any chance of recovery. They say there is no hope whatsoever of you returning to the multiverse. I can’t repeat what John told me without being able to prove everything. All I can think of is to say your family would value privacy at this difficult time and ask people to respect others as you have done.
Sharon.
Leah had been thinking of this since earlier the previous day. After plotting out the possibilities in the silence of her mind, she sent a message to Sharon.
To: Sharon Trang **23 [AI **5B]
From: Atherleah Carroll **78
Regarding: next steps
?
Sharon, I’d like you to contact Lisa Wilks and tell her you are offering her network the opportunity to interview me live at the Virtual World Today Studios during their Special Edition Christmas Eve Program. Copy the message to Chéng Shí, Kostya Alekseyev, Mark Stevens, Erica Morrison, and Deathmaster. Suggest they invite some of the other contestants including Ivan, Yuè Fēi and Noah. I’ll send a note to Ivan letting him know he might be asked. He’ll let the other two know.
After that, feel free to tidy up the following message and then release it.
“I would like to thank those who have been so concerned for my family and me over the last few days. Someone told me about the visual media that has been circulating in the multiverse for the last few hours. While I’m disappointed and shocked that my privacy has been violated, I suppose it isn’t as bad as what people actually did to me.
“Having said that, I ask you to think back over the last month and consider if the Atherleah you’ve watched would let something like this stop her. I assure you, it will not. Somehow, and I’m not quite sure how yet, but I will be back in the multiverse as soon as I can manage it. Until I am, I’d ask people not to look for revenge on my behalf. Please, don’t take what I consider to be your justifiable anger out on people who may, or may not, be responsible. The truth is, I know who did this, and while I won’t say no to some help if I need it, I’d rather you left them for me.
“Christmas is understood around the world as a time of peace and a time for family. If you know anything about me, then you should understand that my faith is important to me. Please keep the peace, at least until then.”
Leah.
