I don’t know how to do this—any of this. Live away from all I’ve been brought up with. I thought I was so brave before. I was such a fool. I’m ignorant, and it makes me vulnerable. Susceptible to all the horrible things in this world I’ve never even imagined. I only need to walk by the mirror to prove my point.
This hormone thing—if what Traeton says is true, what role does the suppression play? Why were the hormones suppressed? Maybe because they make humans crazy?
I sure feel crazy right now.
Traeton grumbles, and the light flickers back on. I roll over to my side to meet his surveying eyes.
“Couldn’t sleep, either, huh?” he asks.
“I guess not.”
“The first time I slept, without the exhaustion consuming me, it was the strangest sensation,” his eyes take on a distant quality as he continues, “I found myself dreaming and it took some time to realize none of it was real. Such a strange concept, really. To view something in your head so vividly—every one of your senses are activated—yet, it’s just a fabrication.”
I stare at him, perplexed. Is that what was happening to me earlier?
“You’ll have them too. Dreams. Sometimes they’re peaceful, even wonderful. Other times, not so much.”
“What causes them?” I ask.
“The best explanation I’ve stumbled upon is we’re processing the day’s events. Our subconscious is working out a solution to whatever happened,” he says.
“My brother Baxten would find a way to somehow make them seem like I’m at fault,” I say.
“Isn’t that what brothers are for?” Traeton’s cheek twitches and his lips upturn. His face is bright, light, and his dimples shine triumphantly.
“I suppose.” I frown. “Do you have siblings?”
“Actually, I do,” his smile fades, “My sister woulda been close to your age.”
“Would have been?”
“I, uh ... it’s really …,” he says, rolling to his back and sighing, “complicated.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s okay. I shouldn’t—it’s not bad to ask questions,” he props himself up on his elbow, “Life was hard for us in the Helix. Ava was an amazing person. But she suffered. Every day. Ours wasn’t an ordinary life. We had constant Medic visits checking on her improvement. They wanted to test if she was still a value to society, I guess to find out if their treatments were working.”
“I’m—I don’t think I’m following,” I sit up and watch him intently.
He wets his lower lip and continues, “When someone in your life has a mental disorder, like Ava did, there’s sorta this undercurrent of fear running through you. She was probably the most intelligent person I’ve ever known, but she was unstable. I guess they figured that out too. Sometimes she’d see things that weren’t there and predict the future. Sometimes she had voices in her head not connected to the eLink. Other times she would just go into a deep depression. Which, as you know, is unheard of. Wasn’t much they could do for her.”
My eyes widen.
She could hear voices in her head.
“What happened to her?” I lean forward.
“Labots broke into our Living Quarters and took her.”
“Oh, Traeton, I’m so sorry.” My guilty conscience for attacking him gnaws at my insides.
He shrugs, “When it happened, my father ordered me to take my mother and my middle sister, Cecilina, out of the Helix. He told us to go to the woods, and he’d meet us,” he pauses, looking away, “I never saw him again.”
His eyes fill with such sorrow. I wish I could comfort him somehow.
“Labots. Kani thought I was working with them. What are they?” I ask.
“The Helix’s version of civil order. On Earth they’d be the law enforcers. Only why are there law enforcers for a perfect society?”
“Why don’t I know about them?”
“Unless you had some reason to, they don’t want you aware of them. Be glad you’ve never encountered one. They’re not nice.”
“What do they look like? How would I know if I met one?” I ask.
“You’d know,” his eyes go distant, “They’re faceless.”
“What?”
“I don’t know how or why. But when you look at them, they’re completely blank. Like all their features were wiped clean. Maybe they never actually had faces. Hell, maybe they’re not even human.”
“How is that possible?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“I can’t imagine what that was like for you,” I look deep into his somber eyes, “What became of your mother and your younger sister? Why aren’t they here with you?”
“They’re fine—together. Fenton and I came out here to the Haven a few years ago,” he says.
“Are you glad you left the Helix? Knowing all you know now?”
“I suppose. Life wouldn’t be the same inside, after Ava. Honestly, I’m surprised they allowed her to stay with us for as long as they did. If I were them, wanting to hide any evidence of mental illnesses, I woulda taken her away much younger. Before she had any impact on others.”
“Seems harsh,” I say, surprised.
“Not harsh. Just—easier. At least, considering the outcome.”
The silence that falls between us is deafening.
“I wish I could change it. The past, I mean. Things shouldn’t be so complicated,” I offer.
“And yet, sometimes they are. Even in its most simplistic form, life is utterly complex,” his eyes dart to the floor, “You do need to rest, Runa. You’ve had a crazy few days. You need to heal.”
“Okay, I’ll try again,”
“Good night, Runa.”
“Thanks for—talking with me, Traeton,” I smile, wishing we could talk more.
His dark eyes burn into mine for a moment as he searches my face, “Call me Trae.”
“Okay, Trae,” I smile.
Trae grins sort of a lopsided grin in return, “Not the best of circumstances … how we met. But I’m really glad we have.”
“So am I.”
He holds my gaze for a moment, then extinguishes the light once more.
I roll over, feeling the inklings of something I’ve never felt in my whole life.
Wanted.
10
Runa
“RUNA—RUNA, WAKE UP!”
Traeton hovers over me, distress written clear across his face. His hands are strong on my shoulders as he shakes me. I blink hard a couple of times, trying to make sense of what’s happening as dust flies everywhere, peppering my face, and making me cough.
The last thing I remember is being happy. Did I fall asleep?
“Whats going on?” I ask, shielding my eyes.
“We’re not sure, but we need to get outside.” Trae says, pulling me to a stand. “It’s not safe here. Get dressed. You’re boots are beside the end of your bed.”
He shoves my NanoTech jacket into my hands and puts his own jacket on.
“Nuthin’ on tha mainframe. Tha Lateral’s no’ reportin’ anythin’ either. Doesn’t appear ta be seismic, though. Which way ya wanna go?” Fenton calls from the doorway.
I struggle to put my jacket on as Trae scavenges his space, picking up things and shoving them into his pockets or slots on his trousers. “Okay, that tells me it’s localized. Were you able to isolate where this is coming from?” Trae asks.
“Nah, nuthin’ conclusive.” Fenton shakes his head.
“This might be our only chance. If the Lateral’s not experiencing it yet, we need to be their eyes and ears.” Trae says as he continues to outfit himself.
“Bu’ if summin’s attacking from tha outside—tha’ pretty much blows. We’d be face’n whatever’s causing tha mayhem in tha firs’ place. I kinda don’t like them odds. Do you?”
“Not really, but we don’t have a choice.”
“Attacking?” My eyes widen as I look between their faces. “Who’s attacking?”
“We dunno, Runa.” Fenton says, shooting me a look of condolence. “Trae, wha’ if we head on over to tha Lateral? Migh’ be tha safest bet.”
Trae stops for a moment, considering. “You’re right. You should take Kani and Runa— but I gotta get topside. You know that.”
Fenton nods. “Yeah, okay.”
“No. I’m going with you, Trae.” The words escape my mouth before I’ve had time to process. I’m not sure what we’ll find, but something tells me I need to stay by him.
“Runa, you’re hurt already. Fenton’s right, you should go to the Lateral. They have safeguards for cave-ins we don’t have here.”
I jut my chin out and stand firm. “I don’t care. What if I caused this?”
“Oh fer heaven’s ta pete.” Fenton sighs. “Why would ya be tha one causin’ this?”
I bite my lip. I hadn’t really given much weight to the strange voice’s warnings until now, but I’m beginning to think I should pay attention.
“Kani seemed to think the Helix could be looking for me.” I offer.
There. We’ll just ignore the fact I’ve had a voice unrelated to the eLink telling me I’m being hunted. They’d think I was crazy if I told them. Especially after what Trae said about his sister.
“Yeah, bu’ even if tha’ were tha case… ” Fenton begins.
I cross my arms and frown. The cavern shakes again, sprinkling dust and rock from above us.
“We don’t have time to argue this.” Trae says.
Fenton exhales, deflated. “Fine, fine. We’ll all go. Trae, ya better ’ave Jane with, tha’s all I gotta say.”
“Jane?” I ask, grabbing my boots from the edge of the bed. My body moves more easily than I expect and glance between the two men to see if they notice. When neither of them seem to register, I slip my feet inside my NanoTech boots. They autoconstrict to my measurements and I stand up, ready to go.
“That’s what Fenton calls the sonic resonator.” Trae snickers, picking up a gadget from the table between us. As I walk closer to get a better look, the tiny device fitting inside the palm of his hand flips open, expanding to ten times its original size.
“I got her now.” Trae says to Fenton as he hooks a strap from one end of the device to the other, then throws it over his shoulder.
“It looks like a blaster.” I admit.
“It is,” he tips his head and grins, “of the sonic kind.”
“I knew it. The Helix found us.” Kani affirms, an air of panic in her voice. She places a sharp object into a holster on her hip and enters the room. Kani is already clad in outdoor gear from head to toe as she steps over chunks of rock. “Are they trying to flush us out? Or worse—bury us alive?”
“Either?” Fenton offers.
“Super.” Kani says.
“We’re going topside, Kani. You ready?” Trae asks.
“No, Trae. I wanna hang out here and meet an untimely death,” she says sarcastically.
A giant fracture rips open a fissure in the ceiling, dropping a cascading stream of rock and dust all around us. Kani screams, running out of the room and down the tunnel, with Fenton close on her heels.
“Come on—we need to get out of here.” Trae exclaims as he reaches out to pick me up.
Instead, I grab his hand. “No, I can run on my own.”
His eyes widen, “You were just attacked, Runa. There’s no possible— ”
“Yes I can. You’ll have to trust me for now.” I drop his hand and run in the direction of Kani and Fenton, leaving Trae standing in the middle of his room with his mouth gaping open.
My muscles surge with new strength as I make the twists and turns of the cavern tunnels a few meters behind the other two. After what feels like an eternity of stone walls, a crack of daybreak bursts into the tunnel. Kani and Fenton run straight outside just as another surge roars around us, making me shield my eyes from the debris.
“Come on, we need to follow them,” Trae grabs hold of the back of my jacket and pulls me into the searing white light.
As my eyes adjust, I spin around, searching for the source of attack, but there’s nothing except the trees and our low hanging sun.
“How’s this possible?” Kani exclaims, “There’s nothing out here.”
Fenton takes out a small ocular scanner and sweeps the horizon. “Nuthin’ on tha readouts. No heat signatures or anythin’.”
“I thought you said it wasn’t seismic.” Trae mutters, pulling out his own ocular scanner.
“Didn’t appear ta be.”
“Then how do you explain this?” Trae fires back.
In the distance, a voice bellows over the wind. The same two syllables repeat over and over.
“What is that?” Kani asks, her eyes wide.
With our feet frozen in place, we crane our necks to figure out what’s being said. Even with a cupped hand behind my ear, the sounds don’t make sense.
“It could be a warning, for all we know,” Trae suggests.
“Or a trap,” Kani laments.
Fenton taps a keypad on the top side of his glove, “I migh’ be able ta amplify tha sound. Give me a sec.”
All the possibilities jumble up in my mind. Who would be out here at the same time we’re experiencing such strange things inside the cavern? Could it be this Videus person? Or someone working with him trying to get ahold of me?
The amplified words erupt from a speaker engrained in Fenton’s glove. “Runa—Runa, can you hear me? Runa!” There’s an edge of panic in the young man’s voice.
Surprised to hear my brother Baxten’s voice, I take a step forward, searching the trees. A hand wraps around my forearm, pulling me back.
“You can’t go out there, Runa,” Trae shakes his head.
“It’s my brother. I have to— ”
“Kani’s right. This has to be a trap,” Trae states.
“How do you know?”
“Because, if the Helix is trying to locate you—it’s how I’d draw you out.”
I shake my head. “Why would Baxten go along with it? That’s not like him.”
“He may not have a choice,” Kani states.
My mind reels. The perception I had of the Helix has been so drastically altered since the day of my professional appointment. How could it be only a few short days ago?
I hold Trae’s gaze for a moment, then push past him, searching for Baxten one last time. I need to know he’s okay before I go.
“If you’re gonna search for him, keep low,” Trae latches onto my arm, making me lower my stance. He gestures to the others to get lower too. Then, I follow his outstretched pointer finger to a spot in the distance. Baxten’s body comes into view and I following his movement through the trees. He’s cradling his left arm and leaving what looks like a trail of blood behind.
“He’s hurt. We need to go out and get him— ”
Trae opens his mouth to speak, as a black creature slinks out from behind a tree, then wraps itself around Baxten’s feet.
“Help! Someone help me— ” Baxten screams as he thrashes about wildly.
I shake myself free of Trae and surge toward him. Even as I get closer, I can’t make out what the creature is at his feet.
“Runa— ” Trae takes hold of my wrist, pulling me up short.
I clutch at his fingers, trying to pry them loose. “Let go, Traeton. I need to get to my brother. He needs help.”
“And what if the creepy black thing comes after you?” Kani says in an urgent, hushed tone from a few yards back.
“Well, I can’t stand here and do nothing,” I spit back.
Suddenly, right before our eyes, electricity zaps back an forth, encircling Baxten and the creature in a great big ball.
“What the— ” I yell, struggling to get closer.
The electricity arcs get more fervent as Baxten struggles in vain.
Finally, I slip my wrist free from Trae’s grasp and run toward my brother. Just meters away, Baxten’s face lights up when he recognizes me. The blac
k serpent-like creature at his feet squeezes tighter, binding his legs to the point of utter immobility. I reach out for Baxten as his fingers extend outward to me.
“Runa— Help me,” he screeches in panic.
In the next moment, electricity arcs around the creature and fire materializes from the ground upward, consuming Baxten completely in the blaze. The intensity of the heat knocks me back with force. I shield my eyes with my arms, but the stench of burned flesh and hair floods my nostrils. Then, just as quickly as it arose, the fire dematerializes, along with everything else it had consumed. In the blink of an eye, all that’s left is the blackened, sizzling hole in the snow where my brother had just been standing.
“No— ” I scream, rushing forward, “No. He can’t be— ”
I drop to my knees, clawing at the scorched ground.
“C’mon, we can’t stay, Runa,” Trae says, placing a hand tentatively on my back, his eyes searching the trees.
“He can’t be …” Tears stream uncontrollably as I struggle to get away. “He can’t be.”
“Wha’ tha hell is goin’ on ou’ here? Firs’ Runa’s attacked, now this?” Fenton says, rushing toward us. “We need ta ge’ outta ’ere and ge’ some recon goin’ on.”
“I second that,” Kani states, grabbing Fenton by the hand tugging him backward. She also scans the area with wide eyes.
“I couldn’t agree more. C’mon, Runa. I know it’s hard, but there’s nothing you could’ve done for your brother,” Trae yanks me up to a stand, but all I can focus on is the lingering stench of burned flesh and the echoes of my Baxten calling out to me for help.
“He was looking for me …” I mutter, “This is all my fault.”
“This isn’t about you, Runa. This is something else. We need to figure out what,” Trae drags me backward, away from the scene of my brother’s demise.
The voice said they’d be after me—but this has all happened so quickly. I’ve had no time to heal, or to process.
Did Videus do this? Did he attack my brother?
A familiar howl erupts, piercing through the already tense moment. Kani and Fenton halt their progress, and turn back around. Every hair on the back of my neck stands on end as I flashback to my attack in these woods.
The Complete Pendomus Chronicles Trilogy: Books 1-3 of the Pendomus Chronicles Dystopian Scifi Boxed Set Series Page 9
