Grave Makers (Darkside Dreams - Series 1 Book 2)

by A. King Bradley

  "Anyone we know about?" Seeva asked. "The guy who put this together?"

  “Bowen… Creedy?" Alifred replied, as more of a question than a statement.

  Marina nodded as she glanced over at Alifred to confirm that he had correctly recalled the organizer’s name.

  "One of those faceless, nameless presidents of such and such company, I suppose,” Alifred continued. “I'd never heard of him before today, but I researched him. Everything checks out. Apparently, he’s kind of a big deal, but very secretive. He organizes these events all the time. Sometimes he shows, sometimes he doesn’t."

  "Or maybe he always attends but under a disguise," Marina added with a giddy laugh.

  By now Seeva was naked around the corner in a side room. She flung her used clothes aside and put on something new. Then she ducked quickly into the washroom to fix her hair and freshen her breath. One benefit of being a synth was that beauty was effortless, and youth eternal. It took only a minimal effort to make herself gorgeous again.

  "Darling, we may be late!" Marina called.

  "Late?" Alifred asked. "Late for what? The first ten minutes of the party? Relax, Marina. There's no need to stress Seeva out."

  "I'm not stressed," Seeva said, stepping back into the open as a new woman. "In fact, I feel wonderful. Shall we go?"

  CHAPTER 5

  ◆◆◆

  They took Alifred's gyrocopter over, expertly piloted by the man himself. To reach the party venue, they had to pass beyond the invisible border of their densely populated synth subdivision and venture fifteen miles into a far larger part of the city that was dominated by an overwhelming organic majority.

  The light-weight copter gently descended as they neared their destination, and the aircraft landed like a leaf weighted by a raindrop, as Alifred set it down a few meters away from a waiting valet. The valet was clearly organic. It was his pudgy stomach, and yellowed teeth that gave him away. But he was a jovial fellow, happy to take the controls from Alifred and guide the copter to a more suitable and secure location.

  "Is this the place?" Alifred asked, looking up at the monolithic brick structure before them.

  "It had better be," Marina said, "or I'd say your copter was just stolen by a very clever thief."

  "One way to find out," Seeva chimed, already striding up the steps.

  They pushed open the doors, into a silent vestibule. An old man was there, sitting in a rickety chair that had probably been around since before the creation of Maestro. The man woke from his nap just long enough to wave them through.

  Stepping through a last set of doors, they entered a vast ballroom. Simply but elegantly decorated. A dance floor, a buffet, a bar. There were a couple dozen people scattered around in small groups, talking almost silently amongst themselves.

  "Apparently word of mouth alone isn’t a particularly great way to organize a party," Alifred noted, turning to look at the doors. Seeva knew him well enough to know he was seriously considering leaving.

  Giving the scattered groups one last glance, he apparently saw someone he recognized. The woman recognized Alifred too as soon as they locked eyes. The wobbling fat on her arm marked her as an organic as she waved the much taller Alifred over.

  The two spoke for a moment, then Alifred turned and gave Marina and Seeva a big wave and a smile. A signal that all was well; and that they might as well stick around for a little while.

  "Well, that's a relief," Marina said to Seeva.

  “What shall we do?" Seeva asked, as she glanced around the modestly populated ball room.

  The two women looked at each other for a moment. Then, without a word, they glided across to the bar and found a waiting carafe of synth stimulant, an illegal nano-enhanced liquid that was deadly to organics, but wildly intoxicating to their synthetic counterparts. Marina and Seeva sucked down hearty portions of the forbidden beverage to jumpstart their respective buzzes, and then they headed towards the wide stairs that led to the upper balcony.

  It was quiet up here. Dark and empty, kind of eerie. Marina quickly felt oppressed by the atmosphere and retreated back to the lower level, where a few people were finally getting drunk enough to dance in the music-less ballroom.

  Seeva stayed put, watching over it all. She liked to watch; that was how she learned what made people tick.

  CHAPTER 6

  ◆◆◆

  Fifteen minutes later, the party was a completely different scene.

  The people began to arrive at last. A trickle at first, then a steady flow. Soon enough the bar and buffet were inundated. Not long after that, Seeva had her first visitor on the upper level. A jolly organic man of forty or so, who was far too bold and forward for her liking. She made an excuse - "My friend just waved at me, I'd better see what he wants" - and went downstairs.

  Alifred found her quickly, smiling and double-fisting cups of stimulant. He gave her one, and they knocked their cups together. He tossed his back in one go, with more gusto than she was used to seeing in him. He seemed excited about something.

  "Over my left shoulder," he said, leaning in close so she would hear him over the party noise. "There's a woman. Organic, but pretty. Dark hair. Do you see her?"

  Seeva looked. She picked the woman out quickly. And she recognized her... but only faintly.

  "She's an influencer too. Organic," Alifred said. "Goes by Alexa Creighton. She doesn't do much in the realm of synth-organic relations, but she and her family all voted yes on the synth civil rights propositions. We got to talking, and as soon as I mentioned you, she perked up quite a bit."

  "Oh?" Seeva said, taking another sip of stimulant.

  "At first I thought she just wanted a slice of action," Alifred continued. "But I guess she has a more altruistic motive. She wanted me to introduce you. If you're feeling ready to socialize."

  "Yesterday was bad, but I'm over it," Seeva said. "Let's go talk."

  They walked over, weaving around dancing pairs and lone wolves stalking the crowd for a partner or someone to take home for the night.

  Alexa Creighton smiled when she saw them. Immediately she reached out her hand to shake and Seeva took it. Creighton's grip was warm and solid. Seeva gave the other woman's hand a squeeze, holding her own, but holding back, at the same time. She knew deep down that if she squeezed as hard as she could, she would easily shatter every bone in this woman's hand and maim her for life. But the handshake went down without any life altering ramifications, because Seeva was used to modulating her strength around organic humans-- a learned reflex, so deeply engrained as to be automatic.

  "Oh my god, Seeva!" the woman said. "It’s so nice to meet you! I watched your broadcast yesterday! I just want to say it was very inspiring!”

  “Thank you,” Seeva said, smiling warmly.

  “No, thank you,” the woman replied. “For everything. I just think it’s so brave what you’re doing. And I feel so terrible that some pea-brain idiot decided to interfere yesterday."

  "I’m okay," Seeva said, somewhat modulating her voice on the fly – doing her best to make the enunciation slightly less crisp and perfect. "I've just taken the attack as a sign that I'm doing important work. I'm engendering change, and most people don't like that. It's frightening to them."

  "You’re a better woman than me,” Creighton replied on. "I know I’d be pissed, if some asshole ruined such a big moment for me. I bet it was an organic too."

  Seeva shrugged. "That was yesterday. I’m over it. And it’s not like I won’t get another opportunity to share my thoughts."

  "You have such a positive spirit, Seeva. Never lose that," Creighton raised her glass, then swallowed the last of the champagne contained in it. "Just keep on working, and don't let the idiocy of my kind weigh on you.”

  Seeva smiled and nodded in agreement, but she didn’t respond in hopes that her silence would inspire Creighton to change the subject.

  “You know, now that I think about it,” Creighton said. “I have something you may be interested in. You too, Al
ifred.”

  “I’m all ears,” Alifred said, before Seeva had a chance to respond.

  “It’s somewhat sensitive,” Creighton explained. “Perhaps we should move somewhere more quiet..."

  Alifred silently gestured for Creighton to lead the way and then he and Seeva followed her, back up the stairs to the balcony. The organic man who had previously harassed Seeva before was gone. The only other people up here were a young couple in the middle of a heated kissing session; the fact that they were being observed did not slow them down. Creighton cleared her throat, saw that they had no intention of stopping, and then moved further along to a more private spot.

  "The man who organized this party," Creighton began, "he’s a personal friend of mine... For the past few years, he's been organizing a quarterly trip to various overseas destinations. He usually brings a fairly large party along with him. Up and coming actors, athletes, social media darlings. You know the types. He likes to keep his finger on the pulse, he knows who's been in the news and who is hot property, so to speak.”

  At this point, Marina suddenly appeared on the balcony with a very handsome organic man in tow. As soon as she saw Creighton and the others, she waved him off and strode toward them.

  "Alexa Creighton, is that you?" she said.

  "Marina," Creighton said back, in a rather cold tone of voice.

  Alifred leaned in toward Seeva, whispering quietly in her ear; "They have history... Past relationship. It didn't end well."

  "I thought I saw you in that miserable crowd," Marina said. "And now you've found my friends. How convenient. What's this about?"

  "An opportunity," said Creighton, turning back to the others. "These trips usually consist of around ten invited guests. This time around, I happen to be one of them. My flight leaves tomorrow morning. In fact, I really should be at home getting ready right now."

  "Then why are you here?" Marina demanded.

  "There’s been a hiccup. A few of the guests ran into legal trouble and can’t make the trip. My friend asked me to attend this party to curate some replacements. When I realized you were here, Seeva, I knew I had to talk to you. In my mind, no one else is more deserving of this sort of vacation. Especially after what happened yesterday."

  Creighton turned her gaze now, first to Alifred and then to Marina.

  "I suppose I might as well extend the offer to the two of you as well," Creighton said. "It would do Seeva well to have some familiar faces with her, I'm sure."

  "Oh, I'd love to!" Marina said immediately, seeming to somehow forget her earlier suspicions now that she was getting a free vacation out of the deal.

  "What would be expected from us?" Alifred asked.

  Creighton smiled at him. "Nothing at all. This is purely leisure for my friend. He likes to travel, and he enjoys being in good company. Think of it as a free vacation, a chance to unwind as well as a chance to befriend some influential people. That's all it is."

  Alifred looked at Seeva. He seemed pretty much sold on the idea. And Marina was just about gushing with excitement.

  "What do you think, Seeva?" Alifred asked.

  "I don't really know," she admitted. "I'd have to think about it."

  Creighton smiled. "Don't think too long. I can get you on my flight tomorrow, but that will be the last chance. It leaves in about twelve hours."

  "I'll just say yes for her," Marina said quickly. "We're going."

  Seeva, overruled by her friends, had little choice but to seriously consider Creighton’s offer. Years ago, when she was first getting started in her work, she had adopted a simple and important philosophy; say yes to every unique opportunity and never turn down a good thing. And so, she ultimately decided to take her own advice and see what this trip had to offer.

  CHAPTER 7

  ◆◆◆

  Seeva strolled into the terminal early the next morning, groggy from all the stimulant and also nervously excited. She approached the ticket desk and tentatively offered her name, still doubtful whether this opportunity was real. But her name came up, and in a moment she was given her boarding information.

  She stared at the boarding pass in shocked silence for a moment. On one hand, the place they were going to was beautiful. She had always wanted to see it. On the other hand...

  Alifred was there suddenly, smiling tiredly and waving his hand. He already had his pass. He must have been sitting off to the side, waiting for her to show up.

  "Did you see where we're going?" Seeva asked.

  "The island nation of Ulea," Alifred said. "One of the newest countries in the world. Gorgeous place, I hear."

  "Yes, gorgeous. But also backwards. They don't have civil rights for synths,

  Alifred. As soon as we step onto that soil, we don't even qualify as living beings anymore."

  Alifred shrugged. "Shouldn't be a big deal. It’s not like we’re going on our own, Seeva. Did you look at the make of plane we're taking? Must be owned by this Creedy guy. I bet we’re probably landing at a private airfield. We won't even go through customs. And then we'll be at some cushy resort. I wouldn't worry about it."

  So Seeva didn't worry. She was sure Alifred was right.

  ◆◆◆

  Soon they were joined by Marina. They all waited just a bit longer, in case Alexa Creighton showed up, but then the woman at the ticket counter called out to warn them that they might miss their flight if they didn't start moving.

  "Don't worry, it won't leave without us," Alifred said confidently. "Private plane, remember?"

  "But I do wonder where Creighton is," Marina said, glancing around.

  "She's probably onboard already. We should get moving."

  So they went through the airport, sliding through security. A helpful man in a blue airport uniform showed them the way to their gate, a tiny jetway in an out-of-the-way and thinly trafficked branch of the terminus. No one was manning the jetway, and it looked dark and abandoned. With a shrug, Alifred led the way down the narrow corridor.

  At the end of its gently curving length they discovered a plane cabin open to them, as well as a motionless stewardess who muttered a vague greeting as they stepped inside. Turning right, they found a cramped but well-appointed passenger cabin. There were twelve seats here, and only two of them were currently occupied. Creighton wasn't here.

  Seeva, feeling a pang of worry, turned to the stewardess. "Is this the right flight? Going nonstop to Ulea?"

  The stewardess nodded twice, then gestured for them to take their seats.

  "Well, let's sit down I guess," Alifred suggested.

  Marina had already beat them. Already she was snugging a seatbelt into place around her waist, settling in for the reported flight time of six and a half hours.

  Alifred sat. Seeva took the spot next to them. They put their own seatbelts on and waited. Five minutes later, the plane door shut, and the engine noise increased. The stewardess took her own seat up in the utility cabin. Alifred looked over at Seeva, smiling nervously as the plane began to roll across the tarmac.

  "Well, maybe she took a different flight after all," he said.

  One of the strangers they shared the cabin with, a big bald man with a wire in his ear, glanced up from his data slate.

  "Ms. Creighton couldn't make it," he said. "There was a family emergency. It's just going to be you three on this flight."

  "Just us?" Seeva asked. "A whole flight just for three social media influencers?"

  The big man nodded. "Mr. Creedy doesn't mind chartering a flight like this as long as someone will be on it. He is sad to hear that Creighton couldn't make it, but he understands."

  "Is that who you work for?" asked Alifred. "Mr. Creedy?"

  "In a manner of speaking,” the big man said in a curious tone. He winked at Seeva and Alifred, then went back to his reading.

  The two synths found the wink a bit odd, but they decided to forget about it and focus on the vacation that lay before them.

  Soon, the drink cart came through and Marina seized the
opportunity to get blitzed on stimulant. She was in full party mode. Seeva just hoped she wouldn't try and give one of the big bald guys a lap dance.

  CHAPTER 8

  ◆◆◆

  Something about the hum of the plane, the occasional throat-clearing noises from the bald guy, and the presence of Alifred next to her made Seeva feel very calm. Before she knew it, she was drifting through the synth equivalent of a dream, through streams of raw data brought forth by her cyber brain’s background connection with the data sphere. Wherever she passed through it, she caught glimpses of the truth hidden inside the cryptographic strings. Communication threads, words between people or transmission handshakes between hardware. They passed through her at the speed of light, and it was impossible to tell whether she was drifting through the sphere or the sphere was drifting through her.

  She woke suddenly to the voice of the stewardess, announcing the beginning of their descent. Craning her neck, Seeva was able to peer through the window next to Alifred. All she saw was cloud, rich and fluffy white. But soon it began to thin out as the plane dropped. Soon she was looking down onto the variegated greens and blues of the tropical ocean. Seagulls wheeling through the air far below, tiny atolls making white patterns of breaking waves in the ocean tides.

  The nation of Ulea rolled into view over the horizon. As one of the newest countries, it was also one of the smallest and most sparsely populated. It consisted of three separate islands, a large central one and two small satellites. All in all, Ulea covered an area of about forty-four square miles. Its population was a scant nine thousand, mostly contained in the small city of Irapo on the main island's southwest coast.

  Seeva knew all of this from her dream. She had sought out information on Ulea, and memorized it as she slept in her seat.

  She figured they would be landing at Irapo. It made sense, and it seemed to be the case as the plane dropped lower and lower.