by Edge, T. C.
So many questions rush through my mind as I raise my eyes back up to Commander Ajax. He stands there, looking over each of us, waiting for us to give him our complete attention.
“I can tell by the looks on your faces that you don't know what a Watcher is?” he asks.
I scan the room again and see heads shaking. All except two. To my side, Ellie remains still, her eyes locked on Ajax. Ahead of me, the boy from Eden sits casually, a petulant look on his face.
“Well, that's good,” says Ajax. “Watchers aren't known to the general public. I wouldn't expect you to know about them.”
“So, what are they?” comes a gravelly voice from a boy at the front.
Ajax walks slowly forward, addressing the boy directly. “Tell me, Link, when was your genetics test conducted?”
I lean closer in to catch a better glimpse of the boy. His hair is dark, yet longer and not as perfectly trimmed as the others. There's a scar running down the side of his face, up his jaw and across his cheek, that gives him a roughness that the others don't have. I can tell, just at a glance, that this boy's from the mainland too.
“A few days ago,” he answers.
“And since then, have you been dreaming more than usual?”
I see Link's eyes crunch up in a frown. “Yes...I have.”
“And those dreams. What have they been about?”
There's a complete hush around us now. I look between pairs of eyes to see them staring intently at Link, waiting for his answer.
“I can't remember them that clearly,” he says. “Fragments of things mainly.”
“Things that came true? Things you had never seen before?” asks Ajax.
I watch as Link nods, slowly.
Now I'm retracing my own dreams. All the flashes of things I've seen over the last few days. Ever since my genetics test my sleep has been filled with images of things I'd go on to see a day or two later. The sight of the ship that carried me to Eden. The image of the coastline from the sea. The pylons holding the colossal domed platform above the surf. The face of my dead mother.
I trace my eyes over those ahead of me once again and see that they're doing the same. The realisation that those hazy fragments were more than just the imagination. They were the future. Visions of reality, yet to unfold.
Ajax's voice brings all eyes back up to him, putting words to what is already rushing through everyone's minds.
“Those things you've been seeing, Link – the things that all of you have been seeing – is what we call premature reality. More commonly, you might think of it as the future.”
“We can see the future?” asks one of the girls.
“Exactly,” says Ajax coolly. “Your genetics test unearthed a mutated gene inside each of you. How long did your tests last for?” he asks, looking around the room.
I hear a series of answers.
Thirty minutes
Forty minutes
Three quarters of an hour.
“The reason you all took so long is because the scanner was opening up your pathways so that you can tap into the Void. It's what we call the period between now and the visions of the future you see. We each have that mutated gene, although the extent to which you can control your Watcher abilities will vary.”
“Abilities?” comes another question. “There's more than one?”
“There are several. Although you won't all be able to develop them. It really depends on the person and their potential. Watchers cannot control the visions they have. They come most commonly during sleep, when our minds are most active, and vary in their scope. In general, Watchers can only see a few days or weeks ahead, and only events nearby to where they are currently located. Our main responsibility as Watchers is to oversee the policing of Arcadia and the safety of its people.”
I look over to Ellie, who now looks about as lost as everyone else. The boy from Eden, however, just looks disinterested.
“There are Watchers assigned all over the nation. Their visions help prevent accidents and catastrophes, crime and attacks from rebels. The clearer the vision, the better prepared we are to prevent it.”
“But last year four people died in one of the factories where I'm from. Why wasn't that prevented?” asks Link, his voice dry.
“It's not a complete system or a perfect system,” responds Ajax. “Sometimes the vision is too obscured to know where it takes place and when. Sometimes there are enough details to prevent such things. There simply aren't enough of us to blanket the whole country right now, so we do our best with what we have.”
I watch as Link sits back, arms folded. I know what he's thinking. That there is no Watcher assigned near where he's from because it's not important enough. Something tells me that most Watchers are assigned to offer protection on the sea cities and the more important regions. I can't ever remember seeing one in Arbor, although I guess I wouldn't know it even if I had.
“I understand that all of this is hard to take on at once,” continues Ajax. “There's a lot to learn and discover, and it will take time for it to sink in. Over the coming weeks and months, we will try to unleash the full extent of your abilities, and will train you to use them...”
“But you said they couldn't be controlled,” says Link again, cutting Ajax off.
Ajax's face grows suddenly stern, his stone jaw clenching. “Please don't interrupt me again, Link,” he says, a menace to his words. “I understand in Fossor that life is different, but here you must observe etiquette.”
Link nods and slinks slightly back into his chair.
“But your question is valid. The visions you have cannot be controlled, but your ability to see marginally into the Void can be. Not all Watchers can do so, but those who can are able to look a few seconds into the future around them. When this happens, premature reality overlaps with the present, giving the Watcher an additional ability.”
“Which is?” asks the boy from Eden, who suddenly appears more interested.
Ajax smiles. “I think, Theo, it's easier if I show you all.”
He begins moving away from us, walking towards the door into the hall before speaking in a loud voice. “Eve, would you simulate a battlefield situation.”
“Yes, Commander Ajax,” comes the voice of the AI.
Immediately the large open space ahead of us begins to change. Broken down walls and old buildings begin springing up from the floor. The ground grows heavy with rubble and other debris. I see soldiers appearing as if from nowhere, hiding behind whatever they can find. Within only a few moments, most of the hall resembles a war torn town.
Ellie's eyes have bulged at the sight, and I can see Link also looking around in bewilderment. None of the others seem to bat an eyelid, though. They just watch the room morph as if it's the most natural thing in the world.
Then Ajax asks for Eve to put up a protective screen, and a long see-through sheet appears down the left hand side of the battlefield.
“Please go and stand behind the screen,” he says, turning back to us. “And Eve, on my command, activate live gun fire.”
Everyone stands from their chairs and begins moving towards the screen, and for the first time I get a good look at them all. Link stands tall and strong, his black hair falling casually over the front of his face. He reminds me a bit of Jackson in how old he looks compared to the others. If I had seen him at any other time I'd put him as older than 16.
Walking at the front is Theo, the boy from Eden. He moves fluidly with a stroll as the other boys from the sea cities follow in his wake. They hustle behind, trying to move up to his side, and gather together as we reach the protective screen. I can hear them whispering, wondering perhaps what exactly is about to happen, as Theo stares ahead, out towards the battlefield.
Ellie walks beside me, staring wide-eyed at the rusted cars and broken down buildings. The other two girls walk together, their hair a strange colour of dark red. They speak as they go, their voices carrying a similar tone, and I quickly realise that they're twins.
At the front of the hall, Ajax stands, patiently waiting for us all to move into place. Everyone's eyes fall to him as a sudden hush runs over the group. Then he shouts, calling to Eve to simulate an attack, and begins running forward into the battleground.
The noise that fills the air is unlike anything I've ever experienced. Even back home near the huge harvesting machines and factories, I've never heard such an explosion of sound. Guns begin firing from a dozen locations in the simulated town, bullets whizzing through the air at Ajax. Lights flash as the weapons fire, the bullets ripping into buildings and cars and other debris lining the floor.
I see Ellie shield her eyes and turn her face to the ground, expecting to see Ajax's body ripped apart by the barrage of firepower ahead of him.
But he keeps coming, keeps running forward, moving further and further into the town. He twists and turns as he goes, moving to the left and right, ducking and jumping through the storm.
The bullets keep firing, the room still raging with the sound of war, flashing constantly as sparks fly all around. I look briefly down the line of faces next to me, and see only wide eyes and open mouths as Ajax keeps going, on and on, passing by soldiers as they fire at him.
He doesn't slow. He just keeps on running, shaping his path towards the other end. Soon he's nearing the other side, the bullets still fizzing through the air after him. Then, as quickly as it all started, the firing stops and the room falls silent, leaving only a heavy ringing that bounces around the room.
Ajax turns to us, not a hint of fear or panic on his face. He begins walking back in our direction as the entire hall begins to return to its original state, the buildings and broken walls and battered cars disappearing back into nothing. The protective sheet ahead of us slides back into the floor and, just as Ellie finally raises her head back up, the room returns to normal.
Not a word is spoken as Ajax continues his approach, his footsteps now the only sound echoing around the hall. Everyone just stares at him, awestruck, wondering what they just witnessed.
Link is the first to speak, shaking his head as he looks at Ajax. “That was fake, right? Just a simulation. They weren't real bullets?”
It's not Ajax who answers, but Theo. I hear his voice down the line, his tone mocking. “Of course it was real,” he says, looking at Link as if he's an idiot. “Did you think all those walls were crumbling for no reason?”
“All right wise guy, so what do you think happened?”
Theo laughs and shakes his head, rolling his eyes. “You mainlanders are so simple. Were you not listening to him before? He can see where the bullets will be before they're even fired. Why do you think he was jigging this way and that? It's not a dance contest.”
I can see Link's fist beginning to clench by his side, his tall frame extending to its fullest height. Ajax's voice quickly cuts him back down.
“You don't want to do that Link,” he says. “Hitting him won't get you anywhere.”
“Yeah, but it'll make me feel better,” says Link, shooting a stare at Theo, who just smiles back at him.
“And Theo, don't antagonise people. Or were you not listening earlier either? I said that down here we're all one big family. Trust me, you're going to need each other before long.”
Theo sneers but doesn't reply.
“But,” continues Ajax, now addressing us all. “Theo is right about what just happened. When you're able to control your abilities, you'll be able to see things a few seconds before they happen. So, essentially, you'll be able to dodge bullets. Or, to be more accurate, you'll simply be avoiding their future paths.”
A chorus of disbelief rumbles between us. “For real?” asks one of the boys, his hair a murky blond.
“That's yet to be seen. Not all Watchers are able to do so. Some only have visions, while others are able to control the Void for a limited amount of time, as you just saw me do. That may be a second or two, or perhaps a bit more. It depends on each of us, so don't expect to be able to do what I just did.”
“And you? How far into the Void can you see?” I realise, before I know it, that it's me who's asked the question.
Everyone's eyes turn to me before shooting back to Ajax. “I am more gifted than most,” he says, without offering anything more. “Our training in the coming months will reveal the extent of your ability to see into the Void. For now, though, I want to speak with you each individually.”
Ajax leads us back to the seats near the entrance to the Grid and asks us to sit down. For the rest of the morning, he tells us, we will get to know each other. Each will speak with him one on one as the rest socialise with the other trainees. Strong social ties, he says, are an important element of life on Eden.
I notice that Theo and the other boys and girls from the sea cities are aware of this point. In fact, it looks to be more directed at myself, Ellie, and Link, who appear to be the only ones from the mainland. Life on the sea cities, it would seem, is more social than elsewhere. They probably grew up with more free time on their hands to actually enjoy it, although I know that relationships between boys and girls are still forbidden before the Pairing, even on Eden.
It's the blond haired boy who is first to speak with Ajax alone. They walk to the other side of the hall where several walls suddenly sprout from the floor to provide some privacy. The rest of us remain in our seats, unsure of exactly what to do. Ellie seems to have retracted back into her shell, becoming that shy girl I first met once again. She sits, head low, intermittently peeping her eyes up to see what the others are doing.
It's Theo who is the first to act. He stands up and walks to the front where Ajax had been addressing us, and casually creeps his eyes over each of us, one by one.
“As the only one here from Eden, I suppose it's down to me to organise something,” he says.
The other sea city boys immediately sit up as if being spoken to by a teacher, while Link remains relaxed in his chair, a scowl on his face.
“Let's each come up to the front and introduce ourselves to the rest of the group. I'll go first.”
I see Ellie shrink further back into herself, her chin dropping even lower to her chest.
“My name is Theo Graves,” Theo starts, his voice calm and clear as it rings out through the hall. “I am, as we all know by now, from Eden, and my parents are both members of the Council.” He speaks proudly, a smugness growing on his face. “Link, why don't you go next?”
Link stays put for a moment, before grudgingly standing up. He doesn't stand to the front though, but merely stays by his chair, ready to drop back down into it once he's done.
“Thanks, Theo,” he says sarcastically. “So, I'm Link. My parents aren't members of any Council or nothin'. My dad's dead and my mum's a factory clerk from Fossor. That enough, Mr Graves?”
“Oh, I am sorry to hear about your father,” says Theo, insincerely. “How did he die?”
Link's face screws up a little more. “Factory explosion,” he says, before tightening his jaw and falling back into his chair.
“Right,” says Theo, still directing things. “How about you two twins. You must be from Gaia with that hair?”
The twins stand together and answer in unison. “Yes, that's right Theo. We're Lorna,” says one, “and Larna,” says the other, “and our parents are Healers.”
“For anyone who doesn't know,” says Lorna, looking specifically to myself, Ellie, and Link, “Gaia is a very colourful city, so hair like ours is common. It was actually much redder before, but we had it toned down when we learned we were coming here.”
“And a good thing too,” says Theo. “Hair that's too bright is unpleasant for Edenites.” He glances at my hair as he speaks, and I can't help but duck my head slightly out of embarrassment.
“How about you?” he says. I lift my eyes to see Theo looking at me. “You look like you're from Agricola?” His words are innocent, but the way he says them makes a jolt of anger run up my spine.
“Yes,” I say, “I'm from a town called...”
“Well stand up, stand up,” he cuts in. “When you speak to an audience in Eden, you stand.”
I reluctantly stand and now know exactly how Link must be feeling. All I want to do is smack the guy in the mouth.
“I'm from a town called Arbor and my name is Cyra,” I continue, making sure to speak clearly and confidently. I don't care who this boy is, I'm not going to have him looking down on me. “My father was called into service and died a few years ago. My mother is....was...”
I stop, my voice caught in my throat. I can feel all eyes on me again, burning through me, just as they did at the Duty Call, on the hoverbus, on the ship from Piscator.
“Yes?” says Theo. “Your mother was a, what?”
I feel my heart beginning to pound, my head starting to ache, my vision slowly blurring. I drop down into my chair again and see images flash before my eyes. Flashes of glowing orange sunsets and mighty walls in the desert. Of soldiers and weapons and howls of pain. I blink my eyes quickly and feel a cool hand across my forehead, the blackness framing my eyes starting to clear.
“Cyra,” says a sweet voice, “Cyra, are you OK?”
I see the soft features of Ellie in front of me, her fearful eyes staring into mine.
“I...I'm fine,” I say, sitting back up straight. “I don't know what happened.”
Gradually the faces in front of me grow into focus and I see all sets of eyes staring at me. “Are you sure you feel all right?” says one of the twins, I can't tell which. “We can check you over if you want. We know how. Our parents are Healers, as we said.”
I shake my head. “No, thanks, I'm fine. I just....don't like speaking in front of people, that's all.”
I hear Theo give off an arrogant huff just as footsteps begin echoing from across the hall. We all turn up and see the blond boy walking back towards us.
“He wants you, Theo,” he says as he gets closer.
I share a quick look with Link, whose face is still written in a scowl. He shakes his head and moves over towards me and Ellie.
