by Andi J Feron
He handed the laptop back to his soldiers. “Why don’t you agree to join us at the capsulization center and we’ll go from there?”
“ I don’t think I have a choice.”
“You always have a choice. It’s the consequences of that choice that you don’t get to choose.”
They kept me in the cell through Saturday. By Sunday, I finally agreed to go through their process. Two soldiers pushed me out the back of the building to what appeared to be a landing strip. I boarded a strange looking jet. It was more circular than any plane I knew of. I sat where I was directed, and a seat belt pulled automatically around me.
Five other soldiers boarded, and I felt us ascend. The view window opened, and I couldn’t believe how effortlessly we pushed through the atmosphere. I was dumbfounded at the pure space I was now immersed in. Stars were bright and clear, and the moon looked like I could reach out the window and touch it.
“Prepare to fold,” an intercom blared.
Before I could guess what folding was, the entire ship shook. This was my expectation for leaving the atmosphere, but we were well into space. Panic seared through me as I perceived I was turned inside out and put right again.
I tried to determine if my body was now fractured particles floating through space when I saw my hands returned to their normal state. Nausea swirled in my stomach as I forced myself not to vomit. I unbuckled my seat belt and bolted for the bathroom I had seen on my way in. I barely got the door shut before I hurled into the toilet.
“You okay in there?” I recognized the voice as Seraphine’s.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied.
I opened the door and saw Seraphine standing there waiting for me to exit.
She smiled. “The lack of color on your face says the opposite.”
“There were no warning labels,” I groaned.
“Communication isn’t a real strong point around here. I think they like us to learn to deal with the unexpected. In any case, we’ve arrived.”
I froze as she finished talking. Looking out the view screen, I was stunned to see Saturn. The iced rings were unmistakable from all textbooks I studied for science class. We docked on a massive circular skyscraper suspended in space, and I was led down a large grey corridor. Seraphine walked in the opposite direction and out of my view.
I was taken to what looked like an emergency room with hospital beds and monitors behind curtains. I was put in a chair behind one of these curtains, where a nurse took my vitals. After a short time, a tall black man with a stethoscope walked in. I guessed him to be in his mid-forties, around my dad’s age. He was scanning his clipboard before he looked up.
His eyes widened slightly as if he was surprised to see me before he looked down at his clipboard again. “Talon Cooper?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“I’m Dr. Monroe. I’m here to clear you for capsulization.”
He asked me several questions while checking me over. After testing my reflexes he had me walk across the room in a straight line. I felt things were becoming ridiculous when he insisted I waddle across the room like a duck. He pointed a handheld device at me and studied the screen. The device looked like a tiny computer with various colored lights on a panel that were positioned below a screen that took up half the face of the device.
He wrote some things down on his clipboard. “You are very young. You sure this is something you want to do?”
I wondered if this was what Seraphine meant about having an out before capsulization. I thought about telling him I was being coerced, but didn’t want to put Allie at risk. Instead, I nodded. Dr. Monroe stood there for a minute, contemplating something. He stroked his trimmed greying beard as if the decision he was making was taxing.
A soldiers opened the curtain. “Doctor, I have to take him now. Admiral Jacobson’s direct orders. Is he cleared?”
Dr. Monroe looked me in the eye. “You sure Talon?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” I wasn’t at all, but I was sure I wanted Allie safe.
“Yes, he’s healthy enough and developmentally ready,” Dr. Monroe said, sounding almost sad about it.
The soldiers motioned me to follow them, and I did without hesitation. We entered an elevator and ascended fifteen floors. The doors opened into a large room, a metal piping system running down all the walls and up to the ceiling. The room was the size of a gymnasium and along the far wall were about a dozen transparent cylinders that were nearly seven feet in height.
Rows of people were lined in front of each cylinder. The people were stepping into the cylinder one at a time, and an orange gas surrounded them from the floor, encompassing them out of sight. Fifteen minutes would pass, and the person would exit the chamber, looking just as they had when they entered.
I was shoved into the middle-left line and stepped forward after each person finished in the capsule.
The man in front of me turned around. “Morgan Howard.” He spoke with an English accent and pushed his brownish red hair back on his head.
“Talon Cooper.”
“I’m a hacker but I’m technically supposed to say I’m in IT. I haven’t met a technology I couldn’t master yet. What department are you from?”
“I haven’t been assigned one yet.”
“The higher-ups probably want to see what ability you get. They don’t hold much hope for me being activated with anything, but they are giving it a shot anyway. I don’t have a lot of Vinoxt in me. With my tech mastery they will keep me around either way.”
“Vinoxt?”
Before Morgan could clarify he was told to enter the capsule. About fifteen minutes later, he exited the capsule and waved at me as a soldier told me to enter the capsule. I considered running, but I knew escape would prove to be an impossibility. I was shoved into the chamber and heard the click of it locking. The orange gas rose from the floor until it was all that was held in my view.
I could feel a tingle start at the center of my skull and move outward until it reached the base of my neck. When my breathing sped-up a voice told me to remain calm and breathe. I closed my eyes and relaxed by convincing myself I would soon be released. I was relieved when I heard the click again, and the capsule opened.
I didn’t feel any different, but as I exited, I was given instructions to take it as easy as possible for the next four days. They didn’t give me a chance to look around the base. I was immediately put back on a transport to Earth. I didn’t mind. I needed to get back to Allie before the weekend was over. Seraphine climbed into the seat next to me and handed me a small plastic bag. I looked at her puzzled.
“Prepare to fold,” announced a voice from the front of the ship.
Seraphine nodded toward the voice with a smile. The fold was less traumatic the second time as I had been expecting it, but that didn’t keep me from making use of the bag Seraphine had gifted me. The ship landed back at the Earth base.
Seraphine stood up. “Believe it or not, you’ll eventually get used to folding.”
“No, I think I’m going to stay away from space travel.”
“Good luck with that.”
We exited the craft and stepped on Earth soil. I was given a pass to miss school for the next week with instructions to return the following Friday for ability testing. I was given a bank card and told my sign-on bonus of five-hundred dollars had been added to an account set up in my name. When I got back to town, I remembered we were out of food.
My driver stopped at the store so I could pick up a few groceries. I was anxious to see my sister and make certain that she was okay. Her being threatened didn’t sit well with me. After shopping, the driver took me all the way to my house where I called the Trammels to let them know I was back. About an hour later I heard the front screen door open and slam shut. Althea came running in.
She leapt into my arms. “You okay Talon?”
“Yeah, why do you ask?”
“‘Cause you’re squeezing me more than normal.”
“Yeah, I’m really gl
ad to see you is all.”
“I made you something!” She reached into her bag and pulled out a turtle made of clay.
I smiled. “Aww, I like it.”
On the bottom, she had inscribed: To the best brother I could ever have. Made by: Allie.
“It’s cause you asked Mom and Dad for a turtle and they said maybe. Mom died before they decided, so I wanted to make sure you got the turtle even though bad stuff happened. I know it’s not real, but I hope you still like it.” How she remembered as much as she did baffled me.
I gave her another hug. “I love it. Thank you.”
“How was camping?”
“Amazing.” Not quite a lie, but it wasn’t the positive “amazing” that my tone indicated.
“John’s mom is having a baby.”
“Really? That’s a big gap.”
“Yeah, the baby is a surprise, but they are really happy.”
“Well, that’s good.”
I tucked Allie in bed and read her all five of the books she requested. I usually limited it to two out of exhaustion, but tonight I was too glad to be back with her to refuse. I went to bed, feeling like I’d been hit by a semi-truck. My exhaustion knocked me into a deep sleep. By the time my eyes cracked open again, I couldn’t move out of bed. My head pounding.
Allie stood in my doorway. “Talon?”
“What is it kiddo?” I tried to sound fine.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” I said, baffled at how she knew I was struggling.
“It’s ten. You didn’t wake me for school.”
I pushed myself up with a great deal of effort. She was still in her purple princess pajamas, and a glance at the clock revealed she was correct. No matter how hard I tried, I could not muster the energy to climb out of bed.
“You’re sick, aren’t you Talon?”
“A little, but I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll take care of you like you did me when I had the flu last year.”
“It’s okay Allie. I’ll be fine. Just need to rest.”
I phoned Allie’s school and pretended to be my father as I always did. I told them she was sick for the day. I fell back asleep and awoke to the clatter of dishes. I figured Allie was making herself lunch, but ten minutes later she brought me chicken noodle soup and a glass of orange juice. I smiled as she looked determined to carry the tray while trying to ensure every drop stayed contained.
I sat up. “You didn’t have to make me anything.”
She placed the tray over my lap. “It’s my turn to make you get better. You have to get better. Okay Talon?”
I realized Allie feared our little family dissolving as much as I did. We were all each other had, and I didn’t want her to be stressed. “Of course I’ll get better Allie. You quit being a worry wart. Why don’t you go eat endless bowls of cereal while you watch a never-ending stream of cartoons?”
“You mean I can stay home?”
“It’d be a little silly to get you there now with half the day gone.”
She excitedly ran to comply with my idea. I tried eating the soup, but the few bites sat like concrete in my stomach. I wobbled to the bathroom and flushed the soup and orange juice. I didn’t want Allie to worry about me not eating anything. I made my way to bed and fell back into a deep sleep. I woke up and saw it was already night. I found getting up proved much easier and went to scan the living room for Allie, but it was empty. I went to her room and found the same—empty.
Where is she?
My thought was accompanied by a weird image popping into my head. I was seeing something, but not with my eyes. Allie was in the treehouse playing with John. I walked out the door, and there she was exactly where I had somehow seen her. I wondered if I was now a psychic.
The clock read nine. John must be spending the night. Those two were always together. Even on school nights one would often be at the other’s house. I didn’t mind because it meant Allie experienced stability when I couldn’t be around. That might prove even more beneficial now that I was mixed up in something. I called them both in and told them it was time for bed. Allie went to the bathroom. John and I sat in the living room.
John stared at me. “You look great Talon.”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”
“Allie said I should come over in case you didn’t wake up. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell my mom. She just thinks Allie and I have a project to do.”
“Uh, thanks John.”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
“Hey John, heard about your new sibling on the way. Congrats.”
“Yeah, it is what it is I guess.”
I laughed a little at his response.
*
The rest of the week passed quickly. All week the same thing happened. When I wondered where something was, I was shown through an entirely new sense. I could instantaneously tell in complete detail where whatever I wanted was located. I made sure Allie could stay at the Trammels’ again, and I called the number the base gave me. A car arrived to collect me, and I traveled back to the medical base.
After undergoing a basic vitals check, I was taken back to a room that held what looked like a dental chair. There was an odd-looking headset hanging down from the ceiling. I was directed to sit in the chair, and the headset was placed tightly against my head. A small screen came over my eyes, and suddenly I was in a large city. I felt a tugging on my pants and looked down to see a little boy.
“I’m lost.” Tears flowed down his face.
“Where are you trying to get to?”
I wasn’t sure how I could help because I’d never been to the area before, but I didn’t want to leave him alone either.
“To my mother.”
Suddenly I felt another strange jolt, and I could see the boy’s mother and how to get him there.
“Your mom is far away. We’ll have to call a cab.”
“Thank you.” The boy evaporated.
The headset was removed, and I was handed a piece of paper. I was to take the paper to room 852. I glanced at it, and all it said was: Tracker, high numbers. I found the right room and gave the clerk my paper. Two scientists arrived in the room and began having me tell them where things in the next room were located.
The objects I located were farther away each time I used my ability. The last thing they had me do was look for a chemical reaction inside a person. I found two people about a mile away.
Admiral Jacobson entered the room. “Talon, as expected, you are a top-tier recruit. We have placed you as a tier-seven tracker. This level is very rare for any ability, we’ve only seen trackers at your level a handful of times before.
“Your tracking skills are so advanced you can find high levels of a chemical we call Vinoxt. This was the chemical we tested you for when you first arrived. It’s been a while since we’ve had a tracker on a high enough tier to be able to distinguish levels of this chemical inside a person.”
“What do you want me to do with it?”
“We want you to find us the best recruits.”
“Bring more people into this mess? No, thank you.”
“You know your sister has a high probability of being at least a tier five in whatever ability she gains.”
I clenched my fists. “She’s only ten. You can’t change her without killing her.”
“True but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep her here until she is old enough.”
Why couldn’t I have the ability to make this guy’s head explode?
I took a deep breath. “What do you want me to do?”
“We want you to join Seraphine, Lucius, and Jerap. You can find recruits more efficiently.”
“This place is a little far from my home.”
“I’ll allow you to work in Mr. Fausto’s building. That’s about twenty minutes from your hometown, correct?” I nodded. I hated that they knew where I lived. Jacobson continued speaking, “You don’t have to worry about money now. You will be compensated well, and you will get bonuse
s for every high-tiered recruit you locate.”
I was allowed to go home but required to check in on Monday at Mr. Fausto’s building. I knew my entire life would be different now. Jacobson told me I would be dropped from school with no questions asked. We would have studies on the side between recruiting times. I would learn more advanced math and science than I would ever learn in a human-run school. On Monday I arrived to find the rest of my team already in our new office.
“Welcome to the team Talon,” Seraphine smiled.
Lucius introduced himself. “Lucius Baraud.”
In the office space, we were given four computers, each stationed at its own desk. A large screen and smart board were pinned to the wall straight back from where I walked in. Our office adjoined a kitchen where we were told we could have anything we wanted to eat. We spent the first half of the day working on our studies.
The computer gave me a test to figure out my current level in each subject. I felt I was learning much quicker than I ever had before. I was told there were neurostimulators in our headsets that allowed us to process information at a faster speed and helped us retain information better.
In the afternoon, we would get to work on recruiting. I stayed attached to my headset, and Jerap would display a large map on the screen at the back of the room. When I would locate someone, it would display their location on the map.
We focused on high schools to make sure the age range was right. Most of the schools were already infiltrated by adults who would lead the recruits to see Seraphine, Lucius, and Jerap perform their show on the weekends.
I found myself having significantly less time with Allie. I would try and make it home to tuck her in at night but the rest of the time she would either be at the Trammels’ or home alone. Part of me felt guilty, but I was providing for her better than I ever had before.
A month into my recruiting job, Admiral Jacobson announced he wanted to see how good our recruiting skills would be individually. He proposed a contest. Whoever recruited the most would receive a thousand dollar bonus and move up a rank.
