by Edge, T. C.
“Don't like public speaking huh?” he asks.
“Yeah, never have,” I lie.
“Well, that guy ain't helping. One of these days he'll get what's coming to him. I'll see to it myself if I have to.”
I laugh as Theo begins strolling off to the other side of the room. “So, your father was killed too?” I ask, happy to find someone who might understand my grief.
He nods. “Last year. Accident at his factory.”
“You mean...the accident you mentioned earlier? The one the Watchers didn't see?”
His dark grey eyes remain stony and hard. “Yeah, it happens a lot where I'm from. I never knew about all this Watcher stuff. Maybe now I'll be able to prevent some of them.”
Without Theo there, everyone seems to fall back into their own private conversations. Link remains at the back with myself and Ellie, who's still keeping herself to herself, while the other boys begin forming into their own little gang up at the front. After about 10 minutes, Theo comes strolling back and sits with the boys, who immediately surround him and begin asking him how it all went. I can't tell whether it's the fact that he's from Eden or if he's actually some big shot around here, but they seem to lap up every word.
One by one, the boys meander off towards the other end of the hall while Theo stands and continues to lead the introductions. The murky blond boy stands next. Rupert, from the second largest sea city of Caprico. Then the final three boys I don't know: Anders, Kyle, and Amir, all of them from the fishing sea city of Aquar.
Link is the last of the boys to pay a visit to Ajax before it's the turn of the girls. The twins go first, just as Theo demands Ellie stand and give her introduction. She does, nervously rattling off the scant details of her life, before melting back into her chair as Theo remarks on how poor mainlanders are at speaking to groups.
Soon it's Ellie who wanders off to see Ajax, returning a few minutes later with her eyes reddened once again. I ask her what happened, but all she does it shut down once more, refusing to tell me.
I have no time to dig for the truth, though, because I'm the only one left for Ajax to see. I walk across the hall and towards the newly formed room, fitted with a door and solid walls. I knock and am called in, finding Ajax sitting in a chair with a spare seat a few feet opposite from him.
He tells me to sit, before explaining exactly what this is all about.
“Cyra,” he says, holding a large tablet, similar to Leeta's, in his hand, "how are you finding Eden?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I haven't really had a chance to get to know it yet. I'm not sure about some of the people though,” I say impertinently.
“Theo is highly bred and comes from a long line of powerful people,” says Ajax. “But down here, we're all the same.”
“How did you know I was talking about him?” I ask quickly.
“Intuition,” he says. “I understand he can rub people up the wrong way, but he'll settle in once he's got it out of his system. Just ignore him for now.”
“I'll try,” I say, “although I can't vouch for Link.”
He smiles and looks down at his tablet. “Right, I'm talking to you individually to speak about your genetics test, as well as any visions you may have had since then. Tell me Cyra, what can you remember?”
He looks up from his tablet, his eyes resting on mine.
“Um, well I saw glimpses of things along my journey here. Like the city itself, the boat that took me here, Piscator on the coast.”
“Anything else?”
I take a gulp. “My mother. She...she died the night before I left. I saw her face during my genetics test.”
His face suddenly loosens, his hard features softening. “I'm so sorry to hear that, Cyra. How did she pass?”
“The virus.”
“That's terrible. You must be having a hard time right now?”
I nod but don't answer. I'm afraid if I do my voice will crack.
“It is during times of emotion and trauma that our visions grow clearest, Cyra. The illness and death of your mother may explain why your visions have been more far reaching than the others.”
“Far reaching?”
“Yes. Arbor is a long way from Eden, yet you say you saw clear sights of the city. That's rare, Cyra, very rare. As I said earlier, visions are usually confined to areas close to where you are at the time. You, however, have seen thousands of miles.”
“Because of my mother?”
“That will be a factor, yes,” he says. “There's also your IQ, which is high. Those with higher IQ's dream more, and in the same way, their visions are often stronger and more clear. We'll know more in the coming weeks and months.”
“I've seen something else?” I say. “I've seen Knight's Wall at the Divide.”
His eyes raise quickly from his tablet. “Knight's Wall? What have you seen?”
“Soldiers, a sunset,” I say.
“Yes, and?” he asks quickly, his eyes narrowing.
“Gunfire,” I continue, “and flashes of light. And beyond it....an army.”
Commander Ajax shuffles his weight in his seat, his face growing grave, his voice turning quiet. “An army...that's not possible.”
“I suppose, maybe I was dreaming. My father died at the Divide and a friend of mine has just been sent there, so it's sort of on my mind.”
Ajax's face fails to soften this time. He doesn't tell me he's sorry for my father's death. He doesn't offer any consoling words. He just looks at me, almost straight through me, his dark eyes glinting under the light.
“Is that all you saw. Any details? Any faces? Anything else?”
I shake my head. “No. It was kinda blurry, nothing specific or clear.”
“Listen to me, Cyra. If you see anything again, anything at all, you come to me immediately. I don't care what time it is, I don't care what you're doing or where you are. You come straight down here, OK.”
I nod, his sudden intensity unnerving. “I understand.”
“Good.”
Then he stands, and orders Eve to dismantle the room, which she duly does. “That's all for today, Cyra. Tell the rest to return here tomorrow at 8 AM. And get some rest. Tomorrow we start your training.
And with that, he begins marching in the other direction, to the other side of the room, before slipping out of another door and disappearing from sight.
11 - Fear Training
The afternoon of our first full day on Eden is spent with Leeta. She guides Ellie and I around the upper deck of the city, showing us the entertainment quarter and the commercial district. Both are hives of activity, only growing more busy as the afternoon grows late and the evening approaches.
People sit at cafes and restaurants, eating and drinking a range of foods I've never experienced. Fish and lobster and exotic meats imported from the regions. Fruits and vegetables and soups and breads fill their tables, many hardly touched and going to waste.
My nostrils fill with smells that make my stomach rumble, only for it to turn at the thought of such decadence. I ask Leeta about the staff who clear the tables of used plates and uneaten food. About those who clean the city and keep it smelling and looking like a bed of roses. The sort of role I expected to be given when I arrived.
Those people, she says with an element of guilt, live on the floor below the deck level on Surface Level 8. She doesn't elaborate, but I immediately know that their rations will be similar to what we get in the regions. That their living quarters will be basic compared to my own.
In the entertainment quarter I see things I've only ever heard about. There's an old movie theatre in Arbor, although it doesn't operate any more. Here, there are many, filled with various screens showing the latest holographic pictures. Elsewhere are live action productions, where actors dress up and perform a story in front of an audience. The thought that some people here live for such a purpose baffles me in a world where everyone needs to fill a role.
Again, Leeta says that entertainment is important to help people
relax after fulfilling their duties for the day. That, as Ajax had told us, the social aspect of life on Eden is crucial to its structure and for the mental health of the people.
I think of the sort of entertainment we get back home. Playing in the fields as children. Reading what scant books are available in the dilapidated town library. Watching old recordings on television, if you're lucky enough to have one. I remember my mother telling me how they used to erect a screen in the town square during certain times of year. But that was only when I was a child, and hasn't happened in over a decade. It hardly compares really.
That evening, Leeta takes us to the centre of the upper deck as it gets dark, where a huge square marks a popular meeting point in the middle of the city. At the heart of the square is a grand fountain, spraying water high into the air. It sparkles under the moonlight, droplets of water sprinkling down into a large pool surrounding it. Around it people smile and sing and dance, eating at restaurants and perusing the shops bordering the square. Above, buildings stretch high into the night sky, housing some of the most sought after residences in the city.
Only the most important people are provided with living quarters here, where many politicians and powerful officials enjoy unspoilt views across all of the upper deck and beyond across the ocean. I know that Theo's parents, members of the Council, will be among them.
When I ask Leeta about it, she almost falls over from shock.
“Theo Graves is doing the same duty as you?!” she exclaims. I quickly regret telling her, realising that it's not right for me to even speak about my role as a trainee Watcher. Leeta probably doesn't even know what a Watcher is, although I suspect those on Eden, if not elsewhere, are likely to have some idea about them. Certainly, when Ajax revealed our duty earlier in the day, Theo didn't seem surprised or confused at all. He was just glum and disinterested.
In any case, Leeta doesn't ask what the duty is. She merely tells me that she doesn't want to know anyway, and that it's not her duty to pry or ask questions on the matter. What she does do, however, is tell me a little bit about who Theo actually is.
“The Graves are two of the most important members of the Council who run Eden and, by extension, Arcadia,” she says. “Theo is their only son, and is known throughout the city. I thought he'd follow them into politics, but obviously not.”
“So that explains why he's such a jerk,” I say.
“Cyra, wash your mouth out!” says Leeta, quickly glancing around us. “You can't speak about someone like that, especially not someone like him.”
I look at Ellie, who's laughing next to me. “But he is,” I say. “I've never met anyone so arrogant.”
“Well arrogant he may be, but there's a reason for that. The kids here, they all behave like they're up on a pedestal. They'll all grow out of it in the end though.”
“And were you like that?” asks Ellie. “You know, arrogant and rude to people from the mainland.”
Leeta shakes her head. “Of course not. You may not believe this, but I wasn't born on Eden. So, I know what it's like to be an outsider.”
“You're not originally from here?” I ask. “Where are you from then?”
Leeta lifts her chin. “A small region in the north, along the coast. It was a manufacturing region. Mainly ship building. Right, now come along girls, it's getting late.”
She hurries off away from the square and back towards our building near the perimeter as Ellie and I chase after her. “I guess that's why she loves the ocean so much,” Ellie says. “Because she grew up next to it.”
It doesn't take long to get back, at which point Leeta says goodbye and tells us she'll continue our tour another time. She seems strangely reserved as she departs, and I can almost see her eyes glistening slightly as she turns and walks away.
I say goodnight to Ellie, who I've discovered is in the room next to me, and re-enter my own chambers. Inside it's warmer than outside and just about everywhere I've been, owing to the recalibrated heating that Eve set up. I ask her to darken the windows and shut the curtains, and she does without answering.
Then I crawl into bed, my head aching wildly with everything that's happened today, everything I've discovered and learned. I'm so wired that I don't think I'll sleep at all, yet within minutes I'm out like a light, dropping into a deep sleep like I haven't enjoyed for an age. A sleep uninterrupted by dreams and visions and thoughts of my mother and Jackson.
I wake without any feeling of drowsiness either. The curtains have already been opened and the windows are growing more transparent, slowly losing their cloak. Light spills into the room, growing brighter as the minutes pass.
Outside my room, Ellie already waits, although she seems to have had a rougher night. I ask her if she's OK but don't get much of a response. I'd imagine she's worried about the day ahead. I know I am.
It's a funny thing, not knowing what to expect. There's a comfort in knowing what's coming your way, even if it's scary or nerve racking. At least you'd know, so can prepare for it mentally. Right now, neither Ellie nor I have any idea of what to expect from not just today, but the weeks, months, and even years, ahead. Beyond this training, beyond learning to control these so-called abilities we're supposed to have, we have no idea where we'll end up. By the sounds of it, Watchers are assigned all over, destined to watch over others for their entire lives. Right now, the dreams I've been having have often woken me up in a sweat. I can't imagine that continuing for the rest of my life. In fact, the very thought of it terrifies me.
When we arrive at the Grid, we scan our wrists and the door slides open with the usual hiss of air. Like yesterday, we look upon the faces of the other trainees, sitting in their seats. Unlike yesterday, however, there is no long, wide, expansive hall stretching into the distance. In fact, we seem to have walked into a small room with little in it but a few seats and tables with water and fruit on top.
“Ah, that's our full compliment,” says Ajax, his eyes scanning over me as we enter.
We find a couple of seats before Ajax briefs us on what we'll be doing.
“I hope you all slept well last night,” he says, “because today, and for the weeks to come, you're going to need all your strength.”
“Now, let me ask you all a question, and I want you to answer it truthfully.” He waits for us all to acknowledge him. “What do you know of fear?”
No one answers.
“Let me re-phrase the question. What are you most scared of?”
His eyes scan us and stop on Link, always one to give his opinion.
“I guess, fire. I've never liked fire.”
“Good. Thank you, Link. Anyone else?”
The twins put their hands up. “We both hate flying,” they say together.
“Thank you Larna and Lorna. How about you Ellie?”
“Um, I guess I'm afraid of snakes. I was bitten once, back home in Lignum.”
“Yes, snakes are a common fear for mainlanders,” says Ajax. “Theo, what scares you?”
Theo shakes his head. “Nothing scares me.”
There's a rumble of approval from the other sea city boys. Link and I just look at each other and roll our eyes, just like I'd do with Jackson.
“Everyone is scared of something,” says Ajax. “Don't be shy, you can tell us.”
“Nothing, all right. What would I have to be scared of? What about you, Ajax? You're so tough. What's your major fear then?”
There's a short silence as Ajax and Theo stare at each other, a tension building in the air. “Drowning,” he says eventually.
“All right then, I'm scared of drowning too. That good enough?”
“Well, we'll find out soon enough,” he says, before turning back to the whole group. “Your fear will be your ally. You need to learn to embrace it, to use it. Fear and emotional trauma are the fuel that allow us to use our abilities.”
He walks towards the wall that, presumably, leads into the hall beyond. “Beyond this door your fears will be realised. In order to train, you
must learn to live with the things that scare you the most. The more you can master your fear and hold onto that trauma, the stronger your abilities will become.
“But be aware that this won't be easy. Fear is the thing people try to avoid most. Today will be hard, and the days and weeks to follow will be too. But remember why you're doing it. Hold onto that thought every step of the way. Because as soon as you let it go, as soon as you give in, you'll break.”
The room falls silent as Ajax's words fall like heavy weights to the floor. Already, I can see people's faces coiled up with anxiety and dread. And none of us have even passed through the door yet.
“Theo,” says Ajax, “why don't you go first. Show everyone how it's done.”
“Go first? I don't even know what I'm doing!”
“You don't need to know. Enter the Grid and you'll find out.”
In a flash, that cocksure expression melts off Theo's face, replaced with one of dread and anxiety. He stands from his seat and puffs out his chest, though, trying to appear confident. I think everyone, even the other sea city boys, can see straight through him.
“Go on Theo, show us how it's done cap,” says Rupert.
“Yeah, you're the man, Theo,” chips in Anders. “You've got this.”
Their words of support, I know, are intended to get him to go first. No one ever wants to go first.
Theo makes his way to the door, Ajax moving over towards him. I hear his voice, low now, speaking quietly just to him. “Whatever you see in there will be real. Remember yesterday, with the gunfire. It's all real, Theo.”
“And what will be in there?” asks Theo, his bravado gone, his voice filled with nerves.
“I don't know,” says Ajax. “But you'll understand when you enter.”
I can feel my own pulse racing now as Theo opens the door. Beyond, I see nothing but a black room, the deepest black I've ever seen. Theo stops in the doorway, his hand still clutching at the door handle.
“Go inside, Theo,” whispers Ajax. “Embrace your fear.”
