“I’m much closer to believing it all than last time we were here,” said Seb. They had reached the far side of the pond. The two men stepped onto the path and carried on walking.
“What do you want to show me?” said Seb. Seb2 pointed ahead, to a dense clump of trees Seb didn’t remember from his day there with Mee.
“This bit is new,” said Seb2. “Shouldn’t be here. It isn’t here in the real Richmond Park.” An opening led into the wood. It was like something out of a dark fairytale, a twisted dirt path that disappeared into the gloom created by the gnarled, distorted trees, their huge branches reaching out to each other, creating a canopy through which very little of the weak sunlight could penetrate. A faint sound came from within. Seb stepped closer, surprised as he did so to feel a real reluctance to go any closer. At first it was just a vague feeling of disquiet, but as he got within a few feet of where the path entered the wood, it was close to genuine fear. He stopped.
“I know,” said Seb2, “but you need to see this.” He walked ahead, only slightly hesitating as he crossed the invisible border between the park and the wood. Seb hung back, reminding himself briefly that this was all happening in his subconscious, then followed.
The sound he had heard grew more distinct as he moved between the trees. It sounded like a wounded animal. More like a dying animal. A dying animal that was being tortured in its final minutes of life. The light grew weaker and he realized he could no longer see the sky through the dense canopy of knotted branches. Seb2’s back was a faint shadow ahead. He hurried to catch up, tripped on a root and almost ran into Seb2, who had stopped just ahead. He was looking at something, and his face was grim.
“It’s a bit of a shock the first time,” said Seb2. Seb looked in the same direction. At first it was hard to see anything, but the source of the appalling noise was obviously in the middle of the small clearing ahead. As his eyes grew accustomed to the gloom, Seb could make out some sort of mass stretched out across a large stone about eight feet long, three feet wide and standing about waist high. The mass was moving, writhing, glistening. It had a shape that looked familiar somehow. The sound, a keening moan of absolute agony, was coming from one end, where a small dark hole opened and closed among the slithering mess. With a gasp of horror, Seb knew what he was looking at. It was the flayed body of a human, the limbs stretched, the muscles tearing in front of him, exposed where the skin had been removed. The hole was a mouth, and now that he had put the puzzle together, he saw two holes where nostrils should be and a pair of ghastly puckered raw craters instead of eyes.
Seb turned his back, dropped to his knees and vomited onto the hard, gray earth. His body shuddered as it ejected a stream of thin acidic material, the spasms burning his throat and chest. Seb2 just watched him, waiting. Finally, Seb stood, his legs shaking.
“It doesn’t get any easier,” said Seb2, “but being prepared means I don’t lose the contents of my stomach now.”
Seb took a few long breaths, then looked at Seb2, aware of the movement just behind him where the horror continued to unfold.
“Who is it?” he said.
“You know who it is,” said Seb2. “It’s us. You. Me. Seb3”
“But how? Why?”
“Because we weren’t supposed to receive Manna in the way that we did when we did. We should have died - no normal human can act as a vessel for what we were given. Apparently, there’s a good chance we would have been ready in another three decades or so.”
“So why am I still alive?” said Seb, walking shakily away from the horror in the clearing, trying not to see the image now imprinted on his brain.
“Think of us as partitions in a hard drive,” said Seb2. Partitioned so we can run the software without conflicts.”
“I am not a fucking hard drive!” said Seb. “What the hell is going on?” He fell to his knees, shaking. Seb2 squatted next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Seb3 is what would have happened to you if the partitions hadn’t been created. But the pain would have only lasted seconds before you died. This is a compromise, I don’t know how Billy Joe did it.” Seb looked at him blankly. “The alien?” said Seb2.
“Oh. Yeah. How could I forget? So are you saying I’m not a whole person any more?” Seb2 helped him up and they walked out of the wood, back toward the edge of the pond.
“No. Well, yes. Kinda. You’re as whole as you’ve ever been. Gross oversimplification coming up, but here’s how it works. You’re the surface-level, everyday personality. Ninety-nine point nine percent of humanity lives and dies knowing no more than the surface personality. Underneath, we have the subconscious. We’re all slightly aware of that - dreams, intuition, but mostly it does some heavy lifting behind the scenes. In your case, that’s me. Having a subconscious available to the conscious mind could raise you to genius-level intellectually. Or drive you insane.”
“Hmm,” said Seb. “To be fair, there’s no clear evidence which way I’ve gone.”
“And deeper than the subconscious,”said Seb2, ignoring the interruption, “is the Person. The real you. No smoke and mirrors, no facade, no defenses, just a pure, unique expression of the dance of energy we call life.”
“You could get your own science special on PBS,” said Seb.
“Sarcasm noted,” said Seb2.
“So the most real me, the most authentic…the genuine human person…”
“…Is Seb3. Yep,” said Seb2. “Sorry.”
They walked the perimeter of the pond rather than across the surface this time, obeying the unspoken feeling that it would be inappropriate. Seb couldn’t stop thinking about the torture his innermost self was constantly experiencing. And yet he seemed to be able to carry on as normal. He realized he had absolutely no understanding of the human condition. And yet, some aspects of his life seemed to be coming into focus just as others seemed to be teetering on the edge of an abyss.
“So what do we do?” said Seb, after a few minutes silence. “Actually, let me answer my own question. I’m going to call Mee.”
“You love her,” said Seb2. No response was necessary.
“We’ve got to get away from Walt,” said Seb2. “He has some kind of agenda and we need to find our own way.”
“Agreed,” said Seb. “I’ll tell him we’re leaving.”
They walked back toward the huge iron gates that marked the northern entrance of the park.
“Something else we need to do,” said Seb2.
“What?”said Seb.
“Stretching the software analogy a bit further, I’m trying to work out how to run a huge system, our processing power is in place, we have an operating system of sorts, but I keep looking for information that isn’t there. Like the file is corrupted, or has been moved. We need to go and upgrade the hard drive.”
Seb was silent.
“You really hate this computer metaphor, don’t you?” said Seb2.
Seb said nothing.
“It’s the best I’ve got, sorry.”
Seb sighed and stopped walking. “Ok. I’ll bite. How do we get this upgrade?” he said.
“We go and get the Manna we need,” said Seb2.
“Tried that at Red Rock with Walt,” said Seb. “It didn’t work. And I don’t seem to be running low on it like he does.”
“I know. Truth is, you’ll never run out. But the Manna I’m talking about can only be picked up by you.”
Seb thought for a moment. “Roswell,” he said.
“Roswell,” said Seb2. “Then you should be able to control your abilities better. And maybe work out what you’re supposed to do with it. And you’ll be able to be what you’re supposed to be. What Billy Joe is.”
“Which is?”
“A World Walker.”
35
Meera watched five women of the Order climb into a battered pickup, three in the front and two squeezing onto the flatbed alongside boxes and baskets full of food. The engine spluttered and coughed, then the rusty vehicle rolled away in a
cloud of dust and gas fumes. Lo came up beside her.
“There will always be hungry people,” she said. “We do what we can for them.” Mee watched the dust cloud shrink as the truck turned the corner and headed for the Interstate into Las Vegas.
“Look,” said Mee, rolling a joint carefully. She had enough marijuana to last two more days. If she paced herself. Then there would be trouble. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate what you did for us. Saving us, I mean.”
Lo didn’t answer. She had the rare gift of listening without commenting. Mee couldn’t help but like her. The ability to survive being shot without any ill-effects was slightly off-putting, but, hey, Seb could do that. So no biggie. Mee shot a glance at the silent woman. Absolutely unreadable. Very annoying.
“We can’t stay here. I have the band. Bob has a life, of sorts. We just need to find Seb, make sure he’s ok. Really ok. The people looking for him are dangerous. I can’t let him deal with that on his own. Then we can go home, ‘cause we’re just going to lead them to him otherwise. If those bozos are still after us, we’ll tell them the truth. We saw Seb, but we don’t know where he’s gone.”
“And if I told you Seb can look after himself?”
“That would be a first,” said Mee. “He likes his own company, sure, but he’s not a natural loner.”
“Like you?” said Lo.
“Yeah. Like me.” Just then, her pocket buzzed and she fished out her old prepaid cell phone. The call was from a number she didn’t recognize. She glared at the phone suspiciously, pressed answer and held it up to her ear without saying anything.
“Mee?” said the familiar voice, and her eyes filled with tears despite herself.
“Seb!” she said. “Thank God. Where are you? Are you ok? What the hell is going on?”
“It’s good to hear your voice, Mee. And, yes, I’m ok. I’m sorry I didn’t call, but…well, let’s just say things have been pretty weird the last few days. I’ll tell you more when I see you.”
“I know some of it already,” said Meera. “And weird doesn’t even begin to cover it. Hang on, this isn’t your number. What happened to your phone?”
“Gone,” he said, “but I’m staying with…a friend.”
“But you’ve never remembered a phone number in your life. And I haven’t used this number for years.”
“My memory’s, um, improved recently.”
Seb was quiet for a moment. Mee could picture the expression on his face. She always said she could see the cogs turning when he was thinking.
“Look, I need to see you, but I’m in Las Vegas,” he said. “I’ll head back to LA tomorrow. Something I need to do on the way.”
Mee started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“Well, you won’t believe this, but I’m in Vegas too.”
“What?!”
“Long story. Might even be as interesting as yours. I’m here with Bob.” There was a pause while Seb tried to work out who she meant.
“Bob, as in Bob and Marcie? From the hills? How do you know him?”
“We have a mutual friend,” she said, deciding Marcie’s fate was something Bob might want to tell Seb face to face. “Come see us. I’ll give you directions.” She told him where the Order community was. “Or we could meet in the city,” she said. “Could murder a gin and tonic right now.”
“I can’t come today,” he said. “Somewhere I need to be. But I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. I’ll come out to you.”
“Deal,” she said. “Don’t get into any more trouble between now and then.”
“I’ll do my best,” he said. “I’ll be on this number for another couple hours. Mee?”
“Yes?” there was another pause.
“Nothing. Nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As Mee finished the call, she saw Bob walking toward her, a questioning look on his face.
“It was Seb,” she said, smiling broadly. “He’s ok. He’s going to meet us tomorrow.”
“You told him where we were?”
“Yes,” she said. Her forehead creased as she thought about it. “Oh.”
“Yeah,” said Bob. “These guys have Government connections at the highest level. We don’t know if they’re monitoring calls. I know that’s a phone they don’t know about, but did you use your name? Or mine, or Seb’s?”
Mee’s expression changed as she considered the implications. “Oh, no,” she said. He’ll be walking into a trap.”
Diane walked over and joined them. Lo told her what had happened.
“We have an understanding with other Manna users,” she said, “including the organization who we believe is pursuing Seb. We leave each other alone. If they know you are with us, they will keep their distance. If Seb makes it here, he will be safe.”
“But if they know he’s coming, they can watch the road and grab him before he gets anywhere near,” said Bob.
“Exactly,” said Diane. She held out her hand for Mee’s phone. Mee got a notebook out of her battered backpack and made a note of the number Seb had called from. Then she handed the phone to Diane and watched as it crumbled into a fine black dust in front of her. She rolled her eyes and tutted.
“You could have just done that to the SIM card,” she said. She pouted and glared, a combination that had turned many people into stammering wrecks. Diane just ignored her.
“I’ll go into town,” said Bob, “pick up another cheap cell. We can call Seb, warn him, fix up another meeting place.”
“No. I’ll go,” said Lo. “They’ve been watching you. It’s too risky.”
Bob hesitated, then nodded, agreeing reluctantly. Lo ran behind one of the trailers, then reappeared on a motorcycle, her childish figure looking incongruous on such a big machine. She roared off with a quick wave to the others.
She was back within twenty minutes with a burner - a cell phone paid for with cash with twenty dollars credit on it. Mee took it and dialed the number. A male voice answered.
“Seb?” said Meera.
“I’m sorry,” said the voice, “you must have misdialed. There’s no one of that name here.” He hung up.
“Shit,” said Meera. She double checked the number. Definitely the one Seb had called from. “What now?” she said, looking at the others.
“Only one thing we can do,” said Bob. “We’ve got to assume they’ll try to grab Seb before he gets here. We can’t warn him. So we need to watch the watchers. Set up lookouts on the outskirts of the city - the most likely place for an ambush. That way, we have a good chance of spotting them move into position. Tomorrow, when they spring their trap, we’ll jump them. You lot are pretty handy in a fight, right?”
Lo smiled. “We won’t kill anyone, but there are kinder ways of incapacitating an enemy.”
“Just don’t be too kind,” said Bob, thinking of Marcie lying in a pool of spreading blood. “They don’t deserve it.”
“We’ll make plans this afternoon, then move into place at dawn tomorrow,” said Diane. “We’ll have Seb back to you by tomorrow night.”
——————————————————————————————————
Six miles away, Walt stood by his desk, looking at the phone, thinking. Finally he picked it up and dialed a number he knew by heart but rarely called.
“Yes?” came the whisper.
“It’s Walter Ford. Someone else knows he’s here. And he’s leaving.”
“Yes.” The whisper was weak, breathy, but the words were always precise and considered. “I know. Where is he now?”
“Packing,” said Walt. “I can’t talk him out of it and I don’t know where he’s heading.”
“It’s of no concern to you now,” whispered the voice. “We know where he’s going. Ford?”
“Yes, sir?” said Walt.
“Change is imminent. I may be calling on your services. And the services of many others. Old allegiances will be broken. We are under attack and any action we take will need t
o be decisive. Be ready.”
“Yes, sir,” said Walt. The line went dead and he swallowed hard. When he turned, Seb was stood in the doorway. How long had he been there? Did he hear anything? Walt forced a smile onto his face. Seb was holding the same slim bag he had arrived with. When you could make your own clothes from a handful of dirt, it made sense to travel light.
“Can’t persuade you to stay a few more days?” said Walt. “You’re just beginning to get used to controlling Manna. It’s not an easy time, even for someone with your gifts.”
Seb shook his head. “Thanks, but no,” he said. “I need to be on my own.” He hadn’t mentioned anything about Mee to Walt. He felt bad about not trusting someone who’d helped him out, but there it was. He was going with his gut on this one - particularly now that his gut had taken on the persona of Seb2 and backed him up.
“I can’t protect you from whoever’s after you if you leave,” said Walt. “And they seemed pretty well connected. Who can authorize a train to make an unscheduled stop? Do you really want to take that risk?”
“I have to,” said Seb. “Thanks, Walt, I appreciate what you’ve done. Goodbye.”
He stuck out his hand and Walt shook it slowly. “Well, if you’re sure,” he said. “You have my number if you change your mind. Still don’t want to tell me where you’re heading?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” said Seb, lying. “I just don’t know yet. I need some time to figure things out.”
“Well, when you do, get back in touch,” said Walt, walking with Seb to the door, where Steve was waiting to take Seb into town. “The Users I told you about, the ones who look out for each other, they’re pretty much the most powerful group in the country. And they’re not all as easy-going as me.”
“What are you saying?” said Seb as he opened the door of the Lincoln.
“Just think carefully,” said Walt. “As a User, you can’t hide, and not all of those who notice you will have your best interests in mind.”
The World Walker Series Box Set Page 27
