“It’s so beautiful,” I say to Chale and Sileas. “Where does it all end?”
“Who knows – maybe sometime soon we’ll be able to explore,” says Chale. “In the meantime we should work the room. Talk to some of the locals and see what we can find out.”
“Good thinking,” I say. “Let’s split up. We’ll meet back at the elevator doors on the lower level in a couple of hours.”
“Just assume we can’t trust anyone here,” says Sileas. “So be careful.”
When the guys head off in different directions I feel suddenly alone and vulnerable. I look around and head towards an amazing bar lit with starry purple lights. Slim bottles of every colour line the shelves. I fight my way through the crowd and rest my arms on the bar. A barman dressed all in black with a fringed white scarf and tattooed arms appears in front of me. Though he looks young, his eyes have dark hollows under them and his long tawny hair hangs in tangled curls. “Toby May at your service – I can mix anything you like?”
I’m stumped. Smoothies and juice are all I’ve ever had. I check out the rainbow of colours. “I’ll take something pink and purple.”
“You new here?” he asks as he pours my drink.
“Just got in from the country,” I say, taking the glass.
“Someday I’m gonna go out there. This city’s sucking the life outta me.” His eyes have a faraway gaze.
I take a sip at the drink and gasp. It feels like fire’s running through my veins and my ears are glowing. Toby’s laughing at me. “That’s your first Purple Paralyzer?”
I can barely talk, just nod and try to get my breath back.
“Don’t go overboard or you’ll be flat on your back,” he says. “Anyway, what’s your name.”
“Paige – er – Paige Jeunesse,” I say, grasping at the first name I can remember from the compound that actually goes with my first name.
“Very pretty name for a cute young girl,” says Toby smiling, his greenish eyes crinkling at the corners. “Parlez vous Francais?” he asks.
Puzzled, I shrug my shoulders.
“Sorry – thought you might be French. I’m always hoping I’ll run into someone to practice my French on.”
Somehow the drink has made me bolder and I lean across the bar and ask him about the scene outside with the Greyhairs.
“Maybe it’s different where you come from – but this city is split in two. This part is RealTown. Only real people live here. The rest of TinselTown’s full of ARP’s.” He sees my puzzled face and continues. “That stands for Age Reversed Parasites – wealthy old bloodsuckers who found a way to beat old age and refuse to share the secret with anyone else. So they stay young forever, hang onto their money and leave the garbage for us.”
“But the man in the car looked old,” I say.
“They were probably on the way to collect their secret youth drugs. We think the pickup point is somewhere around here.”
I realize then that he doesn’t know anything about feeders or shipments. “It’s too bad everyone else can’t be in on the secret.”
“Not really,” says Toby looking at me with haunted eyes. “Who wants to live forever anyway? Check this out.” He holds out his arm and I read the words inscribed there. Life is a shooting star –a glittering burst of youth then the warm, slow simmer of old age”
Though I don’t really understand I still feel the emotion behind these words. “You’re a poet?” I ask.
“I just play around with a few song lyrics,” he says, wiping the bar counter clean.
Just as I’m about to ask more questions I catch sight of someone who looks just like Yul holding onto the arm of a tall blonde woman.
I gotta go,” I say to Toby. My eyes are trained on the elevator doors which have just swished shut.
“You should check out the carnival tomorrow if you’re around,” he shouts after me.
“Sure,” I say, making a quick exit towards the staircase. Maybe I can get down there before the doors open.
The stairs are crammed with partiers and my head is buzzing from the Purple Paralyzer but I push my way through and reach the bottom just as the elevator opens up. The blonde steps out. She’s perfect. Wavy platinum hair, porcelain skin and plump pink lips. Her eyelids are painted silvery blue and she’s dressed in silver leather. Yul steps out behind her but even though I’m looking right at him his eyes are blank and unseeing. The woman is like a living doll. She reaches out her hand and grasps his arm for support and it looks like she’s so heavily drugged she doesn’t know where she is. I’m tempted to call Yul’s name but I realize it might put him in danger. Instead I follow close behind, my heart racing as they head towards the exit and step out into the night. The woman flicks a remote that activates the lights of a small silver scooter. Yul helps her onto it, then climbs up front and speeds off in the same direction Junius and Ida went in.
Frustrated that I’ve lost him again, I head back inside. Everything is so confusing. I can’t figure out why he would be here, what power this woman has over him and where she’s taking him. My head hurts as I look down at the tangle of bodies that sway to the pounding rhythm. Suddenly I feel the need to dance and I dive straight into the heart of the crowd, raise my arms above my head and let the music carry me. Before long I’m surrounded by a crowd of other kids and we’re so close I can feel the heat from their bodies. I lose myself for a blissful few minutes, hypnotized by the sparkle of the lights but just as if someone’s kicked me in the gut, I stop dead. Across the ocean of heads I catch sight of a familiar face. A white-skinned face with cherry lips.
It’s Edelia and she’s heading my way
15
I duck down under the cover of bodies and snake my way out from the dance floor. If I can find Chale or Sileas we’ll follow her – see if she’ll lead us closer to the nerve centre of the operation. I keep sneaking a glance behind me to check if she’s still there and sure enough she’s passing through the crush of dancers. She must be a regular round here because everyone’s saying hi to her, which is ironic because after what I’ve seen with the Greyhairs, I think this crowd would probably tear her apart if they knew her real identity.
I make my way to the entrance and find Chale chatting to the checkerboard girl from the entrance desk. After I manage to get his attention he squeezes her shoulder then heads over to me.
“What’s up?” he says. “Looks like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I did. I think I saw Yul with some weird blonde and now Edelia’s here and she coming right this way,” I say, shoving him towards the wall. I see her approaching on my left side and without another thought I stand on tiptoes, grab Chale’s face and pull it towards me. Suddenly we’re locked in the deepest, softest kiss and I can feel the silky pressure of his lips on mine as well as the slight tickle of his tongue. It’s like tiny lights are flickering on and off in my head and for a few seconds I lose myself in the moment, but from the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of Edelia as she heads out the door. I push Chale away and he’s staring down at me with wide eyes.
“We have to follow her. C’mon,” I say, catching hold of his arm but he’s still stunned. “Quick – now.”
Somehow I drag him out the door and we watch as Edelia gets on a scooter with the last guy I’d expect - Toby May - who flicks his curls over his shoulder and hops on behind her.
“Shit!” I say as they speed away. “And I thought he was a nice guy.”
“You know him?” asks Chale now he’s finally recovered his senses.
“Just met him tonight,” I say turning back towards the club.
Chale touches my arm. “Was that just an act, Paige?” he whispers, but before I can answer Sileas appears in the doorway. The question hangs heavy in the air.
“I dunno about you but I’m beat,” says Sileas.
“Me too,” I say. “Let’s head back to base.”
Chale follows silently behind us and I can feel his eyes burning my back.
First we check the corner
of the warehouse street to see if there’s any action then, once we’re sure it’s safe we sneak round the side of the building and knock on the door. Carl’s face looms up at the window. Inside he’s set up a really cozy space with backpacks, clean sacking and dry boxes. He hands us each a water bottle.
“What about Junius and Ida?” I ask, wetting my dry lips.
“No sign of them,” he says.
“Then we’ll talk when they come back,” I say settling onto one of the sacking nests. “Right now I need to crash.”
Chale’s still staring at me but I just can’t stop my head from sinking down onto my backpack and my eyelids from closing as I drift off into a deep sleep.
I don’t know how long I’ve been out when my eyes snap open to a room flooded with orangey red light. Sitting up, I look around. Sileas is fast asleep, his mouth open and Chale is spread eagled on his stomach. Carl’s snoring at the far side of the room but there’s no sign of Junius or Ida. My stomach clenches and twists with worry and I can’t get back to sleep. Gathering my jacket around me I climb over the bodies and tiptoe towards the door.
Outside I can’t believe what I’m seeing. The sky is painted over with streaks of red, yellow and gold as if a gigantic fire is blazing above us. I shield my eyes when the burning circle of the sun peeps out from beyond the buildings. Lynette told me about the beautiful sunrise over the desert near Vegas – but I’ve never seen it. Instinctively I lift my face up and bathe in its warmth. And to think that this miracle happens every day. I feel so good I forget about all the confusion and the danger. If only I could just be free to sit and watch this every morning.
All around me are the sounds and smells of life – even in this rundown old street. I can’t believe I’ve spent so much of my life locked away in an artificial place away from the sun and the moon and the fresh air. I’m just scanning the far end of the street when I sense someone behind me and a warm pair of hands covers my eyes.
“Can we have a replay of last night?” asks a familiar voice.
I whip round and break Chale’s grip. “We’re on a serious mission. There’s no time for playing around and besides...” I burst into a fit of giggles when I see his face. The eyeliner from last nights costume has run and he looks like a wild, hairy panda, “Have you seen yourself?”
“Very funny,” he says. “I’ll get right to the bathroom – wherever it is – I had to pee outside this morning.”
“Junius and Ida haven’t come back,” I say, ashamed I forgot even for a moment.
“Jeez,” says Chale, scratching at his hair. “Suppose they got lost or captured.”
“Anything’s possible here,” I say just praying for Junius to turn the corner. “I don’t know who to trust.”
“Except me,” says Chale, suddenly serious. “And don’t you forget it.”
I look at him for a long moment and then my heart leaps as I hear footsteps running along the street. It’s Ida and she’s alone.
“Wake the others up,” I tell Chale. “Tell them Ida’s back.”
Once Ida’s settled down and everyone’s paid a visit to the grungy little washroom which thankfully has cold running water, we all sit around our eyes trained on her, hoping that Junius is safe.
“Let’s all share our news,” I say. “Starting with Ida of course.”
Though Ida’s face is white, her cheeks streaked with mud and her eyes red from not sleeping she summons up the energy to tell her story. “Junius and I went the opposite direction to you guys. We headed away from the blue lights and soon we found ourselves in a sort of forested area – it was thick with palm trees and shrubs and so beautiful – birds singing and all kinds of real animals flitting through the trees. We carried on through for a while and suddenly it ended and we found ourselves standing by a huge garden that seemed to stretch in a circular shape around a group of small buildings. There were flowers and vegetables of all kinds and exotic plants I’ve never seen before. It was so quiet and peaceful – just like an island in the middle of the city. Anyway we were so excited about it all we forgot to take cover. Next thing we knew people started coming out of the buildings in the middle of the garden, but I’d never seen anyone like them before. They all looked like Carl.”
“You mean they were old people?” I ask, realizing that I was one of very few people who talked to Lynette about the past.
“Don’t get personal,” says Carl. “Just because I’ve got a few wrinkles doesn’t mean you can talk about me as if I’m not here.”
“Sorry Carl - I guess they were all older people,” she continues, wiping her red eyes. “They all had shovels and rakes and it looked like they might attack us. They just kept moving forward – really slowly. Anyway Junius held up his hand and told them we weren’t here to hurt them. We’d come from the country and got lost. It didn’t make a difference because they held up their shovels and kept on coming. That’s when Junius said run and we just took off as fast as we could through the other side of the forest. In our panic we were running away from the direction we’d come so we were getting further and further away. There were so many loose branches we kept wiping out but we just legged it until we burst out from the trees. Then Junius fell down really hard. He must’ve twisted his ankle or something because he was moaning and trying to get up from the ground. But before I could say anything he told me to run for cover. He was pointing at something. At first I didn’t know what but he said to go get help and just as I ran into the forest I saw a guy and a girl dressed entirely in red and black, wearing black knitted hats. They grabbed Junius by the arms, pressed a finger into the side of his neck and he blacked out. Then they dragged Junius away and I couldn’t do anything to stop them. I just got up and ran as fast as I could. At first I couldn’t find my way out and I had to make sure I didn’t run into those old people again. So I’m here to tell you guys we need to find him because I don’t know who they are and what they’ll do to him.”
When she finishes her whole body deflates and she’s sobbing hard. Sileas puts his arm round her for comfort.
“We’re going back there for him,” I say. “Are you all in?”
The others nod their heads. If we stick together there’s more chance we can help him. In the meantime I tell everyone the information Toby gave me about the ARP’S. “Edelia’s a recruiter. She moves between the outside and the compound recruiting suitable forevers to sell to these ARP’s on the outside who need their own personal supply of stem cells.”
“I think she also finds other people from the clubs to train as recruiters. That’s why she’s such a regular round here.” says Chale. “Last night I met a girl who told me if I wanted to earn extra money I should see someone named Edelia.”
“If Edelia supplies the feeders, who finds the customers?” I ask.
“That’s the missing piece of the puzzle,” says Sileas. “Someone has to scope out the demand and match the feeders with the client. It has to be someone that meets with Edelia and her crew.”
“Then what about all the blood we gave at the Medi Centre?” asks Ida.
It all becomes so clear to me I jump up, knocking my water bottle over. “It’s obvious. They get clients hooked first with a steady supply of reasonably priced Iduna cells then suddenly cut the supply. By then the client is hooked and so desperate they’ll pay anything to keep the stem cells coming. Remember Jimmy and his wife – he’d used up half his life savings to buy his own personal feeder. That’s the intention all along – to lead them along until they have to shell out the big money.”
“But why are there so many of us?” asks Chale. “I mean there’s only so many people here that can afford a feeder and once they’ve got one it’s permanent.”
“There are two possibilities,” I say, my body growing cold at the idea forming in my mind. “They could be reaching out to other parts of the country. We don’t know how far this operation is spreading so therefore the demand could be endless.”
“What’s the second?” asks Chale, his f
ace all drawn and worried.
“I think I know where you’re going with this,” says Sileas.
“Maybe forevers don’t last once they become feeders,” I say, thinking about Junius. “Then they’re just tossed out in the garbage when they’re all used up.”
There’s a heavy silence after that terrible image but Chale breaks the tension.
“We have to get Junius” he says, pushing away the table. “And what about Yul? Someone’s already sucking the life out of him. We saw him with that Barbie parasite last night.”
I have to stop and think for a moment. “Slow down,” I say. “We need to be one step ahead of them.”
“But we can’t let our friends down,” says Ida.
Chale nods his head. “I gotta help Yul. He’s like a brother to me.”
“If we just storm into that forest we might all be captured and what good would that be?” I say, trying to calm down the emotions.
“She’s right,” says Sileas. “We have to be smarter than them. It’s the only way to beat them.”
“OK nerds,” says Chale. “What’s the big plan?”
“I think we have to capture Edelia and put her out of business,” I say, aware that my heart is beating fast at the thought. “Then we can find out who those goons are that took Junius – that way we’ll have a real chance to get him back.”
“Great idea, but dangerous,” says Sileas.
“I’m up for it,” says Chale. “I bet Edelia would love a little holiday from all her business activities.”
“And I know just the person to talk to,” I say, thinking about Toby May. “We have to act fast so let’s get ready – we’re going to a carnival.”
The Forever Ones (The Iduna Project) Page 9
