Perception

by Lee Strauss

  Paul scratched his head. “Just that a kid found him.”

  “A kid?”

  Paul nodded.

  That meant the Sol City authorities hadn’t tracked him down. That the outside police force had been informed first. If the Sol City authorities had found Liam’s body first, would I and my parents even know about it now?

  I really was getting paranoid.

  “What happened to him? How exactly did he die?” The words felt thick and poisonous, but I had to know.

  Paul hesitated. “Well, that part seems to be a mystery. The coroner’s report should be in by tonight.”

  “What about the chip?” I insisted. “What happened to that?”

  Paul tossed the remaining gulp of espresso down his throat. “Look, Zoe, I don’t know. You can read the report for yourself when it comes. I’m going to go check on Alison.”

  He stood abruptly and headed for the stairs. My frustration was reaching critical levels. I was so tired of being kept in the dark.

  I followed him upstairs shortly afterwards with plans to get dressed. I was eager for the morning to pass so I could get on with my meeting with Noah. I heard soft sobbing down the hall. Alison was awake.

  I paused at the top of the stairs.

  “Maybe we could do it again.” Alison’s voice broke.

  I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t tear myself away.

  Paul answered, “You weren’t that happy with how it turned out last time, remember?”

  “But, technology has advanced since then, and your father....”

  “Alison, no. It’s still illegal. Besides, he was too old and too many people know he’s dead.”

  I felt immobilized, my mental circuits rushing to make sense of what I’d just heard. What did Paul mean when he said Alison wasn’t happy with how it turned out last time? What was illegal? And what did my grandfather have to do with anything?

  I couldn’t make sense of it, but a dread grew in the pit of my stomach.

  I showered, letting the hot water fall on my head longer than necessary in an attempt to wash away the creeping sorrow and my growing anxiety. Why would someone kill my brother? Unbidden tears erupted as thoughts of Liam flooded my mind.

  I remembered the last time we were together. We’d gone surfing. We’d fought about his secret project. Now I wished I’d pressed him harder, made him confide in me.

  He’d left right after his shower, and I’d said see you later, barely registering the back of his head.

  I had no idea that was the final time I’d ever see him.

  I thought of Jackson as I blow-dried my hair. I couldn’t believe I still hadn’t heard from him. This was the worst news for both of us. Did he expect me to go to him first?

  I considered wearing my costume to meet Noah’s gang again, but changed my mind. He’d have to tell them who I really was anyway. I just hoped they didn’t tar and feather me when they found out I’d lied to them and was a member of their least favorite people group.

  I brushed my hair, my ring vibrating as I pulled it back into a low pony-tail. Jackson. Finally.

  I tapped the base of my ring and his image appeared. “I’m outside your front door.” Something was definitely wrong. Jackson always just let himself in, being one of the few people to have authorized access to our house.

  I skipped down the stairs, making my way past the foyer wall-garden and opening one of the huge metal doors. He leaned against the wall, his head tilted up, his eyes closed. I spoke his name, and he gazed at me, looking worse than I did. His hair was still damp from a recent shower, but that didn’t hide the hollow look in his eyes or the slouch of his shoulders.

  “Did you sleep at all last night?” I asked as we cut through the house to the pool side patio. I sat on a lounge chair opposite the one he took, the bright morning sun incongruent with the dark emotions we felt.

  “A little. The authorities hounded me until sunrise. I dosed off for a couple hours after they left.”

  “What did the authorities want with you?” And why had they questioned him for so long?

  “I don’t know. They think I know what happened to Liam.”

  “Do you?”

  He hesitated slightly, then said, “No.”

  He looked so haggard and weary. If he knew anything he would tell me, wouldn’t he?

  “What was Liam working on in the lab, Jackson?”

  “Just the usual stuff. University studies. Pharmaceutical tests.”

  “Pharmaceutical?”

  Jackson sighed. “He wasn’t selling drugs to the outside.”

  “Then what was he doing out there?”

  “I told you, I don’t know. He was acting kind of secretive. I thought he had a new girl he didn’t want to talk about. I thought maybe she was married or something. I never guessed she might be from the outside.”

  Four days ago I would’ve found that hard to believe too, but now I figured I had to be open to anything. And if there was a girl on the outside who had anything to do with Liam’s death, she’d be sorry when I found her.

  Jackson covered his face with his hands, defeated. I felt bad. I’d been too hard on him. I went to his side and put my arms around him.

  He kissed the top of my head. “We’ll get through this.”

  “I hope so,” I whispered back.

  I felt stiff in his embrace, so I pulled away. “Do you want something to drink?”

  He nodded, and I went to the patio beverage fridge. Opening it, I found it was empty. Alison had failed to reorder. She was seriously off her game.

  “We’ll have to go back inside.”

  We entered through the patio door, and I was surprised to see Alison standing there, dressed in linen slacks and a cotton buttoned-down shirt. Her hair was styled and her make-up expertly applied.

  Paul must’ve given her more pills.

  She was with another woman, who was wearing a pencil skirt. She sat upright next to Alison on the sofa and had a consoling yet business-like demeanor.

  A video of Liam was playing on the TV monitor.

  My throat went dry, and my heart beat wildly in my chest. Maybe I should score a few pills from Paul for myself.

  Alison stopped the video when she noticed me and Jackson in the room.

  “Hi, Jackson,” she said.

  “Hello, Alison. I’m sorry...”

  She waved him quiet. “I know. He was like family to you, too.” Then she introduced the woman to us like they were discussing interior design instead of watching videos of her dead son.

  “This is June. She’s our funeral planner.”

  We said an uncomfortable hello before leaving them for the safety of the kitchen.

  Jackson rested against the counter. “Your mom seems to be handling it all right.”

  “She’s medicated.”

  I pulled two sparkly drinks from the refrigerator. We stared at each other while we drank in silence. I didn’t know what else to say to him, and it was clear he felt the same way.

  I moved to the dining room, where I had a slender view of the living room and could see the images flashing on the screen. Now Alison and June were going through stills. Liam as a baby. Liam in grade school. His sports teams and surf shots. Liam’s graduation. Every once in a while a photo would pop up of me.

  I viewed the images of myself with Alison when I was young with curiosity. Her face was full of so much delight. There was one where she was touching my nose with her own when I was toddler, and we were both laughing. Another was of me a bit older, and we were outside this house looking at the flowers, holding hands. I was mesmerized by the daisies. Alison was mesmerized by me.

  When had that changed?

  “I think I’ll go now, try to get more sleep,” Jackson said.

  I walked him to the door. We kissed good-bye but it lacked enthusiasm. I wondered if we’d ever get our passion back.

  I had to leave soon to meet Noah at the church but I suddenly wanted to check something before I left. Bac
k in my room, I instructed my computer to set up the scanner. I positioned my chip under the laser beam.

  The files on my chip opened on my monitor. Finances, education, personal, medical. It was the federal government’s health department that had led the way for social acceptance of chip implantation, back around 2011, when the FDA had approved its safety. Health officials encouraged everyone to have chips implanted in case of medical emergencies in which individuals might be unconscious and unable to give first responders their medical information. The option grew in popularity as the world’s population grew increasingly older.

  Within a couple of decades, it seemed natural to add banking transactions which eased into buying and selling information and ultimately eliminated the chance of stolen credit cards and IDs.

  Eventually, everything that was left to know about a person was added to the chip, including Social Security numbers, everywhere you’d lived and for how long, marital status, children, parentage, ethnic background, employment records and levels of post-graduate education.

  I clicked on my medical file. All my recent medical information was there, including inoculations, height/weight, and mild illnesses. It also recorded in bold letters that I was a GAP with GAP parents and one GAP brother.

  I’d never had any real health problems, most GAPs didn’t. The earliest recording was a check-up when I was two and a half. Where were my earlier files, from birth to two?

  Then I found it. It was tucked under the rest, and if I hadn’t persisted in tapping, I would’ve missed it.

  The file wouldn’t open when I instructed it to. It was locked.

  Chapter 14

  When I arrived at the church, I found the back door had been left open and I assumed it was because they were waiting for me to arrive. I heard voices but instead of waltzing right in, I held back and listened.

  “So you’re telling me the brunette was a GAP?” one of the guys said. “In disguise?”

  Then I heard Noah’s voice. “I know.” He sounded amused.

  “Ultimate,” the guy said. “I’m surprised a GAP chick would actually do something like that. It’s kind of cool.”

  “I thought so, too,” Noah said.

  Despite everything, I couldn’t help but smile a little when I heard that.

  “But is it smart to get involved with a GAP? Especially offering any kind of assistance?”

  “She's going to pay,” Noah said. “We could use the money if we want to keep going with things. And maybe we can use her to get some inside intel.”

  My smile disappeared at that. This was just a business deal for Noah. I had to keep my unexpected, stupid feelings for him in check.

  Besides, I couldn’t forget we weren’t on the same team. I couldn’t let my guard down.

  I decided it was time to present myself, before they got into trashing me or worse, trashing Liam. I couldn’t take that right now.

  Noah stood when he saw me. “Hey. Come on in.” He shifted stiffly and said, “Zoe, you remember Anthony from last time.”

  “Hi.” The skinny guy. I flashed him a warm, hopeful, fake smile. Diplomacy at its finest.

  “Anthony,” Noah said, motioning to me, “Zoe Vanderveen from Sol City.”

  I caught Noah smirking as Anthony tried to keep his composure. Last time Anthony had seen me, I was a brown-eyed brunette called Chloe. I saw flashes of admiration as he took in my looks, but then he leaned back, folded his arms and frowned.

  Right. I was a GAP. I was the enemy.

  “I know this is strange,” I said to him. “I came in a disguise last time because I was looking for my brother.”

  “Why would that bring you to us?” Anthony asked.

  “She saw the news broadcasting our rally in front of Sleiman’s,” Noah answered for me as he sat down again. “Dexter’s name came up in the ticker.”

  Anthony raised his hands in question. “What’s Dexter got to do with anything?”

  “I found a hand written note in my brother’s room,” I explained. “It had the name Dexter on it. Nothing else.”

  “And you’re assuming our Dexter is the same Dexter?”

  “It’s a long shot, I know,” I said. “But it’s all I have. Where is Dexter, by the way?”

  “Good question.” Anthony pulled his legs up onto a pew, his shoes hitting the wooden seat with a clunk. “He’s either high or working. Or both.”

  “I talked to him about Liam,” Noah said, facing me. “He doesn’t know anything about it. I don’t think you’ve got the right Dexter.”

  I slunk to a pew, sitting tentatively on the edge.

  “We’ll try to find out what really happened to your brother,” he continued. “And Anthony here isn’t your run of the mill natural. He’s a hacker.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Among the best. It’s why I let him hang around. All the guys have a little something extra to offer.” He smiled, tilting his head.

  “And Katy and Beth?” I probed. “I assume they have talents as well?

  “We just keep them around for their good looks. Pretty girls attract a crowd.” He raised his eyebrows up and down like Charlie Chaplin. “We could use more, if you want to join us.”

  I tilted my head and batted my eyelashes. Just a little. “Ah, sounds tempting, but I think that would constitute a conflict of interest.”

  “Uh-hum,” Anthony said, faking a throat clearing. “Task at hand?”

  I almost blushed at the thought that Noah and I had been caught flirting.

  Were we flirting?

  “I know this might be a little difficult,” Anthony said, “But it would be really helpful if we could get a copy of your brother’s chip. Is there any way you could get one? From his computer, maybe?”

  “The authorities have his computer, and I don’t know when we’ll get it back. His chip is gone.”

  “What do you mean, gone?” Anthony asked. “If you mean it’s at the morgue, someone could go there to scan it.”

  “No,” I said. “It’s gone as in missing.” I winced before adding, “It’s been cut out.” Paul had given me the report.

  Noah wrinkled his brow. “No way.”

  I nodded, and closed my eyes pushing back tears. I couldn’t cry in front of these guys.

  Anthony sighed. “This will be much harder to do without the chip.”

  “Then I guess we need to find it,” I said.

  “Any ideas how we should go about doing that?” Noah asked.

  I shook my head. “None.”

  “Okay, Anthony,” he said, “you start digging online. Get whatever you can find about research at Sol City University and any connection Liam may have had to Sleiman other than the fact that his father works there.”

  Noah ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll head to the eastern sector where Liam’s body was found. Someone must’ve seen or heard something.”

  He stood as he said to me, “We’ll let you know if we find anything.”

  “I’m going, too.”

  “What?”

  “I’m going with you to where they found Liam.”

  “Zoe...”

  “No. I might think of something that helps.”

  “It’s not a great neighborhood. Could be dangerous.”

  I reached for his hand and weaved my fingers through his. “But I have you.”

  I’d defaulted to my base instinct. Use my looks and charm to my advantage. I’d once thought that Noah was immune to me, but it seemed that might’ve changed.

  His lips tugged up at the corners, and he nodded okay.

  A sudden fit of male adolescent fake coughing ensued. Noah pulled his hand away from mine as Anthony gave him a questioning look.

  Chapter 15

  The thing about hanging out with guys is they’re always hungry. Noah insisted on a pit stop at the food court before we headed out.

  “Fine,” I said. “But it’s my treat this time.”

  “Sounds good. Lead the way.”

  We skirted o
ut from behind the church and crossed the courtyard to the food court.

  “What do you want?” I said. “Indian again?”

  He shook his head. “Nah, I’m up for a good ol’fashioned hamburger.”

  We headed down the steps to an underground area. I blinked as I adjusted to the bright artificial lighting. I spotted the sandwich place and stood in line while Noah found an empty table. I ordered a hamburger for Noah, and since I didn’t trust outside meat, I stuck with fries.

  I waved my palm over the scanner to pay, and it only took a few minutes for our food to arrive. I carried the tray over to Noah.

  “This is great, Zoe, thanks,” Noah said with a muffled half-full mouth.

  The fries were good, too. Crisp and salty.

  “Can I ask you something?” I said, after washing down the fries with a sip of coke.

  “Shoot.”

  “Why don’t you have a chip?”

  He swallowed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I don’t like needles.”

  I scoffed. “That’s it? You know they freeze the spot first. You don’t feel a thing.”

  Noah shrugged.

  “Your friends don’t seem to have a problem with it,” I pressed.

  “They’re braver than me.”

  “Noah, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about you, it’s that you’re no coward. Come on, spill. Why won’t you get a chip?”

  He considered me while he tossed a couple fries in his mouth.

  “My father was a reverend. A bible-believing Christian. The last book in the bible is called Revelations. It supposedly tells us how the world is going to end.”

  “And you believe it?”

  Noah leaned back and rubbed his full stomach. “I don’t know. I think so. My father did.”

  I took a small bite of my hamburger. “I still don’t get why you won’t get the chip?”

  “There’s a passage in Revelations that talks about a ‘beast’ that comes to deceive the world. This beast works against God and everyone who follows him. In order to control the people he makes them get a mark on their right hand or forehead. Without this mark you can’t buy or sell.”

  I pointed to my right hand. “And you think this chip is that mark?”