The Owners

by Tara Basi

  “We’re here you monster,” Tress answered before anyone else could say anything. Battery Boy winced at the memory of Tress’s scarred body after Mina had rescued her from the Block for the second time. Tress still hadn’t told him what Tippese had done to her. Whatever it was had visibly aged her. It hurt Battery Boy to see her looking so haggard and much older than her twenty-five years. She’d greyed and the dark bruising under her eyes wasn’t fading. Since Mina had brought her back, Tress had been walking with a slight stoop as though she couldn’t fully straighten her back.

  “Just a second,” Tippese said, ignoring Tress’s insults. He turned his back to the screen and walked away towards a table somewhere in the Heaven House. There were thirteen chairs. Tippese moved around the table and sat in the centre chair. Tippese was the only person sitting at the table. Each of the six seats to his left and right had flat monitors propped up against the chair backs displaying the upper body of an old girl. All except for one seat. It had a blank display with a black ribbon around it. Tippese was stupidly dressed in pink velvet, trimmed with yellow fur. Balanced on his head was a pink bowler hat. If Battery Boy didn’t know how treacherous and dangerous Tippese could be he would have thought the old boy was deranged. Battery Boy studied the nervous faces in the little flat screens propped up on the chairs. Their expressions varied from obvious fear to rage. Only Tippese had a measure of calm. It worried Battery Boy that he looked so smug.

  “Who the hell are they?” Mina asked as she fiddled with a switch on Trinity’s box and fingered her earpiece. Battery Boy guessed she’d reverted to a private link with Trinity.

  Tippese looked to his right and left as though he was seeing the other faces for the first time. He didn’t seem that interested in them. “The other day was a bit of a panic. Reference wasn’t making much sense or I wasn’t getting it. Today we’re all assembled and everything’s clear.”

  “All?”

  “Sorry. I won’t introduce them individually. They are the other Block bosses. Twelve of us in all.” Tippese paused and glanced at the blank screen with the black ribbon before continuing. “Iowa doesn’t seem to have a Boss any more. I’ve been promoted by Reference to Boss of the Bosses. I’ll be speaking for us all.”

  “Like we give a shit. When are you going to start freeing everyone? Ouch,” Mina squealed, clutching at her ear.

  Battery Boy guessed that it was Trinity silently shouting at Mina, reminding her to stay calm until they found out what was going on. None of Tippese’s companions seemed particularly overjoyed about his promotion.

  Tippese scrunched up his face at Mina’s outburst, as though she had done something unsavoury. “Are you alright?”

  Mina rubbed her ear. “Answer the damn question.”

  “Well, what I didn’t pick up the other day is that Reference has a couple of conditions,” Tippese said.

  “What,” Mina took a deep breath, “conditions.”

  “We,” Tippese said, indicating the faces of the other Block Bosses. “Want to be sure our people will be looked after. When you’re ready Reference will release people in the numbers you can manage.”

  Battery Boy knew Mina must be raging inside. Tress was staring at the floor; her shoulders were hunched. Though he couldn’t see her face he could tell she wanted to kill Tippese. Her fists were clenched so hard all the blood had drained away from her knuckles. Stuff and Pinkie looked bewildered. Jugger was impassive. Battery Boy didn’t display any emotion even though Tippese’s phrase - ‘our people being looked after’ - was sickening. He still remembered their journey through the floor of the Yard.

  “You f-, ouch. What else?” Mina asked, rubbing the side of her head again.

  “Second, Reference wants compensation for the disruption and damage.”

  Battery Boy watched Mina struggling to control her rage. She took another couple of deep breaths and answered, “What compensation?”

  “Nothing really, and it makes no sense to me. It wants Tracy’s or Tress’s or whoever’s formula for that stuff in the barrels we mixed with the last blood shipments,” Tippese answered, with a shrug of his shoulders.

  Battery Boy knew Tippese must be referring to the bio-weapon Sara had concocted to poison the blood being shipped through the gateway.

  Mina looked like she was about to explode before gradually calming. Battery Boy guessed Trinity was in silent conversation with her. “Can we have a moment?”

  “Sure, shall I call back in fifteen minutes? Take longer if you need.”

  “Fifteen minutes,” Mina spat out through clenched teeth.

  The screen went momentarily blank and then returned Anton to full size. Mina touched her earpiece again. “Trinity wants to say something.”

  “Listen, you emotional train wreck, this is a negotiation. They want something you have, who knows why but it’s obviously very valuable to the Blocks. It’s time to put on your poker face, not rant and rage. You’re playing for billions of lives. Again,” Trinity said, and the room went very quiet for a while.

  “Is he really in charge of all the Blocks? That psychopath?” Tress asked.

  “Nobody contradicted him and he’s speaking to us because Reference let him,” Anton answered.

  “What’s poker?” Stuff asked.

  “It’s a card game of skill and bluff,” Anton explained.

  Battery Boy realised Trinity was right. He didn’t know how they were going to deal with Tippese, all the other Bosses and Reference. Did any of them have that kind of skill?

  “That old boy, Tippese, he’s just like me, he wants to cut your heart out. He’s not to be trusted,” Jugger said and turned to leave.

  “Wait, we need you. You understand him. You negotiate, you talk to Tippese,” Battery Boy found himself saying.

  Jugger turned back and stared coldly at Mina. “I could, but she won’t like it.”

  “It’s better you do it, I… can’t,” Mina answered, quietly.

  Jugger kept his eyes fixed on Mina. “No interruptions, no comments, not from you or your stupid box. Agreed?”

  Mina nodded, then slumped into a chair, seemingly spent. Tress looked like someone had slapped her. Battery Boy knew how they felt. Only days ago everything seemed so easy. He knew he shouldn’t have believed Tippese, but he’d wanted to. He couldn’t stand seeing Mina and Tress looking so wretched. “Afterwards, we’ll talk it through, we’ll decide together, what we’ll give and what we won’t. Don’t commit to anything. Alright?” Battery Boy said to Jugger.

  Jugger just smiled. It was going to be a long day.

  Tippese stared out from the screen, his gaze fixed on Jugger. Battery Boy had watched the two of them negotiating for over an hour while Mina and Tress had struggled to keep their promise and not intervene. Tippese clearly frightened Stuff. He had drifted to the back of the room to sit next to Pinkie, his eyes nervously flitting between the players. Only Pinkie appeared confident as she closely followed every word, a smile never far from her lips.

  One of the previously silent faces on a chair screen spoke out. “He’s an enforcer. Can’t you see? Why should we trust anything he says?” Tippese didn’t look pleased by the intervention.

  “And you are?” Jugger asked.

  “Tokyo Boss, little enforcer. I know you. I was you. I won’t deal with…”

  “Oh dear a technical hitch. Reference say’s we’ve lost the Tokyo Boss. Perhaps it would be a good moment to ask if any of my other colleagues would like to contribute.” As Tippese was speaking he had got up and walked around the table to face the other Bosses. Though he had his back to the screen, Battery Boy knew he wasn’t giving them an encouraging smile. Obviously satisfied by their silence he returned to his seat.

  “Now, where were we? Ah yes. Your facilities. They are expansive but run down and not easily accessible. And, you have no means of transporting large numbers. None of you have any experience or training in dealing with a major resettlement of people, many of whom may have… psychological issues.”
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  “Really?” Jugger replied with utter confidence.

  “Exactly how many people can you take?”

  “As many as you can send.”

  “You’d make a good Boss. If you live long enough. Give us a minute,” Tippese said. He fiddled with something they couldn’t see and the screen went dark.

  “Don’t,” Mina started to say, and then went quiet as Jugger brought his fingers to his lips then touched his ear.

  Jugger was right they might not be able to see or hear Tippese but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still listening and watching. Battery Boy was impressed. Jugger had actually said very little, leaving Tippese to drive the conversation, explore options, intervening only to steer Tippese away from obvious non-starters and getting him to expand on those that seemed acceptable possibilities. Not once had Jugger offered Tippese anything, or asked for anything.

  After some minutes Tippese reappeared. “We’re agreed, an act of good faith. You get your base ready and Reference will release twelve thousand in all, a thousand from each Block, except for Iowa. You’ll have to organise your own transport back to New York. Reference won’t provide any assistance till it has the formula.”

  “The rest?” Jugger asked.

  “When we have the formula. You must turn it over after the first release or there won’t be any more. Of course, if you turn over the formula now Reference will help you with the resettlement.”

  “Understood.”

  “So you’ll give us the formula now?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “You’ll have to give us the formula after the first release anyway.”

  Jugger didn’t answer immediately, he seemed to be considering Tippese’s proposition very carefully. “I’ve understood the deal.”

  Tippese made a sour noise and continued, “How long before you’re ready to pick up the first twelve thousand?”

  “Soon, very soon. We’ll be in touch.”

  Tippese looked sceptical and frustrated. He didn’t answer. The screen went dead.

  “Great job Jugger,” Battery Boy said, surprised Tippese had agreed to release anybody.

  “Mina?” Jugger said, inviting her to speak for the first time. He didn’t look that happy with the outcome of his verbal duel with Tippese.

  “You did well, I couldn’t have coped. He’s vile.”

  “Yeah, you did good Jugger,” Pinkie shouted out, smiling broadly.

  Jugger shook his head. He looked worried. “Thanks Pinkie, but it’s not good, he’s lying, buying time for something.”

  Mina crossed her arms, her obvious agitation increasing. “What do you mean?”

  Jugger ignored her question. “How long before we’re ready to start picking people up?”

  “Well, it’ll be a little while, organising transport, opening up the base, maybe nine months?” Mina answered tentatively. She looked close to tears.

  Battery Boy had to ask even if he already knew the answer. “Shouldn’t we consider giving him the formula now? We’ll get people out a lot faster with Reference’s help.”

  Anton shook his head. “No. It’s the only leverage we have. Let’s set some people free first. The more of us there are the more options we’ll have. It’ll be a multiplier effect. We’ll be able to handle a lot more the next time.”

  Jugger ran his fingers through his curly brown hair and scowled. “Anton’s right. As soon as Tippese gets what he wants he’ll kill us. And there won’t be anyone going free after that.”

  Mina hung her head and whispered, “I don’t have it.”

  “What,” Battery Boy asked.

  “The formula. Sara never told me. It didn’t seem important.”

  Jugger scowled and shook his head, “Then you’d better find it before Tippese figures out we’re bluffing.”

  “Sara must have used one of the base’s medical centres to make the blood bomb. We’ll find it.” Trinity announced.

  Jugger stared pointedly at Mina. “Good. Meantime get ready faster, Tippese wants you to take months, lots of them.”

  “We’ll do it, we’ll all help, right?” Tress said, trying to sound confident, looking around at everyone.

  Stuff stood up and smiled at Mina. “Sure, I’ll help. Just tell me what to do. And I’ll get you some gum.”

  Pinkie tugged at Stuff’s sleeve. “I’m coming with you next time. I want to try some gum and I want to see this bear thing you killed. Did you shoot it? Where’d you get a gun?”

  Stuff looked horrified, “I didn’t kill it. I wouldn’t kill it.”

  Mina looked as if she was about to scream. She jumped up out of her chair, “Shut up. All of you. It’s not a game and none of it’s that easy. You’re not trained. We’ve so much to do. I can’t cope. All this responsibility. It’s too much.”

  Battery Boy hated seeing the old woman so distressed. He remembered that she’d looked very pretty once, for an old girl, with her exotic dark skin, big almond eyes and thick black hair. Since then her skin had darkened, her eyes didn’t sparkle any more and some of her hair had turned white. She’d aged a decade since he’d met her, only months ago. There was a time when Tress had looked so old compared to Mina. Not any more. Both woman had been scarred by their experiences. Battery Boy took her gently by the elbow and led her back to her chair. He helped her sit down. “Listen Mina, you’re not in this on your own. Take your time. Tell us what needs doing. We’ll worry about who does what later. Okay?”

  Mina nodded but was still unable to speak. She was breathing heavily. Everyone gave her space and time. Even Trinity kept silent. “I don’t know what I expected,” she said eventually. “Maybe that he wouldn’t release anyone. Or everyone, and we’d have time. Now it’s so many, and all at once. And I know what you’re saying. He might be stalling. We have to test him. Soon. It’s just, my mind is going in circles. Maybe if I sleep on it. Tomorrow morning we can talk. Alright?”

  Battery Boy wanted to say “Yes,” but he was afraid Mina wouldn’t sleep or that she’d get drunk somewhere and they’d just have wasted another day. Or maybe she would be alright. “Tress, will you stay with Mina? Make sure she eats and gets a good night’s sleep?”

  Mina immediately protested and Battery Boy knew he was right to be worried about her. “I’ll be better on my own. Really. Please. I want to be alone.”

  Jugger never subtle and with a coldness in his eyes said, “No. You’ll get drunk. Battery Boy’s right. Tress will stay with you. You need to get your head sorted. Tippese wants us to fall apart, fail. If you drink, you’re doing his work for him.”

  Mina burst in to tears but she didn’t protest. Tress put her arm around Mina’s shoulders and led her away. When the two women had left Jugger picked up Trinity, “You’re our backup. Get planning little box. If someone doesn’t come up with something good tomorrow I’m leaving, with anyone who wants to live.” Jugger looked pointedly at Pinkie. She smiled and nodded and followed after Jugger when he left.

  Battery Boy realised then that their group was going to disintegrate if they didn’t work out how to grab Tippese’s offer. “Trinity, we can do it. Right? It’s only twelve thousand.”

  “You need Mina. She might be clinically depressed and a borderline alcoholic but she’s got the smarts you’ll need. Don’t worry, I’ll supply the jokes. And, I have an idea about how I can be even more helpful.”

  Battery Boy didn’t feel like smiling, but he did anyway. More help would be good. He wondered what the little machine had in mind.

  Stuff was still sitting at the back of the room close to tears. “Is Mina going to be okay? Is she sick? What’s an alcoholic?”

  “Everything will be fine in the morning. You’ll see. Let’s get some sleep.” Battery Boy wanted to believe it would be and if it wasn’t, he’d deal with that tomorrow.

  Mina looked drawn but alert when she arrived with Tress for breakfast in the base’s mammoth canteen. After grabbing some trays, the two women walked towards the serving area.

  Battery Boy a
nd Stuff had been anxiously waiting for Mina to show up for a little while. When she came into the canteen, they both visibly relaxed and surreptitiously watched her move around the room. Jugger and Pinkie, on the other hand, carried on as if nothing had happened or as if she wasn’t late. It wouldn’t be a surprise, Battery Boy thought, to find that Jugger had already worked out his own survival plans.

  Tress left Mina filling her tray and approached Battery Boy. She whispered in his ear, “She hasn’t slept. She’s been up all night working with Trinity. I couldn’t follow what they were doing. Then I fell asleep.”

  Battery Boy gave Tress a worried look.

  “She’s sober, don’t worry. Hasn’t touched a drop. I’d know.”

  “Okay, I guess that’s good,” he said quietly, curious about what Mina and Trinity been working on. She was supposed to get some sleep. No wonder she looked so crushed and tired.

  Mina sat down at their table.

  While Mina ate in silence Stuff rushed away and returned with a mug of steaming coffee. “Just the way you like it Mina.”

  She took a long gulp before speaking. “Thanks Stuff. I’m feeling better. I think there might be a way we can do this and in a lot less than nine months. It’ll be easier to show you than explain.” She drained her coffee, pushed her half-eaten breakfast away and stood up.

  Battery Boy was relieved. This was the Mina who had saved them from Block Seven’s worst horrors. He followed along with the others as she led them to a part of the base he hadn’t visited before. They walked down a long corridor to a large lift. Inside the lift Mina keyed in some numbers. From the red numerals flashing over the door and the length of time they were in the lift Battery Boy guessed they were going deep underground.

  When the doors opened it was pitch-black. Mina stepped out and like a pebble dropped into still water: a ripple of lights blinked on and slowly spread out in every direction. He couldn’t see exactly how big the space was. Their narrow path ran between the legs of a row of giant robots, their long limbs soared above everyone’s heads and ended in meaty bodies. To his left and right were a forest of metal legs. He followed Mina out into a very large central area that was completely bare. Encircling them was a collection of different machines, some huge, others smaller, all arranged in neat rows that radiated away from the open space as far back as he could see. The ceiling was high but right above his head it was missing. There was just a giant circle of blackness where the lights didn’t reach.