*
Moving along the breakfast queue Jocasta scanned the now familiar faces of her companions nodding and smiling as she acknowledged those she regarded as friends. But it wasn’t Nikki or Ed or even Felipe that she wanted to see, but her best mate David.
‘Felipe,’ she whispered as loudly as she dared, although she wasn’t sure why she felt it necessary to keep her voice down, especially as she suspected that at least one person could read her thoughts. ‘Where’s David?’
‘Oh, he’ll be along soon,’ Felipe replied nonchalantly. ‘Said something about needing to send an important line.’ Turning to help himself to one of the strange square shaped apples, he added, ‘Still can’t get used to the shape of these things. He said to tell you he’s made contact with your friend Will and if he can’t catch up with you before lessons you’re to try and meet him at the sixth… Or was it-’ he paused, and scratched his chin. ‘Was it the seventh? Centre vision point at 1300 hours.’
‘Well which one was it?’ Jocasta hissed trying to make her voice sound calm but realising that she sounded very much like her mother on a bad day. Felipe didn’t seem to mind or even notice.
‘Well, it must be the seventh because he remembered that level six visually attracts all the upper echelons of telepaths and for some reason he didn’t think you’d want them near you.’
Jocasta was beginning to wonder if Felipe realised just how much like an informant or secret agent he was sounding. ‘Did he indeed?’ Jocasta allowed herself a smile. Perhaps David knew more than he had been letting on. But there was no sign of him before the buzzer went for the end of first quarter, so Jocasta paired up with Ed to head along for their first lesson of the day.
‘Let’s hope Officer Moran is on top form today and we get to practise in the assimilator.’
‘Ooh, did I hear the word assimilator?’ Tara bounced up behind them. ‘Running wild and free with the assimilator, don’t you mean?’ She grinned mischievously and nudged in between Ed and Jocasta as they continued down the hall. ‘Ooh-er,’ she said, taking a step back from Ed as if suddenly realising that he had bubonic plague. ‘’Scuse me, Major Weisz! May I shine your shoes for you, sir?’
‘Course you can, mother pixie, cause you’re close enough to the floor anyway.’
‘Ooh, Eddie, no need to be so cruel!’
‘Come on you two, don’t start another bickering session,’ said Jocasta, linking arms with each of them and frogmarching them to the next lesson.
They were all enjoying themselves so much in ‘The Assimilatorium’, as they nicknamed it, that Jocasta forgot for a while her fears of being mind mapped and the vexing question of Will’s line.
It wasn’t until the next lesson with Officer Purcell that she remembered her rendezvous with David and then the last Sol hour dragged by interminably as she tried to concentrate on the scientific formulae that they were told they needed to memorise for the following day’s test. Every Martian minute seemed to drag until at last Jocasta was pacing along the corridors until she reached the seventh level. (She had taken a dislike to lifts.)
Luckily David was already there and quickly drew her to a quiet corner where they couldn’t be overheard. ‘He’s here on Mars,’ he blurted out, his eyes darting from side to side making sure no-one was trying to intrude on their privacy.
‘You mean, Will? How? When?’ Jocasta stumbled over her words in her excitement and inability to fathom out how he could be on Mars.
‘Well I’m not sure how, but apparently he’s been here almost as long as we have, and he’s up to something. I haven’t got any details but he said we’ve to try and meet him this Solday as that’s the first opportunity we’ll have to get to wherever he wants to take us.’
‘David – you’re not making much sense. Where have we got to meet him and where is he going to take us?’
‘Well, it doesn’t make much sense, that’s the problem, we’ve got to wait for his instructions.’
‘Sounds like he’s issuing orders like an Elite officer.’
‘Yes, but you know Will. Full of surprises? He always has some harebrained scheme up his sleeve. To get to Mars like this – he must have been planning it for ages.’
‘Ever since he knew–’
‘We’d been picked!’ David finished Jocasta’s thought, their smiles reflecting the way they felt at that moment. Remembering Will and all his escapades and how they’d had such fun.
‘But, Casta,’ David’s face became serious once more. ‘You do realise this is probably some trip the Elite won’t approve of, do you want to risk it?’
‘Right now, after boring equations and speculation I’m more than happy for a little light relief.’ Her eyes met David’s. ‘But knowing Will it could be more than that. Hey yes, Will’s always been one of our best mates and it‘ll be great to see him again, whatever he’s planned, but let’s just hear it first before we jump to any conclusions.’
‘Okay, if you’re in, then so am I. I’ll find a way to try and contact you without anyone knowing what we’re up to.’
She was just going to explain about the voices in her head and that contacting her without being caught might be a bit more tricky than before when the alarm siren sounded directly above their heads. Luckily it was just a routine test but they anxiously went their separate ways back to their own Elite classes, each contemplating what Will might have dreamt up for them.
Jocasta had to admit to herself that this was getting more and more like espionage as the day went on. Perhaps it was time for David and Felipe to start the first ever Martian secret agency group.
*
It was only three days ’til their Solday but the time dragged on endlessly for Jocasta. She was both anxious and excited about seeing Will again. She couldn’t help speculating on what he was up to and how he expected them to be involved. She could sense the excitement rising from the bottom of her stomach like a quivering jelly wobbling up and down when she remembered the fun they’d all had together at Woodbridge.
After each lesson, she hoped that David would try to make contact and Tara was beginning to get suspicious of the number of times she checked her communicator.
‘Who’s sending you messages, then?’ she quizzed, but luckily Jocasta was able to reply honestly ‘No-one,’ because David had not been in contact at all.
They’d passed each other a few times on the way to their different assignments but had carefully avoided speaking to each other at length; just a quick ‘Hello!’ was all the communication they’d had.
Rather to her disappointment, Ed had become a little preoccupied with Antigone, who appeared at his side, as if my magic, every time that Jocasta tried to have a conversation with him. Though Jocasta and Tara sat together for the Astrometric lesson and had great fun trying to send asteroids into black holes; the time in the Sensorium filled her with a deep sense of dread. This was partly due to the fact that she was increasingly intimidated by Ed and Antigone’s apparent ‘thought swapping’, and also her encounter that night with the menacing voice in her head. She had no desire to let anyone else occupy her mind. She had failed to make a connection with the Perceptor; and suspected that her abilities – assuming she had any – were being blocked by her fear.
Lt. W Commander Wren had chastised her on several occasions for not trying hard enough, and so Jocasta purposely dragged behind after one class to ask her if they were going to be taught how to defend their minds.
‘Blocking procedures are an elemental skill that we all need to practice.’ The answer came back with a sensitivity that Jocasta had not been expecting. ‘But undeniably the first and most important lesson is to learn to trust each other within the safe confines of the classroom, and then develop the finer threads of expanding minds. You must first learn to open your mind, as it is only then that you can achieve your full potential. But you cannot free your ability if you are subconsciously blocking all external thoughts.’
Jocasta felt a little perplexed by this reply as she
didn’t quite understand Lt. Wing Commander Wren’s notion of threads and stretching minds but she seemed to be genuinely trying to reassure her and for that, Jocasta was grateful. She left the classroom a little more centred than she’d originally felt.
Ed was waiting for her outside in the corridor.
‘What was that about?’ he asked, peering at the closed door as though it was going to reveal the answer.
‘Oh, just my paranoia about having my mind taken over.’ She tried to make light of her qualms. ‘Apparently, we’ll be learning blocking techniques at some point in the future. After,’ she added in a whisper, ‘we’ve all learnt to trust each other.’
‘Oh yeah well that’s likely when we’ve got the likes of Cally and Mads in our group.’
‘Oh come on,’ said Jocasta, surprising herself with her newfound generosity. ‘They’re not that bad.’
Their conversation was brought to an abrupt halt by the sight of Ed’s father glaring down at them from one of the side screens and transmitting a message for everyone to hear.
‘Cadets Jackson and Weisz you are late for my lesson, no excuse will suffice and the longer you take the more severe your punishment.’
After rushing along the corridor, fearing the worst, their punishment turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Ed and Jocasta were ordered to take the Catt filters to the decontamination room on the fifth level.
As they struggled along, one on each side of the bulky filter holder, complaining as loudly as they dared that a robot would have been more efficient, a familiar voice broke into Jocasta’s thoughts – or was it only in her mind? But it did sound very clear and not like the disturbing sensation she’d experienced before.
‘Jocasta! Are you deaf? Do I need to forcibly remove those things from you or are you just being rude and independent as usual?’
If she hadn’t already received a comline from him she probably would not have believed that Will could be standing a little way down the corridor, looking much the same as normal and rather out of place in the Elite building.
‘Will?’ she said stupidly, blinking as if he could be a mirage. ‘Is that you?’
‘Course it’s me,’ he replied, taking some of the weight of the filter holder, as if he did that sort of thing everyday. ‘Where’s this going?’
‘Just to the end of the corridor,’ Ed answered. ‘And we’d better not be long; we don’t want to be late twice in one day.’
‘I’m heading that way too,’ said Will conversa-tionally. ‘Just checking out some of my father’s equipment.’
Jocasta distractedly introduced them to each other, wondering if Will really was checking up on things for his father. She didn’t want to get into any further trouble with Major Weisz so resisted the temptation to question him more closely. And as they deposited the Catt filters in the contamination area he disappeared into an adjacent room with a friendly wink.
Luckily they were in too much of a hurry to get back to their lesson for Ed to quiz her about Will’s appearance in the Elite city.
Chapter Fourteen
There was an eerie light in the morning sky as Jocasta peered through the sky light, and out through the domed roof of Mackenzie city. The pinky, blue haze that normally filled the horizon at this time of the morning was obscured by what appeared to be dark clouds but was probably the start of a dust storm.
She felt a twinge of excitement as she hurried along the corridors to their arranged meeting place. After her encounter with Will two days ago com messages had been flying backwards and forwards between her, Will and David: arranging where to meet. Will had been very insistent that they remember to bring his ‘gifts’ along too.
As Jocasta unwrapped the strange grey lump of plastic and turned it over in her hand, she still couldn’t fathom a use for it, but perhaps all would be revealed later that day. She tucked it into her small knapsack along with a few snacks that she’d acquired from the food station and not for the first time, wondered if it had been wise to agree to this meeting with Will. Her other concern was Ed. After they had bumped into Will in the corridor, he’d kept on at her to find out who Will was, and how he’d managed to secure a passage to Mars.
Although she knew that Ed’s relationship with both his parents was fraught with problems; they were both high-ranking Elite officers and so she didn’t want to give away the little information she had about Will’s arrival on the red planet. She’d managed to explain that Will’s father owned one of the largest companies on Mars and had intended to leave it at that; unfortunately, she’d let slip that she and David were meeting up with Will on their free Solday and Ed had made it obvious that he would like to tag along.
‘I don’t see what harm it could do,’ he’d implored her. ‘Will seems a decent enough guy, and,’ he continued, ‘I suspect I might come in useful, if what you’ve told me is true, Will likes an adventure and I know this city better than most.’
It was true. Ed had practically been brought up on Mars and had spent a great deal of his early childhood exploring the walkways with his robot companion, but Jocasta was loath to invite him along without Will’s say so. She suspected that Ed, however, would be waiting for her, as she had to pass through the check in point to gain access to the orange zone where she and David had arranged their meeting place with Will.
‘Hi Ed,’ she tried to make her voice light and carefree as she spotted him leaning against the panel. ‘Move yourself so I can sign out for my day off.’
‘Not unless you tell me where you’re going,’ he replied in an edgy voice, which almost sounded menacing. ‘I’m sure Commander Wren might be interested in your little escapade.’
‘Ed! You wouldn’t…’ Jocasta startled tones drew the attention of some nearby older cadets.
‘No, of course not,’ he spoke his soothing response in an undertone. ‘I’m just a bit jealous, I suppose. You’re going off to have some fun, and I’ll be left here all alone.’ He leaned forward, beseechingly, one corner of his mouth curved upwards in a kind of rueful smile.
‘Well…’ Jocasta began to relent a little. ‘You can come with me to the arranged meeting place but it’s really up to Will whether he lets you accompany us after that. Do you understand?’ She looked directly into his purple eyes trying to convey her seriousness. ‘Is it a deal?’
‘Deal.’ Ed replied empathically as they both did the customary sign of the two-finger salute in mid air and then quickly checked out at the orange point and made their way towards the co-ordinates Will had given Jocasta.
Watching them go, Antigone tucked a long strand of auburn hair behind her ear, and disappeared back along the panelled corridor.
‘Orange zone,’ Ed mused. ‘A strange place for a rendezvous.’
‘Why?’
‘Well this used to be the experimental area where they first tried to cultivate plants. However, a contamination leak meant it had to be abandoned and moved to gold zone. It’s only use now that I know of is as a holding area for ground machines.’
‘Well that’s what Will likes, machines and gadgets. I expect he’s got some new toy to show off to us.’
Jocasta stopped suddenly as they passed through the final door barrier.
There before them, in row after eerie row, were hundreds of strange machines. Big ones that almost touched the roof and smaller ones that shone brightly, even in the dim light.
Moreover, they all seemed to be incredibly diverse, although as they were each at different stages of construction it was hard to tell exactly what they were for; or could it be that they were being dismantled? It was hard to tell.
‘Fascinating,’ the voice rang out from the other side of a huge, rusty tractor style buggy. ‘I’m sure this must be prototype XZ, one of the first Martian zogs ever built here.’ David could not contain his excitement and started to climb into the cab.
‘Oh, no you don’t.’ A hand appeared from nowhere and grabbed his ankle pulling it away from the vehicle; a look of shock and fear surfaced on David
’s face as he fell. Luckily, the fall was softened by landing on the person who had caused his loss of balance. A heap of thrashing arms and legs gradually untangled themselves amidst a few chuckles and choice expletives.
With relief Jocasta realised that the cause of the problem was non other than Will.
‘You stupid ass,’ she scolded as she pulled him to his feet. ‘You could have both been hurt. Are you ok, David?’ She turned to her other friend.
‘Well I will be, if someone can find my glasses they seem to have got knocked off by some overgrown chimp.’
‘Yeah, but you can see ok without them, mister monkey brain,’ retorted Will with a laugh. ‘So open your eyes and look for them yourself.’
‘Just trying to be polite,’ hissed David, screwing his eyes up ever tighter. ‘Ladies present.’
‘I see no ladies, only Casta and a strange companion…’ Will seemed to have only just registered that Ed had been standing by watching everything with a bewildered smile on his face.
‘And I don’t think,’ he paused momentarily for effect, ‘that he’s too pleased at being called a lay-dee.’
‘Well, if it’s only Jocasta,’ David began to say, ‘and as she knows all about my special sight perhaps she won’t mind after all.’
‘Oh yes I do,’ she quickly spun around and picking David’s glasses up placed them rather awkwardly on his nose so that they hung down in lopsided fashion, at an obtuse angle. ‘You’re not going to see my bones, guts, innards, or anything else unless it’s an emergency; and I don’t want one of those today. Although from past experience and judging by Will’s mood, perhaps I’m a little too optimistic about that.’
‘Well, you’ve already complicated matters by bring along a lady friend! According to David, anyway.’ Will nodded in Ed’s direction. ‘I don’t recall agreeing to extras.’
‘He’s not an extra,’ Jocasta retorted. ‘His name’s Ed, remember you met him just a couple of days ago!’ She carried on before anyone could interrupt. ‘And I don’t remember any instruction from you, not to bring anyone else along!’
Deborah Hockney Page 11
