What Tomorrow May Bring

by Tony Bertauski

  “Honestly, I don’t. I haven’t seen him since yesternight.”

  She narrows her eyes, clearly doubting my answer. “A security guard claims to have seen him with you and Ethan in the tunnels during the evacuation.”

  “No.” I lie. “There was some colleague of Ethan’s, but he went back to see if he could find his Cleave when he saw she wasn’t with us.” Ethan and I had discussed how we’d handle questions about Blake if asked.

  “I understand your desire to protect him, Kira, but given his father’s role in the Exiler attack on the city, we need to speak with him.” I stare into her bright green eyes and feel the same contempt I’ve felt from Blake lately. A good time to change the subject.

  “Mrs. Darcton, I am really sorry about your loss. It must be terrible for you. Can I ask you though—what did your Cleave mean about Blake’s dad being his real dad but that his mom wasn’t?” I ask. The statement kept me up all day.

  I watch Vienna’s face closely for clues on two fronts. First, to see how she reacts to my statement about her loss. Although it has been widely reported that Brad Darcton died from the gunshot wound he received, I know he was wearing body armor, and security ushered him out quickly. To this, she does genuinely look upset. Second, I’m curious about how much she knows about Blake. Her expression is contemplative as if she’s deciding how much she wants to share.

  “His parents used the Assisted Pregnancy process to get pregnant, just as all Therans do. A donor egg was used to insure he had Original blood,” she says.

  “Can I ask who his mother is?” She looks away and it’s apparent she’s not going to give me an answer, although she knows. After a moment, she turns to me again.

  “It’s likely Blake will come to you,” she says. “If so, I need you to persuade him to turn himself in.” I start to laugh but then cover it up with a fake cough.

  “I have a poor track record of convincing Blake of anything. If he comes to me, I’m happy to try—if you promise me that you will spare his life, no matter the circumstances. He’s not like his father. He must take after his mother.” I try to strike a nerve. She turns her chair around to look outside for quite some time before turning around to face me again.

  “I’ll agree to spare Blake’s life if you agree to stay on Thera and submit to the will of the Ten and Grand Council.” I think to myself that she means the “Three” and the “Less Grand Council” but don’t voice my snarky thoughts. The decision requires little thought. Blake lives if I do what she wants. No brainer. Every time I’ve rebelled, horrible things have happened. This time, I’ll happily comply to keep the people I care about alive.

  “Yes,” I say. “I’ll agree to those terms.”

  “Even if that means that you and Blake won’t have a ‘happily ever after?’” she asks.

  “Yes. I think I’m well past the fantasy of a happily ever after.”

  “I’ll count on you to keep your word. Aside from Blake, you have a lot of family now on Thera—Jared, your parents, and all those babies—who will benefit if you do.” She does threats as well as her husband, although I do sense she has more heart than he did, or she wouldn’t have agreed to spare Blake.

  I mask my disgust of her threats with a small smile. “Yes. My family is here now.”

  “How’s Ethan?”

  “Physically, he’s okay. He was grazed by a bullet, but we managed to get the bleeding stopped quickly. Emotionally, I expect he’s devastated. Seeing his father kill Blake’s to spare my life, and then, watching him be shot by an Exiler—it was terrible.” She nods in agreement.

  As much as I despised Brad Darcton, he did do what he did to save me, well, and surely to make a definitive statement to the Militant Exilers, too, but his actions did save my life. “Both your Cleave and your son saved my life. I’m grateful.” My gratitude will only go so far. She and the rest the SCI still need to pay for their actions.

  “Ethan cares for you deeply,” she says. “He would have sacrificed his own life for yours yesternight.”

  “I know.” I blush a little. Both Blake and Ethan did their part to save me with little thought for themselves. It blows me away, and I feel unworthy of either’s affections. I spent the entire day tending to Ethan’s wound, and then together we mourned the dead. It took three armed security guards to persuade me to leave and then bring me here.

  A knock on the door interrupts our conversation.

  “We have a situation,” the security forces commander says. He looks at me suspiciously, but Vienna encourages him to continue. “The plaza is filled with Second Chancers demanding answers about their ‘previous lives.’” My eyes go wide. Somehow, I don’t think the Second Chancers having newfound knowledge is by chance. Someone broke the cardinal rule. And unfortunately, I think I know how Blake spent his day—and it wasn’t sleeping. This will definitely test my deal with Vienna Darcton.

  All the mass Cleaveds have filled the plaza and don’t seem to be dissuaded by the security forces pointing guns at them. Those girls are carrying my babies so the situation’s making me pretty nervous given the massacre I saw yesternight. All the questions you’d expect are being shouted from the crowd:

  “Why can’t I remember anything before February?”

  “How did I get here?”

  “Is it true that I died?”

  “Was my name the same?”

  “Where’s my family? Who are my parents?”

  “What happened to my memories?”

  “Where did I live before and what was it like?”

  “If I got blown to bits how’d my body get put back together?”

  Vienna Darcton turns to me. “You’re lucky we made that deal about Blake before this.” I nod. There’s no use trying to convince her that this isn’t Blake’s handiwork.

  “How can I help?”

  “We have a strict protocol on how to deal with these situations,” she states. “Watch and learn. And never contradict.”

  Vienna steps forward and signals the security commander to blow a loud whistle which stifles the masses. Although her demeanor had been stiff and businesslike with me, it softens as she addresses the crowd. She smiles and disarms them with her warmth. I’m surprised to see that she’s capable of showing emotion.

  “Greetings, Garden City residents. Thank you for bringing us your concerns tonight, although, I assure you, they are unfounded. Regardless, we invite each couple to meet with Council members and staff to have your worries addressed personally.” As she says this, a large group of what appears to be remaining Council members and doctor staff pair off and approach each couple, walking them off towards the psychiatric clinic where Ethan, Jared, and I had been imprisoned. All the couples cooperate except Bri and Tristan who refuse to leave without talking to me.

  Bri looks like she has been crying, her face a mess of mascara and eyeliner. She grabs my arm and says, “Kira, we need to talk to you. You need to tell us whether what Blake told us is true. Did we go to high school with you on a place called Earth? Did we die in an explosion?” I can sense the doubt in her voice as she says it out loud. The story, albeit true, sounds preposterous. It’s obvious who Blake targeted to incite the crowd. I’m sure he was more than happy to dump a whole load of guilt on them.

  Vienna pats Bri on the shoulder in an effort to comfort her. “Kira and I will personally answer your questions. Just follow us.” Then, she whispers in my ear. “Lie. They’ll have the hardest time letting go of the truth since they were given details.”

  Vienna leads us to a small room in the clinic with a table and chairs. She directs us to sit. A mirrored wall leads me to believe we’re being watched. Despite a member of the Ten being there, Tristan and Bri unload everything Blake told them. My friendship with Bri and relationship with Tristan. Tristan and Bri’s affair. The Goodington party. The explosion. It’s all a sordid tale of betrayal and just desserts.

  “Wow,” I say when they’re done. “That’s quite the story. But it’s not true. I’m sorry. Blake w
as just messing with you. It’s clearly revenge for you giving me that Theranberry juice, Tristan. He unleashed his rather overactive imagination on you.” I’ve had plenty of practice masking my emotions, so it’s unlikely my face will reveal it’s a lie.

  “Are you sure?” Bri asks. “I really felt like it was true and, as much as I try, I can’t remember anything that happened before I came here. No one can.”

  “We’ve brought in a doctor who may be able to help,” Vienna tells them. “She specializes in helping people with their memories. She uses a combination of medications and mental exercises. Would you like to give it a try? The process takes a couple nights, but it is well worth it.”

  “Will the medicine hurt the baby?” Bri asks, rubbing the not-yet-existent bump on her belly. Tristan squeezes her in tightly as if that will protect her from whatever Vienna Darcton has planned.

  “Not at all.” She takes Bri’s hand in hers. “We’d never do anything to harm your baby. That life you are carrying inside you is precious.” Bri and Tristan both relax.

  “Well then, yes,” Bri responds. “We’d like to meet with the doctor.”

  “We will send her right in.” Vienna stands up.

  “Could we have a moment with Kira?” Bri asks. Vienna nods and then leaves. She’ll be watching. “I just wanted to ask you again without her in the room. Are you positive there’s no truth to what Blake said? If so, what we did would be unforgivable.”

  “Positive. And, even if it were true which it isn’t, it would be forgivable. I’d forgive you.” A little risky, but I needed to say it. I needed them to know that I’m over it, and I forgive them.

  “I didn’t sleep a wink thinking I betrayed you like that,” Bri says. “Is everything okay with you and Blake?”

  “I’m sorry you lost sleep over it and am really sorry Blake did that to you,” I say, avoiding a discussion about my failed relationship with Blake.

  “He took us into some creepy tunnel behind our house. Why would there be a hidden passageway into our pantry?”

  “They are probably delivery tunnels. I wouldn’t worry about it,” I respond.

  “Do you trust that woman?” Tristan asks of Vienna Darcton. “Will the doctor really help with our memories?”

  “Yes to both.” I put my hand on Bri’s arm for effect. Vienna Darcton will absolutely send in a memories expert—to erase their memories of Blake’s indiscretion. “I’m going to go and see if I can find Blake. He has got some answering to do for this.” We say our farewells, and a kind-faced lady in a white coat passes me as I leave.

  A security guard opens an adjacent door for me to join Vienna. I watch through a one-way mirror as the doctor gives Tristan and Bri some medication and then hypnotizes them. It only takes about an hour, but, apparently, she’ll repeat the process every six hours for two nights. Vienna explained that most people only need two to three treatments, but, given the specific details Blake unleashed on them, they’ll need more extensive therapy.

  “You should understand that the alternative isn’t possible,” Vienna says to me. “Second Chancers come here happy. Introducing a troubled past creates guilt, worry, comparisons, and trauma that they can’t handle. They can never go back to Earth. And in most cases, they wouldn’t want to. But they might think want to, and that can only cause pain.”

  “Indeed.” I agree with her. My recent memories of Earth are all about pain.

  For some strange reason, Vienna Darcton invites Ethan and me to sit through the last hour of the City Heads’ meeting to hear a portion of the overall recommendations they’ll be giving to Earth’s delegates tomorrow night.

  A rotund man with a bad comb over proceeds to read the minutes from the meeting, and within moments, I’m nodding off.

  “I know that voice,” I say to Ethan. “That’s the dude from the training videos. If they want anyone here to retain any information, they should really let someone else read. He gives new meaning to the word monotone.” Ethan nods his agreement.

  “I guess I’ll have to entertain you then. Or you can use me as a pillow. Up to you.” I snuggle up next to him and put my head on his shoulder, taking care to avoid his bandaged arm.

  “I’m exhausted. Your mom kept me up half the day watching the experts extract the unpleasant memories Blake provided to the Second Chancers,” I say. “They were all pretty messed up over it.”

  “Have you heard from Blake?”

  “Nope. Who knows if he’s even still in the city. He has to know he painted a giant target on his head by inciting the Second Chancers to riot.”

  “He wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye to you,” Ethan says. “Or taking you with him.” His voice trails off, and I can tell he thinks it’s a distinct possibility that I’ll be heading off into the desert with Blake any time now.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I say, looking directly into his eyes to show how serious I am. “Leaving would be counterproductive to the health and happiness of my friends and family.” Plus, I doubt Blake will even try to come rescue me and whisk me off with him. If he did, I’d have to decline for the safety of my family, and that would make the break from him harder.

  “What about your happiness?” What about it? I once thought I was happy with Tristan, but that was a joke. My best friend wasn’t a true friend to me. Blake chose his father’s fight over the hope of a happy life with me. And the fun I had vacationing with Ethan at home ended with my parents’ deaths. Since back, I’ve been angry, confused, and torn between Blake and Ethan…anything but happy.

  “I’m good,” I lie. I bargained away my happiness to save Blake’s life and keep my family safe here on Thera. That’s good, right? “How are you, though? With your dad and everything?”

  “I could be better.” He takes my hand, squeezing it tight, and then intertwines his fingers with mine. We sit silently for a couple minutes, each of us needing the other’s company but not knowing what it should or can mean under the circumstances.

  “You know how much I care about you, right?” He shifts his body weight to look at me with an expression that could melt the hardest of hearts. We still haven’t had “the discussion” about his feelings for me and whether I return them. It didn’t seem appropriate after the scene at Headquarters, and I don’t think I’m ready for it.

  “Yeah. I care about you too.” Even though he loves me, I’m glad he didn’t put me in the awkward position of having to return the sentiment. My feelings for Blake and my generally tentative feelings about the whole love thing after two strikeouts in a row would have made it difficult.

  We’re both shocked to attention. One of the remaining Ten is demanding Blake be located and executed for his role in the Exiler’s attack and for creating unrest with the Second Chancers. Blake’s father had killed the man’s Cleave. She was a member of the Grand Council.

  “That is not possible,” Vienna Darcton says. “The boy will not be harmed.”

  “You are hardly unbiased in the matter,” the man accuses. “Blake Sundry’s father shot my Cleave.”

  “And his men shot mine,” Vienna retorts. “But we’re not going to punish the boy for his father’s actions.”

  “We can punish him for what he told the Second Chancers. The Canon is clear that discussing the past is cause for immediate Exile.”

  “Mr. Stockly, I’m the senior member of the Ten here and must ask you to stand down. You are well aware of the circumstances of Mr. Sundry’s pardon. In fact, if you haven’t noticed, we have two guests in attendance tonight—my son, Ethan and Ms. Kira Donovan.”

  “Ah, the well-behaved and obedient son,” Mr. Stockly says. “Welcome to both of you.” He motions towards us. While we’d been able to disappear into the room’s corner prior to the introduction, every eye is on us now, and I feel incredibly awkward. I straighten up but keep hold of Ethan’s hand. Who cares what they think. Mr. Stockly scoffs at us. “I guess their display is meant to cement Ethan as the choice for Kira’s Cleave?”

  “Kira and
Ethan are close friends who, as you know, were present at the unfortunate circumstances that transpired in this building with the Exilers. They and I are not trying to imply anything.” Did she just defend us in front of the remaining Ten and Council?

  “Ms. Donovan.” Mr. Stockly speaks to me. “You are aware of your role as the new mother of Thera? And that the role of father is still up for grabs?” I stand to address him.

  “Yes. Though, let’s be clear. There are two ‘fathers of Thera’ regardless of whether you choose to acknowledge them both. Ethan and Blake must be equally qualified, or, I assume, you wouldn’t have used them to fertilize my eggs before implanting our babies in my friends.” I can see Vienna hide a smile at my bluntness.

  “Yes, all your offspring will be important to the future of Thera assuming they are healthy,” Mr. Stockly responds. “However, you will be required to Cleave one of Ms. Darcton’s sons and together be the face of our future. Do you have an opinion?” I see Vienna shoot Mr. Stockly a deathly glare. What does he mean by one of her sons? I thought the only candidates were Blake and Ethan? I know Ethan has no sisters, but for some reason, I never asked him about brothers. Of course, I do have an opinion, but I’ll hardly share it in an open forum. My only option for staying alive is to pretend to go along with their plans for me and bide my time until I can figure a way out.

  “As I have told Ms. Darcton, I will submit to the will of the Ten and the Council on this matter. I wasn’t aware of any other sons, though. Are there more fathers of my children running around Garden City? On Earth that kind of thing would really be frowned upon.” I look to Ethan who appears as confused as I am.

  “She hasn’t told you?” Mr. Stockly says. Told me what? I shake my head. Vienna stands up and starts to cross the room, shaking her head and wagging her finger. She looks like she wants to hurt him. “Both Blake and Ethan are Ms. Darcton’s biological children. After Ethan was born with difficulties, more children were created to ensure a healthy line of Original offspring. Why do you think Ms. Darcton agreed to spare Blake’s life without consulting with the rest of the Ten and the Council?”