Obviously, they would need to harvest their remaining crops soon and check their food stores which would need to be moved somewhere else. The MalJari would know to strike there first and take out their food supply. It was a smart suggestion on Elora’s part to move it. For now, the safest area for the food would be underground in the large training facility. Edred explained his knowledge of the tunnel system and how they could control the entrances and exits easily.
Ethan wasn’t fully convinced but he trusted Edred. “Can you show Hendrick the tunnel system?” Edred tilted his chin and motioned for Hendrick to follow him. Next, he met with Tarq Porter, the head of the Textiles Sector. He said once the factories were evacuated, they could pillage the machinery for possible weapons. The facilities housed quite a few sharp objects including giant sewing needles that looked like spears and smaller knives used for fabric cutting. Each one would be ideal in a hand to hand combat situation. “Abby, maybe you could help figure out exactly what we can use?” Abby smiled at Ethan, nodding her head and taking a seat to begin working on her list of possible weapon choices.
The Textiles Sector also had large stores of chemicals generally used for household items but mixed in the right proportions, they could be used to make fire bombs. “Connor, why don’t you work with Tarq on developing those bombs? He could make you a list of the chemicals and their quantities and you could map out a formula?” Ethan asked. Connor had appeared shortly after Ethan and Halson returned from the North building. He offered to do anything to help, knowing they were preparing for a fight. And since he was a highly intelligent Technology Sector employee, he figured bomb making might be right up his alley. Ethan didn’t miss the way Hadley had volunteered to help him, a little too eagerly. But he couldn’t fault her for her choices. She was as much an asset as anyone else in that room.
He looked around the room, watching as everyone worked on their various projects and hummed in satisfaction. At least they were doing something to prepare for the Commissioner’s attack instead of backing down. He lost himself in thought before he noticed Elora walking up to him. She grinned at him as she rested her hands on his shoulders. “I heard about Godrik,” she said softly. Ethan tensed, the memory still painfully fresh. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save him,” he replied with wet eyes. Elora pulled him into a hug which Ethan melted into. “You meant so much to him.” She leaned back. “He loved you Ethan. Don’t ever forget that.” Ethan nodded, averting his eyes. He didn’t want to cry right now. He needed to be strong for everyone.
“He was right you know,” she began to say. “When he said you were the solution to all of this, he was right. You are the key.” She smiled once more, patting his shoulder before walking back to the table. Ethan scoffed to himself. He wasn’t a solution. He felt more like a circumstance and he definitely didn’t feel like a key. Ethan snapped his head up and met Halson’s eyes. The MalJari rushed over to see what was the matter. “Ethan?” he asked.
“I’m the key!” Ethan exclaimed. Halson’s arms flailed in question. “What are you talking about?” Ethan grabbed his hand and brought him to the farthest corner in the room. He pulled out the box from his pocket and examined it again. “I’m the key to opening this.” Halson still looked at him dumbly. “When I first reached into the drawer I didn’t feel anything. But when I cut myself on the side, the compartment opened. My blood is the key.”
He searched the room for something sharp, stopping only when he found a small knife near the kitchen area. “Ethan!” Halson shouted but it was too late. Ethan stabbed his left hand, flinching slightly at the pain. When he saw the blood pooling at the surface, he grabbed the box and placed it in his hand. Suddenly the ends of the container began sliding open, inching back toward the middle, revealing a sleeve of flash drives. Ethan smiled wide, looking at Halson who appeared stunned. “You did it!” Halson said.
Ethan counted twelve drives in total, each one with over 5000GB. That was a lot of storage and clearly, a lot work ahead of him. “What do we do now?” Halson asked, holding on to one of the drives. “Now we search. I know there’s something in one of these disks that will help us defeat the Commissioner!” Halson frowned. “That’s over 60,000GB! It would take months! We don’t have that kind of time.” Ethan shrugged. “I don’t have a choice Halson. I have to do this.”
Reluctantly, Halson led Ethan to one of several computers in the room. The boy immediately placed the first flash drive into the side of the screen and began his search. The speed at which he worked was incredible, swiping and moving files around. Soon, every eye was trained on Ethan.
“Can he even read that fast?” Caleb asked. Both Connor and Halson chimed in at the same time. “Yes.” Connor smirked at Halson before going back to his work. “Wow,” Caleb whispered. “I had no idea he could do that.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Halson teased, patting Caleb on the back. Everyone went back to their respective assignments while Ethan read. At first, he was looking at data from research trials as far back as thirty years. They all had to do with the human genome and its adaptability outside of a human host. Ethan found most of it really confusing, skimming through large chunks of it.
After several hours, most everyone stopped for the night except for Ethan. He was too deep into his research to stop. Halson came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Ethan’s waist. “Come to bed,” he whispered into Ethan’s hair. Ethan only grunted in response and continued to swipe at the screen. His eyes were wild as he read at record speed. “Ethan.” He wiggled himself out of Halson’s hold. “I’m fine,” he said absentmindedly causing Halson to frown. He sighed in defeat. “Please don’t be too much longer,” the MalJari boy pleaded.
“Uh huh,” Ethan mumbled.
By the time morning came, Halson blinked his eyes open and immediately grimaced. Ethan was still at the computer, swiping and opening files with as much enthusiasm as before. How was that even possible? Had he gone to sleep at all? Halson swung his legs over the side of the bed and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Ethan?” he asked, walking over to the boy. “Ethan?” he tried again. Clearly distracted, Ethan barely acknowledged him, never taking his eyes off the screen.
Halson was done. He grabbed Ethan by the shoulders and turned him away from the screen, shaking him in the process. “Stop this!” he yelled. Ethan stared at him, stunned at the rage in his voice. He attempted to break free but was too weak from sleep deprivation. “I have to finish Halson. I have to keep going!” Ethan begged. Halson shook his head and maintained his hold. “You need to rest Ethan!” This time Ethan thrashed harder but Halson simply moved him farther away from the screen. “Let go of me! I have to do this Halson!”
“Why?!” Halson screamed, grabbing everyone’s attention. Ethan’s eyes glistened. “Because he’s dead! He’s dead and it’s my fault! I’m the reason he’s gone!” Ethan’s outburst took the little energy he had left. He collapsed in Halson’s arms, whimpering in defeat. Halson held on and brought him into a hug, rubbing his back soothingly. “You’re not responsible for Godrik’s death. Stryker was and you killed him. What happened wasn’t your fault.”
Ethan cried until he eventually closed his eyes, slumping over Halson’s chest. The MalJari picked him up and brought him to the first open bed he found. He laid Ethan down gently, covering him with a fluffy blanket. It didn’t take long for his soft snores to be heard. Halson sat with him, running his fingers through his hair, watching his chest move up and down. It would never matter who was stronger physically because Halson’s priority would always be to take care of Ethan. He would always see to his needs and make sure he was healthy and happy.
“Is he okay?” Abby asked. She sat down on the bed next to theirs, straightening out her green dress while she stared at her friend with concern. “I think so. But he’s pushing himself too hard.” Abby gnawed her lip nervously. “Why do you think he’s doing that?” He glanced up when she asked the question, studying the worry on her face. “He thinks he’s respon
sible for Godrik’s death.” Abby gasped. “But he’s not. He must know that!”
“Maybe if he finds a way to defeat the Commissioner within those files he won’t feel so bad.” Halson took a deep breath. “Honestly, I think it’s his way of making up for the fact that Godrik isn’t here to help. But I’m also scared of what he might find.” Abby didn’t really understand the last part of his statement. She anxiously rubbed the black tights along her knees as she thought about it. What could Ethan possibly find in those files that would hurt him? Halson caught on to her dilemma and decided to explain himself.
“You know that Godrik’s been experimenting on him, right? Injecting him with serums?” Did she know? Of course, she did. She was there when the final one was administered. He leaned closer and lowered his voice as he said, “I think he might have done more to Ethan. And maybe Ethan won’t like what he finds.” Now that was a surprise. Her eyes widened at the insinuation. Could it be possible that Godrik was responsible for something else in Ethan’s life? What more could he have done to her best friend?
“Do you think he suspect’s anything?” She asked after a beat. Halson looked down at Ethan with loving eyes, still stroking his hair. “Earlier he said he needed answers. So, yes, I think he knows there’s more to his story than Godrik led on. I just hope the answers he finds, are the ones he wants.”
CHAPTER 27
I t took him two days to get through the first file, though Ethan admitted to skipping over large chunks of information. Most of it pertained to gene splicing and genome therapies in food and animals; all things he had already learned about, so he moved on.
The second disk drive appeared to be even larger than the first, causing a loud groan to escape Ethan’s mouth. He ran a tired hand down his face as he waited for the items to finish loading. But something caught his eye when he noticed numerous video files popping up. Had Godrik kept visual records of his experiments? Ethan shuddered at the thought.
He stepped away from the screen, shuffling toward Abby and Caleb who were seated at one of the tables, eating breakfast. “Hey Ethan. How goes the search?” Caleb asked, taking a bite from his fruit salad. Ethan shrugged and snagged an apple slice from his plate. “He has video files.” Abby perked up at that. “Do you know of what?” she asked. He shook his head. “Not yet.” He wanted to tell her the truth; that he feared what he might find hidden within Godrik’s files, but he didn’t want to burden his friend with his insecurities. He needed to focus on finding a way to defeat the Commissioner before it was too late. The MalJari leader would be coming to Daventry soon, armed with countless soldiers, though no one was sure when they were set to arrive. It was only a matter of time and Ethan knew their time was running out.
Everyone had a weakness, he reasoned. The Commissioner was no different and Ethan was determined to find that one thing that could make him vulnerable. He didn’t know why but he was certain that somewhere deep in Godrik’s research there was a clue, a nugget of information that could take down the Commissioner and possibly the entire MalJari regime. But first he needed to find it.
Thick arms circled Ethan’s neck, prompting him to sit up and lean into the embrace. “I’m glad to see you taking a break,” Halson whispered in his ear. Ethan grinned at him but didn’t reply. “Come on, I want to show you something.” Halson clapped Ethan’s shoulder and backed away, allowing the boy to stand. Ethan nodded to his friends and gave the computer screen a quick glance before taking Halson’s hand. They walked silently, out of the room, up the stairs and through the warehouse.
“Where are we going?” Ethan asked. They were heading into a loft area, above the main floor of the old factory. Halson led Ethan to a small alcove, near a large window illuminated by streaming rays of morning sunlight. “Halson?” Ethan asked when the older boy stopped and turned away from him. “Sorry, I’m just a bit nervous.”
Nervous?
“Is everything okay?” Ethan asked, a slight tremble in his voice. Halson tensed but eventually twisted back around and approached Ethan. His fingertips ran down Ethan’s arms, stopping at his hands, lacing their fingers together. “I… I need to tell you something. I mean, I want to tell you...I,” Halson huffed in frustration, the words lodged in his throat. Ethan stared in silence, giving Halson time to collect himself. Obviously, whatever he wanted to say was important.
“You know I love you right?”
Ethan nodded, still unsure of where the conversation was headed.
“And you love me?”
Ethan looked at Halson quizzically. “Of course, Halson.” He moved closer, searching deep into Halson’s eyes. “Did something happen?” The older boy shook his head and looked down. “I’m sorry. I’m totally screwing this up.”
“Say whatever you need to say,” Ethan pleaded.
Halson took a deep breath and pulled Ethan close. “After everything we’ve been through and now with the threat of the Commissioner…. There’s a chance that we might not survive him. And if that happens I… I don’t want to have any regrets.”
By now Ethan’s nerves were all over the place, dancing around the dread pooling in his stomach. Where could he be going with this? They stood inches apart, Halson’s lips ghosting over Ethan’s. “I want you to be mine.” The declaration made Ethan’s knees weaken slightly but he remained in his spot and smirked. “I already am.”
“I mean officially.”
“Officially?”
“Yes,” Halson replied, taking a step back. “In this lifetime and the next. I want you to be mine, always at my side, no matter what.” Ethan didn’t quite know how to respond. He already thought of himself as Halson’s partner but he wasn’t sure what the boy was currently asking. Was there a ceremony or ritual that needed to take place? “What does that entail exactly?” Ethan asked.
Halson reached into the collar of his sweater and pulled out a pendant identical to Ethan’s. “The stone is called a Maelstrom. It’s from our home planet. When it’s activated by a pair, it links their energies.”
“How?”
“It has the ability to hold our life force, connecting us.”
“So, how do we activate it?”
Halson smiled wide. “Does that mean you’ll be mine?” Ethan blushed and responded, “Yes, I’ll be yours.” Halson grabbed Ethan’s hand and placed it over his pendant. He repeated the action with his hand over Ethan’s stone. “Close your eyes,” Halson whispered.
A rushing heat filled Ethan’s body, starting in his chest and branching out into his arms and legs. The warmth circled back, concentrating around his heart as the organ beat faster and faster. When he opened his eyes, Halson was grinning at him, his chest bathed in a brilliant white light. Ethan glanced down and noticed the same light emanating from deep inside of him, shining through his muscle and bone. Soon, the light softened and was eventually absorbed by the stones, causing them to glow a vibrant blue, before receding back to their natural cerulean. It was an extraordinary sight.
“Halson,” Ethan said softly. The older boy didn’t reply. Instead he leaned in and kissed Ethan with gentle lips, conveying his adoration for the boy standing in front of him. “You’re mine and I’m yours, forever.” Ethan stared at Halson, replaying the last eight months of his life over in his mind. He thought back to his insecurities, not only with himself but his abilities and his worth as a citizen. He remembered the day he met Halson and how the alien turned his world upside down in the best way. Now, they were connected. For how long, neither of them knew. But in that moment, Ethan had never felt so complete.
*****
Goofy grins played on their faces for the rest of the day as they went back to the basement and continued their search through Godrik’s video files. They were still in the beginning of the second flash drive. The first few recordings were of experiments with fish where Godrik was trying to add certain characteristics without changing its appearance. He implanted predatory behaviors from one species into another to see if instincts could be manipulated. T
he thought of it made Ethan’s skin crawl. The power that Godrik was playing with was dangerous. But this technology was already being used in Daventry, as well as other cities, where humans were being implanted with learned instincts and beliefs. That’s when Ethan realized he was witnessing the starting point to their current way of life.
“Is there a date stamp on this file?” Ethan asked. Halson frowned, hastily swiping through the data to locate the date of recording.
“That’s not possible,” he said.
“What?”
“Look.” Halson pointed to a small set of numbers imbedded in the code of the file. Ethan narrowed his eyes for a better view, then shook his head in disbelief. He stood abruptly, wobbling slightly as his vision blurred everything around him. He blinked repeatedly, trying to focus but it wasn’t working. Halson was beside him in a flash, steadying Ethan’s swaying frame. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
He ran to the far end of the room, locating a trash bin and emptying his stomach of its contents. After a few seconds, he felt Halson’s arm on his lower back, rubbing circles underneath his sweater. “Maybe the time stamp is wrong,” Halson wagered. As much as Ethan wanted that to be true, he knew it wasn’t. “It’s correct. We have to tell Edred and the others.” Halson nodded slowly. “This, changes everything.”
*****
Tension quickly filled the space, radiating off everyone in attendance. Saia chewed her nail nervously while she waited for Edred to arrive. She kept glancing at Ethan, trying to figure out why they had been summoned, though a part of her already knew whatever news she would be receiving would not be good.
Awaken_Ethan Drake Chronicles Page 28
