by T. C. Edge
“I was serious!” says Tess, turning to me with a frown.
I chuckle as I drop back down onto the smooth sofa, wondering how long exactly we have to be here. And why.
As Tess and I prepare to re-enter into a discussion about the day’s events, Sophie sweeps back into the room, carrying a tray with flasks of water and a plate of biscuits.
Her offer to take a couple is quickly accepted by the both of us, although neither stop at just two. Biscuits are luxuries where we’re from. This is not an opportunity to be missed.
For a little while, the tasty cookies are sufficient to distract us from our conversation and questioning. Perhaps that was the idea all along. As the sugar fades, however, Tess’s keen mind jumps back into action.
“I didn’t actually see the screen,” she starts, gathering the final crumbs from the plate. “I only heard the voice – that was weird, by the way. What did the guy look like?”
She turns to Sophie, but quickly moves her eyes to me, knowing I’m more likely to answer.
“He was just a silhouette,” I say. “I dunno, could have even been a woman. That modulator would change anyone’s voice.”
“It wasn’t a woman,” says Sophie, a little out of the blue.
We both turn to her.
“How do you know?”
She smiles awkwardly, and shuffles her posture a little on the sofa.
“Well…it just didn’t sound like a woman, did it?” she says hurriedly.
I peer closely at her. What is she afraid of?
Suddenly, an alarm sounds on the wall. Her eyes flash and turn to it, and she darts towards the electronic interface. She presses a button, and through an intercom comes the sound of a crying baby.
“Sorry girls. That’s just my son, Maddox.”
“You left him here alone?” I ask.
“Oh, good God no. He’s well looked after by our techno-nanny. I could leave him, but a mother’s touch is always best. I won’t be long.”
She moves off again down the corridor, and we hear a door open and close.
“This place is sooo weird,” says Tess. “They even let robots look after their kids!”
“I know. Did you hear Deputy Burns’s questions for me on stage, asking if I’d like to live here? I didn’t know what the hell to say.”
“You did well, I thought. We all did. I dunno, though. This place might grow on you if you actually lived here. Like, if you were in Sophie’s position, going both ways. Let’s be honest, life isn’t exactly awesome over at the academy.”
“Better than here.”
She shrugs.
“Maybe. I’m not going to judge it on a few hours. You heard what Sophie said. It grows on you, this place…”
“Yeah well, I’m not going to trust Sophie on this. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone so vapid…”
“I’d be careful what you say about my wife.”
A voice, deep and firm, reverberates from the hallway behind us. We turn quickly to see a man standing at the entrance to the room, down the corridor from the front door.
He’s young, perhaps Sophie’s age or a little older, and has the same haircut as every other man here: short and neatly cut. The colour is jet black, though, and his eyes are piercingly dark, focused and intense.
It’s the same for all the Hawks.
He takes a pace in, his eyes unblinking as they survey us.
“You must be Sophie’s husband,” I say. “I didn’t mean anything…”
“You meant every word, Brie,” he counters.
“You know my name?”
“Of course I do,” he says smoothly. “Everyone in the city knows both your names now.”
He moves around the sofa, and extends a hand. We both stand quickly to our feet.
“My name’s Rycard, and yes, I am Sophie’s husband. Nice to meet you both.”
His shake is firm and quick. After the brief introduction, he steps back and takes a seat, and we return to ours.
“So, you were at the ceremony today?” asks Tess.
Rycard leans forward and takes a flask of water, gulping down half of it before answering.
“I was on duty,” he says. “I work for the City Guard.”
“Oh, wow, do you get to work over in Outer Haven much?”
“Quite often, yes.”
“And is that how you met Sophie?”
“No, that’s not exactly how it works. She was scouted along with other suitable girls. We met at an official function here for Enhanced bachelors.”
“Like a matchmaking ball?” I ask.
“Pretty much, yes. Perhaps you’ll get to experience one soon, going by the Deputy’s line of questioning.”
I frown and recoil at the thought, which I only later realise is probably quite insulting. Both to him and Sophie.
“Can I deduce that you’re not keen on marrying up,” he asks wryly.
I don’t answer.
“And how about you, Tess? Surely we Enhanced aren’t so repulsive?”
“No, you’re not repulsive at all,” she says eagerly.
Jesus, Tess…the guy’s wife’s in the next room.
“Well, that’s very nice of you to say,” he says, smiling for the first time and revealing a set of straight white teeth. “Where is Sophie, by the way?”
“Oh, she’s just checking on Maddox,” I say.
The name of his son brightens his smile.
“I see. Well, while she’s gone, if you have any questions for me, fire away. I know you’re probably curious about how certain things work around here.”
I look to Tess and smile. She has the same idea.
Before she can speak, however, I blurt out a single word.
“Hybrids,” I say.
Rycard frowns, thin eyebrows dipping over his penetrating gaze.
“What about hybrids?” he asks.
“I heard a technician saying that the perpetrators earlier were hybrids. That they were the ones responsible. Is that true? Is that who the Nameless are?”
It’s obvious that Rycard wasn’t expecting such a line of questioning. He sits back and considers things a moment, his eyes turning down the corridor to check that Sophie remains with the baby.
“Yes, that’s true,” he says. “Hybrids are considered dangerous here. They’re seen by the Court as ‘anomalies’ and aren’t tolerated.”
“But Sophie…she said yesterday that only unsanctioned hybrids are illegal. She didn’t say much else, but I got the impression that other hybrids were bred, but in a controlled way.”
“Impressive,” says Rycard, smiling. “You have excellent intuition. There are certain types of hybrids that are actively bred for specific purposes.”
“Which are?” asks Tess.
“Well, hunting illegal hybrids, to put it bluntly.”
“Stalkers,” I whisper.
“Indeed. Now where did you hear that?”
“Deputy Burns,” I answer. “He told the technician to ‘send out the Stalkers’.”
“It’s the usual response whenever the Nameless rear their heads,” says Rycard coolly. “The Stalkers are our most lethal force and are ruthless hunters.”
“So, the Nameless have appeared before?” I query.
He nods. “They have, but today they took it to a new level, hijacking the video feeds. It’s obvious they’ve grown more organised and bold, and used the ceremony as an opportunity to reveal themselves to the masses…”
“Right, can we pull back a bit here,” says Tess. “So, these hybrids, I assume, are mixed Enhanced? Like, if you married a Dasher?”
“Precisely,” says Rycard. “If that happened, it’s possible that my kids could have both the physical traits and genetic qualities of me and their Dasher mother. So, in that case, they would be Hawks and Dashers.”
“So…Hawkers?” asks Tess.
“Actually, yes, that’s exactly what they’re called.”
Tess grins, looking rather pleased with herself.
“And, these
hybrids are considered dangerous?” I ask. “Why?”
“If you knew Savants like I did, you’d get it. They don’t like anything they can’t control. I mean, it’s not even that hybrids are dangerous. They’re just different. It’s more that the Court have made them dangerous by outlawing them, unless they breed them themselves.”
“And now they breed their own hybrid super-soldiers in order to hunt other hybrids,” says Tess. “That’s screwed up.”
Rycard doesn’t disagree.
“Anyway, how do illegal hybrids even come about?” I ask. “I mean, if relationships between different types of Enhanced are illegal, why do people take the risk?”
“Love,” says Rycard quickly. “And, I suppose, lust plays its part too. Either way, these sorts of emotions are too strong to deny for some people, regardless as to whether something is illegal. I mean, over in Outer Haven, people get murdered, right?”
We nod.
“Well exactly. People know it’s illegal, and they do it anyway, because of anger or passion or hate or jealously. Emotions like these can cause a lot of pain.”
“And the Savants don’t understand all that,” I say, nodding. “They should just stop everyone feeling emotion if that’s what they want…”
Rycard raises his eyebrows and purses his lips.
The room goes silent for a moment, and from down the corridor, the sound of a crying baby spreads.
“I should go check on them,” says the Hawk, standing to his feet.
“Just…one more question,” I say, stopping him before he can retreat.
He turns his deep eyes back down to me, and waits.
“These Nameless, these hybrids…where exactly are they?”
Rycard looks towards the semi-tranparent wall, and sends his sharp gaze over the city. I wonder just how far he can see with those augmented eyes of his.
And as he looks, scanning the world, he answers.
“Look around you,” he says quietly. “They’re everywhere.”
13
As Rycard disappears down the corridor, I turn to Tess and see that her eyes are tracing the Hawk’s steps. She doesn’t turn back to me until he’s disappeared completely from view.
“Well, that was revealing,” she says. “He was a little more candid than his wife, wasn’t he?”
He sure was. Certainly, coming here has turned out to be more profitable than going to the banquet. I suspect that such an event would have been nothing but another opportunity to parade us in front of the members of the Court.
“And…gorgeous too,” she adds with an impish smile.
“Tess…”
“Oh come on, I’m only human. It’s the eyes. There’s something about them that draws you in. Tell me you see it too?”
“I guess so. You’ve seen plenty of Hawks before, though, around Outer Haven.”
“Yeah, but never up close, and I’ve never spoken to one. Having them look directly at you…let’s just say I can see why Sophie chose him.”
“I doubt it was like that,” I huff. “I imagine it was him who chose her, not the other way around.”
“Well, whatever. She’s lucky, that’s all I’m saying.”
Personally, Rycard’s penetrating eyes aren’t what intrigue me most about him. It’s his frankness, his willingness to chat openly about these hybrids and the Nameless and the Stalkers who hunt them down.
Perhaps around here they’re a common topic of conversation, a current affair that the people discuss. And with him being a member of the City Guard, I guess it’s probably a fairly large concern right now.
Still, I haven’t heard a peep about any of this over in Outer Haven. I guess, until now, it’s been kept under wraps over on this side of the wall. Now, with the cryptic words of the mystery hijacker being televised across the city, everyone’s going to be talking about it.
Those words, though…I wonder what he meant.
I rack my brain and try to remember them.
He called us the oppressed. That our lives were a lie, that our freedom isn’t real. And that the Fanatics aren’t who we think they are.
What the hell does that all mean?
As I work to remember what else was said, I hear a door opening once more down the corridor, followed by two sets of footsteps.
I turn to see Rycard and Sophie emerge together, looking like quite the dashing couple. It looks like Maddox has been soothed back to sleep, his cries no longer audible.
“Sorry about all that, girls,” says Sophie. “But I’m glad it gave you an opportunity to meet Rycard. I hope he didn’t bore you too much.”
She grins, showing a bit more of her human side for the first time. I wouldn’t pin her as the playful type, but I’m happy to be surprised.
“Not at all,” I say. “Quite the opposite, actually.”
“Well that’s a rarity then,” jokes Sophie again.
Rycard rolls his eyes just a little. I suspect he gets this a lot when Sophie has guests over.
“Anyway, Maddox is sleeping now, so no more distractions. How about you stay for a bit of dinner? Your passes to Inner Haven won’t expire for a little while yet.”
Were she to have asked about ten minutes ago, before Rycard’s arrival, I’d have probably declined. Now, however, I’m only too happy to accept.
Tess also nods keenly. Her excitement at sticking around is for another reason entirely.
“Excellent,” says Sophie. “I’ll prepare the dining room. Rycard, fetch them some more drinks would you?”
She breezes off, leaving the three of us alone again. I find it amusing, and rather surprising, that she appears to rule the roost around here. Despite her more ‘lowly’ standing, in this apartment, she’s the boss.
Perhaps it would be different in other households. I can’t imagine a Savant ever being ordered about by an Unenhanced, for example, and many regular Enhanced would probably balk at the idea as well.
I get the impression that Rycard isn’t like the rest. Other than his exceptional sight, he just seems like a regular man, one who commonly mixes with the people of Outer Haven and has gone so far as to marry one.
He’s proof that the divide isn’t really between the Enhanced and Unenhanced. More likely, it’s between all of us and the Savants…
As ordered, he offers us a drink. I tell him that water is just fine, and grab a flask from the table. Tess once more applies for a glass of whiskey, hoping it’ll work this time. Rycard appears more amenable.
“If we had some, I’d happily offer it to you. Unfortunately, we don’t.”
Tess crinkles her nose in disappointment.
“But we do have some apple wine, how about that?”
“Yes please!” says Tess.
It’s as if a single glass of whiskey has turned her into a raving alcoholic.
In order to not feel left out, I also accept the glass.
“It’s quite strong,” Rycard tells us, “so go easy.”
Tess appears to take the advice on board, and then goes straight ahead and guzzles down half the glass. The effect is fairly speedy, her attention on Rycard growing steadily more uncomfortable for me to witness.
Thankfully, he doesn’t appear to notice – odd to say for a man with such vision – and nor does Sophie when she returns and calls for us to follow her to the dining room.
Inside, the room is fitted with nothing but a basic table and chairs. Even the cutlery and tableware are bland. The food, however, is rather more tasty than I’m used to, owing perhaps to Sophie’s culinary skills.
“Around here, not many people cook for themselves,” she tells us as we eat a quite delicious stew. “Most food comes in packs that simply require heating, but I like to add my own personal touch. It’s a symptom of growing up in Outer Haven, I suppose. They cook a lot more over there, darling,” she adds, turning to Rycard, who attempts to look interested.
As we eat, I wait for an opportunity to further grill our hosts on what we heard today. I find it strangely odd
that the subject isn’t being discussed already, and that no one has yet brought it up.
Presumably, that’s down to Sophie, who seems to adopt a ‘head in the sand’ mentality.
My curiosity, however, will not be held at bay for too long.
“Can we talk about what happened earlier?” I ask.
I assume bringing it up in a polite manner will make Sophie more cooperative.
The table goes silent.
“Oh, you mean the prank?” asks Sophie, sipping on her wine. “What’s there to talk about?”
“Well, the fact that it wasn’t a prank,” I say. “Rycard told us as much earlier.”
Her eyes widen briefly, before narrowing to a threatening level, guided like a heat seeking missile at her husband. For those few moments, they’re even more intense than his.
“I was just answering a few of their questions, Soph,” he says. “No harm done.”
“There might be harm done,” says Sophie through gritted teeth. “We shouldn’t be talking about this, Rycard.”
“Why not?” I query.
She turns to me.
“Because the Court doesn’t like rumours, Brie. I told you this yesterday. There’s no surprise why you haven’t heard about all this before…”
“Yeah, but now there’s no hiding it. Everyone across Outer Haven will be discussing it, there’s no way of getting around that now.”
“She’s right, Soph,” says Rycard. “You can’t quell curiosity…it’s a powerful force.”
He offers me the tiniest of winks, almost indiscernible but just about noticeable, and fills up his wife’s wine glass.
“Have a little more of that, darling. It’ll loosen you up a bit.”
Her glare grows fiercer.
I feel I have their attention now, at least.
“So, what did the guy on the screen mean then?” I ask. “All this talk of us living a lie and being oppressed. And what else did he say…something about a reckoning.”
“It’s nonsense!” exclaims Sophie. “It’s just fear-mongering. Clearly, my husband can’t keep his mouth shut, so you’ll know that these Nameless are hybrids. They’re just running scared and causing a fuss, that’s all.”
I look to Rycard for confirmation.
“That’s one way of looking at it,” he mutters.
