Ben Archer and the World Beyond

by Rae Knightly

  Because, of course, the orcas had gone north, not south.

  * * *

  Ben couldn’t sleep a wink. Long, dark hours passed, and the temperature in the container dropped. He tried to avoid shivering in his wetsuit so as not to wake Kimi whose head rested on his shoulder, but every time his eyelids closed, he jerked awake again, heart thumping. What was the captain going to do when he realized Ben had lied about the location of the orcas?

  Concentrate!

  He needed to find a way out, come up with a strategy, a plan. Instead, he dozed off. If he hadn’t, he would’ve known. He would’ve sensed them, the orca.

  The door hinges squealed. The side of the container flung open, waking Ben and Kimi with a start. The two sailors appeared, their shapes cut out against the light of dawn. They barked at the teenagers and shoved them to the front of the ship in a hurry.

  Ben couldn’t think straight. His brain rang with exhaustion.

  Pay attention!

  Something was up, he could tell. But his ears wouldn’t stop ringing. Overcome by a sudden sense of impending doom, Ben glanced down at his glowing hands.

  …what?

  He crossed his arms and stuffed his hands under his armpits in a hurry, feverishly trying to control the skill.

  Kimi threw him a sideways look, eyes widening in alarm.

  Captain Ivan stood waiting for them in the same red waders. He tugged at his cigarette, puffed a smoke ring out of his mouth, then crushed the stump under his thick boot.

  His eyes narrowed as Ben approached. “You no good negotiator. You lie about Coast Guard to Ivan.” He tapped his forehead with his index finger. “But Ivan smart. So, Ivan think: you lie maybe about vhales, too?” A satisfied grin full of blackened teeth spread on his face. “So, Ivan go north…”

  Blood rushed through Ben’s ears. He could hear the orcas, even before the captain stopped speaking. Two of them broke the surface beside the SOVA, spewing air through their blowholes.

  The captain’s voice came from somewhere far away. “Ve hunt some vhales now, da?”

  Something woke within Ben. Maybe it came from an adrenaline rush, or maybe from a feeling of helpless anger, but every cell in his body woke to the alien skill. He could feel it raging, like fire coursing through dry grass.

  He was Ben, a boy standing on a ship, but he was also Kana’kwa, and Kana’kwa’s daughter, and her grandson, and her uncle, and his son... He was the whole orca pod. He was deep in the ocean, in the midst of them, sharing their bond.

  His human ears heard the gantry crane turn to cast its vast net into the ocean, while his heart thumped in unison with Kana’kwa’s. And his word of warning exploded like a fireball through the ocean, booming, far and wide, like thunder crashing:

  DIIIVE!

  He felt the orca reel in response. They let themselves drop, far, far below the surface, their vocalizations crackling back and forth like lightning.

  The net splashed, harmless, into the sea.

  Head for the islands! Ben ordered, hoping they would find some protection there.

  He followed the black and white shadows in his mind’s eye, as they faded into the depth. His heart slowed considerably. The danger abated. He inhaled, long and hard.

  The early sun shone bright white; the ship creaked as it moved to and fro, a warm breeze caressed his face, and around him, people gaped.

  Kimi lay on the ground, staring at him. The captain hung on to the railing for dear life, eyes popping out of his head. The two sailors stuck to the wall as if flicked aside by a tornado.

  Uh-oh…

  Ben stared down and found that not only his hands but his whole body shone in a bluish light. Static ran up and down his spine as his cells absorbed the skill again. His skin prickled.

  Jeepers! What have I done? What did they see?

  The captain straightened, a mixture of fear and awe reflected in his eyes. “Vhat is zis?” he breathed. “Vhat are you?”

  Ben’s breath quickened.

  One of the sailors spoke from behind. He was leaning over the side, and Ben guessed he had noticed the orcas were gone.

  The captain barely glanced at the empty sea, then bore his eyes into Ben again. Fear seemed to win over his emotions, and for a split second, Ben was convinced the man was going to throw him overboard. “You not normal. You a vreak, a monster…” The captain wiped beads of sweat off his forehead. “…but valuable vreak. No vhales, but maybe zometing better, like vhale trainer…”

  Ben could almost see the wheels in the man’s brain spinning around.

  The captain and the sailors exchanged some harsh-sounding words with each other, clearly undecided as to what to do next.

  Kimi got herself off the ground, eyes glued on Ben.

  Ben wished the skill would absorb quicker. He didn’t like her gawking at him like that.

  The captain clearly had the last say. He barked an order. The two burly sailors glanced at each other, uncertain, then stepped towards Ben.

  “Leave him alone!” Kimi shouted, throwing herself at them.

  But one of the sailors grabbed her wrist and held her at arms-length like a ragged doll.

  The other one did the same with Ben, though at first, he hesitated.

  But the captain spurred the ashen-faced men into action, and Ben and Kimi found themselves heading back to their container prison.

  As soon as the door shut on them again, Kimi kicked with her fists and feet against it. “Let us out!” she shouted, over and over.

  Ben stood behind her, his heart heavy, and waited until she had exhausted her frustration.

  Finally, she stopped and hung her head.

  “Kimi?” he said, testing his voice to make sure it wasn’t trembling too much.

  She didn’t move. “Yeah?” Her voice sounded muffled.

  “Maybe I should tell you now.”

  She turned to face him, eyeing his glowing hands warily. “Tell me what?”

  He caught his breath, then said, “Everything.”

  She stood like a statue.

  He guessed she was waiting, so he began to talk.

  She didn’t say a word. She didn’t even react when he explained the most unbelievable details of his adventures. He told her about The Cosmic Fall, about his alien skill, and even about The Great War of the Kins. He had no idea whether she believed him or not and didn’t have the energy to worry about it at this point. Perhaps she would never want anything to do with him again, but he would have to accept that. She had the right to know and then decide what to do next based upon that knowledge.

  When he was done, she stared at him for a long time.

  By now, they were sitting, cross-legged, facing each other.

  Finally, she said, “I guess you were right.”

  “About what?” he asked, confused.

  She sighed. “About getting into trouble.”

  He bit his lip. “I wasn’t expecting this much trouble.”

  She fell silent.

  “I’m sorry,” he added weakly.

  She nodded.

  He waited.

  “I don’t know what to think, right now,” she said in a tired voice.

  “That’s ok. You don’t have to think anything. Just let it sink in.”

  Her chin trembled. “Ben?”

  “Yeah?”

  “What are we going to do now?”

  His shoulders drooped. “I don’t know.”

  CHAPTER 19 The Hold

  The sailors brought them some blankets and soup.

  Ben and Kimi weren’t hungry, but they figured they should eat to keep up their energy. They stared at the greenish slush, wondering if it was safe to eat.

  “Let me test it, first,” Kimi said. “Just in case.”

  Before Ben could say anything, she took a spoonful. He opened his mouth to scold her, but it was too late; she had already swallowed. They stared at each other, then she said, “It’s yucky, but there’s nothing wrong with it.”

  Ben forced hims
elf to swallow a couple of spoonfuls, but his stomach twisted with worry, so he shoved the bowl aside and lay down.

  Kimi did the same, though not too close to him, he noted. He wondered whether she would ever trust him again.

  They remained like that in silence, until Ben figured Kimi had fallen asleep. Or maybe she was only pretending, so they wouldn’t need to talk.

  He felt his eyes prickle with fresh tears, but then heard her turn to him and say, “Ben?”

  “Uh-huh?”

  She fell silent for a moment, then said, “Thank you for telling me.”

  He smiled in the gloom.

  She paused again, then added, “You know I believe you, right?”

  His smile widened. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Thanks,” was all he could manage. Maybe she was just saying that to be nice, but it lifted a weight off his shoulders anyway. He closed his eyes and fell fast asleep before he could stop himself.

  * * *

  The door hinge creaked.

  Ben’s eyes shot open.

  What now?

  He leapt up, Kimi by his side. She grabbed his arm as the door opened a crack.

  The shadow of a man emerged in the entrance, revealing a drizzle in the dusk outside.

  No one moved.

  “Well, don’t just stand there! Hurry up! I haven’t got all day,” the man said, waving a flashlight at them.

  Ben and Kimi squinted. This was not the usual sailor. But that voice…

  I know that voice…

  The man sighed in annoyance. The door opened wider. “Are you coming or what?” He turned the flashlight, shining it on his face.

  Ben gasped. “Jeremy?”

  “Yes, Jeremy. Provincial Times. Remember?”

  Ben’s eyes widened in shock. “What are you doing here?”

  “What does it look like I’m doing?” the reporter snapped. “Saving you, is what I’m doing. And risking my neck while I’m at it.”

  Kimi whooped.

  “Shhhh!” Jeremy said urgently.

  Kimi rushed forward, but Ben held her back. “Wait a minute. If this is a ruse to get us into one of your breaking news stories, we’re not interested…”

  “Use you for a story?” Jeremy scoffed. “A simple ‘thank you’ would’ve been nice. What the heck were you thinking, confronting this ship’s crew on your own?”

  “That’s none…”

  Kimi cut in. “Hey, boys! Can we talk about this somewhere else?”

  Ben’s face flushed. He set his jaw and spoke to Jeremy. “She’s right. I’m sorry. You lead the way.”

  Jeremy nodded darkly, moving aside to let them out of the container.

  They crouched behind a heap of fishing nets, hunkering as cold raindrops slid down their faces and surveilled the deck.

  Ben banged his knee against a bag that hung from the reporter’s shoulder. His camera… “Seriously, what are you doing here, Jeremy?” he asked again.

  Jeremy shot him a look. “You’ve got a thick skull, kid. You managed to steal my phone; you won’t reveal how the orca got off the beach; then you head straight for a ship that reeks of illicit doings… You betcha bottom dollar I was going to follow you. I snuck on to the ship when I saw them grab you. I’ve been cramped in a closet for days. Couldn’t get out because it turned out to be near the crew mess – you know, where sailors eat?”

  A loud noise startled them into action. Some kind of machinery had been set into motion.

  The three of them sprinted towards a door and snuck inside. They found themselves in a narrow corridor, listening for any sounds indicating that the sailors had found out their prisoners had escaped. A constant grinding sound of metal coming from the belly of the ship sent a shiver down Ben’s spine. It reminded him of his nightmare.

  “Now what?” Kimi breathed.

  Jeremy ran a hand through his curly hair. “Getting you out was my priority. The crew has been sailing full-speed all day. We’re way out in the open ocean by now. We’re going to have to find a place to lay low until we reach port.”

  Ben tensed like an arrow. “What? That could take days! They’ll find us, for sure!” He slapped his forehead. “Wait a minute. How did you even get here? Swim?”

  “No, I did not swim.” Jeremy spoke slowly as if to contain his temper. “I had a motorboat, believe it or not, but when you got yourselves caught, I had no choice but to leave it behind.”

  That silenced Ben. He didn’t know why he kept snapping at the reporter. He felt like he was releasing hours of piled-up fear, and poor Jeremy just happened to be on the receiving end of it. He took a good look at the pale reporter, noticing pearls of sweat on the man’s forehead. Spending hours hiding in a closet clearly hadn’t done him good.

  This is all my fault, Ben reminded himself. Jeremy and Kimi were both in danger because of him. That thought made him focus. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I…”

  A door opened somewhere down the corridor.

  “Go, go, go!” Jeremy urged.

  They ran the opposite way, descending stairs and turning corners. Jeremy opened a heavy door. They stepped inside in a hurry, only to be met with icy air. They stared at heaps of neatly packed fish stacked in crates before them.

  “The freezer hold,” Jeremy said, a cloud of cold mist forming before his face.

  “What type of fish do you think these are?” Ben whispered, picking up a plastic wrapping and trying to decipher the label written in a foreign language.

  “No idea,” Jeremy said, grabbing his camera and taking quick pictures of the hold and its contents. He slipped his camera back into the bag, along with a well-sealed package. “Could be illegal fishing or even whale meat. I’m thinking we’re on a small-scale factory ship.”

  “What’s a factory ship?” Kimi asked as they snuck back the way they had come.

  “It’s a commercial ship that’s large enough to catch, process and freeze large amounts of fish all in one go. The largest ships rake the ocean with nets that can reach two kilometres in circumference. It’s estimated entire fish stocks will collapse worldwide before the end of the century if these things continue to operate.”

  Kimi gasped as she tried to keep up with the reporter’s fast strides. “But that’s terrible!”

  “Is it, really?” Jeremy said sarcastically, stopping before another door and eyeing her. “Where do you think your supermarket fish comes from?”

  Ben glanced at Jeremy, surprised at the reporter’s knowledge, and realized, for once, that perhaps they were not working in opposing directions. It suddenly dawned on him that this reporter’s insights meant everything.

  Jeremy pushed the door open, and this time, they found themselves in a processing room. They leant on the railing and took in the cavernous area that could have fit an Olympic pool.

  “This is where they would have transported the killer whales,” Kimi noted, reading Ben’s mind.

  “Killer whales?” Jeremy wiped at his brow, glancing her way. “You mean this has to do with the beached orca?”

  She nodded. “The captain said they were trying to capture the orca for some kind of whale show. But the orca fled towards the beach and got stuck.”

  “A whale show? Ah, that would make sense. Once a killer whale is trained to entertain, its owners can make millions off of it.”

  “I thought those types of shows were illegal?”

  “Some countries still allow them, or they simply turn a blind eye to the practice. I wonder why the crew gave up on their chase, though. Why would they leave empty-handed…?”

  “Guys,” Ben interrupted. “Do you hear that?”

  They listened, bodies tense.

  “I don’t hear anything,” Kimi said.

  “That’s because the ship has stopped!” Jeremy gasped.

  Goosebumps rose on Ben’s arms. The metallic hull pinged with static, and the ship swayed harder than before.

  Kimi’s eyes filled with panic. “Do you think they found out…?”r />
  Ben’s stomach was still churning from imagining Kana’kwa stuck in this place. “No idea. Let’s get out of this processing room. I don’t like it.” He pointed at a door with a red sign on top of it at a higher level.

  I hope it says EXIT.

  He passed by Jeremy, who clung to the railing.

  “Are you ok?”

  The reporter’s face was grim, but he nodded and waved him on.

  Ben climbed the metal stairs that bordered the pool. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, probably because loud sounds of grating chains suddenly cut the silence. Reaching the landing, he peeked through a round window in the door. On the other side, he spotted the deck and ocean.

  Bingo!

  He tried to turn the lock wheel to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

  Jeremy pushed past him. “Hold this a minute.” He handed Ben his waterproof bag, then groaned with effort as he pulled at the wheel.

  “Hey, guys, I’ve got an idea!” Kimi said, coming up behind them. “I know how we can escape! We could use the ding-”

  A blaring alarm drowned her words. Above them, the ceiling began to slide open. Ben gaped as the gantry from the center of the ship appeared. And from this tall crane, a massive, bulging net crammed with fish hung precariously above them.

  “Got it!” Jeremy yelled, pulling open the door.

  Kimi rushed after him.

  But Ben forgot about running to safety. Millions of tiny voices crashed into his head from above, stunning him. The blood rushed through his ears, his hands glowed, and his mind swayed.

  He caught his breath and pressed his eyes shut, just in time to control his thoughts. “Wait… I can’t…” he gasped, reaching for the door, which clicked shut under his fingers. He glanced through the round window.

  Jeremy lay sprawled on the deck, unconscious, heavy-set sailors looming over him in the pouring rain. One of them held a struggling Kimi in his grasp.

  Just as the sailor turned his way, Ben slid down with his back against the door. He grabbed the lock wheel and turned it with all his might, shutting out the men.

  And Kimi.

  He crouched into a fetal position, pressed his hands against his ears, and braced himself as the net released the millions of fish into the basin below him.